Beyond B2B Marketing with Amber Naslund, LinkedIn – TopRank® Marketing

Recording Beyond B2B Marketing podcast interviews is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. Not only do they create space for meaningful conversations about the future of B2B marketing, but they also give me the chance to catch up with some truly incredible people.

For this 3rd episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with my longtime friend and amazing human being, Amber Naslund, Director of Enterprise Sales and Client Success at LinkedIn.

Amber brings a rare blend of marketing depth, sales experience, and clarity to everything she does. We talked about her journey from marketing into sales leadership, how enterprise tech brands are adjusting to a volatile market, and what it really takes to stay relevant in a world saturated with AI-generated content.

Her perspective on human creativity, community engagement, and the role of influence in B2B is refreshing and well grounded – plus I couldn’t agree more. If you’re looking for insight into where B2B marketing is headed and how to lead with relevance and authenticity, you’ll want to hear what Amber has to say!

Show notes:

• Why using AI to create content might make you average
• How to actually engage on LinkedIn (and not just shout into the void)
• The rise of B2B creators and why influence is the most underused strategy in the game
• Why brands must stop ignoring brand awareness and invest in the full funnel
• The mindset shift marketers need to thrive in 2025

Be sure to connect with Amber on LinkedIn, check out her newsletter, The Courageous Career, and of course if you need help buying LinkedIn ads or online advertising of any kind on LinkedIn, connect with Amber directly.

Listen to the full interview with Amber here:

Watch our full conversation here:

If you’d prefer a text summary of our discussion, we have you covered:

In this episode of the Beyond B2B Marketing Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with my longtime friend and one of the most insightful voices in B2B marketing, Amber Naslund, aka “@ambercadabra”.

Earlier this year Amber stepped into a new role as Director of Enterprise Sales and Client Success at LinkedIn, where she leads teams working with major enterprise tech brands. Amber made a transition from marketing to sales and it was fascinating to hear how she’s blended her deep marketing experience with her commercial responsibilities to help customers succeed on the LinkedIn platform.

Amber and I talked about the current state of the B2B market, especially in enterprise tech. She shared how many B2B companies have shifted from rapid go-to-market execution to a more cautious, measured approach. Budgets are tight, and there’s a strong emphasis on efficiency and proving ROI. Amber pointed out that many B2B marketers are refocusing on what works, leaning into account-based strategies, and avoiding unnecessary risk. It’s a reminder that resilience and clarity are essential when navigating periods of uncertainty.

“Don’t use AI to create content. That is the fastest road to mediocrity ever… If you actually want to break through in a world of very crowded, saturated content, you’re going to have to do the work to make the breakthrough ideas and AI can help you make them great.”

One of the most valuable parts of our conversation was Amber’s perspective on AI. She cautioned against relying on it to create content from scratch, suggesting instead that marketers treat AI as a partner that can assist with editing, ideation, and repetitive tasks. Her take is that originality and human creativity are what make brands stand out, and AI should enhance that-not replace it. She brought this to life with real examples of how she uses tools like ChatGPT as a thought partner, not a shortcut.

“You don’t go to the bank and write a check on deposits you haven’t made. You’ve got to invest in the ecosystem and the people and the community that you want to withdraw from.”

We also explored what real engagement looks like on LinkedIn. Amber is one of the most consistent and genuine voices on the platform, and she emphasized that meaningful interaction-rather than just broadcasting-is the key to community-building and influence. That tied in perfectly with our discussion about the rise of B2B creators, a space where Amber sees enormous opportunity. Whether it’s internal experts, customers, or niche thought leaders, she believes these voices bring much-needed relevance and trust to brand narratives.

“The single biggest untapped opportunity in B2B marketing, bar none, is influence. Not the splashy B2C kind, but the credible, trusted voices-internal or external-that actually move the needle.”

We also talked about the fundamentals of marketing and how easy it is to lose sight of them in the race for attribution and short-term wins. Amber made a compelling case for sustained investment in brand marketing and always-on strategies. She also spoke candidly about what motivates her-her team, her customers, and a personal mission to help people build careers rooted in courage and authenticity. It was a thoughtful, energizing conversation and a great reminder that the best marketing is still powered by real human connection.

Thanks Amber!

Find the Beyond B2B Marketing podcast on your favorite podcast platform below. You won’t want to miss our next conversation with a B2B marketing leader, so be sure to subscribe. And remember, there’s no better time than now to break free of boring B2B!

*Disclosure: LinkedIn is a client of TopRank Marketing

About the author

Lee Odden has been recognized as a top B2B Marketing professional by Forbes, The Economist and the Wall Street Journal. For over 20 years he’s worked with his team at TopRank Marketing to help elevate the B2B marketing industry through creative marketing programs that deliver more authentic, experiential and inclusive content for brands like LinkedIn, Dell and Adobe. Lee is the author of Optimize and has published over 1.4 million words on his agency’s B2B marketing blog. As a trusted marketing thought leader, he has given nearly 300 presentations in 20 different countries on B2B content, search and influencer marketing. When not marketing, Lee is probably running, cooking or traveling.