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                    <title><![CDATA[Think Like a Publisher - Fleur Willemijn Newsroom]]></title>
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                    <pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2026 20:24:23 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title><![CDATA[Think Like a Publisher - Fleur Willemijn Newsroom]]></title>
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                        <title>AI-generated or having an em dash is not a quality signal</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-generated-is-not-a-quality-signal/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-generated-is-not-a-quality-signal/</guid><pp:caseid>744487</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Just because something looks low effort doesn’t mean it’s low quality</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>Someone tells you it's AI-generated. You've already decided: low effort, low quality. And you haven't read a word yet.</p><p>You're not entirely wrong. A lot of AI content is bad.</p><p>But you're wrong about why.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>You see the 2 minutes of AI, not the 2 hours of preperation</h2><p><span style="text-align:start;">Before AI, the effort was in the writing. First ugly drafts. Countless revisions. Tuning and tweaking over time. You saw the labor because it looked like labor.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Now all the work happens before a single word is written.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">The AI configuration. The context-loading. Challenging the angle. It's all in the brief that took two hours to write. All so AI creates the output in two minutes.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Because you can't see any of that prework, you assume it isn't there.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>AI doesn't create mediocrity; people do</h2><p><span>AI doesn't create mediocrity. People do.</span></p><p><span>AI doesn't produce bad content. People without craft do. They always have. Now they're just faster.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ The strong writer who can now produce strong content in a few minutes hasn't eliminated the work. They've moved it upstream.</strong></span></p><p><span>From writing into preparation and thinking. Learning how to direct machines effectively. Configuring their AI so the output reflects their standards and voice. Writing the brief. Making decisions before a single word is generated.</span></p><p><span>All of that effort is invisible to you. That's why the result looks effortless.</span></p><p><span>Craftsmanship isn’t overhead, it’s your quality control.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>AI didn't lower the bar, you did</h2><p>The real quality signal is not whether it's AI. Stop reading AI-generated content like it's evidence.&nbsp;</p><p>Read it as if you didn't know how it was made.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p>More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology. </span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span> and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to </span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p>Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p>Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 09:04:00 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>The em dash is not a red flag; it’s a beat that a comma can’t land</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/the-em-dash-is-not-a-red-flag-its-a-beat-that-a-comma-cant-land/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/the-em-dash-is-not-a-red-flag-its-a-beat-that-a-comma-cant-land/</guid><pp:caseid>743198</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Don&#039;t judge copy by an em dash</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>Scanning copy for em dashes like they're evidence of AI? Let's be honest about what that is. It's lazy. The same kind of lazy as writers who let AI write for them without thinking. You're just doing it from the other side of the page.</span></p><p><span>Here's what happens. Before AI, I barely used em dashes. They just weren't on my radar. I'd use a comma where an em dash would have been useful — without knowing it.</span></p><p><span>Then I started working with AI and noticed: it uses them. Consistently, cleanly, correctly. A soft stop before a pivot. A way to pull your eye to what matters. A beat that a comma can't quite land.</span></p><p><span>That's brilliant. So I learned from it. Made a keyboard shortcut for the em dash. That's what you do when something earns its place.</span></p><p><span>The writers not using em dashes to avoid suspicion? They're letting AI dictate their style.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Don't judge copy by an em dash</span></h2><p><span>Overuse is the signal. Five em dashes in three paragraphs, none of them earning their place. That's automation, not writing.</span></p><p><span>A few, used with intent? That's a writer paying attention. Caring and crafting. Making choices. Knowing when to stop, pivot, and let the point land.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The real problem is you</span></h2><p><span>When punctuation becomes your fastest shortcut to a verdict, that's not detection. That's the loss of critical reading. You've replaced the ability to recognize craft with the ability to spot patterns.</span></p><p><span>That's the real problem. Not the em dash.</span></p><p><span>Read the writing. Not the punctuation.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p>More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology. </span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span> and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to </span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p>Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p>Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 08:51:45 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>AI isn’t what you do, it’s how you think</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-isnt-what-you-do-its-how-you-think/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-isnt-what-you-do-its-how-you-think/</guid><pp:caseid>741801</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>We made this mistake with social, then with content. AI is next</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>The AI problem isn't awareness. It's that nobody at the top knows where or how to start. <span>So they don't. </span>AI isn't a tool problem. It's a thinking problem. And it can only be solved from the top.</p><p><span>Now, they accept what bubbles up from the silos instead. IT runs it as technology. Marketing experiments with a tool. And most employees use shadow-AI with the obvious data and security risks.</span></p><p><span>All well-intentioned. None of it strategic. None of it connected. So none of it compounds.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The same mistake we made with social and content</span></h2><p><span>This isn't new. We've been here before. When social media arrived, marketing picked it up, corporate communications and PR claimed it, and customer care used it — all from within their own silo.</span></p><p><span>When content became a discipline, everyone claimed a piece: marketing, sales, PR, corporate comms, customer care, HR. Again, nobody owned it as a whole.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ AI is the third time we're making the same mistake. </strong>Except this time the stakes are even higher. The technology is more powerful, the impact bigger, the pace intense. And we're just at the beginning.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The gap between organizations that get this right and those that don't</span> is growing. Fast.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Digital shame: why leaders hesitate</span></h2><p><span>The digital shame at board level is real. There are just a handful of board members who have the time and interest to understand AI.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Most barely scratch the surface — using Copilot or ChatGPT as a time saver or a replacement for Google. And it takes guts to admit you're running behind on AI and ask for help.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The shift you need isn't about technology. It's about thinking</span></h2><p><span>Don't focus on what to do with AI. Focus on how you think.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ As long as AI is treated as a tool — l</strong></span><strong>ayered on top of how things already work</strong><span><strong> — the gains stay small and local. Nothing that changes how the whole organization actually works.</strong></span></p><p><span>The real question isn't which tool to use. It's how to rebuild your processes around AI. And that can only be o</span>wned and driven at the top, not siloed in one team<span> and with the mandate to make it a new way of working rather than an add-on.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ A lot of what gets called AI strategy is cost-cutting in disguise.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span>Fewer people. Cheaper output. Faster for less budget. But AI won't replace your people. It will change what you need them for. <strong>The real ROI isn't in the hours saved. It's in what you do with them.</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The proof is already there: 3 cases</span></h2><p>Klarna used AI as a tool to replace people – and failed. But IKEA and Morgan Stanley changed how they think, and used the freed up time to improve their ROI.&nbsp;</p><p><span><strong>Klarna</strong> replaced 700 customer service agents with AI. The numbers looked great. Then quality dropped, complaints went up, trust eroded. By 2025 the CEO was publicly saying they got it wrong. The savings didn't last. The damage did. That's what happens when AI is a cost-cutting decision dressed up as strategy.</span></p><p><span><strong>IKEA</strong> made a different choice. Their chatbot Billie handled 47% of all customer questions. Instead of cutting the staff it freed up, they reskilled 8,500 of them to interior design consulting, remote sales, and complex customer support. The result was €1.3 billion in total revenue through their remote customer channel.</span></p><p><span><strong>Morgan Stanley</strong> didn't replace their 20,000 financial advisors either but gave back time. What if AI handles the document searching, the research summaries, and the repetitive admin? 98% of advisors now use the AI daily. The result was $64 billion in net new assets in a single quarter.</span></p><p><span>Same technology. The difference was the thinking behind it.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>When leaders use AI visibly, it shifts culture</h2><p>When board members use AI themselves, visibly and openly, &nbsp;it changes<span> the culture. You stop asking your people to change while you watch from a distance.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ You're in it together. </strong></span>That kind of excitement builds loyalty. And once it's gone, it doesn't come back easily.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>The thinking is harder than the technology, and that's the advantage</h2><p><span>Change how you think about AI and you don't just get better results today. You build a company that's ready for what comes next. Nobody knows where AI is going.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Most companies focus too much on the technology and not enough on the people.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ The companies that get that right have</strong></span><strong> faster adoption, a culture already built, and an advantage that compounds.</strong></p><p><span>The tools are the easy part. You can buy those tomorrow.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The thinking is harder. And that's where it starts.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p>More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology. </span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span> and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to </span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p>Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p>Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:03:44 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>&#039;More content&#039; is not a strategy</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/more-is-not-a-strategy/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/more-is-not-a-strategy/</guid><pp:caseid>740585</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Marketing is optimizing for the wrong variable. And you&#039;re letting it happen</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>The market is drowning in content. And marketing's response is to make more. AI made it cheaper, so the assumption became: produce more, reach more, grow more.&nbsp;</p><p>But volume was never the problem to solve. And ‘more’ has never been the answer.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The market is drowning in content. And marketing's response is to make more.</p><p>More posts. More formats. More channels. More output. AI made it cheaper, so the assumption became: produce more, reach more, grow more.</p><p><strong>→ But volume was never the problem to solve. And ‘more’ has never been the answer.</strong></p><p>After 25 years and 50+ brands, I keep seeing the same pattern. Marketing on autopilot. Teams producing content because the calendar says so, not because there's something worth saying. Output optimized, thinking outsourced, results disappointing.</p><p>That's not an AI problem. That's a leadership problem. Yours.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>1. AI is a mirror, not a solution</h2><p>AI didn't create mediocre content. It just made it faster and cheaper to scale.</p><p>If your thinking was shallow before, AI gives you shallow at volume. If your brand voice was vague, AI makes it consistently vague. The slop problem isn't in the tool — it's in what you feed it, and who you hired to run it.</p><p><strong>→ The risk isn't AI replacing humans. It's humans outsourcing their judgment to AI and calling it efficiency.</strong></p><p>Bad thinking at scale is still bad thinking. The brands winning with AI figured out what they wanted to say first — and use AI to say it better, not instead of thinking.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>2. Craftsmanship is the actual competitive advantage</h2><p>In a market flooded with technically correct, perfectly formatted, instantly forgettable content, the differentiator is perspective. Voice. Editorial courage.</p><p>Not production capacity.</p><p>Most marketing departments have quietly swapped senior thinkers for mid-level project managers. Cheaper to hire, easier to manage, better at keeping the machine running. And the machine produces content that looks polished, says nothing, connects with no one, and slowly hollows out your brand.</p><p><strong>→ If your content offends no one, it reaches no one.</strong></p><p>Judgment, taste, and a real point of view are still entirely human. You can't prompt your way to them.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>3. Strategy means saying no</h2><p>Most content exists to satisfy internal egos, not audience needs. Someone wants a case study. Someone else wants a thought leadership piece. The LinkedIn calendar needs filling. And so the machine keeps running, and no one asks whether any of it matters.</p><p>Saying no is the highest strategic act available to a content leader. And it starts at the top.</p><p><strong>→ Fewer pieces, better maintained, for a precisely defined audience, beats an always-on production machine every time.</strong></p><p>About 10% of your content drives 90% of your results. The other 90% is largely noise — expensive, time-consuming, brand-diluting noise that your team is burning out to produce.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>The bottom line</h2><p>You don't have a content problem. You have a prioritization problem.</p><p>The brands that win won't be the ones publishing more. They'll be the ones willing to invest in senior thinking, say no to calendar-driven output, and build content that is accountable to a real business outcome — not just a weekly slot.</p><p><strong>→ Marketing on autopilot is a leadership choice. So is turning it off.</strong></p><p>Over to you. And don't say I didn't warn you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p>More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology. </span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span> and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to </span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p>Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p>Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:02:29 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>AI cuts content costs with just ~10%, if you want to keep quality</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/use-ai-to-create-better-content-not-just-more/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/use-ai-to-create-better-content-not-just-more/</guid><pp:caseid>679895</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>About the sense and nonsense of AI cost savings for your content</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>Using AI for content production can save you up to 40% of your time. This sounds like the magic trick to lower the costs of your content team, right?</span></p><p><span>Well, sorry to bring the bad news; it isn’t.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Yes, initially, you save ~40% time. But done right, you'll save &nbsp;~10% after reinvesting time in configuration and strategic thinking. </strong></span><strong>And for roughly 1% investment in licenses and training, that’s still a strong business case.</strong></p><p><span>Let’s break it down into what you need to know, what matters, and why I’m ranting about this.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Top 3 AI mistakes CEOs and CMOs must avoid</h2><p><span>There are roughly 3 mistakes or misconceptions made by senior management.