In this replay episode, we revisit the stories our CEO & founder friends shared with us last year about what topics are keeping them up at night. While they've probably moved on from these problems, they're still problems that plague many a founder and marketing department in our industry. We channel their full consultative skills and reference their experience in similar situations and roles to answer these three main questions: How do you build a marketing team that buys into your...

In this replay episode, we take a look back on the content strategies of the past, and of the past/present when this was recorded (in 2023). Where is content marketing headed? Where has it been? What can we take with us into 2025? Things we discuss include personal branding, relatable content, and value-additive content—which never go out of style.  Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/Connect with Margaret:...

We’re back! With a quick bonus episode before season 5 kicks off in January 2025. We’re keeping the feed rolling until then with some replays and bonus episodes to keep you company, and in this bonus episode, we’re catching you up on what we’ve been up to lately. Hope you enjoy, and see you in January! Connect with Devin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinbramhall/Connect with Margaret: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-kelsey-104abba/Subscribe to our newsletter:...

In this replay episode, Devin and Margaret share stories from their experiences working with founders/CEOs in-house and agency-side over the last decade to discuss the issues at play in the CEO/founder and marketing leader relationship.  Some bigger themes they cover are the importance of shared language and understanding of metrics, how communication and trust impact the CEO/head of marketing relationship, and the balance between brand and funnel, and why CEOs and founders should step back...

Welcome back to Don't Say Content! While we gear up for season 5, we are re-releasing a timely episode on marketing attribution, AI in content strategy, and the evolution of SEO and brand awareness. To get even more specific, we dive into the ongoing debate over the relevance of attribution models, the necessity of integrating quality relationship-building content, and the balance between human-centric and algorithmic approaches. Enjoy! Resources:  Subscribe to our newsletter:...

On this bonus episode, you'll hear our own Devin Bramhall in conversation with Alex Kracov from Dock on his show, Grow and Tell. They talk about how startups should be thinking about content, how she scaled Animalz, and how she grew our podcast, Don't Say Content. Check out Grow and Tell here: https://www.dock.us/grow-and-tell

In this replay, we're talking about one of those tough moments in leadership. You’re ready to hire marketing talent (either your first hire or a head of marketing), but you don’t have a background in marketing. What background do you look for? How do you set them up for success? We’ve seen the downward spiral of failure: your VCs/board giving bad advice, a lack of shared language around marketing roles and responsibilities, an over-indexing on tactics and copy edits— and they all lead to a...

Just like Content Marketing, growing an audience (organically) takes consistent investment and patience. How much time depends on your resources, strategy and - perhaps most importantly - how broad of a community you're trying to build. Plus a whole bunch of other questions and factors within those areas. We've learned a lot while building Don't Say Content with Share Your Genius, so today we're going to share all the things we tried, what really happens, and how we view audience-building...

In this episode, Devin Bramhall joins Ashley McGovern and Melissa Moody on their show, 2 Pizza Marketing. Like what you hear? Check out their show here: https://www.2pizzamarketing.com/ Resources:  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.dontsaycontent.com/ Created in partnership with Share Your Genius: https://www.shareyourgenius.com/

In this replay episode, we're revisiting lessons we've learned around failure. Did you just get fired? Spend a bunch of money on a marketing project or campaign that didn’t work?  It can feel like marketing failures are happening today at a higher rate than ever before. Markets are changing; buyer’s processes, decision-making, and budgets are in flux; and companies are switching up their marketing organizations and leadership.  Devin and Margaret explore our own relationship with...

We’ve talked about a lot of things the past 17 episodes—so where have we landed among the strategies and thoughts and endless fodder around the “state of marketing” at the end of this season? Well, we can tell you we’re looking forward to some genuine human connection and fostering authentic content creation in the coming months more than we are into slangin’ the same old worries we’ve been talking about (idk, marketing/exec alignment, AI takeovers, and old school marketing strategies, to...

When times are changin' the rigidity of prescriptive playbooks simply don't work. Instead, companies need adaptive strategies that enable them to capitalize on timely opportunities (the term "growth hacks" comes to mind - with shame), and experiment constantly all while making progress towards their growth goals. Is this the marketing utopia we've all been waiting for? Who knows, but we're excited to hear more about this new, more flexible approach from founder/CEO of Minuttia &...

For all the hype around marketing right now, very little is actually happening besides Google solidifying its dictatorship over businesses trying to use the internet for some free marketing.  Nothing is free anymore it seems, except the public displays of insanity by humans on the internet. It’s basically become an adult children’s book of attempted quips gone wrong, and we love it. It’s a stage for guileless dopes fighting for fame in small, dark corners and megaphone platforms...

