B2B Social Media Influencers: A Conversation with Tamara McClearly

Here at Leadtail, we’ve been riding the B2B social media influencer marketing bandwagon for some time… even as many B2B marketers have been slow to jump on with this new marketing approach.

Admittedly, we have an advantage. Our social media research has given us insights into who are the top influencers of decision makers. Simply put, we have the list.

For instance, if your company sells to senior marketers, then you’ll want to know Tamara McCleary. She’s a top CMO influencer, international branding expert, and CEO of Thulium. Tamara is also a frequent keynote speaker who shows up on many social media influencer lists (not just ours).

We caught up with Tamara to discover what makes her so influential, ask about her approach to social media, and find out how she likes to work brands that want to reach and engage CMOs. Here’s what she told us:

What’s your secret sauce for being influential?

The secret sauce of influence is the ability to see and know what others need, want and desire, and having so developed relationships and reputation over time as to be trusted to offer solutions and affect the behavior of another. To be influential we must take the time to cultivate trusted relationships. There are no short cuts to relationships just as there are no short cuts to becoming influential. Integrity and the ability to put others before your own agenda are critical to being a powerful influencer. True influence is leadership that has the power to move others to take action.

What themes and topics do you focus the most on?

I focus on technology, and how technology can be harnessed to augment our lives and relieve suffering, whether that suffering be in the B2B and enterprise space, or in the B2C space. B2B and enterprise are no different than B2C except that instead of one decision maker in a B2C transaction, you may have five individuals who are the decision makers involved in an enterprise sale.

Since you’re influential to CMOs, what topics do you find most gets their attention these days?

CMOs have an extraordinarily challenging task today in that they must possess strong leadership paired with the ability to move people company-facing, as well as, consumer-facing to drive measurable results to the business bottomline. CMOS today have to be able to execute and deliver on the business objectives, earning their power seat at the Executive table. To survive, thrive, and excel, CMOs must keep up on the constantly evolving marketing technology available in order to successfully own customer experience, reach a targeted market through compelling story, create a congruent experience across all customer touch points. And all this while balancing an often tight marketing budget. It’s no small feat making sure all customer channels are covered. Everything in marketing is a moving target calling upon today’s CMOs to embrace being part storyteller, part inspirational leader, part innovative thinker, and part technologist.

How do you currently use social media?

I use social media to build genuine, engaged relationships. I love sharing and consuming information, I learn, I grow, and I meet the most amazing people through this incredibly powerful vehicle. Social media for me has become the primary source for my business growth and personal enrichment.

What’s the best way to engage you on social media?

Talk to me, comment, share something you’re really interested in and let me know why you’re passionate about what you share. You can Tweet me on Twitter @TamaraMcCleary, find me on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. The worst way to engage me is to follow and not engage at all. Lurkers on social media do not build relationships. There’s no potential for relationship building unless we are willing to engage one another and share back-and-forth. Relationships are a two-way street. A sure way to never have anyone want to follow, like or engage with you on social media is to broadcast your message. Be conversational. It’s a give and take…it’s called social media for a reason…so be “social.”

How do you work with B2B brands?

At Thulium.co, we are engaged with B2B brands, particularly in the telecom, IoT, AI, healthcare, FinTech, and manufacturing technology space. Every engagement is constructed first around understanding what our customers want and need, then we customize and build a program around meeting those business objectives. We are focused on strategy and implementation with measurable results to move the business bottomline. Some of our programs are Social Media Account Based Marketing (ABM) and other projects are centered around creating customized content whether it be via custom podcast, social media campaigns, brand persona building and Executive personal brand building.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to become more influential?

Start now, wherever you are at. Focus on your particular area of expertise and knowledge and focus on this area. Pick one or two social media channels and begin with one or two posts per day and build up. The most important thing is to identify with clarity what you want to be known for and then make sure all of your communication is in alignment with that objective. Discipline, diligence, and consistency are the keys to building a potent and powerful brand on social media. Influence is the power to move people to action.

Did you find this article helpful? Check out the Leadtail blog for more insights on B2B social media.

About the Author

Carter Hostelley is the CEO of Leadtail, and committed to making social media work for B2B companies. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.