Stop Reheating the Meatloaf: Strategic Content That Speaks to Your Audience

Transitioning from a behind-the-scenes executor to a leader responsible for strategic content is one of the most challenging leaps in a professional career. 

On a recent episode of B2B Business Class, host Robb Conlon spoke with Erin Fields, Marketing Director at Ologie, about her journey of professional leveling up. 

Erin recently moved from an individual contributor role in higher education admissions and podcast production to a leadership position at a top agency in her space. 

She shared her insights on building confidence, owning a public voice, and the strategic art of content repurposing.

Moving From Execution to Strategy

The shift from tactical work to strategic leadership requires a fundamental change in how one defines progress.

Erin noted that while early-career professionals often measure success through hands-on creation, leadership demands a focus on high-level decision-making and prioritization.

“Progress looks different than for someone [who’s] actually tangibly making the work,” Erin explained regarding the transition to her director role. 

She found that moving into leadership meant shifting her focus from how to do things well to determining what actually matters most for the business. 

"The question really, really changed in my mind from asking like, ‘Okay, how do we do this well,’ to like, ‘What is actually the most important thing that we need to prioritize right now based on a business’s goals?’”

While letting go of execution was difficult, she now finds joy in the collaborative finish line. 

“When a whole picture comes together and I can see like my little hand in this... that is now what gives me a lot of joy in my job.”

The Discipline of Repurposing Strategic Content

Repurposing content is often viewed as simply “reheating leftovers,” but Erin advocated for a more strategic approach that treats a single big idea as an engine for an entire library of assets. 

By meeting an audience in the formats where they are most likely to engage, a brand can maximize the mileage of its research and insights.

“Instead of treating that report as the final product, we really treated it as a starting point for a content library,” Erin noted, using a major research report at Ologie as an example. 

She emphasized that strategy must dictate format because everyone processes information differently.“

You have to think [about] how people process different types of information,” Erin said. “Helping a strong idea meet people in the format where they’re most likely engaged with it is a very good starting point.”

She cautioned against simply copying another brand's playbook, noting that the biggest mistake is trying to be everything to everyone.

“You have to be able to adapt to what the needs of your brand and your audience is,” Erin stated.

Building a Public Voice Through Participation

Finding the confidence to share ideas publicly, especially on platforms like LinkedIn, can be terrifying. 

Erin suggested that visibility doesn't come from being 100% confident at the start, but rather from a commitment to documenting the learning process over time.

“I think visibility comes from participation,” Erin stated, reflecting on her initial fear of hitting ‘publish.’ 

Rather than aiming for “thought leadership” as a fluff term, she suggested thinking of it as sharing observations from the work itself. 

“Most of the people... who end up becoming visible voices in their field started by simply talking about what they were learning while they were doing the work.” 

She approached her public activity as a long-term regimen, deciding not to stop regardless of the immediate engagement.

“I treated it like a practice and a discipline,” Erin said. “Small moments of participation over time that kind of build like building blocks.”

For more insights from Erin Fields, you can listen to this episode of B2B Business Class on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.