We’re not outspoken; we’re speaking…the truth. Our culture doesn’t support women in the workplace effectively (or in some cases, at all), and it doesn’t support the men who are trying to operate and lead equitably, either. But let’s give the bulk of the credit where it’s due: there’s a significant number of  men and women who don’t support change either, often in ways that are subtle and thus difficult to identify, let alone fix.   As a follow up to “Let’s Just Say the Things We’re Most...

We had just recorded an episode about CMOs being anxious when Devin attended AudienePlus’s Golden Hour conference, where the IRL of stressed-out and disillusioned marketers was not only the prevailing topic but also the mood of attendees. This one-day event was a cathartic gathering of senior marketers eager to get their feelings out (then drink them away) amidst the golden strangeness of fake paparazzi, Lindsey Sterling’s eating disorder, and a decadent setting that didn’t quite convince any...

Experimentation is the Queen of Marketing Strategy these days as Martech continues to evolve, GenAI content becomes the new keyword stuffing and Google follows their hearts on SERPs in what seems like a midlife crisis-induced mushroom trip. No one knows what’s going to happen, so the best marketing strategy today involves testing & play to determine the best tactical mix for your business. Ned MacPherson, Chief Growth Officer of Power Digital is here this week to share what trends he’s...

Marketing is really just relationship-building at scale. But within that "scale" are activities that aren't 100% programmable. That's what a successful marketing mix looks like. But explaining that to stakeholders isn't always easy. As marketers we have to be both business strategists, human connectors and creatives. Today we're talking with Rachel Elsts Downey, founder/CEO of Share Your Genius, about the growth strategies available in tight economic climates and how no aspects of marketing...

It’s 5 pm, do you know how your CMO is doing? You probably do, because they are anxiously wading through the same muck wondering how they are going to deliver consistent results while the foundation of their industry and macro environment are in tumult.  The average day of a CMO right involves trying to strategically plan growth when even demand gen playbooks aren’t functioning like they used to, buyers are taking longer at every stage of the journey, budgets are both reduced and less...

What makes a marketing function successful today?  There are new trends and old playbooks, but what marketers do startups really need? And what about bigger companies?  We talk structure, success, and our big dreams for what it looks like in the future.  Join us as we chat through what types of marketers we see rising to the top now, and how marketing can best align and structure itself to grow into the future. Resources:  Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.dontsaycontent.com/ Created...

We talked about it way back in season 1. Today, what we’re interested in is: What personal brand currently does for individuals, particularly in a world where there's waning trust among institutions and executives?  Personal branding is reputation. As tech moves faster, channels change more rapidly, you have to  harness your reputation. Yes, even if you’re B2B. Actually, ESPECIALLY if you’re B2B.  You have a personal brand, regardless if you’re activating it through social channels. Even if...

Ok, ok. So, we’ve all been wrapping our heads around how to use AI in our content marketing production and distribution for a bit now. It’s time we talk about it.  In this episode, we dive into some bigger questions. How should you think about AI? How will it affect quality? What does AI change? And what will always remain?  If you’re using AI, or if you’re too overwhelmed to even know where to start, this one’s for you.  Resources:  Subscribe to our newsletter:...

As you ascend to higher levels in your career, your most valuable skill becomes navigating internal politics, policy, and process. It's not just about managing up when you work for large companies, it's about managing many senior stakeholders and the dynamics they bring with them. Competency goes a long way  to getting the opportunities you want, the budgets you need and support for your initiatives.  We're going live with Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing at Atlassian, to learn her...

This is the best episode we’ve ever recorded.  Is it because we get into an in-depth spicy conversation (cough, argument, cough) about why everyone and their mother are measuring awareness and affinity marketing programs totally wrong? Is it because Margaret gets so heated that she drops f-bombs, and eventually Devin says something she RARELY ever says? Is it because we put CFOs completely on blast for ruining marketing metrics? You decide!  Resources:  Subscribe to our newsletter:...

No one taught us the new skills we needed when we became heads of marketing/VPs of marketing.  All of a sudden, the majority of our work wasn't marketing itself. Not the external stuff. The majority of our work was executive alignment around the priorities and budget of marketing. And to do so in an exec team that - for the most part - didn't have a marketing background.  Daily to-do's changed, and it was painful. It felt like we were doing work that "didn't matter" because it wasn't seen...