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Conversation
Highlights
Welcome to Marketing From the Front Lines, where we have unfiltered conversations with the B2B marketers who are bringing innovative technology to market. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Dan Malgran, VP of Marketing at Steno, a legal tech startup that has raised over $100 Million in funding.
Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:
- The Shift from Sales-Driven to Marketing-Driven Strategy: Dan discusses how Steno is evolving from a traditionally sales-focused industry into a marketing-driven approach, emphasizing the integration of content, partnerships, and holistic marketing strategies.
- Targeting the Right Channels: Dan reveals how targeting underutilized channels like Bing has significantly lowered customer acquisition costs in a market where competitors were focused on more mainstream platforms like Google Ads.
- Creating a New Category on G2: Steno worked with G2 to create a new category for court reporting services, highlighting the importance of establishing thought leadership and owning a niche within the legal tech space.
- Integrating Product Marketing Early On: Dan explains the decision to bring in a product marketer from day one, a role that’s typically rare in the legal tech industry, to ensure alignment across all functions and a unified go-to-market strategy.
- The Importance of Quick Wins: Dan stresses the significance of achieving quick wins in a new role to establish credibility and build momentum, particularly when taking over or rebuilding marketing teams.
- Leveraging Founders in Marketing: Dan touches on the growing trend of founder-led marketing and how Steno is utilizing their president and co-founder, an attorney, as a thought leader to engage their target audience more effectively.
Actionable
Takeaways
Explore Underutilized Channels:
Don’t overlook less popular platforms like Bing for advertising, especially if your audience might be using default settings in regulated industries.
Establish Early Wins:
Focus on achieving quick, impactful wins in your first 90 days to build credibility and support for larger projects down the road.
Create New Market Categories:
Work with platforms like G2 to define and own a new market category, positioning your company as a leader in that space.
Integrate Product Marketing:
Bring in product marketing early to align messaging across all departments and ensure a cohesive go-to-market strategy.
Leverage Thought Leadership:
Use your founders and executives as thought leaders in your industry to build trust and engagement with your target audience.
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