Podcast appearances and mentions of kevan lee

Welcome back to Snafu with Robin Zander. In this episode, I'm joined by Kevan Lee and Shannon Deep, co-founders of Bonfire – a creative studio reimagining what it means to build brands, tell stories, and live meaningful lives. We talk about how Bonfire began as a "Trojan horse" – a branding agency on the surface, but really a vehicle for deeper questions: What does fulfilling work look like? How do we find meaning beyond our careers? And how can business become a space for honesty, connection, and growth? Kevan and Shannon share how their partnership formed, what it takes to build trust as co-founders, and how vulnerability and self-awareness fuel their collaboration. We explore their path from tech and theater to building Bonfire, hosting creative retreats, and helping founders tell more authentic stories. We also dive into how AI is changing storytelling, the myth of "broetry" on LinkedIn, and why transparency is the future of marketing. If you're curious about what's next for creativity, leadership, and meaningful work, this episode is for you. And for more conversations like this, stay tuned for Responsive Conference 2026, where we'll be continuing the dialogue on human connection, business, and the evolving role of AI. Start (0:00) How Bonfire Started (14:25) Robin notes how transparent and intentional they've been building their business and community Says Bonfire feels like a 21st-century agency – creative, human, and not traditional Invites them to describe what they're building and their vision for it Kevan's response: Admits he feels imposter syndrome around being called an "entrepreneur" Laughs that it's technically true but still feels strange Describes Bonfire as partly a traditional branding agency They work with early-stage startups Help with brand strategy, positioning, messaging, and differentiation. But says the heart of their work is much deeper "We create spaces for people to explore what a fulfilling life looks like – one that includes work, but isn't defined by it." Their own careers inspired this – jobs that paid well but felt empty, or jobs that felt good but didn't pay the bills Bonfire became their way to build something more meaningful A space to have these conversations themselves And to invite others into it This includes community, retreats, and nontraditional formats Jokes that the agency side is a Trojan horse – a vehicle to fund the work they truly care about Shannon adds: They're agnostic about what Bonfire "does" Could be a branding agency, publishing house, even an ice cream shop "Money is just gas in the engine." The larger goal is creating spaces for people to explore their relationship to work Especially for those in transition, searching for meaning, or redefining success Robin reflects on their unusual path Notes most marketers who start agencies chase awards and fame But Shannon and Kevan built Bonfire around what they wished existed Recalls their past experiences Kevan's path from running a publication (later sold to Vox) to Buffer and then Oyster Shannon's shared time with him at Oyster Mentions their recent milestone – Bonfire's first live retreat in France 13 participants, including them Held in a rented castle For a two-year-old business, he calls it ambitious and impressive Asks: "How did it go? What did people get out of it?" Shannon on the retreat Laughs that they're still processing what it was They had a vibe in mind – but not a fixed structure One participant described it as "a wellness retreat for marketers" Not wrong – but also not quite right Attendees came from tech and non-tech backgrounds The focus: exploring people's most meaningful relationship to work Who you are when you're not at your desk How to bring that awareness back to real life — beyond castles and catered meals People came at it from different angles Some felt misaligned with their work Others were looking for something new Everyone was at a crossroads in their career Kevan on the space they built The retreat encouraged radical honesty People shared things like: "I have this job because I crave approval." "I care about money as a status symbol." "I hate what I do, but I don't know what else I'd be good at." They didn't force vulnerability, but wanted to make it safe if people chose it They thought deeply about values – what needed to be true for that kind of trust Personally, Kevan says the experience shifted his identity From "marketer" to something else – maybe "producer," maybe "creator" The retreat made him realize how many paths are possible "Now I just want to do more of this." Robin notes there are "so many threads to pull on" Brings up family business and partnerships Shares his own experience growing up in his dad's small business Talks about lessons from Robin's Cafe and the challenges of partnerships Says he's fascinated by co-founder dynamics – both powerful and tricky Asks how Shannon and Kevan's working relationship works What it was like at Oyster Why they decided to start Bonfire together And how it's evolved after the retreat Kevan on their beginnings He hired Shannon at Oyster – she was Editorial Director, he was SVP of Marketing Worked together for about a year and a half Knew early on that something clicked Shared values Similar worldview Trusted each other When Oyster ended, partnering up felt natural – "Let's figure out what's next, together." Robin observes their groundedness Says they both seem stable and mature, which likely helps the partnership Jokes about his own chaos running Robin's Café – late nights, leftover wine, cold quinoa Asks Shannon directly: "Do you still follow Kevan's lead?" Shannon's laughs and agrees they're both very regulated people But adds that it comes from learned coping mechanisms Says they've both developed pro-social ways to handle stress People-pleasing Overachievement Perfectionism Intellectualizing feelings instead of expressing them "Those are coping mechanisms too," she notes, "but at least they keep us calm when we talk." Building Trust and Partnership (14:54–23:15) Shannon says both she and Kevan have done deep personal work. Therapy, reflection, and self-inquiry are part of their toolkit. That helps them handle a relationship that's both intimate and challenging. They know their own baggage. They try not to take the other person's reactions personally. It doesn't always work—but they trust they'll work through conflict. When they started Bonfire: They agreed the business world is unpredictable. So they made a pinky swear: Friends first, business second. The friendship is the real priority. When conflict comes up, they ask: "Is this really life or death—or are we just forgetting what matters?" Shannon goes back to the question and clarifies  Says they lead in different ways. Each has their "zone of genius." They depend on each other's strengths. It's not leader and follower – it's mutual reliance. Shannon explains: Kevan's great at momentum: He moves things forward and ships projects fast. Shannon tends to be more perfectionist: Wants things to be fully formed before releasing. Kevan adds they talk often about "rally and rest." Kevan rallies, he thrives on pressure and urgency. Shannon rests, she values slowing down and reflection. Together, that creates a healthy rhythm.  Robin notes lingering habits Wonders if any "hangovers" from their Oyster days remain. Kevan reflects  At first, he hesitated to show weakness. Coming from a manager role, vulnerability felt risky. Shannon quickly saw through it. He realized openness was essential, not optional. Says their friendship and business both rely on honesty. Robin agrees and says he wouldn't discourage co-founders—it's just a big decision. Like choosing a spouse, it shapes your life for years. Notes he's never met with one of them without the other. "That says something," he adds. Their partnership clearly works—even if it takes twice the time. Rethinking Marketing (23:19) Kevan's light moment: Asks if Robin's comment about their teamwork was feedback for them. Robin's observation  Notes how in sync Shannon and Kevan are. Emails one, gets a reply CC'd with the other. Says the tempo of Bonfire feels like their collaboration itself. Wonders what that rhythm feels like internally. Kevan's response  Says it's partly intentional, partly habit. They genuinely enjoy working together. Adds they don't chase traditional agency milestones. No interest in Ad Age lists or Cannes awards. Their goal: have fun and make meaningful work. Robin pivots to the state of marketing (24:04) Mentions the shift from Madison Avenue's glory days to today's tech-driven world. Refers to Mad Men and the "growth at all costs" startup era. Notes how AI and tech are changing how people see their role in work and life. Kevan's background  Came from startups, not agencies. Learned through doing, not an MBA. Immersed in books like Hypergrowth and Traction. Took Reforge courses—knows the mechanics of scaling. Before that, worked as a journalist. Gained curiosity and calm under pressure, but also urgency. Admits startup life taught him both good and bad habits. Robin notes  Neither lives the Madison Avenue life. Kevan's in Boise. Shannon's in France. Shannon's background Started in theater – behind the scenes as a dramaturg and producer. Learned how to shape emotion and tell stories. Transitioned into brand strategy in New York. Worked at a top agency, Siegel+Gale. Helped global B2B and B2C clients define mission, values, and design. Competed with big names like Interbrand and Pentagram. Later moved in-house at tech startups. Saw how B2B marketing often tries to "act cool" like B2C. Learned to translate creative ideas into language that convinces CFOs. Says her role often meant selling authentic storytelling to risk-averse execs. Admits she joined marketing