Our community of B2B marketers loves Ann Handley and that’s why Ann is not only the person we’ve interviewed more times than any other (this is the 6th), she also helped name this very podcast, Beyond B2B Marketing.
So in celebration of her 6th interview with TopRank Marketing, this 6th episode of Beyond B2B Marketing features Ann, who is a truly gifted source of insight, inspiration and education on all things B2B digital and content marketing.
Now just in case, you’re wondering, who is Ann Handley? Ann is a multi-book best selling author, international keynote speaker and Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, a community of over 350,000 marketers worldwide. Ann has also played a central role in the development of content and programming at MarketingProfs B2B Forum over the years. She is a master at storytelling and walks the talk on authenticity, community and creativity.
In this episode of the Beyond B2B Marketing podcast, Ann and I cover:
- The role of AI (Analog Intelligence) but also the other one in B2B marketing
- What is Ann Handley’s new book ASAP about?
- Lessons from Taylor Swift for B2B marketers
- An unlikely source for innovative storytelling in B2B marketing
- The impact of Instagram’s new visibility in Google search
- How social media engagement has changed
- The power of email newsletters
- The upcoming B2B Forum 2025 conference
- And a fun social media word association game
Now I know anyone who has been in the B2B marketing space for as long as we have, recognizes the rate of change and pressure to perform most B2B marketers are experiencing right now is not making anything easier or more effective. There’s an expression in the military when things get overwhelming, “slow is smooth, smooth is fast”.
While Ann hasn’t actually served in the Navy Seals, she has long been a strong advocate of slowing the heck down. In fact, her new book, ASAP, As Slow As Possible, goes beyond her marketing audience and explores how to reclaim our humanity and our agency in an era of hyper efficiency. Ann’s last book, Everybody Writes, has sold an insane number of copies and has been translated into I don’t know how many languages. You’ll definitely want to hear about her new book.
Connect with Ann on LinkedIn, subscribe to her famous newsletter Annarchy, book her to keynote your event, check out her books and of course there’s also the MarketingProfs site and the B2B Forum in November.
If you need more of Ann’s wisdom, then tune in to our interview below:
You can also watch our full conversation here – do it, the energy is excellent.
Of course if you’d prefer a quick text summary of our interview, here you go:
Ann Handley and sat down and connected on everything from AI to her new book, ASAP. Ann has such a great perspective on integrating artificial intelligence into our work as marketers and even coined the expression, “analog intelligence” to describe how we can keep own thinking sharp.
Don’t invite AI into the process too soon, because I think that’s when you’re going to get this sort of flattening of content, flattening of writing, mediocrity of thought.
Ann makes a compelling case against jumping to AI too early in the creative process, warning that it can lead to a “flattening of content” and “mediocrity of thought”. Her advice is to first map out your ideas and write that “ugly first draft” yourself. Only after you’ve established your unique point of view should you bring in AI as a “copilot,” asking it to help strengthen your work. It’s a smart way to ensure technology enhances our human creativity instead of just replacing it.
ASAP is about how we show up creatively. It’s how we innovate. It’s how we connect with other people in our lives, whether we’re a marketer working for a brand or whether we’re a doctor, a student or any of those things.
ASAP: As Slow As Possible, which tackles the idea of “reclaiming our humanity and our agency in an era of hyper efficiency”. This is a topic she’s been passionate about for a long time, having first presented on it nearly a decade ago at Content Marketing World. She’s taking a big swing with her new book, moving beyond her marketing comfort zone to explore how we can all innovate and connect with each other on a more human level. It’s a message that really questions the relentless push for speed in our industry and one I think is more important than ever.
There’s lots of things that I admire about Taylor Swift as a marketer and definitely some inspiration that we can take as B2B marketers from her approach. The biggest one for me is her vulnerability. And that’s something that I think we need more of in B2B marketing.
Ann also shared some smart marketing lessons she’s learned from an unexpected source: Taylor Swift. Well, maybe not so unexpected from Ann as a self-proclaimed Swiftie, which is why I asked her about it. She pointed out that in an age of automation, vulnerability is a game-changer for building authenticity, and that’s what really sells. Ann highlighted how Taylor Swift creates a powerful one-to-one connection with millions of fans through her vulnerable and personal songwriting. For marketers, the takeaway is to tell stories that are personal enough to be unique to you, but also universal enough that your audience can see themselves in your story. It’s about building a real bond, not just sending a message.
My LinkedIn strategy is to talk about what I’m doing in the context of why it matters to others and then to only post when I have something to say. I don’t listen to any of the experts or any of the LinkedIn consultants.
Given the B2B nature of this podcast, we also talked about Ann’s approach to LinkedIn, where she practices what she preaches with her “less is more” philosophy. Ann believes that posting less frequently can be a “power move” if what you share is valuable and has a real story behind it. But the most important part of her strategy, and something so many people miss, is engagement. She stressed how important it is to respond to thoughtful comments and build a relationship with your audience. It’s such a simple concept, but as Ann said, it’s the opposite of just “posting and ghosting” and is key to building a meaningful community. With nearly half a million followers on LinkedIn, Ann is definitely someone you should pay attention to if you’re looking for someone who is walking their talk with success.
Thanks Ann!
You can find Beyond B2B Marketing wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts (links below). Of course you won’t want to miss the next conversation with a B2B marketing pro, so be sure to subscribe. And remember, there’s no better time than now to break free of boring B2B!
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.
