⚡£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 no-BS B2B content programs that finally do what they’re supposed to: drive growth.

Most B2Bs are already doing content — sort of.

You’ve got a few blogs, some social posts, maybe a newsletter if someone remembers to hit send.

But the truth is that it’s random, chaotic, and not actually working.

That’s where I come in.

I help B2Bs get their content program out of neutral and into full gear — usually by fixing what’s already there, not torching it completely. Together, we refine your strategy, simplify your systems, and publish content that brings in leads.

Common symptoms I see (a.k.a. your content reality check):
	•	“We’re posting… but it’s kind of random.”
	•	“Our sales team says: ‘Where’s the content?’”
	•	“We think we know our audience… but we’re mostly copying competitors.”
	•	“The content process feels like chaos and nobody owns it.”
	•	“Strategy? We don’t really have one. We’re just trying things.”

If this sounds familiar, know you’re not broken; you just need structure, speed, and someone who knows what they’re doing.

So when when you work with me you’ll get:

✔️ Revenue-focused content strategy that attracts your best buyers
✔️ Content strategy with a execution plan you can easily pick up when I leave
✔️ Processes that scale instead of stress you out
✔️ More ROI per asset, thanks to smart repurposing
✔️ Content your team can be proud of, not just “get out the door”

I’ve built and run content programs for global B2Bs, fast-moving startups, and everything in between. I’m part strategist, part operator, and fully allergic to fluff and wasting time. 

My clients say I bring order to chaos, ask the questions no one else does, and make content feel doable — and actually exciting — again.

You in? Send me a DM.  

"Working with Lee was transformative for our small business. We had no content marketing strategy when we started and Lee created a solid, clear, executable program that perfectly aligned with our identity, all within the timeframe we agreed on.

Lee helped us dig deep into who we are as a company, putting words to our differentiators, values, and mission in ways we couldn't articulate before. She kept us moving at a solid pace and never let us drift off track. Every conversation was purposeful and to the point! But what really blew us away was Lee's insight, knowledge, and knack for clarity. It was a joy to work with her." 
Michaela Novas – Founder and CEO of The Translation Team 

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

Here are my spiciest content marketing opinions, according to your reactions to my content. 🌶️  

—Your ceo is probably not your thought leader. He’s too busy running the company and answering investors to come up with and publish leading thoughts. 

—It’s possible to run an effective content program with only 3 channels: social media (LinkedIn), your blog, and email marketing. Also that's the perfect combo of owned and borrowed properties. 

—You should limit what you talk about to 3-4 themes and if your competitors cover it, it’s a signal for you NOT to.  And repeat yourself on those themes, a lot. 

—Updating and repurposing content is more important than creating new. That effort should be split 50/50.  

—Boring content is MUCH riskier than controversial content.  An audience that tunes out is worse than an audience that's challenged and a little uncomfortable.  

—The newsletter is probably the most important content type for 2026.  

And something no one talks about:

—Content strategy should be 50%  acquiring new customers and 50% to expand and serve existing ones.  

If you disagree with me, I'll totally write a newsletter about it. 😜 Let me know below.  

BTW, my newsletter goes out at 10 am Thursdays.  Readers use it to make better content decisions in 5 minutes/week. Link in comments. 

Renee Lynn Frojo says : "Whether you have a background in content marketing or are just getting started, Lee's newsletter is a must read. Expect actionable tactics from a true expert."

Content strategist, author, and teacher / I build efficient, revenue-generating content programs - in 3 months / Tamer of chaos, confusion, and complexity

So she’s a content marketer but who is she IRL? 

1. I was born in Arequipa, Peru in a broom closet because there was no open room at the hospital.  My dad had to run out and get the medical supplies. 

2.  I love travel and have been to over 40 countries. The more foreign the better.  The photo below was taken on a boat near Greenland this fall and in the other photo I’m getting blown away by the Moroccan desert wind.  