</span></p><ol><li data-list-item-id="e1b61911b45911f0d34ba647013663ae3"><span><strong>AI is an excuse to ditch 40% of the content team and lower costs</strong></span><br><span>‘If AI has a 40% time saving, I can cut 40% of my team’ is a common thought. And that makes sense if you reason solely from AI.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>But you forget the most important thing: you want high-quality content, and AI cranking out your content is not the way to rise above mediocrity.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ec85c5954513002aba0456d27ab16a9fc"><span><strong>AI is an excuse to ramp up the content volume with the same number of employees</strong></span><br><span>‘If AI has a 40% time saving, I can produce 40% more content’. Also, a common mistake. Because more content doesn’t equal more sales. More content usually means more mediocre content.&nbsp;And that mediocrity is precisely what you don’t want.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ed92cdad6e61f3d5d5e72b82b4cd8a88a"><span><strong>With AI, everyone can write</strong></span><br><span>Wrong. Producing content and writing remain crafts. Don’t underestimate the art, the creativity, and the dirty mind that’s needed to create outstanding content.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>It’s a bit like singing; everyone can sing, but not everyone is a singer.</span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Bottom line: if you use AI only to automate and speed up, your cost savings can be as high as<span> 80%. But don’t start complaining if you see a huge drop in your SEO and, over a longer time, a drop in brand awareness, brand recognition, and, eventually, sales.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Please, don’t use AI as a lame excuse to cut your costs. Use AI to improve quality, not quantity or speed.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Why some employees keep their AI usage quiet</span></h2><p><span>It’s good to realize that many employees keep it quiet when they use AI. It's out of fear of you, your budget, and your people-cutting thinking.</span></p><p><span>According to </span><a href=" https://jarnoduursma.substack.com/p/veel-mensen-gebruiken-stiekem-chatgpt" target="_blank"><span>Jarno Duursma</span></a><span>, there are 3 reasons why employees keep their AI work quiet.</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e805579ad36246f8387179e260d55e1c5"><span><strong>Afraid of more work or increased workload. </strong>More productivity means more work and, eventually, a higher expectation to keep up that faster pace.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e030bf7aab4332e45184f08b1e3cb2df0"><span><strong>Afraid of losing their job, hours, or colleagues</strong>. Hours might be cut. Or a colleague that can be automated might be made redundant.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ee3e0c56cc9237abaa1d23beaa4677d43"><span><strong>Loss of credit</strong> and getting praise and credit for their good and fast work.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>This is the harsh reality. And it’s not a positive thing.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What to do, how to use your 40% AI time saving wisely</span></h2><p><span>This 40% time saved and won is a great and unique opportunity to improve quality.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>How?</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ee3af88812ad6dd52700d5d669a26f323"><span>You need <strong>20% of that time for AI configuration</strong>, management, learning, and staying on top of the new stuff. Over time, this percentage will drop; for now, it’s too new with too many daily updates.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ecae0b277ed05cd02d4d27de517869086"><span>Another <strong>10% is for headspace and vamp up strategic thinking</strong>, doing better research, improving your insights on your users’ intent, and updating your content accordingly. This is where the magic, engagement, and effectiveness happen.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e23209ecb0b9e4a7f3381f411721fe041"><span>The last <strong>10% is for cutting costs</strong>. So, if you have a team of 10, you can fire 1 instead of 4. And my kind suggestion is to fire the mediocre ones, those who haven’t embraced, played, and fooled around with AI yet. You want to keep the inquisitive and innovative ones, usually the more seniors or extremely talented juniors.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>The real business case: 1% costs for 10% savings</h2><p><span>Roughly stated, the ballpark numbers</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e00462e05af347bce73198a60d370179f"><span>Implementing AI costs about 1% of an employee's yearly salary for licenses and training</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e8f227e085fd9894d9759e84ca5cf40d4"><span>Time saving is more or less 1 hour per day per employee, or about 10% or their time</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Easy business case, right?</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Wrapping it up</span></h2><p><span>AI is here to stay. We all know that it’s amazing to speed up and is of great help. But please, don’t use it to cut your costs; first, use it to improve your quality.</span></p><p><span>Once you have your quality trick in place, you can start cutting, shaving, and saving.</span></p><p><span><strong>For the short term, around 10% cost savings is realistic. </strong>Because the other time that frees up, you can use that to learn and manage to work with AI and improve the quality.</span></p><p><span>And if you are going to cut, choose wisely. Keep the seniors, the innovators, and the inquisitive, and let go of the cutters and the slackers.</span></p><p><span>By the way, as a CMO or CEO, don’t forget to use AI yourself. You can’t preach what you don’t practice. You also need to learn to work with AI.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Disclaimer: this article originates from November 24, 2024. In February 2026, still relevant.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p>More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology.&nbsp;</span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span>&nbsp;and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to&nbsp;</span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[AI,confessions,strategy]]></category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:40:20 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>You’re making too much content</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/youre-making-too-much-content/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/youre-making-too-much-content/</guid><pp:caseid>734321</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Tired of content for content’s sake, overwhelmed by volume, and eager to drive impact</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>How much content do you need? It’s much less than you think. <strong>About 10% of your content drives 90% of your traffic</strong>. If that isn’t 5-95 by now, thanks to </span>AI overviews now replacing clicks in Google search results.</p><p><span>We’re in a content burnout. That AI can help you create more content and tailor it to a specific channel doesn’t mean you need to.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>This is what you'll need to do instead:</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Focus with intent. </strong>You don’t have to be everywhere for everyone and publish on everything.</span></p><ul><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="eba311da9202b5a7f55df26eb1b91a2b5"><span><strong>Focus on your decision-making audience and be rigorous</strong></span></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e686eb75200d327b77ca82b9f8d889503"><span><strong>You only need a handful of well-written pieces of content that you update and use over and over again</strong></span></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e90b9b9cfdf2f0b5fe0017161366dcc62"><span><strong>Simplify your KPIs and don’t use micro data to make macro decisions; zoom out, long term, and team happiness matters</strong></span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Here's what you need to know.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>1. Choose an audience and be rigorous</span></h2><p><span>Be rigorous and say ‘no’ more often to content requests.</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e8c828abb741315eb4df05214bbadc981"><strong>Avoid ‘just in case’ or ‘nice to have’ content</strong>, often created to satisfy internal egos, not business outcomes.<br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e2a21c0c882d40036104fe305cd15be0c"><span>Be a Sherlock and <strong>focus on the needs of your decision-making audience, not on showcasing your expertise</strong>. </span>The web is full of explainers. Don’t compete, differentiate.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>I’m not saying one is more important than the other. But you can’t do both. All I’m saying is you’ll need to focus on the content that drives the business and makes your decision maker tick.</span></p><p><span>Next, <strong>you don’t need to be on every channel</strong>. Simplify and focus on, for example, LinkedIn and email marketing. No need to be on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok either.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Who are you really creating content for? Explained by example</h3><p><span>Imagine you’re a content marketing agency, focused on capacity and helping marketing teams become AI- and future-proof. Your decision maker (audience) is the senior marketing manager who needs capacity and struggles to get their team ready for the future, and to work with AI to become more effective and efficient.</span></p><p><span>Which content do you think will contribute more to the business?</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ec48b21193734639e8dbc2504e9de0f96"><span>In-depth knowledge about different CMS systems and analytics to showcase your in-house expertise</span></li><li data-list-item-id="ea0b7d75170115eb1f382ae6ac6e93c76"><span>A step-by-step guide on how to adjust your content production processes to put AI at the core of your way of working, instead of just using it as a tool</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>→ Be honest, for <strong>whom are you actually creating content: showcasing your expertise, or are you giving a solution to your audience's problems?</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>2. Update. Frequently</span></h2><p><span>The content game starts when it’s live. </span>It’s not about more, it’s about getting more from what already works. Publishing is just the beginning.</p><p>Too often, management prioritizes new content over optimizing what’s already performing.<span> </span>Teams don’t get time to distribute, analyze, or improve. That’s a loss, and you’re leaving money on the table.</p><p><span>And please, <strong>add the publication date</strong> to your content. </span>Your readers love context. AI does too, and it will reward you for it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Use and reuse a few strong pieces. Explained by example</h3><p><span>In 2025, I have 7 articles that drive 76% of my traffic. And 6 of those articles I update every two to three months.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>And I tell my audience that I update the article frequently. Reusing is not a shame, it's a strength. By telling I update, I show that I care and want to stay timely and relevant.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>3. Use data wisely, but it's often misused&nbsp;</span></h2><p><span>We all have data, but we use it in the wrong way.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="eb70e0cae3267bf385d5c3c6a573f8a99"><span>First of all, we analyze and draw a conclusion, but we <strong>don’t follow up by adjusting the content strategy</strong> accordingly.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e45037f5105111638d465294bcf836f62"><span>Secondly, we go too deep, and we want to <strong>use that microdata to make macro decisions</strong>. Often, you see that all the content on the website gets measured down to the tiniest details. From click paths, click-in, click-out, sources, keywords, etc. </span>They’re secondary. Don’t over-index on them<span>.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e488bae4fbf68488768fcf1a9a28fa83e"><span>Third, mostly, there’s <strong>no cross-check on audience relevance</strong>, and it can’t be measured how that piece of content really contributes to the business objectives.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>What to do instead: focus on 3 long-term KPIs and zoom out.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>3 KPIs to measure long-term impact.Explained by example</h3><p><span>Let's use the same content marketing agency to give a tangible example.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ea77ba69ddc71eab5e7a0fa61c5232073"><span><strong>KPI 1. Total number of visitors. </strong>Year to year, do we see an increase? If so, we’re doing a good job. Taking into account the expected decline due to AI overviews, you can add the AI spider traffic to your analytics.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ec593e064dcc56f548dcb797dc427a253"><span><strong>KPI 2. Leads per year. </strong>How many new requests do you get on a yearly basis? Or how many new clients or projects? Zoom out and use an overarching view of all your channels. It’s never one channel that causes a potential new client to reach out to you. Neither is it one piece of content. It’s always a combination.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e30578ccc56dd0d3d5524cb38e8277c7a"><span><strong>KPI 3. Team happiness. </strong>This sounds a bit cringe, but it is important. A happy content team means they produce the very best work possible. Do they feel their work makes an impact and contributes to the business? Or do they feel they are just a production machine to facilitate the rest of the organization?</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Summary. Do less, better</span></h2><p><span>How much content do you need? Answer: It’s a lot less than you think.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ In 2026, the landscape changed, and so should you.</strong>&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Focus on less with more intent. Free up your content team’s headspace to work on distribution and updating as well. Let them report on how they contribute to the business, rather than focusing on microdata and vanity metrics.</span></p><p><span><strong>Again, you really need just a few really good, brilliantly written content pieces that you use over and over again.</strong> The prerequisite is that these pieces are relevant for your decision-making audience and are focused on driving business rather than just showing your expertise.</span></p><p>Now it's up to you. Let's go!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology.&nbsp;</span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span>&nbsp;and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to&nbsp;</span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 06:30:44 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>LinkedIn: don&#039;t take it too seriously and dial it down</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/linkedin-dont-take-it-too-seriously-and-dial-it-down/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/linkedin-dont-take-it-too-seriously-and-dial-it-down/</guid><pp:caseid>730120</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>This one’s personal, staying human is the only hill worth dying on here</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>Forget the hacks and growth tricks. LinkedIn engagement comes down to a few simple things. It’s not rocket science. It’s barely science.&nbsp;</p><p>It’s not about going viral or chasing a one-off hit. It’s about building real connections: they like you, you like them, and maybe you do some business together. I’ll take slow, one-by-one growth over a viral spike any day. It takes longer, but it sticks. What you gain fast, you lose fast.</p><p>Yes, this is personal.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>→ I like my feed to be professional, a little personal, inspiring, useful, and ideally to make me pause, wonder, and smile. So, I give more than I take, aiming to make someone’s feed a bit better than it was before I showed up.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Here’s a bullet list for 2026: what to do (and not do) if you want to stay human on this platform.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e45c9e6a9eb06ce3c80b108170e9a598a"><strong>Give before you take: reciprocity</strong><br>Share something useful, an insight, a data point, a real thought, before asking someone to subscribe, enroll, or accept your invite.<br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e71e420025106cab517c8b9f8d9153d5f"><strong>Don’t take yourself so seriously</strong><br>This is LinkedIn. We’re not saving lives. Relax.<br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ed15986d30dd604bf9849f62eb9e0badc"><strong>Give credit. Properly.</strong><br>Sharing someone else’s idea without credit doesn’t make you clever; it makes you lazy. Even if you ‘borrow’ content, tag the source. People notice.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>On LinkedIn, please stop</strong></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ec9d47af25e6ff0bc79e09361acaab39f"><strong>Starting with 'I’m thrilled to announce…'</strong><br>If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t type it online. No one needs a performative announcement because you changed your job title or found another excuse to humblebrag.<br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="ed1a319d0c5b7dd02087d181d286703fd"><strong>Jargon and abbreviation soup</strong><br>This is a cry for help, trying to impress others. Use real words. Be clear. In the worst case, it makes you look professional.