Ready to build your own Founder-Led Growth engine? Book a Strategy Call
Frontlines.io | Where B2B Founders Talk GTM.
Strategic Communications Advisory For Visionary Founders
Actionable
Takeaways
Ungate Your Best Content for AI Discoverability:
ChargeAfter ungated a high-value case study for two critical reasons. First, LLMs cannot access content behind forms, eliminating your brand from AI-powered searches. Second, gated content generates high volumes of low-intent leads that clog your pipeline. By ungating strategic content, they increased both AI traffic and qualified leads from target verticals while improving deal closure rates.
Structure Content Specifically for LLM Consumption:
ChargeAfter rebuilt their content strategy around what LLMs prioritize: long-form articles (1,000+ words versus their previous 500-600 word posts), comprehensive FAQ sections at the end of each piece, and embedded video content. This structural approach drove measurable increases in leads, opportunities, and closed deals from priority industries. The FAQ format is particularly effective because LLMs specifically favor this question-answer structure.
Reverse-Engineer Your AI Search Performance:
When ChatGPT recommended ChargeAfter as a top provider, Varda didn't celebrate—she investigated why. She discovered an award finalist mention from 2023 was driving the recommendation. This forensic approach reveals which third-party signals influence AI recommendations, allowing you to replicate successful patterns. If you don't understand why you're winning in AI search today, your competitor will figure it out and displace you in six months.
Build AI Credibility Through Strategic Third-Party Presence:
AI search engines aggregate information across the web, not just your website. ChargeAfter focuses on getting mentioned in high-quality external sources—industry awards, press coverage, analyst reports, and partner content. This diversified presence creates multiple data points that LLMs can reference, strengthening your brand's authority when prospects search for solutions in your category.
Activate Your Sales Team as a Distribution Channel:
With LinkedIn's algorithm now favoring individual profiles over company pages, ChargeAfter is training their entire sales team on social media engagement. This employee advocacy approach serves dual purposes: it expands content reach through trusted personal networks and creates additional data points for LLMs to discover. The key is building trust with sales by demonstrating how marketing visibility directly benefits their personal brand and pipeline.
Diversify Your Marketing Channels Before You Need To:
Like investment portfolio management, marketing channel diversification protects against sudden disruption. If one channel fails or becomes saturated, you're starting from zero in rebuilding presence elsewhere. ChargeAfter deliberately maintains presence across multiple channels—SEO, AI search, events, partnerships, employee advocacy, and traditional PR—ensuring resilience as buyer behavior continues to shift.
Double Down on In-Person as AI Proliferates:
As AI-generated content floods digital channels, trust in online interactions decreases. ChargeAfter is investing more heavily in events and face-to-face relationships, recognizing that in-person connections are harder to fake and create deeper trust. For B2B marketers, this means treating events not just as lead generation vehicles but as relationship-building platforms and content creation opportunities.
Conversation
Highlights
In this episode of The Marketing Front Lines, we speak with Varda Bachrach, Director of Marketing at ChargeAfter. ChargeAfter operates in the specialized world of embedded lending for point-of-sale financing, serving enterprise clients including CFOs and C-level decision makers. As a solo marketing leader, Varda has navigated the seismic shift in how buyers discover information, positioning ChargeAfter to capture a 700% increase in AI-driven traffic while competitors struggle to adapt. Her approach combines strategic content planning, AI optimization, and relationship-building to drive measurable pipeline growth in a highly technical B2B space.
Topics Discussed:
- Optimizing content strategy for LLM discovery and AI-driven search traffic
- Ungating content to maximize visibility in AI search results
- Building long-form, FAQ-rich content that performs in generative search
- Leveraging awards, press, and third-party mentions for AI credibility
- Balancing digital marketing with in-person relationship building
- Aligning sales and marketing through employee advocacy programs
- Diversifying marketing channels to reduce dependency risk
- Measuring the impact of vertical-specific content strategies
Recommended Founder
Interviews
Debbie Soon
Head of Marketing of Privy
Storytelling for Technical Products w/ Debbie Soon
Felix Rodriguez
CEO & Founder of Finally
Felix Rodriguez, CEO & Founder of Finally: $110 Million Raised to Power the Future of Finance Automation
Caleb Avery
Founder & CEO of Tilled
Caleb Avery, Founder & CEO of Tilled: $40 Million Raised to Build (and Dominate) the PayFac as a Service Category
Daniele Grassi
CEO of Axyon AI
Daniele Grassi, CEO of Axyon AI: $5.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Financial Markets with AI
Rafael Loureiro
CEO of Wealth
Rafael Loureiro, CEO of Wealth: $16 Million Raised to Build the Future of Estate Planning
Thibaut Sahagian
CEO of Multis
Thibaut Sahagian, CEO of Multis: $9 Million Raised to Build a New Category of Software Designed to Meet the Needs of Web3 Organizations
