⚡£23M revenue from Organic Growth for SaaS with Content Marketing Sprints | Storytelling, SEO and Content Marketing ⚡️

Your AI content sucks.
Your competitors' AI content sucks.
Everyone's AI content sucks.

And you know what's worse? You're all paying through the nose for it.

While you're sitting there wrestling with prompts like a cat trying to open a doorknob, we've built something that actually works. Because unlike every other "revolutionary AI tool" (looking at you, [REDACTED]), we know it takes more than 10 prompts and a prayer to write content that doesn't sound like it was outsourced to a drunk toddler.

We use 450+ prompts. Overkill? Maybe. But at least our stuff doesn't read like it was written by an AI having an existential crisis.

Some receipts for the skeptics:
↳ Slapped 400 blogs on our site = 10x traffic in 3 months
↳ Halved content budgets while 5x-ing output (yeah, your Content Manager's been lying about costs)
↳ Helped tiny startups pimp-slap Fortune 500s right off page 1

After a decade watching the B2B content circus, I've seen every "game-changing" tool and "revolutionary" AI writer. Most of them belong in the same trash bin as your last strategic plan.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Your investors aren't buying your "we're playing the long game" BS anymore. They want to see organic traction, and your three LinkedIn posts from 2023 aren't cutting it.

You need Penfriend.ai if:
✓ Your competitors are living rent-free at the top of Google while you're still "building awareness"
✓ VCs are ghosting you because your "organic presence" looks like a digital ghost town
✓ You're burning cash on content that reads like it was plagiarized from a terms of service agreement
✓ You're ready to stop being the industry's wallflower and start being its problem child

Sound familiar? Then you're exactly who we're looking for.

The hard truth? You suck at AI. But it's not your fault. You've been sold a lie by companies who think "AI writing" means letting GPT go wild after a two-prompt foreplay.

We fixed it. Because someone had to.

DM me "PAGE ONE" and I'll show you how we're helping companies terrorize their competition online.

P.S. If you're happy with generic, soulless AI content that sounds like everyone else's, this probably isn't for you. And that's okay. Someone has to keep the internet boring.

Tim Hanson

Fractional Head of Content Marketing / Expert content strategy, precise editorial planning, and top-notch writing / Specializing in the language services industry

I build and run straightforward, no-stress B2B content marketing programs that drive awareness and growth.  

I usually come in and optimize / expand current programs, rather than building from scratch because most B2Bs are already doing some form of content. We work together to refine your strategy, all while improving production processes and publishing great content. 

Almost always, I find what's in place to be overly complicated, and I work to simplify. 

B2Bs who are already publishing content (but not seeing results) tell me they: 
--are blogging and posting on social but it’s random and they want to 'put strategy around it'
--have a sales team saying ‘where’s the content’ or ‘our content sucks’ 
--lack the bandwidth or expertise to build a content strategy themselves
--don’t know what their target audience wants to hear about so are just copying competitors 
--have a content development process that is chaotic and stressful 

If any of these challenges ring a bell for you, there's a fix:  Long-term, part-time content strategy and program execution that drives awareness and leads, frees up your time, distresses your team, and grows your revenue. 

If you work with me you will get: 
➡️ Revenue growth from content aligned with your top-value buyer
➡️ Done-for-you execution of your ongoing full-funnel content program
➡️ Multiplier on your content ROI because of planned repurposing and broad distribution
➡️ High-quality, substantive content due to proven frameworks for thought leadership 

My clients would say I am both strategic and tactical, I focus on teamwork and clear communication, and that I provide organization and focus to everything I touch. 

‘Lee is a rare gem! She provides organization and focus to everything she touches.  She keeps her finger on the pulse of content strategy best practices. From helping us produce compelling campaigns, to refining our personas and improving operational efficiencies, she has been an invaluable asset to our team.’—Natalie Ayers, VP Marketing at United Language Group

And what about me as a human? I love to hike and run trails, cook, golf, and travel (34 countries so far). Lifelong student, teacher, and writer.  I was born in Peru and I speak Spanish. I live in Idaho with my husband, son, and Westie terrier. If you're a mid-sized B2B who needs to improve your content program to drive growth, DM me. We can chat about your goals and gaps.

