On this episode of Build Better Brands, Danielle Clarke is joined by Amir Harvey Bazrafshan, head marketer and Apricot Sky, founder of Apricot Box, and MD of Apricot video marketing. Amir shares his extensive experience of audience building for B2B brands and how he helps businesses build audiences focussed on future buyers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• I got into the Nottingham film scene in my late teens, early 20s which was thriving with independent films being made and government funding. There were a lot of opportunities to write, direct, work on film sets, learn how to shoot, etc. That was my entry into the industry while also working in marketing as a day job. After a while I was hired as head of marketing for a small film distribution company to source independent films, buy the rights to the ones we thought would be successful, and come up with marketing campaigns. After 4 years I got the itch to work for myself so I set up the video agency.
• Too many people go straight to tactics. The “over-ratification” of marketing is something that isn’t good for the discipline and the people that do that. There’s an opportunity cost there as well; it’s costing you the ability to actually do something that’s impactful.
• I was someone who always understood the importance of empathy and wanting to have a positive impact on people. But the impact and influence that going through the AltMBA has had on me is underscoring the absolute importance that if you want to do work that matters and make change you don’t have a say, you have to be empathetic. It’s a generous and difficult thing to do.
• In B2B there are a lot fewer people buying than you might realise. There’s a 95/5 rule where around 95% of your audience aren’t buying, but that means there are far more future buyers than people that are buying now. That should have a big impact on the way you do your marketing. You need to optimise and capture as much of the existing demand as you can, but you also need to be reaching, influencing and priming future buyers to think of us when they come to buy in the next quarter, the quarter after or next year. It’s really important for long-term growth.

BEST MOMENTS
‘People in marketing can make a change… marketing is change.’
‘Build the habit of noticing where there’s resistance when you do something and get used to sitting in that feeling. It’s just a feeling, it shouldn’t stop you from doing work that’s important and that matters.’
‘Use the most customer-centric lens you can to understand what their priorities are, where their struggles are and create a strategy around those.’
‘Storytelling is vastly under-used in B2B, but it’s leverage, it’s a really good mechanism for articulating the change that you make but again in a customer centric way, in a way that someone who’s not buying will care about.’

ABOUT THE GUEST
Amir Harvey Bazrafshan: I’m a lifelong learner with an interest in strategy, marketing, persuasion and psychology.
Before starting my agency in 2012, I worked in marketing in the film industry.
Since launching my own business, the work we have done has helped b2b brands grow their brand, increase their audience and make more sales, faster.
I’ve also coached on Seth Godin’s altMBA since 2016 and worked with leaders from brands such as Google, Adobe and Oracle.
ApricotSky is my latest venture. It’s my most significant project to date because audience building is a key missing part of the b2b marketing puzzle.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-bazrafshan/

PODCAST DESCRIPTION
The Build Better Brands podcast is to inspire small business owners and help them realise that they don't have to be Nike to have a great brand, and the sooner they start to focus on making it better, the sooner they can improve their lives and the lives of others.
On the show I’ll be talking to business owners that have built brands from the ground up. Branding is how you present your best self to your audience consistently. And if they can do it, so can you!

ABOUT THE HOST - DANIELLE CLARKE
Danielle Clarke is a Brand and Marketing Consultant, University Lecturer and Business Owner. She spends her time consulting and working with business owners to help them attract and retain their best customers.

WORK WITH DANIELLE TO HELP BUILD THE BRANDING AND MARKETING STRATEGIES YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS TO GROW: https://calendly.com/hello-danielle-clarke-creative/free-15-min-discovery-call

CONNECT WITH DANIELLE ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-clarke-creative-brand-designer-marketing-consultant

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