Jack McDonald
CEO of PolySign
Jack McDonald, CEO of PolySign: $50 Million Raised to Power the Future of Digital Assets
Stephany Kirkpatrick
CEO and Founder of Orum
Stephany Kirkpatrick, CEO and Founder of Orum: Over $85 Million Raised to Build an API integration for Instant Payouts
Laura Kornhauser
Co-Founder and CEO of Stratyfy
Laura Kornhauser, Co-Founder and CEO at Stratyfy: $10 Million Raised to Power the Future of Financial Inclusion
Sohaib Zahid
CEO and Co-Founder of Railz
Sohaib Zahid, CEO and Co-Founder of Railz: $15 Million Raised to Build to Accounting Data as a Service Category
Patrick Mollard
CEO & Co-Founder of Fipto
Patrick Mollard, CEO & Co-Founder of Fipto: $16 Million Raised to Build the Future of Blockchain Payments
Reed Switzer
CEO of Hopscotch
Reed Switzer, CEO of Hopscotch: $10M to Build the Future of B2B Payments For SMBs
Klas Bäck
CEO & Co-Founder of Pagos
Klas Bäck, CEO & Co-Founder of Pagos: $44 Million Raised to Power the Future of Payments Operations
Matt Bivons
CEO & Founder of Canopy
Matt Bivons, CEO & Founder of Canopy: $30M Raised to Build a Modern Servicing Platform for Scaling FinTechs
Don Muir
CEO of Arc
Don Muir, CEO of Arc: Over $180 Million Raised to Empower Startups with a Better Cash Management Experience
Yasmin Graeml
Marketing & Communication Leader of Flourish Fi
Yasmin, Marketing & Communication Leader at Flourish Fi: Driving Financial Engagement with Innovative Tech
Ben Borodach
Co-Founder and CEO of April
Ben Borodach, Co-Founder and CEO of April: $40 Million Raised to Embed Intelligent Tax Experiences
Omri Mor
CEO & Co-Founder of Routable
Omri Mor, CEO & Co-Founder of Routable: $100 Million Raised to Transform AP Automation for Fast-Growing Companies
Scott Dorey
Co-Founder of OpenPath
Scott Dorey, Co-Founder of OpenPath: $25 Million Raised to Build the Future of Payments
Chandini Jain
CEO & Co-Founder of Auquan
Chandini Jain, CEO & Co-Founder of Auquan: $8 Million Raised to Transform Financial Intelligence Through AI
Ron Benegbi
CEO & Founder of Uplinq
Ron Benegbi, CEO & Founder at Uplinq: Over $5 Million Raised to Transform SMB Lender’s Existing Credit Evaluation Process
Steffen Vollert
Co-Founder of Volt
Steffen Vollert, Co-founder of Volt: $87 Million Raised to Build the World’s Leading Global Real-Time Payment Network
Nicholas Lembo
VP of Marketing of Coast
Navigating GEO: Earned Media & SEO Tactics That Actually Work
Bryan McCarty
Director of Product and Product Marketing of Orum
Donuts & Product Launches: Orum’s Unconventional Event Strategy
Jeremy Almond
CEO & Founder of Paystand
Jeremy Almond, CEO & Founder of Paystand: $100M Raised to Power the Future of B2B Payments
Patricia Montesi
CEO & Co-Founder of Qolo
Patricia Montesi, CEO & Co-Founder of Qolo: $30 Million Raised to Build the Future of Omnichannel Payments Infrastructure
Shamir Karkal
Co-founder and CSO of Sila
Shamir Karkal, CEO of Sila: $20+ Million Raised to Build the Money API For Fintech
Fady Hawatmeh
Founder and CEO of Clockwork
Fady Hawatmeh, Founder and CEO of Clockwork: Nearly $3 Million Raised to Make Financial Modeling and Cash Flow Forecasting Easy
Nathan Beckord
CEO of Foundersuite
Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite: $13 Million Raised to Build the Go-To Platform for Startup Fundraising
Jessica Zhang
CEO & Co-Founder of Pier
Jessica Zhang, CEO & Co-Founder of Pier: $2.5M Raised to Build the Future of Credit Infrastructure
Carmen Li
CEO of Silicon Data
Carmen Li, CEO of Silicon Data: $5M+ Building the World’s First GPU Compute Risk Management Platform
Kalpesh Kapadia
CEO and Founder of Deserve
Kalpesh Kapadia, CEO and Founder of Deserve: $50 Million Raised to Build the Future of Credit Cards
Donald Muir
Co-Founder & CEO of F2
How F2 hires only ex-finance professionals for sales instead of traditional salespeople | Donald Muir
Eric Velasquez Frenkiel
Founder and CEO of Pomelo
Eric Velasquez Frenkiel, CEO of Pomelo: $70 Million Raised to Build the Future of Remittance
Julio Martínez
Co-Founder and CEO of Abacum
Julio Martínez, Co-Founder and CEO at Abacum: $40 Million Raised to Build the Future of FP&A
Ahmad Ibrahim
CEO of NeoTax
Ibrahim, CEO of NeoTax: $13 Million Raised to Build the Future of Tax Automation
Fiona Sherwood
CMO of Dasseti
The Death of Gated Content: Why This CMO Gives Everything Away
Halle Kaplan-Allen
Head of Marketing of Sydecar
Why LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads Beat Traditional B2B Creative
Steven Greene
CEO of Standard Practice
Steven Greene, CEO & Co-Founder of Standard Practice (Previously Nibble Health): $8 Million Raised to Bring the Fintech Revolution to the World Healthcare Payments
Bob Suh
CEO of OnCorps
Bob Suh, CEO of OnCorps: $18M Raised to Help Large Financial Institutions Solve Operational Problems with AI
Tate Hackert
Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer of ZayZoon
How ZayZoon built 300+ payroll partnerships to reach 15,000 businesses without direct sales | Tate Hackert
Florian Wimmer
Co-Founder & CEO of Blockpit
Florian Wimmer, Co-Founder & CEO of Blockpit: $15 Million Raised to Power the Future of Crypto Tax Management
Beatriz Gomez
Chief Marketing Officer of Ontop
Community Lead Growth Masterclass w/ Beatriz Gomez
Nik Talreja
CEO & Co-Founder of Sydecar
Nik Talreja, CEO & Co-Founder of Sydecar: Over $16 Million Raised to Make Venture Deal Execution a Frictionless Process
Olga Chin
CEO and Founder of InterPrice Technologies
Olga Chin, CEO and Founder of InterPrice Technologies: Over $10 Million Raised to Build the Future of Capital Markets Treasury Management
Sandro Zweig
CEO and Co-Founder of tiun.