<br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e7328909544ebb25f9dcb3675a3f4e5ae"><strong>Humblebragging and faux engagement</strong><br>The ‘I’m so grateful for this journey…'→ 7 paragraphs about themselves → wrapped in an <i>‘</i>Enough about me, what do you think about me?’ disguised question. Bonus cringe if your AI-generated and automated DMs pretend to be personal. We can smell that from a mile away.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And hey, if life hands you lemons, brand them, market them, and post a carousel. It’s still LinkedIn. We’re here to do business. Might as well have a little fun while we’re at it.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Credit where credit is due: Oliver D. for the video, and all of you for filling my feed with the good, the bad, and the ugly that inspired me to write this post.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>LinkedIn's algorithm secrets</h2><p>If you still do want to know more, I highly recommend reading:</p><p><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/linkedin-algorithm-secrets/" target="_blank">→ <span>The 5 LinkedIn tips no one tells you. LinkedIn is quietly reinventing itself, and it looks like it's borrowing TikTok's algorithmic playbook.&nbsp;</span></a></p><p><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/linkedin-algorithm-secrets-the-archive/" target="_blank"><span>→ </span>LinkedIn algorithm secrets archive, the complete overview of all LinkedIn secrets, the dos and don'ts, and what works and what doesn't.&nbsp;</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Stay ahead on marketing, content, and AI with insights that actually matter</strong></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Get real, practical insights on AI, content, and trust, straight to your inbox, once a week. Unsubscribe anytime. No hard feelings.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Simple as that.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[LinkedIn,stategy,confessions]]></category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:58:55 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>AI slop isn’t an AI problem. It’s a leadership failure</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-slop-isnt-an-ai-problem-its-a-leadership-problem/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-slop-isnt-an-ai-problem-its-a-leadership-problem/</guid><pp:caseid>728549</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>It’s a human problem, with a keyboard, bad prompts, no taste, and far too much confidence</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>AI slop looks perfect on the outside, but it’s empty on the inside. The problem isn’t AI. It’s how we’re using it. <span>Here’s how to stop slop: h</span>ire senior thinkers, not just mid-level doers, always audit all your content for brand distinctiveness and use AI to amplify, not replace your voice.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The flood of low-quality AI content isn’t a tech issue. While AI slop looks perfect on the outside, it’s empty on the inside<span>. It's annoying and litters our feeds and inboxes.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Here's the hard truth: AI isn’t the problem. You are.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>AI is simply responding to your prompts. So, before we freak out on the mediocre AI-generated content, let’s take a long look in the marketing mirror first.&nbsp;</span></p><p>→ The problem isn’t AI. It’s how we’re using it.</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ec148464d1cd9c9526af673816f4297de"><strong>We’re treating AI like a cheap production engine, driven by bad prompts, no creative standards, and far too much confidence.</strong><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e7bdb916a14f9c669e43265c8f5b32d24"><strong>We’ve replaced experienced marketers with mid-level project managers and lost the craft that gives content real brand value.</strong><br>&nbsp;</li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e70c81f4264172df8f6e491e0c052a06d"><strong>The result? A flood of AI slop: content that looks polished but says nothing, connects with no one, and weakens your brand.</strong></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And remember, it's for a reason that we re-appreciate human and handmade things with craftsmanship, as seen in <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2025/11/06/apple-tvs-colorful-new-intro-was-created-with-real-glass-and-practical-effects/" target="_blank">the new Apple TV logo</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>1. </span>What is AI slop?</h2><p><span>AI slop is junk. Content that looks sleek on the surface but is creatively bankrupt underneath. Technically impressive, but lacks connection.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ It has no personality. No identity.</strong></span></p><p><span>You just feel something is missing. And if you </span>strip your logo, nothing remains<span>.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Why it matters</span></h3><p>AI slop doesn’t hurt your brand because it’s wrong. It hurts because it's empty.</p><p><span><strong>→ And above all, it's not doing its job as a marketing tool.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>The brands that win aren’t the ones publishing the most or scaling the fastest.</p><p><span>To win today, your identity and personality, </span>backed by strategy and executed with craft<span>, make the difference.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>2. </span>Why it’s happening:<span> obsession with scale and lack of seniority</span></h2><p><span>Two causes for this fast growth of AI slop.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e5ef3d4d394d4884a26e303c3639b38cc"><span><strong>First, everyone’s chasing scale</strong>. However, we're scaling the wrong thing. We’re rushing to produce more with less, not investing enough in the strategic and creative part.&nbsp;</span><br><br>We’re misusing AI as a cheap, fast production engine.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e2bc8545a515c0ed50797f59ca833d3d4"><span><strong>Second, we stopped investing in craftsmanship</strong>. You can't outsource a deep understanding of proven marketing and advertising theories to AI. And most marketers and content creators lack the proven psychology and essential design principles needed to produce great work that does the marketing job.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Think of Robert B. Cialdini, Malcolm Gladwell, Chip Heath & Dan Heath, Daniel Kahneman, Steve Krug, David Ogilvy, Byron Sharp, and Philip Kotler.</span><br><br><span>And </span>from the Golden Ratio to kerning, contrast, and word widows, we’ve forgotten the rules for design.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Don’t shoot the messenger, but more often than not, <strong>the marketing department now consists of marketers who are better trained in project management than in marketing and advertising</strong>.</span></p><p><span>How come? </span>The leadership team wants to scale with AI and do it as cheaply as possible<span>. </span>Junior and mid-level hires are still cheaper than seasoned seniors</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>3. </span><strong>What to do about it</strong></h2><p><span>This is on you, as a CMO or CEO. If you're leading a brand, AI slop is your problem, not your teams. Here’s how to stop slop:</span></p><ul><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e3d7f5c3e68afac1c07d428c73dd69018"><strong>Hire senior thinkers, not just mid-level doers</strong></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e22add8cbaf64e42684eef1b4cf3b3449"><strong>Always audit all your content for brand distinctiveness</strong></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e4f39670d2fcc48b9e01fea49e6e3e951"><strong>Use AI to amplify, not replace your voice</strong></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Summary</span></h2><p><span>AI slop isn’t a tech problem; it’s a you problem.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ The flood of generic, over-polished, emotionally empty content isn’t AI’s fault; it’s the result of how marketing is using it: bad prompts, no taste, and far too much confidence, combined with a lack of real marketing craft.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span><strong>→ AI slop happens when we treat AI as a production machine. We're scaling the output, but we're losing our voice.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span><strong>→ The root cause is filling marketing teams with mid-level project managers instead of </strong></span><strong>seasoned marketers obsessed with craft</strong><span><strong>.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>To fix it, brands need to hire thinkers, not just doers, be </span>meticulous about your brand’s identity<span> and audit continuously, and lastly, use AI in partnership with human creativity, not in place of it.</span></p><p><span><strong>The brands that will win with AI aren’t the ones that publish the most, but the brands that dare to invest in the seniors.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>Over to you. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology.&nbsp;</span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span>&nbsp;and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to&nbsp;</span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:14:30 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>What’s wrong with B2B marketing?</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/whats-wrong-with-b2b-marketing/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/whats-wrong-with-b2b-marketing/</guid><pp:caseid>727079</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>The label B2B is not your excuse to be boring</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span style="text-align:start;">It’s not you. It’s… actually, it is you. What’s wrong with B2B marketing and marketers? As if the label B2B gives you the excuse to make it as boring as possible, drown in jargon, trying to look impressive, and old school gate your content.</span></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="text-align:start;">It’s not you. It’s… actually, it is you. What’s wrong with B2B marketing and marketers? As if the label B2B gives you the excuse to make it as boring as possible, drown in jargon, trying to look impressive, and old school gate your content.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">3 things that matter in B2B marketing.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">𝟭. ‘𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴’</h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">‘There has long been a gap between B2C and B2B marketing. (…) And the bar in B2B marketing is so low. B2B marketing traditionally gets mired in features and benefits, missing the actual people involved in the buying process.’</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">→ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: we tend to forget that people working in B2B are still people</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">All credits to<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketoonist/" target="_blank"><u>Marketoonist</u></a>, the copy above is an edit from his <a href="https://marketoonist.com/2025/10/b2c-b2b-and-business-to-human.html" target="_blank">full post</a>.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">𝟮. 𝗗𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻; 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗶𝗴, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀</h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">B1 is clear, simple language everyone easily understands. No jargon.</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e91e8dce735de270743dcbdd7c8d6e00a"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">𝗕𝟭 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝟮𝗕 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗽. Because if you can’t explain complex ideas simply, you probably don’t understand them that well.<br>&nbsp;</p></li><li data-list-item-id="e9a45a6693dcf831199aa13cfd47602f7"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. And nothing says ‘I’m bluffing’ like a wall of jargon and buzzwords.<br>&nbsp;</p></li><li data-list-item-id="e0edfd23f1f2865583b337d0cb0bb2153"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">The real experts know that 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁, and most effective, thing you can do.</p></li></ul><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">→ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: respects your reader’s time, their brain, and their inbox.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">🔗 ‘<a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/writing-for-busy-readers-simplify-your-writing-to-make-reading-easy/" target="_blank"><u>Writing for busy readers; simplify your writing to make reading easy</u></a>’<br>🔗 ‘<a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/for-authentic-content-and-to-increase-engagement-you-write-as-you-speak/" target="_blank"><u>For authentic content and to increase engagement, you write as you speak</u></a>’</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">𝟯. 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁</h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Nothing kills interest faster than gated content. Seriously, nobody wants this, except marketers who love collecting (fake) email addresses to bombard them with HubSpot email flows to make people hate you a little.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">If you gate content, you’re not capturing leads, you’re collecting resentment.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">→ 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: In 2026, give your knowledge and information away for free. And let them pay for the implementation of it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Interesting read: 🔗<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-help-content-boosts-sales-and-builds-trust/" target="_blank"><u>How help content can boost sales and build trust</u></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology.&nbsp;</span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span>&nbsp;and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to&nbsp;</span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[confessions,strategy,B2B]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:40:26 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>10 Brutally useful lessons Marketing you should steal from Planners</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/10-brutally-useful-lessons-marketing-should-steal-from-planners/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/10-brutally-useful-lessons-marketing-should-steal-from-planners/</guid><pp:caseid>724932</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Shaped by nearly 40 years in the industry</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>Tap into how planners on the agency side work their magic. You might just ‘borrow’ a thing or two. I’ve unapologetically stolen and remixed insights from Charles Wigley, blended with my own 25 years on the client side, working with marketers who were often inspiring... and often stubborn, old-school, or just stuck.</span></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Feeling stuck in your brand and marketing rabbit hole? Not getting satisfying answers from AI? Maybe it’s time to <strong>tap into how planners on the agency side work their magic and deliver genuine strategic insights, the type that AI can't. You might just ‘borrow’ a thing or two.</strong></span></p><p><span>I’ve unapologetically stolen and remixed insights from Charles Wigley’s book ‘</span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chazs-Things-Planner-Should-Know/dp/1036919668" target="_blank"><span>Chaz’s 100 Things a Planner Should Know’</span></a><span>, blended with my own 25 years on the client side, working with marketers who were often inspiring... and often stubborn, old-school, or just stuck.</span></p><p><span>So, I put together the top 10 list for you.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><ol><li data-list-item-id="e93962ebd9325d4588373fe507a3645d8"><span><strong>‘Your definition of the problem is likely to be more important than your definition of the answer.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e5533a4aa94760145b79c14b9983d1a0e"><span><strong>‘Being fashionable is different from being right’, and ‘If it’s already best practice, then lots of other people are already doing it.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e4c5813104dd4f6e8aa9d7159bd7d6406"><span><strong>‘Don’t ever say ‘this brief is about starting a movement’. You will look like a fool for vastly overestimating the power of what we do.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e6646d7d9dc6cba06a37df413fc816126"><span><strong>'There is nothing wrong with </strong></span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/master-the-rule-of-5-7-make-your-content-stick/" target="_blank"><span><strong>repetition</strong></span></a><span><strong>, people need to get the message.'</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e682351ff6a6efdab30ac298f29bfb429"><span><strong>‘There is nothing wrong with </strong></span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/master-the-rule-of-5-7-make-your-content-stick/" target="_blank"><span><strong>repetition</strong></span></a><span><strong>, people need to get the message.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e0bac184587274e911f0207eaaf27b4ce"><span><strong>‘Three points are better than four. Five than Six. It’s just an odd numbers thing. Trust me.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e07cf26b19a56fde958b620a13cfb7ab0"><span><strong>‘If it isn’t interesting to you, it’s unlikely it will be to anyone else.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e6c96c9033b25bb8f0fda84af4b591338"><span><strong>‘Be honest and simple wins.’</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li data-list-item-id="e074e6f02a9ebd7cd2bf1fbc0720208af"><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/books/" target="_blank"><span><strong>‘Read.’