If you follow Kate Bradley Chernis, Co-Founder & CEO of Lately, an A.I. powered social media marketing platform, you’ll know her as an extremely passionate entrepreneur that she puts it all out there. So who better to ask about the blur between home, work, and social?
I don’t think of this as blurring lines or separating life from work so much as walking the talk.
Meaning… The reason 95% of my team has been working for free for me for the last 18 months is not that I’m an asshole; I do A LOT of what’s called “internal” marketing to make that happen. It’s not coincidentally the same style of marketing that we do externally to attract customers and what we do to prevent churn, once we have them. It’s also the underlying force behind our AI: human connection.
For example, here is our company vision that I wrote two years ago:
Lately helps humans write better marketing content in collaboration with artificial intelligence and software automation. We also give them confidence, stress-relief, time-savings, and the satisfaction of the marketing process organization through centralized software.
Leading by example, as marketers, is core to our product and our belief. We, therefore, celebrate authenticity in marketing communications and work to educate our customers on the benefits of human-to-human messaging; for us, authenticity means goofy, casual, jargon-free, respectful, funny, direct and, above all, empathy.
Lately is a community. We see ourselves as an extension of our customers’ marketing teams and, we prioritize relatability and listening so, they see us as not software but humans. We actively try to get to know each and every one of them and make ourselves available for them to get to know us.
Most important, and again, leading by example, we emphasize these beliefs internally, as well. Authenticity through honesty, collaboration, productive dialogue, and a genuine desire to solve problems together is our lifeblood. As we are a community to our customers, we are also a community to ourselves; we recognize the magnitude of the journey we’re on and rely upon each other to both acknowledge successes and work through challenges.
Together, in partnership with our customers, we aim to grow Lately into marketing software that humans truly love.
We actually DO all that stuff.
In parallel… Marketing is THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION throughout any company because it’s the one thing that ties every other function together. Sales, product, customer service, HR, accounting, engineering… When everyone is on the same page about what the company does and why and can communicate that – in concert – not only does it solidify the culture internally but it also makes everybody’s jobs easier and the company more successful.
In other words, marketing done right is purposeful being.
Hear more from Kate on the podcast
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