In this episode of Creative Operations, hosts Jacob Brain and Tristan Pelligrino sit down with Marijn Kouw, the founder of the B2B LeadGem agency, to explore the dynamics of effective marketing systems and outbound strategies. Marijn shares his journey from working at various agencies for nearly five years to starting his own agency, driven by the high demand for his freelancing services. He explains how his agency’s growth was organic and largely unintentional, fueled by his expertise in B2B marketing and the timely rise of AI tools for personalized outbound marketing.
The conversation dives into the importance of relevancy in marketing. Marijn emphasizes that understanding client needs and problems is far more crucial than mere personalization. He argues that marketing efforts should focus on delivering relevant content that addresses specific client issues to create meaningful and valuable outreach. According to Marijn, account-based marketing plays a significant role in warming up prospects by positioning the salesperson as a thought leader before making direct contact.
Jacob and Tristan explore how AI tools can significantly enhance marketing efficiency. Marijn discusses the use of AI to create personalized and relevant content at scale, which is particularly beneficial in outbound marketing. He highlights tools like SpinText, which helps diversify messages to avoid spam filters, and platforms like OpenRouter, which allow marketers to optimize costs and output quality. Marijn’s insights demonstrate how AI can automate repetitive tasks and enrich databases, enabling marketing teams to focus more on strategic and creative aspects.
The episode also covers practical strategies for improving email deliverability, a critical component of successful outbound campaigns. Marijn advises against using the main domain for outreach to avoid being blacklisted and recommends setting up multiple domains to manage volume. He explains the benefits of using SpinText to vary email content and suggests considering the email provider of the target audience to enhance deliverability. These strategies, Marijn notes, help ensure that marketing messages reach their intended recipients and have a better chance of eliciting responses.
Listen to this insightful episode of Creative Operations to learn more about effective marketing strategies, the power of relevancy, and leveraging AI tools to enhance your marketing efforts. Marijn Kouw’s expertise provides valuable takeaways for any marketer looking to improve their outreach and campaign success.
Featured Guest

Guest: Marijn Kouw
What he does: Founder
Company:LeadGem
Noteworthy: Marijn Kouw has a robust background in the marketing industry, having worked at various agencies for nearly five years. His experience spans both B2B and B2C sectors, with a significant focus on growth hacking and growth marketing. This diverse exposure allowed him to develop a deep understanding of multiple facets of marketing and eventually led him to start his own B2B LeadGem agency due to the high demand for his freelancing services.
Featured Guest
Key Insights
The Importance of Relevancy in Marketing
Relevancy in marketing is crucial for successful outreach. While personalization is a popular strategy, understanding the specific needs and problems of clients leads to more effective communication. Marketers should prioritize relevant content that addresses client issues over generic personalized messages. This approach ensures that the outreach is meaningful and valuable to the recipient. The role of account-based marketing is significant in warming up prospects and positioning the salesperson as a thought leader before making direct contact. By focusing on relevancy, businesses can create stronger connections and improve their conversion rates.
Leveraging AI Tools for Efficient Marketing
AI tools play a significant role in enhancing marketing efficiency. AI can be used to create personalized and relevant content at scale, which is particularly useful in outbound marketing. Tools like SpinText help diversify messages to avoid spam filters, and platforms like OpenRouter allow marketers to select the best language model for their needs, optimizing costs and output quality. Using AI to automate repetitive tasks and enrich databases saves time and improves accuracy. This approach allows marketing teams to focus on strategy and creative elements, ultimately leading to more successful campaigns.
Effective Email Deliverability Strategies
Improving email deliverability is critical for successful outbound campaigns. Avoid using the main domain for outreach to prevent being blacklisted, and set up multiple domains to manage volume. SpinText is an effective method to vary email content, reducing the chances of messages being flagged as spam. Consider the email provider of the target audience, as deliverability can be higher when emails are sent from similar platforms. Sending emails in small segments helps maintain high deliverability rates. These strategies ensure that marketing messages reach their intended recipients and have a better chance of eliciting responses.