Don't Say Content

Around the 14-minute mark of the first episode of Don't Say Content's new season, Devin shines a blinding spotlight on why I said "it's the end of B2B content marketing (as we know it)" a year ago. "I think it's really weird that [B2B brands] are trying to find influencers to help them develop influence instead of developing that influence themselves — which is what these brands used to do in our heyday. B2B brands used to have influence on their own and now they're outsourcing it to people who don't even work there." The whole episode is fantastic but this was the moment I became the meme of Leo pointing at the TV, paused the video, and transcribed her quote to post here. I don't think Devin is saying influencer marketing is pointless and neither am I. But the way B2B brands are reducing content to "SEO blogs" while paying a premium to rent influence that's disconnected and ephemeral doesn't make a lick of sense.

Raise your hand if this notification got you excited this morning, too?! ??♀? ?? ??♂? A fresh season, fresh look, and fresh topics — Devin Bramhall and Margaret Kelsey are back for season 5 of Don't Say Content, saying the quiet parts about marketing leadership out loud, and then leaving us with ideas to springboard our own growth. Tune in if you're a marketing leader looking for fresh perspectives on leadership and marketing strategy. These gals are great company.

New year, new season of Don't Say Content (live today!), and we have a new look. When it comes to Marketing...most everything is the same. AI hasn't fundamentally changed much in how marketing is executed or in the buyer journey. If anything, folks seem to be trending more *towards* human interactions, from dating apps to networking and B2B buying. This shows up for me in the volume of folks reaching out asking me for recos on who to hire from individuals to agencies and even products. Almost all of my clients have found me via referral and most of what I do with them in the first 1-2 months is establish the trust I need to recommend who they should bring on to execute (mostly PT/fractional folks these days) - then personally assist with building the relationship and workflow. This is more economical for early stage startups who need a team of experts but don't have the budget to bring on more than a junior hire. No, this isn't a advertisement for my services, it's actually an example of marketing strategy. The marketing "plan" involves the tactics. The strategy is in finding an optimal solution amidst sub-optimal circumstances. This is a wandering point - and post - but what I'm saying is: the fact of nothing changing in our industry for so long and companies doing the same thing over and over regardless of results (then blaming marketing for it all), it's a big opportunity for brave companies who invest in marketing to use sameness to their advantage by doing something different. Also, Season 5 of Don't Say Content is here and you should go listen to the first episode ??

Devin and I have left y'all hanging for a bit with new Don't Say Content episodes... But only because we're brewing something great up with Share Your Genius for Season 5. ?? Launching early 2025. ??♀? (But we'll keep your feed lively in the meantime! Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss anyyything.)

The state of marketing right now is like that meme: "Bro, I am straight up not having a good time." Pushing to prioritize only things that can be measured is creating a sea of sameness. And that stinks. -> {Devin and I chat on today's episode of Don't Say Content about her experience at AudiencePlus's Golden Hour - and the overall vibe of senior marketers everywhere. Live right now wherever you listen to podcasts.}

Whoops! We talked about misogyny again on Don't Say Content ?? This time asked ourselves: why are we talking about this in the first place? Our answer: because experiencing misogyny makes us feel bad and we want to keep the conversation going so maybe _just maybe_ awareness leads some folks to action (the good kind only, please!) Link ?? (because ?? , LinkedIn)

Last week, Devin and I released a Don't Say Content episode about misogyny. We realized with episodes where we discuss this, we both have a LOT of anxiety. So we do extra reviews, add in additional context (we recorded twice to get this episode!), and are so much more involved with the editing process with Share Your Genius. It's so important to us to get the conversations about it "right". To not come across as "ranty witches". To make sure we aren't turning people off from understanding the deeper, harder truth about what it's like to show up in this world in our identities. It's a labor of love (and yes, definitely anxiety too). I hope you listen to that episode and let me know what you think.