MarTech360 Interview With Shama Hyder, Founder & CEO At Zen Media

“Strategic communication is an essential driver of an organization’s overall success, helping to build a strong brand and reputation by ensuring relevance, consistency, trust, and engagement with stakeholders, all vital in a noisy and competitive business environment.”

Shama, can you tell us about your professional background and your current role at Zen  Media.

I graduated with my master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009. I’d done my thesis on Twitter, which was brand-new at the time, and because I’d spent so much time researching it I was aware of all the connections being made on the platform and how people were using it. I knew it would take off and that it would be a real game-changer for companies.

So I was going into job interviews talking about how important these platforms would be, and I got rejected—18 times. Business leaders were not taking social media seriously at the time. They just weren’t ready for it.

I could see that social media would forever change the business landscape – before the advent of TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and definitely before ChatGPT. It’s also not just that the platforms have changed. They’ve also changed the US – your customers, your employees, your prospects…we engage and make decisions differently in this digital era.

That’s when I decided I’d create my own job. I founded Zen Media, which was initially called Marketing Zen, and every day, we work in the trenches with companies around the world. That’s what I do at Zen Media – help leaders and brands stay relevant. The rest is history

What does Zen Media do, and how does it differentiate itself from other companies in the same space?

Fundamentally, we believe good PR should enable sales at every level of the funnel. Most just stop at the top of the funnel, but the mid-funnel and bottom of the funnel – it can be used to nurture leads and even bring back previously non-responsive leads when done well. Part of this is training sales teams to know HOW to use the placements in their nurture sequences.

Very simply, digital PR is PR done for the modern age. It goes beyond the traditional placement. A good way to think about it is “PR Plus.” Traditional media channels have a place, of course, but the traditional media landscape is changing. You no longer have full, bustling newsrooms. Aside from a VERY few publications, most “journalists” today are freelancers, wearing multiple hats and writing for multiple publications. Digital PR prioritizes creators – who may or may not be traditional full-time journalists. It starts with understanding a company’s ideal client profile (ICP)  and its goals. Who moves the needle for them? Then, get them in front of that audience using the platforms and people who are most likely to influence them.

But I also want to answer this in this way. We are not a fit for everyone by any means. In fact, we are in a very enviable position where we turn away more projects than we take on. We take on projects that we feel will be genuinely successful, that have a good track record, that have good leadership, and frankly, selfishly, will make really good case studies for us when we knock it out of the park. I think in that way that separates us. We are not just looking for business. We are looking for businesses that are pioneers like us – those who are willing to step out of their comfort zone to innovate, create, and succeed.

Can you tell us more about your journey to becoming the Founder & CEO of Zen Media and what inspired you to start a marketing and communications consultancy for B2B brands?

We actually do a lot of work for B2C companies too, but B2B is more challenging than B2C. There is so much more untapped potential in B2B – Two main reasons. 1) Incentives. Creativity is not prized in B2B like it is B2C. What matters is “attribution.” Since most decisions get made in dark social, no attribution software can track this. So, marketers spend on ads that don’t convert, prospects that don’t close, and outdated tactics because at least this way, they can show numbers. This obsession over tracking activity rather than measuring progress is hugely detrimental to B2B success.

Failing to grasp the characteristics of the modern B2B buyer is a common challenge. Unlike the more varied consumer market (B2C), the B2B space has a distinct buyer profile that is not as wide-ranging.

Within B2B, these discerning buyers tend to conduct thorough research before making decisions. A valuable resource for this research is LinkedIn, which boasts perhaps the most comprehensive career data available. According to their data, approximately 40% of their members change various aspects of their professional lives, such as their industry, seniority, role, company size, and employer, approximately every four years.

For B2B marketers, this dynamic presents a unique challenge. The profile of their B2B buyer is constantly shifting, akin to a moving target. These B2B buyers are notably selective, and PR can play a significant role in assisting businesses in building trust and staying relevant in this ever-evolving marketplace.

Could you explain how Zen Media helps clients amplify their messages and improve their communication efforts?

Absolutely. The marketing world is constantly in flux, shaped by evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, and global events. In a pre-pandemic era, businesses could secure a deal with an average of 17 touchpoints. However, the game has dramatically transformed, and today it takes a staggering 27 touchpoints to seal the deal. The magnitude of this shift cannot be ignored; it demands a new perspective and an unwavering commitment to driving conversions.

At Zen, we don’t just stop once the article has been published or the interview has been completed. We take the extra step, or 6 or 7 steps, and make sure our clients’ voices are heard throughout the saturated market they find themselves in. From social amplification of PR hits, to email marketing to their target audiences, Zen has the goal of keeping your content consistently in front of your audience and delivering relevant messaging so you can boost brand awareness and measure the effectiveness of your efforts. One powerful metric to consider while aiming for consistency is share of voice (SOV). Monitoring your SOV enables you to gauge the effectiveness of your marketing tactics in increasing brand awareness and capturing the attention of your target audience. Strategic PR initiatives, including industry events, thought leadership articles, news releases, and case studies, can generate positive exposure and drive conversations about your brand. By leveraging the exposure for future content matter in blogs or social posts, you can increase your SOV, gain a competitive advantage, and establish your brand as a trusted authority within your industry.