out of necessity. "I was 27, broke in New York, and needed a parking spot for my storytelling skills." Robin connects the dots  Notes how Silicon Valley's "growth" culture mirrors old ad-world burnout. Growth at all costs. Not much room for creative autonomy. Adds most big agencies are now owned by holding companies. The original Madison Avenue independence is nearly gone. Robin's reflection  Mentions how AI-generated content is changing video and storytelling. Grateful his clients still value human connection. Asks how Bonfire helps brands tell authentic stories now that the old model is fading. Kevan's take  Says people now care less about "moments" and more about audiences. It's not about one viral hit—it's about building consistency. Brands need to stand for something, and keep showing up. People want that outcome, even if they don't want the hard work behind it. Shannon adds Notes rising skepticism among audiences. Most content people see isn't from who they follow, it's ads and algorithms. Consumers are subconsciously filtering out the noise. Says that's why human storytelling matters more than ever. People crave knowing a real person is behind the message. AI can mimic tone but not authenticity. Adds it's hard to convince some clients of that. Authentic work isn't fast or easily measured. It requires belief in the process and a value system to match. That's tough when your client's investors only want quick returns. Robin agrees  "Look at people's incentives and I'll tell you who they are." Shannon continues Wonders where their responsibility ends. Should they convince people of their values? Or just do the work and let the right clients come? Kevan says they've found a sweet spot with current clients. Mostly bootstrapped founders. Work with them long-term instead of one-off projects. Says that's the recipe that fits Bonfire's values and actually works. The Quarter Analogy (35:36) Robin quotes BJ Fogg: "Don't try to persuade people of your worldview. Look for people who already want what you can teach, and just show them how." He compares arguing with people who don't align to "an acrobat arguing with gravity – gravity will win 100% of the time." The key: harness momentum instead of fighting resistance. Even a small, aligned audience is better than chasing everyone. Kevan shares Bonfire's failed experiment with outbound sales: They tried reaching out to recently funded AI companies. "It got us nowhere," he admits. That experience reminded him how much old startup habits – growth at all costs, scale fast – still shape thinking. "I thought success meant getting as big as possible, as fast as possible. That meant doing outbound, even if it felt inauthentic." But that mindset just added pressure. Realizing there were other ways to grow – slower, more intentional – was a relief. Now they've stopped outbound entirely. Focused instead on aligned clients who find them naturally. Robin connects it to a MrBeast quote. "If I'm not ashamed of the video I put out last week, I'm not growing fast enough." He says he doesn't love the "shame" part but relates to the evolution mindset – Looking back at work from six months ago and thinking, I'd do that differently now. Growth as a visible, measurable journey. Robin shifts to storytelling frameworks: Mentions Kevan and Shannon's analogies about storytelling and asks about "the quarter analogy." Kevan explains the "quarter" story: A professor holds up two quarters: "Sell me the one on the right." No one can – until someone says, "I'll dip it in Marilyn Monroe's purse." That coin now has emotional and cultural value. Marketing can be the same – alchemy that turns something ordinary into something meaningful. Robin builds on that: You can tell stories about a coin's history – "Lincoln touched it," etc. But Kevan's version is different: adding new meaning in the present. "How do you imbue something with value now that makes it matter later?" Shannon's take: It's about values and belonging. "Every story implicitly says: believe this." That belief also says: we don't believe that – defining who's in your tribe. Humans crave that – community, validation, connection. That belonging is intangible but real. "Try selling that to a CFO who just wants ROI. Impossible — but it's real." Kevan adds: Values are one piece – authenticity is another. Some brands already have a genuine story; others want to create one. "We get asked to dip AI companies into Marilyn Monroe's purse," he jokes. The real work is uncovering what's true or helping brands rediscover it. The challenge: telling that story consistently and believably. Robin mentions Shannon's storytelling framework of three parts – Purpose → Story frameworks → Touch points. Shannon breaks it down: Clients usually come in with half-baked "mission" or "vision" statements. She uses Ogilvy's "Big Ideal" model: Combine a cultural tension (what's happening in the world) with your brand's best self. Then fill in the blank: "We believe the world would be a better place if…" That single sentence surfaces a company's "why us" and "why now." It's dramaturgy, really — same question as in theater: "Why this play now?" "Why us?" Bonfire's own version (in progress): "We believe the world would be a better place if people and brands had more room to explore their creativity." Kevan adds: it's evolving, like them. Robin relates it back to his own story: After selling Robin's Café, he started Zander Media to tell human stories. He wanted to document real connections — "the barista-customer relationships, the neighborhood changing." That became his north star: storytelling as a tool for change and human connection. "I don't care about video," he says. "I care about storytelling, helping people become more of who they want to be." Kevan closes the loop: A good purpose statement is expansive. It can hold video, podcasts, even a publishing house. "Maybe tomorrow it's something else. That's the beauty — it allows room to grow." Against the Broetry (49:01) Kevan reflects on transparency and values at Bonfire He and Robin came from Buffer, a company known for radical transparency — posting salaries, growth numbers, everything. Says that while Bonfire isn't as extreme about it, the spirit is the same. "It just comes naturally to invite people in." Their openness isn't a tactic – it's aligned with their values and mission. They want to create space for people to explore – new ideas, new ways of working, more fulfilling lives. Sharing their journey publicly felt like the obvious, authentic thing to do. "It wasn't even a conversation – just who we are." Shannon jumps in with a critique of business culture online Says there's so much terrible advice about "how to build a business." Compliments Robin for cutting through the noise – being honest through Snafu and his newsletter. "You're trying to be real about what selling feels like and what it says about you." Calls out the "rise and grind" nonsense dominating LinkedIn: "Wake up at 4 a.m., protein shake at 4:10, three-hour workout…" Robin laughs – "I'll take the three-hour workout, but I'll pass on the protein shake." Shannon and Kevan call it "broetry" The overblown, performative business storytelling on social media. "I went on my honeymoon and here's what I learned about B2B sales." Their goal with building in public is the opposite: To admit mistakes. To share pivots and moments of doubt. To remind people that everyone is figuring it out. "But the system rewards the opposite – gatekeeping, pretending, keeping up the facade." Shannon says she has "no patience for it." She traces that belief back to a story from college Producer Paula Wagner once told her class: "Here's the secret: nobody knows anything." That line stuck with her. Gave her permission to question authority. To show up confidently even when others pretend to know more. After years of watching powerful men "fail upward," she realized: "The emperor has no clothes." So she might as well take up space too. Transparency, for her, is a form of connection and courage – "When people raise their eyes from their desks and actually meet each other, that's power." Robin thanks Shannon for the kind words about Snafu. Says their work naturally attracts people who want that kind of realness. Then pivots to a closing question: "If you had one piece of advice for founders – about storytelling or business building – what would it be?" Kevan's advice: "Look beyond what's around you." Inspiration doesn't have to come from your industry. Learn from other fields, other stories, other worlds. It builds curiosity, empathy, and creativity. Robin sums it up: "Get out of your silos." Shannon's advice: "Make the thing you actually want to see." Too many founders copy what's trendy or "smart." Ask instead: What would I genuinely love to consume? Remember your audience is human, like you. And remember, building a business is a privilege. You get to create a small world that reflects your values. You get to hire people, pay them, shape a culture. "That's so cool, and it should make you feel powerful." With that power comes responsibility. "Everyone says it's about making the most money. But what if the goal was to make the coolest world possible, for as many people as possible?" Where to find Kevan and Shannon (57:16) Points listeners to aroundthebonfire.com/experiences. That's where they host their retreats. Next one is April 2026. "We'd love to see you there."   Companies/Organizations Bonfire Buffer Oyster Vox Zander Media Siegel+Gale Interbrand Pentagram Reforge Robin's Café Books / Frameworks / Theories Traction BJ Fogg's behavioral model Ogilvy's "Big Ideal" Purpose → Story Frameworks → Touch Point People Paula Wagner BJ Fogg MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) David Ogilvy Newsletters Snafu Kevan's previous publication  

