Welcome to Simply Useful Marketing
A few words about me, what I bring to the table, and what you'll learn by reading and subscribing (words, at least the right ones, build trust and sales).
Howdy.
Thanks for stopping by; I hope you’ll stick around.
So what are we doing here?
The Mission
The goal of Simply Useful Marketing is… well, it’s right there in the name.
Each issue (and most of my Notes) will give you something practical.
Useful.
Actionable.
Something you can take and use to get better at content, communication, and connection.
I’ll talk a lot about marketing. And content strategy. And the weird, often clunky truth about what it’s like doing this work in real life (not the shiny version people post about on LinkedIn).
Along the way I’ll share my experiences (past and present); go down interesting rabbit holes now and then; and expose you to photos of my fur pack, different music, and random movie quotes – Bull Durham, Willy Wonka (the original!), The Princess Bride, Pulp Fiction, Animal House, and many more – to make various points.
You’ve been warned.
If you stick around, I hope you’ll learn to:
Stop overthinking your writing and marketing. Yyes, typoos happin; no, it’s not the end of the world. And you will make the wrong marketing decision now and then. [Note: I originally published this with “you’re” instead of “your.”]
Find the joy and satisfaction in the content creation process. It’s not a chore; it’s fun (usually).
Trust that your voice—your actual voice—is good enough
Learn to spot (and ignore) the bullshit marketing advice that clogs your feed
Pick up solid tips from someone who’s made both good and bad choices
Why Me?
I’ve spent 30+ years writing, editing, and wrangling words into something useful for my readers.
I’ve been a magazine editor, a VP of content, a consultant, a freelancer, a webinar host, and ghostwriter.
However.
I’ve had an accidental career.
I have degrees in international relations (BA and MA), along with a BA in French (which I can “almost” still read – at a first grade level; maybe).
So how accidental? I took an internship at AIIM, even though a day after I accepted I was offered an editorial internship at a military history magazine.
I said no.
Three years later, cleaning out the filing cabinet of the previous two editors after I was promoted to the position, I found my original resume in the “No Way” pile.
Not only was I in the “No Way” pile, they had brought in someone before me (a disaster, everyone said) and had a few others reject them.
Though accidental, I’ve enjoyed my career and am proud of the work I’ve done:
DOC.1 – my first responsibility at AIIM, a faxed (yes, fax, we charged extra for email delivery) newsletter covering the ECM industry.
Editor of AIIM’s magazine for information professionals (inform, e-doc, AIIM E-doc Magazine, and infonomics – I drove the last three iterations).
Webinar program creator and host – over 100 webinars grossing $5 million or so; program was still going last year – 10 years after I was fired from AIIM.
6 Wall Posters, old school infographics! I’ve also created infographics too.
Ebooks, blogs, social media posts and newsletters.
Created and ran the original online community for AIIM.
A decade after DOC.1, created and ran a different newsletter for AIIM (yep, that one was sent via email!).
HubSpot platinum reseller (as VP of content) for an agency focused on copier dealers – a VERY odd world! Yes, people did copy their butts on copy machines in the 80s and 90s.
Editor of niche newsletter, Document Imaging Report.
Content marketing consultant — everyone I’ve worked with has had movement up and to the right.
I’ll stop there and just say that if it’s got words, I’ve helped write it, provide feedback on it, edited it, and/or helped design it and market it.
This newsletter is a way to share what I’ve learned (and what I’m still figuring out) in a way that’s honest, helpful, and hopefully doesn’t make you want to gouge your eyes out with jargon-laced buzzwords.
And, of course, if you need help with your content marketing, to earn your trust and perhaps your business.
My Promise to You
Here’s what I won’t do:
❌ Letting you think any of this is easy. Simple, often. Easy, never. -step frameworks to triple your funnel conversions
❌ None of that hustlebro intense TED Talk energy
❌ AI-generated “thought leadership” masquerading as insight (though I do use AI tools to generate ideas, do research, and edit/provide suggestions). These are my words.
❌Bullshit or lie to you.
❌Promise to always be right. No one is right 100% of the time. I will get things wrong. If you disagree with me, let’s have a conversation about it! That’s how we learn and grow.
Here’s what I will do:
✅ Share useful lessons in content and marketing, both personal and curated from elsewhere.
✅ The occasional rant about typos, grammar snobs, and the curse of knowledge.
✅ Encouragement, even if you think you're not a “real writer.”
✅A realistic look at the power of content marketing to grow your business.
✅Cuss like a drunken sailor on shore leave — at least sometimes.
Let’s keep it simple. And useful. And maybe even a little fun.
You in?
What was I listening to as I typed this? I’ll share these at the end of most of my posts because who doesn’t love a little musical interlude to their day?