Khushboo Azad is a B2B digital marketer with 10 years of international experience in customer-centric, global marketing and communication. She believes that all marketing is human to human marketing (H2H) and once we realize this, our communication offers better brand credibility, improved ROI, and builds long-lasting relationships.
Her expertise includes Digital Marketing Strategy for B2B Products & Solutions, Communication Management, Social Media Marketing, Data & Analytics, Project & People Management, Stakeholder Management and MarTech Expertise.
As for her personal hobbies, she is a fitness & nutrition enthusiast, avid reader & chess player..
Why did you choose a career in marketing, how did you start?
It was a serendipity, I would say. While I was doing my internship as a design engineer, I was given an additional assignment to perform competitor and market research for CCTV camera companies, and create a presentation. This is where marketing struck me as an interesting vocation.
Tell us a bit about your professional path until now.
In the last 9 years of my professional journey I have worked in digital marketing agencies and as a part of in-house marketing teams. The majority of my experience is in the B2B industry, with a few years in B2C too.
Most recently I was working as a Marketing Manager with Columbus A/S, a Danish public company, and a Microsoft partner. I am now looking for new opportunities in the Netherlands.
What advice do you wish you got when you started your career in marketing?
Experiment with new ideas frequently, they help you grow.
Top 3 learnings in your marketing career that brought the most value?
B2B marketing also needs an empathetic side.
Analytics and data insights go a long way.
The right use of social media and communication is the key to brand visibility
One result you are really proud of as a marketeer
Actually I’m proud of 3 campaigns, Microsoft Azure campaign of 2019-2020, Microsoft D365 campaign of 2017, and Facebook viral campaign for a clothing brand in 2016.
What’s one important B2B marketing trend that will gain popularity in 2021, in your opinion?
Account based marketing, it’s definitely going to be the focus for the majority of B2B companies in 2021.
Which is the strongest social media channel in 2021, and why?
For B2B, it’s LinkedIn and YouTube. Specially, YouTube ads can offer a lot, in comparatively less budget.
What would you recommend to businesses that want to grow in 2021? What about the tactics they should avoid?
Do a thorough research on market, competition, customer segmentation, and keywords. Focus on increasing the wallet size of existing clients.
Avoid underestimating the power of social media for B2B, making lead generation your only purpose and lacking integrated digital strategy.
Can you name one digital marketing tactic that you find overrated?
Publishing a lot of content randomly. Content is the backbone of online marketing but it’s the well-researched quality content with good SEO strategy and proper distribution across channels that increases brand value and offers quality leads.
