How to Master LinkedIn for B2B
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this engaging live session, Dave Gerhardt hosts a panel discussion with three LinkedIn marketing experts - Dasha Shakov (Head of Marketing, Proton.ai), Finn Thormeier (Founder, Project 33), and Emeric Ernoult (Founder/CEO, Agorapulse) - to explore what's working on LinkedIn in 2025. (00:56) The conversation covers why LinkedIn has evolved from a simple networking platform into the most powerful B2B marketing channel available today. (07:25)
- Main themes: LinkedIn's transformation into a true social media platform, the power of thought leadership content, employee advocacy strategies, and the importance of thought leader ads as a game-changing advertising format
Speakers
Dave Gerhardt
Founder of Exit Five, the world's leading B2B marketing community with nearly 5,000 members. Dave is a veteran marketer who previously worked at Drift and has been advocating for social media marketing in B2B for over a decade.
Dasha Shakov
Head of Marketing at Proton AI, a Series A venture-backed company that builds CRM software for wholesale distributors. Dasha specializes in LinkedIn strategy for niche B2B markets and has successfully leveraged the platform to reach decision-makers in traditional industries.
Finn Thormeier
Founder of Project 33, an agency specializing in executive thought leadership for B2B SaaS companies. Finn works with approximately 15 companies to help founders, CEOs, and executives create compelling content on LinkedIn through ghostwriting and content strategy.
Emeric Ernoult
Co-founder and CEO of Agorapulse, a bootstrapped social media management platform that has grown to $25 million in annual revenue and 160 employees over 14 years. Based in Paris, Emeric has extensive experience in social media strategy and helping companies prove ROI from social initiatives.
Key Takeaways
Focus on Expertise and Industry Knowledge Over Promotional Content
The most successful LinkedIn content comes from sharing genuine expertise and industry insights rather than constantly promoting your company. (33:43) Dasha explains how her CEO creates valuable content by distilling insights from speaking with 20+ industry leaders weekly, packaging these learnings into posts that resonate with other distribution company CEOs. The key is to become known as a source of knowledge for your customers' challenges, helping them get smarter about their industry and job function. This approach builds credibility and audience engagement that eventually translates into business opportunities, though it requires patience and consistent effort over promotional quick wins.
LinkedIn Has Evolved Into a Mainstream Professional Social Platform
LinkedIn is no longer just a CV repository but has transformed into a full-fledged social media platform where professionals actively consume content during work hours. (09:35) Finn's example of his 60-year-old father, head of IT at a German government company, who went from no LinkedIn presence to regularly engaging with content demonstrates this shift. The platform now reaches decision-makers across all industries and age groups, making the common objection "our customers aren't on LinkedIn" largely obsolete in 2025. This mainstream adoption means content can reach not only your direct buyers but also their networks and influencers.
People Profiles Significantly Outperform Company Pages
Individual employee profiles generate 5-10 times more engagement than company pages with equivalent follower counts. (12:35) The panel emphasizes that authentic personal voices create stronger connections and trust than corporate messaging. The most effective approach is identifying three types of people within your organization: those with relevant expertise for your target audience, those closest to customers, and individuals with special charisma or community respect. These individuals should be the primary content creators, with company pages serving a supporting role. Even when company pages do post, featuring real people prominently in images and videos helps humanize the brand.
Thought Leader Ads Are the Superior LinkedIn Ad Format
Thought leader ads significantly outperform traditional LinkedIn advertising formats because they appear as organic posts rather than obvious advertisements. (39:57) Dasha reports that thought leader ads deliver 3x better ROI compared to other LinkedIn ad types for her company. The key advantage is the ability to test content organically first - if a post performs well with natural engagement, you can then amplify it with paid promotion. This approach ensures you're only investing ad spend behind proven content that already resonates with your audience, making it a much more reliable advertising strategy than creating ads from scratch.
Consistency and Long-Term Commitment Are Essential for Success
LinkedIn content marketing requires a minimum 12-month commitment to see meaningful results, with daily posting being the optimal frequency. (19:02) Finn emphasizes that like podcasting, you need to commit to consistent daily content creation for at least a year before evaluating effectiveness. The sweet spot appears to be one high-quality post per day, typically published between 6-9 AM for maximum reach. Success comes from developing systems for content ideation, maintaining a repository of ideas, and treating every business interaction as potential content material. Short-term wins help maintain momentum, but the real business impact compounds over months and years of consistent presence.
Statistics & Facts
- People profiles get 5-10 times more engagement than company pages with the same number of followers. (12:35) This statistic was mentioned by Finn when explaining why individual employees should be creating content rather than relying solely on company pages.
- Thought leader ads deliver 3x better ROI compared to all other LinkedIn ad formats combined. (39:52) Dasha shared this data from her company's analysis, showing that for every dollar spent on thought leader ads, they get 3 more dollars back versus other ad types.
- Exit Five's community has grown to nearly 5,000 B2B marketing professionals. (58:06) Dave mentioned this number when promoting the community, demonstrating the scale of engagement possible in B2B marketing communities.
