Growth & Strategy
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Medium-term (3-6 months)
When I started working with B2B SaaS clients, I kept seeing the same pattern. Founders would spend weeks crafting the "perfect" thought leadership content, publish it across multiple platforms, and then wonder why their brilliant insights were getting lost in the noise.
The problem wasn't their ideas—it was their distribution strategy. While everyone was chasing the multi-platform posting dream, I discovered something that completely changed how I approach thought leadership distribution: most successful thought leaders aren't actually posting everywhere. They're being strategic about where and how they build authority.
After working with dozens of SaaS founders and analyzing what actually drives meaningful engagement, I've developed a contrarian approach that focuses on depth over breadth. Instead of broadcasting generic insights across every platform, I help clients build genuine expertise in specific niches through targeted distribution.
Here's what you'll learn from my experience:
Why the "post everywhere" strategy is killing your thought leadership
How I discovered the hidden growth engine that most founders ignore
My step-by-step playbook for building authority through strategic distribution
Real metrics from founders who went from industry ghosts to recognized authorities
The counterintuitive approach that saves time while increasing impact
If you're tired of shouting into the void and ready to build real authority in your industry, this playbook will show you exactly how to distribute your expertise strategically. Let's dive into what actually works in 2025.
Industry Myths
What every startup founder has been told about thought leadership
The thought leadership industry has convinced us all to follow the same playbook. Every marketing guru, LinkedIn coach, and content strategist preaches the same gospel: post consistently across all platforms, share industry insights, and engagement will follow.
Here's what the conventional wisdom tells you to do:
Multi-platform strategy - Post the same content on LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium, your blog, and anywhere else you can get your hands on
Consistent posting schedule - Share insights daily or weekly, regardless of whether you have something meaningful to say
Broad industry commentary - Cover all the trending topics in your space to stay "relevant"
Engagement farming - Ask questions, create polls, and fish for comments to boost algorithmic reach
Generic thought leadership - Share high-level insights that could apply to anyone in your industry
This approach exists because it feels productive. You're creating content, you're visible, you're "building your brand." The metrics look good on paper—followers growing, posts getting likes, people commenting with generic praise.
But here's where this conventional wisdom falls short: visibility doesn't equal authority, and engagement doesn't equal influence. Most founders following this playbook end up as noise in an already saturated market. They're posting content that looks like everyone else's, targeting audiences that don't really know or care about their specific expertise.
The real problem? This spray-and-pray approach to thought leadership distribution treats expertise like a commodity. When everyone is sharing the same surface-level insights across the same platforms, nobody stands out. You become just another voice in the echo chamber, competing for attention rather than building genuine authority.
What if there was a completely different way to think about distributing your expertise—one that focuses on depth over breadth, and builds real authority instead of empty engagement?
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
When I first started working with B2B SaaS founders as a consultant, I kept running into the same frustrating pattern. These were brilliant people building innovative solutions, but their thought leadership was invisible. They'd spend hours crafting LinkedIn posts about industry trends, cross-post to Twitter and Medium, and wonder why they weren't being recognized as the experts they clearly were.
The wake-up call came during a project with a SaaS acquisition strategy client. The founder was posting daily insights about customer acquisition, sharing the same content across five different platforms. Despite having genuinely unique perspectives from years of building in the space, his content was getting lost in the noise.
That's when I started analyzing what was actually working. I looked at the founders in his space who were getting invited to podcasts, speaking at conferences, and being quoted in industry publications. What I discovered was surprising: the most recognized thought leaders weren't posting the most content—they were being more strategic about where and how they shared their expertise.
I decided to run an experiment. Instead of the typical multi-platform approach, I had this client focus entirely on one platform where his ideal customers were most active: LinkedIn. But instead of generic industry commentary, we focused on documenting his actual work and sharing specific insights from his client projects.
The difference was immediate. When he shared a detailed breakdown of a failed onboarding experiment with real metrics and lessons learned, it sparked genuine conversations with other founders facing similar challenges. These weren't generic "great post" comments—they were substantive discussions that led to direct messages, collaboration opportunities, and speaking invitations.
This experience taught me that thought leadership distribution isn't about broadcasting to everyone—it's about building genuine expertise and sharing it where it matters most. The founders getting recognized as authorities weren't trying to be everywhere; they were being strategic about building relationships in specific communities where their insights could have real impact.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
Based on this insight, I developed what I call the "Depth Over Breadth" approach to thought leadership distribution. Instead of trying to be visible everywhere, the strategy focuses on building genuine authority in specific niches through strategic, targeted distribution.
Step 1: Identify Your Distribution Hub
The first step was identifying where this founder's ideal audience was most active and engaged. For B2B SaaS, LinkedIn was the obvious choice, but the key was going deeper than just "posting on LinkedIn." I helped him identify specific groups, hashtags, and conversations where decision-makers in his target market were actively discussing problems he could solve.
Instead of broadcasting to his general network, he started engaging in niche communities where his expertise was directly relevant. This meant commenting thoughtfully on posts from other SaaS founders, sharing insights in specialized groups, and building relationships with people facing the exact challenges he'd solved before.
