Influencer Interview Series: What Top Marketers Are Thankful For

It’s a great time to be a B2B marketer. Although the way that things are evolving can be worrying at times, the fact remains that the changing marketing landscape also brings with it real opportunities and improvements, not just risks and challenges.

Even if around 65% of B2B marketers today feel more stressed-out than ever (with 53% reporting having too much on their plate), there’s plenty of reasons that make marketers feel really thankful:

• Marketing teams can now reliably prove ROI and revenue contribution.
• Marketers now own a bigger share of the customer journey.
• We’re moving closer and closer toward marketing’s Holy Grail: reaching the right people at the right time with the right message.
• It’s now easier to track and test strategies.
• There’s now more resources and support to help us become better marketers.

These are, of course, what we’re collectively grateful for as B2B marketers. The Callbox team also wanted to know the specific things that marketers genuinely appreciate as individuals.

So, in honor of Thanksgiving, we reach out to top B2B marketers and ask them about developments in their professional and personal lives that they believe their future selves will be thankful for. Here’s what they shared:

 

Tim Hughes

Tim Hughes, CEO and founder of the world’s top social media management consultancy Digital Leadership Associates, weighs in with his thoughts on how his team is helping shape a better marketing future for all of us.

For Tim, leading a passionate group of experts that proactively contribute to how marketing moves forward is the biggest thing he’s thankful for:

Here at Digital Leadership Associates social-experts.net we (and our global reseller network) put out a unique piece of content every day; the whole team know and understand they need to contribute.

Why? Because it creates us 3 pieces of inbound every day. We as a social business, don’t do any outbound, no advertising, no cold calling, no unsolicited emails and we run no events.

I’m thankful to “Team DLA” now and I know (based on the fact that interruption and broadcast Marketing is broken) we will all be thankful for this in the future.

 

Jan Gordon

As the founder of marketing resource platform Curatti and a top content marketing influencer, Jan Gordon adds some pretty interesting points to our Thanksgiving roundup.

Most of the things that make Jan thankful lie outside of business, which many of you will probably agree with—especially once you let her concluding remark sink in.

The things I will always be most grateful for are good health, love, family, friends and nature’s beauty. Nothing in business can come close. Everything else in life is just a bonus.

 

Reginald Chan

Reginald Chan is a leading online marketing expert that helps marketers optimize engagement and conversions. As an avid blogger and SEO enthusiast, he offers up a stimulating take on our Thanksgiving question.

Reginald says that it’s the chance to try hard and do his best that his future self will thank him for later. As we sit back and relax for Thanksgiving, Reginald’s thoughts on hard work serve as great points to ponder on:

Work even harder now! As the saying goes, “work hard now to enjoy the fruits later!”

Don’t live life regretting things you didn’t do or could do better. So always try hard and try harder!

 

Jan Barbosa

Brand ambassador and thought leader Jan Barbosa chimed in on our expert roundup with a thought-provoking answer that most modern B2B marketers can relate to.

That’s because the vast majority of today’s marketing professionals (53%) say they have too much to do and too little time to get things done. Jan mentions it’s actually time that he and his future self will be grateful about, and we couldn’t agree more:

TIME

After days of contemplation, I definitely think my future self will thank me for the gift of time. Time given to my parents to watch old Humphrey Bogart films over and over again on weekends, time listening to those close to me about those little big things that trouble or bless their daily routines, time to the ones about to depart, telling their stories so that they will be remembered.

Sometimes those precious pieces of time seem like a burden but end up being a blessing in disguise, like taking your wife to that concert you simply don’t want to go to, driving home a friend who had too much to drink or spending hours trying to help your son decide which college courses to take for the next semester.

In the end, my future self will thank me for all seconds that can’t ever be recovered, good and bad that served to change my life and those around me, because truly “time” is one of those few very precious gifts that keep on giving, even when we are no longer around.

 

John White

With his roles as CMO at Social Marketing Solutions and columnist for Inc. Magazine, John White clearly stands at the forefront of marketing today. But there’s one often-overlooked thing that John really appreciates.

After going through a serious illness, John says it’s good health that he feels most thankful for, not only for himself but also for his loved ones.

After a recent unexpected trip to the hospital for pancreatitis, I was humbled and once again reminded the importance of good health. I am most thankful to be feeling well again and for the health and prosperity of all my loved ones.

 

Mike Allton

As Brand Evangelist for social media management tool Agorapulse, Mike Allton is keenly aware of the value of genuine connections with people.

That’s why he believes his future self will thank him for the time and effort he invests in building and growing relationships. Mike says he owes much of what he has accomplished by having the right people around him.

I believe that my future self will be even more thankful than I already am for the time I’ve spent developing relationships and forming mastermind groups.

My career – the dream job that I have now – is thanks in large part to the relationships that I started to build and foster many years ago. As I became aware of that fact this year, I’ve made an even greater effort to concentrate on developing that aspect of my life. I have formed mastermind groups of select peers that have been tremendously helpful, and have guided others to do the same.

Regardless of what business you’re in, there’s no substitute for having incredible people around you.

 

Kim Reynolds

Kim is one of the leading thought leaders in the social media space today. She wears many hats including Marketing Manager for Social Media Examiner and an independent digital strategist. This puts her right in front of the biggest marketing trends.

No wonder that she thinks her future self will be grateful for augmented reality. As marketers, we’re already starting to see AR’s potential for enhancing engagement. Once this technology matures, it’s going to be an indispensable tool in our arsenal.

I think my future self will be thankful for augmented reality. Right now it is just a novelty of sorts, but in the future it will be integrated into every aspect of our lives. Language barriers can be crossed, information will be at our fingertips, all without even touching our phones.

 

Sarah Arrow

Content Strategist Sarah Arrow adds an interesting and timely take to our Thanksgiving-themed expert roundup. Sarah’s role as a content marketing coach at Sarkeymedia.com gives her a unique vantage point for appreciating the value of customers in shaping marketing success.

As we all know, marketing continues to become more customer-centric and less brand- or product-centric. Marketers who understand this and act accordingly will be very grateful for taking this route.

I’m always grateful for the customers that bring me their content challenges to unravel. I’m truly blessed to work with such amazing people who make their customer’s world a better place with their products and services.

 
Conclusion:  We all have a lot of things in our careers and personal life that may not mean much today, but will be the reasons for our gratefulness someday. Now, it’s your turn. What are some upcoming things that you think your future self will be thankful for?

From the Callbox team, we wish you a relaxing and meaningful Thanksgiving.