The four rules of marketing

Sponsored by Caspian Studios

The secret to creating content that stands apart

Caspian Studios is setting a new standard for B2B content.

Their turnkey Content-as-a-Service combines revenue-focused strategies with storytelling that feels like Hollywood.

Everything they create is designed to engage your audience, resonate with them, and, most importantly, convert.

They’ve helped brands like Snowflake, Twilio, Brex, Zoom, Slack, Workato, and Gympass produce assets you can repurpose across your website, social channels, and more.

If you want to create content that drives results, they will help.

When I got my first marketing gig at Gong 5 years ago, my new boss, Chris Orlob explained my new role while walking through the Westfield Mall in San Francisco.

“There are four rules of marketing,” he said.

1. Know your audience
2. Read every day
3. Write every day
4. Write every damn day

I live by these rules, and I attribute much of my success to them.

I know if I stick to them, everything gets easier and “the work” takes care of itself. 

These rules give me a sense of safety because I know I can rely on them over and over. 

They’re not fancy. They’re foundational.

And this week I relied on them again. 

Some important context: 

60 days ago I left my job as Clari’s Head of Content to be a full-time entrepreneur as Founder of The Reeder.  

The first 30 days went better than I’d ever hoped. 

I needed to turn The Reeder from a 6-figure side hustle into a business that could replace my salary and support my family’s lifestyle. So I set a goal of signing five consulting clients. 

In less than a month, I sold all my Q3 consulting inventory. I’m fortunate to only have two spots left for the rest of the year. It’s been great.

But the last 30 days… not so great. 

With consulting on track, I shifted focus to my content strategy.

Even though I have been writing on LinkedIn for eight years and have 85,000 followers, even though I’ve been writing this newsletter for three years and have nearly 15,000 subscribers, and even though my new show has over 10,000 downloads in the first two months, I was struggling to create content and figure out my next move.

I’m not talking about the “freshman year of college deciding my major” type of figuring it out. 

I mean the kind of deep, unsettling doubt that makes you question everything you thought you knew.

At first, I thought it was a fun puzzle I’d solve in a day or two. But as days turned into weeks, my anxiety grew, and my confidence dipped. This is my thing—I’m good at this. Why is it so hard for me to crack my own code when I help clients with the same questions?

The longer it went unanswered, the more pressure built. I knew something was off, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. Every attempt to build my content engine felt forced and, honestly, wrong. The harder I tried, the further I got from the answer.

Then, it clicked. 

I don’t need to evolve my content strategy — I need to rebuild it. 

That might sound drastic, but it makes sense.

For the past five years, building my personal brand was a hobby. Audience growth and sales were (very) nice-to-haves. 

Now, running a two-person company, I have new offers, goals, and expectations. 

My business is 100% inbound, so content creation determines whether it grows, stalls, or dies. I can’t eat off an empty plate.

My content strategy now serves a different purpose, so of course, it should undergo some significant changes. Instead of ‘fixing’ it for this new era, I decided to tear it down and rebuild.

That decision relieved the pressure and excites me—it’s what I love to do.

All that’s left is my skills, experience, ambition, and audience—my foundation.

There’s that word again. It reminded me to go back to the four rules of marketing.

Rule #1: Know your audience

I know my audience, but I was overthinking it.

All marketers or B2B marketers?
B2B marketers or SaaS marketers?
Marketers or founders?
What about my sales audience?

Over the last 10 years, I’ve been a sales rep, marketer, full-time employee, and now entrepreneur, so no wonder I felt like I was in a spin cycle.

I catch myself overthinking and remind myself: Simplify

While founders, CMOs, and salespeople will resonate with my journey and content, my focus remains clear.

My niche is B2B SaaS content marketers. That’s who I am. That’s what I’m great at.

Rule #2: Read every day

Sometimes I imagine Kobe sitting across from me, subconsciously, when I negotiate with myself.

Have I really been reading every day?

Kobe gives me a look that says, ‘You know damn well you haven’t read anything intentionally in weeks, if not months. Who are you fooling?’

Sure, I’ve skimmed LinkedIn posts, read client content, and an article here and there, but no focused reading—fiction or behavioral psychology—for who knows how long.

Great output starts with great input. 

So, I picked up Eddie Shelyner’s new book, Very Good Copy, sat down to read for 15 minutes, and ended up reading for an hour. What happened? I got inspired, found new ideas, and built momentum — all without even trying.

Simplify.

Rule #3: Write every day

This one’s tricky because…

There’s Kobe again, giving me that look again. 

Here’s the thing: it’s not tricky. 

You’re either sitting down for 15 minutes every day and writing something, or you’re not.

A body in motion stays in motion. And a pen in motion does the same thing.

The more I write, the easier and better it gets, and the more confident I become. Confidence fuels more writing. It’s simple. It’s cyclical. And there really are no shortcuts.

So, I blocked 30 minutes each day this week to write one thing. 

No excuses—just words on the page.

Rule #4: Write every damn day

What more is there to say?  Just freaking do it.

You can make excuses, or you can get better, but you can’t have both.

I look up at Kobe. He agrees.

Being in this creative rut sucked, but it reminded me of an important lesson

Success isn’t always a straight line—neither is creativity

If you’re feeling stuck, confused, or overwhelmed, simplify and return to the basics. 

There’s no shame in admitting, ‘I’m stuck.’ 

Because now you have the tools to get back on track.

So when the path becomes unclear, remember to keep it simple, trust your foundation, and keep writing.

Holler at you later,
Devin

PS: Chris was on my show recently and shared his take on becoming a better writer and how to create polarizing marketing that’s true to your personality. If interested, you can watch it or listen to it here.