Behavioral Segmentation For Experience Design

How I got 100K leads with somebody else's content. Early in my career at PayPal, I tried something that worked like crazy. I posted a piece of content that brought us 100,000 leads, and I didn't write a word of it. (I also didn't steal it!) Why am I telling you this? With AI eating up SEO traffic, everyone’s scrambling for attention on social media, and most people think this means becoming a content creator. Good news: You don’t need to write like Alex Hormozi, you just need to be smart about finding content that already works. Here's how... 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗰𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝟮𝗕 1. 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀’ 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘁 – Ask your customers who they follow: Which newsletters, podcasts, YouTubers, and social accounts do they love? Even check what private WhatsApp and Slack groups they’re in. (No customers yet? Who do your prospects follow?) 2. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘀 – Study those creators’ most successful posts, and look for patterns: What do people engage with and why? Which topics? Content formats? Stylistic points? 3. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 – Use those insights to create, license, or partner to get the stuff your audience craves. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝟰 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: 1. 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮: ChartMogul turns their SaaS analytics data into irresistible benchmark reports which they share on LinkedIn and in their newsletter to attract warm leads. (Stripe, Unbounce, and Mixpanel do this too.)     2. 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘀: CloudNC sells SaaS to machine shops. Instead of boring product demos, they share hypnotic videos of CNC machines crafting intricate designs. They show these videos to prospects via targeted ads, and when their sales team calls, prospects already know and like the brand.     3. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Rising Team founder Jennifer Dulski turns her Stanford teaching and decades of leadership experience into compelling stories. Result? 200K LinkedIn followers and a steady stream of warm leads. 4. 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁: Remember my PayPal story? Here’s what happened: We’d just hired a telesales team and they needed leads fast. Instead of spending weeks creating content, I  found the perfect book for our audience, and emailed the author for permission to share two chapters as a lead magnet. Win-Win: The author got massive exposure, and we got 100,000 sales leads. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲? You don’t need to create everything from scratch, you just need to be smart about finding the content your audience already craves. Helpful? Follow Matt Lerner for more. P.S. 🙏🏻 Please don't steal content - just ask permission and credit the original author! Most of us are pretty reasonable.

I'm tired of hearing PR = traditional media. Most agencies are getting it wrong too. 🙃 It isn’t… The NY Times The WSJ  <Insert any other big-name publication> people get excited about Even if you land in a top-tier publication, chances are people will read about it like you are right now - on their LinkedIn feed - rather than the actual media platform where it was published. These traditional platforms may provide varying degrees of credibility, but they don't provide distribution. Today, EVERYTHING is media. Here’s what that might look like: Targeted Content: - Niche Podcasts: Identify the specific podcast your ideal CIO (Chief Information Officer),  CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), or whoever listens to based on their industry and interests. These podcasts are GOLD for moving prospects from awareness to consideration. - Curated Newsletters: Seek out targeted Substack newsletters relevant to your niche, not just "gems." Think "Bankless" for crypto enthusiasts or "The Information" for tech insiders. - Engaging Collaborations: Partner with influencers who genuinely understand your audience and know how to engage them on platforms like Instagram Live. Look for influencers who spark conversations and promote meaningful interactions. - LinkedIn Fireside Chats: Host live-streamed chats with industry leaders and your CEO, and top clients. This adds credibility and attracts a wider audience. - Leveraging Trends: Create TikTok accounts or tie into those that creatively engage with relevant trends and topics specific to your industry. Interactive & Community-Driven: - Virtual Conferences: Participate in or host virtual conferences that attract your target audience, offering valuable content and networking opportunities. - Twitch Streams: Consider live-streaming on Twitch for real-time interaction, especially if your target market is tech-savvy or in the gaming industry. - Reddit AMAs: Host Reddit AMAs (Ask Me Anything) on relevant subreddits to directly engage with your audience and answer their questions in an informal setting. - Pinterest Boards: Create curated Pinterest boards around themes your target market actively searches for, showcasing your brand's expertise and visual appeal. Content with Reach & Impact: - YouTube Channels: These channels have content optimized for search, and one interview alone can drive targeted traffic. - Data-Driven Insights: Prioritize creating content backed by data and industry insights that your target market craves, like reports, white papers, or infographics. Remember: If you aren't seeing the results you want with PR, it's almost ALWAYS one of two things. Either your definition of media is too narrow (and hence, strategies are outdated and underperforming), and/or you don't have a distribution plan to go with it. #pr #publicrelations #strategiccommunications #marketing #tech #b2b

