Where content marketing goes wrong

Happy Monday People!

I'm spending the summer in Alaska and documenting it on Instagram. I've got about a month left. If you've got suggestions of things to do and places to see, let me know!

Hope you dig this week's newsletter. If you're feeling inspired, pass it on.

1. Where content marketing goes wrong

There's a curious trend I've noticed in the content marketing world—businesses are afraid to write about their own products. Instead, they compete with a million other blogs for attention, SEO, etc.

Meanwhile, a handful of really successful blogs are only writing about how to use their own products. In this short post, I take a look at how Evernote is solving the "Blank Slate Problem" by giving people all kinds of great ways to use the product.

2. Success depends a healthy environment, not motivation

James Clear is back and better than ever. Here's one of his latest posts, which explains why a healthy, positive environment is just as important to your success as motivation.

Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. We tend to believe our habits are a product of our motivation, talent, and effort. Certainly, these qualities matter. But the surprising thing is, especially over a long time period, your personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by your environment.

3. The things that make you great

Great post from A Learning a Day on why you should never ignore the little things that contribute to your success.

We’ve seen this often with companies. They start small and do the small things extraordinary well. Then, they scale and promise to do so in a way that would maintain what’s special about them. But, somewhere along the line, they stop doing the things that made them great. They stop paying attention to the small details and stop treating customers as human beings.

Before we file this away in the “not relevant for me” category, we see this happen just as much with people as well. Once you build a great reputation, you will be told that you won’t need to do the pre-work or follow up. “Don’t worry about that. You’re going to be great.”

If you believe that, you’ve gotten it all wrong.

4. "Quick SEO Wins for Startups"

This advice is simple, but as good as promised. Thanks Greg Ciotti.

The first chart below is an article without a target keyword, the second is one with a keyword that was later able to rank as the #1 result.

Have a great week!

Jimmy

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