David Smooke

🚨 It’s HERE The ultimate guide on finding, vetting, and managing freelancers: Grab it: https://lnkd.in/g3b6qfQ4 Hiring fractional experts is the best way to grow an e-commerce brand, period. I realized this after hiring (and subsequently laying off) dozens of employees when I was at Winc. I decided to dedicate my career to helping e-commerce leaders avoid the mistakes I made. Over the last 18 months, we’ve helped nearly a THOUSAND e-commerce brands find elite, affordable freelancers. They’re hiring experts from brands like Dr. Squatch, Athletic Greens, Hexclad, Nike, and more… for a fraction of the price. Now, instead of gatekeeping that access to members of The Starters, I’m opening it up so that ANYONE can learn how to find, vet, and manage fractional experts in the best ways. My team and I have been heads down over the last 2 months, putting together a 35+ page guide that’ll show you how to do all of this. Your cost? Absolutely nothing. In the guide, you’ll learn: - Why fractional experts are SO important in 2024 - How to find the best freelancers - The pros / cons of various freelance marketplaces - How to effectively vet freelancers - How much you should be paying freelancers - How to manage freelancers in the most effective way And you’ll get access to an interactive PDF with: - Hiring proces templates - Interview guides - Scoring rubrics - Onboarding checklists And no, this wasn’t just written by me. We interviewed top e-commerce CMOs who leverage fractional experts to grow their businesses. The guide is jam-packed with best practices my learnings at The Starters, as well as outside perspectives from e-commerce CMOs who hire freelancers every day. And yes… it’s free, no strings attached. I hope you love it.

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Turn one event into 2.8+ million impressions? New case study w/ Vin Matano 🐝 and Demandbase out now! - Follow our DICE framework to maximize your event ROI so you don’t have to roll the dice with in-person content. D-esign I-deate C-apture E-dit - DESIGN your event content plan before the event. Factor the RSVP list, influencer partners, and key marketing messaging before the start time. This will inform the topic selection and shot planning during the event. The more homework you do upfront, the easier it is to hit a home run at the event. IDEATE on content topics and thoroughly prepare. Be intentional and formulate a concrete shooting plan. This can include video topics, storyboarding, branding, and questions for the participants. You want to focus primarily on execution during the event, so it’s key to get the preparation in order. CAPTURE your event in a versatile manner. Now that you have your content plan, you can focus on 1) DOCUMENTING the event and 2) CREATING original content at the event. You want a fair balance of both so you can produce versatile videos (short form, interviews, hype video, recap, long form) with original b-roll. EDIT your raw assets into usable content. Think carefully about how you want to distribute the content. Fast-paced short form is great for organic social while more cinematic shots can serve as promotional reel for future events and sponsor activation. DO NOT post anything raw. Create with audience enjoyment top of mind. - Watch the full video for a detailed breakdown. Hosting an event and interested in turning it into a content factory? Hit up EventShark 🦈

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One of my favorite things to do is break down complex tech topics into terms that are easy for regular people to understand. I've had a lot of great opportunities to do this at CNET, and I'm especially proud of this Managed vs Unmanaged Hosting breakdown. Like many aspects of web hosting, every person (and every web host) you ask seems to have a different definition of "managed hosting". I had several conversations with my editor about how WE defined it, and together we came up with something we were happy with. Check it out if you're curious about these types of web hosting, or if you want to see a sample of my writing before you hire me!

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Love this post by Richele Black 🥕 because it’s so true! If you don’t onboard and prepare your freelancers well, they’ll likely struggle to produce the work you have in mind. I think companies often bootstrap their content for too long, until it’s far past time to start outsourcing it. In my experience, the team is already so maxed out by the time they start bringing in freelancers that they don’t have (or want to take) the time to provide adequate briefing and background info. It makes it incredibly difficult for freelancers to hit the target for them. #copywriter #professionalcopywriter #freelancecopywriter #freelancewriter #contentwriter #seowriter #copywriterforhire