Most people start their content process by looking at what's working for competitors. They see something working for someone else in their niche, they run that script through their favorite AI tool, tweak a few things, and record their own version of it. Cool, that works. But it’s also how you become the off-brand "Big Kola" version of someone else. So here’s how I like to come up with ideas: Start with a painful problem your ideal customer is having.  Then think of YOUR unique solution to that specific problem. Not the generic advice they've already heard 100 times. The way YOU specifically would solve it based on your experience and expertise. That pairing becomes the core idea. And from that single idea, you can attack it from almost an infinite amount of different angles. The how-to. The why. The mistake people make. The story of when you solved it. Etc. Here’s what this looks like in action: Problem → "I don't know how to come up with ideas." Solution → Stop looking for ideas. Start sourcing pain. Idea → Stop looking for ideas, start with your customer’s pain. Angles → How to identify the pain your customers feel. Why competitor research keeps you stuck. The simple exercise to create 10 content ideas in 10 minutes. That's already 3 pieces of content from one problem. There are probably dozens more just around that idea. The beautiful thing about this is not only does this solve any “creative blocks” you have around content ideas, but all this content is based around your ideal customer. Which means you’re making content that targets the people you actually want who will actually buy from you. Start with your customers in mind, not your competitors.

How B2B content creation has changed: Before - A keyword-and-topic-first approach • Do your keyword research • Pick a keyword • Base the topic on that keyword • Write a blog post on that topic • Repurpose your blog post into a YouTube video (and turn that video into multiple clips to be shared on your social media) • Start a podcast and interview guests on their topics (and use audio/video clips for ) Now - A purpose-and-message-first approach • Establish three purposes (product content to inform, narrative content to educate, and entertaining content to create recall) • Determine which purpose you're building towards with this specific asset • Base the topic on your product, your strategic narrative, your audience’s interests, or customer research • Think of the information you want the person reading, watching, or listening to this content to understand • Determine the messages and insights you need to deliver to convey that information • Make a list of the content formats you could create to deliver those insights and messages (this lets you create Straightforward Content) • Think of creative concepts that allow you to deliver your message in a memorable way (this lets you create Conceptual Content) • Distribute the content where your audience hangs out (organic and paid) Master the new way and build an impactful content engine in 2024. And save the image below, share it with your team members, and reference it whenever you want.

After managing hundreds (maybe thousands) of SEO campaigns… I've distilled content creation down to a science. Here are 6 core pillars that actually move the needle: 1. Smart Keyword Selection Search volume is a vanity metric. Focus on these factors instead: • Relevance to your business goals • Commercial intent signals • Click-through rate potential Pro tip: 60% of Google searches end without a click. Pick keywords where people actually click through to websites. 2. The Uniqueness Factor Google's drowning in AI-generated content. Your advantage? Being genuinely different. Here's how: • Conduct original research (even small studies work) • Share first-hand experience and opinions • Create fresh data sets • Build user-generated content around polarizing topics AI can't replicate human experience. Use that. 3. Perfect Intent Matching Want to rank? Match the format that's already working (while adding your unique spin). Simple process: • Search your target keyword • Study the top 3 results • Note the content format (list, guide, comparison) • Create something similar but better If Google shows informational content, don't try to rank commercial pages. Work with the algorithm, not against it. 4. Content Quality Standards Great content isn't about word count. It's about clarity and engagement: • Write like you're talking to one person • Use simple language (no jargon) • Break up text with headings and bullets • Add visuals that actually add value • Edit ruthlessly 5. Topic Authority Building One great page isn't enough. Build supporting content around your main topic: • Start with branded keywords (easiest wins) • Target competitor comparisons • Create problem-aware content • Build educational resources Each piece should link to others, creating a content hub that Google loves. 6. Technical Foundation All the great content in the world won't rank if your technical SEO is broken: • Page speed under 3 seconds • Mobile-first design • Proper URL structure • Internal linking strategy • Schema markup where relevant Stop pumping out random blog posts. Start building strategic content assets that serve your business goals. Every piece should either educate your audience or move them closer to becoming customers.