</strong></span></a><br>&nbsp;</li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e28ef25e2c7f5623e7e7dd4d53f3e1e5d"><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-get-un-stuck-release-your-creativity-and-get-inspired/" target="_blank"><span><strong>‘Walk</strong></span></a><span><strong>. Walking is like taking a shower. It frees the mind.’</strong></span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Do you want more?&nbsp;</p><p>Buy his book; it<span style="text-align:left;"> costs about as much as your over-foamed oat milk macchiato. But it lasts longer.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Why it matters</span></h2><p><span>In a world where AI can create a planning and strategy in seconds, it’s tempting to do it all yourself. But, if you're relying on the same tools as everyone else, don’t be surprised when your brand starts sounding like everyone else.</span></p><p><span><strong>&nbsp;→ Strategy and planning are still a craft; it’s about making the unexpected connections that AI can’t.</strong></span></p><p><span>If you want to stand out and can’t hire an agency, an independent planner like Charles, or an interim content strategist like me, at least you can read ‘</span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chazs-Things-Planner-Should-Know/dp/1036919668" target="_blank"><span>Chaz’s 100 Things a Planner Should Know</span></a><span>’ and listen to the WARC </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charles-wigley-7650a42a_revisiting-100-things-a-planner-should-know-activity-7379457805398884352-1L_q?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAAXmZEBWdnMMXDyHGbG2Pyg3ev7HdXHY-Y" target="_blank"><span>podcast</span></a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Let's connect</strong></h3><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">If this helped you think differently and you're looking for someone to help you, I’d love to<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank">connect</a>.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>About my confessions</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">More about me and my confessions. Why I hold content to a higher standard. And why I write what most people in this industry won't say out loud.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology.&nbsp;</span>I've worked in this industry for 25+ years<span>&nbsp;and for 50+ global brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this to inspire everyone working in marketing and communication to&nbsp;</span>more accountable work<span>. There's already too much crappy content out there; n</span>o need to add to it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Join 2,500+ professionals</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Most content advice tells you what to do. This tells you how to think. For marketers and communicators who want the difference.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Free. Unsubscribe anytime.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr style="text-align:left;"><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[confessions,AI,trends,strategy]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 12 Oct 2025 08:46:30 +0200</pubDate>
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                <pp:imageOriginal>https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2528/d123607d-2457-48e8-9a4e-78c0164e5e49/chazs100thingsaplannershouldknowbycharleswigley.png?36000</pp:imageOriginal><pp:imageTitle><![CDATA[Chazs 100 Things a Planner Should know by Charles Wigley]]></pp:imageTitle></item><item>
                        <title>Ethical AI as your long-term strategy; transparency obsession and bias testing</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ethical-ai-as-your-long-term-strategy-transparency-obsession-and-bias-testing/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ethical-ai-as-your-long-term-strategy-transparency-obsession-and-bias-testing/</guid><pp:caseid>721031</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Dear CEO, CMO, ethics is now part of your job, too</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>Marketers have an obligation: do no harm. Did you know that there are fines up to 7% of your global revenue, 44% of AI systems show gender bias, and being ethical can be a brand advantage?&nbsp;</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Marketers love shiny things. We chase the newest AI tools, celebrate productivity spikes, and humblebrag about efficiency.</p><p>But here’s the inconvenient truth: <strong>ethics is now part of our job, too. </strong>Not HR’s job. Not a bullet on the comms slide.&nbsp;</p><p><span>With AI, marketing now holds even more real power over data, personalization, and the line between persuasion and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3Z54FN1/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20" target="_blank"><span>online manipulation</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p>And most ethical missteps aren’t malicious. They’re invisible. Until they’re not.</p><p><span>That’s exactly why <strong>ethics needs to be baked into your long-term marketing strategy</strong>. Not for the headlines, but for the trust. Not because it’s trending, but because it matters and lasts. And being the brand that ‘didn’t mean to’ isn’t a great look.</span></p><p><span>If we know AI is biased and can be unethical, we need:</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>To obsess on the transparency and privacy of data usage</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Rigorous bias testing</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Baking accountability into the system</strong></span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Executive takeaways&nbsp;</h2><p><strong>→ Fines: up to 7% of your global revenue (EU AI Act, 2026)</strong><br><strong>→ 44% of AI systems show gender bias (US review, 133 AI systems)</strong><br><strong>→ Ethical AI = brand trust + legal compliance</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Let’s start with some obligations, regulations, and fines, followed by why AI is a catalyst and what you need and can do.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>From August 2026, you can get a fine of up to 7% of your global revenue for unethical AI usage</span></h2><p>Unintended, unethical use of AI is often invisible and hard to grasp. These studies show just how easily bias can find its way into your marketing.</p><p><span>In the UK, councils in adult social care assessments use AI. They took real case notes from 617 people and put them into different language models. Then they changed just one thing: the gender. But by AI, women’s health issues were downplayed compared to men’s; these ‘subtle’ wording shifts directly affect care decisions. (</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hannah-samano_womenshealth-healthtech-activity-7366733798392111104-9jxA/" target="_blank"><span>source</span></a><span>, </span><a href="https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-025-03118-0" target="_blank"><span>research</span></a><span>)</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:500/auto;width:500px;" src="https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2528/7355cacb-a4c4-4d65-8929-8d8ed873dded/1920_genderbiasinaiexample.png?x=1757342652444" alt="Genderbias in AI example" width="500" height="auto"></p><p><span>And there’s evidence that runs deeper than one UK study. A </span><a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/when_good_algorithms_go_sexist_why_and_how_to_advance_ai_gender_equity" target="_blank"><span>US review of 133 AI systems</span></a><span> found that 44% showed gender bias and 25% showed both gender and racial bias.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/when_good_algorithms_go_sexist_why_and_how_to_advance_ai_gender_equity" target="_blank"><img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:300/auto;width:300px;" src="https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2528/3f365d19-4399-4212-83f2-268ad4f9558b/800_genderbiasinai.png?x=1757221700710" alt="Genderbias in AI" width="300" height="auto"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p><p><span>This bias is real, and <strong>unethical behavior can, unintentionally, creep into marketing</strong>.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The </span><a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj/eng" target="_blank"><span>EU AI Act</span></a><span>, in force since August 2024 and enforceable from August 2026, is the world’s first full AI regulation with fines up to 7% of global revenue. The Act bans unacceptable uses such as social scoring, sets strict rules for high-risk systems like hiring or healthcare, and requires transparency from general-purpose AI, including large language models.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ For marketing, the message is clear: any AI you use for personalization, customer service, or creative work must be transparent, governed, and ethically applied.</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Now you know your legal obligation, let’s dive into the risks and what you can do.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The 5 ethical risks in marketing and how AI makes them stronger</span></h2><p><span>These risks aren’t new. But AI makes them bigger, faster, and harder to spot. That’s why ethics need to be included in the marketing strategy.</span></p><p><span>Here are the five big risks and how AI amplifies them.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>1. Consumers as the product</span></h3><p><span>Free isn’t free. If people don’t pay with money, they pay with their data. They think they’re the customer, but in reality, they’re the product.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ AI multiplies that trade-off. Data is collected and combined at lightning speed. One small gap in consent turns into systemic exploitation across millions of interactions.</strong></span></p><p><span>And here’s the real danger: once customers realize they’re being treated as data points instead of people, trust is gone. Not bruised. Gone.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>2. The limits of targeting</span></h3><p><span>Targeting is powerful, but there’s a line. Age or location is one thing. Income, religion, or health? That’s exploitation.</span></p><p><span>AI takes it further, <strong>finding invisible micro-patterns, often rooted in bias, and quietly pushes groups in or out</strong>. You don't really notice this happening, but the impact is real. And all of a sudden, your targeting can turn into exclusion.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>3. Hyper-personalization that steers invisibly</span></h3><p><span>Personalization feels helpful, but let’s be clear: it also <strong>nudges people into choices they never planned to make.</strong></span></p><p><span>AI doesn’t wait for behavior. It predicts it. It pushes consumers into paths before they even see alternatives. What looks like service is actually control and can turn into online manipulation.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>4. Privacy and data misuse</span></h3><p><span>Modern marketing runs on data, but consent is often a fiction. Hidden in the fine print. Buried in 'accept all' clicks.</span></p><p><span>AI optimization engines <strong>combine all that (consented) data, test and tweak endlessly, and then feed the targeting and hyper-personalization systems</strong>. Often resulting in manipulative defaults that trap people in decisions that benefit the brand, not the customer.</span></p><p><span>This isn’t just a legal issue. It’s about trust and clarity in what you do with their data.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>5. Dark patterns in design</span></h3><p>Marketers know design shapes behavior. But dark patterns take it further and even too far; <strong>they’re design tricks that pressure, mislead, or confuse people into taking actions they never wanted,</strong> like hidden opt-ins, sneaky subscriptions, or 'confirm shaming' buttons.</p><p>AI amplifies this risk. With all the targeting and hyper-personalization options, you can adjust language, visuals, and even tone of voice to match someone’s emotions in real time.</p><p>The result? Every customer gets a different 'truth,' and when people realize you’ve used their emotions against them, they won’t just lose trust, they’ll walk.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span><strong>→ The question for CMOs isn’t what AI can do, it’s what we should allow it to do. </strong>And how we provide guardrails to prevent our marketing tech and campaigns from slipping out of control.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>3 ways CMOs can build ethics into AI</span></h2><p><span>Ethical AI isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about <strong>proving your brand gives a damn </strong>about more than just clicks and conversions. Do this ethical part well, and AI becomes more than a productivity tool.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>This is your shot to lead.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Ethics isn’t a blocker; it can be a <strong>brand advantage</strong>. Here are three things you can do to shift AI from a trust risk to a trust builder.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>1. Create a central AI collaboration and ethics role</span></h3><p><span>AI touches every corner of marketing, from media buying to creative production. <strong>Someone needs to own the ethical layer; otherwise, it gets lost in the rush for efficiency.</strong></span></p><p><span>This person connects the dots across teams, sets clear guardrails, oversees AI investments, and gives leadership visibility into what’s really happening. It’s about having someone accountable for asking the hard questions before mistakes go live at scale.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>2. Embrace radical transparency with clean data usage</span></h3><p><span>Consumers are tired of fine print and hidden trade-offs. If you want long-term trust, show exactly how you collect, store, and use data in plain language.</span></p><p><span><strong>Radical transparency isn’t a weakness. It’s a differentiator</strong>. When you prove your data practices are clean and your use of AI is visible, you don’t just meet compliance. You signal that your brand has nothing to hide. That’s a rare competitive edge.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>3. Build ethics by design</span></h3><p><span>Ethics can’t be bolted on after launch. It has to be part of how campaigns are designed. That means two things:</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>Educate your teams on the ethical risks of AI, </strong>especially how it can quietly amplify bias, pressure, and manipulation.</span><br><br><span>Don’t just wave around abstract principles. Bring in real examples. Break them down. Not to play morality police or to shame, but to unpack how even well-meaning brands end up with unintended bias into their systems.</span><br><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Build rigorous bias checks into your workflow as standard operating procedure</strong></span><br><br><span>If this isn’t baked into your process, it’s just wishful thinking. Test early, test often. Make sure unintended bias gets caught before it scales and does harm.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Wrapping it up</span></h2><p><span>Bottom line: ethics is part of the job now, and it should be.</span></p><p><span><strong>Marketers have an obligation: do no harm.</strong></span></p><p><span>We're not launching missiles or winning wars; we're launching products. So we don’t need to act like conversion rates justify everything.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>The 5 ethical risks in marketing and how AI makes them stronger</span></p><ol><li><span><strong>Consumers as the product</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>The limits of targeting</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Hyper-personalization that steers invisibly</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Privacy and data misuse</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Dark patterns in design</strong></span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>3 ways to build ethics into AI</span></p><ol><li><span><strong>Create a central AI and ethics role, also great for collaboration</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Embrace radical transparency with clean data usage</strong></span></li><li><span><strong>Build ethics by design: educate and obsess on transparency and rigorous bias checking</strong></span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Now it’s up to you to bake ethics into your long-term marketing strategy. For the trust, because it matters and it lasts. So you can prevent becoming the brand that ‘didn’t mean to’ unethically use AI and create a PR disaster.</span></p><p>My sources: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B3Z54FN1/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20" target="_blank"><span>The Philosophy of Online Manipulation</span></a>, <a href="https://ssir.org/articles/entry/when_good_algorithms_go_sexist_why_and_how_to_advance_ai_gender_equity?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">When Good Algorithms Go Sexist: Why and How to Advance AI Gender Equity</a>, <a href="https://bmcmedinformdecismak.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12911-025-03118-0" target="_blank">Evaluating Gender Bias in Large Language Models in Long-term Care,</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/hannah-samano_womenshealth-healthtech-activity-7366733798392111104-9jxA/" target="_blank">Hannah Samaro</a>'s post on LinkedIn.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Let's connect</strong></h3><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">If this helped you think differently about scaling AI or looking for someone to help you integrate AI, I’d love to<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank">connect</a>.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">Stay ahead on marketing, content, and AI with insights that actually matter</h2><p>Get real, practical insights on AI, content, and trust, straight to your inbox, once a week. Unsubscribe anytime. No hard feelings.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Simple as that.