Erin Balsa

Content Marketing Consultant and Writer 

I build and execute content marketing strategies for sales-led B2B SaaS startups that sell complex, enterprise-ready solutions.

Erin enjoys B2B content marketing, keeping the Halloween spirit alive year-round, and talking about herself in the third person. 

No but really ... 

I've been working in content since 2011 when I landed my first job as an editor. Since then, I've worn a bunch of hats like:

- Content marketing agency leader
- Inc. 5000 B2B SaaS marketing director
- Freelance content strategist, writer, and editor

Over the years, I've written for a bunch of brands you probably know including:

- HubSpot
- Drift
- G2
- Intuit
- And a Fortune 100 that shall not be named

These days, I help marketing teams at B2B SaaS companies (Series A-C) survey a representative sample of their ICP and write a 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 original research report that positions their brand as a credible authority — to secure press mentions and close enterprise deals.

If you're ready to publish research that builds trust instead of skepticism, let's chat. And if you just want to connect with a fellow marketing nerd who decorates for Halloween in July, I'm here for that too.

Hausofbold.com

Content Marketing Consultant

I build and execute content marketing strategies for sales-led B2B SaaS startups that sell complex, enterprise-ready solutions. 

Unlike some strategists and agencies, I don't hand you a content strategy and say, "Best of luck!" I ensure your success by helping across four buckets:

▶ People 
▶ Process 
▶ Strategy
▶ Execution 

Learn more and read client testimonials at: hausofbold.com

It's been 3 years since I joined Navattic as a marketing advisor.

In celebration,  I'm pressing buttons on my keyboard! 

(Look at me go.) 

I remember reaching out to Devin Reed and asking him how he got into advising. A simple question — but putting my intention out into the world changed things for me. 

Next day, Natalie Marcotullio reached out ... and the rest is history!

I'm grateful to have found such a wonderful long-term partner. Amazing people, amazing product, and super customer-obsessed. What's not to love?

👉  If your B2B needs regular guidance from a content/brand leader with deep experience in content strategy, original research, and thought leadership, drop me a note.

B2B Content Marketing Leader & Advisor | Creating Data-Backed Narratives That Make Selling Easier

I opened my LinkedIn notifications to see that someone left me a mean comment. 

My blood instantly started to boil. 

"Your research report reads like a sales brochure — you just don't know it yet."

𝘞𝘰𝘸. 𝘙𝘶𝘥𝘦! 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦?!

Oh. 

It was me.
I posted that.
A few days ago. 

This is what happens when you take the advice to "lead with a spicy hook." It comes back to haunt you every time you open your notifications. 😂

It’s 9:07am and we have already:

- eaten breakfast, twice
- built a haunted house out of Picasso tiles 
- made cookies with Play-Doh 
- put ghost stickers on a sheet of paper 
- colored (but not on the wall this time)
- played in 3 feet of snow 

Ah, what other joys will the day bring? 

I know one thing it won’t bring: the ability to work in silence. 

Those days are long gone. 🙃

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If your buyers are skeptical — and they are — would your research pass the sniff test or raise red flags? 🚩 

Most B2B research falls into one of four categories based on:

Rigor of methodology (competence)
Transparency of reporting (integrity)

Here’s a quick gut-check:

Is your methodology rigorous or sloppy?

Q: Was your sample size large enough to support the claims you made?
Q: Was your sample actually representative of your target market?
Q: Was the person who designed the survey and handled the data properly trained?
Q: Did you do data quality checks to weed out bots and people speeding through for rewards?
Q: Did your screener questions weed out respondents who lacked relevant, recent experience?
Q: Were your survey questions clearly worded, non-leading, and free from bias?
Q: Did you run cross-tabulations to analyze relationships within the data?
Q: Did you clearly disclose your confidence levels, margin of error, and study limitations?

Score it like this:
1 point for every “yes”
Higher score = higher rigor

Is your reporting transparent or selective?

