The Unseen Decay of Content Marketing
Content marketing is dead. I got an email this week that PROVES it. Look! The race to the bottom is unwinnable, but plenty of providers are trying to do so anyway. This email reminds me of the moment that I knew crypto was over. Months before conventional wisdom pronounced crypto dead, I was waiting in […]
A Call to End Digital Pollution
The environment… Human rights… Democratic values… Content… They have one thing in common. They’re collapsing. And it’s our collective fault. I wish I had better answers for the first three. But even if I did, no one is asking me to be emperor. What people ARE asking me is to help with “better” content. They’re […]
From Content to Intent
The environment… Human rights… Democratic values… Content… They have one thing in common. They’re collapsing. And it’s our collective fault. I wish I had better answers for the first three. But even if I did, no one is asking me to be emperor. What people ARE asking me is to help with “better” content. They’re […]
Measuring Impact, Not Just Hype
“Wasted $25K on a content project that disappointed everyone.” (or $50k, or even $100k) Is that something you’d ever want to put on your year-end self-eval? Is that something you want to explain in a performance review? Probably not. I’m hoping you’re not faced with that for 2023, but if you want to avoid it […]
Ditching the Draft Anxiety
People will tell you to write sh***y drafts. You don’t have to obey. The point is (should really be) not to let draft anxiety stop you from writing. I think it’s true that most writers don’t produce “great” first drafts. If you have draft anxiety, get over it, learn to self-edit relentlessly, and find editing […]
Mastering Authenticity in Your Content Strategy
Authenticity isn’t (just) a way to get what you want. Still, the “A” word has been a running theme in my discussions with clients about 2024. It’s generally a good principle. People trust people. Authenticity can anchor thought leadership, storytelling, community building, and connection. Content that is actually about what we have to say in […]
The Synergy Between Ideas and Stories
Seth Godin calls it story. I call it ideas. They function in many similar ways. They amplify each other. They spread. “The reason that our attention has been strip-mined is that the system that evolved seems to reward short-term players that take the direct, easy, and lazy way out. While it seems like we have […]
How Marketing Can Embrace Conservation Science Wisdom
Marketing could learn a lot from conservation science.
Beyond the Charts
I love Throbbing Gristle. Most people have no idea what that is. And if you look it up, you probably won’t thank me. Hint: It’s music. That’s the problem with content marketing dogma. You can tell me all that you want that TG is unlistenable, that it’s not music, that it’s upsetting. But I love […]
Humanizing Marketing
Marketers have a basic humanity problem. They see people as targets. They talk about people as targets. This mindset must end. The sad part is that most marketers I know are fantastically good people. Warm, humane, and thoughtful. I’m honored to work with them. But all of those qualities get lost in the mix of […]