The Dave Gerhardt Show (from Exit Five)

325 | Lashay Lewis helps B2B SaaS companies create profit driven content strategies. We talk about why a B2B content strategy should be built from the bottom of the funnel up, why she interviews sales teams to understand "life before using the product" and why she interviews customer success teams to understand "life after using the product" and how that influences content strategy, how writing influences buyers, the power of a strong company POV, training in-house writers and freelancers in a way that scales, where podcasting fits in a B2B content strategy, why search volume can be misleading, and thoughts on how content marketers can use AI.

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/
***
Brought to you by:
Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.
Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#324 | Dave is joined by three marketing leaders from different industries to talk on a live session about AI and SEO and what they've learned over the last year. Dave Steer (CMO at Webflow), Marcy Comer (CMO at EagleView) and Clare Schmitt (VP, Marketing & Communications at Piedmont Global) break down how buyers are learning about products through ChatGPT and why traditional SEO fundamentals still matter. The group shares real examples of how they’re approaching content, prompt tracking, PR, and brand authority, plus advice for marketers on where to focus, what to ignore, and how to guide their teams through this search shift.
Timestamps

(01:06) - Why AI + SEO is the hottest (and most confusing) topic in B2B marketing right now

(05:16) - Meet the panel: marketing leaders from Webflow, EagleView, and Piedmont Global

(08:54) - How AI search is changing buyer behavior vs traditional Google search

(12:37) - EagleView’s real approach to AI search, greenfield opportunities, and prompt tracking

(15:44) - What “black hat” vs “white hat” tactics look like in AI-driven search

(19:51) - Webflow’s take: integrated marketing, generosity, and building useful tools

(29:27) - Getting past high-level advice and into real execution

(34:27) - “Circle the buyer”: how content builds demand before buyers are in-market

(38:10) - Why PR is back: long-form press, citations, and brand credibility in AI search

(45:10) - What to do if you’re a startup with no budget: focus on positioning first

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/
***
Brought to you by:
Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.
Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#323 | Anthony Pierri from Fletch PMM joins Dave to talk about what actually matters in B2B positioning and messaging. They break down how to think about value props, why buyers don’t care about your features, and what makes a homepage instantly click. Anthony shares lessons on positioning from working with hundreds of early-stage B2B SaaS companies and explains how to connect real customer problems to clear outcomes.

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/
***
Brought to you by:
Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.
Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#322 | Louis Grenier joins Dave for a conversation about what it actually takes to stand out in B2B marketing when everything feels the same. Louis sent Dave 10 surprise gifts to open during the show, and each one sparks a conversation about marketing, career, and life. They talk about the reality of how people decide to buy and why Louis is so focused on timeless fundamentals.
Timestamps

(00:00) - — Timeless marketing vs the AI hype

(05:03) - — The colonoscopy story.

(12:23) - — Trojan Horse marketing. Get attention first. Sell later. Stop leading with your product.

(17:23) - — Why you can’t create demand, only redirect it.

(23:03) - — Category creation vs sub-categories. Most startups get this wrong.

(25:53) - — Meaning-free brand assets. Why weird mascots and visuals actually work.

(33:12) - — How to sell bold ideas internally without asking for permission.

(37:02) - — Ads that look like ads fail. Attention is the job.

(45:42) - — Triggers vs pain points. How people actually decide to buy.

(51:02) - — First principles, repetition, history, and why this stuff still works no matter the tech wave.

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/
***
Brought to you by:
Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.
Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more

#321 | Jess Cook, VP of Marketing at Vector, joins Dave to break down what’s actually working in early-stage B2B marketing. They dig into how she thinks about attribution for brand channels, how Vector's podcast became a top marketing channel, why they created a brand mascot, and details on what content strategy is working on LinkedIn right now. They also cover shift from content leader to VP of Marketing and how to drive demand without a massive team or budget.
Timestamps

(03:06) - — Meet Jess Cook & What is Vector?

(07:18) - — B2B Influencer pilot setup: why this channel, why now

(14:36) - — The result: 45 demos, ~$1.1M pipeline, and how she tracked it

(16:34) - — How to run influencers

(21:59) - — Scaling idea: retainer-style influencer partnerships

(25:54) - — Vector’s podcast: “awareness magnet” and the format that works

(28:18) - — The production system: in-person batch recording a full season in 2 days

(42:04) - — Jess’s LinkedIn strategy: why she started posting and what she optimizes for

(53:52) - — Content → VP shift: the two muscles she’s building (metrics + leadership)

Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/
***
Brought to you by:
Knak - A no-code, campaign creation platform that lets you go from idea to on-brand email and landing pages in minutes, using AI where it actually matters. Learn more at knak.com/exitfive.
Optimizely - An AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Get a free, personalized 45-minute AI workshop to help you identify the best AI use cases for your marketing team and map out where agents can save you time at optimizely.com/exitfive (PS - you'll get a FREE pair of Meta Ray Bans if you do).

Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.  

***
Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
Visit hatch.fm to learn more