I’ve been writing for 28 years. These days, I write for fun, not survival, so there may be a little less going on here. Have a look at the 1,000+ posts I wrote on Portent.com
Digital 101: Three Questions Make Marketing Work
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.
Continue readingWhen The Lights Go Out: Closing An Agency The Right Way
If you’re shutting down your agency, remember: Your responsibilities don’t end after you turn out the lights. My thoughts on Portent’s closure, and how we can do better.
Continue readingSocial Media Is Not Owned Media
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.
Continue readingWhat’s The Minimum Number Of Words For A Blog Post?
One.
Marketing Bandwagons: With “AI,” What’s Old Is New Again
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.
Continue readingData Visualization For Marketers: SERPStat Webinar
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.
Continue readingBuilding, Running, & Selling An Agency
I’ve given this talk a couple of times now. Building and running an agency is all about controlled chaos. These are a few lessons I learned (or failed to learn) along the way. NOTE: I HAD NO PLAN. If you’re looking for a how-to, this is the wrong deck. OK, continue…
Continue readingCore Web Vitals and SEO: X-Cart Presentation
I spoke with X-Cart about the madness and reality (I think) of Core Web Vitals. Here’s the deck.
Continue readingHow To: Schedule Sitebulb Crawls With Email Notifications
How to set up automated SiteBulb crawls and notifications. The process looks terrifying, but trust me, once you’ve set it up, it’s easy.
Continue readingContent Creation For Really Small Teams
All the case studies about content that generated 50,000 customers can make you feel like a complete loser, and I’m here to say you’re not, and you’re not alone.
This morning I spoke to Loyal VC about content creation for small teams. This deck has the tips and rules I apply when resources and time are both scarce. Which, let’s face it, is 99.99999% of our working lives.
Oh, also: The capybara are back!!!! I couldn’t stop myself.
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