Pierre Herubel

Duolingo went from $70 to $369 million in annual revenue in 3 years.

Here are 4 growth strategies they used:

1. Large Market x Freemium Model

In 2022, Online Education was a $146Bn revenue industry. Duolingo addresses this huge market with an innovative freemium model. Users can access most content for $0 but can go premium with extra features for $6.99 monthly.

→ Address a deep serviceable available market (SAM) with a freemium model.

2. Activation and Retention thanks to Gamification

The hardest part of education apps is keeping users. For this, Duolingo's marketers analyzed popular mobile games. They added similar motivating game mechanics for retention; consecutive days streak, leaderboards, badges, or progress bars.

→ Use gamification principles to increase daily active users (DAUs).

3. Finding the Right North Star metric (CURR)

Duolingo's tried to increase the number of daily active users. After hundreds of A/B tests, they found that the Current User Retention Rate (CURR) had the best impact on DAUs. They created the “Retention team“ with CURR as a North Star metric. Definition in the comments.

→ Conduct A/B Tests to choose your teams' North Star metrics.

4. Turning the learning experience into a community

Duolingo added community features to cover the whole AARRR funnel: events, members' courses, referral features, or forums. They transformed the learning experience into a community experience.

→ Install community features to fuel the growth flywheel.

****

Those are 4 of the growth strategies they used to achieve this:

→ 575 million users in 2021
→ 9.6 million daily users in 2021
→ $3.4 billion valuation in 2022

Duolingo's ascent is a masterclass in product marketing and growth strategy.

This post is based on online research - Find the sources in the comments to keep reading about them. Have a look at the first article which explains points 2 and 3 with data.

2023: Massive shift in B2B Marketing.
2024: Time to revamp your Playbook:

- Stronger focus on content for brand authority
- Shift from cold outreach to social selling
- Wiser budgets spent on paid ads
- More targeted outbound

This 'revamp' is based on market realities:

→ B2B Buyers educate themselves with content & communities
→ Habits to trigger conversation on socials went from B2C to B2B
→ Paid ads work only if the creative and copy is extremely good
→ Email opens and replies collapsed since AI, but ABM still works

So early and growth stage startups should consider this new 'playbook'.

Let's breakdown its composition:

1. Content System as the Backbone of Your Strategy

You need to redefine content as the pillar of your marketing strategy. Because content is WHAT your audience sees and HOW they perceive you:

- High quality content that give them solutions? You are valuable.
- Poor quality content that regurgitate basics? You are a distant noise.

Build a content system on 3 layers (cf my post from yesterday) and publish high volume. Probably 20x times more than what you are doing now.

2. Social Selling in Social Media and Communities

People buy from people. It's time for you to shift to this paradigm with a core emphasis on social selling. You can do social selling with 3 tactics:

- Social Media: engagement and DMs where your audience spend time
- Your communities: create a place where members gather around you
- Your employees' network: put in place a system to maximize this

In 2024, best B2B Brands will be active on socials, build a community, and leverage personal brands.

3. Paid Ads For Better, Faster Content Distribution

You want more of your target audience to see your best content. Promote content around the problem you solve and your solution. Then, you can run 'book a demo' campaigns.

- Create demand: guides, videos, influencer ads, case studies
- Capture demand: book a demo, brand search ads, promotions, launches

4. Account Based Outbound

In 2024, you need to put intent at the center of outbound. And the best way to do this is to transition from an industry-based to an account-based method.

If tactics 1/2/3 are done properly, buyers will be all around you:

- Leaders consuming your content
- Accounts with buying signals (e.g. visit pricing page 3 times)
- Potential buyers in your community
- List of engagers on social media

***

There are multiple possible B2B marketing playbooks. This is one based on my past projects, experimentation, and research. Feel free to add your inputs.

Many marketers think B2B & B2C marketing are "similar".

But there is one BIG difference that changes everything:

The buying decision process is completely different.

In B2B:

- Multiple stakeholders with different roles and objectives.
- They collaborate in a shared "buying project";
- To purchase a solution that will drive ROI.

In B2C:

- One buyer or a small group of relatives;
- Aligned around a single decision.
- So they can decider faster.

As a result, the entire marketing job is different:

- The audience you target
- The message you share
- The content you create
- And how you distribute it

So you're either a B2B marketer, or a B2C marketer.

That said, there are of course common foundations:

- The need for targeting, value proposition, and messaging.
- The importance of a clear market positioning and brand.
- The mandatory social proof, trust, and external reviews.

And in the latest years, we've seen B2B getting closer to B2C;

- Rise of social media and communities as decision hubs;
- More room to influencer marketing and thought leadership;
- And the line between B2B and B2C is fading for solopreneurs.

What other similarities do you see between B2B and B2C marketing?

Follow me, Pierre Herubel, for daily marketing tips.

I've audited over 500 marketing strategies.

My advice: ask yourself THIS question:

"Do we have a marketing system in place, or just a series of random acts of marketing?"

And here's how to answer:

- Look at the past 12 months;
- List all the marketing actions conducted;
- Analyze if they were connected or disconnected.

It's important.

Because there are only 2 types of marketing approach:

1. Reactive: launching marketing actions based on time-sensitive demand.

2. Proactive: connecting marketing programs together into a system.

And the 2nd type gets more results.

I've invested over 18,720 hours in Marketing.

Here are my 4 golden rules to build your strategy:

- Rule (1): You need to know WHO is your audience, before choosing HOW you want to be perceived.

- Rule (2): You need to define HOW you want to be perceived in order to decide WHAT to say.

- Rule (3): You need to know WHAT to say, before choosing WHERE to say it.

- Rule (4): You need to define a set of channels WHERE you'll deploy your strategy.

It might sound simple.

But it's even easier to mess up.

- Spamming emails without a clear message;
- Hosting webinars without a value proposition;
- Writing a positioning statement without a clear ICP.

And the reason is always the same:

"We need quick results"

But the truth is that you can't get long lasting results without the right foundations. It’s like building a sandcastle, you might have something today, but tomorrow, you’ll have to start from scratch.

So remember:

To nail your marketing strategy, you'll need to:

1/ Define WHO your is audience
2/ Choose HOW you want to be perceived
3/ Write WHAT you want to say
4/ Decide WHERE you'll communicate

I've helped over 100 brands fix their content strategy.

