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tl;dr: Suman Melville, Customer Marketing Manager at Klue, opens her killer customer marketing playbook. From championing Klue's own tools, to diving deeeeep into conversations with users, Suman has tripled down on an inside-out customer advocacy approach.
She covers:
Angela, Laudable: How did you start the customer marketing function at Klue, and what does it encompass now?
Suman, Klue: When I first started at Klue, we didn't really have a clear definition of what we wanted customer marketing to be. So, I dove into conversations with our users and the revenue teams to grasp their challenges and needs. Today, our customer marketing covers a wide spectrum—from sharing success stories to providing advisory services, all anchored in verified evidence and social proof.
Angela, Laudable: How do you utilize Klue in your customer marketing efforts?
Suman, Klue: Klue is like our go-to hub for all things customer-related. I've set up this system where we house customer stories and Gong recordings. It helps us not just with storing content but also with competitive intelligence. Plus, it integrates smoothly with other tools like Laudable to pull in information from Gong quickly, giving a boost to our customer marketing strategies.
Angela, Laudable: How do you measure the success of your customer marketing initiatives?
Suman, Klue: We keep a close eye on what's happening within Klue—things like testimonial views and engagements. Also, we're pretty diligent about tying customer references directly to deals in HubSpot, which gives us solid ROI data and helps us understand the revenue impact. And of course, we're always monitoring how our content is distributed across channels and whether it's hitting the right notes with our audience.
Angela, Laudable: Besides personal branding, what other incentives do you use to align company and customer interests in advocacy?
Suman, Klue: Beyond personal branding, we're big on making our customers feel valued and recognized within their roles and companies. By offering opportunities for growth and networking, we're not just supporting them, but building stronger relationships too. That's why at Klue, our mentorship program is invaluable—it's not just about learning, but also about connecting with peers in an evolving industry. And the best part? It's all about giving back, without any extra cost. It's these kinds of initiatives that set us apart and keep customers coming back for more.
Angela, Laudable: What advice do you have for startups with happy customers but underutilized advocacy?
Suman, Klue: I'd say start by really understanding what your internal teams need from these happy customers. Then, segment them based on mutual benefits and build genuine relationships. Approach advocacy as a collaborative effort focusing on providing each other value. And a little token of appreciation never hurts either.
At Klue, we have an advisory program, an executive segment and a practitioner segment that could turn into a customer feedback group. It's all about building those strong long-term relationships and building a sustainable program that's going to grow and evolve.
Angela, Laudable: What new initiatives are you excited to explore in customer marketing this year?
Suman, Klue: I've been thinking about launching a referral program for B2B referrals. It's tough without offering incentives, but I'm focusing on building it around trust and strong relationships instead. Also, with Klue expanding into a multi-product company, we're facing challenges in integrating references and marketing channels. Retention is another priority—I want to develop strong programs to support customers throughout their journey, especially by detecting early indicators, both positive and negative, and offering timely support. That's the big one I'm eager to tackle this year.
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