This content format is the most effective at generating ICP engagement. It drove 50% of my LinkedIn growth over the past 6 months, grew my email list by 2K+ subs, and booked 20% more demos for notus each week: The format: lead magnets. Lead magnets are high-value resources that solve a specific problem for a target audience. My top lead magnet on LinkedIn got 1,376 comments and 117k impressions. I've published 20+ and every single one outperforms my average post. Here's how I create and deploy one in under 24 hours: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: Define audience Before creating anything, I answer three questions: • Who am I trying to help? • What problem does this solve for them? • What outcome will they walk away with?    𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: Break down their problems into micro problems I can solve For example, I help B2B founders generate demand through personal branding. I could break that down into: • How to write a LinkedIn post • How to set up a content engine • How to do signal based outbound 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: Choose format I think about what the best format would be for the topic I’m going to cover. I think about how the audience will likely engage with the lead magnet. Then I try to choose a format that makes it easiest for them to digest and use. • Miro board → These are great to visualize processes or to reverse engineer and analyze funnels of other people. • Notion templates → Great to help people set up workflows, CRMs, or mini courses • Presentations & Slide Decks → Step-by-step process guides or workshops.    𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: Build the funnel This is how I take my audience from rented to owned. I set up a landing page where people enter their email to access it. I like Gumroad or Kit. When they put in their email, it gets added to my newsletter list and they get the lead magnet sent straight to their inbox. I also set up a thank you page where people can book a demo with my team. Step 5: Deploy and distribute 1. Write a post that sells the outcome of the lead magnet, close with: "Comment [keyword] and I'll send it your way." 2. Monitor comments and respond quickly → Engagement drives visibility. 3. Manage the DMs → Make sure the resource goes out to every person who commented. Use each DM as an opportunity to qualify prospects. Not every lead magnet is a hit. But they consistently drive relevant ICP signals and sales calls. For me, they've become a non-negotiable part of my content mix.

I honestly believe that the last remaining unique weapon B2B brands have, is brand. Brand that is built by content marketing. So much so that we are doubling down at Shake Content. (Copy, steal or hire us to do the below) Step 1: Who is the target reader of our content? An extensive ICP, persona, competitor and sales deep dive. For us, it is clear that our target consumer is: - Founders & CEO's about to enter growth-stage, B2B business (>£5m rev) Step 2: What are we trying to achieve? Every piece of content is clearly addressing pain points, entertaining or educating this target reader. Most importantly, our aim is, if we jumped on a call in 7 days time. The post will be mentioned. - Build trust = 10% MOM CTRs, follower growth and website traffic - Self attributed content mentions & conversations = 4 pcm. - Engagement from the 'right' audience Step 3: Focus areas? Are we driving traffic to an event, newsletter, webinar or podcast. - Owning an audience cannot be achieved on LinkedIn but it can through a subject matter experts webinar or newsletter. Step 4: What are our content pillars and types? - Demand generation, B2B marketing and content strategy - 80% video, 20% test of images/carousels/text only Step 5: How do we achieve this every single month? 1) Subject matter expertise via video. Focus: Trust build. 1 hour video session every month, answering a collaborative list of topics contributed by all areas of the business. This is the basis of our content to ensure authentic trust building with our target audience. 2) Existing & External Content Focus: Authority Showcase Utilising branded marketing collateral such as blogs, white papers and promo materials to repurpose into a mixture of media content for LinkedIn. Also, by using Shake Content's network connecting to other podcasts to increase exposure. 3) Drive audience to owned media. Focus: Pipeline Building I believe that every B2B business should be running a webinar series. Webinars need a rebrand but they are not the stale, yuk that we have once seen. A plethora of tool options available and a clear narrative to showcase expertise, collect data and offer a ton of value that can nurture existing clients and prospects. 4) Employee Engagement Focus: Advocacy with a Boost. Good brand building via content marketing does not stop with the founder or CEO, this is where it often starts. A premium content strategy should be extended to the entire executive board, all owning their own function and pillars. At a bare minimum every employee should be active in engaging with their colleagues and leadership teams content on social media. They should be incentivised to do so. If you have a product or service that you whole heartedly believe in, like I do in Shake Content then you have to be using that solution. We do the above and so do all our clients. It's a strategy that I believe will WIN.

