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Hello and welcome to the 140th edition of Fresh Salmon, your go-to B2B marketing newsletter that lands in your inbox every week—for free.

I’m going to do something different in today’s edition.

For the last 2-3 years, Arthur Castillo and I have been having deep conversations about all things B2B Marketing, Go-to-Market, Strategy, and Tactics behind the closed doors. But we have now decided to start recording those conversations, and share them publicly.

I’m holding back nothing, and sharing everything from our discussion. And I’m sharing this exclusively with you all here before we share with everyone else on LinkedIn. Between Arthur and I, we have over 30,000 connections on LinkedIn, these are exclusive insights getting to you first :)

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So, this week, we’re diving into the power of owned media and how to build a sustainable audience that you control — without the risks of relying solely on rented platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook. We've got fresh insights from our discussion, where we discussed the future of audience-building, media-first strategies, and the rise of owned media.

If you're serious about amplifying your message, getting closer to your audience, and building a loyal customer base, this one's for you.

The Power of Owned Media: Stop Relying on Rented Platforms

In our conversation, Arthur and I hit on a crucial point: most companies are still overly dependent on rented platforms like LinkedIn. While platforms like this are critical to growing awareness, the risks are massive. Algorithms change, reach drops, and suddenly, the audience you’ve worked so hard to build can vanish overnight.

Arthur’s Perspective: From Sales Skeptic to Owned Media Advocate

Arthur shared how, coming from a sales background, he used to overlook channels like email. He thought, “Who even responds to cold outreach?” But as head of content and community, his mindset shifted. Now, he sees email and owned media as the answer to ensuring distribution stability and growth.

Here’s his take:

“When you rely solely on rented platforms, you’re just one algorithm change away from losing 50-80% of your reach or revenue. With owned media, you have direct access to your audience, and you’re in control of the distribution.”

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What’s the Real Strategy Behind Owned Media?

Many companies think having a newsletter or podcast is enough, but that’s not true owned media. The reality is, owned media means creating an integrated journey that spans multiple platforms, including newsletters, podcasts, blogs, and even communities. Each element of your owned media strategy should reinforce the other.

Takeaway: Owned media isn’t just a newsletter. It’s about creating multiple touchpoints that you control—email, video, blogs, podcasts, and more—to build a distribution engine that drives value to your audience, on your terms.

Why Media-First Content Strategy Is the New Game-Changer

Five years ago, SEO dominated the content strategy landscape. Today? It’s all about media-first strategies. Social media, led by video content, has shifted how we consume information.

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Here’s the Shift: From Text-First to Video-First

Think about how platforms like Instagram and TikTok have shaped the way we consume content. Video-first strategies are now the rule, not the exception.

In our discussion, Arthur made an interesting observation:

“Social media has built our habits. Instead of reading blogs, now it's ‘Can I watch that quick video?’ That’s how brands are capturing attention today. It’s no longer just about writing blog posts and connecting them to your podcasts. You start with video and repurpose it into blogs, social clips, and more.”

The New Content Flywheel:

1. Start with Video (Podcast, Webinar, etc.) 

Create long-form video content (like a podcast or webinar).

2. Repurpose into Blogs & Social Media Clips 

Break down your video into shorter, easily consumable blog posts and social clips.

3. Distribute Everywhere 

Share across your owned media platforms—newsletter, podcast networks, YouTube, and social channels.

This flywheel approach ensures that your content doesn’t just live on one platform—it spreads across multiple channels, amplifying your message to various audiences.

Remember my favorite distribution flywheel from this image below -

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Building Trust and Attention: The New Marketing Funnel

Here’s something that will resonate with anyone working in B2B marketing: the traditional marketing funnel of awareness → consideration → customer has evolved.

Today, it’s all about:

1. Attention

2. Trust

3. Customer

Arthur and I discussed how video is the foundation of capturing attention, but trust is built by consistently delivering value.

Once you have attention, you can start nurturing trust with your audience through long-form, valuable content—whether that’s in the form of newsletters, webinars, or in-depth articles.

The Attention → Trust → Customer Funnel

- Attention: Capture it with short-form video content and social posts.

- Trust: Nurture it with deeper content like podcasts, newsletters, and webinars.

- Conversion: Once trust is built, customers are far more likely to buy from you.

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Who’s Doing This Well? Real-World Examples

1. Todd Clouser - Previously at Lavender 

Todd’s podcast Easy Mode showcased how Lavender’s product could enhance email campaigns in real-time. His strategy? He created a content series that wasn’t a product pitch but demonstrated the tool’s value in an engaging way, building trust with his audience.

2. Adam Robinson - RB2B 

Adam launched RB2B and hit $3 million in ARR within three months using a media-first strategy. He shared his entire playbook with his audience through transparent video content, effectively using owned media to build trust and grow his brand without obsessing over traditional marketing metrics.

Turning Attention into Revenue: How to Monetize Without Losing Trust

One of the big challenges marketers face is figuring out when to monetize their audience. How do you build trust while gently nudging towards conversion?

Arthur raised a great point here:

“How do you treat your audience list without hurting the trust you've built, but also make sure you're driving revenue?”

The Key: Build Value Loops

Think of your content as a value loop. It’s not just about providing value once—it’s about creating a recurring reason for your audience to return.

The more value they get, the more trust you build, and ultimately, the more likely they are to convert into paying customers.

- Frequent, valuable content → repeat engagement → trust → conversion.

The bottom line is this: your audience is your most valuable asset.

But don’t stop at just building attention—keep nurturing that trust through a multi-channel, media-first strategy that positions you as a leader in your space.

Ready to level up your owned media strategy? Reply to this email and let’s chat about how to build your audience loop.

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Interesting Thing That I Noticed This Week

This one is really unhinged! 💯💯💯

Tweet That I Posted This Week

This concludes this edition of Fresh Salmon.

Do what is good for your soul ❤️

All the best,

Vivek

PS. Whenever you are ready, here are 3 ways in which I can help you and your business:

#1: B2B Marketing Consulting and Go-To-Market Advisory for your business.

#2: 1-on-1 Personal Coaching and Mentoring on anything related to Marketing and Go-To-Market Strategies for you.

#3: Promoting you or your brand via this newsletter.

For any of these things just shoot me a reply, and we will arrange a time to chat.