Scaling Trust in the Mid-Market and Enterprise Segments With LinkedIn GTM for New Positioning
Situation
Holycode originated in the startup ecosystem, but has evolved significantly:
- 160 customers, with more than 50% in the mid-market and enterprise segments
- Existing expertise in AI and professional IT services
- External perception lagged behind → Holycode was still seen as a “startup service provider”
- Conventional channels such as PR and Google Ads showed little impact
- Buying decisions arise primarily through networks, trust, and reputation
Challenges
The target market did not understand what Holycode stands for today
- Its AI expertise and enterprise capabilities were not visible enough
- Internal marketing did not reach the right new audience, communicate the intended narrative, or build sufficiently scalable trust
- Heavy reliance on organic referrals, resulting in limited control over growth
- Without a change, this led—or would have led—to:
- Missed opportunities in the AI and enterprise segment
- Slow market access due to insufficient visibility as an expert
- Continued heavy reliance on referrals instead of a predictable GTM motion
Critical Event: Why Act Now?
A strategic shift centered on LinkedIn as the main GTM channel and the development of:
- Founder-led content, with the co-CEOs as the voices of the brand
- Clear positioning: AI + mid-market/enterprise
- SalesPlaybook support for LinkedIn GTM spanning strategy, positioning, and content
- Trust comes from visible expertise and consistency
- Authority comes from people, not only brands
- Distribution must take place within the existing network
Decision-Making
The decision to work with SalesPlaybook was based on:
- Existing trust from personal contact and strong references
- A careful partner-selection process that still included actively obtaining customer references
- A clear cultural fit with “no-bullshit” communication instead of grand but empty promises
Results of the Engagement
- A qualitative audience shift, focused not on greater reach, but on a better audience, with a clear move toward people interested in AI and decision-makers in the mid-market and enterprise segments
- Stronger market positioning, with Holycode clearly perceived as a trusted AI provider ready for enterprise work; customers actively refer to its content and trust has measurably increased
- Scalable trust-building: CEO content creates continuous visibility, builds trust over time, and reduces dependence on purely personal relationships
- Faster market penetration for AI offerings, enabling entry through smaller five-figure customer projects, faster sales and learning cycles, and a lower barrier for customers
- A positive feedback loop in which greater visibility, trust, and demand enable even better delivery under the new positioning