Rising Costs? Bigger Stories. Smarter AI. Here’s How.

Inside: strategic storytelling, full‐funnel webinar wins, and the customer‐first tactics fueling SaaS growth.

Author

Tyler Morian
April 17, 2025

This week: B2B marketers breaking free from boring content through strategic storytelling, leveraging AI's elastic cost model for competitive advantage, and navigating rising customer acquisition costs. And exploring the evolving CMO role, specialized LinkedIn content design, and customer-focused growth strategies. Giddyup!

Strategic Storytelling: The B2B Differentiator

Is your B2B content falling flat? Liam Moroney suggests B2B marketers often overlook emotion and storytelling in favor of dry information delivery.

Elliot Rainer explains that a strong strategic narrative differentiates value and targets the ideal customer profile. He emphasizes communicating product outcomes rather than features, and personalizing emotional narratives to build credibility and deeper connections.

In today's competitive landscape, strategic narrative is essential. Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, notes that AI is lowering barriers to entry, making strategic narrative a key differentiator. Moroney adds that storytelling-driven awareness must precede information-dense content.

BIG IDEA: B2B SaaS companies must embrace strategic storytelling to differentiate themselves and connect emotionally with buyers.

WHY IT MATTERS: In an age of information overload, emotional, narrative-driven content is the most effective way to stand out and drive action.

Comment insights:

  • Elliot Rainer "Strategic narrative is your best way to find something unique."

    • "People are much more interested in the benefits, values, and outcomes."

    • "Storytelling is communicating contrast—chaos and order, beginning and end."

Leveling Up SaaS Growth: Strategies for Rising CAC

Is your SaaS growth stalling? Oren Greenberg argues that rising customer acquisition costs (CAC) shouldn't trigger panic. Instead of retreating when CAC doubles, founders should expand into new channels, focusing on blended CAC.

Allie Smith highlighted Tekmetric's success using a full-funnel webinar playbook, generating 139 demos from a single webinar. Smith also teased a bolder approach to the Game Changers series, addressing the evolving CMO role in a recent post. Meanwhile, Jason Lemkin notes that the tech landscape has broadened, lessening the need to focus solely on the Salesforce ecosystem for B2B apps.

By embracing data-driven channel expansion and optimizing conversion, mid-market SaaS companies can unlock new segments and maintain a competitive edge despite rising costs.

BIG IDEA: Strategic channel expansion and innovation outweigh the threat of stagnation caused by rising CAC.

WHY IT MATTERS: Navigating rising CAC and identifying new growth opportunities are crucial for mid-market SaaS companies to achieve sustained success.

The Evolving Role of the CMO

Are CMOs strategic thinkers or just pipeline managers? Liam Moroney argues that a diminished focus on macro-level thinking is hurting marketing. He emphasizes understanding economics and strategy within the broader market, not just internal metrics.

Moroney also suggests SaaS marketing may be struggling to adapt after a period of explosive growth. In another post, he contends that SaaS has fostered a marketing style overly focused on lead generation, neglecting classic fundamentals like the 4Ps. He advocates for integrating broader marketing principles to thrive in evolving conditions.

Leaders also need resilience. Dan Martell's story of overcoming adversity underscores the adaptability required of CMOs. Sticking to one's own timeline and doing what it takes to win remains essential in a constantly shifting landscape.

BIG IDEA: CMOs need to balance short-term goals with market understanding and long-term brand building.

WHY IT MATTERS: Mid-market companies should invest in CMOs with broad marketing knowledge who can navigate complex markets beyond lead generation.

Comment insights:

  • Justin W. Boggs agrees with Moroney's critique, noting the absence of true marketing discipline in tech.

AI Agents: The Elastic Cost Model for Knowledge Work

Are AI agents set to revolutionize knowledge work, or spark workforce anxieties? The answer is nuanced, especially considering recent directives to prioritize automation, as seen with Shopify's CEO Tobi Lutke, according to Aaron Hassen.

AI-driven automation uses AI to automate tasks, from structuring unstructured data – as Aaron Levie demonstrates with Box AI and OpenAI's GPT-4.1 – to more complex functions. Levie also notes that these agents offer an elastic cost model for knowledge work, making previously cost-prohibitive tasks economically viable in another post. While AI can automate routine tasks, Oren Greenberg reminds us to consider the human element behind the AI.

The impact on the workforce is a key concern. While some fear job displacement, Levie's perspective suggests AI agents could drive growth in other areas, ironically boosting hiring. Hassen highlights the potential clash between workers and business leaders if automation isn't carefully implemented.

BIG IDEA: AI agents offer an elastic cost model for knowledge work, but require strategic planning for workforce integration.

WHY IT MATTERS: Understanding AI automation's capabilities helps CMOs optimize resources, identify growth opportunities, and navigate workforce implications.

Content Design Strategies for LinkedIn Success

Are your LinkedIn designs failing to convert? Many in-house teams struggle to create effective LinkedIn content beyond surface-level awareness, says Nick Broekema. He argues that LinkedIn demands specialized content design that delivers ideas quickly and simplifies complexity.

Pete Crowley shares seven principles for high LinkedIn engagement, including relatable human images, killer hooks, and storytelling. Crowley also recommends using the Hemingway App for clear writing. Meanwhile, Sujan Patel is building a 2025 resource on cold email outreach, seeking examples of compelling emails with strong first lines and low-pressure CTAs.

CMOs should re-evaluate their content strategy and design capabilities. Are you overly reliant on templates? Consider investing in specialized LinkedIn content design or refining cold email strategies to improve results and brand credibility.

BIG IDEA: Generic content won't cut it on LinkedIn or in cold outreach. Invest in specialized design and messaging that drives action.

WHY IT MATTERS: Targeted LinkedIn content and refined cold email strategies can significantly enhance results and brand credibility for mid-market companies.

Customer Focus: The Foundation of Sustainable Growth

Are you truly listening to your customers? Natasha Vernier at Cable emphasizes the need to understand customer needs, not just wants. This led Cable to develop automated control testing for consumer protection regulations.

Truly listening means uncovering underlying challenges. Aaron Hassen highlights the importance of building trust to the point where customers see you as part of their team, enabling more effective recommendations.

Customer focus drives growth. Hassen shares that a client rebrand and marketing program revamp resulted in 29% growth for the initial product line in a post. Vernier also announced that Cable signed a $200bn bank in another post after a 4-month sales cycle, a direct result of listening to customer needs.

BIG IDEA: Deep customer understanding and trust are foundational for sustainable growth and market leadership.

WHY IT MATTERS: Prioritizing customer focus builds stronger relationships, drives innovation, and leads to greater business success in competitive markets.

Comment insights:

  • Vilendran Govender emphasizes educating and evangelizing change when commenting on a post by Dharmesh Shah.

Sound Bites

Quick insights from videos and podcasts:

Until next week!