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Lemme vent for a second about how value of this platform is dimishing thanks to: - #recycled #content - #propoganda and #bots - retirees using this platform as a substitute for Facebook - #Utah tech bros bearing their religious testimonials (I lived in Utah off/on for nearly 30 years and this does not get any less cringe) Folks are sharing the same videos from Telegram and news articles (even those written by AI). Some of y’all are even paying to promote your posts (yes, looking at you Skydio.) That’s real SMFH vibes. Anyway - the next few weeks are going to be massive for the #West and related #industrialbase for #drones: - we just had Anduril Industries and PDW win #MRR (I would have loved to have seen Edge Autonomy and Quantum Systems on there but I digress) - #SRR announce is IMMINENT - between Skydio and Teal Drones (Utah LFG!) - this is one of the largest contracts and programs of record in our industry. It would be nice to see both companies awarded, tbh, as it really helps the industrial base and more so, creates a massive black eye for the loser. I’m long #RCAT btw and would love to see these jobs brought to my hometown of #SLC. - #BlueUAS Refresh applicants get notified this week if their solutions were accepted for the first round of vetting. Curious to see who makes it and who doesn’t. - lots of #FPV stuff coming out of the woodwork, I’ve got eyes on #Europe 👀 - #SkydioAscend24 will unveil the #dock for X10 - it’s better than the predecessor, but larger and more expensive. Plus, lots of #software features like better #autonomy. (tbh, I’m always stoked on what Charles Wood and his crew are doing - the guy has had me eating my words like cereal on a few occasions about their products and despite the posts I relish being wrong and coming to a different conclusion - whether re: drones or something else). Word on the street is that they’re raising $$, again. (Quick take: if Skydio loses SRR, I believe the company will double-down on #DFR to alleviate any #investor concerns.) - Zipline (presumably) taking the wraps off of their P2 #dronedelivery platform. Keenan Wyrobek you’ve got everyone’s attention, as per usual. Photo of my dog, because Churro is cute and real (TRL-9) - unlike the render of that prototype product that needs multiple revisions and won’t be available for months.

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If you haven't read up on the latest piece on Forbes Marketplace and how they make ~$300M/yr by hacking SEO, you should. It's eye opening piece on SEO. (Google "Lars Lofgren + Forbs" and you will find lots of content on that. Just don't click on an article from Forbes while you are there.). The biggest thing I learned is that building a powerful domain is very important. The reason Forbes Marketplace was able to pull this off in a matter of 4 years (yes, they went from ~$0 to $300M in 4 years) is because they paid to use Forbes's name and their domain. This means for the average companies out there, who ACTUALLY have expertise and authority on subjects, they are missing out so much on the SEO game. If you are not an expert in everything, but trying to do what Forbes Marketplace did, that's hacking the system. But if you are an expert, but you not not building your domain up, you are missing out in the SEO world. SEO is definitely a subject I want to learn more about, just because the value it brings is cumulative and it's free.

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2024 expects to see 1,75,000 AI companies, with a minimum of 5,000 in each industry. (Ascendix) Amid this sea of sameness, every AI-based SaaS founder at some point asks the same question: "How do we stand out?" And the answer has been right under your nose all along. #mythriwrites #B2BContentstrategy #storytelling #marketing

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Today is an important milestone for Punchbowl News — We are announcing The Portal with Enbloc AI. Since we launched in 2021, we've heard consistently that our community isn't happy with their data subscriptions that they pay thousands of dollars for but aren't actually that useful. That gave us the idea to create a platform that changes the way Washington works, made with Washington in mind. At the end of last year, we bought Electo Analytics, a congressional data startup. We then redesigned the entire platform, using our deep knowledge of what Capitol Hill and K Street need every single day. This became The Portal, which includes integrated news, congressional directories, legislative text, regulations, real-time alerts and much more. The Portal members will also receive a weekly Monday newsletter and a mid-week update to keep them ahead of the game when it comes to legislative news. Come January, subscribers will start to use Enbloc AI, a Punchbowl News-designed AI platform embedded in The Portal that brings together all of the databases that you use every day in Washington, overlaid with our news and proprietary Washington data. Enbloc AI's searches will also be embedded in Punchbowl News newsletters. Enbloc AI uses natural language searches to help you do your job more quickly and efficiently. This will save you time, money and make you smarter and sharper. This has truly been a full-team effort to take this from an idea to a market-ready product. Rachel Schindler has been integral in leading this massive project. Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan, Dave Clarke and the editorial team are at the center of Enbloc AI. And our tech and product team deserve huge kudos for the late nights, problem-solving and creative thinking that have brought this to life — Mary Tyler (MT) March, Soraya Bagheri, Elizabeth Turner, Anthony Garreffa, and Brandon Chiazza. Interested in learning more? Check it out: https://lnkd.in/edxtR8nR

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In this X thread, the original poster asks "Your top candidate is looking for $200k to $220k. Your budget is up to $230k. What do you offer?" Check out the comments: https://lnkd.in/gTKnUx6m It's one game after another. Some say give them more than they expect. Others say give them less. Some say save a few bucks. Others say spend a few more and surprise on the upside. Maybe leave room for negotiation. Or use the delta for a signing bonus. It goes on and on. Such an unnecessary dance. Do the direct thing. Start the relationship from a point of clarity: Publish the exact salary in the job ad. That's the number. Fact, not fiction. Anyone applying knows what they're getting, and you know what you're spending. There are no silly moves, no 4D chess matches, no one side trying to outplay the other. Start hand in hand, not jockeying for the upper hand. Business is simple until you make it complicated.