Step 2: Document Real Work
The breakthrough came when we shifted from generic industry commentary to documenting actual work. Following the principle I learned from my SaaS growth experiments, every piece of content was based on something he'd actually done, tried, or learned from his client work.
This meant sharing specific case studies, failed experiments with real metrics, and detailed breakdowns of what worked and what didn't. Instead of "5 Tips for Better Customer Onboarding," he'd share "Why Our 3-Step Onboarding Reduced Churn by 23% (And the One Thing That Almost Killed It)." The specificity made all the difference.
Step 3: Build Distribution Loops
The most important discovery was creating what I call "distribution loops"—ways for valuable content to reach the right people beyond just posting and hoping. This included:
Direct sharing - When he created something valuable, he'd share it directly with 5-10 people who would find it specifically useful
Community seeding - Instead of just posting in groups, he'd share insights in response to specific problems people were discussing
Collaboration amplification - Partnering with other experts to co-create content that leveraged both their networks
Platform-specific optimization - Adapting content format and style to what worked best on his chosen platform, rather than cross-posting identical content
Step 4: Create Knowledge Anchoring
The final piece was establishing what I call "knowledge anchoring"—becoming the go-to person for specific, niche expertise rather than trying to be an expert on everything. For this client, that meant focusing specifically on SaaS customer acquisition for B2B startups with complex products.
Every piece of content, every comment, every interaction reinforced this specific expertise. When people in his network encountered problems in this area, they started thinking of him first. This focused approach led to speaking opportunities, podcast invitations, and consulting inquiries that never would have come from generic thought leadership.
The key insight: thought leadership distribution isn't about reaching the most people—it's about reaching the right people with insights they can't get anywhere else. By focusing on depth over breadth, he built genuine authority in his niche instead of just adding to the noise.
Focus Strategy
Choose one platform where your ideal customers are most active, not where you think you should be
Content Depth
Share specific experiments and real metrics instead of generic industry commentary
Distribution Loops
Create systems for your content to reach the right people beyond just posting and hoping
Authority Anchoring
Become known for solving specific problems rather than commenting on broad industry trends
The results from this focused approach were dramatic and measurable. Within three months of implementing the "Depth Over Breadth" strategy, my client saw significant changes in both engagement quality and business outcomes.
Engagement Transformation: Instead of getting 50-100 generic likes on broad industry posts, his specific case studies and experiment breakdowns were generating 20-30 meaningful comments from other founders asking detailed follow-up questions. More importantly, these conversations were leading to direct messages and real business relationships.
Authority Building: Within six months, he received his first speaking invitation to a SaaS conference specifically because an organizer had seen his detailed posts about customer acquisition experiments. This led to two more speaking opportunities and a podcast appearance where he was introduced as "a leading expert in B2B SaaS acquisition."
Business Impact: The focused thought leadership approach generated three qualified consulting leads directly from LinkedIn connections who had been following his content. Two of these converted into six-figure contracts. The ROI from strategic distribution far exceeded what he'd achieved with generic multi-platform posting.
Network Quality: Perhaps most importantly, the quality of his professional network improved dramatically. Instead of collecting random connections who occasionally liked his posts, he built relationships with other founders, investors, and industry experts who were genuinely interested in his specific expertise.
The timeline proved that building real authority takes focused effort over time, but the compound effects are significant. By month six, other experts in his space were starting to reference his work in their own content, creating organic amplification that no amount of scheduled posting could achieve.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
After implementing this approach with multiple clients, I've identified seven key lessons that determine success or failure in thought leadership distribution:
Platform monogamy beats platform polygamy - Focusing deeply on one platform where your audience is most engaged generates better results than spreading thin across multiple channels
Documentation beats commentary - Sharing what you've actually done and learned is infinitely more valuable than offering opinions on industry trends
Specificity is magnetic - The more specific your expertise and examples, the more likely you are to attract the right opportunities and connections
Distribution is active, not passive - Posting content and hoping people find it is far less effective than actively sharing insights where they're needed most
Quality of network matters more than size - 100 connections who value your specific expertise are worth more than 10,000 random followers
Consistency in niche beats consistency in posting - It's better to share insights sporadically in your area of expertise than to post daily about random topics
Authority is built through relationships, not just content - The most successful thought leaders focus on building genuine connections with other experts in their space
The biggest mistake I see founders make is trying to be everything to everyone. This approach works best when you have deep, specific expertise and are willing to be known for solving particular problems rather than being a generalist. It's not suitable for every business or every stage of company development, but for B2B founders with proven expertise, it's incredibly effective.
If I were starting over, I'd focus even more on building direct relationships with other experts in the space before trying to build a broader audience. The network effects of connecting with the right 20-30 people can be more valuable than reaching thousands of strangers.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS startups looking to implement strategic thought leadership distribution:
Focus on LinkedIn where B2B decision-makers are most active
Document your product development experiments and user feedback insights
Share specific metrics from growth experiments and feature launches
Build relationships with other founders in your space through thoughtful engagement
For your Ecommerce store
For ecommerce businesses building thought leadership:
Choose platforms where your target customers discover new brands
Share behind-the-scenes insights about product sourcing and customer behavior
Document conversion optimization experiments and seasonal strategy results
Connect with other ecommerce founders and industry suppliers for cross-promotion