How to Build an Empire

Are you tired of watching great products struggle because customers "just don't get it"? It’s not your product—it’s the communication gap between your engineers and your customers. In this episode, Product Marketing expert Elana Krasner shares how to bridge that gap and master the art of tech translation. Key Takeaways What Product Marketing really is and why it's crucial for tech companies The key differences between Product Marketing and other marketing roles Expert insights on sales enablement and content strategy How to master product launches—from pre-launch to post-launch success Tips for hiring the right product marketer for your team Episode Links: ⁠The Marketing hotline: bit.ly/goempirenow⁠ ⁠Tool Shack: bit.ly/topshelf14⁠ Note: Our tool recommendations are always genuine—chosen first, affiliate links second to help support the show.About Elana Krasner About Elana Krasner Elana, a product marketing leader with 9+ years of experience, pulls back the curtain on the specialized role of Product Marketing and why it's now essential for modern tech companies. Tune in to learn how she has helped translate complex technology into compelling customer-focused narratives that drive results. This episode is perfect for tech founders, marketers, and anyone curious about how to turn technical products into customer successes.

Struggling to get your paid ads firing on all cylinders? This episode is a game-changer! Marketing pro Deivis Rupslaukis breaks it all down - from capturing demand with paid search ads to generating brand new interest through paid social media. Discover foolproof tactics for crafting ads that reel in your ideal prospects Learn how to make ads that speak directly to your target audience's needs Get priceless tips for startups on maximizing paid ads ROI on a budget Uncover the essential tools for measuring your ads' revenue impact Get the inside scoop on must-have metrics for tracking ad performance Whether you're a paid ads novice or a seasoned pro, this information-packed episode will supercharge your advertising game. Don't miss out on unlocking the secrets to paid ads mastery! This show's links: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf14 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Deivis Rupslaukis I'm originally from Latvia, went to Denmark, Copenhagen looking for a marketing job. Worked for 7 years at 3 different companies doing performance marketing and freelancing on the side for around 5 years. Finally, last year decided to start my own B2B marketing agency that is focused on creating a full-funnel customer acquisition strategy with paid search and paid social. You can check us out at derudigital.com I have a weekly Paid Media & B2B newsletter that I post on Linkedin on Mondays, and also talk about B2B marketing in general. You can follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deivisrupslaukis/

In this episode, Billy Cina, managing partner at Envy, shares her expert insights on crafting a rock-solid marketing plan for startups. Billy covers the key components, from identifying big rocks to budgeting, setting KPIs, and developing a content strategy. She also provides tactical tips on planning versus budgeting, tracking metrics, leveraging AI tools, and avoiding common mistakes. Don't miss Billy's wisdom on this critical element for startup success! Billy's budget: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tXr0_-zVTNRcHA8rUn5n1gCxOpRVXytF8PI5pENs0mg/edit#gid=0 This show's links: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf12 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. Billy's bio: Billy Cina is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of leading B2B tech marketing and RevOps agency, ENVY. Her entire career has revolved around marketing B2B tech brands, globally. From shiny new startups with a BHAG, to more established tech companies fighting for market dominance. Areas of forte include working with companies on articulating and testing their messaging, building digital marketing strategies and budgets with an emphasis on producing top notch content as the engine for growth. Envy client projects include: messaging, inbound marketing with SEO, content and social media strategy, lead nurturing and marketing implementations and RevOps; multi-channel lead generation campaigns and more. Our years of experience in reaching targeted professionals mean we can humbly and confidently call ourselves the expert team! We are proud to be a HubSpot Diamond Partner. My profile Envy

Welcome to season 2 of How to Build an Empire! Struggling to fill your SaaS startup's sales pipeline? In this jam-packed season 2 premiere of "How to Build an Empire", growth expert Jonathan Bland shares the top strategies for building an inbound and outbound pipeline that drives real, consistent revenue growth. You'll learn the difference between inbound lead gen and account-based marketing (ABM), and why you need both. Plus, get Jonathan's proven tactics for nurturing leads from the top to the bottom of the funnel - beyond just gated content. Uncover effective ways to build trust and relationships with your target accounts, and discover tools to make your lead scoring and qualification more efficient. Don't miss this essential masterclass on SaaS pipeline growth in 2024! About Jonathan: Jonathan Bland is the Co-Founder of Omni Lab a Demand Gen Agency that helps SaaS brands build, deploy, and manage paid advertising campaigns across channels like Reddit, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Google Ads, and more. They have helped brands like Drata, Creatio, A-Lign, and many more drive millions of dollars in pipline. For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast.

