Hello Reader! Fun fact: In a past life, I conducted a significant amount of academic research (see). I love furthering the cause of any research study, especially those related to journalism. Now is your chance to participate in a quick study (and get $10 for it): Renita Coleman, a former journalist who is now teaching and conducting research, is seeking assistance from journalists with a study aimed at improving press releases. It takes 15 minutes, pays $10 Amazon e-gift card, and is...
2 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader! There's ONE non-negotiable tool in my content marketing tech-stack: Clearscope. I love them so much, I even asked them if I could be an affiliate (they said yes!). Here's the best news: They just launched Clearscope 2.0, and it’s built for discoverability (not just rankings). Highlights: Topic Exploration: Map a whole topic, surface gaps, plan clusters. LLM Visibility tracking: See where you’re cited across Google, ChatGPT, and more. Human-readable intent: Plain-English...
8 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader! The most important asset in content right now is: VOICE.Not AI.Not GEO.Not SEO.Not even a wide distribution plan.We've gained a lot with AI as a tool, and a well-defined content strategy is crucial. But we've lost much more by investing in machines & content checklists over creativity/deep thinking/actually saying something.I've been writing SaaS content for 15 years, and I've never been more bored.The content I'm reading every day is boring.The briefs I get are boring....
9 days ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader! Quick question for you as I'm looking to refine the job board. I want to make sure you are all getting hired. If so, great! If not, I'll pivot and find other avenues for job opportunities. Lemme know. Thanks, Ashley Have you found a job from this board? Yes No Jobs Featured Jobs: Content Writer / Copywriter at YPM SEO Specialist at Complete Connection Content Writer at Aceolution Search Engine Optimization Team Lead at NetReputation.com SEO Specialist (with a knack for data) at...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader! In this issue: Expert interview: Olivia Wickstrom on building a referral program Best content this week: Pay special attention to Ryan's article on the Content Engineer job title. AI-updates: Love the article on Fiverr's pivot, especially since I was one of the peeps replaced by their new strategy. Thanks for reading, Ashley R. Cummings P.S. It's not too late. Join the upcoming 25-day "Become Irreplaceable" challenge. Join us Expert Interview | Olivia Wickstrom Olivia Wickstrom...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader! Wanna hear something embarrassing? Once I asked the Alice Cooper band to take a picture OF me. Not WITH me, y'all. OF ME!!! 👇 🤣 😬 Why the faux pas? Well, I didn't know who they were. I only knew they were other English-speaking people taking pictures of Saint Basil's Cathedral. Talk about a missed opportunity, all because... wait for it, wait for it... I didn't know my audience! (And you know I'm about to liken this to content marketing, because that's what we do). So, may I...
23 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader! Hello [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]! Raise your hand if your business looks EXACTLY the same as it did...even...well...a year ago. Looking Nat Geo GIF by Dr. Donna Thomas Rodgers I'm looking around, and it seems none of you are raising your hands. It's been a roller coaster. Am I right? And it hasn't been easy staying afloat. Have you felt this? I know I have. To give you a little context, my business was rockin' up until Dec 2023. In fact, it was exploding! I had more work than I...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hello! In today's issue: Sponsored by Morning Brew (fresh read every morning) VIP jobs Featured jobs Become a Content Connect VIP for tutorials, deep dives, more job recommendations, etc. Thanks for reading! -Ashley Jobs VIP Jobs (subscribe to Content Connect VIP for more VIP jobs each Friday) Wil Reynolds is looking for a content engineer Joseph Cooper is looking for a content creator Compound is hiring a remote editor (benefits!) Compound is also hiring a B2B writer (doesn't look to be...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader! In this issue: 3 industry trends Must-read content this week AI updates Virtual bootcamp from Renee Frojo Expert interview with Teodora Pirciu Ashley R. Cummings Industry Trends 💡 ChatGPT Plus is now surfacing answers directly from Google’s index, making Google visibility the gateway to showing up in AI-generated responses. 💡 "Content engineer" is rising as a new job position. 💡 Search in Q2 2025 is increasingly fragmented, with AI-powered results, zero-click behaviors, and...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read