Q: Did you set out to test a hypothesis rather than go digging for interesting stats after the fact?
Q: Did you report on the findings that challenged your assumptions — and not just the ones that supported them?
Q: Did you publish your survey questions verbatim instead of paraphrasing them?
Q: Did you distinguish between correlation and causation?
Q: Did you invite external experts to interpret your findings?
Q: Did you acknowledge limitations and uncertainties in your data?
Q: Did you keep your analysis neutral without turning it into a sales brochure?
Q: Did you show the full distribution of responses instead of only highlighting favorable results?

Score it like this:
1 point for every “yes”
Higher score = higher transparency 

Tally up your answers and see where you're at: 

High rigor + high transparency = Believable Research 
High rigor + low transparency = “Trust us” research
Low rigor + high transparency = Amateur research
Low rigor + low transparency = Hogwash research

Was this helpful?

I believe even the hardest things, misunderstood tools, complex stories, or painful experiences, can be turned into a force for good. That’s what drew me to social media: a space that’s often written off as shallow or overwhelming, but when used well, can move people to act, connect deeply, and create real change.

After a decade working on hundreds of social media campaigns, I’ve seen both sides of it. The impact side and the frustrating side. I’ve watched leaders pour time and resources into social without results, feeling like they’re shouting into the void.

I often hear:
"Social isn't working for us."
 "This is so frustrating."
 "You're my last stop before I throw in the towel."

That’s exactly why I founded Cause Fokus—a social-first thought leadership agency that helps executives and founders step confidently into their story, build trust, and turn their influence into impact.

We use empathy-driven strategy, grounded in human psychology, to get you in the room with the people who matter most to your mission. I’ve had the privilege of leading social for U.S. policymakers, international NGOs, small businesses, professional athletes, artists, and global change-makers.

And yes, I’m very proud of my Swedish roots, so you might hear me talk a lot about quality over quantity, fika breaks ☕️, and clarity in everything I do. (That’s also why "fokus" is spelled with a k. 😉)

3 ways to work with me:

- Subscribe to my free newsletter
- Hire me as a fractional consultant
- Hire our team for LinkedIn content strategy & support

CASE STUDY: Turning Influence into Opportunity

A CEO of a patient advocacy foundation came to me with a big problem: no traction from their company’s LinkedIn ad campaigns. Cold outreach was falling flat. They were losing momentum with healthcare partners—and couldn’t afford to keep spinning their wheels.

Our solution:

We activated the Chief Development Officer’s personal LinkedIn presence.
In his own voice, we posted 3–4 times a week, spoke directly to the pain points of ideal partners, engaged in strategic conversations, and sent warm, personalized messages to his top-tier contact list.

In just 6 months:
- His content reached 100,000+ impressions
- Profile views from key decision-makers jumped 508%
- Connection acceptance rate hit 60%
- A major lapsed partner re-engaged and said: “I love what you’re doing on LinkedIn. I can tell the organization is taking a turn for the better. Let’s chat.”

Because when the right people trust you, the right doors start opening.
Trust is currency. Let’s spend it well!

Brynne Krispin

What if joy was your competitive strategy? I can’t stop thinking about Alysa Liu's performance... winning Olympic gold not by pushing harder, but by stepping away, recalibrating, and coming back on her own terms. 

I see the same shift in the seasoned leaders I work with: they don’t need more content playbooks or more rules; they need space to say what they actually think. When they stop performing and start expressing something true, the partnerships, conversations, and revenue follow.

I wrote about that tension, how I've experienced it myself, and what happens when you choose differently! Read below.

This is what it looks like when you choose joy as your competitive strategy. Ever since Alysa Liu won Olympic gold, I haven't been able to stop thinki

Open article: She Stopped Playing by Someone Else's Rules by Brynne Krispin • 5 min read

She Stopped Playing by Someone Else's Rules

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The Battle

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