Conifr SaaS Interview Series: Vukasin Vukosavljevic

Welcome back to another episode of the Conifr SaaS Interview Series!

In this one, we’re joined by Vukasin Vukosavljevic, CMO at HeyReach, who breaks down how he’s scaling a smart, lean content engine that actually drives results. We talk about his approach to content briefs, why bottom-of-the-funnel reviews matter more than ever, and how he uses AI as an enhancer rather than just a shortcut.

Vukasin also gets into the underrated power of word-of-mouth, building a personal advisory board, and why LinkedIn and newsletters are crucial for owning your audience. If you’re in the trenches of SaaS growth or content ops, this episode is full of sharp, actionable insights you’ll want to steal.

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INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Scaling Content with Precision: A Conversation with Vukasin Vukosavljevic, CMO at HeyReach

Michael: Hey everyone! Today I’m talking to Vukasin (Vuk) the CMO at HeyReach and former Head of Growth at Lemlist. Vuk, welcome to the show! Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you’re doing at HeyReach.

Vuk: Hey man, thanks for the invite, really happy to be here. So, I’m a passionate marketer… at least, I like to think so. At HeyReach, I’m in charge of creating marketing and growth chaos, but the good kind. I started as a copywriter 10 or 11 years ago (who’s counting, right?), and now I’m diving deep into some fun marketing and growth work.

The Copywriting Advantage in Marketing

Michael: That background in copywriting... do you still rely on it today? Do you think it’s an advantage for marketers?

Vuk: Absolutely. So much of inbound is about content creation and distribution. Knowing how to do both is a huge plus. But I guess if I had started as an engineer, I’d be saying the same thing about engineering. The key is knowing how to play to your strengths based on where you work and the ecosystem around you.

Learning from the Competition

Michael: I loved your recent LinkedIn post about your SEO conversation with Irina, your former competitor. Tell me more about that. What did you learn from the chat?

Vuk: Yeah, that was such a good conversation. SEO wasn’t our biggest channel at HeyReach, even though we had improved it a lot. Irina wasn’t a “villain” competitor: she was someone I genuinely respected. I was really curious about how she scaled SEO: from content ops to lead magnets, organic growth, everything.

I came prepared with questions - how her team worked, how she handled briefs and keyword mapping, how she scaled with limited resources. Most of all, I wanted to know how she communicated product value and ICP to freelance writers. It was a very honest, generous convo. She even shared some frameworks (without breaking NDAs, of course). Totally worth the hour-plus we talked.

Building Better Content Briefs

Michael: So what did you actually change after that conversation?

Vuk: A lot, honestly. I started putting way more into my briefs. Before, they were short, and that created too much back-and-forth. Now, they can be 8-12 pages long. They include pain points, product placement details, section breakdowns, and relevant resources. If I’m working with a junior writer, I include more background; with seniors, I adjust.

The goal is to reduce revisions. I also started building an internal content library. That made everything smoother, and writers appreciated it. It took my briefs from “okay” to “next-level.”

Content Operations at HeyReach

Michael: Are you mostly working with freelance writers?

Vuk: Yes. We have a full-time content lead on the team (shout out to Bojana!) and she works with 10 to 30 freelance writers, depending on what we’re trying to publish that month.

Michael: What’s your current content volume?

Vuk: Right now, we’re aiming for 6–10 articles per month. Our SEO channel isn’t the strongest yet: we get more from direct traffic, branding, and word of mouth. But we’re looking to scale SEO up to around 15 articles monthly, ideally. That doesn’t include updates and optimizations of older content.

Cross-Functional Content Collaboration

Michael: Are pillar or product pages included in that content calendar?

Vuk: They’re managed by Bojana and the team, but they’re not part of the 6–10 article count I mentioned.

Michael: What about AI, is that playing a role in your workflow?

Vuk: We use AI, but not for writing. For me, AI is a sparring partner: great for top-of-funnel, tactical content, but not bottom-of-funnel storytelling or authenticity. For that, you need real voices and user input.

Inside the Content Workflow

Michael: So, what does the content workflow actually look like?

Vuk: Bojana writes the briefs. But sometimes she needs input from other teams (e.g. sales) especially for feature or integration content. They’ll hop on a call or share notes, and Bojana turns that into a brief. It’s a cross-departmental effort, but she owns the final output.

