B2B Content Strategy Driven by Data

In this episode of WeMarketers Podcast, Andrew interviews Tabitha Whiting, a content strategist and writer for B2B tech startups, currently leading the content department at Ravio, a compensation benchmarking platform. Tabitha shares insights on building a successful content strategy for B2B startups, emphasizing the importance of listening to the market, creating valuable content based on data, and understanding your audience’s needs.

She also discusses Ravio’s unique approach to weaving data insights into content, the challenges of content creation, and the significance of prioritizing community building in their overall strategy. Tune in to learn about effective content types, measuring content success, and leveraging AI tools in content creation.

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Connect with Tabitha Whiting: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabithawhiting/

Visit Tabitha’s website: https://tabithawhiting.com/

Connect with Andrew Demianenko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-demian

B2B Content Strategy Driven by Data with Tabitha Whiting [Key Takeaways]

Introduction

Tabitha Whiting, a content strategist and marketing expert, joins Andrew Demianenko to discuss the power of content marketing, personal branding, and audience engagement. With her experience in helping businesses create high-impact content, she shares actionable insights for marketers and entrepreneurs looking to improve their digital presence.

Key Topics Discussed

1. The Role of Content Marketing in Business Growth

• Content marketing isn’t just about creating articles or social media posts—it’s about building trust, authority, and long-term relationships with your audience.
• Businesses that consistently produce valuable content generate higher engagement and better lead conversion.

2. How to Create Impactful Content

• Understand Your Audience: Content should be tailored to your target audience’s pain points, needs, and interests.
• Quality Over Quantity: A well-researched, engaging post is more effective than multiple low-quality pieces.
• Storytelling Matters: Content that tells a compelling story resonates more with readers and builds emotional connections.

3. Personal Branding and Thought Leadership

• Tabitha emphasizes that personal branding is crucial for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
• Sharing expertise, insights, and experiences on platforms like LinkedIn helps establish credibility and attract opportunities.
• Consistency and authenticity are key—people connect with real, relatable stories.

4. SEO and Content Optimization Strategies

• SEO isn’t just about keywords; it’s about creating content that genuinely helps users and answers their questions.
• Using structured content, internal linking, and engaging formats (like videos and infographics) can improve discoverability and retention.
• Leveraging AI tools can streamline content research and writing but shouldn’t replace originality.

5. The Future of Content Marketing

• Video and interactive content are on the rise, with platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok rewarding engaging, short-form videos.
• AI will play a bigger role in content creation, but human creativity and authenticity will remain irreplaceable.
• Businesses need to focus on community-driven content strategies, fostering discussions and engagement rather than just broadcasting messages.

Key Takeaway

Content marketing is a long-term investment, not a quick win. Success comes from providing consistent value, building trust, and creating meaningful conversations with your audience.

Transcription

[00:00:49] Andrew: Hello and welcome to the WeMarketers podcast. I’m Andrew, and my guest today is Tabitha Whiting, content strategist and writer for B2B tech startups. Tabitha helps startup founders and marketing leaders build a content engine that works for their company, from finding their brand voice to developing and implementing a content strategy and plan.

[00:01:15] Andrew: Currently, Tabitha is leading the content department at Ravio, a compensation benchmarking platform. Today, we’re going to talk about effective content strategy for B2B startups. Tabitha, happy to have you today.

[00:01:29] Tabitha: Thank you for having me.

[00:01:30] Andrew: To kick things off, tell me about Ravio and your role as a content strategist. How does the overall content strategy at Ravio look?

[00:01:41] Tabitha: Ravio, as you mentioned, is a compensation benchmarking software aimed at people in reward teams within the B2B SaaS world. It’s powered by Ravio’s real-time compensation benchmarking data set, which helps HR teams and hiring managers understand what a competitive salary looks like for a role. Your salary, plus any other compensation elements like equity or bonus structures, will have been benchmarked by your company’s people team before you enter a role.

[00:02:08] Tabitha: Ravio provides data to support reward teams, replacing the traditional reliance on big consultancy firms for salary benchmarking. It offers workflows to help with performance review processes, pay equity analysis, gender pay gap assessments, and more.