And most of them face the SAME problem:

They focus on the top layers of content before building the foundations.

- They obsess over design, hooks, and storytelling...
- but skip the structure that makes content work long-term.

It’s like decorating a tasteless cake.

The audience might try, but will not get back to the content.

And that core problem splits into 4 sub-problems:

- Sub-Problem (1): They spend hours tweaking visuals instead of clarifying their ICP.

- Sub-Problem (2): They post daily but don’t follow consistent content pillars.

- Sub-Problem (3): They copy formats and ideas from others but don’t have a content plan.

- Sub-Problem (4): They start from scratch every day, without a repurposing strategy.

They’re trying to “fix” aesthetics while the real problem is deeper; their content creation lacks structure.

If you want to build a real content creation system, work on these 7 steps:

1. Define Your ICP: Know exactly who you’re talking to.
2. Messaging: Clarify what you solve and why you’re different.
3. Content Pillars: Focus on 3-5 topics that show your expertise.
4. Content Plan: Organize ideas and cadence for consistency.
5. Repurposing: Plan to turn one idea into many formats.
6. Copywriting: Write clearly about a specific topic.
7. Design: Make visuals support the message.

8. Bonus step: create your signature formats.

Which step do you find the most difficult?

CEO: "Our website doesn't convert, it must be the copy"
Me: "It could come from those 4 problems:"

1. Indeed, it could be a copywriting issue.

2. But it might be because of an unclear messaging;

3. Maybe, your value proposition (or offer) is not appealing;

4. Or, your target audience is not properly defined.

Now to be honest, it's rarely only a copywriting issue.

The problem is often rooted into a deeper marketing layer.

Because here's the truth:

Copywriting can't fix a broken marketing strategy.

- Fixing the headline won't make your offer "irresistible";
- Changing the ads won't create buying intent instantly;
- Posting content won't create a market problem.

CEO: "So what should I do for my website conversions? We need leads NOW!"
Me: "Take a deep breath, and get back to the basics:"

1. What is the market problem you're fixing?
2. Who is your ideal customer within this market?
3. How do you fix THEIR problem exactly?
4. What offer can you propose them?
5. What is your desired market positioning?
6. What is your unique selling proposition?
7. How do you show this offer with key messages?

Answer those 7 questions, then update the website's copy.

Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.

The worst marketing scenario for B2B founders:

- Copy competitors' content with no direction
- Launch new tactics without clear roadmap
- Try a new hack, abandon, try another one
- Forget to track and analyze results

In other words: run in every directions.

The worst marketing scenario is when you don't have a clear direction. Or even worse, when you have multiple directions at the same time. One step ahead, two step backs, get lost, then start from scratch again.

An unclear direction is devastating for morale:

- Lack of clarity → "where are we going with this?"
- Decision Paralysis → "what should we do next now?"
- Poor results → "prospects are not interested right now"

From the market perspective, it's even worse.

- "I don't get what they do, it's always changing"
- "I think they boost revenue, but not sure how"

If you publish content, ads, or headlines and change all the time, your audience won't be able to 'position' you in their mind. You'll remain an unclear noise constantly fluctuating in the background.

Good news: there is a clear roadmap to set up a direction.

1. Marketing Strategy: Lay down the foundation

You need to constantly define and update the big 6 (Target Audience, Offer, Value Proposition, Positioning, Messaging, Brand Manifesto). They will be your leading light to make all your decisions.

2. Marketing System: Plan your efforts

Before trying to publish content, ads or pages, 'think systems' first. You need to install a robust roadmap to organize your marketing actions. For early stage startups, installing a marketing backlog is mandatory (link in comments).

3. Marketing Operations: Reach your audience

Becoming 'top of mind' is a game of repetition. You need to spread your messages coherently and consistently across all your channels. If you are solving a PURE problem and communicate how, you'll build momentum.

Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.

This problem will make your marketing fail:

(And it’s more common than you think)

Stopping at basic customer information.

- "Our customers are CMOs"
- "They work for SMEs of 200 people"

Those are essential insights.

But you can't rely only on this.

You can’t stop at firmographics and job titles.

Without in-depth insights, you will:

- Have a generic messaging
- Struggle to handle objections
- Write poor copy and headlines

You'll build a generic positioning. Because everything starts from audience knowledge. Imagine how precise you could be with the right insights.

Imagine if you knew this:

- "We know WHY, WHEN, and HOW they buy"
- "We know the PROBLEM they face daily"
- "We know what they've TRIED before"
- "We know their JTBD and OKRs"

With those answers, you can write REAL marketing messages.

Not just “We help CMOs boost revenue"

Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.

PS: there is a complete marketing strategy masterclass in the Content-First Ecosystem. And you can get feedback on your strategy in the weekly Q&A.

I've audited personally 30+ B2B businesses in 2025.

Here is the FIRST crucial question I always ask:

From which channel(s) do your leads come?

And almost every time, there is a problem:

- Problem (1): expecting too many inbound leads from content

- Problem (2): not adding quicks wins (warm outbound, retargeting, partners)

- Problem (3): not committing enough efforts and discipline

So here's the first optimization I install with them:

Add warm outbound for short-term revenue.

Here's why:

They're often sitting on a goldmine of warm leads waiting to be contacted. But they don't do it because "they're waiting for inbound leads".

Warm outbound can take many forms:

- Following up on profile visits and engagement
- Scoring and prioritizing CRMs to target efforts
- Sending case studies to the right warm leads

But it always come with 2 ingredients:

1. Volume and discipline (send 20DMs / emails 30 minute a day)
2. The right method (flows, scoring, copywriting, tools)

This week, I'm adding a warm outbound masterclass to my Skool.

- How to install a warm outbound system
- How to score and prioritize warm leads
- What flows, tools, and processes to use
- What copywriting to use to get answers
- And all my warm outbound systems

It will be live at the end of the week!

I've helped over 700 businesses in the past 10 years.

In 2026, I see marketing teams make the biggest mistake:

→ Losing focus because of shiny new trends.

