Learn Mark Kosoglow's Formula for Fueling Hard Work with Fun
Master Viral Content Styles From Top LinkedIn Creators
Each week, I breakdown how (and when) a top creator hit their viral moment, so you can weave it into your strategy.
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*This is Mark's total engagement numbers from his 8-year journey (through July 29, 2024)
Introduction
Mark's LinkedIn journey starts when he's two years into working at Outreach. His first post starts on April 25, 2016. It's been 8 years of fun. Over that time, he's been become a highly respected sales leader who has been recognized by several organizations for his achievements:
- He was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Inside Sales Professionals by AA-ISP in 2016.
- In 2017, Entrepreneur Magazine named him one of the 10 Most Innovative Movers and Shakers in Sales Leadership.
- ZoomInfo recognized him as one of the 100 Most Influential Sales Leaders in 2023.
- Pavilion included him in their list of 40 CROs to Watch in 2023.
- UserGems named him a Brilliant Gem in Sales in 2023.
- Clari recognized him as one of their Top CROs in 2023.
- Amplemarket listed him as one of 20 Must-Follow GTM Leaders in 2023.
- The Sales Collective named him one of the Top 120 Sales Leaders to Know in 2024.
As you read through his journey here, remember that good things take time. If you take your time to focus your energy, you'll find ways to stand out from the crowd and that's exactly what Mark has done with his career.
I can't wait to see what he's working on next and how we can all benefit from it.
Now, why do I say his content style is Storyteller?
Content Style: Storyteller
Every time I read a post from Mark, I feel like I'm living inside his life and am part of the story. It's hard to replicate this type of skill. He shares personal pictures of his life, family and weaves it together really well with a blend of personal and professional. Yes, LinkedIn is a professional network but you've got to remember that we're all humans.
As AI noise continues to get louder, it will be more important than ever to feel like we've got a connection with other humans. Mark is leaning into that by sharing stories and sparking emotion throughout his LinkedIn journey.
He even starts a tag that creates emotion and tells stories we can all relate to (#ExecsHate). You'll see what I mean as you get deeper into the story.
So, enjoy the story of how Mark has become one of the most prolific sales leaders on LinkedIn over the past 8 years by by leveraging his storytelling abilities.
We All Start Somewhere
Mark Kosoglow had a great start on LinkedIn, despite starting in 2016.
You could say he hit the ground running, sharing more than 50 posts in the same year he started. Sharing 50 posts in your first year, especially around 2016 takes intentionality and discipline.
At least, that was way more than many other creators that started around the same time shared in their first year. Not only did he share that much, but some of his posts in the same year had good performance (especially for a newbie on LI)
Mark’s LI journey started in April 2016 with his first post on April 25, 2016, with this hook;
I get stuck all the time. I hate it. Here's how I #getunstuck. (1 reaction, 1 comment)
Yeah! You saw that right.
Despite having 54k followers as of August 2024, and posts with several 1000s of reactions over the years, his first post on LinkedIn had only 1 like and 1 comment - both coming from the same person. So, only one person reacted to Mark’s first post on LinkedIn.
Let’s check out some of his best-performing posts in the same year.
Congrats to our founders Manny Medina, Andrew Kinzer, Wes Hather, and Gordon Hempton - huge raise in record time in worst funding environment in a decade….(73 reactions, 18 comments, 5 reposts)
Mark was just 2 months old on LI, and he had shared only 17 posts prior to this. Having 70+ reactions is a big deal at this point. Take a quick look, again, and guess why this post performed well.
Firstly, he mentioned some leaders in the industry. Mentioning one person boosts the performance of your post. Now imagine mentioning 4 people in one post.
Anyone you mention would be compelled to like and possibly comment on your post. Check this out!
Manny Medina’s comment had 5 replies and 8 likes. And that’s what I’m talking about!
Mentioning individual creators and industry leaders boosts your performance.
Secondly, Mark displayed a powerful skill in communication - expressing contradictions. Achieving a decade's all-time high raise in record time in the worst funding environment is a big deal!
Thirdly, Mark mentioned the company’s name.
Fourthly, He kept the post brief. You don’t have to waste your readers' time conveying complex ideas. The shorter it is, the better!
