Podcast Summary: Ep. 269 – Content That Leads to Pipeline? with David Walsh

Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson
Presented By Marigold
Hosted by GURU Media Hub
Release Date: February 7, 2025

Introduction to David Walsh and Limelight

In Episode 269 of Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips, host Jay Schwedelson welcomes David Walsh, the CEO of Limelight, to discuss the intricacies of social selling and influencer marketing within the B2B landscape.

Jay Schwedelson introduces David with enthusiasm:

"I've been trying to get this guy on the show for a long time, so I'm hyped that he's here. He's a big deal."
(00:08)

David Walsh elaborates on Limelight's mission as the first-ever business-to-business creator partnership platform, connecting brands with over 3,000 verified B2B creators and influencers. He highlights the platform's rapid growth and substantial funding, drawing from his successful entrepreneurial background.

David Walsh’s Entrepreneurial Journey

David traces his path in the software industry over the past decade, emphasizing his transition from sales and marketing to entrepreneurship. He recounts founding a watch company in 2019, where influencer marketing played a pivotal role, even securing endorsements from high-profile figures like the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Following the sale of his watch business, David launched Matheson, an HR software company focused on recruiting underrepresented talent, successfully raising over $30 million and scaling to 250 customers.

David Walsh shares his motivation for founding Limelight:

"I always wanted to be in revenue tech... I really wanted to sell to sales and marketing people. That's my passion, that's my background, that's what I want to build."
(02:02)

Through leveraging LinkedIn content and building a founder brand, David pivoted Limelight from a referral software company to a B2B influencer marketing platform, recognizing the shift towards personality-led growth and the importance of individual influencers over traditional brand marketing.

Understanding Social Selling

Jay steers the conversation towards the concept of social selling, a term gaining traction in B2B marketing circles.

Jay Schwedelson asks:

"What is social selling and why should we care?"
(05:59)

David Walsh defines social selling as:

"Building trust, building a personality and doing it in public, on social media and then using that audience and that reach that you have to start to solve problems for that audience and then eventually sell a product or service to that audience."
(06:18)

He emphasizes the necessity of a unique competitive advantage through a founder brand, highlighting the challenges and perseverance required to build trust and engage an audience authentically.

Crafting Content That Generates Pipeline

Delving deeper, Jay inquires about the types of content that effectively lead to sales pipelines.

Jay Schwedelson states:

"It doesn't feel like I could just go out there, go on LinkedIn saying, hey, this is my new product or service, work with me. I don't feel like that works."
(07:41)

David Walsh responds by outlining a three-tier content funnel strategy:

1. Top of Funnel (TOFU):
   Content that garners broad engagement by addressing universal topics or common challenges.

   "Pick an enemy that everyone universally doesn't like, feels an opinion on and then write content for that."
   (08:19)

2. Middle of Funnel (MOFU):
   Thought leadership content relevant to the industry, sharing insights and shedding light on specific issues without overt selling.

   "It's the stuff that you default to and want to do immediately... nobody cares."
   (09:14)

3. Bottom of Funnel (BOFU):
   Direct promotion of the company’s products or services, which typically receive less engagement but attract high-quality leads.

   "They perform the worst in the sense that you get the least likes and the least engagement... that will result in the revenue."
   (08:19)

David shares his success with BOFU content, particularly video, aligning with LinkedIn's priority on video content, thereby enhancing visibility and engagement.

"I just went all in on video."
(10:35)

Strategies for Growing Your LinkedIn Following

When asked about rapid-fire tips for expanding a LinkedIn audience, David provides actionable advice:

1. Engage Thoughtfully:
   Actively comment on posts by high-engagement creators with meaningful insights to increase visibility.

   "Write thoughtful comments... do it methodically."
   (14:28)

2. Consistent Quality Content:
   Persistently create and refine content, understanding that initial attempts might falter but improvement comes with practice.

   "The initial stuff that you write is gonna be terrible... but persevere."
   (14:28)

3. Avoid Salesy Content:
   Focus on adding value rather than direct selling to build trust and rapport with the audience.

   "Don't write salesy content and just post salesy content."
   (14:28)

David underscores that these efforts culminate in 95% of his leads coming directly through LinkedIn, demonstrating the efficacy of a well-executed social selling strategy.

Building in Public and Authenticity

Jay commends David’s transparent approach to content creation, noting his willingness to share failures alongside successes.

Jay Schwedelson observes:

"You're doing very vulnerable content... being very upfront about that."
(10:35)

David Walsh explains the importance of vulnerability in building trust:

"Building in public requires you to talk about the challenges and the things that aren't going well... it helps you build resilience and trust."
(11:36)

He shares personal insights on how publicly sharing struggles alleviates stress and fosters a supportive community, advocating for authenticity as a cornerstone of effective social selling.

Conclusion and Getting Involved with Limelight

As the conversation draws to a close, Jay encourages listeners to connect with David and explore Limelight’s offerings.

Jay Schwedelson summarizes:

"Check out Limelight, what they're doing because they're really leading the way."
(19:14)

David Walsh provides directions:

"Go to LinkedIn, look at David Walsh Limelight, and you should be able to follow me there. Our website is limelighthq.com."
(19:27)

Listeners are invited to sign up as creators or brands on Limelight’s platform, contributing to the evolving landscape of B2B influencer marketing.

Key Takeaways:

• Social Selling revolves around building trust and a personal brand through consistent, value-driven content on platforms like LinkedIn.

• Content Strategy should encompass a balanced funnel approach:

  • TOFU: Engage broadly with relatable and opinion-driven content.
  • MOFU: Establish thought leadership through industry-specific insights.
  • BOFU: Promote products/services in a manner that attracts qualified leads.

• Engagement is crucial; actively interacting with high-engagement creators can exponentially grow your network and influence.

• Authenticity and Vulnerability in content foster trust and deepen audience relationships, essential for effective social selling.

• Consistency and Perseverance in content creation lead to sustained growth and high-quality lead generation.

For more insights and actionable marketing tips, subscribe to Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson and follow David Walsh on LinkedIn. Explore Limelight’s B2B influencer partnership platform at limelighthq.com.