Marketing Strategies for Consultants

the biggest mistake B2B companies make with influencer marketing is not approaching how they work with a creator based on what type of content that person makes and what type of insights their audience follows them for instead, they treat the term "influencer" as a catch-all word where everyone gets the same brief and creative ask, regardless of what content they enjoy making, the nature of content their followers expect from them, and what the type of people that make up their audience here's how i approach influencer marketing instead: i break our influencers down into three categories based on the nature of content they create - industry leaders - subject matter experts - content creators this isn't about the creator, it's about the type of content they create think of it this way: - if you're considering working with an influencer, if what they usually share is unique POVs, intriguing stuff that makes you think, I'd put them in the industry leader category and have them create thought leadership content for us around our narrative - if they usually share more tactical content, breakdowns, teach you how to do things through actionable steps, etc., I'd put them in the SME category and have them create technical content for us - if what they usually share is entertaining video content, I'd put them in the content creator category and have them create memorable content around our brand, narrative, and/or product understanding which category the person you're working with on your campaign falls under helps you determine: - which segment of your TAM they can speak to - the messaging they can help you communicate - whether you need them to create content on the bigger picture (narrative), provide a tactical breakdown (product), or build mental associations through conceptual content (brand) so, for example, let's say you're launching a new feature: - an industry leader could talk about the overall process or scenario the feature is impacting or optimizing - an SME could break down how the feature works (functionality) and how they used that feature to accomplish something (capabilities) - a content creator could create a video skit poking fun at the pain points the feature is addressing having a balance of all 3 categories of creators simultaneously push out this variety of content is better than having a ton of people post a variation of the same thing, IMO i appreciate Typeform letting me share my unfiltered thoughts on influencer marketing as a part of their #GetReal survey I go into more detail on this topic in the video below, and you can use the following link to take the survey yourself: https://lnkd.in/gHQ-d2hf #sponsored #TypeformPartner #influencermarketing

I believe it's inevitable that niche, deeply researched content is the future of content marketing in b2b. So much so, that we're betting the house on this thesis at storyarb. What you're about to read is our exact content marketing strategy that we'll be using to drive trust & revenue for our business in 2025. Feel free to copy (or better yet, hire us to do it)... Step 1: Who is our Market of 1? - Head of Marketing at a growth-stage B2B business (>$10m rev) Step 2: What are the specific goals of our content strategy? - Add value: every piece of content should be bookmark worthy...so high value that our ICP feels compelled to save it & reference it later to improve at their job - Build trust: +20% MoM direct site traffic - Drive qualified pipeline: +20% increase in demo requests from ICP Step 3: What channels are we focusing on? - Rented: Long-form blog content + Exec social content - Owned: Weekly editorial email newsletter Step 4: What are our content pillars? - Content Marketing - Demand Gen - B2B Step 5: What does the content strategy look like in practice? 1) Interview/research-based case studies (not customer case studies) Series name: Fine Tuned Description: A deeply researched, highly detailed breakdown of the most successful content demand engines in B2B. The channels, the content formats/focus, the funnel, the metrics, the team/responsibilities. Additional: Weekly release of a Fine Tuned essay (on storyarb site) that is email-gated to read the whole thing (and amplified via our newsletter & exec social) 2) Weekly/bi-weekly email newsletter Newsletter name: The Lead Description: Option 1 - Curation & commentary on the best content marketing campaigns that companies were actively doing in the wild this week Option 2 - A long-form case study on a content marketing campaign that a B2B company is actively doing with our analysis After the playbook have a section that has links to content marketing news, tools/strategies, and ofc our Fine Tuned essay from the previous week. 90% value add, 10% value extract 3) Exec social from 3 storyarb employees Abby Murray: Persona: The Content Marketing Agency Owner 1-liner: Stories from running storyarb that has lessons/stats/wins/updates interwoven. Alex Lieberman: Persona: The Content & Marketing Obsessed Entrepreneur 1-liner: Spotting trends, brainstorming ideas, and identifying genius in the world of content & marketing Magda Cychowski:  Persona: The B2B Content Marketer 1-liner: Breaking down specific strategies that content marketers & b2b demand gen teams can take to level up their org. Additional: - 90% of the content should be value add, 10% should be value extract. - Each person should be boosting each Fine Tuned (case study) and Lead (newsletter) through the lens of their specific persona to drive their distribution to our email capture & owned audience.