Booooom!! Marylou Tyler droppin' bombs on the Outreach team. Can't wait to dig in and feel the power!!! (58 reactions, 9 comments, 1 repost)
Yes! Mentioning other leaders worked for this post as well - you can check the comment section of the post to see what I mean.
Mark still mentioned Marylou Tyler in the comments and she replied to the post-trice. All these add to the metrics!
Bad ass quote from a bad ass man! (45 reactions, 1 comment, 6 reposts)
A friend sent this to me after reading a post yesterday. I'm sure you can identify with it -- I know I can. (75 reactions, 2 comments, 19 reposts)
The beginning of an new era of sales. The original class of #OutreachHeroes at #unleash17… (85 reactions, 4 comments, 4 reposts)
What an honor! Thank you Forbes. It's so exciting to get validation of the path we are on as the only true Sales Engagement platform. (66 reactions, 4 comments, 2 reposts)
You can already guess how and why this 2-line post had a good performance, despite its length.
Getting a feature in Forbes is a major milestone!
Congrats to Manny Medina, Andrew Kinzer, Gordon Hempton, and double congrats to Wes Hather (on recent marriage!). (152 reactions, 14 comments, 4 reposts)
I trust you know why this post performed well. This is even on a higher scale than the post that Mark shared one year ago
(June 22, 2016)
#92 on Forbes Cloud 100 list = Amazing
44 of 100 being Outreach customers = Humbling (94 reactions, 4 comments, 7 reposts)
Up until now, Mark has not been posting very frequently. For instance, in January 2018, he only shared 1 post. However, one major reason he has been getting good performance is due to his mentions - Forbes, Outreach, and other creators and industry leaders.
We are seeing truly interesting things with competitive pricing as we get close to the end of the year in our deals. Are you? (96 reactions, 20 comments, 8 reposts)
Another milestone reached by Outreach = $1.1B valuation. (356 reactions, 39 comments, 3 reposts)
How do you judge who is #1 in your product category? (168 reactions, 16 comments, 16 reposts)
With COVID-19 affecting many of us in the Pacific Northwest fairly significantly, it's interesting to see how different organizations that touch my family are dealing with it. (284 reactions, 20 comments, 3 reposts)
Aside from his usual mentions, talking about the most recent and global event is another key that boosts performance. March 2020 marked a pivotal moment in history as the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, triggering unprecedented social distancing measures, lockdowns, and economic disruption worldwide.
What do you think it means? (253 reactions, 24 comments, 11 reposts)
What an honor from #GirlsClub! (144 reactions, 17 comments, 4 reposts)
Mark is like the mouthpiece of Outreach and never forgets to maximize the benefits of mentioning other programs, companies and industry leaders.
In February 2021, Mark started posting as a creator on LinkedIn. This move took his LI engagement to a whole different level as he began posting consistently.
Testing Phase
Before February 2021, Mark posted a couple of times every month. But this time, he decided to post every day.
In 2021, he shared 441 posts - that’s even more than the days in the year. Of course, his performance is a testament to his effort at this time.
Let’s check some of his high-performing posts after he turned things up!
I think the secret to effective leadership is enjoying people. (181 reactions, 33 comments, 2 reposts)
One obvious trick that Mark applied here is controversy. Never run away from controversies - it is one of the keys to drive engagement and build a voice on LI.
Pick a controversial theme, speak about your opinion, and watch your audience speak for or against your view.
That’s it. Of course, never attack anyone’s personality. Just air your view.
You probably noticed the number of comments as well. 33 comments is pretty high compared with his 181 reactions.
Mark started engaging his comments here!
Responding to every single comment on your post continues the conversation and makes people want to comment more. And yes, it adds to the number.
Also, the post is brief. Respect their time.
Again, the shorter, the better!
People tell me I look young. I’m not, though. (269 reactions, 27 comments)
You can easily pinpoint the effect of Mark's dedication to posting consistently on LinkedIn and engaging his comments.
Just in a matter of weeks following his decision to start posting consistently (as a creator), Mark crossed the 500 reaction bar for the first time.
And around this time, he didn’t only have a spike, but a cluster of several high-performing posts.