Also Read: MarTech360 Interview With Jeff Marcoux, Chief Marketing Officer at Bombora

What values and principles drive Zen Media’s approach to marketing and PR for B2B brands?

Most PR firms come from a communications-only background. They get press hits for their clients and call it a day. But talking to the media isn’t enough. Without a strong communications strategy, press hits spike and fade out. At Zen, we try to bring a unique and timely perspective to media planning as Zen roots aren’t in PR -they are in marketing.

I believe traditional PR is failing companies today because it functions like it’s 1994. I try to encourage our clients to understand that it isn’t just traditional media or analysts driving the modern buyer’s decisions. It’s multiple stakeholders from investors to peer influencers.

While traditional PR is all about getting hits (and that’s it), sales-enabled PR—the Zen Media way—is about locking in hits and using them as a springboard for brand messaging and content development. The Zen process includes getting to know clients so well that the Zen team can easily integrate with in-house efforts. This consultative approach helps our team plan a full strategy that includes locking in press opportunities, writing stellar and accurate articles, and amplifying each win to increase on-and-offline reach.

What is the role of strategic communication in an organization’s overall success, and how does effective strategic communication contribute to building a strong brand and reputation?

A strategic PR plan will typically include a mix of tactics such as media relations, crisis communication, social media, content marketing, and event planning. The key to strategic PR success is aligning the organization’s communication efforts with its overall business goals and objectives. This requires a deep understanding of the organization’s target audience and the ability to craft messages that resonate with them.

This is the same with strategic communications.

It goes beyond reaching the right audience; it’s about staying relevant and minimizing obstacles. Even with broad outreach, timing can cause some stakeholders to overlook your message; the objective is to leave a lasting impression, ensuring they can recall and locate your content when the time is right. In today’s digital age, organizations are under constant scrutiny by the public, media, and stakeholders.

Strategic communication is an essential driver of an organization’s overall success, helping to build a strong brand and reputation by ensuring relevance, consistency, trust, and engagement with stakeholders, all vital in a noisy and competitive business environment.

A strategic PR plan can help an organization proactively manage its reputation and mitigate risks from negative publicity.

You’re the author of two best-selling books, “The Zen of Social Media Marketing” and “Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age.”- Can you share some insights from these books that you believe are particularly relevant in today’s marketing landscape?

The first book is a primer. It is for the uninitiated and those who want a simple approach to understanding and using social media. “Momentum” is more strategic and a little broader in that it isn’t so much about how to set up a great LinkedIn profile but more about why you need to have a customer-focused strategy on social media and what that means. It’s a “big picture” book.

The one principle I think is very relevant to all of the AI advancements we’re seeing today is in Momentum, and it’s this idea of agility through analytics. Rather than making decisions based on what the art director feels or what Tom in branding thinks, it is more about looking at analytics and letting that drive your decisions. Use the tools at our fingertips to gain this invaluable knowledge that can set your company apart by building off of data-driven strategies. There is no sacred cow then because you are looking at the numbers and saying, “Hey, this results in this, so we should do more of what gets us better outcomes.” I think there is something to be said about really looking at analytics. The information available today is staggering. It is much easier also, to use those analytics to make those decisions instead of trying to rely on inherently biased decision makers. This is not saying don’t trust yourself, or your instincts that have brought you your success, but rather use the data and analytics as a tool to make the most informed decision possible.

What advice would you give to other Marketing leaders which helped you personally?

The understanding that it’s a learned skill. There ARE natural-born leaders, but that doesn’t mean they understand good leadership. That’s a skill you have to learn, and it requires a lot of humility. Leadership isn’t about lording over people, and in Marketing, it’s not about being the ultimate leader and decision-maker. You hired your team for a reason, whether it’s their creativity, attention to detail, or even their ability to take the chaos and make it into something cohesive for your target audience to enjoy. Let your team do the jobs you hired them to do, and watch them go above and beyond what you set out to do.

What is the biggest problem you or your team is solving this year?

My team is the reason I’m able to do what I do outside of being a CEO and to showcase Zen to the world as the success story it is. As an agency, we’ll always face problems just because of the sheer size of the mountains we’re put up against, but I’ll always choose to make their quest against that mountain the easiest possible –  which is why I have a no-jerks rule that I’ve stuck to from the beginning. We don’t hire them, and we don’t work with them. Firing clients is never enjoyable, but a handful of times over the past decade, I’ve had to fire a client for breaking that rule. It’s always had an immediate positive effect on the team, which is why I continue to stand by.

Is there anything that you’re currently reading, or any favorite books, that you’d recommend?

I wouldn’t be an author or entrepreneur if I didn’t mention my own! I worked for years on my books “The Zen of Social Media Marketing” and  “Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age.” It’s not even about the content that makes them my favorite, it’s more so the testament to my grit and ability to do hard things. I got to create something out of necessity because there wasn’t a single resource I could guide or point people to that would answer the questions they were asking of me. I finally decided that I would just create that resource. I had the knowledge, and was quickly gaining in-the-trenches experience, so I put all of that together in the book. How could they not be my favorites?

Outside of that, though, I will always take the time to read the books of my fellow peers, or books that give me tools to make sense of the chaos that can come from running my own business, being a mom, a keynote speaker, a traveler – the list goes on, and on. I will always choose to grow and try to be better than who I was yesterday, and so I read books that help me align with that philosophy.

Thanks, Shama!