AI Idea Starters, B2B Influencers, & Organic LinkedIn Tactics with Dave Gerhardt - Ep 31

Wow, Season Two is kicking off strong with this incredible episode with Dave Gerhardt, an astonishing marketer and the Founder & CEO of Exit Five. Dave joins Craig Rosenberg and Matt Amundson to share how he approaches using AI for B2B marketing, why LinkedIn influencers present a huge opportunity for B2B brands, and the outsized impact that building a strong Founder Brand can have for startups. 

Also, Matt shares his innermost feelings about Dave and Craig examines his own facial hair.

Critical Takeaways

• Social media should be treated as the primary marketing channel for B2B SaaS brands, not just a supplementary piece of your strategy.
• AI tools are best used as an “idea starter” to get your writing going, rather than relying on the artificial intelligence to do the actual writing itself.
• Working with micro-influencers who have a strong, niche following can be highly effective in B2B SaaS. To see good results, it's important to create offers and content that align with what their audience wants to see. 
• Narrowing down your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is crucial for B2B growth. Starting with a more specific market allows for easier traction and learning which you can later apply more broadly as your company scales. 

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Chapters

00:00 Matt provides a safe space for Dave

02:06 Discussing Founder Brand and B2B Marketing Strategies

04:45 The Power of Personal Branding and Social Media for Startups

09:42 AI Tools in B2B Marketing: Opportunities and Misconceptions

20:00 B2B Influencers and LinkedIn Strategies for SaaS companies

26:19 Understanding the Full Funnel in B2B Marketing

27:26 The Power of LinkedIn and Social Media

31:18 Narrowing Down Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

37:03 The Story Behind Drift's Success

40:00 Building a Strong B2B Brand and Content Strategy

46:56 An In-depth Review of Craig’s Facial Hair

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Epic Quotes

• “Social media is the way marketing happens in our lives today.” - Dave Gerhardt
• “I use [AI] a lot as my writing partner, you can't really have writer's block anymore because you kind of always have something to get going” - Dave Gerhardt
• “I love you.” - Matt Amundson

Connect with Dave

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegerhardt/ 
• Website: https://www.exitfive.com/ 
• Podcast: https://media.exitfive.com/podcast 

Shoutouts

• Adam Robinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retentionadam/ 
• Bland AI: https://www.bland.ai/ 
• HeyGen: https://www.heygen.com/ 
• Danielle Messler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemessler/ 
• Natalie Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliecstaylor/ 
• Capsule: https://capsule.video/ 
• Planful: https://planful.com/ 
• Mac Reddin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mac-reddin/ 
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