Let’s be trustworthy. Not each enterprise partnership clicks immediately. However after they do, they seem to be a advertising dream come true.
Immediately, strategic model collaboration has turn out to be key to breakthrough advertising. Leveraging purchaser intent information with precision focusing on turns scattered advertising efforts into laser-focused methods. That is not simply networking; that is advertising alchemy. And with over a billion customers, LinkedIn proves that the proper partnership can amplify your attain exponentially.
I am not simply saying this off the cuff; we now have consultants speaking.
In my newest dialog with Lara Brownlow, head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn, she emphasizes the significance of constructing model partnerships, how advertising leaders can leverage them, the way forward for channel gross sales, and why AI could be your greatest good friend.
For entrepreneurs, the message is evident: collaboration is not nearly who you realize however how strategically you may develop collectively.
This interview is a part of G2’s Skilled Highlight collection. For extra content material like this, subscribe to G2 Tea, a publication with SaaS-y information and leisure.
Heat-up questions
What’s your favourite beverage?
I like all issues bubbly and glowing, so glowing water is certainly my favourite. I additionally take pleasure in glowing wine or champagne every so often.
Might you inform us about your first job?
My first correct job out of college was working for a small PR agency in Sydney that managed some enjoyable names and types. Essentially the most well-known had been Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, notably after they launched their make-up line in Australia.
What’s your favourite software program or software program class in your present tech stack?
I’m simply such an enormous fan of all the brand new AI instruments. I take advantage of Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT each single day. These instruments have considerably boosted my productiveness.
I additionally actually admire Microsoft Groups for its AI-generated summaries. Not having to manually write up notes is a game-changer, because it saves effort and time. I am an enormous proponent of AI merchandise and their potential to boost our productiveness.
What issues at work make you need to throw your laptop computer out the window?
Properly, this can be a humorous one, as it would happen throughout our name right now.
So, Microsoft and LinkedIn prioritize safe techniques, which regularly require frequent software program updates on our laptops. It looks like I am prompted to replace each couple of weeks, so I are likely to postpone it as a lot as attainable by hitting delay. After which my pc decides to replace itself simply earlier than an essential assembly with a associate or name. These are the moments after I really feel like tossing my laptop computer out the window, however I do know it is fully my very own doing.
Deep Dives with Lara Brownlow
So, we’ll begin by attending to know you a bit higher. Inform us about your skilled journey and the way you got here to LinkedIn.
I have been actually blessed to have a vastly rewarding profession in offline and on-line media that is gone on for over 20 years now. After a quick stint in PR, the place I managed nationwide campaigns for Mary Kay, I landed a place in promoting with one in every of Australia’s largest radio networks. It was an actual studying second for me out of college to grasp the challenges entrepreneurs had been going through and the alternatives in a really quick and really stay medium.
After working for a few the main radio networks, I used to be very keen to maneuver into the net area, and Fb had simply launched an workplace in Australia. So I stalked my method into an interview there one Friday afternoon, after which just a few weeks later, I used to be capable of begin working for Fb.
That was a very transformative time in my profession. I realized about going deep into digital promoting and concerning the tech ecosystem that makes digital advertising work.
Sooner or later, I bought a LinkedIn message from a recruiter right here at LinkedIn a couple of job alternative. They had been looking for somebody to assist develop their company ecosystem, and I used to be thrilled by the prospect.
Lower to 11 years later, I’m nonetheless as impressed and passionate concerning the work we do at LinkedIn. I am proud to be a part of constructing our enterprise, pushed by a mission and values that resonate deeply with me.
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Understanding that you’re personally very lively on LinkedIn, what’s a shocking reality about you that most individuals would not know from taking a look at your LinkedIn profile?
Whilst you will not discover this on my LinkedIn profile, lots of my shut buddies know that I’ve a ardour for singing. Whether or not it is karaoke, singing within the bathe, or belting out tunes within the automobile, I adore it all — a lot to the occasional dismay of my children, who aren’t at all times eager on listening to my concert events.
I even studied artistic arts briefly in college, dreaming of a profession on stage. Nevertheless, life had different plans, and I discovered my calling in advertising and promoting know-how as a substitute.
Having a profession on stage would have been difficult! However then once more, I’m certain so is your present function. Inform us about the important thing challenges you encounter when managing channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn.
There are just a few key issues that come to thoughts after we speak about challenges in my subject.
First, prioritization is usually a problem. Given the huge MarTech panorama with 1000’s of firms, figuring out which companions to concentrate on is important, particularly, these partnerships that yield the very best outcomes for our LinkedIn clients. My function entails figuring out which partnerships to deepen for mutual profit.
Secondly, having a win-win perspective is essential. Whereas this is not precisely a problem, it is foundational to profitable partnerships. At LinkedIn, we now have at all times aimed to seek out mutual alternatives — asking how we will collaborate, what the joint alternatives seem like, and making certain each events profit.
After which lastly, sustaining nice cross-functional relationships may be troublesome however is extraordinarily essential. Now we have this philosophy that relationships matter. And when working with gross sales, advertising, and exterior companions, it is essential to determine, develop, and preserve the proper relationships.
“Success on this function depends on these three pillars: prioritization, win-win collaboration, and relationship constructing.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
We talked about human collaboration and sustaining cross-functional relationships, however with the rise of AI, do you suppose relying closely on it’s essential for advertising and gross sales leaders?