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[confessions,AI,trends,strategy]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 06 Sep 2025 21:40:05 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>Personal connection is your new luxury</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/personal-connection-is-your-new-luxury/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/personal-connection-is-your-new-luxury/</guid><pp:caseid>686779</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Genuine attention beats AI and automation every time</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>It's the paradox between the sender's focus on efficiency and the receiver's experience of annoyance and feeling overlooked. If you want to stand out, be noticed, get a faster response, and give the other a sense of appreciation and being seen, make an effort and reach out personally.</span></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>We all love automation from an efficiency perspective, and at the same time, <strong>we all hate being automated to</strong>. Don’t you despise and ignore those automated and AI-generated fake-personal HubSpot-optimized emails, LinkedIn requests, or comments?</span></p><p><span>Nowadays, we don’t know what’s real anymore.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Therefore, if you want to be noticed, get a faster response, and give the other a sense of appreciation, make an effort and reach out personally.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Personal connection is the new luxury.</strong></span></p><p>I often joke that if I let my AI handle the emails to connect with your AI, we could meet in real life and enjoy a coffee on a sunny terrace instead. But there’s a grain of truth in that.</p><p><span><strong>This is the paradox between the sender's focus on efficiency and the receiver's experience of annoyance and feeling overlooked.</strong></span></p><p><span>But what if … you do it differently, <strong>switching your focus from efficiency to improving the response rate?&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span>All you need to do is invest a little bit of your time in reaching out personally, being authentic, and giving the other person the attention they deserve, which makes them respond faster. Often, a personal reply doesn't take more than a few minutes.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What to do to improve your response rate in 2025 (and it's not AI)</span></h2><p><span>There are 3 things you can do.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>1. Place yourself in the other's shoes</span></h3><p><span>Flip the perspective. How would you like to be addressed, and if someone reaches out? Automated or personally?</span></p><p><span>Threat the others like you want to be threatened.</span></p><ul><li><span>Tip: Read ‘</span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/books/" target="_blank"><span>How to make friends and influence people</span></a><span>’ by Dale Carnegie. It originates from 1938, t</span><span style="text-align:left;">he best-kept secret in&nbsp;people&nbsp;and&nbsp;expectations&nbsp;management.&nbsp;</span><span> And is still very relevant.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>2. Realize that reaching out personally has a higher response rate</span></h3><p><span>People want to do business with people. When are you more eager to reply, an email flow or a real person?</span></p><p><span>Again, threaten the others like you want to be threatened.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>3. Know that DIY is often faster than automation</span></h3><p><span>Setting up a system takes time. Finding the right tool, configuring it, setting up the flow, testing it, iterating to improve and manage the tool and the output.</span></p><p><a href="https://xkcd.com/1205/" target="_blank"><span>Is it worth automating it</span></a><span>, or are you faster doing it yourself?</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://xkcd.com/1205/" target="_blank"><img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:500/auto;width:500px;" src="https://content.presspage.com/uploads/2528/c95cae73-6fc8-41fd-b8ec-969a5499cdc3/1920_is-it-worth-the-time.png?x=1738502766020" alt="is_it_worth_the_time" width="500" height="auto"></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</p><p><span>This is also where work ethos and focusing on the output instead of the process come in.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>I don’t shy away from doing the grinding work if it gets me business.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span>I don’t mind sending out 100 personal handwritten emails if I know the response rate is higher than when I automate it.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span>Tip: If you’re too busy to give some personal tender love and care during the workday, &nbsp;plan 30 minutes daily for this and do it all in one go.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Frequently asked questions about using AI and automation for your communications</span></h2><ul><li><span><strong>&nbsp;How can I automate my LinkedIn invites, DMs, or email communications?&nbsp;</strong></span><br><br>You can with several tools. But I advise you not to. Based on experience, this doesn't work very well. You can grow your network in an absolute number of contacts. But is that what you're after?&nbsp;<br><br>If you're looking for connections with the end objective of driving sales and doing business, you must make an effort. Personally. Nobody likes to be marketed to, let alone be caught in an automated AI-generated email flow.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>Can I personalize automated messages or emails?</strong></span><br><br><span>Yes, you can. But bear in mind your objective. If it's to widely spray and pray a few superficial leads will stick, go ahead. If you're looking for meaningful connections to, in the end, drive sales, you better make a bit more effort. &nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Be aware of the time it takes to find and set up the tool, configure it, create the flow, test it, and iterate to improve the output to optimize the response rate. In that same time that takes, I manually find the relevant peers and hot leads via LinkedIn search and send them a personal invite.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Can I use AI to write emails or LinkedIn invites?</strong><br><br>Sure you can. The only thing you need to do is <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-create-content-defining-your-brand-voice/" target="_blank">configure AI to respond in your tone of voice</a>.&nbsp;<br><br>I recommend using ChatGPT, Claude, or CoPilot. Using the AI from the tool or platform itself usually results in something generic and clearly AI-generated copy.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Wrapping it up</span></h2><p><span>Personal attention is the new luxury in times of automation and AI. We’re so focused on becoming more efficient that we forget that the best connections and deals are made in person, especially if we like the other and we feel seen and heard.</span></p><p><span>If you want to stand out, get noticed, and just for the love connections, make an effort and write the email, the invite, or the comment yourself instead of relying on automation and AI. It just takes you a minute or 2.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Please notice, this goes for where personal connection matters. Not for systematic emails, process emails, workflow updates, boring newsletters, and other corporate stuff.</span></p><p>Now, it's up to you.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Subscribe for more AI and marketing insights</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>If you like to stay up to date on AI, content, and marketing based on insight and how it matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span>newsletter</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click unsubscribe if it's not for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2025 19:45:27 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>AI wants to please you and can hallucinate to do so</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-wants-to-please-you-and-can-hallucinate-to-do-so/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-wants-to-please-you-and-can-hallucinate-to-do-so/</guid><pp:caseid>707074</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Its sole objective is to make you happy; AI isn’t here to tell you the truth</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>How much can you trust AI? Especially when you’re using AI for research and insights. It’s good to be aware that AI’s sole objective is to please you, not to tell the truth. 3 x how to recognize the fake news, hallucinations, and bias traps.</span></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>How much can you trust AI? Especially when you’re using AI for research and insights.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ It’s good to be aware that AI’s sole objective is to please you, not to tell you the truth.</strong></span></p><p><span>Of course, AI uses lots of sources and is intelligent (sort of). However, in the end, tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT, CoPilot, and others are designed to help and please you, based on LLM, predictability, and probability. AI is here to make your life easier and faster.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Now that you know this, you can </span>use it strategically<span>. And recognize the fake news, hallucinations, and bias traps.</span></p><p><span>Let’s dig in.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>3 x what you need to know when using AI for research</h2><p><span>Next to the abundance of how-to guides, prompts, tips and tricks, these are the 3 basics to know if you use AI for research or competitor analysis.</span></p><ol><li><span><strong>AI is here to please you</strong>. AI wants to make you happy and fulfill your needs. It’s not here to tell you the absolute truth or reflect all kinds of different opinions and views.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span>Always. Always. <strong>Always ask AI for the data points and the sources. And check these sources yourself.</strong> Usually, if the data deviates too much from what you would expect or from the average, it’s most likely a hallucination.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Besides, based on your experience and expertise, you’ll know the rough numbers and statistics in your industry or craft by heart. If AI’s output differs too much, you’ll know.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Trust your instinct</strong>. This aligns with the previous point. You know if it’s too good to be true, it usually is. </span>Ultimately<span>, you’re responsible for what you publish, and you can’t blame AI for feeding you the wrong information.</span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span><strong>Where the hack marketers fail</strong></span><strong> and real marketers stand out</strong></h2><p><span>And this is exactly where your expertise, knowledge, and seniority come in. With AI, any monkey can produce content, and they already do.&nbsp;</span></p><p><strong>→ But not everyone can lead with insight.&nbsp;</strong></p><p><span>To produce insightful, value-adding content, that’s a different game. That takes knowledge, experience, and expertise combined with a human touch to cut through the noise, and give context and meaning.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Why it matters: u</span>se AI, but lead with strategy and your expertise</h2><p><span>If you want to position yourself as a thought leader and differentiate yourself from your competitors with a strong point of view and insights, you can’t blindly rely on AI.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>It’s you and your strategic thinking that makes the difference, not ChatGPT.</span></p><p>Please use AI the smart way and<span> to its full advantage for research and unveil insights; this is what you need to know and do.</span></p><ol><li><span>Realize AI is here to please you and acts accordingly</span></li><li><span>Check the sources behind the data that AI feeds you</span></li><li><span>Trust your instinct. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is a hallucination</span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>&nbsp;</h2><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Subscribe for more marketing, content, and AI insights</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>If you like to get smarter and stay up to date, based on insights and research, and how this matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span>newsletter</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click unsubscribe if it's not for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 25 May 2025 15:42:39 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>Authenticity explained: 3 reasons why everything looks the same, and how to break the AI and algorithmic mold</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/authenticity-explained-what-you-must-do-to-stand-out-in-todays-world/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/authenticity-explained-what-you-must-do-to-stand-out-in-todays-world/</guid><pp:caseid>694651</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>What you must do to stand out and be authentic in today’s world</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>What's going on and </span>how to be different<span>? We’re too busy and focused on efficiency, algorithms enable and strengthen homogeneity, and AI isn't helping; it’s a summary of the internet, and here to keep you happy. Remember, we admire the ones who are different and therefore changed history.&nbsp;</span></p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>We all know that authenticity matters, and we strive to be authentic. But still, most of the content looks the same.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>How to break this algorithmic trap? There are 3 major causes of today’s homogeneous society</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span><strong>→ Why everything looks the same, and what can you do:</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>We’re too busy and focused on efficiency</strong></span><br><span>Solution: make time and prioritize what truly matters to you. For example, block 10% of your and your team's time for exploratory creative work. You only regret the things you didn’t do</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>Algorithms enable and strengthen homogeneity</strong></span><br><span>Solution: don’t buy into that and all the s**t you see online. Keep thinking for yourself to decide what matters to you</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>AI, it’s a summary of the internet, and here to keep you happy</strong></span><br><span>Solution: personalize your AI and use it to challenge and improve, not to do the work for you</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Let's look at the details.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>1. We’re too busy and focused on efficiency</span></h2><p><span>This is a tough one, and it hurts. As a society, we are so focused on getting more done in less time.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Efficiency kills originality</strong></span></p><p><span>I notice this in my business and personal life.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span>In business, that means <strong>we often don’t take and can't make the time</strong> to go down rabbit holes, do proper research, build our own rationale, or form our own point of view. Instead, we copy-paste what others think and do, make a few tweaks, push it out, and then move on to the next thing on our agenda.</span><br><br><span>Or it <strong>takes forever for people to respond and take action</strong>, not because they don’t want to, but simply because they have too much on their plates. And before you know it, the momentum and opportunity are gone.</span></li></ul><p><br>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span>On the personal level, it hurts even more. But in recent years, <strong>doing anything last minute feels like a luxury</strong>, grabbing a quick coffee, going for an unplanned lunch, or even having a sweet 5-minute call to hear someone’s voice.</span><br><br><span>Everybody seems to be too busy and <strong>forgets to live in the here and now</strong>. The priority is getting more done in less time and be efficient as possible, instead of enjoying a bit more of the precious moments that will never come back.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>2. Algorithms enable and strengthen homogeneity</span></h2><p><span>We think we can decide what we see and read. Still, in reality, it’s really very hard and you have to make a serious effort to dive into the crooks and crannies of the media to discover new and different views and opinions that go against the status quo and shine a different light.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Algorithms reward sameness</strong></span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>You only have to look around you to realize that everyone thinks and looks alike.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span>Thanks to algorithms, we’re spoon-fed the same trends, views, insights, and opinions.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Algorithms push engaging content and hide the rest, so we all read, view, and listen to the same things. Next to that, we all use the same templates to create our content. &nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span>Thanks to TikTok, where hyper-fast micro trends in fashion follow each other at an increasingly rapid pace.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>It's not just social, it's broader. We know that Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok do this. But do you also realize that Netflix and Spotify do the same? And what about the news and publishers? They create content that gets the most eyeballs so they can sell the most ads.