How a solo business owner got leads and better conversations with LinkedIn content
Melanie Parker, the founder of Hewson, needed to niche down and define who she was in her market.
A Virginia-based marketing and corporate gifting consultant needed to establish her unique position in the marketplace and reach B2B decision-makers. Here's how we helped her create new partnership opportunities through authentic thought leadership.
Key wins
Opened multiple new vendor partnership opportunities
Established clear brand positioning in a niche market
Created foundation for seasonal content strategy
Generated higher quality leads and conversations
TLDR
"Content felt like this saturated world that people assume you understand how to navigate, but it's just not an area of expertise I have as a business owner,” said Melanie Parker, founder of Hewson. “I needed to find a partner in a space I was unfamiliar with.”
Drilling down
Melanie Parker runs Hewson, a marketing consulting and corporate gifting business in Virginia. As a solopreneur managing every aspect of her business, she faced several challenges in articulating her unique value proposition and reaching her target audience.
Three themes drove Melanie's decision to invest in content:
Find her voice in a saturated market.
Content felt like an overwhelming space that business owners are expected to navigate, but Melanie lacked expertise in this area. She needed a partner who could help educate and empower her while providing tangible deliverables and valuable assets for her company.
Reach B2B leads on LinkedIn.
Operating between marketing and gifting industries created positioning challenges. Melanie needed help differentiating herself while reaching people specifically on platforms where her B2B experience would resonate, particularly on LinkedIn.
Build credibility with decision-makers.
As someone who typically worked behind the scenes helping other business owners, Melanie wasn't comfortable being the face of her own business. She needed to bridge this gap while maintaining authenticity.
The game plan
We implemented a collaborative approach focused on drawing out Melanie's natural expertise and translating it into compelling content that resonated with her target audience.
Created a safe space for ideas.
Through regular interviews, we helped Melanie workshop concepts in a collaborative environment. This process allowed her to work through ideas that she wasn't yet confident articulating, transforming them into clear, compelling content.
Developed authentic thought leadership.
Rather than creating generic content, we focused on capturing Melanie's actual voice and expertise. The content highlighted her unique approach to corporate gifting while maintaining her natural way of communicating.
Built a seasonal content strategy based on the seasonality of her business.
Understanding the cyclical nature of her business, we developed a strategic approach to content that aligned with key business periods, particularly around the holidays when corporate gifting peaks.
The results
Expanded partnership opportunities.
The content strategy opened doors to new partnerships with unique and creative vendors around the country, expanding Melanie's network of suppliers and enhancing her ability to serve clients.
A sustainable approach to growth.
Rather than pursuing aggressive growth at all costs, we helped Melanie develop a content strategy that complemented her desired work-life balance while still driving business results. This included focusing content efforts during key seasonal periods when they would have the most impact.
Newfound confidence in market positioning.
Melanie established herself as a niche expert in her field, with clear positioning that resonated with her target audience. The content helped her articulate her value proposition more effectively, leading to better conversations with potential clients.
“I started to feel confident and empowered in how I speak about my business and what I can do. Dan helped bring to life that I can be a representation of the product and the work itself.”
Melanie Parker, founder of Hewson
