Irina Novoselsky is the CEO of Hootsuite, where she’s proving that social content is a revenue driver.

Since stepping in as CEO, Irina has built one of the most effective LinkedIn presences in tech leadership. Her content drives 11.6M impressions per quarter, helps influence 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline, and breaks every “best practice” that doesn’t serve the brand or the customer.

In this episode, Irina breaks down her exact playbook for building a high-performing LinkedIn strategy, how she balances authenticity with outcomes, and why every CEO should treat social as a customer channel.

We also get into her journey from Wall Street to tech, the lessons she’s learned as a first-time CEO, and how Hootsuite is turning employee advocacy into real growth.

Topics we cover in this episode:

-Irina’s framework for content that’s personal and performs

- How her posts drive 40% of Hootsuite’s pipeline

- Why she avoids praise posts and what she does instead

- Building 3 content pillars every CEO should have

- Why video became her unfair advantage on LinkedIn

- Social selling vs. brand vs. pipeline—and how she thinks about ROI

- The real reason most execs don’t post (and how to fix it)

- What leadership actually looks like at the top

Perfect for:

- Founders looking to turn LinkedIn into a revenue engine

- CEOs trying to balance thought leadership with real impact

- Marketing leaders trying to get executive buy-in for content

Connect with Irina:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-novoselsky/

- Hootsuite: https://www.hootsuite.com/

Connect with me:

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

- Website: https://www.project33.io/

- Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

Website: https://www.project33.io/

Chapters

00:00 Irina’s Journey from Finance to Tech

03:10 The Moment She Started Posting on LinkedIn

05:45 The PET Framework for High-Impact Posts

08:00 Why She Writes Her Own Content (and Always Will)

10:30 Commenting at Scale: Building Relationships in the Feed

13:00 The Myth of CEO Content Being “Optional”

16:20 Her 3 Content Pillars and Why They Work

19:15 The Real ROI of Posting: 40% Pipeline Influence

22:45 How Hootsuite Scales Employee Advocacy

25:50 Building a Feedback Loop Between Social and Product

28:15 Why Video Became Her Superpower on LinkedIn

31:10 Executing Content with Limited Time (The CEO Reality)

34:00 Balancing Authenticity, Leadership, and Audience Value

37:30 Advice for Founders Scared to Show Up Online

40:00 Creating a Company People Want to Follow

#linkedin #founderledmarketing #linkedinads #linkedinagency #founderbranding #saas #b2bmarketing #demandgeneration #demandgen #content #b2b #revenue #contentmarketing #performancemarketing #videomarketing #personalbranding

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more insights from industry leaders in B2B SaaS and marketing!

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/03CXzsZp7wdqIRVDcqPTFH

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finnthormeier/

Website: https://www.project33.io/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.executivebrand.org