How tiun validated product-market fit with 6-12 months of pilot data before scaling | Sandro Zweig
Arik Shtilman
CEO of Rapyd
Arik Shtilman, Rapyd: $15 Billion Valuation (Unicorn Builders)
Joshua Silver
Founder and CEO of Rainforest
How Rainforest justifies the ROI of hosting a podcast and conference | Joshua Silver
Swapnil Shinde
CEO and Co-Founder of Zeni
Swapnil Shinde, CEO and Co-Founder of Zeni: $47+ Million Raised to Build the Finance Operations Category
Daniel Grunstein
CEO and Co-Founder of Crowded
Daniel Grunstein, CEO and Co-Founder of Crowded: $6.4 Million Raised to Transform Nonprofit Financial Management
Magali Chapuis
Marketing Manager of Embat
Magali Chapuis, Marketing Manager of Embat: Strategic Insights for Scaling Fintech Marketing Across Borders
Wade Arnold
CEO and Founder of Moov
Wade Arnold, CEO and Founder of Moov: $77.5 Million Raised to Build the Future of Embedded Payments
Ben Goldin
CEO and Founder of Plumery
Ben Goldin, CEO and Founder of Plumery: $4.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Digital Engagement for Banks
Colin Luce
CEO & Co-Founder of Basis Theory
Colin Luce, CEO & Co-Founder of Basis Theory: $20 Million Raised to Build the Future of Payments Tokenization
Steve Pomfret
Steve Pomfret, CEO & Founder of Cygnetise: $8 Million Raised to Build the Future of Signatory Management
Renaud Laplanche
Co-Founder and CEO of Upgrade
How Upgrade built 6 billion-dollar products by designing for multi-product from day one | Renaud Laplanche ($6B Valuation)
Michael Babineau
Co-Founder & CEO of Turnstile
How Turnstile positioned quote-to-cash for founders who don’t know the category exists | Michael Babineau
Henrique Dubugras
Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Brex
Henrique Dubugras: the Story of Brex ($12 Billion+ Valuation)
Daumantas Dvilinskas
CEO & Co-Founder of TransferGo
Daumantas Dvilinskas, CEO & Co-Founder of TransferGo: $125 Million Raised to Build the Future of Cross-Border Payments
Helen Chong
Head of Growth of Puzzle
Helen Chong, Head of Growth at Puzzle: Collaborating with Founders – Insights for Effective Marketing Alignment
Ankit Ratan
Co-Founder and CEO of Signzy
Ankit Ratan, Co-Founder and CEO of Signzy: Over $38 Million Raised to Build the Future of Digital Onboarding Infrastructure
Brian King
CEO of LODAS Markets
Brian King, CEO of LODAS Markets: $8.5 Million Raised to Power the Future of Alternative Investments
Tal Shahar
CEO & Co-Founder of Atlas Invest
Tal Shahar, CEO & Co-Founder of Atlas Invest: $13 Million Raised to Transform Real Estate Financing
Iris Pfeifer
VP of Growth of Wisetack
Iris Pfeifer, VP of Growth at Wisetack: Mastering B2B Marketing Through Sales Alignment and Product Strategy
Jonas Overgaard
CEO of Anyday.io
Jonas Overgaard, CEO of Anyday.io: $4M Raised to Transform the Buy Now Pay Later Market
Rodney Reisdorf
Co-Founder & CEO of Co-Founder & CEO
Rodney Reisdorf, CEO of Verivend: $3 Million Raised Transform Private Capital Transactions
John Lunn
CEO and Founder of Gr4vy
John Lunn, CEO and Founder of Gr4vy: $27 Million Raised to Build the Future of Payments Infrastructure