Episode Summary

If you're a seller in today's market, you can’t afford not to create content on one of the most powerful (and free!) channels: LinkedIn.

On this episode of B2B Power Hour, we talk to the one and only Jen Allen-Knuth, community growth manager at Lavender, about how she leverages LinkedIn content to build meaningful relationships with prospects.

She discusses why you don't have to schedule posts every single day and how she draws inspiration from daily conversations. We also dive into the best ways to use "curiosity statements" to reel in your audience and why sellers should take advantage of this long-term relationship-building strategy.

An impactful content strategy is all about giving readers information they didn't have before.  More importantly, your goal is to get them to think differently and make their own decision about whether or not they need to change.  

Sellers always hear about how important it is to build trust and credibility with your buyers, but how do you really go about doing that? Getting involved in the comments and sending messages on LinkedIn are two of the best ways.

While content creation is a more long-term strategy than you might wish, it's critical for building trust. Engaging on LinkedIn lets buyers get to know you, see what you post, and gain a feel for your personality.

But be sure you’re posting about the right things. About 90% of your content should be talking about problems people are facing on a daily basis — not about your product or your most recent corporate event.

Listen in to learn pretty much everything you need to know about mastering LinkedIn content as a seller. You’ll walk away knowing what works best — and what doesn’t.

What she does: Jen is the community growth manager at Lavender, where she helps sales teams get more replies to emails with the ultimate AI email writing coach.

Key quote: “What irks me is when people try to position themselves as experts—just be you! If someone calls you an expert, great, but you don’t have to be the world’s best salesperson to post content."

Where to find her: LinkedIn

B2B Power Plays

Top takeaways from this week’s conversation

🌟 How to create posts that resonate

Keep two key things in mind when writing posts that you want to resonate with others:

  1. Always be a good student. You should constantly be reading what other people are posting and how they’re writing it. Pay special attention to anything that gets a reaction out of you — whether the post sparks an interesting debate or makes you roll your eyes.
  2. Critique your own work. Try to think of anything negative someone could say about your post: What objections might people have? Where could someone poke holes in it? What would a troll say to this? By preemptively thinking about these perspectives, you can create an even stronger post.

📈 The anatomy of a successful LinkedIn post

Jen rarely starts with the hook. Instead, she talks about a general problem or pain point, then gets into what she calls her “curiosity statement.” This is where you spark interest, whether it’s a statement or you’re posing a question.

✏️ Above all else, stay genuine

Jen’s best advice for anyone who feels hesitant about posting on LinkedIn is to remember that it’s all about your framing.

For example, if you frame yourself as an expert but you've clearly only been selling for a few months, people will come for you.

But remember that you don’t have to be an expert for people to like you — you just have to be genuine. Talk about what you’ve observed, what the outcome was, and how it could have been better or different. This approach will spark more natural discussion than pretending to be something you’re not.

Episode Highlights

Inflection points from the show

[2:04] Creating an interesting post: Jen explains how she creates LinkedIn posts that spark interest and engage her audience, from preempting objections to why certain posts have an impact as she scrolls.

[7:48] Adapting to buyer personas: Switching from targeting C-suite executives and department heads to AEs and SDRs was an interesting process for Jen. She breaks down how she shifted her mindset and didn’t let previous experiences influence her new role.

[11:11] Content scheduling: You don’t have to schedule every post or create a quarterly content calendar. Here’s how to take content day by day and let what’s already out there be your inspiration.

[13:25] Posting frequency: You don’t have to post every day — just make sure you’re consistent and meet your audience’s content expectations.

[16:58] Curiosity statements: Jen always uses “curiosity statements” to reel in followers. It could pose a question but, more often than not, it’s a statement addressing a big pain point.

[19:02] Figuring out what to post: Jen talks through her process of turning customer problems into impactful LinkedIn posts.

[23:44] Gauging content success: Morgan uses resonance to measure the success of content. Whether it’s positive or negative, if people are commenting on the post or private messaging about it, he considers it a win.

[25:57] Being relatable: Being inclusive and using “we” in your posts instead of saying “you”  can help improve engagement. Jen explains how this practice helps buyers relate and encourages them to reach their own conclusions.

[30:49] The long game: Even though you aren’t posting about your products or corporate events on a daily basis, initiating discussions with buyers helps build trust and valuable long-term relationships.  

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