In this special 100th episode of Content, Briefly, Jimmy welcomes Kevan Lee and Shannon Deep, co-founders of Bonfire, a brand advisory focused on B2B SaaS. Kevin and Shannon share their unconventional career paths from content and marketing roles at companies like Buffer and Oyster to launching their own agency. They break down what brand reallymeans in the B2B space—why it's more than just a logo or tagline, how it connects to authentic purpose, and why it's critical for differentiation in today's crowded, commoditized market. Tune in for practical insights on building brand foundations, balancing emotional and logical appeals, and why content teams should care about brand now more than ever.You can learn more and book a demo. All Superpath members get 20% off the first year.************************Useful Links:Kevan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevanlee/Shannon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevanlee/Website: https://www.aroundthebonfire.comBonfire Campout: https://campout.aroundthebonfire.com/Bonfire Newsletter: https://newsletter.aroundthebonfire.com/************************Stay Tuned:► Website: https://www.superpath.co/► YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@superpath► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/superpath/► Twitter: https://twitter.com/superpathco************************Don't forget to leave us a five-star review and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

In this episode, Kevan Lee, co-founder of Bonfire, shares the most gruesome imposter syndrome he's ever encountered, the biggest "welcome to the league" moment he experienced from getting rejected, and what it was like to leave a high-flying corporate job to walk the tightrope of entrepreneurship. In this episode, you'll hear about:1. When Kevan realized his unique path was not climbing the corporate ladder, despite his family history of entrepreneurship2. His “welcome to the league” when he was initially rejected for a content writer position at Buffer3. The most frustrating career feedback Kevan has ever received Things to listen for:[04:53] Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, but never identifying as an entrepreneur[11:22] His “welcome to the league” moment[14:05] Choosing to knock on Buffer's door again after rejection[17:18] Having to pull the plug on a large project[25:20] Moving past a huge career disappointment[29:30] Being told he need to “speak up more” in a meeting[37:27] The worst type of interview Kevan has experiencedResources:- Connect with Kevan on LinkedIn- Check out Bonfire- Kevan's substack- Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn or Twitter- Learn more about Navattic- Learn more about Appcues

I recently interviewed Reza Saeedi—a marketing strategist and former Director of Marketing at On Deck—about his transition from employee to marketing advisor to employee again with advising as a side venture. In this episode, we chatted about things like:How Reza got into marketing and eventually, as a mentor/advisor to entrepreneurs How he was able to get one fractional CMO and two advisory clients quickly after leaving his job at On DeckThe role of casual networking and how it led to unexpected opportunities down the lineThe difference between being specific and niching down in business based on your strengths and interestsThe role of risk-reversing guarantees and discussing prices against value during sales conversations Why turning away poor-fit clients helped with his overall confidence and contributed to his early successHow to internally handle the fact we can't guarantee successful outcomes The value of factoring in word of mouth and referrals into your marketing planThe intersection and overlap between teaching and advisory work How Reza plans to do part-time advising in a low-labour, sustainable way How Reza stays productize and organized in his workThe importance of exercise, habits, and mental health optimizationPlus many fun tangents along the way!Whether you currently have a job and are thinking about advising full or part-time, or you're already independent but looking to get into advisory work, this episode will have a ton of insights to offer you.Key links and mentioned resources:Reza on LinkedInReza's personal siteReza on X.comPassage.comEpisode 200: Kevan Lee on part-time advisory work, mentorship, equity compensation, and moreThe Win Without Pitching Manifesto (Book)Meditations by Marcus Aurelius 4,000 Weeks by Robert BosmanReadwise App

That's a wrap of the Marketing Powerups Show for 2023! In this special episode, Ramli John shares clips from the top 5 best marketing powerups of the year. Download all 5 powerups cheatsheet for free: https://marketingpowerups.com/050

