The CMO’s Playbook: Navigating the Complexities of B2B Marketing
by Maria Shestakova
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What you'll discover
when watching Maria's story
- Effective marketing requires a deep understanding of your target audience and proper segmentation before choosing channels or crafting messages.
- A diversified approach to lead generation, utilizing multiple channels like paid ads, content marketing, and events, is crucial for sustainable growth.
- Alignment between marketing and sales teams is essential to ensure a consistent message and seamless customer journey throughout the funnel.
- Continuous testing and experimentation are vital in marketing to find the most effective strategies for your specific business and industry.
- Product marketing efforts should maintain consistency from initial messaging through the entire customer experience to build trust and satisfaction.
- Measuring marketing effectiveness involves both quantitative metrics (e.g., leads, conversions) and qualitative factors (e.g., brand reputation, customer loyalty).
- Successful marketers combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience and stay updated on industry trends through continuous learning and adaptation.
Meet Maria Shestakova - CMO @ Apifonica
Maria Shestakova is the Chief Marketing Officer at Apifonica, a telecom platform specializing in AI voicebot technology. With over 13 years of experience in marketing, Maria has risen through the ranks from copywriter to senior leadership.
Maria’s journey began in 2011 when she started as a copywriter and link builder. She has since worked primarily with B2B IT companies, developing a passion for demand generation, branding, and operational marketing.
At Apifonica Tenios, Maria leads marketing efforts for two brands: Apifonica in Poland and Tenios in the DACH market. She oversees strategies ranging from lead generation and content marketing to account-based marketing.
Maria’s approach emphasizes the importance of understanding target audiences, continuous testing, and aligning marketing with sales. Her expertise lies in creating measurable impact for businesses through innovative marketing strategies.
Check out Maria Shestakova's thoughts on go-to-market execution
When asked how she markets to existing customers versus acquiring new ones, Maria shares:
"For existing customers, we approach them through two main categories: upsells to those already using our voicebot and cross-sells to those using other products from our company."
She also shares some advice for young marketers:
"Practical experience is crucial. In marketing, if you only have theoretical knowledge, things often work out oddly. You can’t follow everything by the book."
And how she approaches go-to-market strategy for different brands:
"For Apifonica, which is already more established in the voicebot space, we've moved beyond the awareness stage. Now, our focus is on lead generation."
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