Are you struggling to create compelling content that resonates with your target audience? In this insightful episode, content marketing mastermind Noga Cohen shares her expert strategies for building an effective content marketing machine. Noga dives deep into the art of crafting high-converting content that addresses your audience's pain points and establishes your brand as an authority in your industry. You'll learn: The true essence of content marketing (hint: it's not just about SEO) How to develop a content calendar that aligns with your business objectives Tips for repurposing content across multiple channels and formats The role of AI in streamlining the content creation process Key metrics to track the success of your content efforts Finding the perfect balance between promotion and providing value Whether you're a startup founder, marketer, or content creator, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you elevate your content game and drive real business results. For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. This show's links: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf13 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Noga Cohen: Tech-savvy marketing specialist and content marketing expert. Working with top-notch companies & startups: JFrog, Cato Networks, Perforce, Fiverr, ICL, Broadcom, Aman Group, Perforce, Vdoo (acquired by JFrog), Iguazio (acquired by McKinsey), Applitools (acquired by Thoma Bravo), Cybellum (acquired by LG), Helios (acquired by Snyk) and other leading startups in the cybersecurity, deep tech and dev tool industries. Previous employers were acquired and went public: BlazeMeter (CA Technologies), Otonomo (IPO), monday.com (IPO). https://www.linkedin.com/in/noga-cohen-4708a768/

In Episode 10 of "How to Build an Empire," we delve into the practice of online community building with none other than Christopher Detzel, the maestro of engagement and Director of Customer Engagement and Community at Reltio. Dive into a conversation that spans the gamut of community building— the secret to starting a community from scratch, fostering activity, engagement strategies and when to avoid overloading your community with members. Chris shares riveting personal anecdotes and hard-earned wisdom that will inspire and instruct both established and budding community leaders. This episode's special offers: https://www.empirenow.io/workshops bit.ly/topshelf10 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Christopher Detzel As a visionary leader in digital engagement, Chris stands at the forefront of community strategy and management. His expertise extends to spearheading engaging content and nurturing relationships within dynamic online environments. Specializing in Customer Engagement programs, Chris exhibits a unique mastery in formulating strategic community plans and actualizing them, resulting in vibrant and active digital communities that he proudly owns.In addition to his strategic role, Chris hosts a successful podcast, offering his audience valuable insights drawn from his rich professional journey. His ability to engage listeners complements his talent for facilitating meaningful conversations with executives and customers alike, always prioritizing the needs of the community he serves.Known for his track record in designing and driving influential engagement initiatives, Chris consistently delivers captivating, tailored content. A staunch advocate for data-driven decision-making, he relies on empirical evidence to guide his strategies, fostering sustainable, successful community engagement.

In part 1: What are support communities and communities of practice and how are they different from advocacy communities? metrics should you trackand who should lead it? What is the best platform and what does SEO have to do with it? This episode's special offers: https://www.empirenow.io/workshops bit.ly/topshelf09 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About David DeWald David DeWald is a well-known online community management pioneer and historian with extensive experience in building, maintaining, and managing online communities. He has been involved in the field since the late 1990s and has worked with various organizations and businesses to establish and grow their online presence. David is also active within the community management industry, sharing his knowledge and insights through various channels such as blogging, public speaking, and participating in online forums dedicated to the topic. Among his peers, he is respected for his expertise in community engagement, moderation, and development. Community Manager Live youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cmgrlive Websites for series: https://cmgr.live Has links for podcast (audio) version of the series.  Relevant Episodes:  Choosing a Community Platform: https://youtube.com/live/_vi5-aGnu1c Community 101: https://youtube.com/live/n0SOV09l2o8 Hiring a Community Manager: https://youtube.com/live/oH8wdovX8mcHiring a Coach/Consultant:  https://youtube.com/live/l9p8L5eT280 David's tool recommendations: Taskade 13 Startup Templates List Essential Y-Combinator Advice For Startups Template XTiles Magical in browser text Expander & Autofill appsumo.com/ Boox ePaper Tablets: https://shop.boox.com/  I have this one specifically: https://shop.boox.com/products/tabultrac