[00:02:48] Tabitha: Ravio is still an early-growth stage startup, with a team of about 50 people. Our marketing team consists of three members: a product marketing manager, a growth marketing manager, and me as the content marketer. While I technically lead the content department, I am the sole content marketer, and we work closely with sales, customer success, and partnerships.

[00:03:24] Tabitha: My role has involved setting up foundational strategy, defining Ravio’s brand voice, and testing different content formats and distribution channels. Our strategy focuses on two classic goals: establishing Ravio as a trusted expert in compensation and supporting revenue generation through conversion-focused content.

[00:04:08] Tabitha: Our unique approach includes leveraging Ravio’s compensation data for original research content and deep expertise to engage compensation specialists. We focus on surfacing data-driven insights and targeting a highly specialized audience rather than providing surface-level educational content. Our main distribution channels include SEO, LinkedIn (both organic and paid), and community partnerships.

[00:05:29] Andrew: When starting content creation within a startup, how do you decide where to invest your efforts? Over time, strategies evolve based on outcomes, but how do you approach this initially?

[00:05:46] Tabitha: In early-stage startups, everything is about testing and learning. I always start by deeply understanding the audience. Knowing your target audience is essential, and content marketers should listen closely to what they discuss, their top-of-mind issues, and pain points.

[00:06:22] Tabitha: The strategy involves identifying core content pillars, performing keyword research, and ensuring every piece of content provides value by addressing audience pain points. Listening is the key—spending more time observing before creating content ensures alignment with market needs.

[00:07:14] Andrew: How does listening to your audience work at Ravio? Are you part of the management team, or how is this structured?

[00:07:35] Tabitha: Ravio has a great feedback loop. We use Slack channels for product and customer feedback, where sales and customer success teams share insights from prospect and client calls. We also record calls using Grain, allowing me to listen weekly and stay updated on customer conversations. These channels help inform content creation without requiring direct customer interviews.

[00:08:35] Andrew: Ravio operates in a very specific niche. How do you ensure your content stands out when many salary benchmarking platforms produce similar content?

[00:08:44] Tabitha: Two key factors help us stand out: leveraging our data and deep subject matter expertise. Ravio integrates real-time data insights into all content pieces, ensuring we provide unique, valuable information. We also focus on engaging with reward leaders and internal experts to bring deep insights into our content. Rather than generic content, we go below the surface to address complex issues compensation specialists face.

[00:11:02] Andrew: You have access to a wealth of data for content creation, but this data is also your product. How do you balance providing valuable insights while protecting proprietary data?

[00:11:23] Tabitha: This has been a constant discussion between marketing, product, and leadership. We’ve found a balance by sharing small data snippets in blogs while reserving more comprehensive insights for gated content like our annual compensation trends report. Our core product value lies in real-time data access, so even if we share a snapshot, the ongoing value remains in the platform.

[00:13:13] Andrew: What types of content work best for Ravio?

[00:13:22] Tabitha: Our top-performing content types include:

1. Annual Compensation Trends Report – A gated original research report that boosts brand awareness and directly influences revenue.
2. SEO-Optimized Blogs – Effective for both top-of-funnel educational content and bottom-of-funnel lead generation.
3. Thought Leadership on LinkedIn – High engagement when reward experts share insights rather than just Ravio’s corporate page.

[00:21:21] Andrew: How do you measure content success?

[00:21:27] Tabitha: We evaluate content success through:

• Engagement Metrics (page views, time spent, downloads, LinkedIn engagement rates)
• Conversion Metrics (influence on pipeline, email sign-ups, gated content downloads)
• Word of Mouth (mentions of Ravio content in customer calls and Slack feedback)

[00:27:15] Andrew: You actively post on LinkedIn and maintain a newsletter. How did you develop your personal brand?

[00:27:32] Tabitha: It started as a side project when I realized I was building content strategies for companies but not for myself. I built a portfolio website and started posting on LinkedIn, focusing on expert-led content. My newsletter shares valuable B2B content examples, helping marketers draw inspiration.

[00:29:16] Andrew: Thank you, Tabitha. How can our listeners connect with you?

[00:29:27] Tabitha: LinkedIn is the best place—just search for Tabitha Whiting. I’m always happy to connect and discuss content marketing.

[00:29:29] Andrew: Thank you very much, and goodbye.

[00:29:30] Tabitha: Bye! Thanks for having me.