Content Marketing for Consultants and Solo Practitioners: Playing to Your Strengths
Tag: digital marketing
How to Write a Case Study That Actually Converts
Most case studies read like press releases. Here’s how to write ones that actually persuade.
By Linda Pophal, MA, SPHR · Strategic Communications, LLC
A case study is a detailed, evidence-based account of how a specific client or customer achieved a measurable outcome using a product, service, or approach. Case studies are told in narrative form to help prospective buyers understand what results are possible and how they might be achieved in their own context. A well-written case study is one of the most persuasive content formats available to B2B marketers because it combines social proof (‘someone like me has done this’) with specificity (‘here’s exactly what happened and what it produced’).
I’ve written a lot of case studies over the years for clients across industries, in formats ranging from one-page snapshots to 3,000-word deep dives. Over that time I’ve read even more: the ones clients show me as examples of what they want, the ones competitors publish, the ones that show up as thought leadership assets in B2B sales cycles.
The pattern I see most often: case studies written for the company that produced them, not for the prospect who is supposed to be persuaded by them.
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LinkedIn Groups in 2026: What My 2011 Article Got Right — And What Changed
Fifteen years ago I interviewed a half-dozen experts about LinkedIn Groups. Here’s how their advice has aged.
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The Content Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter (And the Ones to Ignore)
Most content marketers are measuring the wrong things. Here’s how to tell the difference.
By Linda Pophal, MA, SPHR · Strategic Communications, LLC
Content marketing metrics are the quantitative and qualitative measures used to evaluate whether a content program is achieving its intended business objectives. They include audience growth, lead generation, search visibility, and revenue attribution. The distinction between meaningful metrics and vanity metrics is critical: vanity metrics (page views, social media likes, follower counts) may look impressive but reveal little about business impact, while meaningful metrics connect content activity directly to outcomes that matter to the organization.
Every content marketer I’ve worked with has felt the pull of the vanity metric. The blog post that got 2,000 views. The LinkedIn post with 150 likes. The social media following that crossed a round number.
These numbers feel like progress. They’re easy to report. But they’re often meaningless.
Continue reading “The Content Marketing Metrics That Actually Matter (And the Ones to Ignore)”
LinkedIn Newsletters: Best Practices for Success
You should be using this cost effective marketing tool
LinkedIn suggests that LinkedIn Newsletters are one of the most effective features for content distribution, and they’re certainly growing in use but individuals and companies. But, do they really offer value, and in what way?
We sought input from LinkedIn experts who are using LinkedIn Newsletters—some with a great following and some just starting out—to get their insights, best practices, and actionable tips on how to make the most of this platform to grow and engage with a LinkedIn audience.
What you need to know about leveraging LinkedIn newsletters
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Best Practices for Finding, Connecting With and Engaging “Shadow Buyers”
Are invisible prospects costing you sales?
Today’s digital commerce environment means that marketers can learn a lot about consumers who are interested in their products and services. But while that can be a boon for marketers, it’s not something that all prospects feel favorably about.
In fact, a rising number of consumers are actively taking steps to avoid being detected. They don’t want the bother. They don’t want the intrusion. And they don’t relish the feeling of violation that comes from being served up offers immediately after checking something out on your website.
How to bring them out of the shadows
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Using Generative AI (GenAI) to Create Video Marketing and Sales Content
GenAI tools are dramatically simplifying the video production process
Video used to be very expensive and time-consuming for companies and individuals to produce. Then, with the widespread adoption of smartphones that came with the ability to capture video seamlessly, and an associated drop in viewers’ expectations of high-quality output, the cost and time requirements for video production have declined precipitously.
The most recent impact on the cost and time required to produce video content is generative AI (GenAI) which has become a transformative force in video production across the entire creation process.
Ongoing Popularity of Video Prompts Adoption
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Pinterest Just Did What Every Platform Should Do: Put Users in Control
Pinterest rolled out new controls this week.
The new controls are user-centric, allowing users to reduce AI-generated content in their feeds. The move has prompted a collective sigh of relief from creators and users alike that speaks volumes.
The stats tell the story:
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- 57% of all online content is now generative AI
- Users have been complaining for months about “AI slop” overwhelming their feeds
- Categories like beauty, art, fashion, and home décor have been particularly flooded
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Why this matters:
Continue reading “Pinterest Just Did What Every Platform Should Do: Put Users in Control”
Why AI-Generated Content is Likely to Miss Emerging Trends
I was writing a trends piece for a client recently and, as I often do, I posted a call for input on sites like SOS (formerly HERO), Connectively, Qwoted, and Help a B2B Writer. I received close to 200 responses! To help me sort through the input and get a sense for what the top trends were based on this expert input, I did a simple tally.
And I started to notice something interesting. Continue reading “Why AI-Generated Content is Likely to Miss Emerging Trends”
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”