- "We need to add AI workflows everywhere!"
- "Let's rebuild our entire tool stack ourselves"
- "Have you seen this video? We need to do this!"
- "Stop creating content, use an AI agent for that!"

All these hours spent on shiny new objects...

- Of course, some of them can be useful.
- But most of them are a distraction.

It's not a problem to experiment with new tools.

But all the hours spent doing this are not spent on:

- Reinforcing the positioning with creative content;
- Talking with customers to update messaging;
- Doing the basics over and over.

Those are crucial marketing actions that "don't scale".

And so far, 2026 is the year of the "fear of missing out".

So every time there is a new tool, we need to ask ourselves:

Does it consolidate our strategic foundations, or is it driving us away from what we really need to do?

MQL creates a gap between marketers and sales:

1. Marketers optimize their day to day to generate as many MQLs as possible (run easy optin campaigns) without focusing on lead qualification

2. Sales team complains about the "leads quality" and the lack of prioritization (big spreadsheets with weird emails)

3. Both teams are not aligned on a common metric (marketers want MQLs volume and sales want to close deals)

I've seen this problem countless times for every business stage (early, growth, scale-up, enterprise).

The 2 teams are NOT incentivized to collaborate.

So they don't run shared programs:

- They don't collaborate on case studies
- They don't share customers insights
- They don't build a unique narrative
- They don't run ABM campaigns

The business misses a lot of opportunities.

Among all the possible solutions (redefining 'MQLs', using only 'SQLs', or attaching a $value to each MQL) I find this one the best:

→ Align both teams on "qualified pipeline"

With this KPI, marketers focus on a metric that brings them closer to sales. And it's a metric that everyone understands (CFO, CRO, CEO). Everyone is tracking how much money is (really) in the pipeline.

Here is how it works:

- Marketers run programs (e.g. webinars)
- They track utms source and self attribution
- They analyze the program's pipeline in the CRM
- They compare and combine the programs' pipeline

On the other side:

- Sales run their workflow (emails, calls...)
- They add in the CRM a % of potential closing rate
- A rate higher than 60%* is considered qualified

(*Confirmed by a top SAAS Sales exec: In general, a salesperson who notifies a 60% closing rate is confident he can close it. If he doesn't, he will have to explain why in a CRM note.)

So marketing-sourced deals with a 60% rate (and higher) are considered as "qualified pipeline".

This way, marketers can:

- Constantly know how much marketing-sourced revenue is in the pipe
- Collaborate with sales to get insights on who are those prospects
- Iterate on their marketing programs based on qualified pipeline
- Create reports that talks to everyone (in $ not MQLs or SQLs)

What do you think of this solution?

- Domino 1: Your ICP is unclear
- Domino 2: Your positioning is broad
- Domino 3: Your messaging is vague
- Domino 4: Your offer becomes a buffet
- Domino 5: Your sales team struggles to sell
- Domino 6: Your revenue ultimately flatlines

When your target audience is off, everything else collapses.

That's the "ICP domino effect".

And it's the 1st pattern I've identified, working on over 600 marketing strategies. I can almost always trace bad results back to a lack of focus on one clear target audience.

To be exact, there are 3 types of "domino 1":

- Type 1: "We skipped ICP and went straight to tactics"

- Type 2: "We don't want to lose any opportunities"

- Type 3: "We've outgrown our original ICP"

So here's my advice:

Look at your 10 best customers, find the patterns, and go find 10 more like them.

If you're serious about B2B content:

You need to understand these 3 rules:

- Rule (1): Some content helps buyers discover you. Other content helps them buy from you. But you cannot control precisely which does what.

- Rule (2): You cannot predict which piece of content will trigger an "Aha! moment". Two buyers will react to 2 completely different pieces.

- Rule (3): A prospect can sit in "solution aware" for 6 months. Then read one case study and decide you're the right fit the next day.

These 3 rules converge into one core principle:

You cannot precisely map which content moves each buyer to the next stage.

For example, you CAN'T predict this:

"This podcast moves a CMO from problem aware to solution aware."

But there is good news.

You can still control 6 crucial content parameters:

1. Precision of insights: make sure each piece of content provides helpful and accurate information for your customers.

2. Quality of content: invest in the right skills (strategy, copy, design, editing) to make the content great.

3. Coverage: ensure your content strategy covers every corner of what needs to be said (at the strategic, tactical, and operational level).

4. Volume of distribution: the more you publish, the more you increase your chances of being seen and trigger "Aha! moments."

5. Variety of formats: if you always publish the same format on the same channel, you will create format fatigue.

6. Iteration: always analyze the results of your content to update your plan, formats, topics, and overall strategy.

TLDR;

- You cannot control the buying journey;
- But you can adapt your content to it.

Every brand now wants to have content creators.

But they miss ONE foundational rule:

They need to find their creator-audience fit.

They think:

- "Let's use the hot topics of our industry"
- "Let's use the viral and trendy formats"
- "Let's keep posting and it will work"

Maybe this used to work back in 2022, when competition was low.

But in 2025, content is a red ocean.

- You're directly competing with thousands of creators
- Commoditized or unclear content get skipped instantly
- The bar to stand out is really high, especially formatting-wise

That's why you need to find a clear creator-audience fit.

- Because what works for creator 1 won't work for creator 2.
- Because copying a winning format won't build your audience.
- Because people won't click "follow" without a clear reason why.

Now you might ask yourself:

- "What exactly is creator-audience fit?"
- "How can I find it?"
- "How do I know if I've found it?"

I will answer all these questions in my Wednesday's newsletter edition, so make sure to subscribe now.

Click "subscribe to my newsletter" to get it on Wednesday.

In the meantime, here's a quick overview with an infographic.

I just crossed 160,000 followers.

Since 2022, I saw the 3 phases of B2B content:

1. Blue ocean (2020 - 2023): low competition and high rewards. You could publish simple text posts and get hundreds of thousands of impressions.

2. Gold rush (2023-2025): Ads became expensive and outbound harder so more B2B businesses started content. Best practices were available everywhere.

3. Red ocean (2025-20??): high competition but same level of attention. The entry barriers got lower with AI creation so it's now difficult to stand out.

All of this happened in only 5 years.

Opportunity → Growth → Structuration.

But it hasn't reached the "saturation" phase.