Shannon Deep is a writer, brand marketer, and grown up theater kid, who has never met a craft or cat she didn't like. From freelance writing, dramaturgy, and script consulting to working at international branding agencies and global tech brands, Shannon has always put storytelling at the heart of her career. She's the co-founder of Bonfire, which helps brands and the people who build them kindle their creativity through better storytelling. Kevan Lee is the co-founder of Bonfire. Prior to Bonfire, he led marketing teams for some of the biggest brands in tech, and he has over 15 years experience in scaling growth, brand, and impact from zero to one (and well beyond).  --- We cover:  The story structure framework and how to establish a brand  Importance of consistency and quality  Defining a brand's purpose  Examples of brands that have applied story structures effectively     --- We reference:  https://aroundthebonfire.com/ https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/317-story-structures- https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/409-purpose https://kevanlee.substack.com/p/435-storytelling-frameworks --- Where to find Shannon and Kevan:  Shannon's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-deep-34997983/ Kevan's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevanlee/ https://aroundthebonfire.substack.com/ --- Where to find Patrick:  Patrick's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pcmoran/ --- (02:34) What startups don't do in effectively developing a brand  (04:29) Implications of limited and narrow ways of brand conception with companies across all stages (06:17) Applying a brand system through quality and consistency  (07:19) The importance of developing a consistent and compelling brand narrative (08:39) Cases and examples of companies with consistent brand storytelling and the advantages that come with it  (11:39)  Overall structure and framework of story structures at the executive level down (13:23)  The purpose as an intersection between a cultural tension your solving for and a view of your brands best self (15:39) A strong brand purpose is longer term, inspirational and motivational and can be considered relative to what competitors are doing (20:25) The right teams and leaders involved with developing the brand  (23:29) Crafting nuanced and multifaceted stories - category/product/persona/cultural - to apply the story structure (27:18) Using data and insights to inform the story structures (30:38) Sequencing and prioritizing structures and the stories that come with it  (34:06) Applying measurement and effectiveness on how stories resonate  (41:07) How these stories fit within the overall marketing strategy and deriving impact  (46:40) Applying story structures with brands  (49:26) Where to find Shannon and Kevan!       

Kevan Lee and Shannon Deep, co-founders of Bonfire, share their brand storytelling framework. Download the free powerups cheatsheet: https://marketingpowerups.com/038

Summary:This week on How To Win: Kevan Lee, Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster HR, a management platform for globally distributed teams. Before joining Oyster, Kevan spent six years as VP of Marketing at Buffer, a social media management platform that helps brands and businesses engage with their online audience. Kevan is an expert in brand strategy, marketing leadership, and category creation and shares his expertise through regular appearances at events and on podcasts.In this episode, Kevan walks us through some key marketing strategies from across his career. We discuss differentiating your brand story, the benefits of handling PR in-house, and why the category you choose matters. I weigh in on the power of organic social, investing in original research, and why you should strive to be a category of one.Key Points: What marketing strategies worked at Buffer? (01:32) Advice for building a brand from scratch (04:08) Kevan talks brand story structure (05:25) I weigh in on the issue of sameness across brand stories (07:40) Kevan emphasizes the importance of 'the why' with a quote from Simon Sinek (08:32) Kevan lays out the important pieces of the Buffer marketing engine (11:36) Kevan reflects on Buffer's success with in-house PR (12:02) I weigh the benefits of PR investment with a quote from Axia Public Relations' Jason Mudd (13:37) How is Oyster's marketing machine set up? (14:54) I explore a successful organic social case study from creative agency Rise at Seven (17:06) Kevan talks about Google and LinkedIn paid social (19:11) How has timing impacted Kevan's career? (20:13) Kevan discusses the creation of the Global Employment category (21:51) I discuss the idea of being a category of one with a quote from Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal and Palantir (23:44) What bets haven't paid off at Oyster? (26:02) Wrap-up (30:31) Mentioned:Kevan Lee LinkedInOyster HR WebsiteOyster HR LinkedInBuffer WebsiteBuffer LinkedInDonald Miller's StoryBrand FrameworkSimon Sinek WebsiteJason Mudd LinkedInRise at Seven WebsitePeter Thiel LinkedInMy Links:TwitterLinkedInWebsiteWynterSpeeroCXL

I recently interviewed Kevan Lee, the former VP of Marketing at Buffer and currently Senior VP of Marketing at Oyster.Kevan is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to leading tech startups to significant growth. To give you an example, he helped Buffer go from $5m to $20m in annual revenue and 100,000 new customers acquisitions per month. In his first year at Oyster, he helped the company 20x its revenue and build a marketing team comprising over 50 people. He's also involved as an educator and advisor with Reforge, On Deck, as well as a past contributor to ProductLed, and more.In this interview, Kevan and I explore the realm of advisory work. We cover topics like:How he approaches advisory work while having a full-time gigHow he views mentorship and why it's important to himHow he prices his advice—and what he's learning in the processHis experience on the buyer side of equity for advice compensation discussionsHow he packages his ideas into a playbook that he shares with paying Substack subscribersAnd a lot more...This conversation was a fun exploration of the world of advisory work. And like all of us, Kevan is still figuring out what works best for him.You can follow Kevan on Twitter at @kevanlee and subscribe to his Substack at kevanlee.substack.com.Give this a listen and subscribe to get more interviews like this in the future.—k 

Emily Kramer led and built the marketing teams at Asana, Carta, Ticketfly, and Astro (acquired by Slack). These days, she's the co-founder of MKT1, where she helps founders and marketers build and scale their marketing functions. Emily is also a well-respected angel investor and writes my favorite marketing newsletter (MKT1). In today's episode, she shares her insights on when to hire marketers, how to determine which type of marketing hire is best for your team, how to best work with marketing, and what red flags to look for. Emily shares actionable templates and some incredible frameworks that are sure to expand your marketing knowledge.—Where to find Emily Kramer:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/emilykramer• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramer/• MKT1 Newsletter: https://mkt1.substack.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making this episode possible:• Amplitude: https://amplitude.com/• Lenny's Job Board: https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent• Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lenny—Referenced:• Building an efficient marketing machine: the fuel & the engine: https://mkt1.substack.com/p/fuel-engine• The GACC Marketing Brief: https://mkt1.substack.com/p/the-gacc-marketing-brief-the-best• The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference: https://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624• Crossing the Chasm: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986/• Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable: https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-Transform-Business-Remarkable/dp/014101640X• All the Light We Cannot See: https://www.amazon.com/All-Light-We-Cannot-See/dp/1501173219/• The Daily podcast: https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-daily• Stream Yellowjackets on Showtime: https://www.sho.com/yellowjackets• CODA on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/coda/umc.cmc.3eh9r5iz32ggdm4ccvw5igiir• Ashley Mayer's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymayer/• Kevan Lee's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevanlee/—In this episode, we cover:(03:44) Emily's background(06:08) Hiring a marketing team(11:26) Examples of fuel and engine in marketing(16:00) What is a product marketer?(18:20) Why you should start with a marketing generalist (20:30) The difference between a growth person and a product person (23:57) What to look for in a product marketer(26:58) When to hire a marketing person(30:45) The role of a brand marketer(33:24) Marketing for PLG startups(36:22) What is product-led growth?(39:23) How to get product and marketing to collaborate (43:38) What is the GACC framework?(47:58 ) How to know if your marketing team is effective(54:33) Why founders need angel investors with functional expertise(1:00:23) Lightning round—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquires about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Today on the show we have Kevan Lee, Head of Marketing at Oyster HR.In this episode, we talked about Kevin's experience with churn and retention at Buffer, Polly, and Oyster HR, and how the main reasons for churn differed at each company due to their business models and customer segments, and we then discussed the role marketing played in each case to reduce churn.As usual, I'm excited to hear what you think of this episode, and if you have any feedback, I would love to hear from you. You can email me directly on Andrew@churn.fm. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter.

