How AssetMule Built a Thriving Business with LinkedIn

In a recent podcast interview, Justin Dorfman, Co-Founder of AssetMule, shared valuable insights into how his team leveraged LinkedIn to drive growth, build an engaged community, and develop their SaaS product. Hosted by Nikolas Chapoupis, CEO of SocialKit, the discussion covered everything from LinkedIn strategy to content marketing and influencer partnerships.

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The Birth of AssetMule

AssetMule was co-founded by Justin Dorfman, Jorge Soto, and Dane Lyons nearly two years ago. The idea stemmed from Justin’s 15-year experience in SaaS startups, where he transitioned from sales to product marketing. He faced firsthand the challenge of creating personalized and engaging sales assets, which led to the development of AssetMule—a platform that reimagines traditional sales materials into interactive, measurable assets that drive engagement and conversions in today’s remote selling world.

Why LinkedIn Became Their Growth Engine

Justin and his co-founders knew they needed a strong presence where their target audience—product marketers and sales teams—actively engaged. While they experimented with multiple platforms, LinkedIn quickly emerged as the most effective channel.

The product marketing community on LinkedIn is highly engaged, with professionals sharing insights, challenges, and best practices. This provided AssetMule with a golden opportunity to insert themselves into relevant conversations and establish authority in the space.

Growing an Audience from Scratch

When Justin started, he had only 1,000 followers, and AssetMule had none. His co-founder Jorge, with 20K followers, encouraged him to post regularly, engage with industry professionals, and establish a strong presence.

Justin initially committed to posting three times a week but soon increased to daily posts as he saw traction. Additionally, he prioritized engaging with at least five influencers and industry professionals daily. By actively commenting and contributing meaningful insights, he built strong relationships that helped boost his content’s reach and credibility.

The Role of LinkedIn in Revenue Generation

One of the most effective strategies AssetMule used to generate revenue was an intentional, structured approach to customer discovery through LinkedIn. Justin booked over 500 customer discovery calls using a simple, three-step process:

Step 1: Start with Conversations

Instead of pitching, they reached out to product marketers via DM with a simple, no-pressure message:

💬 "Hey, we’re building [X] for product marketers to solve [Y].

We’re still gathering insights to understand [A], [B] & [C].

Would you be open to having a short call about that?"

Step 2: Build Relationships First

If the initial call went well, Justin invited them to their podcast to deepen the relationship. This strategy also worked in reverse—if he wasn’t sure whether a product marketer would be open to a discovery call, he’d invite them to the podcast first. Then, after the recording, he’d ask if they’d be open to a quick follow-up chat the next week to share product feedback.

By the time they launched, they had spoken to nearly 200 potential customers through this method.

Step 3: From Research to Revenue

Once the product was ready, Justin followed up and offered these engaged contacts a chance to be early testers. Even now, AssetMule continues this approach—Justin never directly pitches but instead positions outreach as a learning opportunity.

💬 "Hey, we're working on a product specifically for product marketers to solve this particular pain point. We're still gathering insights from people like you to understand:

1. Whether this pain point is significant enough to seek a solution.
2. If our solution actually makes sense for it."

By the end of the conversation:

✅ If the person is a good match, Justin invites them to try AssetMule for free and share feedback.❌ If not—maybe the company is too big, or their focus is elsewhere—no problem.

Since AssetMule runs on a product-led freemium model, conversions happen naturally. If users see the value, they upgrade from free to paid on their own terms.

It’s a soft-sell approach—letting the problem and the product do the selling.

A staggering 80% of AssetMule’s inbound leads come from LinkedIn. Whether through direct engagement with posts, content distribution, or partnerships, LinkedIn has been their most effective acquisition channel.

One pivotal moment was Justin’s appearance on the Product Marketing Alliance podcast. When the episode was shared on LinkedIn, it led to a significant influx of leads. This underscored LinkedIn’s power not just as a social platform but as a core driver of business growth.

For outbound sales, LinkedIn has also outperformed email outreach. Rather than pitching directly, AssetMule reaches out to product marketers for feedback, fostering organic conversations that often lead to sign-ups.

Content Strategy: Organic vs. Paid

While AssetMule has relied primarily on organic content, they have a multi-faceted approach:

• Podcasts: Their GTM Pack Podcast has over 100 episodes featuring industry experts.
• Newsletters: Their Product Marketing Digest curates top LinkedIn posts weekly.
• Webinars: Weekly Office Hours sessions are live-streamed on LinkedIn, serving as an ongoing engagement tool.
• Engagement: Instead of just posting, Justin actively comments and interacts with the LinkedIn community to keep conversations alive.

Although they haven’t invested in paid ads yet, they are considering influencer partnerships to further amplify their reach.

The Time Investment Required for LinkedIn Success

Many people believe that LinkedIn success can be achieved in just a few minutes a day, but Justin disagrees. He dedicates at least one hour daily to crafting posts and engaging with content, plus additional time throughout the day for interactions.

His advice? If you want LinkedIn to be a serious growth channel, you need to invest time into it.

Lessons from 2024 and Future Strategies

As AssetMule looks ahead, their LinkedIn strategy is evolving:

• Structured Engagement: Formalizing daily engagement with five posts.
• Expanding Content Topics: Moving beyond product-focused posts to broader industry insights.
• Exploring Video Content: Experimenting with short, in-the-moment video insights.
• Focusing on Thought Leadership: Sharing more about the founder journey and lessons learned.

The Future of Influencer Marketing

Justin sees a huge opportunity in influencer marketing but believes in working with a select few long-term partners rather than a broad, scattergun approach. Micro-influencers, deeply embedded in the niche, bring authenticity and credibility that large-scale campaigns often lack. AssetMule plans to integrate influencers into their marketing through collaborations, newsletter sponsorships, and speaking engagements.

Final Takeaways

• Consistency is Key: Posting regularly and engaging with others is crucial.
• LinkedIn Drives Business: 80% of AssetMule’s leads come from the platform.
• Content Matters: Valuable, non-promotional content builds trust and credibility.
• Relationships Drive Growth: Building authentic connections leads to organic expansion.

Justin closed the conversation by emphasizing that LinkedIn isn’t just about broadcasting messages—it’s about participating in the community. AssetMule’s success is a testament to the power of thoughtful engagement and strategic content distribution.

Interested in leveraging LinkedIn for your business? Start by engaging, sharing insights, and contributing to the conversation.

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