It’s budget season. Sometimes not as fun as fashion or pilot season, but we are here again. As you start to pull your plan together to align with your leadership team, we thought it wouldn’t hurt to have an experienced marketer and former CEO help you tell the story to secure those precious funds for the projects you’re most excited about (ahem, podcast anyone?).
Devin Bramhall. Devin is a powerhouse in the content marketing space—she’s a sought-after growth advisor for executive leaders, former CEO of Animalz, and co-host of the popular b2b marketing podcast, Don’t Say Content. With over 15 years of marketing and leadership experience, she has helped companies scale by 3x, and she’s also built thriving communities around content strategies that work (who knew?). She shares valuable insights with our genius crew (which includes our clients) on how marketing leaders can overcome challenges and drive success—especially when navigating complex stakeholder dynamics.
Sold? Us too.
Didn’t make the call? Not to worry.
Here are her best tips for tackling the challenge of getting executive buy-in for your content programs.
The Challenge: Navigating Stakeholder Dynamics
Many marketers face a harsh reality: some of the key decision-makers know little about marketing. This can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and frustrating back-channeling that derails your strategic initiatives.
A recent McKinsey report showed the impact of this disconnect: 90% of CEOs think they know the benefits of marketing, but only 50% of CMOs see the same connection. This gap often turns seasoned marketing leaders into glorified taskmasters, forced to execute requests that miss the big picture (and don’t allow them to reach their shared goals).
Your job is not just to create the perfect marketing strategy—it’s to convince stakeholders to trust you enough to let you implement it. Logic alone won’t sway them. You need to consider their personalities, their agendas, and their fears. Most decision-making doesn’t come from a place of logic; they run on relationships, opinions, and influence (do we really need another water bottle?)
One Rule to Win Them All
So, how do you get your leadership on board? Devin gave us this golden takeaway that applies to about every aspect of communication.
Focus on the big picture.
That means shifting from talking about tactics to talking about vision. Start with the vision that resonates with your executives (beyond the revenue team). Your leadership team doesn’t want to be bogged down by the details of your strategy. What they care about are outcomes: how will your plan affect revenue, growth, and their personal metrics of success for the company? We’re talking about the business case for your program, straight up. In other words, fast track to the happily ever after.
Overcoming the Disconnect When it Comes to Your Podcast
Once you’ve nailed the bottom line, you might have to back it up and get into the content program. Keep this mind: shift the conversation around your podcast from tactics (content program) to big vision (brand trust and engagement growth). This is where podcasts and similar media-first approaches come into play. By leveraging content like podcasts, you can address their broader concerns.
Podcasts (or shows, as we like to say, because it encompasses video) allow you to:
- Create efficiency: You can create a lot from one source. From a single podcast episode, you can generate multiple content assets, including blogs, social posts, videos, and more.
- Build trust: People buy from people, not brands. A show allows your company to amplify your brand message through the voices of trusted internal (or external) figures.
- Drives awareness and engagement: Beyond brand awareness, podcasts can convert listeners into fans. Keeping you top of mind to turn these folks into leads and, eventually, customers.
By zooming out and addressing executive-level concerns—costs, growth potential, and overall company positioning—you can make the business case for your strategy, rather than just presenting a marketing plan. It’s about aligning your initiatives with the company’s broader goals.
Getting buy-in from leaders who don’t understand marketing may feel like an uphill battle, but by approaching it with the right mindset—focus on outcomes, confidence, and trust—you can turn the tide in your favor.
In the end, it’s not just about crafting the right marketing strategy; it’s about mastering the art finding common ground and getting everyone on board to chase the vision together. LFG.
