Its been a spell since my last newsletter, and this is how I can sum up the previous three weeks:

Don’t worry about me; I’m doing fine. Some days the weight of everything happening in the world is heavier than others. I will say it is better to talk about it than internalize and just let it eat away. 

Back in January, I experimented with a new format for the newsletter, which I think was a good experience. One, I shared some more in-depth thoughts about the state of marketing for SMB’s. Two, I learned that format doesn’t work that well for newsletters. 

The value I get from writing this newsletter is learning new tactics while keeping a pulse on the latest trends. Then, focus on sharing what I’m learning with others. 

Learn one, do one, teach one, right?

So I’m going back to the format this newsletter was in before I took an extended break over the holidays. I think it’s more useful for both the creator and the reader. I would love to hear your feedback on it. Do you like the long-form deep dives? Or should I stick to the format below?

Hit reply and let me know. 

Now, onto this week’s insights.

If you are looking to increase your content marketing and SEO skills, the number one technique to practice is learning searcher intent. In this interview with John Mueller, we realize your content length or comprehensiveness doesn’t matter. What matters to Google is did you satisfy the searcher’s intent.  This means understanding your audience, customers, and what problems they need to solve will significantly impact your content marketing and SEO.

Easily these interviews with John Mueller are the best SEO info on the planet. Listening to them live may not be your definition of a good time, but you should make time to read summaries after each. 

This explainer on how to request reviews via email is a must-read. Reviews are critical for businesses, predominantly service-based enterprises. Whatever your marketing strategy is, you need to be inviting your customers to leave you a review. In particular on Google and Facebook. 

A big part of requesting reviews is to automate it as fast as possible. The article below suggests some automation methods, but the tool doesn’t matter as much as the process. Work with someone to create these emails, get them into a tool, and get it automated. Once you do this, it will have a massive impact on your business for years to come.

I’ve been dabbling more and more on Pinterest this year, as I try to diversify my advertising portfolio away from Facebook, and I’m surprised at the results. So far I’m seeing better top-of-funnel results on Pinterest, even though I am very far away from being an expert on the platform. 

To be honest, I’ve been a consistent Pinterest hater. But as it has grown, plus the new tools and created new ad inventory, it is hard to not incorporate Pinterest into any digital marketing strategy. 

If you are looking to add influencer marketing to your efforts, I think Pinterest will be a place for experimentation while keeping CPM rates reasonable. It is easy to see that they are willing to develop their own in-house influencers and getting in now is worth your investment.

Don’t ask me how, but I didn’t know about James Clear or his ridiculously awesome newsletter until just a few weeks ago. In a recent edition, there was this quote from John Shedd:

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that is not what ships are built for.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about this and the voyage we are all on, especially as leaders. When I first started my journey into marketing, I busily prepared my ship without once thinking of the turbulent, unpredictable seas. All that matter was what was on the other side of the sea.

As I ventured, I experienced severe storms that tempted me just to give up and sink. I also found the windless doldrums that left me stranded for what seemed like a lifetime, toiling away in a job I hated because I thought the experience was worth it. Then one magical day, land was sighted, and after many years I docked.

Yet, now that I’ve arrived at my destination, I can’t just leave my boat at the harbor. Yes, it is safe. Yes, it was the location I had envisioned. But ships are made for journeys. For adventures. My boat being safely docked is not what it was made for. 

This is a point we all reach in our careers at some point. We find a job we are good at and gives us stability. Our bills are paid, a couple of vacations a year, and the comfort of routine. But the longer we let our boat sit at the harbor, the more we forget about sailing. 

Some of this is out of not wanting to break our routine. But some of the reticence to sail is because we know the seas are dangerous. The storms are fierce, waves humongous, and resources are scarce. Then when the time comes when we need our skills the most, we are unprepared. We can’t let our fear stop us.

Our boats are made for adventures and exploration. Not every voyage needs to be epic, but we can’t forget the importance of sailing.

So, what’s your next adventure?

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