Nine Months Of Arlo Marketing…

Its been just over 9 months since Arlo Marketing Solutions officially launched - an independent consultancy that helps mid-market technology businesses scale their revenue operations through targeted growth marketing strategies. I said from the start I would aim to write one piece of content per quarter to help market my business and keep Arlo visible. But, due to an overwhelmingly positive and busy few months, I’m a bit behind on my goal. Now, as I sit and reflect on the last half of the year, it feels like a good time to look back on some of the highlights. 

Elevating Events As Standard

A huge part of what I love to do is ensuring a brand's event presence is elevated to the highest standard. I have attended, managed and set-up countless trade shows across my career, spanning multiple industries. Pre-Covid, I hate to say it (and no doubt you’ll agree), they increasingly had a tendency to be stale, repetitive, swag hauls. 

In January I attended the IoT Tech Expo at Olympia with my first client. The buzz of the show was insane. You couldn't move from booth to booth, the volume of exhibitors was noticeable, impressive new technology was being showcased for the first time from some of the biggest vendors in tech, cool new IoT solutions were being launched on booths, VR headsets and bright LED screens, show floor games, drinks, food - it was amazing. I’d encouraged my client to go “big” for their ten year anniversary, securing the most prominent space on the show floor. Anxious that my persuasion paid off, neither my client, his suppliers, or myself could have been happier at the result. Every show I have attended since then in the IoT / BI / AI space has had the same energy. 

It’s a reminder of why I love what I do, and the unmatched value of being face to face. I truly believe and have seen it happen countless times. Events really are where business ideas ignite, relationships form more naturally, and opportunities multiply.

Another highlight this year was a thought leadership panel-session I organised for a healthcare client in Nottingham in September. A much smaller, industry focussed event, the brief was to find a distinctive, modern event space to match the brand. After months of planning, prep and event management, hearing my client say it was the best event they’ve attended in their career made the effort more than worthwhile. As any field marketer reading this will appreciate, the end goal for any event is a seamless experience for both customer and internal attendees. I have always set out to ensure the experience is exceptional for both, so that employees of the company can show up and feel proud to work where they do.

Relationships Are Everything

A huge and grounding lesson I’ve re-learned this year is the importance of networking and nurturing relationships. So much of Arlo’s success to date has been built on my past connections or referrals - people I’ve worked with, worked for, now returning as clients, partners or advocates of my work - it’s one of the things I love most about working for myself. 

I met an old colleague and now close friend for dinner last night. By the end of the evening, we’d set a date next week for our “revenue marketing 101” as she’s just launched her new accounting business. I’ve had a few encounters this year where former colleagues have come to me for advice on consulting and setting up independently. I see adverts all over LinkedIn every-single-day telling me AI will replace my role in no time at all. These interactions are a humbling reminder of the importance (and absolute necessity) of networking, relationships and human interaction in sales and marketing today. To anyone who has just launched a business or is thinking about going self-employed, I cannot stress enough the impact of networking, peer groups and mentors. It’s tough out there, and a friendly face to share notes and compare ideas with goes a very long way.

The industry is smaller than it seems, and every interaction has the potential to open a door later down the line. Staying genuine, advocating for one another, and leaving people with a positive impression has a compounding effect you can’t always measure immediately, but I think you’ll always feel it eventually.

A Shout Out to our Clients

The first half of this year has been fast-paced, extremely rewarding, and one that has taught me a lot, personally and professionally. I’ve been fortunate enough to support some great clients across a number of growing sectors - healthcare, IoT, cyber security, BI, procurement and retail-tech - and it’s reminded me how much I enjoy the mix of strategy, collaboration, and most importantly delivery, that is required for successful growth marketing.

I’ve found a real sense of purpose in advising senior leaders and helping shape strategic decisions that influence entire programmes. In May, I worked with a leading cybersecurity vendor to design and deliver a six-week training programme for their revenue team following the RSA Conference in San Francisco, a project that directly translated into measurable revenue impact. There’s something quietly fulfilling about seeing your work make a difference and knowing that your expertise is trusted and genuinely valued.

AI is everywhere, everywhere! 

I use AI tools every day to enhance my productivity, and it’s had a major impact on how I manage and scale my business. I use it to streamline my reporting, cut down on admin time, improve project planning - and it has allowed me to work more efficiently and focus on the parts of my job that need real human input, like blog writing for example!

This quarter I launched a hyper-targeted Account Based Marketing campaign for a client. The campaign took longer to launch than I’d initially planned. The target audience is complicated, the message is complex, and the timing of the campaign is critical. And it’s a process that requires commitment - you can’t skip it, you cannot automate it, and there is no way around it. The absolute core of ABM success is knowing your audience, personalising your message, researching the market - and this takes time.  

Brand voice is integral. It’s not something you can generate in less than one minute at a click of a button (although many brands are trying). I’ve been taught across my career by some amazing marketers that tone-of-voice is everything - shaped by experience and authenticity, and it must resonate with the user. OpenAI recently advertised a Content Strategist role paying up to $393k; a real reminder for me that no matter how advanced technology becomes, the ability to craft meaningful and human communication remains one of the most valuable skills in marketing.

Looking ahead to the next six months and into 2026, I’ll be continuing to build on what’s working - delivering high quality, tailored work to my clients, and staying open to the opportunities that challenge me and make me feel excited about work. This year has taught me that opportunities come up when you stay curious, remain confident, back yourself and keep good people close. 

Thanks for reading my latest blog post - I will aim to write the next one in another 3 months!