In the wider context of B2B marketing, content is still a relatively new space compared to ads, webinars, or outbound for example.

And there are still growth opportunities:

- Visual content (such as infographics)
- Entire teams publishing content
- Sponsored thought leadership
- Collabs with other creators
- Content with influencers
- B2B social live events
- Build in public

So let's move forward with new growth opportunities.

And never forget the 1st rule:

"You can't lose if you don't quit."

I've invested over 18,720 hours in Marketing.

Here are my 4 golden rules to build your strategy:

- Rule (1): You need to know WHO is your audience, before choosing HOW you want to be perceived.

- Rule (2): You need to define HOW you want to be perceived in order to decide WHAT to say.

- Rule (3): You need to know WHAT to say, before choosing WHERE to say it.

- Rule (4): You need to define a set of channels WHERE you'll deploy your strategy.

It might sound simple.

But it's even easier to mess up.

- Spamming emails without a clear message;
- Hosting webinars without a value proposition;
- Writing a positioning statement without a clear ICP.

And the reason is always the same:

"We need quick results"

But the truth is that you can't get long lasting results without the right foundations. It’s like building a sandcastle, you might have something today, but tomorrow, you’ll have to start from scratch.

So remember:

To nail your marketing strategy, you'll need to:

1/ Define WHO your is audience
2/ Choose HOW you want to be perceived
3/ Write WHAT you want to say
4/ Decide WHERE you'll communicate

Panic-led marketing looks like this:

- Try new tactics while the target audience is undefined
- Write new headlines with unclear messaging
- Blame tactics for not sending leads
- Jump on the latest AI hack

Businesses in this situation are always in a short term loop.

As a result, they treat symptoms but never root problems.

They focus on surface-level problems while deeper ones are hurting the business badly. They are changing the color of the wallpaper while the house is built on a ravine.

Sometimes, they even blame external factors:

- "Let's fire the agency, they send poor leads"
- "Our CRM doesn't have the right features"
- "This channel is bad, let's try a new one"

But deeper marketing problems are still here.

And the causes are often the same:

- Too product-centric → "Our product is the best"
- The sunk cost fallacy → "We can't change this now"
- Not enough market-oriented → "The market will adapt"

As a result, product and strategic problems are silently killing the business.

Here's the perfect scenario to move on:

Founder: I did a 2-week meditation retreat in the mountains, my ego has vanished - what should I do now?
Me: Let's analyze the 4 layers of marketing problems:

1. Surface-level Problems

You need to change your copy, channels, tactics, or tools to get more conversions. The criticality level is low, install a backlog and experiment changes.

2. Structural Problems

You need to plan structural changes with a 3-month roadmap. Audit your systems, teams, KPIs, and budget to revamp your marketing system.

3. Strategic Problems

You need to align your business and the market now. Work on your ICP, positioning, offer, and messaging. Each day that passes without addressing this issue, you accumulate marketing debt and diminish the perceived value.

4. Product Problems

You need to rethink your product capability for your target audience. It might be time to focus on a more specific use case or pivot your efforts to solve a stronger PURE problem (painful, urgent, recognized, expensive).

Founder: "We don't get ROI from content".

Me: "Do you run this workflow?"

Publish content → Identify signals → Contact ICP-fit accounts

I'm asking because it's the best way to maximize your return on investment.

Here's the picture:

- You published content and built an audience;
- Now harvest opportunities by sending messages.

Otherwise, you're probably leaving at least 50% of opportunities on the table. And that's is exactly how you reduce the ROI of your content.

Here’s a simple scenario:

- You spent $10,000 on content;
- You earned $20,000 back from inbound leads;
- But you left $20,000 on the table by not sending DMs.

Your ROI ratio is 2:1 instead of 4:1.

So the solution is simple:

You need to connect your content to your sales system.

Here's how exactly:

- Send messages to people who follow you (yes, do it)
- Identify intent signals from content (e.g. profile visits)
- Plug your content signals into your CRM (automate it)
- Create sales enablement content (not just educational)

Don't fall into the inbound vs. outbound trap.

Maximize your ROI instead.

🎉 My new warm outbound masterclass is live!

3 reasons why you need to start warm outbound in 2025:

- Reason (1): You'll get higher ROI on your content (because not every warm prospect becomes an inbound lead).

- Reason (2): It's the fastest way to generate revenue pipeline and close deals with a higher velocity.

- Reason (3): For early stage B2B, it's a better tactic than cold outbound (you get more replies, calls, and deals).

Yet most B2B businesses prefer to contact cold prospects:

- Because “there are more people in cold audience”
- Because “we don’t know how to do warm outbound”

But the truth is that warm prospects:

- Consumed your content
- Already know your value
- Saw your case studies
- Have existing trust

Well... I prefer to contact them in priority.

So if you want to get my system;

I'm adding a warm outbound masterclass to my Skool.

- How to install a warm outbound system
- How to score and prioritize warm leads
- What flows, tools, and processes to use
- What copywriting to use to get answers
- And all my warm outbound systems

Join here: https://lnkd.in/gVeDss8u

I worked on 30+ content strategies at Content Path.

Here are the 5 questions I ask to define messaging:

1. What does your unaware audience need to notice first?

2. What symptoms help them realize the real problem?

3. What proof helps them trust the solution category?

4. What makes your method obviously better than the alternatives?

5. What gives the most Aware audience a reason to act NOW?

Most companies only focus on the last question.

They're only speaking to the "most aware".

- Always pushing “you should buy now”
- Always sharing promos, discounts, CTAs
- Always posting technical product guides

And then they wonder:

“Why aren’t more people converting?”

Because 99% of your audience is NOT Most Aware.

The brands that win do the opposite:

- They educate before they sell.
- They cover the 5 stages of awareness.
- They build belief before they ask for action.

Now here's the truth:

You can't control who's in what stage.

But you can vary your content mix to cover the whole spectrum.

PS: If you need help on your content strategy, DM me and I'll share a case study from your industry.

Founder: "What's the 1st step for a good marketing strategy?"

Me: "Avoid these 3 marketing mistakes:"

1. Unclear strategy with no ICP and broad positioning
2. Weak systems with no KPIs and siloed teams
3. Poor execution with inconsistent efforts

Because here's the truth:

To do good marketing, you first need to avoid doing bad marketing.

