Orange Marketing
MOps-Apalooza 2023, the much-anticipated November event in Anaheim, was a standout gathering for those immersed in the world of marketing, and our team was thrilled to be a part of it, albeit virtually. This three-day extravaganza was a vibrant showcase of the latest and greatest in marketing ops, drawing over 900 enthusiasts from across the globe. Our team was captivated by several standout sessions, and we share our highlights here!
5 Awesome MOPs-Apalooza Sessions - Recaps:
[Click to go straight to a session recap]
1) Battle of the MAPs: Marketo vs. Pardot vs. HubSpot
2) How To Stop Wasting Time In Marketing Operations
3) Optimizations Every HubSpot Account Should Use
4) How To Build Your Digital Demand Gen Engine
5) Marketer's Guide to ChatGPT + Midjourney for Eye-Popping Images
1) Battle of the MAPs: Marketo vs. Pardot vs. HubSpot
Christine Selvaggio and Kyle Sosa, consultants from marketing operations agency Etumos, compared three marketing automation heavyweights: Marketo Engage, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and HubSpot.
In their session, they looked at how each performed regarding campaign management, operational processing, database management, and reporting. They considered this from the point of view of a newly-appointed marketing operations director of a large B2B company needing to connect over 20 applications.
Admin Overview
In the Admin Overview section, the speakers focused on the usability and learning curves of Marketo Engage, Marketing Cloud Account Engagements, and HubSpot. The discussion emphasized the importance of usability and quick adaptability and highlighted HubSpot's user-friendly approach, extensive documentation, and in-platform guidance. The overall conclusion was that Marketo and HubSpot provide more opportunities to scale.
Campaign Management
Regarding the effectiveness and user experience of the three platforms for managing marketing campaigns, the hosts picked HubSpot for its streamlined and enjoyable user experience, and helpful guided walkthroughs that allow for quicker adaptation.
Operational Processing
The speakers leaned towards Marketo and HubSpot when choosing a platform for handling complex marketing operations and automation needs. They praised features like filter logic and the ability to re-enroll contacts, significantly enhancing operational efficiency. While they felt that Marketo stood out for its flexibility and robustness in handling intricate operational processes, they commended HubSpot for its user-friendly interface and functionality.
Database Management
The discussion turned toward each platform’s database management approach, focusing on how each platform manages and charges for database records. The conversation touched on database limits and the ease of monitoring these limits within each platform, emphasizing the importance of database size management for an overall solid preforming marketing strategy.
Reporting
The hosts praised HubSpot's reporting functionality for its intuitive design and pre-configured report templates that align with common marketing queries, making it an ideal choice for user enablement and ease of reporting. However, the hosts noted that more advanced reporting features require a higher subscription tier. This section underscored the importance of choosing a platform that not only provides comprehensive and accurate reporting capabilities but also aligns with the organization's reporting requirements and user skill levels.
Overall
The hosts called out HubSpot for being easy to learn and use throughout the discussion, ultimately leading to HubSpot getting the (soft) nod as the right choice for their hypothetical marketing operations director. We agree!
2) How to Stop Wasting Time in Marketing Operations
Speaker Jon Westover, CEO/Founder of Voltage Marketing Group, led this session. He is a seasoned Marketing Ops professional who shared time management lessons based on his personal career experiences.
Some of the notable takeaways included:
1. Control Perception: When working with a new client or in a new position, perception is created by building relationships. It's important to meet the teams you'll be working with, create rapport, and shape positive perceptions of yourself for success.
2. Establish Process: Efficient processes save time and help ensure quality and enhance credibility. Don’t underestimate the value of a good template or checklist!
3. Strategic Road Mapping: By understanding company and team objectives, marketing ops professionals can create a roadmap aligning with organizational priorities. Showcase your impact and work on the things that matter the most.
4. Effective Communication: Regular progress updates and weekly team meetings are invaluable. Marketing ops professionals should be their own champions by effectively communicating their impact on company goals.
5. Review and Adjust Priorities: Flexibility and adaptability are essential for success. Regularly review and adjust priorities based on shifting company priorities and team needs.
This session was compelling in how the host used personal anecdotes and experiences to illustrate the practical application of the above lessons. Proactive engagement, efficient processes, and strategic communication are the keys to success and time-saving in marketing operations!
3) Optimizations Every HubSpot Account Should Use
Though HubSpot was well-represented among session leaders at the conference, this was the only one specifically focused on sharing HubSpot knowledge.
In this session, presenter Chris Bryan, a long-time HubSpot consultant that’s worked on over 450 accounts, discussed how he approaches HubSpot setups intending to ensure client teams use the platform. At one point Chris stated (correctly) that “the true value of HubSpot is realized when it is widely adopted and correctly utilized within an organization.”
The host also highlighted the strength of HubSpot integration capabilities, which allows it to act as a central, comprehensive tool for business operations, simplifying workflows and data management across different platforms.