Www.leedensmer.com

Grab my book, Content Simplified: The Top B2B Content Marketing Mistakes and How to Fix Them at leedensmer.com/book

Lee Densmer

I see a lot of imprecision with the terms content marketer, content manager, and content strategist. 

It does no one any favors.  

Let’s fix that, so everyone knows roles, expectations and appropriate salaries. 

🔷 Content marketing strategist:  the person who puts the foundations in place so you can have a successful program, things like buyer personas, messaging, content formats, tone of voice, distribution and repurposing plans. 

🔷 Content marketer: most often a writer; the pro who writes your content. The creative force who implements your messaging across content formats. Also may own SEO, data analysis, and tools. Not synonymous with copywriter, but this person may be one.  *This might be the most confusing of all the terms. It could just refer to someone who works in the space, in any capacity. 

🔷 Content marketing manager: the person who manages the work. Plans schedules, coordinates the writers, gets the work done, publishes on your platforms. 

Can someone be all three of these things? Maybe? Probably not.  But be ready to pay for it. Anything under 150k is probably not reasonable. 

Also - and this is important - an SEO strategist, social media manager, or blogger is not a content marketer. They do a part of it. Don't saddle one of these professionals with the whole role.  They may not even want the job and prefer to specialize in just that one area.  And people with these roles - please don't call yourself a content marketer.  It confuses the market and may bring you work you don't really want or aren't good at.  

Last point - these roles aren't the only ones on your content team. Check out my ebook on hiring a content team at the link in the comments. 

Is there anything controversial here? I can guess which statement will be.  Tell me. 👇

I build and run efficient, revenue-generating content programs / Tamer of chaos, confusion, and complexity / Content strategist, author, and teacher

Are you a B2B with loads of blog content already? And are you still writing 2+ posts/week? 

✋Good way to burn through money and burn out a team. 

Most B2Bs with established blogs can just stop doing this. 

Continuing to write 1-2 posts a week regularly -- no matter what — is a hamster wheel of doom, and doesn't make sense anymore. 

(Unless you are writing content that is unique, fresh, and valuable to your market. And that is very hard to do at that scale over time.)

I've seen this approach force people to come up with random topics, or to write a post around a random keyword they hope to rank for, or copy a competitor post just to have one out there on the same topic. 

This is what I recommend: 

--aim to publish at a cadence of 2 posts/month - but make damn sure you are creating something well beyond what chat could answer for someone. It’s ok to do one a month if something just doesn’t come together. 

--Write posts that answer customer questions. If a customer’s not asking about it, don’t write about it. 

--Narrow down what you talk about. With so much noise, it's best for brands to double down on the 3-4 things they really can shine on, and go all in. Deep, not broad. 

--Update and refresh your old, good content. Often, fixing up an old post has more value than an all new one. ércule has great content on how to update old posts. 

What a relief to not have to write 2 blog posts a week anymore.

I wrote your four 2026 content marketing goals so you don’t have to.

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝟭: Be useful and human in every word you write. 

This means: 
- Finding ways for subject matter experts and company leaders to participate in content. 
- Telling tories with real emotion and big stakes.
- Defining a unique voice that sounds like only you.  

(AI can generate a million decent paragraphs handle the grunt work. But let's leave PoV and lived experience to the humans. 

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝟮: Govern your AI usage. 

Some companies leaned into AI waaaay too hard in 2025 and have lost trust (and money) because of it. AI is a great tool, but it can look like a drunk dodgeball game when there are no rules.

This year, your job is to put those rules in place. Things like style and fact-checking guidelines, which tools to use, when to not use it at all, when approvals/reviews are necessary.  