For any team to work efficiently and well, ownership is important. As a leader, how do you motivate your team intrinsically? Kevan Lee, is the VP of Marketing at Oyster, with previous experience as the VP of Marketing at Buffer and Interim Head of Marketing at Polly. In today's episode, Kevan shares why he uses intrinsic motivation with his team and how he offers feedback to encourage more positive behaviour. We also talk about how parenting philosophy can be tied into management and why asking questions, rather than direct decision-making, often leads to the same conclusion but with more team growth. Tune in to hear why Kevan uses a lighter-weight approach to decision-making and how he tries to reduce the number of stakeholders for a more efficient process.

This episode features Kevan Lee. He leads the marketing team at Oyster, where he sets the strategy, vision, and direction for how they build the brand, drive awareness, create demand, and position the product. Oyster is a mission-driven B2B SaaS platform for Distributed HR, purpose-built to close the global talent gap. Prior to joining Oyster, Kevan led the marketing teams at Polly and at Buffer. His work at Buffer, where he spearheaded their growth from $5 million to $20 million dollars in annual revenue. He's an experienced marketer with the figures to back it up, and he's using that experience to solve challenging problems such as the one we are tackling today. 

Hello from Portland, Oregon! Welcome to another episode of B2B Marketing & More. Today I have another fantastic guest - Kevan Lee. Kevan is a product-led growth and SaaS leader and the head of marketing at Oyster, a distributor HR platform helping companies take care of the global teams. Today we are going to talk about growth hack strategies for startups. In this episode: How did Buffer ramp up its marketing and increased the number of users, readers and visitors? What is the system behind the high content production? What is the role of proper keyword research and optimization in content success? How can high-pace growth hack strategies keep the momentum over a more extended period? What tools should startups use, and business in general, to optimize their content? What are some growth hack strategies for startups and SaaS companies in the different business stages? How should sales and marketing work together in a startup? Is your business sales-led or product-led, and why should businesses care? How should marketers make a transition to support different business models? What tools should startups use for marketing automation and CRM, and should they integrate them? How can marketers measure the success and also a contribution to sales when it closes the deal? What is a daily routine of an effective leader, and why does it matter for business? What are the two books that marketers must read, primarily when they work in a startup environment? Quotes from the episode: "The strategy we took is to pitch something as if it was already written. And so we'd say we have written three things on these topics. Would you like them? And if they say "yes," then we go and write them real fast and get them over." "We have a couple of different ways that we do [to measure the success and also a contribution to sales when it closes the deal]. We have different pipeline targets that we measure at the top and then through the different stages. From lead to meeting to the opportunity to closed one, we have insight into each of those stages and how well we're moving people along." ————— If you want to chat, reach out to any social media channels or email me at hello@pamdidner.com. You can also join my Facebook community: Build Your Marketing Skills to Get Ahead. When you join, you get a free Starbucks on me. You can go to the Announcement tab and click on the barcode of the gift card.

What I absolutely love about Kevan is not just his illustrious career as a marketing lead, but the fact that he's constantly shared his learnings along the journey. A small part of that is his Substack newsletter which he's converted into a revenue-generating side hustle. In this episode, we dive deep into his Substack business.

B2B brand marketing can be difficult to define, as a collective of touch points and channels can generate ambiguous results. Despite this, Kevan Lee does a fantastic job of describing and advising brand marketing in B2B.  Kevan Lee is an experienced B2B tech marketer, having worked at Polly, Buffer and other fast-growing SaaS companies. He is currently Head of Marketing at Oyster, where he maintains a focus on brand building and storytelling. On this episode of the FINITE Podcast, hear tips for where to start with brand marketing, how to leverage employees and stories, who owns the brand of a company and how bias comes into play. ---The FINITE Podcast is made possible by 93x, the leading digital marketing agency for B2B technology, software & SaaS businesses delivering SEO & PPC strategy that drives leads, pipeline & revenue growth.---To apply to join the FINITE community, head to finite.community. Support the show (https://finite.community/)

On the show today is Kevan Lee. Kevan is the VP of Marketing at Polly and was previously the VP of Marketing at Buffer.I wanted to bring Kevan on because Kevan helped Buffer scale from $5 million in revenue all the way past $20 million in revenue. Buffer is a pioneer for transparency and the Open Startups movement. They're also an amazing case study on content marketing with three different publications and two podcast series.You'll hear about how they leveraged engineering as marketing with projects like Stories Creator, Remix, and Pablo, leadership lessons from growing and managing a team with radical transparency, and his process for finding and evaluating new jobs.More on Kevan: Kevan on Twitter kevanlee.com Mentions: Job Search Scoreboard Buffer Polly Sponsored by Ahrefs — with their new free tool, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, you can make tangible improvements to your SEO completely for free for any sites that you own. You can monitor your SEO health, keep track of backlinks, do basic keyword research, and get automated email alerts straight to your inbox. Sign up for a free account at ahrefs.com/awt

It's makeover time. In this live show, CEO and Co-founder of Directive, Garrett Mehrguth, and a SaaS marketing leader work together to build a strategy for a recognizable SaaS brand - as quickly as possible. The company will be randomly selected by spinning a wheel at the beginning of the show, and together, the two will craft a strategy for SaaS marketing leaders everywhere. Today's guest... Buffer's VP of Marketing, Kevan Lee!

In this episode, you will learn how to set up a one-year strategic marketing plan and lead your team to success. My guest today is Kevan Lee, the Director of Marketing at Buffer. Tune in to hear us discuss your big picture gameplan, how to lead a team effectively, and Kevan's personal career path. He reveals insight into the transition from content writing to strategy and what happened when he tried to take marketing shortcuts in the past. We covered: The difference between your company vision vs. strategy How Kevan created Buffer’s one-year strategic marketing plan Why step one of a marketing strategy starts with your purpose The powerful vision framework exercise for creating goals Which marketing channel is the number one driver for new signups How to determine which projects are your first priority Why marketers today should become multiskilled generalists Resources: Buffer Simplified One Page Strategic Plan for Every Team by David Cummings Vision Framework by Jim Collins The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman Reforge: Growth Programs for Experienced Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur by Derek Sivers Forget the Funnel by Georgiana Laudi and Claire Suellentrop KevanLee.com @KevanLee on Twitter Kevan on LinkedIn Mark Ritson: 4 Steps to Creating a Rock-Solid Marketing Strategy

