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  • Content in the Age of AI

    Content in the Age of AI

    Your Content Isn’t Broken. The Way You’re Using It Is.

    For a while now, something has felt off.

    You’re publishing consistently. You’re showing up on LinkedIn. The blog still gets written. The newsletter still goes out. On paper, everything looks fine.

    And yet the returns feel thinner. Engagement feels flatter. Meaningful conversations feel harder to come by.

    Most teams respond to this moment the same way: more content, more frequency, more volume. That instinct made sense once. It doesn’t anymore.

    Because the problem isn’t that brands stopped publishing. It’s that publishing itself has lost meaning.

    The Algorithmic Noise Floor

    We’ve crossed an invisible threshold.

    Algorithms now decide what’s seen. AI now generates what’s said. Attention dictates who listens. Audiences skim, summarize, or outsource their thinking entirely. Which means your next blog post isn’t competing with a handful of peers—it’s competing with everything that’s ever been written on the topic.

    Most of that content isn’t bad. It’s just forgettable.

    The market isn’t short on content. It’s drowning in it. And when leaders ask why their marketing “isn’t working like it used to,” they’re usually asking the wrong question.

    The real question is simpler…and more difficult: Why would anyone notice?

    The Content Treadmill

    Here’s the model most organizations are still running, even if they won’t admit it:

    → Pick a topic.
    → Write a post.
    → Send an email.
    → Share it on social media.
    → Repeat next week.

    It’s tidy. It’s measurable. It feels productive. And in today’s environment, it’s also transactional.

    Each piece exists in isolation. Each message resets the clock. Each post starts from zero. In a world where attention compounds only through familiarity, that’s a structural problem.

    The irony is that many brands are working harder than ever just to create less cumulative impact than they did five years ago.

    Storytelling Isn’t the Strategy

    This is usually where someone says, “We need to tell better stories.”

    That’s not wrong — it’s just incomplete.

    Storytelling is a delivery mechanism, not a strategy. What actually creates momentum is something far less romantic and far more powerful: a repeated point of view. A consistent narrative. A recognizable cadence.

    In other words, not stories — programming.

    Think Like a Network, Not a Publisher

    In a recent internal conversation, my colleague at Collideascope, Curtis (now there’s some alliteration!) framed it this way: What if we thought about our content platform as “the show?”

    That single shift changes everything.

    Shows behave differently than posts. A show has a premise. It has a recurring cast. It has a predictable format. Over time, it trains the audience what to expect.

    Nobody asks, “What’s the topic this week?” They ask, “Is the next episode out?”

    That’s not semantics. That’s strategy.

    When you build the show, you stop chasing attention and start earning familiarity.

    Familiarity Beats Frequency

    Algorithms reward output. Audiences reward recognition.

    The brands that are winning right now aren’t louder…they’re clearer. They say the same thing from different angles, in different formats, over longer arcs, with human faces attached.

    They don’t publish more. They publish with more intent.

    And they stop pretending that every piece of content needs to “convert.”

    Which brings us to measurement.

    Why Your Metrics Are Misleading You

    A lot of marketing frustration comes down to mismatched expectations.

    We ask whether a post generated leads, whether a video converted, whether a webinar closed deals. Those are sales questions masquerading as marketing metrics.

    Modern marketing does one primary job: it earns the right to a future conversation.

    That right is signaled by things like attendance, repeat engagement, and opt-in moments that require time rather than clicks. Warmth matters more than volume. A room full of the right people matters more than a database full of strangers.

    Fewer at-Bats. Bigger Swings.

    One of the most productive shifts we’ve made internally is this: stop thinking in weekly or daily posts and start thinking in terms of 90-day commitments.

    Instead of a blog here and a video there, we design around one idea, one narrative, and one audience tension…explored deeply over time.

    That idea gets expressed through short-form video, long-form commentary, live conversations, events or briefings, and follow-up sequences that actually mean something.

    Not because every brand needs a podcast or a webinar or a video series. But because ideas need room to breathe.

    AI Didn’t Kill Content. It Exposed It.

    Here’s the uncomfortable truth: AI didn’t lower the bar. It revealed how low the bar already was.

    If your content can be replaced by a prompt, it was never strategy. It was output. And C-plus content isn’t neutral anymore. It’s reputationally dangerous.

    Because when you’re not in the room to defend yourself or your C+ copy masquerading as thought-leadership, your content speaks for you. And right now, it’s communicating to the market whether you’re thoughtful, or merely present.

    The Fix for What Ails Conventional Thinking

    What’s broken isn’t content marketing. It’s the assumption that content is something you “do.”

