Podcast Title: B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt
Episode: #196: Drive | LinkedIn Growth Tips Every B2B CEO and Founder Needs to Know
Host: Dave Gerhardt
Guest: Devin Reed, Founder of The Reeder
Release Date: November 25, 2024

Introduction

In Episode #196 of B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt, host Dave Gerhardt sits down with Devin Reed, the Founder of The Reeder, to delve into effective LinkedIn growth strategies tailored for B2B CEOs and founders. Recorded live at the inaugural Drive event in Burlington, Vermont, this episode offers actionable insights and practical frameworks to elevate personal and company brands on LinkedIn, fostering increased mind share and market share.

Live Event Context

Dave kicks off the episode by highlighting that this session was part of the Drive event, attracting 200 enthusiastic attendees. He shares the event's success with an impressive Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 88 and hints at the exclusive content available to members of the Exit Five community at exitfive.com.

Building a LinkedIn Content Strategy

Devin Reed emphasizes the critical role of LinkedIn in modern B2B marketing. He shares his experience at Gong, where he spearheaded a content strategy that significantly boosted the company's LinkedIn presence. Devin states:

"If I was running marketing at a B2B company today, I wouldn't be spending 20 grand a month on a retainer for PR. I would be investing it all in organic LinkedIn."
[06:00] Devin Reed

His approach centers around creating a "one word" foundation for the brand, which serves as a North Star guiding all content efforts. This single word encapsulates what the company stands for and what it wants to be known for in its industry.

The Five-Step Framework for LinkedIn Success

Devin outlines a comprehensive five-step framework designed to help B2B leaders dominate LinkedIn:

1. Pick Your One Word
   Devin explains the importance of selecting a singular word that defines the brand. This word should resonate with the target audience and align with the company's expertise.

   "Your one word is your North Star. It helps you keep focus internally and carve out mind share externally."
   [07:30] Devin Reed

2. Narrow Your Audience
   Focusing on a specific audience segment is crucial. Devin advises identifying who the brand aims to influence and ensuring content speaks directly to that group.

   "You have to focus and pick one. If you try to write for everything, you're for no one."
   [13:17] Dave Gerhardt

3. Pick Content Pillars and Topics
   Developing content pillars based on what the audience cares about and aligning them with the brand's knowledge ensures relevance and value. Devin shares exercises to brainstorm and select the most impactful topics.

   "Content that converts is the sweet spot where your audience's interests align with your expertise."
   [20:05] Devin Reed

4. Build Your Assembly Line (Production Process)
   Establishing a streamlined content production process ensures consistency and efficiency. Devin details a weekly schedule that includes idea dumps, drafting, revisions, and finalization.

   "Great results come from great processes, not promises."
   [24:13] Devin Reed

5. Measure and Iterate
   Tracking performance metrics and iterating based on data-driven insights are essential for continuous improvement. Devin emphasizes setting realistic benchmarks and adapting strategies as needed.

   "Set the benchmark. If you can't get a 20% lift, probably let me go."
   [34:43] Devin Reed

Key Insights and Discussions

One Word Strategy:
Devin stresses that the one word should be something the audience associates with the brand, sparking word-of-mouth marketing. He illustrates this with Gong's success in scaling their CEO's LinkedIn presence, resulting in over 200,000 followers from an initial 12,000.

"When you have your one word and execute the right content strategy, you start to earn mind share, and then you can win market share."
[07:30] Devin Reed

Narrowing the Audience:
Dave and Devin discuss the challenges of identifying the correct persona within a company, such as targeting VPs of Sales or Revenue Operations. The focus must remain on a primary persona to maintain content relevance and effectiveness.

"You have to pick one and you're going to own that one word and that one Persona."
[24:43] Dave Gerhardt

Content Pillars Development:
Devin introduces a cheat code for selecting content pillars by understanding what the audience seeks to know, what their peers are discussing, and the problems they are trying to solve. This ensures that the content remains both relevant and valuable.

"Relevant and valuable content is content that converts."
[20:05] Devin Reed

Production Process:
A structured weekly process includes idea generation on Tuesday, drafting on Wednesday, revisions by Thursday, and final approval on Friday. This assembly line approach ensures a steady flow of content without overwhelming the executive.

"Idea dump, first draft, revise, finalize. It's all about maintaining a rhythm."
[25:04] Devin Reed

Measuring Success:
Tracking metrics such as post views, engagement rates, and lead conversions helps in assessing the effectiveness of the LinkedIn strategy. Devin advises setting clear benchmarks and being transparent about expectations.

"How am I going to do all this stuff? You need to make it as easy as possible."
[24:13] Devin Reed

Overcoming Common Objections

Time Constraints:
One of the primary objections from executives is the perception of limited time. Devin counters this by emphasizing the long-term benefits of establishing a strong LinkedIn presence and streamlining the content creation process to be as efficient as possible.

"Confused exec is an angry exec. Make life easy for any marketer by having great processes."
[24:13] Devin Reed

Lack of Compelling Stories:
For CEOs who lack a compelling personal story, Devin recommends acting as a curator of industry insights. By sharing valuable content and demonstrating thought leadership, even those without a dramatic origin story can build a strong LinkedIn presence.

"You can be the go-to account for news and insights as it relates to your industry."
[46:30] Dave Gerhardt

Q&A Highlights

Applicability Beyond LinkedIn:
Dave inquires whether Devin's framework can be adapted to other social media platforms. Devin confirms its versatility, noting that while metrics might differ, the core principles remain applicable.

"You still should have a content pillar, you still should have a production process, and you should still be measuring things."
[43:11] Devin Reed

Maintaining the Leader's Voice:
A question arises about preserving the CEO's authentic voice when content is crafted by marketers. Devin acknowledges the challenge and describes a collaborative approach where the executive reviews and tweaks the content to ensure it aligns with their personal style.

"Revising is the key. Make sure it sounds a lot like you."
[41:51] Devin Reed

Handling Multiple Executives:
When managing multiple executives within an organization, Devin advises having distinct one-word strategies for each leader while maintaining a consistent overall process. This ensures that each executive’s unique strengths are highlighted without diluting the brand message.

"Have different words, but the process remains the same."
[40:22] Devin Reed

Conclusion

The episode concludes with Devin reinforcing the importance of commitment and consistency in executing the LinkedIn strategy. By following the five-step framework—picking one word, narrowing the audience, selecting content pillars, establishing a production process, and measuring outcomes—B2B CEOs and founders can effectively build their personal and company brands on LinkedIn, driving meaningful engagement and growth.

"Ready, set, ship it. You've made all the posts, you've done the strategy. Go hit post and do the happy dance."
[48:31] Devin Reed

Dave wraps up by encouraging listeners to engage with Devin post-episode for further discussions and to join the Exit Five community for exclusive content and networking opportunities.

Notable Quotes:

• Devin Reed [07:30]: "Your one word is your North Star. It helps you keep focus internally and carve out mind share externally."
• Dave Gerhardt [13:17]: "You have to focus and pick one. If you try to write for everything, you're for no one."
• Devin Reed [24:13]: "Confused exec is an angry exec. Make life easy for any marketer by having great processes."
• Devin Reed [34:43]: "Set the benchmark. If you can't get a 20% lift, probably let me go."
• Dave Gerhardt [46:30]: "You can be the go-to account for news and insights as it relates to your industry."
• Devin Reed [48:31]: "Ready, set, ship it. You've made all the posts, you've done the strategy. Go hit post and do the happy dance."

By implementing Devin Reed's strategic insights, B2B marketers can harness the full potential of LinkedIn to amplify their leadership presence, engage with target audiences, and drive sustained business growth.