Empower Your Power Users to Become Creators
▼ Summary
– YouTube is Katie Parkes’ top recommended marketing channel due to its vast audience and versatility for repurposing content across platforms.
– Power users should be leveraged as creators, and creators should be engaged as power users to build authentic marketing content.
– Listening to and involving users in advisory boards or beta testing fosters product improvement and community loyalty.
– Data storytelling and credibility are emerging as critical trends, with brands focusing on real customer stories and community influence.
– Creator-led and community-first B2B marketing is gaining importance as authenticity becomes a key differentiator in crowded digital spaces.
Building a thriving online community starts with transforming your most engaged users into content creators. This powerful strategy not only amplifies your brand’s reach but also fosters authentic connections that drive long-term loyalty. Few understand this dynamic better than Katie Parkes, Director of Social, Community, and Customer Marketing at Apollo.io, whose unconventional approach has reshaped how brands leverage their audiences.
Parkes brings a unique perspective to marketing, blending her background as a national figure skater with her passion for storytelling, whether for major ecommerce brands or her D&D character, Barbara Wild. Her experience growing Shopify’s social media audience by 270% in a single year proves her methods work.
YouTube: The Unsung Hero of Content Strategy
Parkes recommends treating YouTube as a content hub. A single video can spawn blog posts, carousels, Reels, and Shorts, maximizing reach without reinventing the wheel. Engagement thrives in the comments, where direct interaction keeps audiences invested.
Empower Power Users to Become Creators
The reverse also works, recruiting creators as power users. By giving influencers early access to products and research, brands can tap into existing trust networks. “Influencer marketing isn’t just about awareness, it’s a growth engine,” she explains.
Listen Like Your Business Depends on It
Beyond product insights, power users understand new customers better than anyone. They can test marketing materials, provide expert quotes, or even offer niche advice (like Instant Pot recipes). “Make them feel empowered,” Parkes emphasizes, because when users shape the narrative, credibility follows.
The Future Belongs to Authentic Storytelling
Her focus? Creator-led B2B marketing, where real voices replace polished corporate messaging. In an era of skepticism, authenticity wins.
Final Thought: What’s one overlooked tactic delivering surprising results for your brand? Parkes challenges marketers to rethink the “boring” channels, because sometimes, the quietest strategies speak the loudest.
(Source: Hubspot)