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>3. AI is not helping here</span></h2><p><span>AI enables you to do more in less time: summarize chunky content in a few bullets, or produce your content with a prompt.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ AI is a summary of the internet based on data and the common denominator. It is here to keep you happy, not to challenge you. And it flattens your (brand) voice.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>If you don’t take the time to personalize and configure your AI, and learn how to prompt properly, it will feed you and produce generic content.</p><p name="14a9">And before you know it, without being consciously aware of it, AI can make you overreliant and a bit lazy, because it does all the work for you.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>There are 2 things you can do to break this cycle. So you can stand out and show your personality, as a brand and as a business. After all, people want to do business with people, not with big anonymous institutions or AI.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Break the mold: realize the ones we admire are the ones who are different</span></h2><p><span>It’s human nature to want to belong, to be part of a community. A community where we share the same values, and often also think and look more or less the same.</span></p><p><span>However, the ones we admire, the ones who changed history, are the ones who dare to be different. A few examples.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Women who radically own who they are</span></h3><p><span>Leading by example.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>Brigitte Bardot</strong>. Refused to be just a muse. Wild, political, unapologetically herself&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Brené Brown</strong>. Turned vulnerability into leadership. Made soft power feel strong</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Coco Chanel</strong>. Gave women freedom, in fabric, form, and mindset</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Marilyn Monroe</strong>. Controlled the myth, stayed real underneath. Softness as rebellion</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Michelle Obama</strong>. Showed us how power can be warm, honest, and bold</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Oprah Winfrey</strong>. Built an empire on truth, connection, and unapologetic presence</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Vivienne Westwood</strong>. Fashion as protest. Loud, raw, punk, and always herself</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Men who inspire by being 100% themselves</span></h3><p><span>Let them inspire you.&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>Anthony Bourdain</strong>. Told the truth behind the food. Messy, human, real</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Arnold Schwarzenegger</strong>. Always reinventing. Big dreams, bigger energy, bold moves</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Banksy</strong>. Quiet on purpose. Art loud enough to move cities</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>David Bowie</strong>. Shape-shifter. Space-maker. A masterclass in being other</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Elvis Presley</strong>. Mixed danger, desire, and sound. Changed music forever</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Prince</strong>. Every label ignored. Every inch his own. Art as identity</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Salvador Dalí</strong>. Brilliantly weird. Made imagination rule the rules</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>To do: dare to be different</span></h2><p><span>It takes balls and courage to stand out. After all, the tallest trees catch the most wind.</span></p><p><span>Besides <strong>having the courage to stand out, you also need to be willing to invest time</strong>. Time to build a solid vision and point of view, grounded in data and research, expressed in your own voice, with a clear message and easy-to-read copy.</span></p><p><span>Lastly, you also have to <strong>challenge the (business) rules</strong>. As a brand, you don’t go for the mass market where everyone likes you. You aim for a select audience that shares the same values and is therefore willing to buy your product.</span></p><p><span>As an individual, that means that you’ll have to guard yourself against today’s often toxic online culture, where keyboard warriors are quick to voice their opinions.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Think about Brene Brown, who wrote about ‘the man in the arena’ by Roosevelt: ‘It’s not the critic that counts…'.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Key takeaway: it's time that you do you</span></h2><p><span>We know we love and admire the ones who are different. Why not give it a go yourself? Stand out, be authentic, you do you.</span></p><p><span>Now that you understand why the world is becoming increasingly homogeneous, you can use this knowledge to swim against the current and stand out because of it. And become admired for that.</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>We’re too busy and focused on efficiency</strong></span><br><span>Solution: make time and prioritize what truly matters to you. For example, block 10% of your and your team's time for exploratory creative work. You only regret the things you didn’t do</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Algorithms enable and strengthen homogeneity</strong></span><br><span>Solution: don’t buy into that and all the s**t you see online. Keep thinking for yourself to decide what matters to you</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>AI, it’s a summary of the internet, and here to keep you happy</strong></span><br><span>Solution: personalize your AI and use it to challenge and improve, not to do the work for you</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now, it's up to you. In a world of sameness, originality is your greatest ROI. Don’t blend in. Break the mold.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Image credits: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C3qoa9FovnM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank">Hatterist</a>&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Subscribe for more marketing, content, and AI insights</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>If you like to get smarter and stay up to date, based on insights and research, and how this matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span>newsletter</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click unsubscribe if it's not for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 19 Apr 2025 10:04:19 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>Be nice; kindness is a sign of leadership</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/be-nice/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/be-nice/</guid><pp:caseid>693691</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Friendly people don’t just make the world brighter; they make it work better</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>Kindness is underrated. </span>It isn’t soft; it’s a leadership advantage. <span style="text-align:left;">N</span>egativity is clickbait, provokes engagement, and is therefore pushed by the algorithm. But please realize that criticism kills the vibe and makes you look ugly.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>Kindness is underrated. </span>It isn’t soft; it’s a leadership skill. <span>Friendly people lift the mood and make things happen.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ </strong></span><strong>I know that negativity is clickbait, provokes engagement, and is therefore pushed by the algorithm. But please realize that criticism kills the vibe and makes you look ugly.</strong></p><p><span>It never hurts to be friendly, but it can hurt not to be.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Embrace the ones who experiment and try</span></h2><p>We’ve all seen them. The self-proclaimed gurus with a loud opinion,<span> whether it is Jaguar's rebrand, Zelensky's outfit, penguins on an inhabited island, or the marketing from a local shop.&nbsp;</span></p><p>They often rely on AI for input, bring limited experience or authority to the table, and, most importantly, lack the data and research to back their claims. In their chase for engagement<span>, they ‘listen to reply’ instead of ‘listen to learn.’&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>There’s absolutely no need to burn down other brands or people for trying new things, experimenting with AI, or making mistakes. </span>Progress comes with hiccups. That’s how we grow.</p><p><span><strong>→ Like Brene Brown once wrote about the man in the arena, ‘It’s not the critic that counts…’ Let’s embrace the ones who test and learn instead of critiquing them and pointing out their flaws.</strong></span></p><p><span>Except when the brand or person did a really poor job, cut corners, showed no effort, did something stupid, or </span>rushed something out that lacked even MVP standards.</p><p><span>Then, you can call them out. Nicely.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span><strong>If you wouldn’t say it in real life, don’t post it online</strong></span></h2><p><span>It’s easy to type out opinions from behind a screen. The keyboard warriors who have an opinion and can’t wait to vent it.</span></p><p><span>But here’s the thing: most people wouldn’t speak that way face-to-face.</span></p><p>You can still call things out; just do it with constructive intent, not emotional outbursts. Often, kind and constructive criticism will do the job better.</p><p><span>So, let’s keep it simple. If you don’t say it in real life, don’t post it online.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Summarized: ‘The people need some kindness’</span></h2><p><span>Friendly people lift the mood and make things happen. They don’t just make the world brighter; they make it work better.</span></p><p>And know that kindness is a true leadership skill. It separates the critics from the creators.</p><p><strong>→ If this resonates, pass it on. We need more kindness at the top.</strong></p><p>→ <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank">Connect if you're building the same way</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Subscribe for more marketing, content, and AI insights</span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>If you like to get smarter and stay up to date, based on insights and research, and how this matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span>newsletter</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click unsubscribe if it's not for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions]]></category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:16:11 +0200</pubDate>
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                        <title>How to use AI for your content strategy, the essential basics explained for long term success</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-for-content-the-essential-basics-explained-for-long-term-success/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-for-content-the-essential-basics-explained-for-long-term-success/</guid><pp:caseid>688139</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Dear CEO CMO, this is what you need to know in 2025 to update and improve your content strategy</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>Did you know 50% of people recognize and engage less with AI-generated content? If you want to use AI for your content marketing strategy and are looking for a head start, this is what you need to know and apply.&nbsp;</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Did you know <strong>50% of people recognize and engage less with AI-generated content</strong>? And that 51% of marketing want to work with it but lack knowledge and training?</p><p>If you want to use AI for your content marketing strategy and are looking for a head start, this is what you need to know and apply.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>All have these principles in common:</p><ul><li><strong>The strategic advantage</strong> comes from people who work with AI, not from AI itself<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>To stand out and be noticed</strong>, you must dare to show your true, authentic colors. Don't hide in the middle, being afraid to alienate audiences.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Successful usage of AI</strong> means prioritizing brand identity and ethics over efficiency, quality over quantity, and &nbsp;long-term brand storytelling and growth over short-term vanity metrics</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/theres-no-content-hack/" target="_blank">no quick hack</a>, no cutting corners, you also <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/its-not-sexy-to-reuse-your-content-but-its-damn-smart/" target="_blank">don't need more content</a>, the <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/use-ai-to-create-better-content-not-just-more/" target="_blank">cost savings</a> are different than you think, and why your <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/use-ai-to-create-better-content-not-just-more/" target="_blank">employees keep quiet that they use AI</a>. Lastly, how to be <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-give-clarity-on-your-content-accountability/" target="_blank">accountable</a> and give clarity in the C-suite.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>How to use AI in your content strategy</h2><p>But first, how and where in the content marketing strategy you can use AI. Give or take, these should be the elements of your strategy:</p><ol><li>Brand identity and business objectives: who are you and why do you do what you do. Align this with your business objectives</li><li>Research: SWOT, audience, competitors, content audit, SEO, analytics, sales data and seasonality</li><li>Define goals, topics, and how to realize them: why do you produce content, what's your story, and how do you measure the results</li><li>Planning: calendar, reuse strategy, production planning. Align with your resources and processes. Is it feasible</li><li>Production: ideate and create, create your assets to fit distribution not for the sake of distribution&nbsp;</li><li>Distribution and paid promotion: include a-synchronicity between channels to get more bang for your buck</li><li>Reporting and KPIs: C-suite reporting and vanity metrics for daily management</li></ol><p><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/?h=1&t=ai" target="_blank">You can use AI in all phases</a>. There's no golden rule on what to do and how to do it.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>The only rule is not to prompt your way into a content strategy.</strong></p><ul><li>An AI-generated content strategy will get something generic, and this very probably will not move the sales needle in the long term</li><li>Do you want to upload all your insights and data to AI to get the strategy? Really?</li><li>Strategy is a craft for a reason. Creating something different takes a somewhat dirty, twisted mind. Often, it's the unpredictable uncommon connections made that make you stand out and create measurable impact</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The magic is in your strategic thinking, and AI helps you. AI is not to replace human innovation and creativity.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Below, the top 5 articles on content and AI, in random order.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>1. AI and (ghost)writing</span></h3><p>Make AI content feel real and high-quality with five steps: define your brand voice, set AI to match your style, write clear prompts, use AI for ideas (but stay in control), and always edit before publishing.&nbsp;</p><p>→ <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-and-ghostwriting-a-5-step-framework-for-high-quality-authentic-content/" target="_blank"><span>AI and (ghost)writing, a 5 step framework for high-quality, authentic content</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>2. Make your content stick</span></h3><p>To make your content memorable, repeat key messages 5 to 7 times. This repetition helps move information from short-term to long-term memory. Republish and repurpose existing content to reinforce your message without creating new material each time.</p><p>→ <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/master-the-rule-of-5-7-make-your-content-stick/" target="_blank"><span>Master the rule of 5 to 7: make your content stick</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>3. AI and GPTs for proofreading</span></h3><p>Improve your content by using AI tools like ChatGPT for proofreading. These tools can help identify and correct errors, suggest improvements, and ensure your writing is clear and engaging.&nbsp;</p><p>→ <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/improve-your-content-quality-by-proofreading-in-ai-and-using-gpts/" target="_blank"><span>AI and GPTs for proofreading and improve the quality of your content</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>4. Define your tone of voice</span></h3><p>To make your content sound like you, start by collecting a few pieces you've written that show your style. Use ChatGPT to analyze these and define your unique voice. Then, set this voice in ChatGPT's 'Custom Instructions' for consistent responses.&nbsp;</p><p>→ <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-create-content-defining-your-brand-voice/" target="_blank"><span>How to use ChatGPT to create content: define your tone of voice</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>5. 2 step guide for 'Custom Instructions'</span></h3><p>Get better answers from ChatGPT with less effort. By using 'Custom Instructions' and the 'for canvas' tool, you can shape responses to fit your needs. This saves time, improves accuracy, and makes editing easier.&nbsp;</p><p>→ <a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/improve-your-chatgpt-interaction-in-2-steps-with-custom-instructions/" target="_blank"><span>Improve your ChatGPT output: a 2 step guide for 'Custom Instructions'</span></a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Frequently asked questions about content and AI</strong></h2><ul><li><strong>How can I use AI to create content?