10 Proven Strategies I Use to Generate Leads on LinkedIn (For Myself & My Clients) 1. 60% of my inbound leads come from strategic commenting. 2. I connect with people who have already engaged with my content, increasing my acceptance rate to 85%+. 3. Partnering with industry leaders for posts, webinars, and podcasts doubles audience reach and shortens the trust-building cycle. 4. 70% of LinkedIn searches are intent-driven. I use the right keywords in the headline and summary to get found by decision-makers. 5. Posts that blend expertise with personal insights get 3x more engagement than generic content. More engagement = more inbound leads. 6. I turn connections into clients by sending weekly newsletters with zero-pitch, high-value insights for my clients. 7. Cold outreach. It helps generate 5-20 leads per month. 8. Featuring client wins and testimonials increases inbound DMs by 40%. People trust results more than promises. 9. I track who views my profile and engages with my posts, then send hyper-personalized messages. This approach gets a 50%+ response rate. 10. 30% of my clients come from referrals. I actively build partnerships with complementary professionals to exchange high-quality leads. Which of these strategies are you using? P.S. Need help generating business from your

Last quarter I received a perfect cold email. It followed the same simple prospecting framework I teach. Here's a line-by-line breakdown of why it works so well: SUBJECT LINE: Make it all about them and reference your research Why it works: Shows that it's not spam or automated, and creates curiosity to open the e-mail and here what they have to say PARAGRAPH #1: Warm, personal, with a sincere compliment Why it works: Shows the prospect you took the time to learn about them, and humanizes you. PARAGRAPH #2: Share relevant observations based on research and a potential problem which their research uncovered Why it works: Shows that you are reaching out to identify a potential way to help them which they may not be thinking about PARAGRAPH #3: Shares specific, clear value proposition which includes the problem you solve and the outcomes you deliver Why it works: people need to clearly understand what you do so they can decide for themselves if it makes sense to meet with you. Sharing generic outcomes without being direct or specific confuses and annoys prospects because they still don't know what you do after reading the e-mail. PARAGRAPH #4: Soft Call to Interest (CTI): Ask if they have ever given thought to what you wrote, and if they're open to discussing further. Why it works: Never assume that a prospect needs what you are selling. Instead, confirm whether they've thought about the problem you solve and are open to discussing further. A call to interest (CTI) is much softer than a call to action (CTA), such as asking them to meet before you've confirmed they even have a need or interest. Don't assume anything, just ask and validate first. Kudos to the seller for sending a well-written, thoughtful e-mail.

Here is how I would build my influencer strategy to hit pipeline goals if I were a GTM leader. There are some great posts on the WHY, but let's talk about the HOW to make this a new GTM channel. 1. I would identify 1-3 Subject Matter Experts to be the face of my content. How you find SMEs is to start asking people in your space who they follow and respect. These can be your customers, internal leaders and external experts. The biggest mistake brands will make in the next 6-12 months is not identifying SMEs who can speak to their brand values and products. If you have people talking about your brand who don't align with your values and product, it won't be a good look in the long term. Find 1-3 people you find very credible and assign them to specific products or roles. For example, with Cognism I am integrated as their SME for sales. Gaetano Nino DiNardi 🇺🇦 does the marketing side. It's very specific, clear and the business gets way more value from this. Bonus points if you can create a program where they are rewarded for helping your customers. 2. Find the content delivery mechanisms that the SME is best at. This is the BIGGEST fail most people will have on this one. You will tell everyone they need to do a video when half the SMEs you have prefer to use something other than video. That's going to flop for your brand and flop for their audience. Identify which medium they can best deliver on and make sure they produce their content there. Multiple content avenues will hit multiple audiences which will lead to more inbound flow and awareness for the business. 3. Find ambassadors for specific product announcements. Now you might be like hold up, Morgan. You told us to get 1-3 SMEs, not 20-30 creators. Yes, SMEs for long-term partnerships and ambassadors for short-burst campaigns create some noise. Use many creators to announce a product update alongside your SMEs. This should create an amplification effect for your team. I think we need to start leaning more towards SMEs when we think about influencer marketing. It is a clear distinction we must start thinking about. What is your take on this? 