That's why reverse engineering works well.

You can identify wrong decisions and do the opposite:

- Shiny object syndrome → Focus on one opportunity
- No ICP → Focus on one ideal customer profile
- Outdated tools → Update the tool stack
- Slow Backlog → Do weekly sprints
- No KPIs → Choose a key metric
- Siloed teams → Align them

At least that's true for strategy and systems.

Because when it comes to execution, it's not that simple.

For example, you cannot simply "write great copy".

What you need is:

- The actual skills (how to write copy)
- The clarity (what you want to write exactly)
- The consistency (keep writing until it's good)
- The experimentation (keep iterating based on results)

So when it comes to marketing operations, it's always about those 4 elements.

Skills, clarity, consistency, and experimentation.

That's the test and iterate mindset.

Follow me for daily marketing tips.

I've seen hundreds of ambitious marketing plans:

- "We'll create a new category"
- "We'll launch 4 channels at the same time"
- "We're not a SaaS, we're an all-in-one advisor"

And I understand the point, it's good to have a vision.

But the best brands out there have realistic marketing plans.

- They know what plan they can afford.
- They stick to the plan (even when it's hard).

So here's the process:

1. Come up with a realistic (and clear) plan
2. Stick to it for a long period of time

Those 2 steps put you ahead of a lot of marketing "plans".

- "Should we launch a newsletter or paid ads?"
- “Should we build an audience or activate users?"
- “Should we hire a content or a growth person first?”

Here's what I often tell founders:

Content and growth are not mutually exclusive.

- You should plan content for long term results;
- And launch growth marketing sprints for short term.

Because their main difference is the time horizon.

1. With content marketing:

- You launch a content program (e.g. video podcast + repurposing)
- You stay consistent for at least 6 months.
- You build authority and get leads.

2. With growth marketing:

- You launch a growth experimentation (e.g. a signup flow)
- You A/B test for 4 weeks and then analyze.
- You get your first learnings to iterate.

That's how you run content & growth in parallel.

Now of course you can combine them (3 examples):

1. Use your best organic content for your paid ads.

2. Collaborate on custom content for ABM sprints.

3. Gather intent signals from content for targeting.

And for both, there is no magic trick.

- You need to focus and discipline.
- You need a great strategy and solid execution.
- You need to listen to your audience and iterate.

What's your favorite between content and growth?

Marketer: "What should I focus on in 2026?"
Me: "Start with my 4 mandatory rules:"

- Rule (1): You need to know WHO is your audience, before choosing HOW you want to be perceived.

- Rule (2): You need to define HOW you want to be perceived in order to decide WHAT to say.

- Rule (3): You need to know WHAT to say, before choosing WHERE to say it.

- Rule (4): You need to define concretely HOW you're going deliver your value proposition.

It might sound simple.

But it's even easier to mess up.

- Spamming emails without a clear message;
- Hosting webinars without a value proposition;
- Writing a positioning statement without a clear ICP.

And the reason is always the same:

→ "We need quick results"

But the truth is that you can't get long lasting results without the right foundations. It’s like building a sandcastle, you might have something today, but tomorrow, you’ll have to start from scratch.

So remember:

To nail your marketing strategy, you'll need to:

1/ Define WHO your is audience
2/ Choose HOW you want to be perceived
3/ Write WHAT you want to say
4/ Decide HOW you deliver transformation

Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.

Many founders confuse marketing strategy with tactics:

- They think "running ads" is a strategy;
- They think "posting daily" is a strategy;
- They think "doing webinars" is a strategy.

Because of this confusion, they don't have a high level plan.

- Who are we helping;
- For what problem;
- How we solve it differently;
- And what do we say.

As a result, they lack focus and direction.

- "Let's try this new channel!"
- "I read about a new automation hack!"
- "We don't want to miss this opportunity"

And it puts the business into a reactive posture:

No clear direction → Something external happens → We react to it → We try a new tactic → Intensify the lack of direction

To get out of this reactive marketing loop, you need to:

Distinguish strategy from tactics.

1. Strategy comes first: It's the high-level plan that guides how to achieve revenue goals.

2. Tactics come second: It's the specific actions and methods used to execute the strategy.

And don't forget the feedback loop between them.

Tactics' results always inform the strategic decisions

Product-led and sales-led have one BIG difference:

(Yet many marketers think they're "similar")

→ One leads to a product signup and the other one to a sales call.

This impact the entire content strategy:

- The core FOCUS of the strategy (conversion or enablement)
- The main source of FEEDBACK (sales calls or the product)
- The TYPES of content (e.g. webinars or product demos)
- With WHO content collaborates most (Sales or PMMs)

That's why you need to adapt your content strategy to your motion.

Because if you don't you will:

- Not map the customer buying journey correctly
- Not adapt the copy to the right objectives
- Not choose the right content types
- Not use the right call to actions
- Not choose the right formats

And it happens a lot.

I've seen too many brands fall in this trap:

Unclear business strategy → unclear growth motion → unclear content strategy → unclear content plan → unclear content → user doesn't take action

That's why your growth motion should be 100% clear before you start content.

PS: if you have an hybrid PLG/SLG motion, I'm adding a note in the comments to help you.

This is the winning B2B Marketing playbook for 2026.

Let me break it down for you with 5 pillars:

1. Create content for passive buyers

Some businesses are not ready to buy (for various reasons) and don't want to be in your linear sales sequence. The best scenario is to build top of mind awareness for these types of buyers through content marketing.

- Develop clear content pillars
- Publish consistently across time
- Vary formats and channels

2. Build a solid intent signals gathering system

For long we thought attribution was the key, but with the new B2B marketing playbook, intent signals are more important. You need to constantly identify a list of prospects that have higher intent than average.

- Track content engagement across channels
- Score prospects based on signals and frequency
- Centralize signals in one CRM or system

3. Use ads to amplify what already works

Ads will not create demand out of the blue but it will expand your reach and reinforce awareness with repetition.

