Parthi Longanathan (Letterdrop) on AI-Powered Social Selling for the 99%
03/18/25 • 43 min
In this episode, Parthi Longanathan explains why his company pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn-focused social selling and how this shift reflects broader changes in the content marketing landscape. After seeing declining demand for SEO services and changing search behaviors due to AI tools, Parthi recognized that AI-assisted, personality-driven content was becoming the clearer path to revenue.
Letterdrop now helps companies turn internal expertise into consistent trust-building LinkedIn content for sales and executive teams. Rather than chasing virality, Parthi focuses on helping everyday professionals create content that resonates with the small subset of people who matter: their prospective customers.
About Our Guest: Parthi Longanathan
Parthi Longanathan is the founder and CEO of Letterdrop. He worked as a product manager at Google on the search team and G Suite (now Google Workspace), giving him unique insights on how search works behind the scenes.
After leaving Google in 2019, Parthi founded Letterdrop, initially focused on helping marketers create high-quality SEO content by streamlining research and connecting content to revenue. In 2023, noticing changes in search behavior and declining demand for SEO services, he made the strategic decision to pivot toward LinkedIn-focused content solutions.
About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: AI & Content
Hello... is there anybody out there creating real value with AI?
The AI conversation in content marketing has become deafening — skeptics shouting from one side, shallow tips from enthusiasts on the other. But somewhere in this noise, there must be pioneers who've actually figured something out, right?
We've gone on a search for the real pioneers — the ones who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly. Through their hard-won insights, we'll discover if there's actually something of value hiding in the noise, or if we're all just shouting into the void.
Check out other episodes in the season here
Timestamps
00:00 "I think a lot of people just misunderstand how to use LinkedIn"
02:00 Current trends in the RevOps space
04:00 Knowledge work automation and relationship-building
06:00 Parthi's background at Google and Letterdrop's evolution
08:00 Why Letterdrop pivoted from SEO to LinkedIn
10:00 Google search principles from an insider's perspective
13:00 How content marketers should think about search
16:00 The future of search and declining SEO investment
19:00 How Letterdrop's original SEO product worked
23:00 Building the LinkedIn growth engine for sales teams
26:00 Components of an effective LinkedIn strategy
28:00 Focusing on influencing "the thousand people who matter"
31:00 How AI enhances Letterdrop's LinkedIn content system
34:00 The reality about most people's "tone of voice"
37:00 The future of content marketing and knowledge work
Mentioned Links & Resources
- Brian LaManna, Nate Nasralla, and Isaiah Crossman (00:03:00): Sales experts Parthi follows for insights into the sales and RevOps space.
- Letterdrop (00:05:00): Parthi's company, which pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn social selling systems.
- Google Workspace (00:06:00): Formerly G Suite, a product Parthi worked on at Google.
- LinkedIn (00:07:00): The platform where Letterdrop now helps companies build personal brands and relationships with prospects.
- Google Search (00:10:00): Where Parthi worked as a product manager, gaining insights into how search algorithms evaluate content.
- ChatGPT and Gemini (00:17:00): AI tools changing Parthi's search behavior that led him to reconsider his business direction.
- Surfer and Clearscope (00:19:00): SEO tools Parthi mentions when explaining alternative approaches to content optimization.
- Clearbit and 6sense (00:20:00): Tools mentioned for identifying website visitors and connecting content to revenue. ...
In this episode, Parthi Longanathan explains why his company pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn-focused social selling and how this shift reflects broader changes in the content marketing landscape. After seeing declining demand for SEO services and changing search behaviors due to AI tools, Parthi recognized that AI-assisted, personality-driven content was becoming the clearer path to revenue.
Letterdrop now helps companies turn internal expertise into consistent trust-building LinkedIn content for sales and executive teams. Rather than chasing virality, Parthi focuses on helping everyday professionals create content that resonates with the small subset of people who matter: their prospective customers.
About Our Guest: Parthi Longanathan
Parthi Longanathan is the founder and CEO of Letterdrop. He worked as a product manager at Google on the search team and G Suite (now Google Workspace), giving him unique insights on how search works behind the scenes.
After leaving Google in 2019, Parthi founded Letterdrop, initially focused on helping marketers create high-quality SEO content by streamlining research and connecting content to revenue. In 2023, noticing changes in search behavior and declining demand for SEO services, he made the strategic decision to pivot toward LinkedIn-focused content solutions.
About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: AI & Content
Hello... is there anybody out there creating real value with AI?
The AI conversation in content marketing has become deafening — skeptics shouting from one side, shallow tips from enthusiasts on the other. But somewhere in this noise, there must be pioneers who've actually figured something out, right?
