Irina Cardos knows the value of case studies for B2B businesses firsthand. “They’re some of the best pieces of content you can have,” she explains, as it’s a way for customers to give appraisals and feedback, while building trust both internally and externally.

As the global marketing communications manager for one of ABB’s divisions, Irina’s days are busy with creating content, including case studies for the technology firm. She oversees a team of content creators and coordinates with other stakeholders in the company that spans more than 100 countries and has 110,000 employees.

Irina joins Shaheen Samavati in today’s episode to discuss her role and some of her favorite case studies. She also talks about how COVID-19 has accelerated digital marketing for companies around the world, and reflects on embracing mistakes in order to improve going forward.

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

Rapid-fire recs  

  • Recommended reading: Start With Why by Simon Sinek. “It can really increase your productivity, your goals…everything. It gets to the core of everything, professionally and personally.”
  • Productivity hack: Get your body moving. “My productivity hack now during COVID is to ‘walk and talk.’ It’s good to get out for a walk—you don’t really have to stay in front of the computer and be online [only from there]. You can be online anywhere. Right now, productivity hacks mean blending personal life with professional life and not getting stuck in a routine.”
  • Favorite apps:
    • Salesforce. “Professionally speaking, this is my favorite app. You can do everything with it.”
    • Strava. “Personally speaking, I love this app because I’m a runner and it helps me keep sane and open minded. It really pumps up the energy levels, then I go back to work and I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s do this. We’re doing it today!’”
    • Kinzen. “It has really good news, perspectives and messages.”
    • Pinterest. “Although it’s only visual, I can always find inspiration there for anything. It’s my go-to app when I need to kill time.”
  • Useful resources:
    • Brand Minds. “It’s an annual event that brings together all the marketing and communication leaders out there.”
    • LinkedIn. “It’s great for exploring communities and connecting with others.”
    • Coursera. It’s my go-to website when I want to stay up to date with things.”

“The most important thing is to follow up, follow up, follow up. Everyone is busy, so it can take a lot of time to get the quality of content you want. It’s about picking up the phone—not just sending emails and giving deadlines—and actually talking to people and understanding what’s happening.”

Connect with Irina and Shaheen on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge.

For more insights into the importance of case studies and B2B content marketing:

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

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