Episode Summary
In this episode, Julie Liu, the Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Marketing at AvePoint, shares her unique journey into the world of B2B marketing. Despite not having a traditional marketing background, Julie has built a successful career by embracing a "T-shaped" approach - being a strong generalist with deep expertise in specific areas. She discusses AvePoint's consistent go-to-market strategy, which is centered around a buyer journey framework spanning five stages from "horizon scanners" to "clients." Julie emphasizes the importance of aligning the entire organization around this framework and associating each stage with specific metrics. She also highlights the value of investing in the next generation of marketers, focusing on cultivating curious, risk-taking individuals who can bring diverse perspectives. Looking ahead, Julie predicts a shift towards targeting end-users rather than just economic buyers, underscoring the need for adaptable, data-driven marketing strategies.

About the guest

Julie Liu is the Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at AvePoint, a SaaS and data management platform that manages and protects data to secure collaboration in the Microsoft Cloud, SharePoint, Salesforce, and Google. Julie is an industry-recognized marketing leader, most recently mentoring others to create scalable marketing strategies, launching a sustainable global partner program, and establishing AvePoint as a publicly traded company.

Connect with Julie Liu

Key takeaways
- Embrace a "T-shaped" approach to marketing - be a strong generalist with deep expertise in specific areas. This versatility is crucial as the marketing landscape continues to evolve.

- Implement a consistent, organization-wide buyer journey framework to align sales, marketing, and customer success. AvePoint's 5-stage model (horizon scanners, explorers, hunters, active buyers, clients) helps drive targeted strategies and metrics.

- Empower and invest in the next generation of marketers. Look for self-starters, problem-solvers, and risk-takers who bring diverse perspectives, not just those who think like you.

- Anticipate a shift towards targeting end-users, not just economic buyers, as AI and technology increasingly influence the buyer's journey. Adapt marketing strategies to focus on overall account growth, not just individual leads.

- Establish "strategic plays" where all resources are concentrated to achieve significant, measurable outcomes, rather than spreading efforts too thin across multiple initiatives.

- Leverage inspiring figures like Paid Playa, Scott Brinker, and Brene Brown to inform your marketing approach, from martech to interpersonal relationships.

Quotes
"I will never stop learning, because the market changes, right? So the second that I get comfortable is the second I become useless." -Julie Liu

Recommended Resource

Books:

- Transforming the B2B Buyer Journey

- Hacking Marketing

- Brene Brown’s books

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