Let’s be trustworthy. Not each enterprise partnership clicks immediately. However after they do, they are a advertising and marketing dream come true.
At the moment, strategic model collaboration has turn into key to breakthrough advertising and marketing. Leveraging purchaser intent knowledge with precision concentrating on turns scattered advertising and marketing efforts into laser-focused methods. That is not simply networking; that is advertising and marketing alchemy. And with over a billion customers, LinkedIn proves that the appropriate partnership can amplify your attain exponentially.
I am not simply saying this off the cuff; we have now consultants speaking.
In my newest dialog with Lara Brownlow, head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn, she emphasizes the significance of constructing model partnerships, how advertising and marketing leaders can leverage them, the way forward for channel gross sales, and why AI may be your greatest good friend.
For entrepreneurs, the message is evident: collaboration is not nearly who however how strategically you possibly can develop collectively.
This interview is a part of G2’s Skilled Highlight collection. For extra content material like this, subscribe to G2 Tea, a publication with SaaS-y information and leisure.
Heat-up questions
What’s your favourite beverage?
I like all issues bubbly and glowing, so glowing water is certainly my favourite. I additionally get pleasure from glowing wine or champagne from time to time.
May you inform us about your first job?
My first correct job out of college was working for a small PR agency in Sydney that managed some enjoyable names and types. Probably the most well-known had been Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, significantly after they launched their make-up line in Australia.
What’s your favourite software program or software program class in your present tech stack?
I’m simply such an enormous fan of all the brand new AI instruments. I take advantage of Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT each single day. These instruments have considerably boosted my productiveness.
I additionally actually recognize Microsoft Groups for its AI-generated summaries. Not having to manually write up notes is a game-changer, because it saves effort and time. I am an enormous proponent of AI merchandise and their skill to boost our productiveness.
What issues at work make you wish to throw your laptop computer out the window?
Properly, this can be a humorous one, as it’d happen throughout our name at this time.
So, Microsoft and LinkedIn prioritize safe methods, which frequently require frequent software program updates on our laptops. It seems like I am prompted to replace each couple of weeks, so I are inclined to postpone it as a lot as attainable by hitting delay. After which my laptop decides to replace itself simply earlier than an vital assembly with a associate or name. These are the moments after I really feel like tossing my laptop computer out the window, however I do know it is fully my very own doing.
Deep Dives with Lara Brownlow
So, we’ll begin by attending to know you just a little higher. Inform us about your skilled journey and the way you got here to LinkedIn.
I have been actually blessed to have a massively rewarding profession in offline and on-line media that is gone on for over 20 years now. After a quick stint in PR, the place I managed nationwide campaigns for Mary Kay, I landed a place in promoting with considered one of Australia’s largest radio networks. It was an actual studying second for me out of college to know the challenges entrepreneurs had been going through and the alternatives in a really quick and really stay medium.
After working for a few the main radio networks, I used to be very keen to maneuver into the web area, and Fb had simply launched an workplace in Australia. So I stalked my approach into an interview there one Friday afternoon, after which a number of weeks later, I used to be capable of begin working for Fb.
That was a very transformative time in my profession. I realized about going deep into digital promoting and concerning the tech ecosystem that makes digital advertising and marketing work.
In the future, I received a LinkedIn message from a recruiter right here at LinkedIn a few job alternative. They had been looking for somebody to assist develop their company ecosystem, and I used to be thrilled by the prospect.
Reduce to 11 years later, I’m nonetheless as impressed and passionate concerning the work we do at LinkedIn. I am proud to be a part of constructing our enterprise, pushed by a mission and values that resonate deeply with me.
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Understanding that you’re personally very lively on LinkedIn, what’s a shocking truth about you that most individuals would not know from your LinkedIn profile?
When you will not discover this on my LinkedIn profile, lots of my shut buddies know that I’ve a ardour for singing. Whether or not it is karaoke, singing within the bathe, or belting out tunes within the automotive, I adore it all — a lot to the occasional dismay of my youngsters, who aren’t all the time eager on listening to my concert events.
I even studied inventive arts briefly in college, dreaming of a profession on stage. Nonetheless, life had different plans, and I discovered my calling in advertising and marketing and promoting expertise as a substitute.
Having a profession on stage would have been difficult! However then once more, I’m certain so is your present position. Inform us about the important thing challenges you encounter when managing channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn.
There are a number of key issues that come to thoughts once we discuss challenges in my discipline.
First, prioritization could be a problem. Given the huge MarTech panorama with hundreds of firms, figuring out which companions to concentrate on is important, particularly, these partnerships that yield the very best outcomes for our LinkedIn clients. My position includes figuring out which partnerships to deepen for mutual profit.
Secondly, having a win-win angle is vital. Whereas this is not precisely a problem, it is foundational to profitable partnerships. At LinkedIn, we have now all the time aimed to search out mutual alternatives — asking how we are able to collaborate, what the joint alternatives appear to be, and guaranteeing each events profit.
After which lastly, sustaining nice cross-functional relationships will be troublesome however is extraordinarily vital. Now we have this philosophy that relationships matter. And when working with gross sales, advertising and marketing, and exterior companions, it is vital to determine, develop, and preserve the appropriate relationships.
