Michaela Underdahl
Marketing Lead at Nimble
How did you get to become an expert in your key topics?
I started as a social media manager and because I was completely new, I made it a point to consume as much knowledge as fast as possible. We have always been big believers in influencer marketing so one of my responsibilities has always been to identify the top influencers in the main areas of the promise of our product and developing relationships with them. The best way to develop a real relationship with somebody is to get truly interested in what they do. The way I learned was by reading books and blog posts by the top influencers in marketing, sales, and other related areas and by attending their webinars, listening to their podcasts, etc. I have also been lucky to be working directly under Jon Ferrara who’s a CRM software pioneer and an overall wealth of knowledge.
What sub-topics are you most passionate about?
Influencer Marketing, Community Building, Content Marketing, Sales.
Who influences you within these topics?
I’m a big fan of Marcus Sheridan and his They Ask You Answer book and approach to content marketing. I have learned a lot from Brynne Tillman and Viveka von Rosen about LinkedIn and building relationships there. I loved Everybody Writes by Ann Handley. I have also been lucky to work on several projects with many members of the Women Sales Pros and learn a lot from them.
What challenges are brands facing in this space?
In the space of B2B influencer marketing, I think brands are dealing with oversaturation. Most brands have already jumped on the influencer marketing bandwagon and multiple brands are targeting the same influencers. This can be a challenge for smaller brands with smaller budgets as it might be harder for them to compete.
What do you think the future holds in this space?
In order to sound authentic to end users, brands will have to view building relationships with influencers as a marathon instead of a sprint. Properly testing out a product and ensuring that it really fits our needs takes time. Therefore, I think that we will see more and more brands focusing on long-term collaborations. Building a community of loyal ambassadors around our brand will create a feeling of trust with our customers.
What brands are leading the way in this space?
I like what Adobe is doing with their Adobe Insiders group. They are great at hand-picking influencers that help them reach more people and spread awareness about their brand and products.
If a brand wanted to work with you, which activities would you be most interested in collaborating on?
I’m happy to participate in podcasts, webinars, whitepaper, speaking opportunities, product innovation, video interviews. I love presenting in webinars and am always happy to share what we do and help others grow the communities around their brands.
What are your passions outside of work?
Family, friends, traveling, food, and Ashtanga yoga.
What would be the best way for a brand to contact you?
While you’re here, why not signup to our B2B influencer marketplace, MyOnalytica? MyOnalytica is the world’s largest B2B influencer marketplace. Influencers can sign up for free and create their own profiles which will be visible to Onalytica clients which include many of the world’s largest brands. Sign up now to showcase your expertise, influence & how you would like to partner with brands.