This week we're jumping back into our Buffer Session on how to adapt your social media strategy and thrive in this changing times. (If you didn't catch part one, we released that last week. Feel free to jump back and start there.) In part two, Buffer's Kevan Lee and Darcy Peters are again joined by Janet Mesh CEO at Aimtal. In this episode, we join the session as they begin to tackle audience questions on a host of social media marketing topics from paid advertising and how to adjust budgets, to what's working on social video and marketing with empathy. Check out the full session here: https://lp.buffer.com/social-media-sessions We hope you enjoy the episode! If you like our new format, we'd really appreciate a review and five stars on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen to the show). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Dave & Hailley About the Show: Each week in Science of Social Media the Buffer team answer your questions and explore marketing strategies and tactics to help you grow your business through social media and build a brand your customers love. Join our 25,000+ weekly listeners. The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback. We'd love for you to check out the detailed show notes at www.buffer.com/podcast Check us out on Instagram - www.instagram.com/buffer Check us out on Facebook - www.facebook.com/bufferapp Check us out on Twitter - www.twitter.com/buffer

Now more than ever social media may be one of your most important channels for connecting with your audience and your customers. The tricky part? Social media strategies have changed just as fast as everything else! This past week we held our first Social Media Sessions event. During the session, Kevan Lee, Buffer's VP of marketing, was joined by our Customer Advocacy Lead Darcy Peters and Janet Mesh CEO at Aimtal to answer a bunch of social media marketing questions. In today's epsiode, we're bringing you some of the key insights and takeaways from Kevan, Darcy, and Janet. The session covered topics like engagement, messaging, and creating content in the moment. Check out the full session here: https://lp.buffer.com/social-media-sessions Hope you enjoy the episode! If you like our new format, we'd really appreciate a review and five stars on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen to the show). ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Dave & Hailley About the Show: Each week in Science of Social Media the Buffer team answer your questions and explore marketing strategies and tactics to help you grow your business through social media and build a brand your customers love. Join our 25,000+ weekly listeners. The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback. We'd love for you to check out the detailed show notes at www.buffer.com/podcast Check us out on Instagram - www.instagram.com/buffer Check us out on Facebook - www.facebook.com/bufferapp Check us out on Twitter - www.twitter.com/buffer

What metrics really matter to social media marketers and marketing leaders? We're really excited to share our new podcast format with you all today. Every week, the Buffer team (and occasional special guests) will be answering your biggest social media marketing questions. This week, we speak with Buffer's VP of marketing Kevan Lee, to discuss the metrics that really matter for social media marketers and how Kevan looks at challenges such as inflated video view counts and finding reliable data sources. Hope you enjoy the episode! - Dave & Hailley About the Show: Each week in Science of Social Media the Buffer team answer your questions and explore marketing strategies and tactics to help you grow your business through social media and build a brand your customers love. Join our 25,000+ weekly listeners. The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback. We'd love for you to check out the detailed show notes at www.buffer.com/podcast Check us out on Instagram - www.instagram.com/buffer Check us out on Facebook - www.facebook.com/bufferapp Check us out on Twitter - www.twitter.com/buffer

As listeners and podcast producers, we're always on the hunt for shows that help us improve in some aspect of our lives. The best educational podcasts fill the void with episodes about entrepreneurship, language learning practice, and even philosophical debates. When Craig sat down with Kevan Lee from Buffer, he didn't plan on digging deeper into how Buffer creates their educational podcasts. But after hearing about their unique process and transition into scripted episodes, we had to know more. This week on Audience, we're talking about a popular podcast topic and category–educational podcasts. These podcast's formats take many forms but one thing remains constant. The audience is there to learn something and they need actionable steps to get started. Listen to our interview with Kevan to find out how Buffer produces their show then read on to discover 10 of the best educational podcasts out there. Why You Should Consider An Educational Podcast Format The best educational podcasts tackle a theme or niche topic and analyze it down to its basic points. These shows are popular because podcasts are a great way to learn new skills from experts. They also help audiences access more information about a specific interest that may be too complicated to understand via other mediums. For example, there is a community interested in learning about how to save and invest for retirement. But it takes time to research and understand complex financial topic from articles around the internet. Instead, people listen to Money For The Rest of Us. The host, David Stein, previously managed billions of dollars and is there to guide his listeners through a variety of financial topics. His goal is to help people become more confident investors and take control of their financial futures. For individual hosts, like David Stein, educational podcasts offer an opportunity to become an industry authority. He published a book in 2019, curates a weekly newsletter, and speaks at live events due to his podcast's success. For aspiring podcasters, if you're interested in educating others about a topic or skill then this podcast format is for you. In the same vein, brands like Buffer are producing educational podcasts that weave in their products with actionable information. Buffer's team is an expert on all things social media so they're able teach listeners about industry best practices and how their tool can help. Brands producing educational podcasts offer more value to their customers, helping them refine a skillset along the way. What Buffer Learned From Producing A Podcast We weren't shocked to hear about Buffer's transition from an interview-based podcast to a scripted show because their written content is the pinnacle B2B of content marketing. Recording an educational podcast based off their high performing blog content sounded like a no-brainer. But it took some trial and error from them to get there. The Science of Social Media started as an interview-style show where 3 different hosts would rotate through

Kevan Lee is VP of Marketing at Buffer and in this episode we're talking about how to run a successful remote SaaS marketing team.

In this episode of the Creating a Brand Podcast, Alex Sanfilippo talks with Kevan Lee. Kevan Lee is the VP of marketing at Buffer. Throughout this episode, Kevan answers the following questions:What are some ways that you continue to grow your engagement?What are some of the best ways to engage with your audience?How important is it to respond to DMs and @ mentions in a timely manner?Does responding quickly improve your engagement?Do you think it's important for people to focus on one or two platforms or should they be on all of them?What are your thoughts on people saying to focus less on the feed and more on the story on Instagram?In addition, Alex and Kevan talk about the rise of memes on social media and do some social media myth-busting and of course, talk about Buffer.For show notes visit: https://creatingabrand.com/how-to-waste-less-time-on-social-media-while-still-producing-results-with-kevan-leeSupport the show (https://creatingabrand.com/join)

Join Shane Barker and Kevan Lee as they discuss the various aspects of a visual content strategy. Learn how visual content catches our attention and how you can use it to market your brand.   Visual content is an integral part of any content marketing strategy and is critical for its success. Find out about the advantages of visual content and learn how to create a visual content strategy here: https://shanebarker.com/podcast/kevan-lee   I’ve used content marketing to grow my presence online and visual content played a crucial role in it. Find out how I achieved my growth so that you can replicate it for your website: https://shanebarker.com/blog/content-marketing-case-study/   You Will Learn   The important factors of visual content Tips for choosing visuals Buffer’s go-to form of content Buffer’s Instagram strategy The future of visual content   Guest Bio   Kevan Lee is the Vice-President of Marketing at Buffer, which is a powerful social media management tool. It’s used by over 3 million agencies, individuals, and brands around the world. Additionally, he’s an advisor at Leap Studios, which helps new companies with their marketing and distribution strategies. Previously, he served as the Managing Editor of Vox.   Resources   Canva Figma State of Remote Work Zoom Slack Threads Dropbox Paper Animoto Wave Biteable Substack   A visual content marketing strategy is critical to the success of your brand. Without visuals, your blog posts would be dry, and so would your social media profiles. You must get your branding right and have it planned clearly. But it is also necessary to decide upon the type of content that you want to create and its distribution channels.   What are the other factors that you think need to be considered while developing a visual content strategy? Let me know in the comments.

