As marketers, we’re storytellers for the brands we represent. York IE’s Marketer Spotlight series focuses on the individuals crafting stories, orchestrating go-to-market strategies and executing across all channels. They embody their brand, laying the groundwork for scalability. Join us as we uncover the story behind the story with the top marketers in SaaS.
Here we talk to Stormie Haller, director of marketing at Tracker:
Everyone has a story. What’s yours?
My career path has taken me from a focused solo role to the bustling environment of a large team, and back to the startup environment, and I’ve thrived in both. Starting in e-commerce, I quickly learned the demanding nature of the industry, putting in 70-hour weeks including nights, weekends, and holidays. While valuable experience, I knew this wasn’t sustainable for my long-term goal of building a family.
Seeking a more predictable schedule, I transitioned to the B2B tech space. This shift offered greater stability, with less last-minute surprises and intense promotion cycles. Since then, I’ve worked for a few B2B companies with smaller marketing teams, including a true startup, where I joined as the 13th employee. After three rewarding years, the company was acquired by the larger firm I recently departed.
Why did you start in marketing?
Like many, I wasn’t sure of my career path when entering college. I explored many different interests, even pursuing degrees in aeronautics and interior design – valuable experiences, but ultimately not the right fit. My lifelong love of catchy jingles, however, steered me towards advertising.
College courses focused heavily on the agency world, so that’s where I initially aimed. However, I soon discovered a desire for a broader marketing scope beyond traditional agencies. Recognizing that advertising skills translate well, I explored the exciting field of marketing. This shift allowed me to leverage my advertising foundation while pursuing a more well-rounded career path within the corporate world.
What keeps you in B2B marketing? What do you love about B2B marketing?
B2B marketing truly excites me because it’s all about building strong, collaborative relationships – with the sales team, clients, consultants. Here, collaboration fosters innovation – it’s about understanding industry needs and crafting solutions that drive real impact.
Furthermore, the staffing industry lacked resources like podcasts and thought leadership when I was entering the space. I relished the opportunity to be a part of the solution, helping to found You Own the Experience, a now-influential podcast. This experience ignited my passion for driving innovation within B2B marketing.
Beyond relationships, B2B marketing offers a unique blend of strategic thinking and long-term impact. I enjoy the challenge of understanding complex buyer journeys, often involving multiple decision-makers. This complexity demands the development of strategic campaigns that resonate with each stakeholder and guide them through the buying process. Seeing well-crafted campaigns contribute to a company’s growth and success over the years is incredibly fulfilling.
What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing today, and how are you overcoming it?
There’s so many companies that are doing almost exactly what we do, but in a slightly different way. Coming up with that differentiator and building the story around it is the hardest thing right now. You need to be crisp, because attention spans are so short. You need to be able to quickly say how you’re different and why, what your value is, what the benefits are.
So, how do I cut through the clutter? Well, two things. First, I dig deep to understand what truly makes us different. What problem do we solve that others miss? What makes our solution the best fit for our audience? Once I have that nailed down, it’s all about telling our story in a way that grabs people in those precious seconds they have to pay attention. Short, sweet, and to the point – that’s the key. By getting clear on our value and telling a killer story, I’m confident we can make a real splash.
How do you derive your goals? How closely are you tying with company KPIs?
We meticulously analyze where leads originate from, whether it’s organic search, social media, paid advertising, or other channels. This allows us to pinpoint the most effective lead generation strategies and optimize our marketing spend. Additionally, we monitor user actions like form completions, free trial requests, and demo requests.
By combining website traffic data, lead source analysis, and event tracking with historical demo-to-sales conversion rates, we create a comprehensive picture of the marketing funnel. This empowers us to set targeted goals, like increasing qualified website traffic or improving demo conversion rates, which directly contribute to achieving overall company revenue goals.
How do you reach your audience? Where are you spending most of your marketing time and dollars?
Reaching our target audience effectively requires a strategic multi-channel approach. Currently, Google Ads has been particularly successful, generating a significant number of qualified leads over the past three months. We closely monitor campaign performance and optimize strategies based on data to ensure continued success.
In addition to Google Ads, we leverage account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns to target high-value accounts with personalized outreach. This combined approach allows us to reach a broader audience while maintaining a focus on building strong relationships with key decision-makers.
Furthermore, we actively participate in industry events, providing valuable opportunities to connect with potential customers face-to-face. This allows us to showcase our expertise and build brand awareness within our target market.
Where do you see marketing in the next year?
The marketing game is changing, and it’s all about getting personal. We need to understand what people actually want and tailor our message to them, not the other way around.
Finding people where they’re already looking is still crucial. Google’s like the gatekeeper of the internet, so staying on top of their search game is a must. But just getting found isn’t enough anymore.
Everyone’s tired of spammy tactics like cold calls. We need to offer real value to stand out. This means doing research, understanding people’s problems, and offering solutions that resonate. Basically, show them you care and aren’t just another robot trying to sell something. By focusing on value and benefit selling, we can build trust and actually connect with potential customers, not just annoy them.
