Tech Community Building

We’ve all seen how quickly a single moment on social media can spiral. One tone-deaf comment, one AI-generated response that misses the mark, or just a slow internal handoff and suddenly, your brand is trending for all the wrong reasons. When I started building our AI-First Mindset™ transformation program, I knew we couldn’t just focus on opportunity. We also had to prepare leaders for risk and that includes public-facing crises fueled by speed and automation. That’s why I developed a new module focused on building a social media crisis management plan designed for today’s AI-powered workplace. We cover the essentials: • How to build a clear, flexible crisis communication plan • The best crisis management tools to monitor and respond in real time • How to define team roles across marketing, legal, leadership and tech • And how to account for AI-powered systems that can escalate issues if not handled properly In a world where content and backlash move at machine speed, your people need clarity. That starts with a plan that’s actually usable and practiced before the pressure hits. This isn’t about fear. It’s about preparation. AI adoption comes with incredible potential, but it also changes how we manage trust. A good crisis response needs to e part of your broader AI change management strategy. If your team is using AI but hasn’t revisited your crisis plan, now’s the time. Stay tuned for practical guidance on creating crisis plans that perform under pressure. #DigitalCrisisStrategy #CrisisCommunication #CrisisResponse #DigitalCrisis #SocialMediaCrisis

What companies get wrong about content marketing Most businesses approach content like this: → Write a blog post about circular economy principles → Share it once on LinkedIn → Wonder why nobody engaged → Conclude "content marketing doesn't work for us" Here's what's actually happening: Your content is for you, not for your audience. You're writing about what you think is interesting (circular economy theory) instead of what your potential clients are actually struggling with (how to comply with new regulations without blowing their budget). You're using language that makes sense to you (technical jargon, industry acronyms) instead of language your clients actually use. You're answering questions nobody's asking. Good content marketing starts with listening. What language do they actually use when describing their problems? What keeps your ideal client awake at 3am? What questions do they ask in sales calls? What objections do they have? Then you create content that addresses those real concerns. In their language. On their timeline. One blog post shared once isn't a strategy. It's a Hail Mary. A strategy is: → Understanding your audience's actual pain points → Creating content that addresses those specific challenges → Showing up consistently, not just when you feel like it → Building trust before asking for anything → Making your expertise accessible, not impressive Sustainability companies have the expertise. They have the solutions. What they're missing is the bridge between what they know and what their clients need to hear. That's what marketing does. And when it's done right, it doesn't feel like marketing at all. It feels like having a conversation with someone who actually gets it.

After managing hundreds (maybe thousands) of SEO campaigns… I've distilled content creation down to a science. Here are 6 core pillars that actually move the needle: 1. Smart Keyword Selection Search volume is a vanity metric. Focus on these factors instead: • Relevance to your business goals • Commercial intent signals • Click-through rate potential Pro tip: 60% of Google searches end without a click. Pick keywords where people actually click through to websites. 2. The Uniqueness Factor Google's drowning in AI-generated content. Your advantage? Being genuinely different. Here's how: • Conduct original research (even small studies work) • Share first-hand experience and opinions • Create fresh data sets • Build user-generated content around polarizing topics AI can't replicate human experience. Use that. 3. Perfect Intent Matching Want to rank? Match the format that's already working (while adding your unique spin). Simple process: • Search your target keyword • Study the top 3 results • Note the content format (list, guide, comparison) • Create something similar but better If Google shows informational content, don't try to rank commercial pages. Work with the algorithm, not against it. 4. Content Quality Standards Great content isn't about word count. It's about clarity and engagement: • Write like you're talking to one person • Use simple language (no jargon) • Break up text with headings and bullets • Add visuals that actually add value • Edit ruthlessly 5. Topic Authority Building One great page isn't enough. Build supporting content around your main topic: • Start with branded keywords (easiest wins) • Target competitor comparisons • Create problem-aware content • Build educational resources Each piece should link to others, creating a content hub that Google loves. 6. Technical Foundation All the great content in the world won't rank if your technical SEO is broken: • Page speed under 3 seconds • Mobile-first design • Proper URL structure • Internal linking strategy • Schema markup where relevant Stop pumping out random blog posts. Start building strategic content assets that serve your business goals. Every piece should either educate your audience or move them closer to becoming customers.