On this week's episode, I speak with Kevan Lee. Kevan is the VP of Marketing at Buffer. Buffer is a remote company with team members scattered across the globe. Kevin comes on the show to discuss remote work, how to grow a following on social media from scratch, and his unconventional journey to becoming a VP.  Episode Highlights:The challenges of running a marketing team remotely.Strategies for communicating with teams in different time zones across the world.How sports reporting, passion for writing, and content management led to Kevan's role as VP.The importance of storytelling in writing content.1 key principle that drives every day: "what one thing am I doing today to get to where I want to be." - Kevan LeeThe difference between "climbing the ladder" and "jumping to the next dot."How to successfully juggle your primary role, family, side hustle, and looking for that "next thing."The new way of identifying core values, drive, and perspective in team members and how that's paying off for the modern company.The process and importance of content in your product strategy.The keys to growing a social media following from scratch.Shifting your mindset from social media scheduling to social media planning and engagement.Rapid Fire Round: the #1 "successful" person, other's might think this is insane, a common misconception, deepest regret, a movie about your life (genre & actor), impactful books, and personal "call-to-action." 3 Key Points:Great storytelling is key to developing successful marketing strategies and content.The key to growing is focusing on the next best thing as opposed to climbing the ladder of success.Learning the language of your client allows for a more successful social media strategy and relationship.

On today's episode of the Internet Marketing Podcast, Andy is joined by Kevan Lee, VP of Marketing at Buffer to talk about a range of topics including the state of content marketing & social media in 2019 & how to build your marketing team, plus he provides his tips for marketing strategy. On the show you'll learn: What content marketing & social media look like in 2019What interactive posts are and why you should be using themWhere podcasting is heading in 2019Tips for how to build your marketing teamTips for marketing strategy including frameworks to use and how to stay on trackPlus, Kevan provides his top tip/key takeaway. If you'd like to connect with Kevan you can find him on Twitter here, Instagram here and on LinkedIn here.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 6 of my docuseries with brand partner Drift, I continue to explore why the world's best B2B companies are betting big on brand. Today, we go inside social media software company Buffer. They're an exception for many reasons, but chief among them is how they increase emotional resonance between their team and their audience. In this episode, I define the differences between traffic, audience, and resonance, and we hear how Buffer executes against each. Special thanks to Brian Peters and Kevan Lee for joining. MORE GOOD STUFF: My book, Break the Wheel, is about questioning best practices to think for yourself. If you want to make better decisions, faster, in your unique context, check it out on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Wheel-Question-Practices-Intuition/dp/1544501056/ You can also get one new story each each week about thinking for yourself when surrounded by conventional thinking by subscribing to my newsletter at bit.ly/DamnTheBestPractices

- How does a growing software company get over 100,000 new users every month without a sales team? Join me for Episode 4 of Lead Generation Unleashed - How can software companies and other digital marketing businesses find and convert more leads? - What are alternatives to lead scoring? - And how much do you give before you sell? Kevan Lee is here to tell us all about about Buffer’s surprising approach to growing it’s platform. Kevan heads up the marketing team at Buffer, a social media management platform for brands and businesses. He specializes in strategy and people management. He wants to see Buffer thrive and his teammates flourish. Other specialties include editorial strategy, content marketing, copywriting, SEO, and social media.Join me to get his insights on what’s working now in this episode of Lead Generation Unleashed, a program where we explore what's working now to help you attract more LEADS, trigger RESPONSE, and ignite SALES for your business. Hit the play button and join us now!“... you have to think about what your customer wants. What are they interested in? And what are they thinking about, even if it doesn't necessarily have to do with what you are trying to sell?” - Kevan LeeWhat You’ll Hear About:- How Buffer is signing up over 100,000 users per month - without a sales team (1:04)- Why Buffer shifted it’s content approach and what’s working now (5:35)- The content model that creates strong site architecture and boosts SEO (7:39)- Two strategies that drive sign-ups, build relationships, and increase exposure (8:45)- How new trends in content delivery are influencing lead generation (16:17)- The number one secret to making your marketing dollars count (19:28)- How Buffer strengthens its brand and builds trust by avoiding these proven marketing tactics (21:29)“Whatever you're doing, know why you're doing it … and then make sure you're doing it the same way over and over. Because that's what will build trust and familiarity with your brand” - Kevan LeeResources Mentioned in This Episode:Learn more at Buffer and start sharing on social media today with a free account at www.buffer.comwww.judyolbrych.com www.judyolbrych.com/scorecard Subscribe for monthly show notes and notifications at www.judyolbrych.com/podcast Thank you for tuning in today! If you enjoyed the show, please share this episode with your friends and stop by again soon to catch the latest episodes. Look for new podcasts on the first Wednesday of every month at 10 AM Eastern Time.MUSIC CREDITS:Poppers and Prosecco Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

In this episode, you will learn how to set up a one-year strategic marketing plan and lead your team to success. My guest today is Kevan Lee, the Director of Marketing at Buffer. Tune in to hear us discuss your big picture gameplan, how to lead a team effectively, and Kevan’s personal career path. He reveals insight into the transition from content writing to strategy and what happened when he tried to take marketing shortcuts in the past. *** Tap on this link to access show notes+transcripts, join our private community of mavericks, or sign up to the newsletter: EveryoneHatesMarketers.com/links

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Get in touch with the guest, Kevan Lee: via Twitter his blog his newsletter. Kevan's work: on the Buffer blog on the Buffer company culture blog on Medium on Entrepreneur.com RESOURCES: Books: The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life The Decision Maker And more: AMA with Kevan Lee, Marketing and Content at Buffer Kevan's best of 2017 The slow web How to Get the Content Marketing Job You've Always Wanted The 10 Buffer Values and How We Act on Them Every Day Buffer Open – the blog dedicated to the company's culture the Buffer monthly reports (revenue, salaries and more) Buffer's transparency center the RACI matrix

Kevan Lee is the director of marketing at Buffer, the social media management tool for brands, agencies, and marketers. Through his content, he shares everything he knows about startup marketing, management, and leadership. Quotes To Remember: “It’s not an evergreen article if it might not be relevant a year from now.” “Doing content well takes a lot of focus. It takes lot of time and energy to really sit down and write something that will stand out and will be useful to people.” “If you’re putting out great content, the audience will come.” “It’s worth it but it might take a while to get there.” What You’ll Learn: How Does Buffer Works The Netflix Method to Content Marketing Getting Into a Habit of Creating Content Everyday   Key Links From The Show: Kevan’s Site Buffer Medium The Pmarca Blog Archive   Recommended Books: Content Marketing Secrets by Marc Guberti Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott We Are All Weird by Seth Godin Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy Rise and Grind by Daymond John

In this episode of after the exchange I point out the key points from my conversation with the Marketing Director at Buffer, Kevan Lee.  Buffer is a social media management tool that has personally saved me a ton of time.Connect with Kevan Lee on Twitter https://twitter.com/kevanleeSign Up for Buffer - https://buffer.com/Audio Credit: Thomas Murphy @TMTSystemsLet's Connect:Website: www.JoeAlexlemonInstagram: @JoeAlexLemonTwitter: @JoeAlexLemon

This is my most tactical episode yet on social selling!  Had the honor of speaking with the Marketing Director at Buffer, Kevan Lee.  Buffer is a social media management tool that has personally saved me a ton of time.