Check them out;
#ExecsHate long emails. You send them anyway. (571 reactions, 114 comments, 18 reposts)
#ExecsHate long intros to start calls. You do them anyway. (923 reactions, 108 comments, 11 reposts)
I wouldn’t normally post about a rep leaving Outreach. (665 reactions, 75 comments)
#ExecsHate your case study. You send it anyway. (1795 reactions, 218 comments, 23 reposts)
#ExecsHate your demo. You power through anyway. (2845 reactions, 313 comments, 47 reposts)
What do you think about this #ExecsHate series???
This is the post that pushed Mark through the 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 reaction lines on LinkedIn.
Here's my thought about this performance;
Repurposing content is one of the best strategies in content creation. It is actually one great key that combines creativity and past performance.
You don’t always have to generate new ideas - repurpose the existing ones.
A post that has performed well before can perform well again, with or without tweaking!
Mark shared 30+ individual posts with the hashtag #ExecsHate. After that, he moved to a series of #RepsHate.
Another key is follow-up!
Following up on an initial conversation is one key that only a few creators have unlocked! If your audience generally resonates with a particular post, follow up on the same theme. They are highly likely to respond to that as well.
Check Mark’s posts from the previous years, and you will notice that he has also improved on his copywriting skills.
These copies have great hooks and excellent use of white space.
Needless to mention, he delivered value in all of the posts.
Finding Mark's Creator Style
I’ve been married to my wife for more years than I was single — 23 years of marriage in 45 years of life. (2549 reactions, 53 comments, 5 reposts)
Don’t believe price is contextual? (2835 reactions, 233 comments, 63 reposts.
It’s the best labor market for sales professionals EVER. (440 reactions, 33 comments, 8 reposts)
I've been on 17 "discovery calls" with potential vendors recently. (560 reactions, 61 comments, 5 reposts)
To the SDR that has double/triple tapped me every single weekday for the past 3 weeks between 4pm and 5pm ET from a number in Miami, FL… (2279 reactions, 198 comments, 32 reposts)
I think this post is required....
(1752 reactions, 239 comments)
I used to be poor, working a $14/hour job, not seeing a path to success. (2583 reactions, 204 comments, 42 reposts)
Wanna grow your company twice as fast? (2480 reactions, 210 comments, 52 reposts)
I see SDRs, AEs, CSMs, and execs consistently making a massive error when engaging critical C-level buyers. (1257 reactions, 119 comments, 54 reposts)
It is not surprising that Mark keeps having such good performance with his posts since he started creating content on LinkedIn.
From the hooks to the rest of the posts have been top-notch. He has also mastered effective use of space while giving value per time.
This time, he’s teaching about how Chat GPT can be used to optimize copies for sales reps. That’s addressing the talk of the moment and helping his audience.
AEs should NOT be prospecting more right now. It's dangerous. (1958 reactions, 292 comments, 35 reposts)
I think we are about 6 months away from a gigantic AI revolution in sales. (901 reactions, 197 comments, 26 reposts)
Yesterday was my last day as Catalyst's CRO. (2173 reactions, 349 comments, 28 reposts)
I tried to buy software on Monday. The AE wouldn't let me. Here's how the convo went (mind-blowing how hard we make it to buy). (1803 reactions, 518 comments, 31 reposts)
Wonder why this post got this many comments aside from the reactions and reposts??
It was very practical, and most people would resonate with it. When it’s your experience, it’s no longer theory. This is different from some hypothetical situations or AI-generated scenarios.
This is the same situation that many sales reps find themselves in; and at one point or another, they have also opted for products and had the same experience.
Not only is Mark just trying to put content out, but he is also helping sales reps and managers get better at what they do.
Finally, Mark never stopped engaging his comments.
For instance, see some of his comments and engagements;
Outreach went from $0 to $2.5M in year 1 and $2.5M to $10M in year 2. We had a HUGE competitive advantage NOBODY would guess, but looking back, it was a KEY reason why we grew so fast. (1063 reactions, 145 comments, 10 reposts)
Conclusion
Here’s what you should take away from Mark's journey:
- Creating controversy sparks engagement
- Find an emotional trigger for a large audience
- Manufacture meaningful findings
By testing out different storytelling types in his journey, he's able to refine it down to a few key things.