If your website isn’t driving engagement, attracting clients, or positioning you as a trusted authority, chances are it’s missing one thing: valuable content. A static website is just an online brochure - it sits there, waiting to be found. But when you add useful, well-researched content, it transforms into a powerful business development tool. Here’s how to do it right: 1. Build a Strategy That Works: Great content doesn’t happen by accident. Your plan should align with your audience’s needs, your expertise, and your resources (time, people, and budget). A content calendar keeps you consistent, so you’re always top of mind. 2. Prioritize Research-Driven Content: Opinion pieces can be interesting, but data-backed insights and original research build credibility. If you want your content to get shared, bookmarked, and cited, focus on providing real value such as new information, deep expertise, and actionable takeaways. 3. Use Multiple Formats to Reach More People: Not everyone consumes content the same way. Some people prefer in-depth articles, while others engage with videos, podcasts, or infographics. Repurpose your best ideas across different formats to maximize reach and impact. 4. Curate, But Add Your Expertise: Sharing industry news, expert interviews, and event takeaways is a smart way to add value—but don’t just repost. Layer in your own insights to make it meaningful for your audience. Thoughtful curation strengthens your brand as a go-to resource. 5. Never Publish Without Editing: Typos and unclear messaging can hurt your credibility. Take the extra step to review your work (or have someone else do it) before publishing. Professionalism matters. 6. Publish With Purpose: A great piece of content means nothing if no one sees it. Optimize your posts with search-friendly URLs, embed videos strategically, and make sure everything is easy to find. Then, share it where your audience is - on LinkedIn, in email newsletters, and beyond. Content builds trust, and trust leads to business. If your website isn’t actively helping you attract opportunities, it’s time to rethink your content approach. Done right, it can position you as the go-to expert in your industry. Let me know what you think of these tips in the comments below! #contentmarketing #personalbranding #legalmarketing #bestadvice

Blog posts ≠ content marketing. If you’re a marketer at a SaaS startup and your strategy starts and ends with “let’s publish 4 blogs a month,” you’re not doing content marketing — you’re checking a box. Because the truth is: blogs don’t always work. - Sometimes they don’t rank. - Sometimes your audience doesn’t even read long-form. - Sometimes… it’s just not the right format. That’s when real content marketers step in — the ones who think like strategists, not just writers. They experiment. They adapt. They ask: “What format will actually get us in front of the right people?” Here’s how some of the best SaaS startups did it: ⭢ Notion leaned into user-generated templates and a community-first strategy. Instead of doubling down on blogs, they showcased how real users were using the product — and let the content spread itself. ⭢ Ahrefs turned their YouTube channel into an SEO education powerhouse. Over 20M+ views. Not blog traffic — video. And they built free tools that bring in hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors — without publishing new blogs. ⭢ Zapier didn’t write a blog for every use case. They built thousands of integration-specific landing pages — auto-generated but SEO-optimized — to rank for queries like “how to connect X to Y.” ⭢ Webflow built Webflow University — a collection of video courses, tutorials, and guides — and made learning the product fun. Who needs a blog when you have a binge-worthy video library? That’s content marketing done right. Content marketing isn’t about sticking to one format — it’s about meeting your audience where they are and delivering value in the way they want it. Sometimes that’s a blog. Other times it’s: ↳ A product tutorial on YouTube ↳ A free tool ↳ A LinkedIn post (like this one) ↳ A community ↳ A newsletter ↳ A live workshop ↳ Or something totally unexpected The format should be flexible. The strategy should stay focused. If your content isn’t getting results, don’t stop doing content marketing — just stop doing it the same way. Your job isn’t to write blogs. It’s to create content that drives awareness, trust, and growth. So, what’s one non-blog content format you’re experimenting with this year?