This episode will be about how to get your marketing budget right. How do you stay financially agile? Why is engagement more important than revenue? all the answers are ahead. Links to this episode's offers: empirenow.io bit.ly/topshelf08 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About David: Meet David, a Certified Public Accountant and Registered Attorney. Born in Jerusalem, raised in San Francisco, and currently calling Berlin home, David brings a diverse background to the table. Beyond his love for reading and travel, he is a dedicated volunteer, deeply passionate about the intersection of social good, technology, sports, and the strategic game of chess. Currently at the helm of Lumigo, a cutting-edge SaaS company disrupting the software application performance monitoring industry, David spearheads the financial and legal functions. His role involves orchestrating the company's financial landscape, from business strategy and financial planning to budgeting, investor relations, and forecasting. David's journey spans a decade, navigating through roles at the Israeli Security Authority and KPMG before transitioning to lead finance for early-growth startups. His expertise covers the entire financial spectrum, from crafting reporting tools for comprehensive analysis to overseeing budget and forecast control and analysis (FP&A), revenue recognition, and navigating the intricacies of debt and equity financing. Corporate finance is not just a job for David – it's a passion. Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-wolpert/

In this episode, we'll be discussing the different types of marketing leadership required for startups in various stages and the pros and cons of each approach. We'll explore how to choose the right marketing leadership, where to finance and what to watch out for. Special offers from this episode: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf07 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. Today's guest: Yam Regev, A global marketing leader and startup advisor. Follow Yam at ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/yamregev/

In this episode, we're talking to Julius about all things events, why they're important to startups and how startups can use events to their advantage. We'll also talk about some of the basic mistakes that startup make during events and how to avoid them. This episode's special offers: https://www.empirenow.io/workshops Reclaim: bit.ly/topshelf05 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Julius Solaris: Julius Solaris is the founder of Boldpush a management consultancy agency for the event industry. He founded EventMB (exit to Skift in 2019) and Showthemes, exit in 2018. He has worked for high-profile technology companies (Swapcard and Hopin) and tech events. Julius has been named one of the most influential individuals in the meetings industry by many magazines and media for the past 10 years.

In this episode, we'll be talking about the importance of user experience in marketing, the difference between UX and UI and how UX can be used to create a product that uses love. This episode's special offers: Marketing Workshops: https://www.empirenow.io/workshops Figma: bit.ly/topshelf006 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Vitaly Mijiritsky: Vitaly Mijiritsky holds a Masters in Cognitive Psychology and has been doing UX design and research for over 17 years, specializing in complex SaaS systems. He is currently a UX team lead at HP. In addition Vitaly is the Academic Director for the Technion's UX Research bootcamp, and a UX mentor at Google for Startups. An avid UX blogger, Vitaly publishes on Uxtasy.com (heb.) and on Medium (eng.), and maintains a collection of UX curiosities and bite-sized analyses on Instagram. Links: Www.instagram.com/ux_by_examples https://medium.com/@uxtasy Www.uxtasy.comhttps:// www.linkedin.com/in/vitalymijiritsky References: https://www.mindtheproduct.com/measuring-the-user-experience-by-tomer-sharon/ https://articles.uie.com/three_hund_million_button/

Today we'll be talking about one of the most important pillars of marketing in general and startup marketing in particular, search engine optimization, SEO. The best kind of leads is the one that is actively looking for a solution to a problem you solve. How can you get to the top of those Google results? This episode's special offers: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf04 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Mordy: Mordy is the Head of SEO Brand at Wix and the author of the Wix SEO Guide. Concurrently he also serves as a communications advisor for Semrush. Dedicated to SEO education, Mordy is the host of the SERP's Up SEO Podcast and the co-host of Edge of the Web News as well as the organizer of #SEOchat. Mordy is also a popular industry author and speaker.

DeveloperFilip will be our go to expert as we unravel the ins and outs of crafting your influencer strategy. We'll chat about why it's essential, what truly defines a top-notch influencer, and explore the intriguing distinction between the various types of influencers out there. This episode's special offers: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf03 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. About Filip: Filip Grebowski is a Developer Advocate at Permit.io, where he brings his expertise as an accomplished Engineer. With a deep-seated passion for creative web development, Filip is also a YouTube mentor, with over 100k subscribers and over an impressive 6 million views. Filip's journey with Cisco began during his university years and by the time he graduated, he was already working with the tech giant in Silicon Valley. Post-university, Filip continued to work with Cisco and took on a leadership role, successfully guiding a team and driving the company's frontend initiatives to new heights. Filip is currently a Developer Advocate at Permit.io, the owner of a startup marketing agency called Mensoi.com and a successful open-source project creator and an active member of the open-source community. YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@developerfiliparketing agency: https://mensoi.com/