Michael: What’s your typical turnaround time?

Vuk: From brief to published article, probably 5–10 days. Depends on complexity, writer availability, and how detailed the brief is.

Michael: Do you care about word count?

Vuk: Not really. I care about utility. If an article needs to be 10,000 words to be actionable and sharp, fine. But we usually end up in the 3,000–4,000 range.

Metrics That Matter

Michael: Let’s talk metrics: how do you measure success?

Vuk: Revenue is the north star. Then we break it down: new users, existing users, conversion rate, free trials, activations, etc. I also look at content productivity: number of articles, optimizations, and turnaround speed.

We try to create content that helps both new and existing users - pieces that educate and convert at the same time.

Building an Owned Audience

Michael: Do you focus on newsletter signups or other owned channels?

Vuk: Totally. Newsletter and LinkedIn are two of our most important channels. We recently launched a creator program and have a lot of organic ambassadors spreading the word.

Bottom-of-Funnel First: The SEO Strategy

Michael: Are you distinguishing between top, middle, and bottom-of-funnel content?

Vuk: We’re not doing top-of-funnel at all right now. We focus first on bottom-of-funnel, or what I call the “money bucket.” For example, instead of “Dripify alternatives,” we write detailed “Dripify review” articles that are fair, honest, and subtly position HeyReach for the right ICP. These rank fast and convert better.

Once that’s solid, we go into middle-funnel content: tactical pain-point-driven guides. I don’t see much value in TOFU unless it’s for entertainment or a product like Grammarly.

What’s Next? Trends and Experiments

Michael: What trends are you watching or experimenting with?

Vuk: I’m all about fueling word-of-mouth. We’ve launched things like Outbound Outliers, which is spotlighting user playbooks. I also love using AI tools to qualify leads faster. And I’m big on reinventing old-school stuff, like swag or using LinkedIn formats in smarter ways. Images, infographics, contextual videos, these are all part of how we’re evolving.

The Personal Advisory Board Concept

Michael: Any authors or thought leaders you recommend?

Vuk: Definitely: Tim Soulo, Rand Fishkin, Diandra Escobar, Maya Grossman, and Tyler from Beehiiv. But here’s my real advice: build a personal advisory board. Message smart people in your niche, ask good questions, learn from them, and repay the value later when someone comes asking you.

Michael: Thank you, Vuk. Really appreciate you taking the time!

Key Takeaways from Our Chat with Vukasin Vukosavljevic

• Bottom-of-the-funnel first – Instead of chasing high-volume top-of-funnel content, Vukasin doubled down on BOFU strategies like competitor reviews and actionable feature-focused content. This “money bucket” approach prioritizes leads with high purchase intent and fast conversion paths.
• Scaling with structured briefs – Inspired by a conversation with a former competitor, Vukasin revamped his content brief process, turning briefs into 8–12 page docs packed with ICP insights, product positioning, and resource links. The goal: eliminate back-and-forth and increase writer output quality.
• Human creativity over AI shortcuts – While AI is used behind the scenes to support research and speed up tasks, HeyReach still relies on human writers for all core content. Authenticity, real user stories, and sales-oriented writing remain the top priorities.‍
• Decentralized but intentional workflows – With a full-time content lead and a rotating team of 10–30 freelancers, HeyReach’s content machine is powered by a cross-functional team. Writers pull insights from product, sales, and success to craft relevant and targeted pieces.‍
• Metrics that matter – Content performance is measured against direct business outcomes: revenue, new signups, conversion rates, and content velocity. Internal processes also track output per writer, article update frequency, and publication speed.
• Word-of-mouth as a growth channel – Beyond SEO, Vukasin is bullish on leveraging word-of-mouth loops, user-led storytelling, and a growing LinkedIn creator program to expand reach and influence.‍
• The power of a personal advisory board – Vuk recommends every marketer build a personal circle of industry peers, mentors, and practitioners: people you can learn from directly, even if you’re just reaching out cold.

This conversation with Vukasin offered a tactical look at content scaling, SEO prioritization, and growth strategies rooted in both systems and storytelling. Stay tuned for more episodes of the Conifr SaaS Interview Series, where we continue to spotlight the marketers shaping the future of SaaS.