You want to be better at digital marketing? Understand that it’s still MARKETING, and marketing boils down to three questions: What’s the problem? How do I fix the problem? How can you help me fix it better? To create kick-ass stuff, describe the problem, describe the solution, and make your pitch.

Social media isn’t owned media.

I could write a huge, theoretical rant about social media and the definition of owned media. Thanks to my pal Elon Musk, I don’t have to.

When we talk to clients about generative AI, ChatGPT, and all the latest fads, we need to be the grown-ups. Right now, we suck at it.

SERPStat invited me to talk about one of my favorite topics/pet peeves: Data visualization. I learned (after about 20 years) that if no one understands you, being right means exactly nothing. Read a summary, get the slides, and check out some links.

Most of us, including brands and the copywriters that work for them, want to show empathy. Particularly during a crisis. But you don’t need to start your ad with “In these uncertain times.”

Digital marketing is not a business strategy. It connects your customers to your value (your product) when they need it.

I have a love/hate relationship with site replatforming projects: Migrating from one CMS/e-commerce platform/whatever to another is an opportunity. Great things can happen! Yay! Or, you can end up with a feculent pile of badly-written code and shortcuts that bogs down your business until the next time you replatform. This is my stream-of-consciousness list of things you must do for a stench-free project.