Was leaving X the only tech ethics decision your charity made this year? Because at the same time, many of us are still: - Using platforms owned by Meta despite well-documented human rights concerns. - Experimenting with AI tools trained on data labelled by low-paid workers. - Building services on infrastructure tied to military contracts. - Collecting sensitive user data without investing enough in security or governance. None of this is hidden. It’s just easier to ignore. Leaving Twitter is a public decision. Most other tech choices happen quietly. If we’re serious about ethics in tech, it can’t stop at the most visible platform. These aren’t neutral choices. If your tech stack relies on companies that wouldn’t pass your own ethical standards - that’s a trade-off. Own it. Discuss it. Make it a conscious decision. If we only apply ethics where it’s visible, we’re not really applying it at all.

Here’s how I’d create a content strategy for a highly “technical” B2B SaaS brand: 1/ Simplify the message Technical doesn’t have to mean confusing. • Translate complex features into real-world benefits. • Use clear language that decision-makers, not just engineers, can understand. 2/ Focus on pain points Your audience has specific challenges. • What problems are they facing daily? • How does your solution make their jobs easier or save them time? 3/ Leverage case studies and proof Show, don’t just tell. • Use data, case studies, and real-world examples to prove your value. • Highlight the measurable impact your solution has had on other businesses. 4/ Create multi-level content Speak to different roles within the buying process. • For CTOs, focus on technical specifics. • For CEOs, focus on ROI and business outcomes. 5/ Offer educational resources Help your audience become better informed. • Produce how-tos, guides, and webinars that address common challenges in their industry. • Position your brand as the go-to resource for solutions. This strategy helps cut through the complexity and builds trust with your target audience. PS. If you’d like to have me review your current content strategy (for free), DM me.

One of our tech brand partners followed the viral Cluely marketing playbook. 100M+ views in 30 days. They're dumping it. Here's why... Low-quality UGC. Viral clips. Brain rot content. It looked like it was working. Big numbers. Lots of buzz. Then they checked pipeline. Nothing moved. For mobile apps targeting Gen Z? Sure, maybe it works. Short funnel. Low commitment. Attention is enough. But knowledge workers don't buy SaaS products because of a chaotic 15-second TikTok. They buy because someone they respect showed them exactly how it solved a real problem IN THEIR NICHE. Those people mainly live on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Newsletters So that's where you need to be. And that's what the content needs to do. SaaS used to mean "software as a service" We're getting closer to "storytelling as a service" Ditch your "feature marketing" and start adopting "use case marketing" And find creators that are respected in their niches (ie the top marketing voices, sales voices, etc) Nobody cares about your product. Sell the outcome (through value-based use cases) as those are what stick This is the exact creator marketing playbook we are running for the fastest growing tech brands in the world PS - None of this works if your product is trash Takeaway: reach is vanity. Resonance is revenue This is post #2 of "CMO Confessions" - a series where I share what I'm actually seeing across marketing teams at the biggest tech brands in the world. Everything is anonymized and aggregated into broader trends. *** 🔔 Follow me AJ Eckstein 🧩 for more content on entrepreneurship, creator marketing strategies for tech brands, and tips for creators