“Success on this position depends on these three pillars: prioritization, win-win collaboration, and relationship constructing.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
We talked about human collaboration and sustaining cross-functional relationships, however with the rise of AI, do you suppose relying closely on it’s essential for advertising and marketing and gross sales leaders?
Proper now, it is essential for gross sales and advertising and marketing leaders to have a robust understanding of AI. With expertise turning into so superior, it’s important to study and sustain with it, and the one approach to take action is by upskilling. Understanding which instruments to make the most of and the way they will improve your productiveness is vital.
As an illustration, I take advantage of ChatGPT to generate compelling emails and depend on AI-generated summaries in Microsoft Groups to streamline my workflow. These instruments save me lots of time. AI options in Canva assist me create visually interesting templates inside minutes regardless of my lack of design experience.
Moreover, AI’s potential in gross sales forecasting can’t be overstated. By figuring out patterns and predicting future gross sales tendencies, AI instruments like Clari assist gross sales leaders make knowledgeable selections, allocate sources successfully, and strategize easily.
“The potential of AI is simply set to broaden, so it is important to not be left behind.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
I feel it is vital to have a mindset to check and study which platforms will drive essentially the most outcomes on your firm. Within the brief time period, AI is already an enormous time saver for entrepreneurs, creating efficiencies and driving higher productiveness and higher conversions, which can solely enhance over time.
Talking of the transformation of gross sales, how do you foresee the way forward for channel gross sales evolving, particularly within the context of digital platforms like LinkedIn?
What I’ve realized, significantly in my position over the various years, is that channel gross sales imply various things in numerous firms.
At LinkedIn, our channel gross sales initially revolved round our licensed advertising and marketing associate program, focusing considerably on the API companions inside our gross sales and advertising and marketing merchandise. However, in different firms, it refers to extra resellers and extra conventional gross sales.
No matter the way you outline channel gross sales, one factor is for certain — with digital platforms, data-driven partnerships will proceed to be extra vital as they assist our mutual clients plan, execute, and measure their B2B advertising and marketing extra effectively.
Consequently, data-driven methods are seemingly on the forefront of the continued evolution in channel gross sales.
Given your position at LinkedIn, how have you ever seen the significance and dynamics of name partnerships evolve, and what new alternatives do you consider they current for firms at this time?
Model partnerships have turn into important in at this time’s time. LinkedIn itself is an unbelievable platform with an unlimited and quickly rising person base, at the moment at a billion customers worldwide. Nonetheless, the true magic occurs once we combine our companions into the combo.
Take our partnership with G2, for instance. By combining G2’s purchaser intent knowledge with LinkedIn’s distinctive concentrating on capabilities and leveraging our skilled knowledge, companions can run extremely focused video and lead era campaigns. This strategy permits exact concentrating on of prospects at numerous phases of the funnel, driving excellent outcomes for our tech and SaaS purchasers.
As we glance to the long run, we’re more and more centered on co-market methods. Our partnerships workforce collaborates intently, each on the headquarters and regional ranges, to align gross sales efforts and create joint advertising and marketing initiatives. So, I feel that’s how model partnerships are going to proceed and be an asset for firms as we transfer ahead.
Speaking about model partnerships, how can advertising and marketing leaders leverage high-value partnerships? Any suggestions that you just wish to share?
For entrepreneurs, it is essential to first perceive how successfully your present MarTech stack is built-in, significantly together with your buyer relationship administration (CRM) associate. For instance, are you using LinkedIn’s lead era API to feed knowledge immediately into your CRM? Highly effective instruments, like LinkedIn’s Gross sales Navigator, can use CRM sync options to combine seamlessly with methods like HubSpot and Salesforce. This ensures that your gross sales and advertising and marketing efforts are tightly aligned.
When you’re a G2 buyer, ask your self when you’re leveraging your purchaser intent knowledge inside your LinkedIn campaigns. We frequently discover that entrepreneurs are unaware of those potentialities. That’s the place you possibly can attain out to our workforce.
Our devoted buyer options engineers concentrate on assessing your advert tech stack, figuring out integration alternatives, and recommending enhancements. They’ll information you on utilizing companions for computer-assisted private interviewing (CAPI) on LinkedIn to higher measure your marketing campaign effectiveness and recommend companions to fill any gaps recognized.
“Understanding your present advert tech stack’s integration capabilities and determining if there are any potential gaps is step one.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
Along with your 20+ years of trade expertise, what’s that one piece of recommendation that you just wish to give somebody who’s simply beginning out within the advertising and marketing area?
I as soon as gave a speech to a bunch of younger professionals coming into the sphere when somebody raised a priority concerning the relentless tempo of change within the trade. They talked about that this fixed change can really feel overwhelming. My reply was to have a development mindset.
The one constant factor is change. It’s fixed, and for me, I’ve used it as a possibility, and I’ve leaned into it. As an alternative of viewing new challenges as daunting duties, I strategy them with enthusiasm.
I’ve constantly upskilled and tailored, and this dedication to ongoing studying has been invaluable. Even at this time, as new developments in AI and different applied sciences emerge, I concentrate on staying forward and enhancing my talent set.
So, my recommendation is if you wish to survive on this trade, embrace change with eagerness, continually search private {and professional} development, and do not forget that studying does not cease after college.
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Observe Lara Brownlow on LinkedIn to higher perceive the world of name partnerships and the way LinkedIn is altering it is dynamics.
Edited by Supanna Das