    Content is something you build on. A platform. A narrative. A show.

    Not to feed the algorithm, but to train the audience. To be recognizable. To be trusted. To be remembered before you’re needed.

    Do less. But do it with more intention.

    Because in a world full of noise, the brands that win aren’t the ones publishing the most. They’re the ones people know how to come back to.

    And that doesn’t happen by accident.

    NEXT STEPS: WHAT SHOW WILL YOU CREATE AROUND YOUR BEST IDEAS?

  • Make Your Content Engine Purr

    Make Your Content Engine Purr

    A New Model for Content Marketing in 2026 and Beyond

    Two years ago, simply showing up was enough.

    If you published consistently, demonstrated expertise, and shared thoughtful perspectives over time, you separated yourself from most of the market. Content marketing worked because not everyone was doing it well — or doing it at all.

    Today, everyone is showing up.

    And most of them are using AI to do it.

    That doesn’t mean content marketing is dead. It means generic presence is dead. The problem isn’t volume. It’s believe-ability.

    We are no longer just competing with other professionals. We are competing with artificial voices, auto-generated expertise, and an endless stream of frictionless content. Even if your ideas are legitimate and human-generated, your audience may assume they aren’t. And if they believe they can prompt the same answer from ChatGPT in ten seconds, why should they read your blog post?

    That is the real shift.

    The End of Serial Publishing

    For years, the standard prescription looked like this: pick a topic, write a post, publish it, and repeat next week. Over time, that steady drumbeat built authority and brand preference. When someone eventually entered the market for your services, you were top of mind.

    In theory, that still works. In practice, it now produces something far less satisfying: invisibility.

    When every piece of content stands alone, when each post resets the clock, and when nothing builds toward a defined outcome, you are not creating momentum. You are maintaining motion. The difference matters.

    If 2026 demands anything of content marketers, it’s this: stop publishing serially and start building strategically.

    Instead of thinking in weekly posts, think in 90-day arcs. Instead of asking, “What should we write about this week?” ask, “What outcome are we driving toward this quarter?”

    Content without a defined destination is now just noise with grammar.

    The Four “Purrs”

    If your content strategy is going to cut through AI saturation and audience skepticism, it needs four deliberate characteristics. Together, they create what I call The Four “Purrs” — and ultimately, the fifth and most important result. (Spoiler alert: it also rhymes with purr.)

    1. Purposeful

    Content must be aimed. Not vaguely. Not aspirationally. Specifically.

    It’s no longer enough to say, “Over time, this will build trust.” The strategy should define a measurable objective inside a defined window — typically 90 days.

    For example: one clear purpose is to enroll as many members of your addressable market as possible into a live webinar, workshop, or in-person event. That singular objective changes how you create content. Each post becomes runway. Each video becomes reinforcement. Each email becomes part of a sequence.

    You begin to see your audience more clearly as well. There are learners who consume quietly. There are lurkers you cannot measure but know are there. And there are hand-raisers — the persuadable segment who are willing to take the next step.

    Your content must give them something to raise their hand to. Purpose creates direction. Direction creates momentum.

    2. Persistent

    Consistency used to be enough. Now it must be consistency with intention. Persistence is different: it’s consistency with purpose.

    Persistence means narrowing your focus over that 90-day arc. Instead of writing about a dozen disconnected topics, you select one core tension: one problem, one theme, one drumbeat …and you’re going to approach it persistently from multiple angles.

    You explore it through stories, analysis, examples, frameworks, and commentary. You repeat the central idea without repeating yourself. By the time your culminating event arrives, your audience should not wonder what it will cover. They should be expecting it.

    Persistence builds familiarity. Familiarity builds trust. Trust makes persuasion possible.

    3. Persuasive

    Education is valuable, but information alone is no longer scarce. Transformation is.

    Professional services are typically purchased at a moment of inflection — when someone decides they can no longer tolerate the status quo or they finally choose to pursue an aspiration. Effective content moves people closer to that decision.

    This does not require manipulation or aggressive selling. It requires clarity. Your content should demonstrate that the current path has limitations, that an alternative exists, and that you understand the emotional and practical tension your audience is experiencing.

    If your strategy is purposeful and persistent, persuasion becomes a natural byproduct. You are not pitching constantly; you are preparing thoughtfully. Over time, the persuadable segment of your audience begins to consider change.

    4. Personal

    This is where the human advantage becomes unmistakable.

    Written content alone now competes directly with AI. Machines will always win on speed and scale. Humans win on presence.