Proper now, it is essential for gross sales and advertising leaders to have a robust understanding of AI. With know-how changing into so superior, it’s important to study and sustain with it, and the one method to take action is by upskilling. Understanding which instruments to make the most of and the way they will improve your productiveness is essential.
As an example, I take advantage of ChatGPT to generate compelling emails and depend on AI-generated summaries in Microsoft Groups to streamline my workflow. These instruments save me lots of time. AI options in Canva assist me create visually interesting templates inside minutes regardless of my lack of design experience.
Moreover, AI’s potential in gross sales forecasting can’t be overstated. By figuring out patterns and predicting future gross sales developments, AI instruments like Clari assist gross sales leaders make knowledgeable selections, allocate assets successfully, and strategize easily.
“The potential of AI is just set to broaden, so it is vital to not be left behind.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
I feel it is essential to have a mindset to check and study which platforms will drive essentially the most outcomes in your firm. Within the quick time period, AI is already an enormous time saver for entrepreneurs, creating efficiencies and driving higher productiveness and higher conversions, which is able to solely improve over time.
Talking of the transformation of gross sales, how do you foresee the way forward for channel gross sales evolving, particularly within the context of digital platforms like LinkedIn?
What I’ve realized, notably in my function over the various years, is that channel gross sales imply various things in numerous firms.
At LinkedIn, our channel gross sales initially revolved round our licensed advertising associate program, focusing considerably on the API companions inside our gross sales and advertising merchandise. However, in different firms, it refers to extra resellers and extra conventional gross sales.
No matter the way you outline channel gross sales, one factor is for certain — with digital platforms, data-driven partnerships will proceed to be extra essential as they assist our mutual clients plan, execute, and measure their B2B advertising extra effectively.
Because of this, data-driven methods are seemingly on the forefront of the continuing evolution in channel gross sales.
Given your function at LinkedIn, how have you ever seen the significance and dynamics of brand name partnerships evolve, and what new alternatives do you imagine they current for firms right now?
Model partnerships have turn out to be important in right now’s time. LinkedIn itself is an unimaginable platform with an unlimited and quickly rising consumer base, at present at a billion customers worldwide. Nevertheless, the true magic occurs after we combine our companions into the combo.
Take our partnership with G2, for instance. By combining G2’s purchaser intent information with LinkedIn’s distinctive focusing on capabilities and leveraging our skilled information, companions can run extremely focused video and lead technology campaigns. This strategy permits exact focusing on of prospects at varied phases of the funnel, driving excellent outcomes for our tech and SaaS purchasers.
As we glance to the longer term, we’re more and more targeted on co-market methods. Our partnerships group collaborates intently, each on the headquarters and regional ranges, to align gross sales efforts and create joint advertising initiatives. So, I feel that’s how model partnerships are going to proceed and be an asset for firms as we transfer ahead.
Speaking about model partnerships, how can advertising leaders leverage high-value partnerships? Any suggestions that you simply want to share?
For entrepreneurs, it is essential to first perceive how successfully your present MarTech stack is built-in, notably along with your buyer relationship administration (CRM) associate. For instance, are you using LinkedIn’s lead technology API to feed information instantly into your CRM? Highly effective instruments, like LinkedIn’s Gross sales Navigator, can use CRM sync options to combine seamlessly with techniques like HubSpot and Salesforce. This ensures that your gross sales and advertising efforts are tightly aligned.
In case you’re a G2 buyer, ask your self in case you’re leveraging your purchaser intent information inside your LinkedIn campaigns. We regularly discover that entrepreneurs are unaware of those prospects. That’s the place you may attain out to our group.
Our devoted buyer options engineers specialise in assessing your advert tech stack, figuring out integration alternatives, and recommending enhancements. They will information you on utilizing companions for computer-assisted private interviewing (CAPI) on LinkedIn to raised measure your marketing campaign effectiveness and recommend companions to fill any gaps recognized.
“Understanding your present advert tech stack’s integration capabilities and determining if there are any potential gaps is step one.”
Lara Brownlow
Head of channel gross sales and partnerships at LinkedIn
Along with your 20+ years of trade expertise, what’s that one piece of recommendation that you simply want to give somebody who’s simply beginning out within the advertising area?
I as soon as gave a speech to a bunch of younger professionals getting into the sector when somebody raised a priority concerning the relentless tempo of change within the trade. They talked about that this fixed change can really feel overwhelming. My reply was to have a progress mindset.
The one constant factor is change. It’s fixed, and for me, I’ve used it as a chance, and I’ve leaned into it. As an alternative of viewing new challenges as daunting duties, I strategy them with enthusiasm.
I’ve repeatedly upskilled and tailored, and this dedication to ongoing studying has been invaluable. Even right now, as new developments in AI and different applied sciences emerge, I concentrate on staying forward and enhancing my ability set.
So, my recommendation is if you wish to survive on this trade, embrace change with eagerness, always search private {and professional} progress, and keep in mind that studying would not cease after college.
In case you loved this insightful dialog, subscribe to G2 Tea for the most recent tech and advertising thought management.
Observe Lara Brownlow on LinkedIn to raised perceive the world of brand name partnerships and the way LinkedIn is altering it is dynamics.
Edited by Supanna Das
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