Finn Thormeier hosts Chris Walker, who shares insights on crafting an effective B2B content strategy for 2025 while building Passetto. They discuss the balance of lead generation versus audience building, the pitfalls of over-sharing intellectual property, and the power of invite-only events as a unique strategy. Chris emphasizes the importance of a strong content point of view, effective topic sourcing, and the necessity of measuring content results. The conversation also touches on the evolving roles in content creation and the critical nature of distribution.
Chris Walker stresses the importance of aligning marketing strategies with business financials to effectively communicate value to executives.
He highlights the necessity of maintaining deep customer relationships to inform product development and address market pain points accurately.
The podcast discusses the shift towards targeted content creation over freely sharing intellectual property, emphasizing meaningful engagement with specific audiences.
Deep dives
Understanding Marketing's Complex Impact
Many marketing leaders struggle to demonstrate the actual impact of their strategies beyond basic metrics like leads and pipeline. Chris emphasizes the need to view marketing investments through a financial lens, allowing marketers to communicate their value effectively to the executive team. This shift requires marketing professionals to embrace business acumen and understand unit economics, ensuring their investments yield high returns. For example, while heavy spending on Google Ads might seem attractive, its ROI may not justify this approach compared to alternative marketing strategies that can drive better results at a lower cost.
Positioning and Problem-Solving Insights
Chris shares valuable lessons learned from his experience with his new company, Pesetto, highlighting the necessity of addressing existing problems within organizations. Initially aimed at appealing to CMOs, he recognized that conversations with CFOs were crucial for understanding budget allocation and securing resources. By strategically positioning solutions to align with felt needs within businesses rather than creating something entirely new, marketing leaders can gain a foothold in organizations and expand their offerings over time. Focusing on customer feedback and iterating product positioning allows companies to successfully navigate funding and market entry challenges.
Adapting Content Strategy in a New Landscape
The rise of AI has transformed content strategy, prompting Chris to rethink how he shares his intellectual property. He suggests that rather than giving away all insights, focusing on creating meaningful, targeted content that resonates with specific audiences is more effective. This approach helps avoid direct copying of ideas or strategies, allowing for the establishment of a robust connection with the customer base. Moreover, developing a close relationship with customers through tailored content offerings fosters continued engagement and long-term loyalty.
The Importance of Customer Connection
For early-stage companies, maintaining a deep connection with customers is critical for product development and positioning. Chris argues that focusing on customer needs and feedback can reveal underlying issues in the market that many businesses overlook. Understanding these dynamics allows founders and executives to build solutions that genuinely address customer pain points rather than following trends dictated by the competitive landscape. By prioritizing customer insights over traditional metrics, companies can develop unique products that effectively capture market share and create distinct advantages.
Strategic Adjustments Based on Market Conditions
As market dynamics shift, the historical habits of leaders may become outdated, necessitating changes in engagement strategies. Chris notes that founders and executives need to remain actively involved in understanding their customers to drive success. This requires leaders to break away from centralized decision-making and engage directly in customer interactions to gather vital insights. The transition to a more customer-focused leadership style ensures that companies can adapt their offerings and maintain relevance in an increasingly competitive environment.
In this episode, Chris Walker joins a live event by Finn Thormeier to share his current approach to content, and what it takes to create a B2B content strategy in 2025 that actually works.
Topics covered in this episode:
Chris’s current content approach and strategy while building Passetto
The problem with sharing your IP too freely in your content
Lead gen vs. audience building
Invite-only events as a secret weapon
When to focus on niche vs. broad content
How to develop your content POV’s
The most effective way to source weekly content topics
Who should be the face of your content brand
Why distribution won’t save bad strategy
How to measure results from content
The future of content creation roles
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Thanks to our friends at Hatch for producing Revenue Vitals and all of Chris’s short-form video and YouTube content. Hatch is a video-first content agency that creates short-form video content, video podcasts, original video series, and YouTube videos for B2B companies. Visit www.hatch.fm to learn more.
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