Podcast Summary: Founder's Story by IBH Media
Episode: The Path to 200 Million Impressions: Chris Cunningham’s Secrets to ClickUp’s B2B Success | S2 Ep. 151
Release Date: November 18, 2024
Host: IBH Media
Guest: Chris Cunningham, Co-Founder of ClickUp
Introduction
In this episode of Founder's Story, host Daniel welcomes Chris Cunningham, one of the four original founding members of ClickUp, a leading project management and productivity platform. Chris shares his journey from the early struggles of ClickUp to its emergence as a powerhouse in the B2B SaaS industry. The conversation delves into Chris's strategies for leveraging social media to achieve 200 million organic impressions, focusing specifically on B2B content creation.
Building B2B Social Media Content
Shift in Mindset
Chris Cunningham emphasizes the critical shift B2B companies must make in their social media strategies. Instead of following conventional methods focused on branding and selling, companies should aim to create content that resonates emotionally with their audience.
"The biggest thing you have to shift and you have to have a big mindset shift is away from just doing what everyone thinks you should do, away from just talking about your brand and into making content people love."
— Chris Cunningham (03:19)
The Rule of Three
Chris introduces the Rule of Three as a foundational principle for content creation:
- Emotion: Content must evoke a feeling, such as laughter or curiosity.
- Education: Audiences should learn something valuable from the content.
- Clarity: Messaging must be clear and concise without unnecessary fluff.
He illustrates this with ClickUp’s ClickUp Chat launch, where the focus was on a simple, clear message rather than an exhaustive feature rundown.
"If it doesn't make them feel something, doesn't teach them something, or isn't clear and concise, you're not going to post it."
— Chris Cunningham (03:19)
Creating Engaging Content in a B2B Space
Entertainment vs. Information
When asked how to create entertaining content in a traditionally "boring" B2B space, Chris advises starting with testing different content types to see what resonates with the audience.
"If you do choose entertaining, you have to start testing. You're going to see what your audience likes."
— Chris Cunningham (05:39)
He shares that while project management might seem dull from a bird's eye view, framing work as "cool" and even poking fun at it can engage audiences effectively. Chris also stresses the importance of having dedicated creators rather than overburdening existing team members.
Testing and Iteration
Chris outlines a systematic approach to testing content:
- Create a Batch: Produce a set of videos over a week.
- Analyze Performance: Categorize each video based on engagement (green for high, yellow for moderate, red for low).
- Iterate: Refine or discard content based on performance metrics.
"Start creating your videos for a week and then take all those videos, put them in a Google Doc or Google Sheet... your greens, you remake it."
— Chris Cunningham (07:10)
Production Value and Authenticity
Low vs. High Production
Chris advocates for authenticity over high production values, noting that many of his most viral videos are shot with an iPhone. He acknowledges that while high-quality productions have their place, raw and relatable content often performs better by making the audience feel connected.
"People just want to feel that they know you. People just want to feel that they're inside of your life."
— Chris Cunningham (12:02)
He recommends not overthinking the production process and using accessible tools to maintain genuine engagement.
Platform Strategy: LinkedIn and TikTok
Omnipresence vs. Specialization
While endorsing an omnipresent approach across multiple platforms, Chris advises focusing on platforms where you can excel rather than spreading resources too thin. For ClickUp, TikTok and LinkedIn are primary due to their unique reach and engagement capabilities.
"Choose what platforms you're good at because you try to make the most best and most perfect content for every single platform, you lose."
— Chris Cunningham (13:14)
Leveraging TikTok for B2B
Despite initial skepticism, Chris highlights TikTok's unparalleled reach and rapid feedback loop, allowing for swift iterations based on audience response. He shares a successful example where a LinkedIn post featuring a character-driven video received 6,000 likes by humanizing their IT representative, Vic.
"There is some indicators there usually where I can also tell... LinkedIn is prioritizing videos, especially those vertical videos."
— Chris Cunningham (13:14)
Case Study: Successful LinkedIn Content
Character-Driven Storytelling
Chris discusses a LinkedIn post featuring a character named Vic, an IT guy with a unique personality. This approach humanized ClickUp, making their content relatable and engaging, which significantly boosted engagement metrics.
"We humanized the video. We made a character, Vic, that everyone can love... it's very funny."
— Chris Cunningham (15:22)
This strategy of incorporating characters and humor into B2B content proved effective across multiple platforms, demonstrating the value of creativity in professional settings.
Overcoming Challenges: Building ClickUp
Early Struggles and Resilience
Chris candidly shares the challenges faced during ClickUp’s inception, including the failure of a preceding app, Memory, which aimed to compete with Snapchat. Despite these setbacks, the team’s resilience and determination led to ClickUp’s eventual success.
"Coming back from that failure... we really locked in and we did that from there."
— Chris Cunningham (21:41)
Persistence in Sales
As ClickUp’s first sales rep, Chris recounts the persistence required to secure initial deals, often facing numerous rejections before achieving the first sale. This persistence set the foundation for ClickUp’s growth.
"I started closing another one and then another one and then started to become more and more common and ClickUp started growing really fast."
— Chris Cunningham (21:41)
Conclusion and Final Advice
Understanding Your Audience
Chris underscores the importance of knowing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and tailoring content to meet their preferences and interests. This understanding guides effective content creation and ensures alignment with audience needs.
Commitment to Content Creation
He advises treating content creation as a dedicated operation, emphasizing the need for specialized roles and continuous testing to refine strategies. Chris encourages entrepreneurs to stay committed and adapt based on performance analytics.
"Unless you have someone really good who works at your company, you need to hire someone to be their host of a podcast or someone to create the funny videos like we're doing."
— Chris Cunningham (05:39)
Notable Quotes
-
"Don't just follow what everyone else is doing. Create content that makes your audience feel something, teaches them something, or is clear and concise."
— Chris Cunningham (03:19) -
"People just want to feel that they know you."
— Chris Cunningham (12:02) -
"Everything is proving that video content is winning. If you haven't figured out short form content, now is the time."
— Chris Cunningham (13:14)
Key Takeaways
- Emotional Engagement: B2B content should evoke emotions, educate, and maintain clarity.
- Testing and Iteration: Continuously test content performance and iterate based on analytics.
- Authenticity: Prioritize genuine and relatable content over high production values.
- Platform Focus: Specialize in platforms where you can maximize reach and engagement, such as TikTok and LinkedIn for ClickUp.
- Persistence: Overcome early challenges with resilience and a steadfast commitment to your vision.
- Audience Understanding: Deeply understand your audience’s preferences to create impactful content.
Further Engagement
Listeners inspired by Chris Cunningham’s strategies are encouraged to reach out and connect with him via email at chris@clickup.com or through his social media handles on LinkedIn and TikTok. Chris also offers support to fellow entrepreneurs aiming to enhance their content strategies.
This episode provides a comprehensive look into the strategic approaches that have propelled ClickUp to success in the competitive B2B SaaS landscape, offering actionable insights for entrepreneurs and marketers aiming to amplify their social media presence.