[Podcast] How to Create Content So Good People Would Pay for It

Host: Richard Fallah: CEO @ VBOUT

Guest Speaker: Udi Ledergor: Chief Evangelist at Gong.io

Content competes for attention like never before. Most of it is forgettable, recycled, and safe — which is exactly why it fails. In a recent session, former Gong CMO and Courageous Marketing author Udi Ledergor shared how to create content so valuable and irresistible that your audience would willingly pay for it.

By the time something becomes a “best practice,” it’s because everyone’s doing it. That may feel safe, but in marketing, playing it safe is the riskiest move of all. Udi’s rule: understand best practices, then break them with original ideas that make people stop, think, and remember.

Product marketing talks about your features, competitive advantages, and customer success stories — valuable for buyers in-market. But only about 5% of your audience is ready to buy at any given time. The other 95% still need a reason to care about you.

That’s where content marketing comes in: delivering value your audience can use now, even without buying. This builds “memory links” so when they are ready to buy, your brand is top of mind.

Example: Gong’s sales insights — from optimal talk-to-listen ratios to surprising stats like swearing increasing win rates — had nothing to do with product demos, but everything to do with helping their target audience perform better today.

Every top-performing piece Udi has created checks these three boxes:

• Hyper-Relevant – Written for a clearly defined audience, not “everyone.”
• Interesting & Timely – Addresses a current challenge or seasonal need.
• Immediately Applicable – Gives the reader something they can use right away.

Content built on proprietary research, customer data, or unique surveys stands out. Gong mined anonymized sales call data for trends; at another company, Udi surveyed SAP users about salaries, turning the results into a viral industry report.

A winning distribution approach blends reach with conversion:

• First Layer – Reach: Publish the main content openly on the platform where your audience is most active (for Gong, LinkedIn).
• Second Layer – Conversion: Midway through and at the end, offer a closely related “premium” asset (template, checklist, deeper report) gated behind a simple form.
• Follow-Up: Route high-quality leads to nurturing sequences or sales outreach.

• Pick One Primary Social Channel – Master it before spreading thin across others.
• Email Still Works – High visibility and control make it a core distribution tool.
• Industry Stages & Events – Speak where your audience gathers.
• Employee Amplification – If your team is proud of the content, they’ll share it.

AI is a powerful tool for speed, editing, and idea generation — but it can’t replace original thought. Use it to polish, not to originate. Start with unique angles, proprietary insights, or fresh takes, then let AI help you format or repurpose.

Nothing in marketing has to be boring — not even a privacy policy update. Gong once sent theirs with the subject line “Our lawyers made us do this” and a Britney Spears meme, earning a 40% open rate and even press coverage.

Courageous marketing means embracing originality, taking risks, and prioritizing value over sales pitches. Done consistently, it turns audiences into loyal fans — and when they’re ready to buy, you’re the first call they make.

If you want your content to stand out, stop asking, “What’s everyone else doing?” and start asking, “What will my audience never forget?”

About Udi Ledergor

Udi Ledergor served as CMO during Gong’s rise from new SaaS startup to industry dominance. By building a playful, human-centric brand with a lighthearted tone, he captured buyers’ attention and dollars and turned them into raving fans. He helped Gong go from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue, while achieving a multi-billion-dollar valuation.

To learn more, visit gong.io.

Connect with Udi on LinkedIn.