    Video. Live webinars. Unscripted commentary. Podcasts. Real conversations. When people see you think in real time, when they hear your cadence and observe nuance in your delivery, your expertise becomes authenticated. You signal authorship. You signal authenticity.

    In an era of synthetic content, visible humanity becomes a differentiator.

    Personal content does not replace written content. It validates it.

    The Fifth “Purr” → Permanence

    When content is purposeful, persistent, persuasive, and personal, something powerful happens: it gains permanence.

    Instead of disappearing into the feed after 24 hours, your ideas stay in the market for 90 days. They build anticipation toward a defined moment — a live event, a webinar, a workshop, or a briefing.

    That event then becomes fuel for the next 90 days.

    You record it. You gate the replay. You extract short-form video clips. You generate companion blog posts. You develop follow-up emails. You create derivative assets that extend the lifecycle of a single idea.

    Your strategy compounds rather than resets.

    You are no longer producing isolated posts. You are programming reputation over time.

    The New Discipline

    The truth is, AI did not kill content marketing. It exposed outdated strategy.

    The brands that will win in 2026 and beyond will not be the ones producing the most content. They will be the ones building structured, human, outcome-driven arcs that culminate in meaningful engagement.

    The question is no longer, “What should we publish this week?”

    It is, “What are we building toward over the next 90 days?”

    Answer that well, and your content engine won’t sputter.

    It will purr.

    .

  • Mapping the Hero’s Journey

    Mapping the Hero’s Journey

    Your Customer is the Hero, Not You

    How familiar are you with Joseph Campbell’s now classic framework, “the hero’s journey?” You may not know it intimately, but if you’ve ever seen Star Wars, you’ve seen it in action.

    But it’s also central to effective content marketing strategy. Let’s explore…

    In summary, Campbell outlined the journey of a hero as a person living an ordinary life, but perhaps with an extraordinary gift or tragic event. As a result, they are called to adventure. So begins a journey. At the end, a happy resolution and a mission fulfilled.

    Back to Star Wars as the example, George Lucas tells the story of Luke Skywalker, the lowly farmer who discovers the force after his village and family are destroyed. That call to adventure — vengeance against the evildoers — leads to trials, transformation, and eventually a restored outcome.

    So how does that map to marketing?

    Followers of Campbell’s work point out, correctly, that customer is the hero in their journey, not the brand trying to sell that hero a product or service. When done effectively, the brand acts as the guide, the mentor, the path to resolution.

    Think of Obi-Wan Kenobi or Han Solo guiding Luke Skywalker; you’re helping the customer along their path. Kenobi provides education and a weapon. Han Solo transports Luke across the galaxy. They facilitate the hero; they don’t try to become the hero.

    Likewise, you shouldn’t be thinking first and foremost about selling a product. Primarily, we should relate to the customer’s problem and work to guide them towards a solution, ultimately achieving their desired outcome — which just happens to be your own.

    If we’re truly putting the customer at the center, seeing them as the hero, how do we effectively map out their journey? Let’s continue along on our journey…

    Mapping the Hero’s Journey

    Once you understand their hero’s aspiration, that emotional trigger that prompts their call to adventure, that feeling that says, “I can’t live like this anymore. I need a solution,” you can begin to articulate that you understand the hero’s motivation. That’s the WHY.

    After the WHY comes the HOW. This is when customers start looking for solutions, and if you’ve connected with them on a WHY level, you have them as an audience, and they will naturally look and wonder, “How will you solve my problem?” 

    In Luke Skywalker’s case, he asks Obi-Wan. “You fought in the clone wars?” Which translates to, you’ve been in my shoes? Obi-Wan then presents Luke with his father’s lightsaber. Here’s a tool that might help you solve your problem. You could use a blaster, (i.e., a competitor). But this lightsaber here is the more “elegant” solution.

    Now Obi-Wan has Luke’s attention. He starts educating. “For a thousand years, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic….”

    As the conversation moves on, Luke wants to learn more about the force. He’s drawn completely into his new mentor. Obi-Wan has an audience…a disciple, even.

    Then comes the WHAT.  At the core, it’s the specific products, services, or actions your organization offers. It’s what you do or sell. The light saber is the WHAT. But Luke would never go looking for one if he didn’t have a truly motivational WHY.

    The Whats look almost indistinguishable from competitors’, feature for feature. But if a company connects deeply on the WHY and offers a truly differentiated HOW, then the WHAT, the actual purchase, becomes almost a given. Price becomes less of a factor because you’ve already built that foundational trust and connection.

    Use the Force (of Effective Content)

    Obi-Wan played the long game. He lurked in the shadows, making himself known to his audience for when the time was right. Luke was “in market” when he was called to his adventure. 

