“Just believe in yourself. Whether you think you can or think you can’t –you’re going to end up being right, either way.”
In certain ways of business, stepping into an industry brings spontaneous challenges. If a business person molds these challenges and utilize them as a ladder to climb up to a particular position, he/she can bring a disruptive change within an innovative approach in their business niche. Following the zeal from studying law to lead a B2B advertising space that turned into a renowned brand is Paul Guenther. An entrepreneur who proved himself time and time with his leadership and commitment.
As Founder and CEO of Knowledge Hub Media, Paul harnesses the power of business management from sales to marketing, accounting to website development. His tireless efforts and focused engagement enhance every aspect of the business.
Learning & Leading
Over the years, B2B customers are being targeted at an exponential pace, in the way that they market to different types of audiences. Currently, in the B2B demand generation space, KHM’s clients have shifted to more niche targeting – promoting their assets to very specific and specialized job roles and functions. Where in the past, companies would target based on more generalized criteria (e.g., IT Decision Makers in large companies), they have shifted to a more qualitative approach. It’s less about lead quantity and more about lead quality, reaching the exact folks who are most likely to buy their software and technology platforms.
Previously, a company that might have targeted “HR Directors” now targets “Talent Management Directors” and “VPs of Talent Acquisition.” Again, more specific with the job roles that they are going after. And in most cases, instead of targeting companies by the number of people it employs or goes industry vertical, clients tend to target companies via account-based marketing (i.e., ABM lists). ABM lists are generally created and provided by KHM’s clients, pre-campaign launch. They are made up of companies that fit very specific targeting criteria, and in most cases, fall into one of three categories: current customers; competitor’s customers; companies showing intent to purchase a given software platform or solution.
Dive into the exhilarating story of Paul and his experiences.
Placing the Wick
Mr. Guenther’s journey of career-oriented learning started at Penn State University in the Fall of 2002. At the time, he was unsure about what he exactly wanted to do. After some time, he determined that he wanted to go to law school, and decided to major in Crime, Law & Justice. He got his B.S. in the spring of 2006, which was immediately followed by a (short) stint in Law School. He was doing a part-time night program, and at the time, he was unsure about it too. He started working full time during the day, going out with friends at night, and not at all focused on what he should have been focused on. Whether or not it was a blessing in disguise, he ended up going back to school in 2008 to get his MBA with a concentration in Marketing Management (Wilmington University).
In 2009, Paul started working on what would become “IT Knowledge Hub” – which is now known as Knowledge Hub Media. Once gained his MBA in 2010, he was off to the races with the company. Fortunately, over the next couple of years, he was able to bring his first few employees on – Anthony and James running Sales, and Chris, who filled the first Client Services role. He had also gone back to school by that point to get his Doctorate in Business Administration – finishing his dissertation and graduating in January 2020.
Mission & Vision
Knowledge Hub Media was established in 2009, and ever since its inception, the team has been a prominent player in the B2B advertising space. Their core competency, however, is lead generation – or “demand generation,” as it’s better known across the industry. KHM leverages content syndication via assets like white papers, webinars, case studies, and the like, to generate highly targeted leads for our clients. Most of our clients are in the software and technology industry – and when they’re not, they are usually advertising/media agencies working on behalf of the former. Most of our clients are promoting technology platforms and software solutions that they are looking to find net new customers for.
Since the company’s initiation, Paul faced the challenge of not practicing things that traditional businesses do. Things like sales goals – and really anything that causes unnecessary stress, in general – are the things that the team tries to avoid. There has always been a favorable work-life balance, and overall, people continue to motivate themselves to get better. There is not much criticism or disagreement to go around, and that’s a good thing.
Inspiring Employees to Meet Needs of the Clients
Customers are always the most important aspect of any business. Without customers, no one has a business. Ensuring and enhancing the customer experience is always high up on KHM’s list, and at the end of the day, the team always wants to make sure that everyone is completely satisfied. It usually comes down to a few things: responsiveness, quality of the product, and customizability. Over the 12+ years, the team has evolved its practices and QA/QC measures to ensure only the finest lead quality – in terms of both data integrity and lead scoring mechanisms. It’s very important for the customizations where some clients are happy to stick with more traditional means and delivery methods, and some like the team to use custom API integrations, lead import systems, and form post technologies. The team is always happy to customize a product – with regard to both targeting and delivery – to go above and beyond the customer’s expectations.
Being Adaptable to Unprecedented Times
Businesses were being asked to keep their premises closed to combat the coronavirus. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was an uncertain time, and it impacted virtually everyone else on the planet. Though KHM was affected less than a lot of other companies, it felt a bit in the advertising/technology section. Some companies do cut their advertising budgets when times get tough. But some industries indeed took a pounding – like restaurants, hospitality, travel, and retail.
Building on more than a decade of experience, the company will continue to offer the same high-end, highly targeted content syndication and demand generation services that it has always offered.
