Larry Kim is one of the most well-known influencers in the world of digital marketing. From founding WordStream and having now moved on to his new venture, MobileMonkey, he’s been featured in countless publications including Inc., HubSpot and CNBC. We had the opportunity to get his insights into being a top influencer, his favorite social media platform and which aspect of marketing will stand the test of time.
Q: You are consistently named one of the top marketers in the world. What’s your advice for aspiring influencers in marketing to build their communities?
Larry: Always seek to help others. Building a community isn’t about gathering a crowd of people to cheer you on. A community is what happens when a lot of people with a shared interest are all helping each other. I think we’ve managed to do that really well with our Facebook group, MobileMonkey Island. It’s a group with thousands of members, all pitching in to answer questions, share strategies, etc.
Q: When you founded WordStream, did you know it would take off to the level that it did?
Larry: When WordStream was just an idea, I created a business plan that predicted massive, massive growth within the first few years. It seemed pretty ridiculous, actually, but we were able to achieve the growth that I had projected. Even with my business plan and wild dreams, the growth of WordStream felt surreal.
Q: Now that you’re CEO of MobileMonkey, what are your main strategies in generating brand awareness?
Larry: We’re doing a lot to generate brand awareness, but one overarching theme is to help marketers improve their game. We’re hosting webinars, courses, summits, and conferences. We’re inviting well-known marketers to share their strategies, tips, tricks, and marketing hacks.
One primary goal is to help marketing agencies. Our software, MobileMonkey, is useful for any marketer, but we have a special agency plan that provides an enormous amount of value to marketing agencies. Our Agency Directory is a way for marketing agencies to gain MobileMonkey certification and join the network of thousands of other agencies that excel in Messenger Marketing.
Q: What’s your favorite social media platform to use and why?
Larry: That’s easy. :) Facebook Messenger. The reason why I love Facebook Messenger is because of its vast potential. Facebook has made it clear that messaging is the future of the platform. More people use messaging apps than social media. Most importantly, Facebook is designing Messenger to be used by business in conjunction with chatbots, so marketers can reach people on an individual basis at scale.
Q: Which aspect of marketing do you think will stand the test of time?
Larry: Individual messaging has been and always will be a feature of marketing. This takes the form of word of mouth marketing, which is the most historic and effective marketing channel ever. But today, it takes the form of messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The specific technologies and applications will, of course, change. But marketing will always include some level of individual exchange of information from one business or person to another. That’s why we’ve seen such enormous success today from chatbots.
Q: Where do you see marketing heading in the future?
Larry: The next five to 10 years are going to be dominated by chatbot marketing, primarily on Facebook Messenger. Already, it’s the most effective marketing channel, and it’s gaining increasing acceptance by marketers around the world.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Larry: If I had to pick one accomplishment, it would be the founding of WordStream. WordstStream is full of extremely hard-working, talented, and dedicated people Right now, though, I’m excited about the future of MobileMonkey.
Q: What are your thoughts on media monitoring?
Larry: Media monitoring is an indispensable part of marketing today. You have to know what’s being said, who’s saying, who’s engaging with what’s being said, and understand how that matters in the life of your organization. A stock trader watches stocks and pays attention to business news. In the same way, a marketer should stay aware of trends, discussions, and engagement in his or her industry.
Larry Kim is the CEO of MobileMonkey, a chatbot building platform for marketers that enables mobile messaging between businesses and customers via Facebook Messenger. He’s also the founder of WordStream, the World’s top PPC marketing software company. You can subscribe to Kim’s business growth tips by email, or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