- Promote top-performing content
- Retarget engaged and high-intent audiences
- Focus on repetition, not aggressive messages

4. Get ready to capture demand from active buyers

When they're ready, businesses want a fast response across channels. If you take 48 hours to reply to an inquiry, you'll lose (especially in red ocean markets). Build an efficient inbound sales system to capture and manage demand.

- Optimized social media profiles
- Dynamic forms to segment leads
- Soft captures like webinars or guides

5. Run warm outreach for potentially active buyers

Some ready-to-buy prospects who like your brand may not contact you. They may be busy, forget, or assume you’ll reach out. Acknowledge this reality and contact them directly.

- Build a social selling routine
- Create warm email sequences
- ABM for larger accounts

And AI is an enabler across the playbook.

***

We are looking to help 2 more B2B businesses to install and run this playbook in Q4 2026, DM me if you're interested or book a call on contentpath.co

2025: time to build your warm outbound system.

Start with these 3 foundations (to make it work):

- Foundation (1): You need to have a precise ICP so you focus your efforts only on signals that matter.

- Foundation (2): You need to prioritize the warm prospects with the highest intent thanks to a scoring system.

- Foundation (3): Your warm messages must be contextualized, personalized, and have the right timing.

In other words, you need a system behind the execution.

And the best way to do this is to create your "warm outbound cascade".

(I show you how step by step in my new masterclass https://lnkd.in/gVeDss8u)

Founder: "But what is a warm outbound cascade?"
Me:

It's a sequence of steps you take to complete the process.

It can be done manually to start, and then automated.

Overall, the cascade has 5 connected steps:

- Step 1: be crystal clear on your ICP (and build a prompt)
- Step 2: collect intent signals from your content
- Step 3: score warm leads in CRM to prioritize
- Step 4: send personalized emails and DMs
- Step 5: iterate with the best flows

And you should not skip any of them.

That's how you go from a spray and pray approach to a fully integrated warm outbound approach.

Build your warm outbound system in my new masterclass, available in my course.

Founder: « How can we create unique content in 2026 ? »

Me: « Start from the most important step: »

Sharing unique insights.

That’s more important than formats, hooks, or visual frameworks.

Because you can’t expect people to consume your content if you repeat generic advice accessible everywhere else.

And the best insights take many forms:

- An anecdote that reframes how we see a problem;

- An inspirational idea that make people take action;

- A transformational story that shows what to do;

- A lived experienced that'll help your audience;

- A unique point of view anchored in an experiment;

- A market perspective that drives innovation.

Their common point?

They’re all experience-based, not theoretical.

That's how best brands and creators stand out.

1. They help their audience with unique perspectives.

2. They bring real, lived experiences to the table.

That’s how you compete with AI content.

So next time you're ideating a piece of content, ask yourself:

- What insight do I want to share with my audience?
- What is the best possible way to help my audience?
- How can I attract & retain attention with this insight?

When you have the answer, start writing.

Then you can move on to formatting, hooks, and visual frameworks.

The best way to procrastinate on marketing is this:

- Create a website with 15 pages and 5 offers
- Multiply taglines to fit the 4 different ICPs
- Spend 90% of the time updating the "funnel"

This is a lot of work and it leaves only 10% left to create audience traffic.

So the problem is twofold here:

1. The funnel gets too complex so visitors have decision paralysis: they don't know what to do next.

2. The marketer in charge doesn't have enough time to create content, run ads, send DMs and emails.

But I have good news.

The solution to this problem is simple:

Reverse completely the time allocation.

1. Create a simple website with 1 offer for 1 ICP so it is clear and easy to maintain. Once properly set up, this represents 10% of your time.

2. Spend 90% of the time on generating awareness, authority, and traffic (mainly from content).

This way, your audience sees your content (or ads and emails), visits your simple website, and clicks on the unique CTA. Then, during the sales process, you can sell a clear offer.

That's how you build a solid marketing function.

6 Rules to find your creator-audience fit:

Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/guS4y6eP

Marketing "strategy" and "tactics" are different:

- "Running ads" is NOT a strategy;
- "Posting daily" is NOT a strategy;
- "Doing webinars" is NOT a strategy.

Yet, most founders confuse strategy with tactics.

Because of this confusion, they don't have a high level plan.

- Who are we helping;
- For what problem;
- How we solve it differently;
- And what do we say.

As a result, they lack focus and direction.

- "Let's try this new channel!"
- "I read about a new automation hack!"
- "We don't want to miss this opportunity"

And it puts the business into a reactive posture:

No clear direction → Something external happens → We react to it → We try a new tactic → Intensify the lack of direction

To get out of this reactive marketing loop, you need to:

Distinguish strategy from tactics.

1. Strategy comes first: It's the high-level plan that guides how to achieve revenue goals.

2. Tactics come second: It's the specific actions and methods used to execute the strategy.

And don't forget the feedback loop between them.

Tactics' results always inform the strategic decisions.

🎉 My agency recently celebrated $1.3M ARR.

We got this revenue from 2 marketing tactics:

1. Authority content

2. Warm outbound

I see a lot of businesses below $1M ARR trying complex systems.

- 5-step funnels fully automated
- Trying to "scale" with AI SDRs
- Multiplying offers and products

As a result they're spreading their focus everywhere.

While what they should do is:

1. Publish daily content that helps their audience and ICP.

2. Contact potential prospects that showed intent signals.

3. Repeat, repeat, repeat for as long as it takes.

PS: I'm talking about my content agency Content Path

The best marketers know these 5 principles:

1. When they launch a marketing program, they expect significant results within 3 months, not 3 days.

2. They always listen to their audience, clients, and market to make informed decisions and educated hypotheses.

3. They cover the 5 stages of awareness in their messaging (and not only the most aware stage).

4. They don't oppose inbound, outbound, and nearbound because they know the allbound approach amplifies results.

5. They create content for their audience but also optimize messaging to reach their ICP (they know it's 2 different groups).

In other words, they follow foundational marketing principles.

And they stay as far as possible from "hacks".

Because here's the truth:

Some people still think marketing is like magic:

- "Let's go viral with our content"
- "Push the paid ads button to get leads"
- "Let's skip to results, no experimentation"

Most of the time, it's because they don't see what happens behind the scenes.

And all the principles that contribute to results.

A team-led content strategy creates 3 effects:

1. The "they're everywhere" effect: with the repetition, your prospects see you everywhere so you build top of mind awareness.