3. I have 3 degrees: professional writing, teaching, and an MA in Romance language linguistics. I do use them all in my work but I sure did spend a lot of time/$ on college. 

4.  I have lived in Boise, Idaho, most of my life but also lived in Denver, Seattle, Ecuador, and Chile.  

5. Lifelong teacher. I've taught at the high school, college, and corporate level -- mostly Spanish. 

6. I don't like to swim in the ocean.  If I’m honest, I don’t like to swim at all. 

7. Goat cheese, lamb, and mushrooms are just not for me.  🤢 

8. I’m the least competitive person I know.  I win at words games like bananagrams and speed crossword (yes, it's a thing), which makes sense because I'm a a writer.  But highly competitive people scare me a little bit. 

9. I wrote a non-fiction book last summer. I didn't see that coming, which is maybe weird, because I've been a writer all my life. It was one of the most fun things I've done professionally ever. 

10. I'm a great cook, as long as it has under 5 ingredients and can be done in an InstantPot.  

11. I've go no athletic talent whatsoever. I embarrass myself when I try to throw something (blame my dad, he never taught me).  

12. I'm an introvert. So if you see me at a conference, expect me to be exhausted and be kind to me when I disappear at 8:30 pm.  

Any surprises in here? 

Tell me one surprising fact about yourself. 👇

I spent years writing blog content that was technically fine. It was well-researched, decently written, grammatically flawless, with good logic and flow. ✅

And then I'd go back and read it a few weeks later and feel nothing. It had no spark, no point of view, no reason for anyone to care. 🫥 (I know I'm not alone here.)  

I’m a trained writer. The problem wasn't the writing itself. It was the ANGLE.  

And in a world where every B2B brand is trying to differentiate through their content, this is crucial. But so not easy.  

Majority of my clients worry their content is undifferentiated and boring.  Yes.  If you think it might be true, it probably IS true. 

Tomorrow in my newsletter I'm exploring how finding the right angle will bring in customers/leads/audience, whereas boring content just won't.  Ever.  

Drops at 10 am. Subscribe link in the comments.  

It's a 5 minute read that will help you make better, more clear content decisions.

I met with a cmo last week who had spent thousands for a ghostwriter to create content for a leader in their company who had a large audience. They thought that the combo of the large audience and the ghost writing would really grow their business. 

It didn't. 

the ghostwriter did the writing, but wasn’t able to also do the thinking. 

That was the death of yet another ‘thought leadership program’.  

So I told him: 
🔹 Thought leadership content requires that someone has original ideas and is willing to put them out there in the market. Being a thought leader requires deep thinking, testing ideas, writing about them, and distributing that content. 

🔹 Most CEOs and founders are not thought leaders. Sorry! They don’t have time and  it's not their purpose: they are busy building the business or answering to investors.

🔹 Ghostwriting may not be the right answer. A ghostwriter is not and cannot be a ghost thinker. They need to partner with your SME or potential thought leader to pull out those interesting thoughts and write posts in their voice. The actual thought leader must participate - non negotiable.  

🔹 Thought leadership should show up in blog posts, webinars, newsletters – all over the place. Social posts, being short form content, aren't really of enough length to deeply explore ideas.  

The answer? Successful thought leadership programs happen in partnership with a content marketer. 

In a structured program, thought leaders can be found within your org, coached, mentored, collaborated with, and grown.  

Succeeding requires understanding the factors that play and hiring the right people to help out with it. 

If you want to build a thought leadership program that works, hit me up. One opening in March. 🙋‍♀️

If you’re a B2B running a blog it’s senselsss to not run a newsletter also. 

Your newsletter and your blog should form a permanent partnership, for life. 🤝 

The idea is to create a flywheel between your corporate blog and your newsletter, making each more successful and easier to write.  

It works like this: 

🔹 Your blog is for discovery by people, Google, and LLMs. Its 2026 purpose is to make you findable by bots and humans.  

🔹 Your newsletter is all about building relationships. It’s much more personal and human. No bots to influence here. 

