Jen Thompson, MLIS 📈's Linkedin Analytics

B2B marketing isn't about tools or tactics. It's about understanding the CEO mindset. Many marketers find themselves caught in the web of latest tactics, while others immerse themselves in metrics and dashboards. Yet, they're often missing the bigger picture. At the heart of every successful business, CEOs remain laser-focused on three fundamental pillars: Revenue growth - The lifeblood of business expansion Market position - Where you stand among competitors Strategic advantage - What sets you apart and keeps you ahead Your marketing strategy must align with these core priorities, transforming every initiative into a purposeful journey toward these objectives. Consider this perspective: Looking DOWN reveals tactical execution - necessary but limiting on their own Looking UP unveils strategic opportunities - where growth truly begins Looking AHEAD illuminates market shifts - your pathway to leadership When this mindset shift occurs, everything transforms: Marketing evolves from a cost center into a strategic catalyst Conversations shift from campaign metrics to market leadership Tactical discussions elevate to strategic planning sessions The real power lies not in mastering tools, but in understanding and addressing the CEO's vision. When marketing aligns with executive priorities, it becomes an indispensable force driving business success. This understanding bridges the gap between marketing activities and business outcomes, creating a powerful synergy that propels organizations forward. Remember: Tools and tactics serve strategy, not the other way around. When you truly grasp this principle, you'll find yourself speaking the language of leadership and driving meaningful business impact.

The One Rule That Changed My AI Marketing Workflow Forever "Never start from a blank page." The secret? ➤ Start with authentic, accurate content—transcripts, webinars, voice notes, interviews ➤ Build your content from real insights, not prompts pulled out of thin air. AI enhances the magic; it does not create the magic. The real power is in the context you feed it. If you’re still asking ChatGPT to “write a post about X”… it’s time to change the game. Start talking. Start recording. Then let AI amplify what you bring to the table. 👉 Curious how I apply this to brand voice content? Let’s chat in the comments. #MarketingStrategy #ScaleMarketing #MarketingOperations #EdgeWorks

Long overdue. I’m curious to see what impact this case will have—not just on competition, but on how Google’s control over online information shapes public understanding. For me, the bigger concern isn’t just the lack of alternatives, but how much influence Google has on what people see, learn, and believe.

Using a simple, flawed model can be ideal. Sometimes, good enough is enough. I used to think every marketing strategy, plan, and tactic needed to be perfect. But then I realized progress comes faster when you test, learn, and adapt instead of chasing perfection and being comprehensive. Internal group think can blur customer needs and slow momentum. Testing and adapting leads to smarter, faster growth. #MarketingStrategy #DataDriven #GrowthMarketing #B2B #CustomerInsights

Your business has hidden stories of transformation waiting to be told... Every successful company has moments that changed everything. Those pivot points. Those breakthrough realizations. But here's what makes these stories POWERFUL: They show real transformation. When leaders share their own journey of change, people listen. They connect. They trust. Think about it: • The challenges you overcame • The lessons you learned • The moments that shaped your success The best thought leadership isn't about explaining ideas. It's about guiding others through meaningful change. Through their own transformation. Your business has these stories. They're waiting to be told. Want to learn more about using AI to enhance your business storytelling? Drop me a note.

AI chatbots may be about to transform advertising forever. OpenAI just started testing sponsored content in ChatGPT. But most companies are looking at this wrong. The real opportunity isn't in traditional ad placement. It's in the shift from passive browsing to active conversation. Traditional ads interrupt. AI ads will integrate. Traditional ads broadcast. AI ads will personalize. By 2026, 25% of online searches may happen through AI chatbots (Gartner). Smart B2B companies understand: When users actively engage with AI, they share intent. And intent is worth more than attention. Google's search dominance isn't guaranteed anymore. The future belongs to those who master conversation, not interruption or search. ❤️ Like if you agree 🔄 Share if your network needs to see this

I was startled to see that California just became the world's 4th largest economy. But behind the $4.1 trillion headlines lies a complex reality, where growth doesn't equal prosperity. It made me think how while Silicon Valley celebrates, regular Californians face: • Rising unemployment • Negative job growth • Deepening inequality • Soaring living costs Maybe the true equation should be: Economic Size × Economic Health = Real Progress Right now, California is winning at size but struggling with health. The question isn't whether California can grow bigger. The question is whether it can grow better.

Most B2B marketers forget one thing: your view doesn’t matter. Your customer’s pain does. Strong marketing starts with listening to our customers, not ourselves. When I worked in a molecular biology company, we got stuck in our own heads. We built plans around what the company thought—not what customers needed. It's easy to do. It's common. Here’s what worked instead: → Step into your customer’s world (not your own) → Ask about their pain points (don’t guess) → Find your customers online: what are they saying? what words are they using? → Build solutions around those real problems We use a simple model using AI and real customer data. It is not perfect, but it gave us a way to help marketers: 1) Understand their ideal customers' challenges 2) Create relevant and engaging content for their ideal customers 3) Guide them until they are ready to buy The truth? This takes time. You can’t rush trust or understanding. But when you focus on the real pain points your service or product solves: → People pay attention → They feel you “get” them → You move them closer to a decision Data helps. But you need to look beyond numbers and see the real person behind the data. When you do this, your marketing goes from noise to value. Want to grow your B2B pipeline? Start with the customer’s pain—not your own view. How do you find your customer’s true pain points? I’d love to hear your approach. We use AI to pinpoint customer pain points and create tailored content that informs and keeps prospects engaged throughout their journey. Reach out if you want to explore how AI can reveal real pain points and craft content that resonates at every stage of the funnel.