I never set out to be a public speaker but somewhere along the way it became a big part of my work. In that time, I've found a four-part framework that is effective for teaching in a memorable way. I call it the four S's. Most public talks start with some version of “It’s great to be here.” That’s exactly when people start checking out. If you want to speak in a way that actually sticks, try this instead. 1. Surprise Start strong. Say something unexpected, provocative, or even a little weird. The brain is wired to notice novelty—don’t waste the first 30 seconds on pleasantries. 2. Story Once you’ve got their attention, don’t give them a thesis—give them a tale. People think in narrative. Stories are how we’ve made sense of the world for thousands of years. 3. Stats Now that they’re leaning in, show them the receipts. Back your claims with data, studies, or vivid real-world examples. Credibility matters—but only after curiosity. 4. “So what?” Inspiration is nice, but application is better. End with a clear, compelling takeaway that answers the question: What should I do with this information today? Hope this framework helps a bit the next time you're asked to get in front of a crowd!

Cold Email mantra: Tell me something I don't know Want to get more responses? Tell your prospect something they don't know. If you pique my interest—you'll have my attention. Let's look at an example. The cold email in the image was sent to me recently. Here's my gripe with this email: - It's super generic - It's making a big promise that they can lower my credit card fees - It doesn't educate me at all ✅ The rewrite Subject line: hidden fees Hi Jason, I'm sure with clients like Gong, Zoom, and Rippling you're dealing with large transactions. You might be aware—but most consultants don't know about hidden charges behind the 3% credit card processing fees. Things like non-qualified downgrades, lost interchange credits on refunds, etc. account for 1/3 of these fees. We recently helped a consultant recoup close to $30k in hidden fees like these. Open to a quick chat to learn more? David ~~~ This definitely would have gotten a response from me. I have no clue about what those hidden fees might be. And it's obvious this is personalized for me and my industry. How to put this into action: - Look back at the "aha" moments for your prospects in sales calls - You might find goodies in competitive battlecards as well - Package up those non-obvious insights into short snippets - Create an email like the one above offering to share and educate Don't pitch how your solution is different. Speak to how the approach is different. You'll get way more responses using this than asking for a demo.

"Why Buy the Cow When You Can Get the Milk for Free?" is a horrible mindset... when it comes to building your business Too many worry that sharing too much insight upfront will eliminate clients’ need to hire them. But, in reality, holding back does more harm than good. Here’s why giving value freely brings clients to you. Building Trust, Not Dependence Clients pay for more than knowledge; they want unique insights and tailored guidance. Sharing valuable information builds trust, not dependence. By freely offering actionable insights, you establish yourself as a knowledgeable and generous expert—qualities clients remember. Action Step: Share part of your process, like a checklist or framework that solves a specific problem. This builds initial trust and allows you to filter in for your ideal client. 1) Information Isn’t Implementation Clients don’t just want information—they want your expertise in applying it to their unique challenges. They seek transformation. Offering valuable information lets clients experience your approach while highlighting their missing personalized support. -> Action Step: Host a webinar on a common issue, then share case studies that showcase your hands-on impact. 2) Free Value Creates Bridges to Paid Services When clients experience your expertise they are more likely to seek your deeper guidance. Giving valuable insights for free builds familiarity with your methods, making the transition to paid services natural. -> Action Step: End each piece of content with a call to action—invite clients to connect or share a success story. 3) “Free” Expands Your Reach and Credibility Freely sharing expertise increases your visibility. As your content circulates, it introduces you to new clients. This isn’t lost revenue—it’s marketing. -> Action Step: Encourage sharing in your posts to boost reach and credibility. 4) The More You Give, the Stronger Your Brand “Why buy the cow” suggests that giving devalues your work. The opposite is true in consulting: the more you share, the more clients see you as a go-to expert. People remember the problem-solvers. -> Action Step: Consistently publish content that answers questions and offers solutions. In Consulting, Giving is Selling By freely offering value, you aren’t “giving away the milk”—you’re showing potential clients why you’re the right partner. Clients aren’t buying your information; they’re investing in your ability to deliver tailored solutions and guide them through challenges. Generosity is your best brand-building tool.