In this episode, we'll delve into the essence of messaging and why it's crucial for your startup. We'll also explore the three fundamental questions and four types of clarity you need to use to uncover the heart of any offering. Oh, and what does Finding Nemo have to do with everything? This episode's special offers: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf02 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. Zach's Links: Get My Message Clear: A Workbook to Find Clarity - https://zachmessler.com/get-my-message-clear Here's why your message isn't resonating - https://zachmessler.com/heres-why-your-message-is-not-resonating The simple way to make emotion work in your marketing - https://zachmessler.com/emotion-in-marketing Sell the Problem is terrible advice. Here's why. -  https://zachmessler.com/sell-the-problem-is-terrible-advice-heres-why About Zach: Some of the greatest things to ever happen… won’t. Zach Messler wants to change that. See, Zach had a 20-year career in technology product marketing, teaching non-technical sales pros to explain complex software to executive buyers. As attention spans and buying behaviors evolved before his eyes, Zach learned first-hand about the importance of being heard…and how to achieve it. A messaging and positioning adviser with a knack for what to say and how to say it, Zach believes some of the greatest things to never happen, should. And it’s the power of messaging that makes all the difference. If you’re a founder or marketer in B2B tech with a complex solution, connect with him. You won’t be sorry you did.

The startup storytelling legend Donna Griffit will share the knowledge you need to turn your startup into a captivating narrative that resonates with your audience. Key Takeaways: Storytelling is essential for founders from day 1. Your startup's narrative will make or break your ability to attract investors, customers and talent. There's a basic story structure that the most compelling startup stories follow. Understanding storytelling basics like conflict, resolution and emotion is crucial. Donna has helped her clients raise over $1.5 billion through refined storytelling. The right narrative sells. You can utilize AI tools to help refine your story, but always fact check. The story has to be authentic. Based on a True Story: Donna shares an anecdote about a startup that neglected to tell their powerful origin story to prospects. Recommended Tool: Boomerang for Gmail to make sure no emails slip through the cracks. This episode's special offers: bit.ly/goempirenow bit.ly/topshelf01 For our tool promotions, we always start by handpicking tools we genuinely love, and only after that do we track down the affiliate links to help power the podcast. Link to the AI story: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brace-embrace-unleashing-power-chatgpt-other-ai-tools-donna-griffit/ About Donna: DONNA GRIFFIT, World Renowned Corporate Storyteller, Pitch Alchemist, and Best-Selling Author of “Sticking to My Story” – The Alchemy of Storytelling for Startups. Donna has worked globally for 2 decades in over 30 countries with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and investors in a wide variety of industries, helping them create, edit, and deliver powerful presentations, pitches, and messages. She magically spins raw data into compelling stories that captivate audiences and drive results. Through her guidance, clients have raised over $1.5 Billion.  For more info: donnagriffit.com

This week, we’re diving into the world of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) with Vladimir Blagojevich, co-founder of Full Funnel. Vladimir shares his journey from software developer to ABM expert, revealing how startups and B2B businesses can thrive by targeting their dream clients. We explore why ABM works best for high-value accounts, how to identify your ideal customer profile, and why success depends on personalization and relationship-building. Whether you're just starting ABM or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with strategies, insights, and tools to make your efforts count. Curious about how to turn warm leads into loyal clients? Want to know how to tailor your message for maximum impact? Tune in to discover the secrets behind Vladimir’s ABM success! 🎧 Don’t miss this episode—your next big client might depend on it. Episode Links: Note: Our tool recommendations are always genuine—chosen first, affiliate links second to help support the show.About Elana Krasner ⁠⁠The Marketing hotline: bit.ly/goempirenow⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tool Shack: bit.ly/topshelf16 36 ways to engage 95% of enterprise buyers NOT in the market right now: https://bit.ly/ABMvlad About Vladimir Blagojevich Vlad is a cofounder of FullFunnel.io, training and consulting company for B2B revenue teams, to generate stable demand, and predictably land and expand 6+ figure deals. He's been growing B2B companies since 2006. You can find him on LinkedIn, at fullfunnel.io, or walking with his son near the beach in Valencia city.