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 3: Make sure you really, truly understand your buyer. 

No one understands their buyer well enough and this is KEY to finding the right topics and serving it up in the right place.  

So:
- Dig deeper into objections, jobs to be done, goals, and challenges. 
- Talk to actual customers and send them swag if you need to. 

Also, don't bother with those buyers that might buy from you. 

𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 4: Build content operations that make your life easier. 

Running a content program can get messy. Many stakeholders, multiple deadlines, various content types. Then throw in repurposing and measurement and it gets crazy. 

So:
- Pick a PM tool as your single source of truth 
- Build your content calendar in there, house your content catalog, and track content initiatives. 
- Make sure it meets everyone's needs and train everyone to use it. 

In 2026, the win will not be “we published a lot.” It is “we built a content system that drives growth.”

DM me if you need help setting goals and an action plan for content in 2026.

I spoke recently with a CMO after they'd launched a thought leadership campaign that basically tanked....despite strong writing quality, internal expertise, and covering all the hot topics. 

The problem wasn't the execution. 

It was that the messaging didn't stand for anything. No strong point of view. No spine.

I see this all too often with B2B content. You nail the technical details but the content blends in with everyone else's because you're not taking a stand that's different.  

Your messaging needs a backbone—a bold POV that attracts the right buyers and repels the wrong ones.

I just wrote about how to build one in this week's newsletter, which drops tomorrow at 10 am MST. Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/gEbvTacE

See? 👇 A spine makes you stand tall and strong. It gives structure.  Its other meaning is that you stand FOR something.

As an author, it's hard to not keep checking on the # of copies sold. It's an indication that your work is compelling and has meant something to people. 

My Content, Simplified book released on October 15, 2025. First on my website, then on Amazon.  

So far? 278 copies sold. That's about 1 per day.  🎉  I'm calling this a win.  

So thank you to all who've purchased my book.  And thanks to the 20 of you who reviewed it on Amazon.  

Early reviews: 
🔹 Clear, workable systems
🔹 Straightforward and actionable advice and strategies
🔹A must-read for anyone in B2B content marketing.
🔹An easy read, but dense with ideas
🔹It's a go-to reference 
🔹So much good information in easy to understand language
🔹 I truly felt seen as marketer (my favorite) 😊 

Grab a copy if you want to spot and fix the most common problems in content marketing programs.

Does your brand have a spine? You need one, now.  

It's the thing that gives your messaging structure, but it also means bold and firm ('to have a spine').  

Melissa Rosenthal inspired this newsletter.  In it, I explore what a messaging spine is, why it’s urgent to have one right now, and how to create yours.

Twice last week I came across the concept of having a ‘spine’ in messaging, specifically in the context of a lack of it. I immediately thought of a cl

Open article: Does your brand have a messaging spine? What it is and why you really need one by Lee Densmer • 3 min read

Does your brand have a messaging spine? What it is and why you really need one

About a year ago, I started taking my newsletter more seriously as a way to connect with my audience and grow my business. 

→ I wrote each with care and intention  - native content 
→ It became a standard part of my content system
→ I built a workflow for ideating, drafting, editing, scheduling, and promoting on LinkedIn

And just by investing that much more time and energy, business and opportunity has come directly from it: 
→ Consulting clients
→ Intros to partners, peers and clients
→ Teaching and podcast opportunities
→ Readers hitting reply to say “How can I work with you?”

And because I post on LinkedIn consistently, the two channels feed each other naturally.

This why I’m so excited to teach all this in an upcoming free 30-min workshop w/ Maven tomorrow 1/27 with Molly Godfrey at 11 am MST. 

