Client Spotlight: Jillfrances Gray is the founder of JFG Visual Communications, where she partners with start-ups to develop and execute a brand strategy. A member of Writing Practice, she wrote “How Misaligned Branding Slows Startup Growth: Closing the Internal-External Gap,” which explores the importance of translating a founder’s intuition into language team members and prospects share.

Good morning, ,

So much advice about content marketing and inbound marketing is directed at large companies with full marketing departments, budgets, and a stable of in-house and contract writers. Unfortunately, that advice is often shared with solo professionals as if it is as suited to us as it is to much bigger companies.

It isn't.

In fact, if you try to follow the most frequently touted advice about content marketing and inbound marketing, it will not only fail to get you the results you seek, but you will be absolutely exhausted and unable to show up for your clients or the people you care about the way you want to.

So, what is the standard content marketing advice?

Orbit Media recently dropped the results from their 2025 Blogging Survey. The most effective strategies identified in the report include:

• Publishing 2000+ word articles.
• Publishing these articles multiple times each week.
• Collaborating with influencers on most articles.
• Spending 6+ hours per article.
• Using paid promotion channels to drive traffic to these articles.

Yeah, that is neither smart nor sustainable advice for an independent consultant.

But what's the alternative?

Take a page from Greg McKeown's book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, and write less, but better. More specifically:

• Publish articles that are deep and nuanced. Don't worry about word count; just write as many words as are needed.
• Publish articles once a month. Publish more often if it's sustainable and less often if it's not.
• Forget about collaborating with influencers. Your goal is not to show others how popular you are; your goal is to show your prospective clients and partners how you think about the work you do.
• Expect to spend at least six to ten hours on each article. Some will take less time, while others will take more. Take the time the article needs.
• Don't bother with paid promotion. Instead, make and execute a plan to use your published articles as business assets.

Tailor your strategy to your business model. If you only need a few large projects each year, you don't need to drive a ton of traffic to your website or build a huge email list. As Michael Zipursky of Consulting Success notes, you simply need to focus on three business development activities: building your network, nurturing your network, and demonstrating your authority.

Writing is not about the ink; it's about the think.

In this age of AI slop, the best way to stand out is to slow down and focus on the essentials. Take the time to think deeply, embrace nuance, and write articles that are worth reading.

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Join the Conversation

Writing for high-visibility publications is a complete waste of time. Or is it?

A lot of the noise online implies that writing a piece for a high-visibility publication will have the hordes of humans knocking down your doors. In this LinkedIn post, I dispel that myth and share a few ideas for how to unlock the full value of published articles. Join the conversation.

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Recommended Resource

The CORD Framework

The CORD Framework helps you evaluate and improve the editorial quality of your articles. Each of the four elements (cogent, original, researched, and deep) includes a list of questions to ensure every article you write is an article worth reading. Download the framework.

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Featured Appearance

Podcast: Hourly to Exit

I joined Erin Austin in 2023 to talk about building authority by writing articles for high-visibility publications. Erin is an intellectual property attorney, and she is my primary source of information about the legal and ethical implications of AI. Take a listen!

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Upcoming Events

Authority Lab™

Interested in learning how to build your authority through writing, whether you're writing for your blog or a high-visibility publication? Join me on Wednesday, November 12, at 11:55 AM Eastern for a mini-training on what to do after your article has been published, followed by a Q+A. Free. Register here.

Master Class: How to Write for High-Visibility Publications

In this 60-minute master class, I will share the SILVA Method™ and walk you through the process I use to help my clients secure bylines in publications like Harvard Business Review, Inc., and TD Magazine. Join me at 2 PM Eastern on Wednesday, December 10. Free. Register here.

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That's it for today! If you have any questions or would like to explore working together, please book a call. I'd love to learn more about your business and how I might be of service.

Take good care,

Ready to Invest in Building Your Authority?

Writing Practice

Live workshops, accountability, and resources to help you write, edit, and publish more high-quality articles, whether those articles are for your blog or a high-visibility publication. Write on!

Pathway to Publication

A hybrid private and small-group intensive for consultants ready to build their authority by writing for high-visibility publications. The next cohort starts in February. Learn more and apply today.

Authority Development

Custom one-to-one engagements that help you create and implement an authority development strategy tailored to your business goals. Two spots are open in November. Learn more and submit your inquiry.

AI Disclosure Statement: I used LanguageTool, an AI-based grammar checker, to review this email newsletter. To learn more about how (and when) I use AI, review my AI Usage Policy.