Both can talk about the same topics but in different ways. They should use the same narrative and messaging. 

🔹 A blog, however, is mid to long form content - tell it all. Explore something fully so people (and bots) see you as credible, helpful, and authoritative. 

🔹 The newsletter is shorter form, a letter from an actual person, inspiring the reader to want to respond to book a call or a demo. Same content, less detail, more urgency, persuasion, and inspiration. 

It’s a no brainer to repurpose content between them. You can turn a well performing newsletter into a longer, more exploratory piece. You can turn a well performing blog post into a couple newsletters.  You get signals from both formats that show that topics are resonating with your readers.  

They have different strengths and purposes. You need both. But make them work together.

How do you create synergy between the 2?  Or are they wholly independent?

Content strategist, B2B marketer, author, and teacher / I build efficient, revenue-generating content programs - in 3 months / Tamer of chaos and complexity

When I work with CEOs and CMOs who are frustrated with content, whose teams are spinning their wheels creating content that isn't driving any growth, I take a step back and clarify the strategy. 

And often it's "we don't really have a strategy."  😬  

Most content teams I meet have a content calendar, a style guide, and a handful of buyer personas. What they don't have is the strategic architecture that makes all of it work together to drive growth.

That's where my 3x5 Content Strategy Framework comes in. 

Five categories, with three elements in each, that give every content piece a job to do and a reason to exist.

🔸 3 business goals your content serves, so you can connect publishing activity to growth.

🔸 Your 3 top buyer personas to talk to in your content, where you cover what keeps them up at night and how they make decisions.

🔸 3 content themes that sit at the intersection of your expertise and your buyer's priorities, giving your team a clear lane to stay in.

🔸 3 channels where your audience pays attention, chosen deliberately instead of defaulting to everywhere at once. (Web/search, social, and email most often). 

🔸 3 metrics that tell you if any of this is working, mapped to those 3 goals you chose, so you can measure value in a clean way. 

Fifteen decisions. That's the whole framework! 

When teams work through this, something shifts. The fog lifts and the road becomes clear.  

The debate about what to write about stops. The scramble to fill the calendar slows down.  he argument about ‘why aren’t we on Pinterest’ quiets. 

And the question changes from "what should we write this week?" to "how many new leads / followers / downloads did we get this week?"

If your content program feels busy but i effective, chances are you’re missing the foundations that make every word count. 

The 3x5 also works for teams who are doing content for the first time! 

DM me if you want to chat about how this would look in your org.

Step away from chattyG. Take your hands off the keyboard. 

Go outside. Touch grass. Pet the dog. 

‘Neuroscience research from MIT shows that overreliance on AI shuts off parts of our brains, and college students who depend on AI are seeing their communication and critical thinking skills decline.’

Scaryright? After a day spent with the bot, I sometimes feel like my brain has been scrambled, or put on an out of control speed train going straight to nowhere.  

But maybe we’ll all be ok if we only use it after we are already good at the thing:  

‘Researchers also found that if you think and write on your own first, and then use AI as an amplifier, you can reach a new, higher level of cognitive engagement.’ 
All from Joe Lazer’s new storytelling book. (Go get it). 

Who among us isn’t over relying a little bit on ai right now? And aren’t we all just a little worried about the energy we’re burning through just so we can all work frenetically faster? 

I’m tired today. I blame ai.

I've walked into more than a few orgs that don't have anyone outside of the content team enthusiastic about content. They think 'that has nothing to do with me'.  

--CEO doesn't get it (and grumps about the cost)
--Product team has no idea why they should contribute 
--Sales team doesn't share content with prospects to help them make decisions 

With a little work building bridges and creating processes that work for everyone who should care about content, you'll double your chances of getting results that drive your growth with the right audience.  

In my latest article I explore why you need to build a content of culture and how to do it. 👇

A few years ago, I walked into my first day as head of content at a large ($100M) B2B. There was a new marketing VP who needed help leveling-up (ie, f

Open article: How having a culture of content doubles your impact and how to build one  by Lee Densmer • 4 min read

How having a culture of content doubles your impact and how to build one

I've spent years building content programs with subject matter experts at B2B companies.