    That’s the crucial point of content marketing: it isn’t just about immediate sales. It’s about demonstrating expertise, establishing authority and gaining trust before a customer is actively looking, so you’re top of mind when they do need you precisely. Luke sought out “Old Ben.”  You want your brand to be known as the expert. When a problem does eventually arise, you’re the first one they think of. Which you could say is definitely playing the long game.

    So, what kinds of content actually work best for this long-game approach?

    Well, you tailor it to that hero’s journey. You tell stories. You use case studies, you educate, you hit them with content at different stages of the journey where those potential customers are on their learning and decision-making path.

    Your ultimate goal with content is building an audience of loyal fans who can’t wait for your next piece of content, your next product or feature.

    Fans of brands don’t need a hard sell. When the next iPhone is released, people will wait in line for hours to purchase their new device. Not just because it has a better camera or a faster processor. They could get that from Android. They buy from Apple because somewhere along the way, Apple established a level of loyalty and deep connection with an audience of true fans who couldn’t be pried away from the brand.

    What would that level of loyalty and deep connection look like for your brand?

    It’s a powerful idea to consider. Even more powerful to implement. 

    Listen and Learn

    In this latest Episode of Bullhorns & Bullseyes, Tom Nixon and Curtis Hays focus on something foundational to effective content deployment: Marketing isn’t about who can shout louder or who can outspend the competitive field in the arena of advertising. It’s about genuinely understanding your customers, aligning with their journey, and becoming part of their story. Not as the hero. As the helpful guide that gets them where they need to go.

    As you rethink your own approach to content marketing, ask yourself, who’s the true hero in your story?

    ▶️ Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/ab9-fIl1-SM

    🎧 Listen On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Qxv2Vr2lCPmhM4aiF3KAN

    🙏 Please Support Bullhorns & Bullseyes: Like, share, comment, & subscribe!

  • Map Messaging to Measurement

    Map Messaging to Measurement

    Model Behavior

    At first, most people don’t get it. But once it clicks, it becomes the most powerful methodology for messaging, marketing and media itself.

    By “it,” I’m referring to “WHY.”

    Until I’m blue in the face, I will die on the hill that effective messaging and copywriting needs to be structured in a very deliberate “WHY→HOW→WHAT” hierarchy. In other words, if you want your message to resonate and achieve its objective, you simply MUST lead with WHY.

    But not your WHY…theirs!

    Nobody cares about your WHAT—or even your HOW —until you’ve connected to their WHY.

    The Power of Why is not just a viral TED Talk by Simon Sinek; it’s a proven model for messaging hierarchy that directly maps to the tried and true Sales Funnel framework. In other words, the model of “WHY→HOW→WHAT” is specifically engineered to nurture a potential customer into the action of your choosing…but in the time of the customer’s choosing. Because that’s who’s going to dictate the timing of a potential next step…not your urgent “call to action.”

    The WHY can be better understood when framed as a buying motivation. Most often (in the B2B world) that motivation is rooted in pain…sometimes it can be gain. But understand: before a potential customer ever reaches your doorstep, they are motivated by their own problems or aspirations — NOT the features of your product or service.

    So why ask WHY? Because that’s the mindset your coveted client is already in; and you need to map to it in order to emotionally connect with that prospect.

    AIDA, RACE and WHW

    Tom and Curtis go into three essential frameworks for marketing success on their Bullhorns and Bullseyes podcast. The first is the tried and true sales funnel, which follows a person from Awareness, through Interest and Desire, then ultimately to Action.

    The RACE model, created by Dr. Dave Chaffey, is about planning, measurement, and aligning tactics with funnel stages: Reach, Action, Conversion and Engagement. Note how each metric in the RACE framework directly maps to a stage in the AIDA model:

    When overlaid, it becomes obvious why you should lead with WHY, support that with HOW, and then deliver validating WHATs, our universally adopted framework for messaging, copywriting, and pretty much everything we do here at The Creative Mill.

    Listen + Look + Learn:

    Watch the entire episode below. Listen and subscribe to the audio podcast here. Check out the fuller explanation of the concepts explored in this episode via the Amplify and Aim newsletter below the video.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ixj6QsUNKVU%3Ffeature%3Doembed

    🎯 Amplify and Aim Newsletter

    Episode Recap: Model Behavior

    This lesson in brief: “You Can’t Skip the Funnel—But You Can Equip It…Then You Should Flip It!”

    In this episode of Bullhorns and Bullseyes, Tom Nixon and Curtis Hays geek out (in the way that only true geeks dare!) on three powerful marketing models that shape how they plan campaigns, create content, and measure success. 

