During the 186th episode of “Marketing Today,” I interview Jared Gardner from SAP Qualtrics. Gardner has led search, conversion rate optimization, analytics and content management programs across several vertical markets. This episode was a part of a series of interviews conducted at the Internet Summit in Raleigh, NC.
At SAP Qualtrics, Gardner focuses on scaling demand generation through unpaid channels. Before SAP Qualtrics, he worked for Red Door Interactive, with clients including Charles Schwab and Century Link.
Gardner shares his journey from broadcast media to search and optimization. When he made the switch he thought, “digital marketing and the internet is not getting any smaller, so that’s gotta be an OK place to work.” SAP Qualtrics focuses on an “action every day” mentality. Jared shares the SAP Qualtrics approach for scaling search and conversion.
Highlights from this week’s “Marketing Today”:
- Jared’s background in broadcast media and journey into search and conversion optimization. 01:12
- The role at SAP Qualtrics. 02:00
- Scaling and creating scale at Qualtrics. 02:25
- Two key pieces of advice for marketers trying to drive web traffic and conversions. 03:13
- Deciding what content to write to drive traffic. 04:53
- Examples of executing optimization. 05:55
- The “in” metric for Qualtrics. 07:00
- The future of search. 08:31
- The future of conversion. 11:31
- The four keys to making marketing more valuable. 11:32
- The importance of discussions at the executive table. 13:40
- The current state of talent in the marketing industry. 14:40
- How to be successful as chief marketing officer. 15:55
- The key to earning the right to your audience’s attention. 16:38
- The importance of content marketing in your tool bag. 16:55
Resources Mentioned:
Alan B. Hart is the creator and host of “Marketing Today with Alan Hart,” a weekly podcast where he interviews leading global marketing professionals and business leaders. Alan advises leading executives and marketing teams on opportunities around brand, customer experience, innovation and growth. He has consulted with Fortune 100 companies, but he is an entrepreneur at his core, having founded or served as an executive for nine startups.
