If you’re interested in content marketing for B2B businesses, Ilia Markov is your man. He has over six years of experience in this industry, and is currently content marketing manager at ChartMogul, a subscription data platform. Shaheen Samavati recently spoke with Ilia about the reality of full-time remote work and what marketing is like in the SaaS sector. He also shared his thoughts on how to add value in a world saturated with content, and why many modern companies are relying less on regional segmentation and more on global strategies.

You can watch the full conversation in the video above or on our YouTube channel, listen to the podcast on Apple and Spotify, and read our recap below.

Key takeaways

  • When it comes to content marketing, language is just one part of the picture. It’s about combining writing skills with marketing knowledge, plus expertise in the specific domain where you work.
  • Today’s marketers have to create a competitive advantage, whether by using exclusive data or investing so much effort into a piece of content that it’s hard to replicate. For example, ChartMogul has a SaaS newsletter that adds value through careful curation.
  • Social media is the new comments section. Instead of commenting on blogs, people want to engage through discussions on LinkedIn and Twitter, which creates an opportunity to build relationships and trust with potential customers.
  • Many modern companies have truly global reach—which means that it doesn’t matter where they’re based. Instead of controlling one region, they have to be efficient enough to succeed in the same markets as their competitors across the world. 
  • What sets a company apart is the culture that its leaders instill in the team. Remote companies often share some characteristics, such as high accountability and taking ownership of the area you’re responsible for.

People want to talk to other people—not a logo and a brand name—and building your personal brand can also build your corporate brand.

Rapid-fire recs

What’s an app or tool that you can’t work without?

The most essential tool for me is WordPress, which is what I’ve always used for content and blogs. But I’m also a big fan of Trello, because it combines two important elements. One is simplicity and ease of use, and the other is that it allows you to streamline a lot of processes. Content is time-consuming in the best case scenario, so having a strong process can save you a lot of time.

See also: Top 10 apps for content and marketing professionals

A marketing influencer who you follow?

Brian Dean, whose website is Backlinko.com. He comes from an SEO background, and he’s really strong when it comes to content. A lot of it is completely free, but I would also recommend his paid courses.

A valuable resource, event or group?

I would say SaaStock, which is very focused on SaaS, not so much on content or marketing. It’s a great place to learn what’s happening in the industry and how it’s developing. They have great speakers at their events, which unfortunately are postponed right now. But they did also have a virtual event recently, which I found really relevant and valuable.

Connect with Ilia and Shaheen on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Melissa Haun, a freelance content creator based in Lisbon.


For more insights into SaaS marketing and cloud-based tech solutions:

Improving workplace harmony – Inken Kuhlmann-Rhinow, EMEA marketing director at HubSpot

Foster workplace learning – Joei Chan, director of content at 360Learning

Capitalize on cloud-based tech solutions – Payal Raina, global marketing maven

To see the full transcript, click on page number 2 below.