The pattern I see constantly: 

→ Marketing asks a senior engineer or product marketer to "write something" 
→ The SME either ghosts the request or produces something unusable 
→ The relationship gets strained 
→ Marketing concludes their SMEs "just won't participate"
→ Writer does desk research and publishes another generic blog post

This is why I'm teaching a free 30-minute Maven workshop February 25th at 11 am MST with Stephanie Trovato 

Together we're breaking down:

1.	Why SMEs make the difference between content that breaks through and content that gets ignored
2.	The 8 biggest mistakes brands make (like making SMEs come up with topics or asking them to write)
3.	Our 13 tips for SME collaboration that will get you outstanding content 
4.	How to structure the partnership so it's valuable for both sides

This is for: 
→ CMOs who need depth in their content but can't figure out how to extract it 
→ Content leaders tired of begging SMEs for input that never comes 
→ Marketing teams who know their best insights are internal but buried

Register here even if you can't make it live, we'll send the replay: https://lnkd.in/gRGWeGuS

Steph and I have done this wrong and done it right. We're sharing what works.

CMOs and CEOs now want content marketers who know how to measure impact. 

This seems obvious. Measurement got too squishy and yet content is more important than ever. But who wants to invest in it if the results aren't there or you can't prove it? 

So where are the content people expert in analytics? 🙋‍♂️ 

This could sit with revops also. 

Drop your name or that of an expert you know of below.  👇

Brand partnership • B2B Marketing Leader & Advisor | Organic growth & GTM | Writing & building @The Workflow

Holy moly, the last few years have been a complete 180 in content marketing, and it will never look the same.

→ Channels changed.
→ Algorithms changed.
→ Content operations changed twice over.

And now (content) marketing job descriptions are drafted in five minutes with an AI prompt and a rough idea.

Semrush just released a study analyzing 8,000 content marketing job listings in the 🇺🇸 (full dataset: https://bit.ly/3NcRPSB), and it got me thinking.

I've dissected the key findings and added my takeaways for each, because data without application is just more anxiety.

Three caveats before you read on, based on my own experience:

→ The US has always been ahead in content marketing maturity. Europe is moving in the same direction, just 12–24 months behind, so the data might be slightly geo-biased.

→ The "shrinking middle layer" finding applies mostly to larger organizations. Most small companies don't have a dedicated content leadership role, a direct consequence of lacking a mature marketing function.

→ Finding 4 is my favorite, and something I've been saying for a long time. Companies don't need AI architects. They need people who know how to do their job and use the best tools available to improve quality, efficiency, and cut costs.

🎢 Dear content marketers: fun times ahead!

#SemrushPartner

📝 What does the future content marketer look like? 📝

If you're like most B2B brands, you are putting too much focus on your corporate LinkedIn page when it reallly should be only 10% of your LinkedIn strategy.

The other 90%? Employee posts.  Personal profiles generate up to 561% more reach than company pages. 🤯 

LinkedIn prioritizes people over brands. 

The corporate page provides clarity and anchors credibility, iand employee posts provide the crucial reach, trust, and relevance.

Rosanna Campbell  and I are teaching a free 30-minute Maven workshop on March 3 at 9 am MST on how to build a people-first LinkedIn strategy that will increase your brand’s know/like/trust factor through your biggest asset: your people.

We’ll help you stop investing all your effort into a channel that was never designed to work the way most brands are using it (posting only on the corporate handle).  

Register: https://lnkd.in/geE6SXh7

Most business authors don't make loads of money from book sales. I've sold 400 copies in 5 months and much of that money went to printing and shipping.

But making loads of cash was never the goal.

My book got me new clients. It sharpened my thinking. It created an asset I can send to potential clients and podcast hosts. It’s now turning into a course. It generated months of newsletter and social content. It deepened relationships with the people who helped me create it.