2. The "they really help us" effect: with strategic, tactical, and operational content, you become useful for the entire organization.

3. The "they are pros" effect: your content is pertinent so your audience assume that your offer is pertinent too.

So the strategy is extremely powerful for:

- Visibility, awareness, authority;
- But also for lead generation and sales.

(Remember your prospects in the sales process still see your content.)

Now here's the truth:

Most businesses don't do it because:

- They don't know how to implement the strategy
- They can't build a real content factory to ship posts

After helping 20+ businesses build their team-led strategy, we've designed a signature offer to help your build yours.

1. I'll personally build your team content strategy
2. We'll build your content factory to turn insights into visual content
3. Your in-house personal brands will become the distribution engine

So you can benefit from the 3 effects.

Book your 45-min audit here, we'll show you exactly how it works:

https://contentpath.co/

I've generated 50M impressions with content.

Here are 7 quick tips to apply TODAY to grow:

1. In Q4 of 2025, start talking about 2026 because people are planning forward, not backwards.

2. Analyze your best 30 pieces of content and ask yourself "what do they have in common?" then use the answer as a starting point to create your signature format.

3. Open a doc and call it "swipe file", then add news, inspirations, benchmarks, taglines, videos, ideas, etc. Open this doc when it's time to write.

4. If you're too busy to create content, use the video-first process. Start from videos (new recordings or existing) and use the transcript to create content.

5. When you've finished writing a post or newsletter, read it again. And ask yourself "can I find a better hook inside the text?", you'll update your hook 90% of the time.

6. Use frameworks to frame the information you want to share. For example, a side by side comparison called "bad vs good" will guide the audience and give them a way to approach the information.

7. Best practices or best performing formats won't necessarily work for your account. There is something called "creator-audience fit": people follow you for a specific reason. Ask 30 people WHY they follow you and give them more of this, not more of what works elsewhere.

Which one are you trying?

Here's your 4-week content creation plan:

(to kick off 2026 with a clear roadmap)

Week 1:

- Top 10 List
- Client Interview
- Before and After Story
- How We (outcome)
- Industry News
- Celebration

Week 2:

- Best Practices
- Industry Trends List
- Industry Report
- Podcast Clip
- How-To Guide
- Company News
- Problem Agitate Solution

Week 3:

- Founders’ Story
- Case Study (Full)
- Expert Tips
- Live Q&A Session
- Results Announcement
- Quote
- Launch Offer

Week 4:

- Case Study (Overview)
- Opinion
- Client Testimonial
- Poll
- Build in Public
- Resource List
- Comparative Analysis

At the end of the 4 weeks you'll have created 27 types of content.

Then, if you follow the 1 = 15 rule, you'll transform those 27 pieces of content into 405 additional pieces.

That's how you start a content flywheel.

Follow me Pierre Herubel for daily marketing tips.

I audit B2B marketing systems for breakfast.

Here are the 9 most commonly broken parts:

1. Random acts of marketing: all the actions are not plugged together into a system. They're reactive actions answering to short term objectives.

2. Most common negative spiral: Fear of missing opportunities → Broad ICP → Broad positioning → Unspecific messaging → Unclear copywriting → No inbound requests

3. Profound lack of differentiation at the offer and content level. So the brand gets compared to too many competitors and compete on price alone.

4. The content engine (short form, long form) is NOT connected to an outbound and social selling system. So the "content doesn't generate results" because of the passive posture.

5. Too many offers, funnels, messages but not enough traffic (from content and ads). I always advise to reverse it this way: simplify your offer pitch and multiply your

6. Lack of alignment between marketing and sales function. They work in silos with different metrics (MQLs vs closed-won pipeline) so the collaboration is biased.

7. Big strategy but small budget so the slides look great but the actual implementation team is spread too thin across too many actions. As a results, the marketing is not good at the operational level.

8. Profound lack of velocity and volume. Examples include publishing 2 pieces of content per week, sending 1 newsletter per month, 2 videos per quarter. So it takes one year to get meaningful data.

9. Not testing enough to find what works. Not doing enough of what works.

3 reasons to start warm outbound in 2026:

- Reason (1): You'll get higher ROI on your content (because not every warm prospect becomes an inbound lead).

- Reason (2): It's the fastest way to generate revenue pipeline and close deals with a higher velocity.

- Reason (3): For early stage B2B, it's a better tactic than cold outbound (you get more replies, calls, and deals).

Yet most B2B businesses prefer to contact cold prospects:

- Because “there are more people in cold audience”
- Because “we don’t know how to do warm outbound”

But the truth is that warm prospects:

- Consumed your content
- Already know your value
- Saw your case studies
- Have existing trust

Well... I prefer to contact them in priority.

PS: Book a call with us here and we'll audit your GTM strategy to see how you can integrate warm outbound: https://lnkd.in/e-e3gdeX

I've used 3 B2B growth models:

1. The lead generation waterfall model

Publish SEO articles → Host whitepapers → Get leads → Send sequences

2. The growth marketing model

Experiment cold emails → Get leads → Experiment other channels

3. The social-first model

Publish content → Identify intent → Social selling

They were all interesting and efficient.

But in 2026, I now advise to run a "social-first" growth model:

- Publish content across personal brands
- Transform your brand into a media
- Analyze intent to prioritize outbound
- Use AI for all the technical systems

It's clearly a great model now.

- The customer acquisition cost (CAC) is low
- Intent-based outbound increases response rate
- Content contributes to both brand awareness and pipeline

Now of course you can still use some elements of the past models:

- A whitepaper and a webinar can be great
- Growth marketing sprints unlock new channels
- Outbound sequences work well (if signal-based)

And above all, you still need to nail ICP, positioning, messaging.

The model is evolving, but the foundations remain.

I've coached 50 early stage founders in 2025.

And all mistakes stem from THIS problem:

The lack of focus.

Or more precisely, the fear of focusing.

Because when starting, founders always say this:

"I don't want to miss any opportunity."

So they end up stacking offers, targeting everyone, doing more "strategic thinking", and changing business models.

Way too complex for the stage they're in.

And all of this delays the real early stage growth driver:

Selling ONE offer to ONE audience to fix ONE problem.