As you'll see below, controversy and controversial posts work. I specifically didn't get into the Adam Robinson v. Mark Kosoglow back and forth but it's just another way that proves how controversy sparks engagement. It hits on emotional triggers that people want to respond to.
Check out the details below so you can figure out how to weave together the learnings from this into your journey.
I really love how he manufactures meaningful findings (for large audiences - like B2B SaaS AEs).
1
Creating controversy sparks engagement
The example I'll refer you back to is April 4, 2024 where he uses this hook:
I tried to buy software on Monday. The AE wouldn't let me. Here's how the convo went (mind-blowing how hard we make it to buy). (1803 reactions, 518 comments, 31 reposts)
The reason there was so much engagement here is two fold:
- His audience is full of sales people and their job is to sell so when he points out that someone is doing the opposite - it lands well.
- He's also speaking to the level above the seller. He's poking at the complexity behind the sales process and how organizations make the simple, complex.
He's been doing this with Adam Robinson recently going back and forth on why Inbound Led Outbound is not something new. He's creating controversy and a dialogue that is attracting attention.
Can you think of what your version of this could be?
How could you create controversy without being looked at in a negative light.
Mark does a fantastic job of building up emotion and delivering it in a way that highlights the issue without calling anyone specific out.
This is a fantastic way of winning the hearts and minds of your audience. Try it and let me know what you come up with.
2
Find an emotional trigger for a large audience
How is this different than creating controversy?
Well, this is more about what an individual thinks about a specific topic vs. a group of the same persona type.
Here's what I mean:
In 2021, Mark created a hashtag: #ExecsHate. It became a theme for him to poke at how Account Executives are selling to Execs. This was another fantastic example of speaking to a large group of people that triggered an emotion.
If I was an AE reading those, it made me think about whether I was doing those things. I'd have an opinion and want to respond to Mark. If I'm an Exec, I'd stop and read what he has to say. I may even have a comment about why I agree or disagree.
That's exactly the point!
He's able to find that emotional trigger for two groups and create a conversation from his point of view.
This is what you should do for your audience. Think about who you're speaking to, what pain point you can get them to engage on - and find your voice.
Here are a few examples:
What's interesting about these is that it's two of the most used tactics for the persona he's speaking to.
Maybe you were one of the AEs at the time that saw this and engaged (he had almost 2,000 reactions).
So, ask yourself this:
What is my #ExecsHate hashtag that can trigger this type of emotional engagement?
3
Manufacture meaningful findings
I haven't talked about this much but it's really powerful. I didn't realize that Mark was doing this until putting his journey together.
Manufacturing posts and ideas are really powerful ways of creating engagement. Kyle Poyar talks about this as a piece of his 9 different types of content (in his content strategy newsletter edition).
Here's the post where Kyle goes in-depth on his content strategy.
I'd call Mark's manufactured ideas a combo of Kyle's data studies and surveys post type.
The idea is that you pull together data about a topic and create a unique angle that only you provide. That allows you to create a really valuable (and unique) content piece that nobody else can really copy.
Mark does this January 10, 2022.
Here's the hook:
I've been on 17 "discovery calls" with potential vendors recently.
(560 reactions, 61 comments, 5 reposts)
He may not have realized it but by compiling this information from discovery calls, he's able to share his data study and some could call this his survey.
My point here is that YOU need to find your version of this.
What is your data study? What do you think your audience would want to see a survey about?
Mark's done a great job on his 8 year run so far and I can't wait to see what the next 8 years brings.
Nice work Mark.
Keep it up and let's see what the fun brings us next.
Master Viral Content Styles From Top LinkedIn Creators
Each week, I breakdown how (and when) a top creator hit their viral moment, so you can weave it into your strategy.
100% Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
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ANDREW MCGUIRE
Pipeline Catalyst Founder
From burnt out exec (3 exits & 15 years experience) to effortless growth by finding my creator style.
Living in Bend, Oregon and taking advantage of all the outdoor adventures.
If you can't find me, I'm probably lifting some weights in the gym, sweating in a sauna or freezing in a cold plunge.
Now I'm on a mission to help you understand how top creators have gone viral so you can weave it into your growth strategy.
Copyright 2024 Andrew C McGuire, all rights reserved.