Thought leadership content is a powerful way for professional services firms to showcase expertise, build trust, and position themselves as industry authorities. By providing valuable insights and addressing client concerns, you can create content that truly resonates. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Address Key Client Questions Focus on the issues that matter most to your audience. What challenges do they face? What questions do they frequently ask? Examples: “How Does the No-Fault Divorce Law Affect Me?” “Preparing for an Employment Tribunal: Essential Steps.” “What Every Small Business Owner Should Know About Tax Planning.” Tip: Use tools like Google Trends or FAQs from client interactions to identify relevant topics. 2️⃣ Provide Unique Insights Go beyond surface-level information by offering actionable advice and perspectives based on your expertise. Include anonymised case studies or client examples to demonstrate real-world applications. Explain the implications of legal changes and how clients should respond. Example: Instead of just summarising a new regulation, outline practical steps clients can take to adapt. 3️⃣ Diversify Your Formats Using different content formats helps reach a broader audience and keeps your messaging fresh. Examples: Blog posts: Dive into specific legal topics. Webinars: Host discussions on trending issues. Infographics: Visual guides for complex processes. Whitepapers: Comprehensive resources for in-depth exploration. Tip: Test different formats to see what engages your audience most effectively. 4️⃣ Prioritise Clarity and Accessibility Professional content doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple and client-focused. Use clear language and avoid jargon. Clients value understanding over technical terms. Organise content with subheadings, bullet points, and visuals to make it easy to navigate. Tip: Write as if explaining to someone unfamiliar with the topic. 5️⃣ Promote Strategically Great content is only effective if it reaches your audience. Distribute it across key channels to maximise visibility. Share posts on LinkedIn, newsletters, and your website. Encourage your team to amplify the reach by sharing on their profiles. Repurpose content into smaller pieces for social media, like turning a blog into multiple LinkedIn posts. Example: Use a blog on workplace rights to create short LinkedIn tips for employees. 6️⃣ Track and Optimise Results Monitor how your content performs and use the data to refine your strategy. Metrics to Track: Page views, time on site, shares, and conversions. Tip: Identify successful topics and formats, then double down on what works best. Thought leadership isn’t just about sharing knowledge—it’s about providing value and clarity to your audience. By focusing on your clients’ needs and delivering actionable content, your firm can strengthen trust, establish authority, and inspire confidence. 💬 What topics do you think would resonate most with your clients?

Impact is everything! As someone who cares deeply about Responsible AI, one of the questions that drives me is how does the Responsible Tech community tangibly influence AI development to ensure more responsible outcomes? Thanks to Mozilla Rise25 awardees Cansu Canca, Ph.D. and Gemma Galdon Clavell, PhD for joining me to explore this question in a recent All Tech Is Human LinkedIn livestream. Beyond good intentions, these are two impactful practitioners sharing some wisdom on how to implement and operationalize RAI effectively, from two people who have been in the trenches for years. Three takeaways from our conversation: 🧬 Ethics-by-Design: RAI is not an add-on, but should be embedded throughout the entire AI development lifecycle.   Cansu’s goal is to help organizations incorporate ethics into each stage of the AI development process, ensuring ethical standards are built into the system from the start rather than relying on retroactive audits, engaging ethical considerations at each stage of AI development, as she notes that companies often seek help too late, usually at the deployment stage. Her team works with organizations to create an “ethics by design” approach, embedding ethical questions and actions throughout the AI lifecycle. This includes establishing governance frameworks, playbooks, and talent who can identify, escalate, and address ethical issues systematically. 🥸 Compliance Facade: Accountability requires technical audits to crash through the “compliance facade.” To address “compliance facade,” in which companies claim ethical compliance through documentation, but their technical implementations do not align, Gemma advocates for technical audits to ensure that ethical obligations are met not just in policy but in practice. Gemma highlights the need for accountability, particularly for organizations implementing AI tools (e.g., banks, large corporations), which often inherit the risks of these systems without sufficient oversight. She advocates for a shift in responsibility to these buyers, encouraging them to audit AI tools—even those developed by external providers. 📉 Market Pressure: Market pressure is a key lever of accountability that has largely been missing. Gemma argues that to make AI systems more accountable and reliable, multiple pressures are essential, including regulatory, public, and, crucially, market pressure. Companies purchasing AI tools should demand accountability from vendors, refusing to buy systems that may expose them to legal or ethical risks. Market pressure could compel providers to create more trustworthy, unbiased AI products that meet buyers’ needs and mitigate liability. Through audits, Gemma aims to empower buyers to demand higher standards from AI providers, which could influence the industry to produce more reliable, socially responsible technology. Check out our discussion https://lnkd.in/eYrkybEB David Ryan Polgar Sandra Khalil Gianina Galatro