Join the Content-First Ecosystem, and I'll show you how.

The Demand Gen playbook relies on a simple equation:

(If the equation is unbalanced, the model fails)

You need to balance demand creation and demand capture.

Otherwise, you'll fall into one of those 2 scenarios:

Scenario 1: Too much demand creation and not enough demand capture investment

The business invests a lot in demand generation activities (podcasts, socials, reports...). But the demand capture system is not robust enough (CRM is not segmented, pages are not optimized...) so there are revenue leaks.

Scenario 2: Not enough demand creation and too much demand capture investment

The business creates a robust demand capture system (everything is perfect). But they don't generate enough demand because there are not enough activities (content, awareness ads, partnerships...)

I've seen both scenarios in my career.

- Businesses with a strong sales culture often fall into scenario 2.
- Whereas those with a strong marketing culture fall into scenario 1.

But the good news is that:

Both scenarios are fixable with the right playbook.

Here are the 2 steps you need to install:

Step 1 - Create 2 types of content for passive buyers

~95% of your target market is not in "buying mode". But most of them are always in "learning mode": they want to keep up to date with their industry and job requirements.

- Type 1: Zero-click content makes your brand discoverable
- Type 2: Gated content delivers deeper expertise

Step 2 - Build a dynamic demand capture system

~5% are in "research or buying mode" but it doesn't necessarily mean they'll become inbound leads. They might prefer competitors or forget to contact you.

- Tactic 1: Conversion content to turn audience into leads
- Tactic 2: Warm Outbound to start conversations

I'm adding more relevant resources in the comments to help you do this.

PS: And if you don't know exactly what step you need to do right now, DM me and I'll tell you which step to start with.

- Stage 1: "We should try content marketing"
- Stage 2: "We published our first post!"
- Stage 3: "We're 2 months in, let's continue"
- Stage 4: "We're getting 2 leads per week"
- Stage 5: "40% of our revenue comes from content"

This scenario is the journey of a focused business.

Meanwhile, their competitors are abandoning for various reasons:

- Competitor 1: "It's been 1 month and still no results"
- Competitor 2: "Let's pause and restart next month"
- Competitor 3: "It takes too much time, let's use AI"
- Competitor 4: "Content doesn't work in our industry"

Content requires extreme discipline, methodology, and patience to get significant results. It's not like ads or automated outreach where you push a button.

But the long term return on investment is worth it:

- Authority and top of mind awareness in your industry
- Inbound leads ready to buy your offer or product
- Prospects answering "I love your content" to your DMs
- Podcasts, speaking gigs and events invitations

Of course, getting to this point is hard.

But some businesses do succeed.

And they all share one common factor:

- They don't rely on hacks and inspiration bursts
- They rely on a system for ongoing content growth

The good news is that I built a complete, replicable system.

I called it the authority-first framework.

Because you lead with authority, not broad platitudes.

It's based on 5 core principles:

1. A focused strategy (no shiny object syndrome)
2. An ongoing ideation process
3. A centralized repurposing system
4. An audience feedback loop
5. A process to create unique content

I've been a marketer for 9 years.

This is the most surprising question I've been asked:

"Testing sounds interesting, but it's not for us. Can we skip to the results phase?"

This came right after I explained the "test, iterate, scale" methodology.

It was in 2021.

And after that, I realized something very important for my career.

Marketing is often perceived as a magic button.

Press a button → get leads

Or an alternative;

Press a button → go viral → get leads

But when you're a marketer, you know that:

Marketing is all about patience, iteration, and consistency.

Inbound and outbound are interconnected in 2026:

1. When your content and online presence are well established, your outbound actions get better results;

2. Your outbound actions maximize the ROI of your inbound efforts because some people won't contact you directly.

Yet, a lot of businesses still think:

"Inbound is not for us, it's uncontrollable"

or

"We're inbound only, we don't do outbound"

As a result, they're using only 50% of their marketing system's potential.

Now here's the thing:

Inbound and outbound are indeed two different motions.

But it's possible to connect them in an "allbound system".

And this system brings 3 key benefits:

1. Better reply rates: Inbound builds familiarity and outbound triggers the conversation.

2. More predictable pipeline: Inbound feeds long-term demand and outbound fills short-term gaps.

3. Smarter targeting: Content engagement tells you who is interested before you reach out.

That's why they both work perfectly together in 2026.

"We are targeting CEOs, they are the decision makers"

Good in theory, but:

- What industry?
- What type of company?
- Why would they buy now?
- What's their buying process?
- What's their actual day-to-day?
- What objectives are they focused on?

A target audience is NOT just a job title.

Because this kind of broad targeting leads to broad messaging:

- "We target CEOs" → "Boost your revenue"
- "We target CMOs" → "Get more leads"
- "We target CFOs" → "Save costs"

Instead, you need a precise ICP (ideal customer profile).

Here's what you need:

1. Start with company firmographics
2. Get specific on the job title
3. Understand why they buy 
4. Map the buying process
5. Know what they need

That's how you build a real marketing strategy.

I’ve analyzed over 20 podcast strategies.

This mistake showed up every time:

Marketers focus most of their effort on podcast creation, not distribution.

- “We published the announcement post”
- The audio podcast is available on 1 platform
- “We don’t have time to repurpose into video clips”

As a result, the podcast struggles to take off.

- It doesn’t get enough views
- The momentum never builds
- Then someones says “podcasts don’t work”

The problem is obvious:

They don't have a system to distribute it properly.

That’s what Riverside fixes with their end-to-end workflow.

Here’s how it works:

1. Record the podcast in 4K

A video podcast performs much better than audio alone. Invite your guests, record, and edit inside the same platform.

2. Use Riverside’s AI to find clips

Let Riverside's AI choose the best highlights automatically. You’ll be able to distribute the highlights with short video clips.

3. Repurpose the insights into 15 posts

Don’t stop at one announcement post. Instead, create 2 carousels, 5 infographics, 8 video clips, and 1 newsletter.

Last tip: make sure to send all the traffic to the full podcast.

That’s how you distribute a podcast properly.

Try Riverside for free for 14 days here:

https://lnkd.in/gpRkRgPz

In partnership with Riverside.