Influencer Marketing Archives -

The Art of the Interview: How to Get Better Stories from Subject Matter Experts

One of the most valuable things I brought from journalism to content marketing wasn’t a writing technique or a structural framework. It was the interview.

The best content doesn’t come from what you know. It comes from what you’re able to draw out of the people who do.

By Linda Pophal, MA, SPHR · Strategic Communications, LLC · Published Wednesday, July 21, 2026

Interviewing subject matter experts for content marketing is the practice of conducting structured conversations with domain specialists like executives, practitioners, researchers, or clients to gather original insights, stories, and perspectives that form the foundation of high-quality written content.

Done well, the expert interview is the single most powerful tool available to content marketers for producing material that is genuinely authoritative and distinctively voiced.

And, it’s impossible for AI to replicate.

Continue reading “The Art of the Interview: How to Get Better Stories from Subject Matter Experts”

The Role of User-Generated Content in Building Brand Trust

In the digital marketing landscape, authenticity and connections with consumers are paramount. A great way to connect with and engage your audience, while leveraging the power of word-of-mouth is through user-Generated Content (UGC). UGC can play a significant role in building brand trust and engagement.

But what do we mean when we say “user-generated” content, and how can you incorporate that kind of content into your marketing efforts in a way that’s brand supportive? Continue reading “The Role of User-Generated Content in Building Brand Trust”

Are You Overlooking Your Most Important Audience?

I’m often surprised that the most overlooked audience when it comes to communicating with key constituents is the internal or employee audience. Companies are generally pretty good about recognizing that they need to communicate with customers and prospects, but employees tend to be an afterthought. This may be because of the assumption that Continue reading “Are You Overlooking Your Most Important Audience?”

What Your Employees Don’t Know Could Hurt You: How Effective Communication Builds Strong Brand Ambassadors

I’m often surprised that the most overlooked audience, when it comes to communicating with key constituents, is the internal or employee audience. Companies are generally pretty good about recognizing that they need to communicate with customers and prospects, but employees tend to be an afterthought. This may be because of the assumption that since employees are part of the organization they somehow “know” what’s going on. After all, it was in the newsletter or on Slack, wasn’t it? The fact of the matter, though, is that companies can’t leave it to chance that employees are paying attention to the messages they’re sending, or that they understand which are the key messages that they should be paying attention to. Continue reading “What Your Employees Don’t Know Could Hurt You: How Effective Communication Builds Strong Brand Ambassadors”

Sometimes I Just Can’t Be a Ghost…

by Linda Pophal

Having worked for organizations and their senior leaders and spokespeople for a number of years as director of corporate communications and marketing in various fields I’ve long been familiar—and quite comfortable—with the concept of ghostwriting. Ghostwriters write content for others. That content might be in the form of a speech, a presentation, an email, an article, a letter to the editor, a book-length manuscript, or a wide range of other applications. Continue reading “Sometimes I Just Can’t Be a Ghost…”

Following the Trends in Influencer Marketing

While it may seem like it’s a 21st-century thing, influencer marketing has been around since the early 20th century. One of the earliest influencers was Santa Claus, a character modernized and reinvented by Coca-Cola. Today’s influencers tend to be real people—PewDiePie, Logan Paul, Zoella, and others—many who leapt to fame thanks to the wide reach of social media channels, such as YouTube and Instagram. But influencers today come in a lot of forms depending on the target audience. Business-es, products, and services of all types leverage the audience, reach, and endorsement power of influencers to grow awareness and preference for what they have to offer. Continue reading “Following the Trends in Influencer Marketing”

No-Cost, Low-Cost Ways to Boost Your Brand

We’ve previously discussed the challenges many companies face when trying to calculate an ROI on their marketing efforts. For small and medium-sized businesses, this can make it difficult to justify increasing spend on marketing efforts.

But, just because you feel like you can’t spend more money on marketing doesn’t mean you can’t invest in your brand. Continue reading “No-Cost, Low-Cost Ways to Boost Your Brand”

Papa John’s Takes a Dip; Shaq Comes to the Rescue in More Ways Than One

Having a real person associated with your brand can help your company connect with consumers on a personal level. It can also bring negative publicity from the actions or statements of those spokespeople. While it might be harder for audiences to connect personally with the Trix Bunny or Pillsbury Dough Boy, neither is likely to be in the news for making offensive statements or getting arrested.

That can’t be said for real-life figureheads or spokespeople.

Continue reading “Papa John’s Takes a Dip; Shaq Comes to the Rescue in More Ways Than One”

Content Marketing Experts Define “Influencer Marketing”

(excerpt from Best Practices in Influencer Marketing)

Defining “influencer marketing” in the online space can be somewhat challenging as perspectives can differ wildly. Here’s a look at how experts in digital marketing are defining this term: Continue reading “Content Marketing Experts Define “Influencer Marketing””