Thought leadership, most expensive keywords, follow-up emails

#1
Audience Research: the complete guide for marketers in 2025

It's no secret I'm a fan of SparkToro; a very accessible and affordable audience research tool. So I was very excited to see they put out a primer on everything audience research! In this guide you'll find:

Audience research vs market research (yes, there's a diff).
5 myths in audience research (good for those of us who get hung up on 'website traffic sources').
12 ways to conduct effective audience research (#6 is my personal fav).
Future-proofing your research.

If you want to see a short overview of SparkToro/audience research, I gave a 5 minute talk to TechSoup as part of their "Immerging Tech Trends for NonProfits 2025" event.

My question to you: what are one of the 12 ways you could conduct audience research in Q2?

#2
Why we need to compete with the status quo (instead of each other) with N. Chloé Nwangwu

If you're trying to create impact through thought leadership and changing status quo, this article is for you!

Cher Hale's interview with Brand scientist N. Chloé Nwangwu is about understanding "how attention flows and recognizing the cognitive biases that result in an individual being seen or heard".

This is critical for B2B marketing that is changing the world for the better! In order for us to turn the heads of folk who need to hear our message the most, we need to understand what influences that head turn in the first place.

Navigating this becomes even more difficult if you are part of a underrecognized or underrepresented group trying to turn heads, hearts, and minds. There's lots of links in the article that cover more of Chloé's frameworks, her research, and other resources for you to dig in!

My question to you: have you ever mapped out who influences the decision makers and champions in your ideal customer profiles?

#3
100 most expensive keywords for Google Ads in 2025

Frustrated by your limited budget? Here's some perspective:

Maybe your $2/click ad won't sting so much when you know there are brands out there paying $1,490. Per. Frickin. Click. Oyyy.

Ahref's 100 most expensive keywords for Google Ads in 2025 (specifically for the USA) is fun just for morbid curiosity. But this article also explains why these ads be so expensive, which industries can expect to drop more cash per click, and how to win at PCP without losing your digital shirt.

My question to you: if you DIY your own ads, what intel do you use to help reduce your CPC as time goes on?

#4
Most follow-up emails are weak: make yours stand out

So your marketing or outreach worked, and you had a great discovery call with a prospect or partnership. What's your next move?

Ideally, you've BAMFAM (booked a meeting from a meeting) to move towards a yes. But sometimes, that gets missed (or just isn't appropriate).

But if you're going to send a follow-up email, read Josh Spector's recommendations on how to make them more effective first.

My question to you: are you tracking all stages of your marketing to sales pipeline in a CRM, or is this all in your head?

"3 months in and haven't missed sending out a newsletter yet!"

Email marketing is easy to start, but hard to keep up.

Logically we know it takes time to nurture prospects into clients. But emotionally, sending newsletters consistently can be draining.

Briony Pete, a leadership coach and strategist for sustainability professionals, is no stranger to balancing mission with momentum. She was having success with LinkedIn marketing and wanted to rekindle her newsletter efforts to diversify opportunities for new business.

The issue? In her words:

"The newsletter felt like a big obstacle: something I’d hated writing in the past and felt that it would drain loads of my time."

So we held a Strategic Session to find the common ground between her marketing goals, assets, and capacity. And then prioritize what needed to be done (and how) so the newsletter became an enjoyable experience.

"The Strategic Session with Alison was so refreshing. She helped me break down what I needed to do, get clear on my focus, lean on my LinkedIn posts to avoid masses of extra work, and left me surprisingly excited to get started."

How does Briony feel now?

"I went from dreading the commitment to a bi-weekly newsletter to enjoying the process of writing it. Three months in and I haven't missed one yet!"

Consistency is key in B2B marketing, which Briony is able to achieve, even with adding another marketing channel. Being excited while doubling your inbound marketing potential is powerful!

If you’d like to refocus and fix a specific marketing problem you’re having (in just 2.5 hours!), hit reply with what's on your mind and I'll send along details. Examples of topics we can cover:

Using LinkedIn to capture leads via posting and DMs.

Refining your ideal customer profile.

Creating a reporting system to track marketing ROI.

Exploring a new marketing channel.

Improving your marketing to sales pipeline.