    If you’ve ever wondered why some campaigns flop while others convert like magic, this episode is your masterclass in doing it the Bullhorns and Bullseyes way—from the top of the funnel to the flip at the end.

    Let’s break it all down…

    ∇📊 MODEL #1: THE OG SALES FUNNEL (AIDA)

    First up: a classic. Tom reintroduces the trusty old AIDA sales funnel—Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action. Though it’s been around since the 19th century, too many marketers still get it wrong today by trying to skip straight to the sale. (Looking at you, “Buy Now” Facebook ads shown to total strangers.)

    The funnel represents the customer’s mindset—not just the steps they take. It’s linear, even if the journey increasingly isn’t. People move from not knowing you exist, to knowing you exist, to wanting what you offer, to finally buying it. But you can’t rush that process…or cheat it.

    Key Point: Most failed campaigns are a result of skipping the early steps—awareness and interest—and pushing for conversion way too early. Want to close more? Nurture more.

    🏃‍♂️📊 MODEL #2: THE RACE FRAMEWORK (REACH, ACT, CONVERT, ENGAGE)

    Next, Curtis shares a modern framework he’s been leaning on for nearly a decade: RACE, created by Dr. Dave Chaffey.

    Where AIDA is about mindset, RACE is about planning, measurement, and aligning tactics with funnel stages.

    • Reach = Build awareness. Don’t measure conversions here—measure impressions, traffic, and engagement.
    • Act = Spark exploration. This is where educational content shines and you begin building trust.
    • Convert = Now it’s time to push for leads or purchases. But only now.
    • Engage = Post-conversion, turn customers into advocates who drive future reach and help you flip the funnel.

    Curtis emphasizes that proper planning sits above the framework. How much budget goes to each stage depends on where you are today. A startup? You’ll need to invest heavily in awareness. A mature brand? You may be ready to convert.

    Key Point: The most efficient marketing spend aligns your budget, your tactics, and your metrics to the right stage of the funnel. Do it wrong, and you’re lighting money on fire.

    💬📝 MODEL #3: WHY→HOW→WHAT

    Finally, Tom rolls out his own spin on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle—tailored for messaging. The core insight? You need to align with your audience’s why, not your company’s.

    Here’s how the model maps onto the funnel:

    • WHY: The emotional driver. Pain, aspiration, purpose. Start here to capture awareness.
    • HOW: Your method. This is what separates you from competitors and converts interest into desire.
    • WHAT: The features. This is what you do—but by the time someone is deciding that they want your WHATs, you’ve already won them over with the WHY and the HOW…because every competitor has your same WHAT, but not your HOW…and you can bet that they’ve skipped the all-important WHY altogether!

    Curtis admitted he used to get this backward—he thought “why” was about defining your brand’s purpose. Turns out, the real power lies in identifying your customer’s purpose and showing them how you help them fulfill it.

    Key Point: “Nobody cares how awesome your product is—until they know you understand what they’re going through from a pain or gain standpoint.”

    💡 PRO TIPS AND FAVORITE QUIPS

    • “You can’t skip the funnel—but you can equip the funnel. And then, you should flip the funnel.” —Tom
    • “Don’t engineer for awareness then measure conversions.” — Curtis
    • “Marketing should be viewed as an investment, not an expense. So spend wisely.” — Smart Consultants Everywhere
    • When you skip steps, you’re not just burning money—you’re forfeiting valuable trust along the way….and that’s a currency all its own!

    🧠🛠️ Why This Matters

    Marketers often focus on tactics—ads, blogs, email campaigns—without a framework to tie them together. What Tom and Curtis lay out here is a way to plan smarter, message more effectively, and measure in a way that aligns with reality…not your perfect dream world.

    Whether you’re a startup or a century-old brand, if you want better results from your marketing, you need to align what you’re doing with where your customers are in their journey.

    AND IF YOU WANT YOUR CAMPAIGNS TO ACTUALLY CONVERT? BE A MODEL CITIZEN…EXEMPLIFY MODEL BEHAVIORS…AND APPLY A PROVEN MODEL FOR SUCCESS!

    🎧 Listen or watch the full episode on your favorite platform or at bullhornsandbullseyes.com. Bonus: You’ll find downloadable visuals that map it all out. Subscribe to Amplify and Aim here.

    💥 Until next time: Keep blasting that bullhorn 📢 — and aiming for the bullseye 🎯‼️

  • What is Marketing Drift?

    What is Marketing Drift?

    Diagnose the Drift. Fix the Failure.

