Garret Caudle is the Founder and CEO of Influent, a LinkedIn marketing agency helping brands build thought leadership, reach decision-makers, and generate demand. He leads strategies combining executive content, targeted advertising, and audience engagement to turn LinkedIn into a growth channel. With expertise in B2B marketing and trade marketing for consumer brands, Garret helps companies connect with retailers, distributors, and buyers. Previously, he led marketing at MightyHive and Orca Pacific.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

• [1:51] Garret Caudle’s background and the evolution of Influent as a LinkedIn-focused marketing agency
• [3:12] How B2C brands can leverage LinkedIn for trade marketing and stronger relationships with retail buyers
• [7:47] Why brand awareness and targeted content are essential for influencing purchasing decisions
• [11:55] Garret’s strategies for building buyer relationships through category-specific thought leadership
• [14:30] Overcoming common LinkedIn marketing challenges with targeted ads, AI-generated content, and measurable results
• [19:27] What brands can learn from successful DTC founders using LinkedIn to drive growth, recruitment, and retail expansion
• [23:51] Garret’s insights into maximizing trade show ROI, reaching buyers through connected TV, and building long-term brand visibility

In this episode…

LinkedIn is often treated as a B2B tool, while consumer brands focus their marketing budgets elsewhere. Yet it also puts retailers, distributors, and category buyers within reach of targeted content. Could it be an overlooked way to get products onto shelves?

For consumer brands, the opportunity starts with the people who decide what gets stocked. Garret Caudle, a LinkedIn marketing strategist, explains how trade marketing can turn relevant industry insights into familiarity and trust with retail buyers. Instead of promoting products alone, brands can share category trends, shopper behavior, and evidence of shelf performance. Garret recommends pairing employees’ organic posts with precisely targeted thought leader ads, especially before and after trade shows. Starting with a small audience of priority buyers makes the strategy easier to test, while consistent outreach supports longer sales cycles.

In this episode of The Digital Deep Dive, Aaron Conant talks with Garret Caudle, Founder and CEO of Influent, about using LinkedIn to reach retail decision-makers and drive B2C growth. Garret explores hyper-targeted ads for buyers, category-focused thought leadership, and content that strengthens trade show relationships. He also examines AI-assisted content creation, connected TV targeting, and when brands should run always-on campaigns.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Aaron Conant on LinkedIn
• BWG Connect
• Garret Caudle on LinkedIn 
• Influent
• LinkedIn: Thought Leader Ads | Messaging | TV Ads | Advertising | Sales Navigator
• Natural Products Expo West
• Groceryshop 2026
• Shoptalk
• Retail West Conference

Quotable Moments:

• “The reason that this can work, that this is even possible, is because LinkedIn has extraordinary targeting.”
• “You can create these really hyper-targeted audiences with their ad products.”
• “You can choose who to put that post in front of for very low amounts of money.”
• “I always tell people the key to LinkedIn is relevance and authenticity.”
• “It doesn't have to be … B2C equals Meta and Facebook, and B2B equals LinkedIn.”

Action Steps:

1. Use LinkedIn for trade marketing: Targeting retail buyers, category managers, and distributors helps consumer brands build awareness, strengthen relationships, and increase opportunities for retail distribution.
2. Create category-focused thought leadership: Sharing industry trends, shopper behavior insights, and product innovations positions brands as knowledgeable partners rather than simply promoting products.
3. Combine organic content with targeted advertising: Amplifying employee and executive posts through LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads ensures relevant content reaches key decision-makers and potential buyers.
4. Integrate LinkedIn into trade show strategies: Engaging buyers with targeted content before, during, and after industry events helps secure meetings, strengthen connections, and maximize event investments.
5. Align LinkedIn campaigns with buying cycles: Maintaining consistent visibility for long-term initiatives while concentrating efforts around key purchasing periods helps brands build recognition and improve sales opportunities.

About BWG Connect...

BWG Connect provides executive strategy and networking sessions that help brands from any industry with their overall business planning and execution. We network and knowledge share together to better understand and adapt to the newest trends, strategies, and pain points shaping growth in the digital space. BWG Connect, in conjunction with BWG Strategy, has built an exclusive network of 125,000+ senior professionals and hosts over 2,000 virtual and in-person networking events on an annual basis.

In addition, we have had 1x1 conversations with over 5,000 brands and have a real-time pulse on what digital strategies are successful and why. This in-depth knowledge allows our team to operate on the cutting-edge and provide our clients with best-in-class guidance on how to win in the digital world. We have provided free consultations and strategy sessions for companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune-100, to enable growth, resolve issues and make curated service provider introductions that can impact your digital footprint.

We have held to the philosophy of providing high-level insights and actionable knowledge with no sales pitches in order to provide to our network the ability to listen, learn and act to improve themselves as well as their organizations. Our ultimate goal is to be the resource out there to help digital executives find the research they need to excel in the modern marketplace.

If you are interested in getting involved with any of our current or past events, you can find them here. If you are looking for help & would like to set up some time to chat with our team, you can schedule a time or reach out directly to Aaron@bwgconnect.com or Tiffany@bwgconnect.com.

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