Follower count used to be the whole game on LinkedIn. But with this strategy, small creators are growing as fast as accounts 10x their size: Chris Donnelly and I analyzed 397,605 posts. Top creators with 10K to 25K followers are now growing at the same rate as creators with >100K followers. The gap between the top 1% and the average creator is closing faster than ever. Follower count stopped being the main advantage. Content is what drives growth now. This is how you make content that performs: 1/ Find your outliers Find posts in Saywhat’s Inspiration tool that performed 2x better than average for that account. Adapt the hook, visual, and format to your niche. Don't copy. E.g. “How [topic] really works” is a winning format right now. Show a side-by-side comparison of common perception vs. the reality. 2/ Build a 3-part hook Great hooks = topic + first line + visual. All 3 need to stop the scroll before someone clicks "see more." Pick a topic your audience is already thinking about, make line 1 a specific promise, problem, or surprise (authority, personal story, or humor), and pair it with a striking visual. 3/ 2026 topic lottery Topics like career development, AI, work life balance are likely to go viral. Take a viral topic and apply it to you niche. Use titles like like "How to (actually) use Claude as a [role]", "7 levels of [skill in your niche]", or "How [role] really get promoted.” 4/ Use videos strategically Video builds trust better than almost any other format, but it gets poor reach. Use it for educational content, stories and skits, or client testimonials. One video a week is enough. 5/ Create lead magnets Create freebies that solve a narrow, yet painful problem for your target audience…like prompt library, templates, checklists, swipe file etc. Give them away in exchange for emails. I started building my email list quite late, don’t make the same mistake! 6/ Quality comments to get noticed Long, quality comments from authority figures like CEOs, founders and execs help you get noticed more than mass, generic “Thanks for sharing” ones. Two years ago, the gap between a 10k account and a 100k account felt impossible to close. Now the opportunity is yours. 📌 Chris and I broke down every trend, what's working, and what's dying in the LinkedIn Algorithm Report Q1 2026. Get it here: https://lnkd.in/gXiUSNr5 ♻️ Repost to help others dominate LinkedIn in 2026 ➕ Follow me Will McTighe for more like this

The content strategy that's generated 10M+ impressions and 7-figure deals for a client. Here's the 7-Step Framework: 1 - Target the Right Audiences Build two key audiences: --> Your ICP Audience > CTOs, Product Managers > Decision-makers in your target industries --> Creator Community > Other SaaS founders and tech leaders > Amplifies reach and builds credibility 2 - Build Trust First Your buyers need to trust you before they buy. Show them: - Your technical expertise - Real results from customers - That you understand their problems 3- Content Distribution (40/35/25 Rule) Product Strategy (40%) > Product-market fit insights > User adoption strategies > Technical implementation > Performance optimization Go-To-Market (35%) > Positioning frameworks > Demo strategies > Customer education > Trust-building tactics Founder Journey (25%) > Your founding story > Lessons learned > Industry insights > Personal challenges 4 - High-Converting Formats --> Quick Content: > Daily tips > Code snippets > Quick wins --> Deep Content: > Technical tutorials > Case studies > Strategy guides --> Interactive: > Live demos > Q&A sessions > Behind-the-scenes 5 - Lead Capture > Prospects show interest by: > Lead Magnets > Joining webinars > Requesting demos > Engaging with content > Asking questions 6 - Convert Interest to Revenue 4 conversion paths: ↳ Newsletter (weekly insights) ↳ Demo page (interactive walkthrough) ↳ Outbound calls (strategy sessions) ↳ Educational meetings (assessments) The difference: - Random content gets random results. - Systematic content builds a predictable pipeline. What's your biggest content challenge?

Garbage in Garbage out. If you’ve ever cooked a meal with rotten ingredients, you know how it turns out... no amount of seasoning can fix bad chicken. 🤢 AI Content creation is the same way. Garbage in... garbage out. When you use weak prompts with AI, you get fluff. Content that sounds generic. Stuff that makes people scroll past—or worse, question your credibility. But when you use strategic, well-crafted prompts? Everything changes. ✅ Your content resonates. ✅ Ideal clients engage. ✅ You build trust faster than ever. I learned this lesson the hard way. Years ago, I tried throwing random messages out there—thinking volume would win. It didn’t. It damaged my reputation. People tuned me out. It wasn’t until I combined Permission-Based Marketing with carefully structured AI prompts that things clicked. Clients stopped ignoring me... and started asking, "How can we work together?" Here is what I learned about AI ↳ Start with clarity: who is this for, and what do they struggle with? ↳ Ask AI to ask you questions. (AI can be your content creation coach) ↳Be detailed in your requests. AI can understand vast amounts of information. ↳Review and refine—AI is a tool, not a replacement for your expertise. Here’s an example of a bad prompt: ❌ "Write me a LinkedIn post about marketing." (Result: Boring, surface-level junk.) Here’s a good prompt: ✅ “Act as a marketing strategist for [my niche, e.g., freelance web designers]. Suggest 5 detailed post topics that highlight my expertise in [skill area, e.g., user experience optimization], each with a compelling hook and a clear call-to-action that invites readers to ask for my free resource. If needed, ask me clarifying questions to help you create the best, most compelling ideas for my market. Ask one question at a time. Wait for my answer and use it to inform your next question.” (That gets you posts people actually care about.) Bottom line: The quality of your prompts = the quality of your content = the quality of your leads. Good prompts in → Quality content out → Clients knocking on your door. 🚀 Want to see how I craft prompts that attract clients? I put together a guide that walks you through it—no fluff, just actionable steps. Let me know if you want the guide and I’ll send it over.