&nbsp;</strong><br><br>There are two ways. The common quick and dirty, which results in generic mediocre content; prompt-and-go. And the more thought-through process where you spend a lot of time on the strategic framework and processes, AI configuration, and operational workflow. Which results in AI-powered<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/ai-and-ghostwriting-a-5-step-framework-for-high-quality-authentic-content/" target="_blank">high-quality engaging content</a>.&nbsp;<br><br>Of course, every leader wants quality over speed. But it takes effort; please realize this takes seniority, serious budget, and time.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>How much time and budget can I save by using AI for content?</strong><br><br>If you follow the process above, you can create content in 25% to 33% of the time and 2x as fast. Please note that these are our savings. And realize that we invested heavily in the setup upfront.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>How to be authentic when using AI?</strong><br><br>This is simpler than you think. Add your tone of voice to your prompts, or bake this into your AI tool configuration. ‘<a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-use-chatgpt-to-create-content-defining-your-brand-voice/" target="_blank">How to use ChatGPT to create content: define your tone of voice</a>’<br><br>I always get the feedback that my content is so recognizable me, as if you hear me speaking when you read my copy. However, all my content is AI-powered. I configured ChatGPT in such a way that AI's response sounds like me, and I have to spend little to no time editing.&nbsp;</li></ul><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;">More relevant reads</h2><p style="margin-left:0px;">These might help you improve your content even more.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/what-to-read-to-improve-your-marketing-and-content-skills/" target="_blank">Books to read to improve your marketing and content skills</a><br>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/linkedin-algorithm-secrets-the-archive/" target="_blank">LinkedIn algorithm secrets. All you need to know, and what I didn't</a><br>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/content-confidential-3-uncommon-rules-for-your-success/" target="_blank">How I got 42,000+ readers and 2,000 subscribers with 8 hours a week</a><br>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/tldr-2025-content-trends/" target="_blank">2025 Content trends; humanity as a counterbalance for AI and social media fatigue</a><br>&nbsp;</li><li><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/how-to-improve-your-next-prompt-the-secrets-from-under-the-ai-hood/" target="_blank">Get better AI results. The why and how elements of a good prompt, explained by example</a></li></ul><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Subscribe for more AI and marketing insights</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>If you like to stay up to date on AI, content, and marketing based on insight and how it matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span>newsletter</span></a><span>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click unsubscribe if it's not for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h3>Sources</h3><p><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/" target="_blank">Everything Content </a>newsroom (yes, it's mine), <a href="https://www.bynder.com/en/press-media/ai-vs-human-made-content-study/" target="_blank">Study reveals how consumers interact with AI-generated content vs human-made</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[AI,strategy,confessions]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:38:59 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>There&#039;s no content hack</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/theres-no-content-hack/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/theres-no-content-hack/</guid><pp:caseid>680588</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Dear CEO CMO, the secret is in mastering the basics and repeating them relentlessly</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>Sustainable success isn’t built on big moments or on AI; it’s built on mastering the boring basics and repeating them relentlessly.</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>To get straight to the point, bluntly, there’s no hack for creating amazing, effective content. </span>Sustainable success isn’t built on big moments or on AI; it’s built on mastering the basics and repeating them relentlessly.</p><p><span>One of the most frequently asked questions from my clients is how to get more content at a lower cost.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Sorry, not sorry to tell you. This is not how it works.</span></p><p><span><strong>→ The secret, what actually works, is doing the boring content very well and consistently.</strong></span></p><p><span>Let’s reveal the boring stuff and what you can do.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What is the boring content?</span></h2><p><span>Doing boring things is your foundation. I get it; the social campaigns are sexy, but if you don't master the basics, you'll never nail the rest.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>What is the boring stuff? It's your ‘why’ and ‘how’ content. The information about your brand and products. Why you do what you do and why that matters to your audience. This boring content:&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li data-list-item-id="e6cb56a432d33cd3b760bd867f2d917e6"><span><strong>Claims your thought leadership and brings your brand to life</strong></span><br>&nbsp;</li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e4168a9d70ec5cb364a55c6dd018dbf0d"><span><strong>Feeds SEO and AI search</strong></span></li></ul><p>This is the content that gets cut first.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>What if your content budget is cut</span></h3><p><span>Often, you see that the content budget is cut due to costs. And usually, the boring content gets cut out first, to make room for the sexy campaigns.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>In my humble opinion, that's exactly the opposite of what you should do when your content budget is cut. Why? Because campaign content is </span>volatile and has a short lifespan. It evaporates before your eyes and usually has less impact on your long-term upper funnel than having your reusable basic content in place. &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Now, let’s see some more benefits.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The benefit of investing in the content basics</span></h2><p><span>So instead of investing in the sexy campaigns, you invest in the basics and your team.</span></p><p><span><strong>The benefit is that once you have this, it becomes really easy, fast, and cheap to multiply.</strong></span></p><p><span>A second benefit is that <strong>most of your competitors skip this step</strong> due to the same budget constraints as you have. So you’ll also have a head start with SEO and AI search.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What to do</span></h2><p><span>As mentioned, invest in the quality.&nbsp;</span></p><h3><span>Invest in craftsmanship</span></h3><p><span>You don’t want bogus marketers who act like project managers and miss the in-depth knowledge, hands-on experience, or grit for their craft. Make sure your team has time to learn and grow (and make some mistakes along the way).</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Hire the senior</span></h3><p><span>Invest in a heavyweight senior to manage and train the team. The mistake most often made is cutting the expensive seniors and sticking with the mediors and juniors.</span></p><p><span>But please realize that<strong> it’s the senior who pulls the content quality from mediocre to good to great</strong>.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>I've seen this a few times; you'll stay afloat with the medior-junior team for a while. But after a year or so, it nibbles away; the team stops learning and being innovative.&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Use AI for strategic things as well</span></h3><p><span>This is a no-brainer. 51% of marketers want to use AI, but over 66% struggle with how to.</span></p><p><span>Provide training and time, so your team knows how to work with AI. Not just for production but even more so for strategic research. That's where it can make the most difference and impact.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Wrapping it up, 3 key takeaways</span></h2><p><span>If you are looking for a hack or a shortcut to engaging and effective content, sorry, not sorry, for being the bearer of bad news. There’s no such thing.</span></p><p><span>The secret of great content is in doing the boring things really well and consistently. Practice makes perfect.</span></p><p>3 Key takeaways</p><ol><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e1e891b0ada371585b291e613ab23314b"><strong>Invest in the team and fundamentals of content before you think about sexy social campaigns</strong></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="e389d4f1d637146e316a23c19ae5902ad"><strong>Use AI to improve on quality, not quantity</strong></li><li class="ck-list-marker-bold" data-list-item-id="ec3f1dd9fdc5f93465f19b459d3e1fdb4"><strong>Build a team with strong senior leadership to drive quality and consistency</strong></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Once you have that in place, you can ramp up on quality and quantity. Easy, fast, and cheap.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Need help to start with AI today?</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If you need any help setting up this new process and getting your team started while hitting the ground running, don’t hesitate to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>drop me a DM</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;on LinkedIn.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If I'm not your designated person, I can certainly recommend someone in my network who can help you.&nbsp;</span><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Subscribe for more AI and marketing insights</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>If you don't want to miss out on AI, content, and marketing based on insight and how it matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><span><u>newsletter</u></span></a><span>. And you'll receive my updates automatically in your inbox.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Two-click subscribe, and one-click to unsubscribe if you don’t like it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>Easy does it.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;"><span>→&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><span><u>Subscribe</u></span></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions,AI]]></category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 09 Dec 2024 08:59:08 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>You don&#039;t need more content</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/its-not-sexy-to-reuse-your-content-but-its-damn-smart/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/its-not-sexy-to-reuse-your-content-but-its-damn-smart/</guid><pp:caseid>679902</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Dear CEO CMO, can you stop wasting your budget on &#039;more&#039; and go for &#039;better&#039; and &#039;reuse&#039; content?</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p><span>One of my biggest ‘icks’ when talking to a CMO or CEO is their never-ending need for ‘new’ content. It's so stupid, displaying old-fashioned content thinking.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Besides, it's wasting the scarce content budget on more mediocre stuff instead of investing in content that is initially more expensive but has much more long-term value in reusing and publishing on all channels.</span></p><p><strong>Do you even realize you only need a few very good pieces of content? These drive 80% of your traffic and feed AI effectively. They’re incredibly cost-effective because you can reuse, republish, and repurpose without anyone noticing.</strong></p><p><span>And with a few, I really mean a few. In my newsroom, 5 to 7 pages drive most of the traffic; these pages vary a bit over the year, so I audit and recheck this data every 3 to 6 months.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>I own my content and make it fit for distribution, not vice versa. </strong>In other words, I create content for my .com and use a derivation of that for social; I don't create assets for social-only. Doing this allows me to use and reuse my content on all channels instead of a one-time social post.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>A little disclaimer: this applies to brand and thought leadership content, not campaigns.</span></p><p><span>Let’s dig in.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>The benefit and business case for ‘better’ content</span></h2><p><span>No worries, I’m not going to lecture you on why ‘better’ is ‘better’. You already know the benefits and how higher quality content improves getting your message across, claiming your leadership in the industry and can drive sales in the long term.</span></p><p><span><strong>The business impact multiplies</strong>. If you produce better content, you can reuse it at very low costs. All you need is a dirty mind, creativity, and AI.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>The prerequisite is that your basic content is of high quality. If so, you can create multiple versions and many social assets with minimal effort and republish often. If not, you're f*cked and need to invest in better content first.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Investing upfront in better content might be a struggle because it’s much more time-consuming and expensive to create, but it ultimately pays off. Less is eventually more.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Reasons why this craving for ‘more content’ happens</span></h2><p><span>There are many reasons; these are the top 3 I see the most with my clients.</span></p><ul><li><span><strong>Intentionally ignorant</strong>. I get it; it’s not sexy to reuse what you already have. Nor is it good for your KPIs that measure the output of your content team. It’s time to flip this perspective.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Unintentionally unaware</strong>. Hardly anyone does this; if they do, they don’t tell you because it’s not sexy or it’s their best-kept efficiency secret. You don’t know what you don’t know. It’s time to educate yourself and become a frontrunner.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Your</strong> <strong>presumption that once your content is published, everyone sees it</strong>. Nope. They don’t. Not on your .com, socials or email marketing. You can easily reuse and republish without anyone noticing. And if they do, it’s even better because you need to </span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/master-the-rule-of-5-7-make-your-content-stick/" target="_blank"><span>repeat a message 5 to 7 times before it sticks</span></a><span>.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What you need for ‘better’ content</span></h2><p><span>Two things that matter and that drive the biggest and fastest change to transition from wanting ‘more’ to wanting ‘better’ content.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>This is also what you need to tell the others in the C-suite to get the buy-in and budget for higher-quality content that’s more expensive in the short term and has more revenue and impact in the long term.</span></p><ol><li><span><strong>User intent</strong>. With the rise of AI and mediocre content flooding the web, there’s one thing that can make you stand out: user intent. It’s the </span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/understanding-ai-search-and-how-to-update-your-content-to-rank-high/" target="_blank"><span>underlying reason behind a search</span></a><span>, reflecting what the user truly wants to know.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Educate yourself on this, and you’ll be 10 steps ahead of your competitors.&nbsp;</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span><strong>Data</strong>. Use your damn data. A harsh truth, but most CMOs and CEOs aren’t aware of the 10 most-read pages on the .com. What content is your customer looking for? What do they want to know about you?&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>This is stuff the senior management needs to know if they decide on content budgets. If you don’t have a rough feeling about this, you’re not as data-driven as you say you are.</span></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>How to educate yourself on this</h3><p>Read and listen. Books. Podcasts. A few highlights: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/markritson/" target="_blank">Mark Ritson</a>, yes, he's loud but has a point. <a href="https://marketoonist.com/" target="_blank">Marketoonist</a> nails it every time. ‘<a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/books/" target="_blank">No Bullsh*t Strategy</a>’ by Alex M H Smith, ‘<a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/books/" target="_blank">They Ask, You Answer</a>’ by Marcus Sheridan.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Frequently asked questions about user intent and cost-saving in content</span></h2><ul><li><span><strong>How do I find the user intent for my content?</strong></span><br><br><span>The easiest trick is to put yourself in their shoes and ask, ‘What do I want to know if I’m searching for XYZ?’ and ‘What are the relevant and related questions I might have?’&nbsp;And based on that, you create your content.</span><br><br><span>Remember, </span>your customer doesn’t care about your brand or product, not at all. They only care about themselves.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>Why does user intent matter?</strong></span><br><br><span>As stated above, the user intent puts your user first and foremost in your content. With content overflooding the web, tapping into what your user, your customer, wants matters more than ever. Besides, AI is using that same content to create responses, and with AI search going to take over SEO, you’ll have to or miss the boat.</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>How can AI help me save costs in the content team?</strong></span><br><br><span>Honestly, for now, in these honeymoon years of AI, the </span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/use-ai-to-create-better-content-not-just-more/" target="_blank"><span>cost savings</span></a><span> aren’t as big as some tell you. The ballpark number in the market states 40% time savings; if you use AI only to automate and speed up, the savings can be around 80%. However, 10% cost savings is more realistic if you want to keep your quality high.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Wrapping it up</span></h2><p><span>In a nutshell, content for 2025 is not about ‘more’ it’s about ‘better.’ I know it’s not sexy to reuse what you already have, but it is efficient and effective with a much higher value for money.</span></p><p><span>Investing in creating better content is damn expensive as you need more research and spend more time on the quality, but it will pay off in the long term.</span><br><br>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’</strong></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Need help to start with AI today?</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If you need any help setting up this new process and getting your team started while hitting the ground running, don’t hesitate to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>drop me a DM</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;on LinkedIn.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If I'm not your designated person, I can certainly recommend someone in my network who can help you.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Subscribe for more AI and marketing insights</strong></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">If you don't want to miss out on AI, content, and marketing based on insight and how it matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><u>newsletter</u></a>. And you'll receive my updates automatically in your inbox.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Two-click subscribe, and one-click to unsubscribe if you don’t like it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Easy does it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">→<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><u>Subscribe</u></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></description><category><![CDATA[strategy,AI,confessions]]></category>
