Parthi Longanathan (Letterdrop) on AI-Powered Social Selling for the 99%
The Animalz Content Marketing Podcast
Intro
This chapter addresses common misconceptions about LinkedIn's role in driving business success, emphasizing results over mere impressions. The guest recounts their shift from content marketing to a focused LinkedIn strategy, leveraging their experience from Google.
In this episode, Parthi Longanathan explains why his company pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn-focused social selling and how this shift reflects broader changes in the content marketing landscape. After seeing declining demand for SEO services and changing search behaviors due to AI tools, Parthi recognized that AI-assisted, personality-driven content was becoming the clearer path to revenue.
Letterdrop now helps companies turn internal expertise into consistent trust-building LinkedIn content for sales and executive teams. Rather than chasing virality, Parthi focuses on helping everyday professionals create content that resonates with the small subset of people who matter: their prospective customers.
About Our Guest: Parthi Longanathan
Parthi Longanathan is the founder and CEO of Letterdrop. He worked as a product manager at Google on the search team and G Suite (now Google Workspace), giving him unique insights on how search works behind the scenes.
After leaving Google in 2019, Parthi founded Letterdrop, initially focused on helping marketers create high-quality SEO content by streamlining research and connecting content to revenue. In 2023, noticing changes in search behavior and declining demand for SEO services, he made the strategic decision to pivot toward LinkedIn-focused content solutions.
About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: AI & Content
Hello... is there anybody out there creating real value with AI?
The AI conversation in content marketing has become deafening — skeptics shouting from one side, shallow tips from enthusiasts on the other. But somewhere in this noise, there must be pioneers who've actually figured something out, right?
We've gone on a search for the real pioneers — the ones who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly. Through their hard-won insights, we'll discover if there's actually something of value hiding in the noise, or if we're all just shouting into the void.
Check out other episodes in the season here
Timestamps
00:00 "I think a lot of people just misunderstand how to use LinkedIn"
02:00 Current trends in the RevOps space
04:00 Knowledge work automation and relationship-building
06:00 Parthi's background at Google and Letterdrop's evolution
08:00 Why Letterdrop pivoted from SEO to LinkedIn
10:00 Google search principles from an insider's perspective
13:00 How content marketers should think about search
16:00 The future of search and declining SEO investment
19:00 How Letterdrop's original SEO product worked
23:00 Building the LinkedIn growth engine for sales teams
26:00 Components of an effective LinkedIn strategy
28:00 Focusing on influencing "the thousand people who matter"
31:00 How AI enhances Letterdrop's LinkedIn content system
34:00 The reality about most people's "tone of voice"
37:00 The future of content marketing and knowledge work
Mentioned Links & Resources
- Brian LaManna, Nate Nasralla, and Isaiah Crossman (00:03:00): Sales experts Parthi follows for insights into the sales and RevOps space.
- Letterdrop (00:05:00): Parthi's company, which pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn social selling systems.
- Google Workspace (00:06:00): Formerly G Suite, a product Parthi worked on at Google.
- LinkedIn (00:07:00): The platform where Letterdrop now helps companies build personal brands and relationships with prospects.
- Google Search (00:10:00): Where Parthi worked as a product manager, gaining insights into how search algorithms evaluate content.
- ChatGPT and Gemini (00:17:00): AI tools changing Parthi's search behavior that led him to reconsider his business direction.
- Surfer and Clearscope (00:19:00): SEO tools Parthi mentions when explaining alternative approaches to content optimization.
- Clearbit and 6sense (00:20:00): Tools mentioned for identifying website visitors and connecting content to revenue.
- Adam Robinson (00:23:00): Referenced as an example of someone with strong personal brand who receives high response rates.
Follow Parthi Longanathan on LinkedIn: "I'm there posting helpful, thoughtful stuff three to four times a week. At least half of it is created by Letterdrop."
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