Podcast: Patience and persistence – Paula Crespo Grávalos

Carlota Pico recently took the time to speak with Paula Crespo Grávalos, marketing and communications manager for the EMEA region at PLANASA, a global operator in the agri-food sector. Paula spoke about making the leap from working in augmented reality to a career in the agriculture industry, how she successfully revamped PLANASA’s online presence in order to drive real traffic, and why it pays to be patient with inbound marketing.

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

Key takeaways

Your brand’s online presence needs to attract the right people, or it’s futile. PLANASA had to completely overhaul its website and social media channels’ look, feel and strategy, which helped reduce bounce rate, generate leads and increase sales.

Many brands are hyper-focused on lead generation and conversion, but genuine engagement is equally important. Analyze how long people spend on your channels and how they interact with the content, and adjust your plan accordingly.

The more you learn and test, the more your digital strategy will change. Learning about your audiences’ needs and habits will undoubtedly alter your plans down the road, ultimately resulting in better and more accurate content.

If you’re in a very visual business, visually engaging content is what will generate the highest return on investment. It’s vital to share high-quality photos and videos that showcase your products and services while generating emotions.

When a company invests in inbound marketing, it sends a message that it’s not only interested in selling, but also in helping customers, building trust and creating long-lasting relationships with them.

Inbound marketing doesn’t end at the purchase—you have to take care of the customer until they become a brand advocate.

Rapid-fire recs

An influencer or professional role model who you admire?

I use LinkedIn a lot, and I follow a variety of companies there that put out great content. One marketing strategy that I love is from the Spanish mail company, Correos. I also follow the Spanish bank Banco Santander and their head of digital marketing, Elena Alti.

I’m always checking out PLANASA’s competitors as well, because you can learn a lot from what the competition is doing.

Also check out: 8 inspiring content and marketing influencers to follow

A publication or book you’d recommend?

“Blue Ocean Strategy” is a book that I think every marketer should read. Another great book I’d suggest is “Making Websites Win,” which gets into how websites are an important tool that we can build good marketing strategies around. I also love “Delivering Happiness” by the CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh.

Also check out: Top 8 content and marketing books to read right now (according to experts)

A hashtag that you’re following at the moment?

I’d recommend #InboundMarketing. I’d also suggest following HubSpot’s blog and social channels. They cover so many aspects of marketing and offer certifications through HubSpot Academy. They have a lot to offer in general.

Editor’s note: For more inspiration, check out this article Paula recently wrote on the importance of “the other influencers” in your marketing strategy.

Connect with Paula and Carlota on LinkedIn.

This post was edited by Mary Kresge, a freelance content creator based in Madrid.