            <pubDate>Sun, 01 Dec 2024 10:38:56 +0100</pubDate>
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                        <title>Don&#039;t mix up your plan and planning</title>
                        <link>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/common-content-mistakes-mixing-up-your-plan-and-planning/</link>
                        <guid>https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/common-content-mistakes-mixing-up-your-plan-and-planning/</guid><pp:caseid>679359</pp:caseid><pp:subtitle>Dear CEO CMO, do you know the difference?</pp:subtitle><description><![CDATA[<p>A rant and my frustration with marketers who don't distinguish between plan and planning. The one thing that makes this even worse is that often, they are not even aware they are making this mix-up. And that really hurts your business and my strategy and content heart.&nbsp;</p>]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span>I stumble on too much too common content mistakes with almost every client and every day. These mistakes raise the costs and lower standards. Not even to speak about the lack of accountability and ignoring the effect content potentially can have.</span></p><p><span>Such a waste of budget and effort and causes frustration.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Let’s start with the most annoying one, the unaware and unintended mixing up plan and planning in content.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>→ Most brands think they have a plan, but in reality, they have a planning. &nbsp;A plan is the ‘why’ based on research, data, insights, and how content contributes to the business objectives; the planning is the ‘when, what, and where.’&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p>What are the differences between plan and planning, and why does it matter?&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>Before you continue reading, it is good to know that ‘plan’ is just another word for ‘strategy.’&nbsp;</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>How mixing up plan and planning hurts your business</span></h2><p><span>What I see the most is that the planning is proudly presented as the brands’ plan, the content strategy.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>However, that planning is actually just a derivation of the marketing strategy and calendar, not a plan for how content contributes to the business and can be measured.</span></p><p><span>Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with using your marketing strategy as a starting point for your content planning for the following year. But, then, it’s planning, not a plan.</span></p><p><span>There are many brands without a strategy and just execute in line with the marketing calendar, and they'll survive. <strong>But if you want to grow, drive sales, claim leadership and move some needles, you better get a strategy in place.&nbsp;</strong></span></p><p><span>Failing to plan is planning to fail.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>I’ll explain.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Content plan, the bigger picture</span></h3><p><span>A plan is another word for strategy. In short, ‘how you get from A to B,’ where A is where you are right now, and B is your objective, where you want to be. The plan describes how you allocate your scarce resources to reach that objective as efficiently as possible.</span></p><p><span>The plan is the why, what, and who behind your content, guiding everything toward your bigger picture and business goals. This is also where you set your KPIs.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>Content planning, day-to-day execution</span></h3><p><span>The planning Is the execution of the plan. It’s how you turn your strategy into action; turn big goals into clear actions.</span></p><p><span>Deciding when and how content gets produced, measured in daily (vanity) metrics, not KPIs.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><table><tr><td style="border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;">&nbsp;</td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span><strong>Plan (Strategy)</strong></span></td><td style="border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span><strong>Planning (Execution)</strong></span></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Focus</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Broader business goals, KPIs</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Marketing campaign and metrics</span></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Timeframe</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Long-term, big picture</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Short-term, aligned with the marketing calendar</span></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Primary Drivers</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Brand vision, point of view, user-intent, audience personas</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Marketing calendar, specific campaign needs</span></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Metrics Alignment</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Brand awareness, loyalty, thought leadership, year-to-year overall sales</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Traffic, conversions, engagement</span></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Core Questions</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>Why do we produce content and how does this contribute to the business?</span></td><td style="background-color:#FFFFFF;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left:1px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);border-right-width:0px;border-top-style:none;vertical-align:top;"><span>When, what and where do we publish our content?</span></td></tr></table><p>&nbsp;</p><p><span>I will not dive into the details of both. If you really don’t know why you need a strategy before you get into execution, this page is not for you.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So why do so many brands struggle to distinguish the two? Here’s what I see.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>Why brands mix-up plan and planning&nbsp;</span></h2><p><span>The most common reason is the lack of seniority in your content team. I get it; you want as much content as possible at the cheapest price, and content seniors are expensive.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><strong>But let’s be honest here: most marketers became project managers in disguise, and the CMO often has more on his or her plate than just content.</strong></span></p><p><span>→ Content is a craft and expertise on its own, for a reason.</span></p><p><span>→ Content is much more than marketing. Just like AI, it touches every department; everyone needs, wants, produces, and distributes content.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><span>What to do? 3 Steps to fix the content strategy mix-up</span></h2><p>There are 3 things you can do.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span>1. Educate yourself, update your expertise</span></h3><p><span>I highly recommend you read books, listen to podcasts, immerse yourself in cases, and dive into the data. No doubt you truly show your craftmanship and expertise by knowing the old-school theory while staying up to date with current practices.</span></p><p><span><strong>Stay f***ing curious.</strong></span></p><ul><li><span>My top 5 </span><a href="https://www.thinklikeapublisher.com/books/" target="_blank"><span>books</span></a><span> about content and strategy I highly recommend: ‘No Bullsh*t Strategy’ by Alex M H Smith, ‘Building a StoryBrand’ by Donald Miller, ‘They Ask, You Answer’ by Marcus Sheridan, 'Good Strategy, bad strategy' by Richard P. Rumelt, and ‘How not to Plan: 66 ways to screw it up’ by Les Binet and Sarah Carter.</span><br>&nbsp;</li><li><span>Podcasts to listen to: </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/acquired/id1050462261" target="_blank"><span>Acquired</span></a><span> , </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/acq2-by-acquired/id1597212401" target="_blank"><span>ACQ2</span></a><span> , and </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/nudge/id1457621005" target="_blank"><span>Nudge</span></a><span> . There are so many more amazing podcasts out there; this is my top 3 with the hidden uncommon gems.&nbsp;</span></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span><strong>2. Bring in external eyes, identify blind spots</strong></span></h3><p><span>Outside perspectives keep you sharp. Hire external consultants to identify your blind spots and help you see what’s missing.</span></p><p><span>Yes, externals are expensive, but for a reason. If you have a good one who gives sh*t about internal politics, they help you, and they'll tell you without a doubt where you f*** up and what you need to do to improve and get started.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3><span><strong>3. Hire professionals to start strong and bring your team up to speed</strong></span></h3><p><span>Get experts to help you start strong and train your team. Your goal should be to build internal skills, so your team can take over confidently without needing that expensive external support.</span></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Frequently asked questions about content plan and planning</h2><ul><li><span><strong>What happens if I don't make the difference between plan and planning?</strong></span><br><br>You lose direction. <span>If you don't separate the content strategy from the execution, you lose direction. Your team may focus on just executing tasks without knowing the bigger purpose. This means scattered content efforts, wasted resources, and missed chances to tie content back to your business goals.</span><br><br><span>But let's be honest as well: if you don't have that strategy, you'll stay afloat. Only being accountable and growing become a lot more difficult (read: impossible).</span></li></ul><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><ul><li><span><strong>How do I know if my team is mixing up plan and planning?</strong></span><br><br>Wake up, after educating yourself. <span>Pay attention to how they talk about content projects. If they’re always focused on deadlines and tasks without talking about the bigger goals or the 'why' behind the content, they’re probably confusing strategy with planning.&nbsp;</span><br><br><span>Ask them why they’re doing what they’re doing, what's their objective and how that contributes to sales and the business — if they struggle to answer, there's a mix-up happening.</span></li></ul><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>How do I know if my CMO is mixing up plan and planning?</strong><br><br>Again, educate yourself, pay attention to details and ask questions. If your CMO is focused solely on campaign execution without talking about long-term strategy, they might be missing the bigger picture.&nbsp;<br><br>Ask questions like, 'How does this campaign fit into our overall brand goals?' If the answers seem vague or disconnected, it's a sign they might be blurring the lines between planning and strategy.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Key takeaways, plan versus planning</h2><p>What you need to know about distinguishing plan from planning</p><ul><li><strong>Know the difference</strong>: A plan is your strategy, while planning is about execution.<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Align your efforts</strong>: Ensure your planning directly follows your strategy to achieve business goals.<br>&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Build internal capabilities</strong>: Educate your team and bring in experts to get started, but aim to develop in-house expertise to reduce reliance on external support.</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>So far, my rant and frustration with marketers who don't distinguish between plan and planning.&nbsp;</p><p>The one thing that makes this even worse is that often, they are not even aware they are making this mix-up. And that really hurts your business and my strategy and content heart.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>About me and ‘Confessions of a content strategist’</strong></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">A little bit more about me and my rant as I have a feeling of sharing some background information with you – why what I see and think matters and why I humbly think that I have a point.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I'm a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>content strategist</span></a><span>&nbsp;with a university background in marketing, media, sociology, and psychology who fell in love with technology, creativity, and data. I have been around in the industry for 25+ years and have worked for over 50+ top-notch brands and agencies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>I've seen quite a lot. Made many mistakes. Learned even more.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span>Now, I share all this with you to nudge and inspire everyone working in marketing, communication, and corporate to do an even better job. Let's be honest; there's already too much crappy content out there; no need to contribute to that, right?</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span><strong>Need help to start with AI today?</strong></span></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If you need any help setting up this new process and getting your team started while hitting the ground running, don’t hesitate to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fleurwillemijn/" target="_blank"><span>drop me a DM</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;on LinkedIn.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">If I'm not your designated person, I can certainly recommend someone in my network who can help you.&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><h2 style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><strong>Subscribe for more AI and marketing insights</strong></h2><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">If you don't want to miss out on AI, content, and marketing based on insight and how it matters to you, subscribe to my LinkedIn<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6996392164452671488" target="_blank"><u>newsletter</u></a>. And you'll receive my updates automatically in your inbox.&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Two-click subscribe, and one-click to unsubscribe if you don’t like it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">Easy does it.</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">→<span>&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6996392164452671488/?displayConfirmation=true" target="_blank"><u>Subscribe</u></a></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:start;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;"><span style="text-align:left;">Please share your feedback in a comment or via&nbsp;</span><a href="mailto:fleurwillemijnvanbeinum@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-align:left;">email</span></a><span style="text-align:left;">&nbsp;to help me create better content for you.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p><hr><p style="margin-left:0px;text-align:left;">&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded><category><![CDATA[strategy,confessions]]></category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 10:34:33 +0100</pubDate>
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