Build a Repeatable LinkedIn-to-Newsletter Workflow

Together we’re breaking down:
1. The simple system we use to turn top-performing LinkedIn posts into impactful newsletters
2. How to flow your LinkedIn engagement into newsletter subscribers
3. A behind-the-scenes look at how we build newsletters that actually convert

This is for:
– Business owners who want a smarter, more leveraged content strategy
– Fractionals, freelancers, solopreneurs trying to stay top of mind without burning out
– Content creators who are done treating email like an afterthought

RSVP here, even if you can’t make it live, you’ll get the replay sent out right after:
https://lnkd.in/gQWETTxy

I’m genuinely excited for this one!  There are 364 signed up already! (Molly and. I want to see if we can get to 400).

Open article: Build a Repeatable LinkedIn Post to Newsletter Workflow by maven.com

Build a Repeatable LinkedIn Post to Newsletter Workflow

Are thought leaders, SMEs, and influencers the same thing? 

No. Not at all. 

🔹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: people with an opinion in a specific subject matter (often a spicy one) who like to talk about it in public.  They create, they publish.  Not necessarily an expert, but one with an opinion people (may) listen to.  

🔹𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀 (𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀): a practitioners who is has deep knowledge and is exceptional at their craft.  This doesn't mean they are, or want to be, thought leaders.  

🔹𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀: people with some level of celebrity status and a large following (think 100K across platforms) who brands engage to promote their product. Brands basically borrow the influencer's audience and often pay for that.  

Can a thought leader be a SME and vice versa? Absolutely. But I find that quite often, it's not the case. 

Sometimes you can coach and train a willing SME to become a thought leader. Sometimes thought leadership comes from years of being a SME.  

For most B2Bs, focusing on integrating thought leaders and SMEs into content programs is important for brand leadership, but the process and output is different. 

Thoughts leaders - 1 or 2 for your company - should publish content in their name on social and other channels (your blog).  

SMEs are often in the background, contributing expert information to content marketing efforts.  They are the engine behind detailed, useful content.  

How does your B2B leverage these three different roles? 

Are you struggling with true thought leadership content? Tell me why. 👇

I am a strategist with a special hatred for strategy, especially  when it's overcomplicated. 

I also am a huge fan of Rick Steves, the travel guy, and I met him 6 months ago. 

What do these 2 have to do with each other? Find out in the short podcast I recorded with Benjamin Ard.

We have a "healthy hate" for over-complicating strategy. That is why Benjamin Ard's conversation with Lee Densmer on Content Amplified hit home so hard.

Lee argued that if you want to succeed in the current landscape, you need to stop looking at tech giants and start looking at a travel expert named Rick Steves.

If you aren't familiar with him, he built a business empire by being a creator first. He didn't just sell tours; he wrote the guidebooks, filmed the TV shows, and recorded the podcasts.

His creations came first, and the revenue followed.

Most brands fail here because they don't think of content like a product. They treat it like disposable marketing collateral. But when you switch to treating your content like a product that your customers actually want to consume, it elevates everything you do.

We dove deep into how to actually execute this mindset shift:
Stop publishing "anonymous" content It is a shift from creating generic, multi-functional content to reaching a real audience, person-to-person. People buy from people, so your content needs to come from actual human beings, not a corporate logo.

Develop a "spicy" point of view If you don't have a viewpoint that differs from the norm, what are you even doing?. To cut through the noise, you need to dig deep and find the opinions that might actually upset the status quo.

Consider the "B2B Graphic Novel" We even discussed getting creative with formats—like hiring a cartoonist or creating a B2B graphic novel led by a subject matter expert.

Lee also just released a new book on the top 40 tactical problems teams face, specifically for people who want to get unstuck.

If you are ready to treat your content as seriously as you treat your product, this episode is for you.

Listen at the link in the comments.

You know you should run a newsletter.

Everyone says it's the best way to own your audience, get out from under algorithms, and turn followers into clients. So you start one. You publish a few issues. Then you run out of ideas or time or both. 

Meanwhile, you're posting on LinkedIn regularly. Some posts do well. Others don't. But you're not connecting the two.

Here's what's happening: You're treating your newsletter and LinkedIn like separate projects when they should be one system.

