Brevity Doesn’t Matter
Brevity doesn’t matter. Neither does length. What matters is whether the work you are asking your readers to do to understand your point is commensurate with the amount of work your readers are willing and able to do. If brevity actually mattered, we’d just say wu (無) and go on with our lives. If length […]
How to Write Marketing Emails
Before you write your next marketing email or newsletter… Spend two hours reading as many of the marketing emails and newsletters you’ve received as you can. Everything you’ve let languish in your inbox. I mean, actually read them. Don’t just open them. Was it a good use of your time? How do you feel? How […]
Fundamental Principles of Marketing and Communication
“Two fundamental principles of marketing and communication: Attention is a limited and non-renewable resource. Communicators have a moral obligation to earn it and use it well. Transgression is generative. New thinking requires crossing the lines of old norms.” Read my full interview with Genius X for more.
Thought Leadership and AI
Thought leadership consulting is like skin care. At least that’s what this surreal cold email suggests. And since surrealism invites us to consider unexpected correlations, I figured I should give it a go. ✅ Attentive care to client needs ✅ Helping tighten, brighten, and remove blemishes ✅ Easy to commoditize but rate to excel ✅ […]
Asking Powerful Questions
Such a powerful question for leaders and planners: “Would I want this outcome even if I didn’t know my role within it?” It’s a bit abstract, but think of it more concretely as “Would I design this process or organization this way if I didn’t know what my role would be?” The question surfaces issues […]
I’m Not Content with Content
I use the word “content” easily a dozen times on an average day, but I don’t like it. It conveys an underlying belief that websites, databases, and electronic files are containers just waiting for something to come along and fill them, like stuffing in a pillow or mud in a hole.
Thought Leadership’s Superpower
While thought leadership works for many reasons, one simple reason is the most fundamental. Thought leadership works because people trust people.
Thought Leadership and Employee Engagement
When creating distribution plans for thought leadership content, make sure to include your own employees in the process. All too often, companies leave it to their employees to find published thought leadership on marketing channels. Some attempt to share with employees on an internal communications platform such as an intranet or Slack. These efforts seemingly treat employee engagement as an afterthought.
Thought Leadership Challenges Your Whole Strategy
Thought leadership strategy forces you to ask what you can say about yourself that is true, and what you do in the world to make it true. These questions span an entire organization. Answering them and then doing something about them unmistakably requires the input of people empowered to make executive decisions and lead towards change. Including top company leaders in thought leadership strategy discussions takes the best advantage of this transformative opportunity.
Being Part of the Conversation
Some topics become so central to the conversation in a particular industry that it makes sense to have a point of view even if it does not track directly back to specific products or services. Within financial services, those topics include topics such as digital assets; AI and automation; diversity, equity, and inclusion; COVID-19; and ESG. Failing to have a point of view on these can make you seem out of touch.