I used to send >250 custom outbound emails every week. Yesterday, I was introduced to someone who remembered one of those emails from literally 10 years ago. Here's my outbound strategy for anyone that wants to master cold outreach: 1️⃣ do not sell yourself at the open >> seriously, stop talking about yourself. no one cares about you << Instead: just say who you are, and move on to talk about them. 2️⃣ tell people why they are great - I liked to make a list of at least 5 points - I would write custom points for each recipient - I wrote simply and directly - Inspired by Dale Carnegie - people like to be liked 3️⃣ sell the CONVERSATION, not the opportunity - I never pushed people into existential consideration - I only asked them for 15 minutes, they could spare it - I NEVER sold the role or company, I'd only give them 1 sentence about it 4️⃣ be very direct - I always told people "I think you could be a fit for a job here" - But... I never said the specific job, or qualified it further - People need to know what you want, but they don't need all the details 5️⃣ use humor - I've meme'd since the dawn of my professional time - It seemed to work, lots of people just wanted to respond - Them responding = opening to get them on a call 6️⃣ be fast + use tools - you need to move fast to get 50 good messages out per day - I used a template to populate my open + add bullet points (but not content) - I used TextExpander to insert saved "custom" points. If I'd already written to a musician and explained why I thought their background in music made them an interesting prospect for an engineering role, I'd save that exact verbiage and re-insert it with TextExpander in future messages. - I use all the gmail hotkeys, it helps give you little bits of advantage on a process you will repeat tens or hundreds of thousands of times - it's worth getting gud -------------------------------------- That's it. Remember that people like being liked. Remember that no one cares about you. Remember not to force people to think too far ahead. Oh... and remember that 90% of the time, it won't be the right time, and that's just the process of finding the 10% who are ready to talk.

Your prospect has 147 unread emails. Yours just got added to the pile. What makes them open YOURS instead of the other 146? After sending thousands of cold emails and generating over $700M in sales throughout my career, I've identified the #1 mistake destroying most cold outreach: ZERO RIGHT PERSONALIZATION. Most reps "spray and pray". Sending the same generic template to 1,000 prospects hoping something sticks. Then they wonder why their response rate is 0.5%. Here's the cold email framework that consistently gets 20%+ response rates:  → Make your subject line about THEM, not you. Use recent news, achievements, or common pain points to spark curiosity. Example: "Your Inc 5000 ranking" or "Austin expansion" 1. Keep your email so simple it doesn't require scrolling. It MUST be mobile friendly, as 68% of executives check email primarily on their phones. 2. Use this 3 part structure:  → Personal opener: "Hey [Name], [specific personalization about them]"  → Show understanding: "In chatting with other [title] in [industry], they're typically running into [pain point]"  → Soft CTA: "Got a few ideas that might help. Open to chat?" 3. Research these personalization sources: • Company website (values, mission page) • Press releases • LinkedIn activity • Earnings transcripts (for public companies) • Review sites The hardest territory to manage isn't your CRM. It's the six inches between your prospect's ears. They don't care about your product. They care about THEMSELVES. Recently, one of my clients was struggling with a 1.2% response rate on cold emails. We implemented this framework, and within 2 weeks they hit 17.4% - with prospects actually THANKING them for the personalized outreach. Find your sweet spot on the personalization spectrum. You can't do hyper personalized video for everyone, but you can't blast the same generic template either. — Hey reps… want another cold email strategy? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gKSzmCda