Your LinkedIn posts are already telling you what resonates with your audience. Your newsletter could turn that engagement into deeper trust and client conversations.

But most business owners don't know where to start.
🔸 You don't have a system for choosing newsletter topics 
🔸 You're not using LinkedIn to grow subscribers
🔸Your newsletter and LinkedIn strategy don't talk to each other

Molly Godfrey and I are teaching a 30-minute workshop on January 28 at 10:30 mst that solves this. You'll learn how to build a flywheel where your LinkedIn posts feed your newsletter and your newsletter strengthens your LinkedIn presence.

One system. Both platforms working together.

Join us!

Content marketers: Do you have the advanced training you need to be able to build a defensible, revenue-driving content program? 

One for YOUR organization, not one for an ideal org with loads of money and resources. 


I'm building a group cohort to teach content marketers how to get the absolute top ROI out of content marketing.  

Over 8 weeks, you’ll design, pressure-test, and improve your organization's content program. 


During the cohort, you’ll work through things like:

🔹 Bringing sales/marketing/product together to build a culture of content that supports the goals of all 
🔹 Clarifying your buyer so content decisions stop being guesswork
🔹 Defining metrics you can use to prove progress to stakeholders
🔹 Choosing content themes that compound over time instead of chasing isolated ideas
🔹 Establishing a consistent tone of voice that fits your company while differentiating you
🔹 Using AI to support your workflow without eroding quality 
🔹 Running content like a system: planning, execution, iteration, and improvement

And loads more. 

I suspect many of your companies would cover the cost as part of training. 

If you want to stay informed, sign up for the waitlist . 👇  I’ll periodically send updates about dates, pricing, format, bonus materials, and how to sign up once it’s ready.

https://lnkd.in/gXrCn2HW

The old content marketing playbook was built around scarcity: never enough time, budget, resources, or chances to get it right. 

The new one says you can create more, test more, learn more. 

Which creates its own problems. 

Turns out infinite possibilities can be just as paralyzing as no possibilities. Too much content can hurt your business as much as not enough of it.  

My advice? Before you start doing more content (remember the spam cannon??), go back to the beginning and look at: 

🔹 Why you are creating the content in the first place (goals) 
🔹 Who you're creating it for (buyer personas), where they consume information, and what they need to hear about
🔹 Who you are as a brand - your message, your experience, your PoV, your ToV 

Revisiting your content strategy and purpose right now has never been so important.  It's not just that the tools have changed: your audience, goals, and your brand have also.  

Have you revisited your content strategy lately or are you applying 2026 tactics to 2024 strategy decks?

Slow and steady is often not what’s most strategic.  This belief is core to what I am and do. 

(Moving too slowly can kill momentum, you end involving too many people, and can cause spin when you really just need to get moving).  

One of my favorite enterprise clients from last year told me 'You really helped us move fast. We got off dead center quickly with you and within 3 months we had a content strategy and were executing.'

Are you stuck with a strategy that isn't working or no strategy at all? If so, you have to ask why changes to your approach are taking so long. Why decisions aren't being made. 

Are you paralyzed with overthinking or shackled with slow moving committee work? Do you just not have time to work on strategy? I happen to know you have to move faster that you are.  

(So some of you start using AI for strategy - how are you doing with that??? 🫥 )

I built a framework that i've used at least 19 times to get a content program up and running (or to fix the broken one you've got).  The work includes templates and workshops to get things decided and into place.  

You really can get it done in 3 months. I've done it. It's a huge relief to put foundations in place, make decisions, set strategy and GET MOVING when you've been unable to get off dead center.  

I've got 2 openings in March if you want to get a solid content strategy in place and producing in short amount of time.  

(DM me).

taplio

The Battle

Tim Hanson

Lee Densmer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreLee Densmer's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Tim Hanson

Lee Densmer

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Lee Densmer's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreLee Densmer's LinkedIn Performance