The Animalz Content Marketing Podcast

It turns out that most B2B SaaS companies have more or less the same problems. Execs do need to better understand their teams’ day-to-day issues, but content creators also need to appreciate the bigger picture. After 168 sales calls over 18 months, Jimmy shares his take on what's burning hot in content marketing right now.

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, 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.

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