Why Strategic Marketing Clarity Transforms B2B Growth I've seen the same pattern repeatedly: marketing overwhelm leading to scattered efforts and diminished results. Here's what I've learned: The most successful B2B organizations don't necessarily have larger marketing budgets—they have strategic clarity. When your marketing strategy aligns with your business objectives, the fog lifts. Every decision—from messaging architecture to content planning to channel selection and even design—becomes guided by clear strategic intent rather than the latest marketing trend or random idea. For CEOs, this means: 👉 Resource optimization: Teams focus on high-impact activities that directly support business goals 👉 Consistent messaging: Your entire organization communicates with unified purpose 👉 Measurable outcomes: Success metrics tie directly to business objectives, not vanity metrics 👉 Accelerated decision-making: Clear strategic filters eliminate prolonged debates and tactics that do little for the business The stakes are particularly high in the B2B space, where complex buying committees and extended sales cycles demand strategic discipline. What strategic clarity could your marketing achieve with focused direction? Sometimes the most transformative step is simplifying, not amplifying.

Most teams waste hours on content creation. One messaging strategy can save you all that time. I have seen teams go in circles, trying to write posts, emails, or web pages. Everyone asks the same questions: → What do we say? → Who are we talking to? → How do we stand out? The answer is simple: A clear messaging strategy. When you define your positioning, value, and what makes you different, you get: → Less confusion for your team (no more endless Slack threads!) → Faster content creation (in-house or with an agency) → Content that sounds like you (not a random template) → Messages that speak to real customer pain points Now, with AI tools, this is even more important. If your messaging is clear, you can: → Build your own GPT for your marketing team → Use AI to write posts, emails, guides, and more → Keep your voice and story strong, no matter the tool I have seen how one good messaging document changes everything. No more guessing. No more starting from scratch. You move faster. You reach your market before your competition. You build trust with every message. “Speed to market isn’t just an advantage—it’s the difference between leading your industry and playing catch-up.” (I live by these words.) Want your team to save time and create better content? Start with your messaging. How would a clear messaging strategy change your team’s work?

“The fact is, everyone is in sales. Whatever area you work in, you do have clients and you do need to sell.” —Jay Abraham

"The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself." – Peter F. Drucker I like this quote for a number of reasons. ⚡It Focuses on the Customer: It highlights the core principle of marketing: understanding the customer's needs and desires. ⚡It Endorses Critical Thinking: To truly understand a customer, you need to critically analyze their behavior, motivations, and needs, going beyond surface-level observations. ⚡Beyond "Selling": Marketing should focus on educating prospects about how and why a product or service is right for them. Today's buyers are self-directed and empowered—they'll make their own purchasing decisions based on what they learn, with much of that learning happening online before they ever contact you. Marketing's role is to provide valuable information that helps them navigate their journey, not just push for a sale. ⚡It's About Education and Self-Selling: When you truly understand the customer, the product or service will naturally resonate with them, making the selling process easier and more effective. ⚡Implication for Strategy: Marketers benefit from adopting a customer-centric approach using critical thinking to develop effective strategies.

If your brand isn’t everywhere your customers look, you’re invisible. Consistency wins attention—every time. I see many businesses work hard to build a great product or service. But if your value only shows up on one channel, your ideal customers likely will miss you. People spend time on many platforms: → Social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, X) → Websites → Online forums → Email → Podcasts and groups If your message only lives in one place, you lose out. Here’s what I do to keep my brand in front of the right people: 1/ Repurpose strong content for each channel → One story, many formats 2/ Show up again and again → Consistent posts, updates, and shares 3/ Make it easy for buyers to find you → Clear value, clear message, clear next steps Why does this work? - Repeated content builds memory (people need reminders!) - Consistency builds trust (you become familiar) - Visibility keeps you top of mind (when they are ready, they reach out) I use data to track what works best. Companies that use data-driven marketing are: → 23x more likely to get new customers → 6x more likely to keep them → 19x more likely to grow profit Fractional CMOs help with this—fast, flexible, and focused. You don’t need a huge team to do this well. You need a clear plan and the will to repeat what works. “The right marketing leadership isn’t about finding a perfect fit—it’s about finding a strategic partner who can dynamically adapt to your evolving business landscape.” Is your brand showing up where your customers look? If not, now is the time to fix that. Consistency wins.

Stop Outsourcing What AI Can Now Handle (Without the Drama) I used to manage: 👉 Writers 👉 Designers 👉 Analysts 👉 Content calendars Then I discovered how an AI-first marketing team runs—lean, fast, and with a fraction of the budget. 🤖 Toolstack includes: Fathom for transcripts ChatGPT + Claude for structured prompting SciSpace for AI-enhanced scientific research Motion for AI-enhanced scheduling and project management The big unlock? → AI isn’t replacing creativity—it’s shortening timelines from concept to execution to testing to scaling what works. You still need strategy. You still need judgment. You still need a human. But you no longer need 6 roles to test one new content channel. Are you ready to uplevel and scale your marketing team?