We've gone on a search for the real pioneers — the ones who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly. Through their hard-won insights, we'll discover if there's actually something of value hiding in the noise, or if we're all just shouting into the void.
Check out other episodes in the season here
Timestamps
00:00 "I think a lot of people just misunderstand how to use LinkedIn"
02:00 Current trends in the RevOps space
04:00 Knowledge work automation and relationship-building
06:00 Parthi's background at Google and Letterdrop's evolution
08:00 Why Letterdrop pivoted from SEO to LinkedIn
10:00 Google search principles from an insider's perspective
13:00 How content marketers should think about search
16:00 The future of search and declining SEO investment
19:00 How Letterdrop's original SEO product worked
23:00 Building the LinkedIn growth engine for sales teams
26:00 Components of an effective LinkedIn strategy
28:00 Focusing on influencing "the thousand people who matter"
31:00 How AI enhances Letterdrop's LinkedIn content system
34:00 The reality about most people's "tone of voice"
37:00 The future of content marketing and knowledge work
Mentioned Links & Resources
- Brian LaManna, Nate Nasralla, and Isaiah Crossman (00:03:00): Sales experts Parthi follows for insights into the sales and RevOps space.
- Letterdrop (00:05:00): Parthi's company, which pivoted from SEO content tools to LinkedIn social selling systems.
- Google Workspace (00:06:00): Formerly G Suite, a product Parthi worked on at Google.
- LinkedIn (00:07:00): The platform where Letterdrop now helps companies build personal brands and relationships with prospects.
- Google Search (00:10:00): Where Parthi worked as a product manager, gaining insights into how search algorithms evaluate content.
- ChatGPT and Gemini (00:17:00): AI tools changing Parthi's search behavior that led him to reconsider his business direction.
- Surfer and Clearscope (00:19:00): SEO tools Parthi mentions when explaining alternative approaches to content optimization.
- Clearbit and 6sense (00:20:00): Tools mentioned for identifying website visitors and connecting content to revenue. ...
Previous Episode
Stewart Hillhouse on the AI Playbook for Tomorrow’s Content Teams
In this episode, Stewart Hillhouse shares a refreshingly practical perspective on how content teams can thrive in an AI-accelerated environment. Fresh from a three-year run as Head of Content at Mutiny and now heading to StoryArb as VP of Content, Stewart offers concrete workflows, AI prompting techniques, and a clear vision for how content teams should restructure for maximum impact.
His approach emphasizes both speed and creativity—advocating for shorter planning horizons, integrated quarterly campaigns, and transparent marketing that acknowledges the audience's sophistication. Most importantly, he provides a framework for the "content team of the future" that leverages AI for operational tasks while positioning humans as strategic directors and personality-driven marketers.
About Our Guest: Stewart Hillhouse
Stewart Hillhouse has just completed a three-year tenure as Head of Content at Mutiny, where he developed campaigns that generated millions in pipeline while witnessing the company's growth from Series A through the emergence of generative AI. His background is unconventional — he started his career in forestry before making a pivot into content marketing through a self-initiated podcast where he interviewed marketing leaders.
Stewart is now beginning a new chapter as VP of Content at storyarb, where he'll focus on newsletter and narrative editorial content. Throughout his career, he has maintained a commitment to experimentation and knowledge-sharing, regularly publishing his techniques and insights for the broader marketing community.
About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: AI & Content
Hello... is there anybody out there creating real value with AI?
The AI conversation in content marketing has become deafening — skeptics shouting from one side, shallow tips from enthusiasts on the other. But somewhere in this noise, there must be pioneers who've actually figured something out, right?
We've gone on a search for the real pioneers — the ones who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly. Through their hard-won insights, we'll discover if there's actually something of value hiding in the noise, or if we're all just shouting into the void.
Timestamps
- 00:00 "You can't think more than 90 days ahead in today's environment"
- 02:00 From forestry to content marketing through podcasting
- 05:00 Building integrated campaigns at Mutiny
- 07:00 The "Survivor" campaign: 10,000 participants, millions in pipeline
- 09:00 Why timeliness trumps perfect execution
- 11:00 Joining StoryArb as VP of Content
- 13:00 "Don't write your own prompts" - The meta AI hack
- 16:00 Using AI but owning the final result
- 18:00 Feeding AI unexpected combinations for creative output
- 20:00 Three foundational guardrails for consistent AI content
- 24:00 "I'm no longer a better writer than AI"
- 26:00 From creation to operations: the changing content role
- 27:00 The future content team: personality marketers, operators, and directors
- 33:00 The open source target account list campaign
- 36:00 Breaking the fourth wall in B2B marketing
- 40:00 The AI research hack: finding relevant podcast segments
Mentioned Links & Resources
- Mutiny (00:05:00): Stewart's previous company, a personalization platform.