    Marketing doesn’t fail overnight. It drifts.
    “Gradually. Then suddenly.”

    There are two kinds of drift happening right now. Both are dangerous, if left undiagnosed.

    One happens when marketing execution drifts away from its own strategy.

    The other happens when the real world drifts away from the theoretical strategy.

    It’s natural for marketing to be tempted and compromised by drift.

    Not because teams are careless.

    Because entropy is inevitable.

    1️⃣ The first kind of drift is internal.

    Over time, strategy fragments into campaigns.
    Campaigns fragment into tactics.
    Tactics start optimizing for short-term signals.

    Dashboards get better.
    Tools get more sophisticated.
    Activity increases.

    But the system slowly drifts away from the core strategy that originally made it rooted in provable fundamentals.

    New campaigns are added.
    New channels appear.
    New tactics are layered on.

    Each one may make sense on its own. But collectively, the system becomes fragmented. What once felt coherent now feels complicated. And performance gradually becomes harder to maintain.

    2️⃣ The second kind of drift is driven by externalities.

    Markets change.
    Technology changes.
    Customer behavior changes.

    But the marketing system doesn’t.

    Companies keep running the same playbook that worked three or five years ago.

    The same channels.
    The same assumptions.
    The same patterns of investment.

    Meanwhile, the environment around them keeps evolving.

    (Has there been a faster, more impactful evolution than the one we’re currently experiencing with AI?)

    So even if the marketing system remains internally consistent, it slowly becomes misaligned with reality.

    Worse yet, we use AI to amplify the wrong strategy that has become misaligned. We expedite failure. We amplify misalignment. We move faster down an errant path.

    First Things First: Slow Down to Speed Up.

    Most organizations today are experiencing both kinds of drift at the same time. They just don’t realize it yet.

    But they’re falling in love with technology that fuels misalignment, getting to the wrong outcome faster, louder, and more expensively.

    If you’re feeling the failure but can’t pinpoint the pain, stop now. Re-evaluate. Study. Diagnose. Identify root causes.

    (Hint: You must go back to the very beginning—the very foundation of your marketing. The message itself.)

    Because speeding up failure is not an option.
    If you get my drift.

  • Storytelling Meets “Why Ask Why?”

    Storytelling Meets “Why Ask Why?”

    The Power of Visual Storytelling

    By now, if it’s two things you know about me, it’s this: I wholeheartedly believe in the power of storytelling…and I believe that the most powerful story begins and ends with WHY.

    A perfect example of both of these in action is this video. It’s not a testimonial; it’s a story. Do you find it to be more effective than a mere quote (that could’ve been a manufactured fabrication) on a website?

    Can you spot those three acts here? WHY-HOW-WHAT?

    [Disclosure: I played a very small role in the concept development phase of this video.]

    It’s effective for a number of reasons, not least of which is because it’s true…but because it’s a true STORY!

    Stop asking your customers for testimonials, and start asking if they’d be willing to tell their stories!

  • Only the Brave

    Only the Brave

    Audacity Is a Survival Skill (Especially in B2B)

    Let me start with a confession. Every time I say something clever like “don’t build your brand on rented land,” I’m likely quoting someone smarter than me. Someone like Mark Schaefer, for example..

    In our latest Bullhorns and Bullseyes episode, Curtis and I sat down with Mark to talk about his newest book, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World.

    And wow… this wasn’t a “tips and tricks” episode. It was a mindset shift, entirely..

    Here’s the big idea:

    👉 Merely “competent” marketing is no longer good enough. We must be excellent. We must be human. And we must take chances.

    The experts keep warning us that, “AI is coming for your job.” Maybe so, maybe not…but only the parts of your job that are safe, predictable, and repeatable. AI can’t replace the part that’s unique to you as a living, breathing person with lived experiences: the bold, the human, and the emotionally resonant.

    Which is exactly why Schaefer makes this case: audacity is no longer optional. It’s essential.

    So what does audacious marketing actually look like?

    It’s not about gimmicks. It’s not being loud just for the sake of it. It’s not brash for the sake of bravado.

    It’s this:

    ✅ Courage over conformity
    ✅ Storytelling that evokes something real
    ✅ Disrupting who tells your story, where it’s told, and how it spreads

    As Mark put it: “If two-thirds of your sales are happening without you, the best marketing isn’t grabbing the bullhorn to shout from the hills how great you are…it’s handing it to someone else.”

    Read that again.

    The 20% That AI Can’t Touch

    We talked a lot in this episode about the 20%—the part of your work that’s irreplaceably human.

