Writing
To get my writing in your inbox, sign up for my newsletter.
No One Is Going to “Discover” Your Genius – Here’s What To Do Instead
One of my favorite movies is The Imitation Game. “When people talk to each other, they never say what they mean, they say something else. And you’re expected to just know what they mean.” Great marketing lesson. That’s why I advocate listening to what people don’t say. And one of the things people don’t say (…)
The Secrets Behind An 8-Figure Launch
I have no idea what the secrets are behind an 8-figure launch. But the fact that you assumed I did illustrates a point about human psychology I want to talk about today: our belief that other people know things we don’t. It’s why offering a “peek behind the curtain” is so darn compelling. We want (…)
Is Everyone Entitled to A Platform?
“Not everyone should start a blog!” A client threw this slinger at my friend. “I wasn’t suggesting everyone start a blog,” she told me over dinner recounting the story. “I was suggesting she start a blog since she wanted to be a writer and the traditional approach wasn’t working for her.” My friend was horrified at how her (…)
This Hiring Mistake Could Be Costing Your Marketing Department Millions
Have you ever been to Stillwell, Kansas? It’s the type of place where you walk down the street and everyone says hi to you. That warm receptiveness to strangers is a hallmark of the Midwest. It’s also why I was so shocked to meet an unfriendly Starbucks barista when I was in the Kansas City (…)
How Long Should Your Content Be?
How long should your content be? Email. Blog post. Sales page. Instagram caption. What’s the right length? That’s the most common question I get asked about writing. (The next question is “how often?”) Every successful writer and copywriter will tell you the same thing: Content needs to be as long as necessary to convey the message. (…)
How Sam Harris Is Supporting His Work Without Running Ads
I’ll sit, staring at the screen, credit card in hand, thinking, “Put your money where your mouth is, Margo. Do it already.” Then, like clockwork, I proceed to do something else.This scenario happens once a day as I attempt to support my favorite content producers on Patreon. Despite being vocal about the future of media (…)
One of The Greatest Sales Pitches of All Time
The following transcript is an addendum to the article Honest Selling Secrets From a Dishonest Man published on Think Growth. Read the article here. This is minutes 14:31 -16:50 of There Will Be Blood where Daniel Plainview makes an offer to a group of townspeople for a lease to drill for oil on their land. [Voiceover begins: Shot of Daniel Plainview (…)
Millennials Want to Change the World. Why Don’t We Let Them?
It was 1PM in the afternoon when she called. She was upset. Her boss undermined her authority again. He’d gone on a verbally abusive Slack rant, disrespected her in front of her entire staff, and continued to doubt her expertise. Naturally, she needed to vent. She had 10 minutes during her lunch break, so she called (…)
Marketers Manipulate Behavior and This Is Why You Should Too
There’s a common saying in marketing circles that “You’re only responsible for what you put out, not what people take away.” I’ve even preached it as an inevitability of being in the Arena. People will skim and miss your point. People will love you a LOT or hate you a LOT (both of which have nothing (…)
How to be Good at Marketing
“Yea, but he doesn’t really know marketing.” She was talking about her husband. He works in marketing, apparently. She clarified, “He’s a designer. More than anything, he’s an artist. He doesn’t really know how to (air quotes) “market” things.” I feel for this guy. The truth is the majority of people who work in marketing, (…)