Lemlist's influencer philosophy is to never sell a feature directly. Instead, they brief creators to teach a valuable method that solves a real pain. The product is positioned as a tool that makes executing the method easier, but isn't required, which leads to more authentic content.
Lemlist outsourced the technical execution of paid ads (bidding, platform specifics) to a freelancer. This de-risked hiring for a new channel and allowed the in-house team to focus on high-impact work like positioning, messaging, and linking campaigns to major GTM moments.
Finding existing influencer databases ineffective, Lemlist built their network manually. A key tactic was running outreach campaigns targeting creators that their current, trusted influencers already follow themselves. This 'friend of a friend' approach surfaced more relevant micro-influencers.
Lemlist shifted its partnership strategy to focus on agencies with a 'done with you' motion, rather than 'done for you.' This ensures the end-customer learns and uses the product directly, leading to better adoption and an LTV that's more than double that of typical customers.
The CMO directed her design team to have fun and not worry about strict brand guidelines for LinkedIn ads. The priority was to create something that catches attention and interrupts the pattern, rather than producing another standard, safe B2B ad that blends in.
Lemlist multiplies the impact of influencer marketing by connecting it to other channels. Successful organic posts are sponsored as 'thought leadership ads' for wider reach. Their sales team also conducts outbound outreach to people who comment on these posts, leveraging social proof for high reply rates.
Lemlist scaled from $0 to $500K in paid ads to rapidly target mid-market sales teams, a new audience. The goal was speed and control in capturing existing demand and shifting their customer profile, rather than just generating leads from their existing market.
To avoid making influencer content feel like a transactional ad, Lemlist intentionally does not use UTM tracking links. Instead, they measure success by tracking sign-up uplifts against a baseline and using a model based on reach and comment quality, prioritizing authenticity over perfect attribution.
The CMO believes AI for generic content creation is overrated. Instead, their most effective use of AI is creating highly tailored drip and outbound campaigns based on a user's specific in-product activity and results. This contextual outreach helps prevent churn and increase monetization.
Lemlist used paid ads to enter the German market and quickly learned their standard messaging failed due to cultural differences around cold emailing. This allowed them to pivot their positioning, proving ads are a powerful tool for fast market validation and de-risking expansion.