    For Mark, that’s his voice. His stories. The humor, the heartbreak, the hard-earned wisdom AI can’t fake. It’s what turns content into connection.

    And in B2B? That’s your edge.

    The safer your industry feels, the more ripe it is for disruption. Ditch the pandemic of dull. Show me. don’t tell me. Be the story your audience feels, not the spec sheet they scroll past.

    One Last Thing…

    You don’t need a Super Bowl budget to be audacious. You need guts. You need empathy. And maybe a cowboy hat. (Looking at you, Curtis.)

    So here’s your coffee-fueled call to action:

    👉 Listen to the episode.
    👉 Ask yourself: are we being competent… or compelling?

    Because in a world of “meh,” the bold brand wins. And Mark’s got the receipts.

    🎧  [Check out  the full episode with Mark Schaefer at bullhornsbullseyes.com]
    📘  [Grab Audacious at BusinessesGrow.com]

  • Better words, not fewer.

    Better words, not fewer.

    I keep seeing people advocate for shorter content.

    (including many I respect)

    Tight and concise. Shorter sentences. Less is more. Limited attention spans, and all of that.

    Yet movies keep getting longer. Three-hour stage plays have become the norm. People will binge their favorite TV programs for hours on end in single sittings.

    We don’t crave short. We demand great.

    In fact, if you’ve gotten this far, I suspect there’s a reason. You could have stopped at four words. I suspect many did. But some of you kept going.

    And that’s what you want your writing to do: invite the reader to keep going.

    My best writing instructors never put word-count parameters on assignments — minimum or maximum. “It needs to be as long as it needs to be,” they would suggest. “No longer, no shorter.”

    Make it great. It might be short and sweet; it might be deep and immersive. But it needs to be great, first and foremost.

    And look: This post just happened to be short!

  • Ideas, Not Words

    Ideas, Not Words

    People Don’t Need More Words; They Need Better Ideas


    Your job as a thought leader is not to create content; it’s to deal in intellectual property.

    So says Jay Acunzo, author of Break the Wheel and a brand messaging strategist.

    People can get words anywhere they look these days. Thanks in part to AI, we are at no shortage for content. But what the world will continue to seek out is expertise. Fresh ideas. New approaches to solving problems.

    And if the content you’re publishing isn’t delivering on those needs, it might as well just be words on a page. In fact, it is. Or maybe worse.

    That’s Not How This Works. That’s Not How Any of This Works.

    Companies continue to increasingly report, “Our website isn’t performing in search the way it used to.” That comes as no surprise. As my colleague Curtis Hays continues to demonstrate, search engines aren’t indexing content and returning search engine result pages (SERPs) the way they did just months ago.

    • For one, 60% of searches or more result in zero-click results, meaning the user is getting the answer to their query before they even click on a link.

    • Secondly, Google is now actively working to sniff out AI-generated content and instead “prioritize original, high-quality content that satisfies user intent and provides value, moving away from content primarily optimized for search engines.”

    So if you’re relying on AI to word-stuff a blog post without providing any unique perspective, analysis, insights, or procriptive strategy, you’re just putting words on a page.

    And next to no one will notice. Not even Google.

    Said Nobody Ever:

    Few among us make a concerted effort to seek out words. Nobody thinks to oneself, “I’m going to consume some content this morning.”

    Instead, what we seek to do is become educated and informed. Solve a problem. Eliminate a pain. Identify a better way.

    That’s what thought leadership provides, properly executed. It brings the expert’s best ideas to light to deliver on a promise to inform, to enlighten, or to entertain, even.

    Yes, AI can make content generation easier and quicker. But so can an untrained intern. The deed you really need to accomplish is to demonstrate expertise. Differentiate. Endear trust.

    That’s what creates thought leaders in the first place. Better ideas, not an abundance of words.

    And if you think AI word slop is putting your brand in the best possible position to compete in the marketplace of ideas, well, I might want to have a word or two with you.

  • Don’t Be a Hero

    Who Is the Hero In Your Story?

    If I told you my life story, would you care?

    What if I asked you to tell me your life story?

    Eugene M. Schwartz’s The Brilliance Breakthrough: How to Talk and Write So That People Will Never Forget You should be (and often is) considered to be the “bible” of effective copywriting and storytelling. One of the many tenets Schwartz embraces is the notion of making the reader (or the customer) the hero of the story you’re trying to tell.

    Too often, we put the capes on our own backs. And that’s where the writing falls short.

    Real World Example

    Let’s say you’re writing an email to promote a time-management webinar. Here’s how the message might look if the writer is positioned as the hero of the story, versus the reader.

