Episode 315: Create a Powerful Marketing Ecosystem with Ben Sturtevant

GUEST: Ben Sturtevant, Co-Founder and CEO of Elite360

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Marketing and sales - a powerful combination that can make or break your entire business.

The key word here is alignment between those two.

Creating an effective collaborative space is more than just asking both parties to work together; it requires defined steps toward cooperation.

Let's start with a simple question in mind:

Why should you build a marketing ecosystem that aligns with the sales process to achieve measurable success and maximize automation?

To help us with this today, we have Ben Sturtevant, Co-Founder and CEO of Elite360. Ben is a marketing expert passionate about helping entrepreneurs master the art of online marketing. He is also the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Elite CEOs.

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How Can You Build a Robust Marketing Ecosystem by Understanding and Engaging Your Target Audience?

When discussing the concept of a marketing ecosystem, Ben compares it to a business's "bucket" where efforts such as leads, sales calls, and customer fulfillment are collected. He explains that an effective marketing ecosystem isn't just a funnel but an all-around system with multiple components where every interaction leads potentially towards turning a lead into a client.

To build a robust marketing ecosystem, Ben stresses the importance of understanding the deeper needs and emotional triggers of your target audience, advocating for what he calls ethical manipulation, and using a deep understanding of your client's desires to responsibly guide them toward your services.

“If you genuinely believe in what you have to offer, that you can genuinely help someone and help them in any aspect of their life, whether it's their business or their personal life, you have an ethical obligation to get them to see what you have to offer. So that's what ethical manipulation is all about. And that's what marketing is. It's getting people's attention. Marketing is lead generation”.

Ben Sturtevant, Co-Founder and CEO of Elite360

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Where to Connect and How to Convert on Social Media

Identifying the right platform to engage with your ideal clients starts with understanding where they are most active. For young professionals aged 25 to 40, Instagram might be the go-to platform, while those between 35 and 55 might prefer Facebook or LinkedIn. Launching a reactivation campaign can help businesses reconnect with their audience by increasing the number of touchpoints. A simple yet effective approach is to boost engaging content on social media to initiate conversations directly with potential clients, which sets the stage for a robust marketing system built on nurturing leads through multiple channels like emails, personalized texts, voicemail drops, and even live interactions.

“There are so many different places that people can go. But the key result with people who are just starting out, who are newer, really needs to be direct to consumer-like direct response. They need to go directly to their target audiences and initiate conversation. And I know that's uncomfortable for a lot of businesses”.

Ben Sturtevant, Co-Founder and CEO of Elite360

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The Power of Consistency and Automation in Marketing

Consistency is essential for success in sales and marketing. Without it, campaigns falter and leads are lost, leaving potential involvement on the table. Automation can play a key role in maintaining this consistency, especially for small business owners who juggle multiple roles. Ben highlights the importance of follow-ups, pointing out that a significant portion of sales often results from consistent, automated contact, such as email. Ben suggests starting with simple email automation to nurture leads and gradually incorporating more personalized tactics like SMS and voicemail drops.

“The fortune is in the follow-up. Most people are going to need multiple touches, and if you're not using multiple touchpoints, you're missing out on revenue”.

Ben Sturtevant, Co-Founder and CEO of Elite360

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Scaling Your Business with Smart Budgeting and Effective Touchpoints

For newcomers, starting and scaling a business using digital marketing tools and strategies begins with a manageable budget of a few hundred dollars a month for a foundational suite of business tools. As businesses aim to grow, investing $3,000 to $10,000 a month will enable competing at a higher level with a consistent ad and lead generation strategy. Moreover, Ben stresses the variability in effective marketing touchpoints, observing that while some clients may convert quickly with minimal contact, others might need prolonged interaction over the years.

‍Now that you know how to build a marketing ecosystem that aligns with the sales process, discover the full list of episodes at The B2B Revenue Executive Experience. If you enjoy the show, instructions to rate and review it are found here.