- Survivor Campaign (00:07:00): Stewart's AI-focused campaign that generated millions in pipeline.
- Storyarb (00:11:00): The agency Stewart is joining as VP of Content.
- 95% Content (00:13:00): Podcast where Stewart previously shared AI content tips.
- DeepSeek (00:20:00): A newer AI model Stewart mentions.
- Claude and ChatGPT (00:22:00): AI tools Stewart uses with project/memory features.
- Open Source Target Account List (00:33:00): A groundbreaking ABM campaign where Mutiny publicly shared their 5,000 target accounts and created personalized microsites for each one.
Follow Stewart Hillhouse on LinkedIn where he regularly shares content marketing insights.
Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or hea...
Next Episode
Ines Lee on Using AI to Grow Ali Abdaal's 6M+ YouTube Empire
In this episode, Ines Lee shares her journey from teaching economics at Oxford to leading content for Ali Abdaal's 6-million-subscriber YouTube empire. She offers practical insights into how her team balances AI efficiency with human creativity across their content operations.
While highlighting various AI-powered workflows — from video editing to content repurposing — Ines emphasizes that AI excels at producing "adequate" content but lacks the personality that makes content truly memorable: "It's like a cover band that really hits all the notes perfectly, but you're never gonna feel that element of jazz."
For B2B marketers, she shares valuable lessons from the creator economy, including how to leverage personal brands and treat content as a product itself.
About Our Guest: Ines Lee
Ines Lee is the Head of Content for Ali Abdaal, a top YouTuber with over 6 million subscribers. Her unconventional path from academia to content creation began with a PhD in economics at Oxford and a postdoc at Cambridge before joining Ali's team in 2021.
Ines initially balanced academia with content writing as a side gig. In late 2023, she fully committed to creative work when she stepped into her current role. She now leads a team responsible for YouTube videos, newsletters, and social media content that generate revenue through AdSense, partnerships, and sponsorships.
Ines recently launched her own Substack, Side Road 38.
About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: AI & Content
Hello... is there anybody out there creating real value with AI?
The AI conversation in content marketing has become deafening — skeptics shouting from one side, shallow tips from enthusiasts on the other. But somewhere in this noise, there must be pioneers who've actually figured something out, right?
We've gone on a search for the real pioneers — the ones who've ventured beyond the hype to succeed (or fail) spectacularly. Through their hard-won insights, we'll discover if there's actually something of value hiding in the noise, or if we're all just shouting into the void.
Timestamps
00:00 "AI is like a cover band that hits all the notes perfectly"
01:00 Introduction to Ines Lee and today's conversation
03:00 Ines's content consumption habits: The Second Mountain and recent films
04:00 From PhD in economics at Oxford to content creation for Ali Abdaal
06:00 How economics training informs content strategy
07:00 The structure of a major YouTube creator's content team
09:00 How the ideation process works for YouTube videos
10:00 When AI first entered Ines's workflow (summer 2023)
11:00 Three main buckets of AI usage: video editing, content repurposing, and analysis
13:00 Using AI to reverse-engineer Ali's voice and build style guides
14:00 Why human judgment remains essential despite AI assistance
16:00 B2B lessons from the creator economy: the power of personal brands
18:00 Treating content as a product: what B2B can learn from creators
20:00 Ali's expansion into AI software with VoicePal
23:00 "AI gives us adequate content but lacks personality and jazz"
25:00 Current limitations of AI-generated video content
26:00 Developing custom AI agents to improve short-form content selection
29:00 Ines's AI prompt methodology: analyze first, then generate
30:00 "75% of good writing is thinking" - setting appropriate AI boundaries
32:00 A day in the life: how AI assists their YouTube content workflow
36:00 Where to follow Ines: LinkedIn and Side Road 38 on Substack
Mentioned Links & Resources
- The Second Mountain (00:03:00): A book by David Brooks on meaning and purpose that Ines mentioned she's reread.
- Emilia Perez (00:03:00): A film Ines recently watched and enjoyed.
- The Substance (00:03:00): A film with Demi Moore that Ines and Ty found intense.
- Ali Abdaal YouTube Channel (00:07:00): Ali's main content platform with over 6 million subscribers.
- Part-Time YouTuber Academy (00:07:00): An info product by Ali that teaches creators how to grow their YouTube channels.
- Productivity Lab (00:08:00): A 2023 membership program to help people double their productivity.
- Fire Cut (00:11:00): An AI video editing tool that has cut Ali's team's editing time...
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