    Writer-Focused Approach

    “Our team has spent months crafting this webinar to showcase our expertise in time management. We’ve developed a proprietary method that combines advanced scheduling techniques and task prioritization strategies, which we believe are groundbreaking. Join us to learn more about what we’ve created.”

    Why It Falls Short:
    This approach is all about the writer—their effort, their methods, and their belief in their expertise. It doesn’t directly address what the reader will gain or how it will solve their problems.

    Reader-Focused Approach

    “Are you constantly battling an overflowing to-do list? Imagine reclaiming hours in your day while accomplishing more with less stress. In our free webinar, you’ll discover simple techniques to prioritize your tasks, streamline your schedule, and take back control of your time. You deserve a system that works for you—join us to make it happen.”

    Why It Works:
    This version immediately taps into the reader’s pain points (stress, lack of time) and offers a tangible benefit (reclaiming hours and reducing stress). It emphasizes the reader’s needs and outcomes, making it far more compelling and relatable.

    Takeaway:
    To shift the focus from the writer to the reader, always frame your content in terms of the reader’s problems, desires and benefits. I call this “pains and gains.” The reader is hard-wired to imagine himself or herself as the hero of their own story…even if you’re going to swoop in and ultimately save the day.

    End of Story.

    Eugene Schwartz’s The Brilliance Breakthrough isn’t just a guide to writing; it’s a roadmap to human connection through language. By applying its lessons, you can craft messages that not only resonate with your audience but also leave an indelible mark.

    Whether you’re writing to inform, persuade, or inspire, remember Schwartz’s core principle: writing is about making your ideas unforgettable. Through clarity, empathy and storytelling, you can unlock the full potential of your words—and, in turn, your audience’s imagination.

    Now go on. TELL US THAT EMOTIONAL LIFE STORY. BUT Remember…

    don’t be a hero.

  • Let Content Be Your Praise Singer

    You Don’t Have to Be in the Room to Gain Influence

    Adrian Lurssen tells the story of when he went to see Nelson Mandela deliver an address in his home country of South Africa. He still draws upon the experience today, but in the most unusual context.

    Co-founder of JD Supra, a digital media company that enables professionals to greatly increase their visibility by sharing their expertise online, Adrian recalls seeing firsthand as a child something he was not at all familiar with. Prior to Mandela’s oratory, there emerged on stage a man dressed in tribal attire, singing a song in a native dialect. Adrian leaned over to his father, who had brought Adrian to the event, and asked him what this man was doing or saying.

    His father explained to Adrian, “That is Nelson Mandela’s praise singer. He has come out in advance of Mr. Mandela to tell the crowd how special Nelson is…to explain on Mr. Mandela’s behalf how wonderful his ideas and thoughts are, as soon to be expressed by the man himself. He’s literally singing his praises.”

    [Now you know where that expression comes from, if you didn’t already.]

    As Adrian recounts this tale to Jay Harrington and me on an episode of The Thought Leadership Project podcast, he likens this notion of a praise singer to how we considers thought leadership content to work on behalf of the expert that shares it.

    What Does This Have to Do with Content?

    In Adrian’s estimation — one I happen to share — thought leadership content serves in the capacity of being one’s praise singer. It exists out in the world to tell everyone how smart you are, what you know, what you think, what you can do, how you solve problems. “It sings your praises,” Adrian notes, “even when you’re not there in the room to do it yourself.”

    This is the problem (and the potential) for expertise that remains locked in one’s own mind, protected from the world it can serve, and held close to the chest. Ideas and solutions are what the market is looking for, whether you’re in the room to peddle them or not.

    You can’t be everywhere at once, but your thought leadership content literally can. If you trust the process, even when you can’t open a dashboard to witness firsthand vanity metrics and analytics, you’ll keep at it with the necessary discipline and optimism. Then, almost by magic, people start noticing. They start mentioning. They tell you they’ve been following along. That they hold you in high esteem. And, curiously, they or someone they know wants to hire you. Amazing how that works. 

    Unleash your praise singer. Generously share your ideas with the world. Let people know how wise and capable you are, just as a praise singer would do for you, were you the likes of Nelson Mandela himself.

    It’s okay to sing your own praises, if that’s how you want to consider it. But when you’re sharing expertise and solving problems for others, that doesn’t come across as self-service. It gets received as thought leadership.

    By the time you arrive “in the room” to make a pitch, close a sale, or entice a prospect, your praise singer will have done most of the work for you. And it’s entirely likely that the only person yet to come on stage will be you — not your competitors, the invisible and anonymous orators working without the benefit of a praise singer.