This is my most tactical episode yet on social selling!  Had the honor of speaking with the Marketing Director at Buffer, Kevan Lee.  Buffer is a social media management tool that has personally saved me a ton of time. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/joelemon/message

This is my most tactical episode yet on social selling!  Had the honor of speaking with the Marketing Director at Buffer, Kevan Lee.  Buffer is a social media management tool that has personally saved me a ton of time.Connect with Kevan Lee on Twitter https://twitter.com/kevanleeSign Up for Buffer - https://buffer.com/Let's Connect:Website: www.JoeAlexlemonInstagram: @JoeAlexLemonTwitter: @JoeAlexLemon

In this episode I speak with Kevan Lee, Director of Marketing at Buffer. Kevan and his team have built Buffer to become a household name in social media management software. They have grown their business organically through content marketing, social media and a focus on SEO. Their blog now receives an impressive 20 million visits annually. In this episode we discuss the strategies that have helped them get there. It's an interesting chat where we explore the wide spectrum of the Buffer marketing strategy.

Social Media Talks Podcast, The Podcast for business owners who want to learn more about Social Media Marketing, presented by Alan Hennessy Head of Digital at www.kompassmedia.ie. On this week's show, we talk to Kevan Lee Director of Marketing at Buffer.com, about The Benefits of using the Buffer Platform. Kevan is a professional writer and editor with a knack for storytelling. He specialises in blogging, email marketing, and content creation and has had the privilege to write for some of the leading blogs on the web: Buffer, Lifehacker, Time, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, The Huffington Post, The Next Web, and more.

Time to take over Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - and all the other social media out there! Nowadays your potential customers use social media as the modern version of yellow pages - and if you are not present there, you are missing out on business opportunities. Learn how to master social media marketing with the Director of Marketing at Buffer, Kevan Lee. Check out Buffers reply tool here: https://buffer.com/reply/

For some time now the social marketing campaigns of most brands have consisted of scheduling out loads of content through Buffer or another social management tool and letting it run. Kevan Lee, Director of Marketing at Buffer says your promotions, blog posts, and podcast episodes are undoubtedly filled with valuable insights, but a shift is taking place in the social media world that demands you modify your strategy. Users of social media - the very ones you’re trying to reach - are valuing the “social” part of social media more than the “media” part. In short: Engagement matters more than publication. What does that mean for a brand? It means a new approach to social media is in order. To help us get our heads around what exactly that means, Drew recorded this conversation with Kevan and discussed the shifting social media landscape, how social marketing campaigns of the past must give way to genuine transparency and engagement, and how small to medium-sized businesses can do social right. Sounds intriguing, don’t you think? Be sure you listen. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts - Stitcher- or Podsearch What You’ll Learn [0:30] Why hell hath no fury like a social detractor and why businesses need to use it effectively to listen, learn and engage. [1:50] Kevan and the team at Buffer work in a fully remote team environment [3:00] The reason Kevan believes writing is vital for marketers to learn [4:26] The changes that have happened in the social media world: engagement matters more than publishing [6:19] How the Buffer team markets Buffer through engagement: No ROI for social [10:26] What does it mean to be “on brand” - the Buffer approach [14:59] Brands that have been using social media effectively these days [20:24] The biggest mistakes Kevan sees brands making on social [24:33] Buffer’s transparency ethic and how it impacts their planning and engagement [32:13] Kevan’s advice for medium-small businesses when it comes to social Most social media activity is crap simply because brands feel they HAVE to schedule something to publish. Try on a new social marketing approach: Be active, be on brand, be engaged As Drew and his guest, Kevan Lee, of Buffer spoke about current social media trends, Drew pointed out how much of what’s out there is the epitome of irrelevance. Most brands are guilty of adding to the noise instead of adding to the conversations already happening on social. Kevan responded by saying that a good social campaign these days involves being active (and he’s got an interesting definition of what that means), being “on brand,” and being engaged. In this conversation, he shares clear explanations of how a small to medium sized company can pull off each of those 3 elements of effective social, so don’t miss this conversation. If you don’t have something meaningful to say in a week’s time, your brand has bigger problems The biggest part of being a brand that adds true value on social media is to only post things that are truly relevant and valuable. But because the “old way” of doing social marketing insisted that companies fill up their channels with content (relevant or not), many in the marketing department are scratching their heads about what it means to be truly meaningful. Kevan Lee, Director of Marketing at Buffer says if you don’t have something meaningful to say in a week’s time, your company has a bigger problem than you realize. Find out what he means by that statement and how he proposes companies adjust their social media strategy on this episode of Renegade Thinkers Unite. Be among the 20% of brands who actually respond to mentions on social media Engagement matters on social media, especially for companies. But Kevan Lee points out that only 20% of companies these days even respond when they are tagged or mentioned on social. It’s unthinkable when you realize that the person who tagged your company is likely a customer or prospect - the very people you’re looking to reach. So naturally, the most obvious thing you can do to increase the effectiveness of your social marketing is to be among the 20% of brands that monitor your social accounts and respond when you’re mentioned. Start a conversation, engage, solve problems. That’s the “social” part of social media, and it works. Connect With Kevan Kevan’s profile on the Buffer page Connect with Kevan on LinkedIn Follow Kevan on Twitter Follow Kevan on Facebook Resources & People Mentioned Dogs in Politics Day National Blueberry Popsicle Month Mailchimp Red Bull GoPro Product Hunt On Twitter On Facebook The Seattle Times On Facebook On Twitter HARO - Help A Reporter Out Google Analytics Facebook Insights Ted Rubin - “There’s no ROI on ignoring” Connect with Drew 917-679-8852 (Text “renegade thinking” so we can talk about how to cut through the noise as a marketer) http://renegade.com/ On LinkedIn On Twitter On Facebook On Instagram

Kevan Lee Today on the Business Machine we have Kevan Lee of Buffer. Buffer is a content marketing, social media tool, that helps entrepreneurs and businesses schedule post for social media. In 10 years, Kevan would like to see Buffer be more personalized for its users. Recommendations Quote: “If you give freely, there will always be more.” Books: Poke the Box by Seth Godin Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard Being Mortal by Atul Gawande Contact buffer.com Free plan or 30 day free trial for businesses