Episode 5: Robb Engg - Freshbooks
On this episode of the Leaders of B2B Podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with Freshbooks Senior Marketing Manager Robb Engg. Robb has been with Freshbooks for about 3 years and has an extensive career as a marketer in different industries and different roles.
In this interview, we look at the unique story that landed Robb in his current gig and we talk a lot about what Freshbooks is currently doing to make sure they communicate effectively with their audience.
I hope you get a ton of value from this podcast and take away some ideas for being targeted in how you deliver relevant messages to your existing and potential audience.
Robb’s Journey to Tech Marketing
I love Robb’s story about how he ended up working at Freshbooks, because it really follows someone who has sought to be passionate about what they are doing. He’s been in marketing all along, but the type of marketing and industries he has worked in have changed drastically.
Robb started his marketing career in agencies but quickly found himself more interested in using his work to make a positive difference in the world. This landed him in the nonprofit sector. After being a good fit for a decade, Robb approached a problem that led him to the next step in his career.
The Problem: High Turnover
There was a bunch of turnover where he was. They simply found that the person described on the cover letter and resume just wasn’t cutting it as someone who was a good long-term fit for the company, so he worked on developing a digital version of a cover letter to renew the way people would apply for jobs.
This was his introduction into the tech space, and while the startup eventually failed, Robb took away a ton of lessons from the project, and that is what ultimately pointed him in the direction of the tech industry and landed him at Freshbooks.
Product Marketing
When coming on with Freshbooks, Robb worked in product marketing.
In our interview, Robb talks about the unique position product marketers find themselves in, because they sit directly between the end customer and the developers. And, the most important thing for someone in this role is to be a rockstar at prioritizing.
You have to be totally customer focused but also know what can be delivered on the product side. You have to be in tune with the dev team regarding production times while also being agile with your customer base on your messaging and delivery.
On a day to day basis, this middle ground involves coordinating with the product team on feature launches and figuring out a clear and concise way of communicating and delivering those messages. At Freshbooks, they have done a ton of work in building strategic segments and planning their email notifications around the specific ways users engage with their products.
Robb mentions a challenge of this is having a ton of information. You have to figure out what data is important, what data matters less, and how to break those segments out in a way that people receive information that matters to them but not so much information that they feel inundated.
Acquisition Marketing
Robb recently moved over to become full time on acquisition marketing, and he mentioned one of his main initiatives now is supporting podcasts.
This was a strategic move brought about by really looking at Freshbooks’ current users and building lookalike audiences. The team then evaluated where these audiences were engaging, where they were getting their information. Through this, they found that podcasts were a huge opportunity for them to get in front of their target market.
In an effort to go for maximum impact rather than maximum reach, Robb decided to hand pick podcasts where they really felt they could connect with the audience. From there, they did individual outreach to approach the shows about being sponsors.
Difficult Data
One of the challenges about marketing through podcasts is that the data received isn’t as cut and dry as typical digital marketing. You can’t measure direct click throughs, and it can be muddy on the impact you are really getting.
Robb tracks landing pages set up for each podcast as well as opt in form referrals as a way to measure traffic from these sources. It isn’t as exact as a paid search ad would be, but he is able to get enough data to effectiveness.
Robb’s current focus is really on the scaling up of this podcast support, but the team also works through bloggers and content creators, display ads, paid search, and paid social as other acquisition channels.
Plans Moving Forward
New Freshbooks launched in September, and there are a lot of new features coming out. The marketing team is really focused on this new product and how it will help business owners be successful without having to be accountants.
Robb mentioned 3 principles of new product
It is built for owners/not accountants - While accountants can certainly use the product, it is built with the owner in mind. It is designed to be easy to use and not intimidating.
Powered by relationships - They are focused on fostering relationships with clients.
Be more personalized - It is tailored for the businesses that use their product. They have a ton of data on how people are using Freshbooks, and they use this to drive their direction.
I got a ton out of this interview with Robb Engg, and I hope you did as well. I personally use Freshbooks, and I can assure you they are a company very focused on creating an awesome experience for business owners.
I encourage you to check them out at www.freshbooks.com
