Podcast

CX Education 20: Navigating digital evolution for a better CX with Michael Elschenbroich from stylink

Join Michael Elschenbroich and Sunny Dhami as they dive into customer experience in social media marketing and influencing.

Navigating digital evolution for a better CX with Michael Elschenbroich from stylink
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About this episode

In the latest episode of CX Education, host Sunny Dhami sits down with Michael Elschenbroich, the CEO of stylink. Michael shares his intriguing journey, tracing his steps from the early days of founding a digital agency to steering the helm at stylink. His experiences in digital and social media marketing shine through as he reflects on his days as a WordPress blogger.

Michael shares stories about being one of the first Twitter users in Western Germany, highlighting his foresight in recognizing the potential of emerging platforms. His anecdotes provide a unique perspective on the evolution of the digital landscape over the years.

With invaluable insights for those keen on understanding the intricacies of the digital world, Michael’s story serves as an inspiration, highlighting the importance of adaptability and vision in the ever-changing world of digital marketing.

Image for Michael Elschenbroich, CEO | stylink

Guest Speaker

Michael Elschenbroich, CEO | stylink

Michael became a WordPress blogger, online marketing specialist, and social media enthusiast in 2005. In 2013 he founded an online agency to create websites, content, social media, and influencer marketing. It was there that he first worked with stylink to improve usability and design and create online ads and content. Michael joined stylink in June 2020 and soon became COO, handling company growth from five to over 90 employees and expansion into 9 new countries. Michael has been the CEO of stylink since April 2023.

Image for Sunny Dhami, VP Product Marketing | Sinch

Host

Sunny Dhami, VP Product Marketing | Sinch

Sunny Dhami is a product marketing leader with 12+ years’ experience in Marketing and Product Marketing roles across the CPaaS, SaaS, communications, and technology industries. In this time, he has held responsibilities within global product marketing functions and has been fortunate enough to have worked in high-growth organisations like Sinch and RingCentral, where he has supported triple digit revenue growth.

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Key insights

Michael highlights stylink’s transformative journey – growing from a small team of five to over 80 members in just a few years. As a result of the pandemic and e-commerce, stylink expanded its reach from Germany to 11 other countries, including more in Europe, as well as the US, and Australia. The pandemic, while globally challenging, proved to be a game-changer for stylink’s expansion.

Michael emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with affiliate partners. Instead of individually reaching out to brands, stylink leverages big affiliate networks like Rakuten, CJ, and Impact. This approach simplifies the process and ensures they deliver performance (i.e. traffic), to their partners.

stylink places massive importance on the human touch when working with influencers. Michael points out that influencers are happy to talk about their lives, which makes it easier to understand them, meet their needs, and ensure they feel valued. The goal is to provide a seamless and personalized experience, emphasizing real human interactions over automated bots.

Episode highlights

Messaging platforms in influencer communication

Michael discusses the significance of messaging platforms in communicating with influencers. He emphasizes the popularity of voice messages, especially among Gen Z. While older generations might prefer traditional phone calls, the younger audience leans towards voice messages on platforms like WhatsApp.

The human aspect in affiliate marketing

Michael touches on the challenges and nuances of working with humans in the affiliate marketing space, contrasting it with traditional website banners. He emphasizes the unpredictability and the importance of maintaining strong relationships with influencers.

Delivering exceptional experience to influencers

Michael discusses how stylink ensures a top-notch experience for its influencers. He highlights the importance of native communication, understanding the preferred platforms of influencers, and adapting to their communication habits.
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