If you're clear on your goals beyond book sales, writing a business book might be one of the highest-leverage things you do.

I'm teaching a workshop on March 17 at 9 am MST on writing and self-publishing a business book. It’s inside Adriana’s community but we’re opening it to the public for $39. 

You'll learn why self-publishing is the way to go, how to set realistic goals, and the complete process from first draft to ongoing promotion.

Register here ($39): https://lnkd.in/gZvz-YKH

Open article: How to write & publish a business book masterclass by adrianatica.thrivecart.com

How to write & publish a business book masterclass

Here's what my 6-week Content Strategy Cohort for rising content marketers is NOT:

❌ A masterclass where I talk at you for 90 minutes 
❌ SEO tactics or AI prompt libraries 
❌ Theory you'll bookmark and never implement 
❌ Content you could get from a YouTube video

Here's what it IS:
✅ Applied work where you learn then build (or fix) strategy for your actual organization 
✅ Frameworks, tactics, and templates you can use over and over again
✅ Direct coaching on your specific challenges 
✅ A peer group who gets the pressure you're under

If you're a content marketer trying to drive more ROI, prove your value, and maybe even fighting AI for your job, this cohort will give you the knowledge, strategy and systems you need. 

It will also help you level up for head of content work if that's what you want.  

6 weeks. $695 for founding cohort. ONE spot left.  

The first session is March 19th at 9 am. Link in comments or DM me.

Most CMOs tell me they have plenty of content. They are confused why customers aren’t engaging with it or signing up for discovery calls. 

What they don't have is a strategy that ties all that content together and processes that makes work happen smoothly to give a strong ROI.  

After 3 months of working with me, that changes.

Here's what working with me looks like:

🔸 first 2 weeks: get to know your company, content program, goals and buyers. 
You hand over what you have: strategy docs, buyer personas, positioning statements, content calendars. I spend two weeks reading everything, talking to your team, and identifying the real gaps. Is it unclear differentiation? Weak distribution? Misaligned personas? Content that doesn't convert?

🔸 weeks 3-6: put the framework and foundations in place. 
We run focused workshops to nail down the fundamentals. Who are you actually writing for? What makes you different? What themes should you own? How should your brand sound? 

I do the offline work to turn these sessions into documented strategy + guidance your team can actually use.  

We also start building processes so your team can execute cleanly, without chaos (including AI).  

🔸 weeks 6-12: get the work done and train your team.  
Your team starts creating content with clearer direction. We measure what matters: traffic growth, engagement rates, conversion improvements. I build process documentation so this doesn't fall apart when I leave.

The outcome after 3 months: You'll know exactly who you're writing for, what you're writing, how it should sound, and whether it's working.

I have room for 2 new clients in April/May. DM me.

What makes you unsubcsribe to a B2B newsletter?

There are only4 reasons below, but there are many more. Drop yours in the comments! 

It's my firm belief that every business, small or large, needs to be running a newsletter. Why not connect directly with people who have raised their hands to hear from you? of all content types, this one is closest to the money. 

But if the unsubscribe rate is over .25% (that's 2.5 per 1000), then you've got a problem.  There are many levers you can pull to improve open rates and unsubscribes. 

I wrote a newsletter on it - link in comments.

Why or when do you unsubscribe to a newsletter? 

The author can see how you vote. Learn more

CMOs: "We want our people to post and interact on LinkedIn, but no one sticks with it. It doesn't work."

Me: "How are you supporting them to do this?" 

When I ask this question, I usually find out that they asked employees to post. Maybe sent some guidelines. But they never built the system that will make it truly work.

The companies getting this right invest in enablement, training, and ongoing support. They make participation part of the job description without mandating it.

Rosanna Campbell  and I are breaking down what separates successful LinkedIn programs from failed ones in a free 30-minute Maven workshop on March 3 at 9 am MST.

Register: https://lnkd.in/geE6SXh7

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The Battle

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Engagements

Likes

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