Why I Chose Klood As The Next Step In My Marketing Career

On 6th January, at 9:30 am, I sat in my beloved MK4 Golf, contemplating what would begin in 30 minutes time. I could tell you how I was a picture of confident calm, or I could tell you that I was sweating from the palms. The truth is that I was floating somewhere in between the two and feeling very excited. In just 30 minutes time, I would be walking through the doors of Klood—the SaaS Growth Agency—for the first time as an employee.

Jumping back to agency life

After starting my career in sales and marketing over 15 years ago with a tech-focussed lead generation agency, telemarketing is not a dirty word to me. I have spent the last six years on the client's side of the equation, working directly with CEOs, managing directors and sales directors to craft marketing and sales pipelines for their organisations. It was a lot of fun and challenged me in all the ways I wanted.

It sounds like a rosy picture, doesn't it? By and large it was. I delighted new customers, and attracted and engaged new prospects for the companies that employed me. All the time, however, something was missing, something that I couldn’t put my finger on until a few months of going it alone as a freelancer. I missed working in an environment where everyone loves to deliver great marketing. Don’t get me wrong, we did good marketing at the companies I worked for, but while there, I longed to work within the agency environment.

I wanted to work with marketers again. Being surrounded by individuals who love the way our industry generates business results provides a creative outlet, and constantly pushes us to grow and learn new things (did I mention that I’m old enough to remember a time before social media and SEO?)

Like the prodigal son, after six years of learning my trade from a different perspective, I was ready to come home to a marketing agency.

Why was a SaaS specialist agency so appealing?

The first choice I had to make was over the type of agency I wanted to work for.

Did I even want to stay in technology?

Did I want to go with a “big name” or work with a niche specialist team?

What type of marketing role did I envision for myself?

Klood was a natural consideration, I knew them as a digital agency and had previously worked with them on a project as a client. This immediately ticked some of the boxes that I had decided are important to me at this stage in my career. Klood were going to be working using methodologies I enjoyed, and I knew the team were dedicated to delivering a high standard of work.

So why SaaS?

SaaS is a notably fast-growing industry.The companies and ideas that are coming out of the Software-as-a-Service sector are, frankly, amazing. I love being around new ideas, and the opportunity to step firmly into the sector was too good to pass up. In the past, I had worked on SaaS campaigns, but they were always part of a service offering or supporting a hardware solution. This was a chance to embrace the zeitgeist and work with new clients whose innovative products require fresh marketing solutions. . How could I ever get bored of working in such an industry?

Just think about how many SaaS products you use personally these days. The phrase “there’s an app for that” springs to mind!

The technology stack and HubSpot

You have all read the recruitment articles about having the right technology to attract staff – those pesky millennials that have gone through education and will only work on Macbooks and iPhones, for example. Well, it turns out it’s true even for me as a Xennial! It’s a thing, and technically, I am only a few weeks away from being a Millenial myself (do you know which generation you are? Check here).

Technology is vitally important to marketers. I have been spoiled in my career, and I had decided that this was critical in my choice of employment. Whilst working client-side , I had an experience where I did not have enterprise-class solutions, or an automation system with granular reporting. To say it was hard work would be an understatement. It was absolute hell. I knew that I wanted to work with a HubSpot partner who believed in the ecosystem of solutions available to modern place marketers. Again, a name came up on my shortlist of organisations that I wanted to work for: Klood.

A long time partner of HubSpot, Trevor and the team knew the platform well. So well, in fact, that they organise and run the MKHUG, a HubSpot user group based in Milton Keynes. There are over 150 HUGs worldwide, delivering great insight to HubSpot users on a regular basis.

So why did I choose to work with Klood?

The answer is simple. Klood are achieving growth as an agency, they offer their staff the chance to learn and develop their skill sets, they work on leading platforms that enhance my efforts, the team are dedicated and proud of their work and they deliver results in an expanding and competitive SaaS marketplace. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?