Howdy, marketing comrades,

Real-time shot of me trying to be all zen on a northern Michigan lake this week:

Yep, it’s that time of year where we pack the Explorer to the gills, drive six hours north with 40+ extended family members, and do all things “nature” for the next week.

Some call that hell, we call it… err, a vacation.

That said, today’s newsletter is less original insight and more curated “what’s on Trav’s content brain these days” as I try to soak in a little R&R.

Enjoy!

On today’s docket:

• 3 curated content finds
• Digital competitive intel
• Tread Digital update

📝 3 content articles I'm digesting these days

​1. Marketing Tech Stack: What It Takes to Choose The Right Tools - CoSchedule Blog​

*Let me first say that I don’t use CoSchedule, and this blog is brimming with CoSchedule over-promotion.*

With that behind us... I've seen countless conversations, texts, and now Tread Digital threads where people are asking which marketing tech stack to use.

I enjoyed this blog because if you skip halfway through, you can find examples of the marketing tech stacks used by actual companies like Rabobank, UnitedHealthcare, FileStage, and others.

Some of these example companies are mega-enterprises—so honestly, you could operate really well with about 35% of what they use.

​2. Don’t Build It, Yet: How Content Can Validate Your Next Product Idea ​

Some say, “Build it and they will come.”

I say, “Make content, validate it, build it… and then they will come. Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, huh? 😉

This tactic stretches far beyond just using content as a marketing tool. It transforms content into a market research and product validation tactic that everyone—from the product team to sales to leadership—can rally behind.

Here are two favorite points from the piece:

Trav’s take: Any time you can build out a targeted segment based on early interest, you work smarter, not harder. It’s like doing the homework before it’s even assigned. Epic head start for future marketing tactics.

Trav’s take: When it makes sense, I try to work with clients’ engineering or product marketing teams to turn content into a market research tool. We write about potential product release angles or create compelling interactive content around specific features.

If the view count or engagement skyrockets, you’ve added another notch in the validation process belt. If it falls flat? Great! You just avoided wasting a ton of time and effort. Delete the piece, tell your cross-functional compadres, and move on.

I personally try to do this a lot when testing new service offerings with Imagine Content. It’s fun… at least for this content nerd. 🤓

​3. TA #162: 🥁 10 ways to be more creative: My interview with actor, writer BJ Novak​

I love BJ Novak. I love Ann Handley.

So, when these two creativity titans crossed paths in May at the Content Entrepreneur Expo, I was a bit obsessed with snagging the interview transcript.

Ann captures their conversation in her latest newsletter. And in true Ann Handley fashion, she does it beautifully.

Reading about the creative process always lights up my brain and pulls it away from the relentless grind of “SEO, keywords, audience growth hacks.” This piece is a gem for anyone striving to create content that stands out, captivates, and humanizes brands.

🕵🏼 Sherlock Holmes wannabe? Join our competitive intel pilot!

In agriculture and marketing, we often have our heads down, laser-focused on key priorities and projects — as we should be.

But there’s something to be said for keeping a side eye on the competition.

It helps you position yourself against them. You spot gaps in content opportunities. Your team can gauge their growth and even glean strategic insights based on the digital playbook they run.

But let’s be real: constantly monitoring what they're up to is a slog. While some agencies and SaaS platforms offer competitive intel, they often just dump data without delivering actionable insights.

So we’re looking to create something that takes competitive research in the ag world a step further. We’re looking for 3 brave marketers to pilot a real-time digital competitive intel report for their companies.

Imagine (no pun intended) receiving a weekly email that shows you everything your top 2-3 competitors are up to. Things like:

• Website changes and SEO shifts
• Organic social posts — from both their brand and their top influencers
• Paid display and Google ads
• Emails they send
• New written or video content
• PR/media mentions

We’re even exploring the possibility of tracking print ads, radio spots, and trade show exhibit booths…

For example. The competition:

• Is running display ads for new dealers in Iowa — does your local DSM know?
• Just sent out harvest result emails for Ohio plots — has your product manager seen how they’re positioning their hybrids against yours?
• Started a new blog series on a new function/capability — is your product marketer aware of the messaging shift?

Willing to be our guinea pig? Simply reply to this email and Travis will share more!

💼 Tread Digital update

Come join the fun — for free — over at Tread Digital.

We’ve got 91 ag marketers dishing on everything from open jobs to best PR distribution lists in ag to content calendar suggestions and more.

Come hang out today! Learn more and join here.​

Need a little extra help with all things content? Chat with us at Imagine Content to discuss how we help ag brands build trust, authority, and audiences. We've worked with 25+ ag brands on content strategy + execution, SEO, design, and content analytics. Get in touch to see past work and share where you're needing help.​

Or, do you need a little more design capacity? Subscribe to our simple, unlimited design service to support your existing graphic designers or utilize an outsourced team.

That's all for this month, folks!

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