HubSpot Optimization Suggestions
The host shared several optimization suggestions that he felt users would find useful. Here are four we found to be the most beneficial:
Custom lifecycle stage date stamping for deals and companies: HubSpot has built-in datestamp properties for Contact lifecycle stages but not for Companies or Deals. Setting these up can help track how Companies and Deals move through their respective stages.
Dirty Data Dashboard: The host recommended the creation of a “dirty data” dashboard to monitor data accuracy and deal progress. This dashboard should include data points like deals without contacts, unassigned contacts, or inactive deals.
Leverage Custom Team and Sidebar Views: The information that matters for marketing differs from the information that matters to sales. Customizing object views and sidebars for different teams based on their needs and without having to filter out irrelevant details makes it easy for users to get the answers they need quickly and efficiently.
Using Hidden Fields in Forms: We’re big fans of this one! You can set hidden fields to collect additional data about the conversion as well as for lead routing and scoring. Chris focused on using these to capture UTM data, which is an excellent use case. Our favorite, however, is a property called “Form Type” that makes it easy to distinguish between content downloads, demo requests, job applications, and other form fills.
4) How to Build Your Digital Demand Gen Engine
In this session, speaker Lauren McCormack, Vice President at Revenue Pulse, emphasized the significance of harmonizing “art and science” in the context of demand generation.
Scientific Approach (Technology) vs. Artistic Approach (Human Innovation)
Utilizing technology, data, and analytics involves leveraging marketing automation tools like CRM systems, AI, and other technologies to analyze customer behavior, track metrics, and optimize campaigns.
On the contrary, human touch, creativity, and innovation are crucial to the demand gen process. The human element brings creativity, storytelling, and emotional connection to a marketing strategy.
The Right Balance
While technology streamlines processes, the nuances of human behavior cannot be captured by data alone. McCormack highlights the importance of innovators - individuals who not only understand how to use technology - but also know how to push limits creatively.
Overreliance on Technology
McCormack cautions against overinvesting in technology without the accompanying talent and team resources to support it. The "art and science" approach is about leveraging technology for efficiency and data-driven insights while infusing human creativity and innovation to create actual connections. This synergy leads to a comprehensive and successful demand-generation strategy.
5) Marketer's Guide to ChatGPT + Midjourney for Eye-Popping Images
Finally, in this last session favorite, Phil Gamache from the Humans of Martech podcast shares his insights into how he leverages ChatGPT and Midjourney to enhance his podcast content. He takes us behind the scenes, illustrating how he transforms audio-only podcast episodes into engaging long-form blog posts and enhances them with eye-catching images.
Key takeaways Phil shared:
Transcribing Podcasts: Phil starts by transcribing his audio-only podcast episodes using various transcription tools like Scribie and Otter.ai (we're fans of Rev.com!). These transcripts serve as the foundation for his blog post content.
ChatGPT Conversion: Phil then utilizes ChatGPT to convert podcast transcripts into well-structured blog posts. He provides ChatGPT with specific instructions, such as converting each question and answer into a blog passage written in the third person, free from unnecessary words like "ums" and "likes," and including H2 titles and key takeaways for each section.
Summarizing Podcasts & Generating Blog Post Titles: Phil also uses ChatGPT to generate high-quality podcast episode summaries and compelling blog post title options for him to select from.
🤖 ChatGPT: Your Next-Gen Marketing & Sales
Sidekick For B2B SaaS
Enhancing Blog Posts with Midjourney: After creating the blog post content, Phil focuses on creating a visual appeal using Midjourney. He selects a specific artistic style for his images to maintain consistency across blog posts.
Onboarding with Midjourney: Phil takes us through the onboarding process with Midjourney, which involves creating a Discord account and connecting the Midjourney bot to his server.
Generating Images with Midjourney: Phil demonstrates how Midjourney can generate unique and engaging images based on prompts derived from his blog post content. These images help illustrate key concepts and add visual interest to the blog posts.
Customizing Cover Art: Phil goes a step further by using Midjourney to create customized cover art for his podcast episodes. He shares how he combines images of his guests with various styles to create eye-catching cover art that reflects the episode's content.
The host's approach to leveraging ChatGPT and Midjourney showcases how these AI tools can be powerful assets in converting podcast content into engaging blog posts and visually appealing cover art. This innovative approach allows his audience to consume podcast content in different formats, providing a more comprehensive and captivating experience.
More Marketing Tips!
Crave more tips? We welcome you to check out our Orange Marketing Resources Library, chock-full of checklists, templates, ebooks, and case studies—and a few of our hottest downloads we'd like to call out here include:
The Ultimate Guide to Optimized Images for Websites, Social, & Ads
Your go-to guide for perfect image sizes on web, social, and ads.
The Ultimate Trade Show Checklist
Turn your trade show presence into a revenue-generating powerhouse!
The Ultimate Landing Page Checklist
Checklist of tasks to create a landing page series for gated content that entices prospects to convert!
How To Run A Webinar Using HubSpot
29 Pre-webinar and Post-webinar tasks to help you run a smooth, well-attended live event through HubSpot!