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AI is a source of fear for a lot of grant writers, but it can be an excellent tool when used correctly. Join Elisabeth Andrews to learn how to use AI as a valuable assistant in your grant writing process 👇

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I agree with Rod Cuthbert, Founder of Viator. With Google’s increasing control and the potential for a #superapp powered by #AI, the future of #OTA, #metasearch engines, and intermediaries (not to mention direct / brand.com channels) in general, is highly uncertain, posing existential challenges to their business models. https://lnkd.in/dpj7nk4U

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As we near the conclusion of my Web 2.0 memoir, we're now in the second half of 2011...and it's tough times for ReadWriteWeb. I worry about my relationship with Marshall, as I try to manage ructions within the writing team. It goes from bad to worse when several of our writers get poached by tech blog competitors. https://lnkd.in/eSXQbD2W #InternetHistory #Web20

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It takes more than Google Docs and Zyn to run a ghostwriting business. But the *actual* number of tools I use daily to run Founders Ink is pretty ridiculous. Turns out I use these 19 tools to run the biz and manage client work: 1. Client notepads (as seen in the screenshot below) Every client gets a pad when they sign on. I use them to capture content ideas. Shower thoughts. On a walk. Getting yoked at the gym. Reading something. Whenever (and wherever) inspiration strikes, into the notebook it goes. A huge part of writing happens away from the screen. Carrying these pocket-sized jobbies around makes it easy to jot down ideas. Helps beat the blank page problem. And clients like knowing I'm thinking about'em. 2. Fathom - record sales calls and client interviews There are other options (e.g, fireflies). They're all kinda the same, but I stuck with this one for whatever reason. Transcription quality is fine. Integrates with Zoom and Google Meets. The only issue is they don't have a folder feature. I'd love to create a folder for each client to stores all our calls in one place. 3. Notion - I run my business on this thing Internal docs, SOPs, client workspaces, training materials, everything. 4. Matthew Werleman - Design support I suck at design. Matthew's a professional designer who runs his own business. He's so polite, too. And a superb communicator (hi, matthew, I owe you some feedback on those carousels!) 5. Riverside - For talking head-style videos I still use Fathom for 90% of my calls, but a few clients have raised their hand for video content this year. Riverside is the tool for the job. 6. Assembly - Scheduling and analytics Despite its popularity, Shield is trash. So, I’m switching to Assembly as it looks like the only option for agencies who need to schedule content across multiple accounts (yay, no more juggling browser tabs and client logins). Plus, Jeffrey Zhao, the founder, seems like a cool guy. Clearly cares about his customers. And before you recommend Taplio, I've used it. It, too, is trash. 7. Notebook LM - repository for client information I use this to build a library of information (research, basically) for each client. Example: Some of my clients are business authors with best-selling books. I read their books first (always), then query Notebook to find stories, examples, anecdotes, frameworks, etc to use in content. Speeds up info retrieval. And there’s far less hallucinatory bs compared to ChatGPT and Claude. The rest of the stack: 8. Slack - Slack 9. Stripe - Invoicing 10. Sketch - design work 11. Google docs - drafting 12. Claude/ChatGPT - editing 13. Things 3 - task manager 14. SavvyCal - Booking links 15. ConvertKit - Email marketing 16. Merge PDF - LinkedIn carousels 17. BusyCal - calendar app I like 18. Cold Turkey Blocker - distraction blocker 19. Brain.fm - background sounds / music to work to I'm probably missing a handful but that's basically it. 

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You don’t want to miss this 🔥. 29 signed up so far! RSVP and use coupon “BRANDALLY”at checkout for a free ticket: https://lu.ma/ql5xve61 #seattle #seattlecontentcreator #seattlebloggers #microinfluencer #fyp #meetup #seattlelife #whattodoinseattle #spaceneedle #contentcreator #influencers #marketing #seattleevents

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Identifying each step in your podcast production process is the beginning. Once you do that, the next phase is to determine what is necessary and what can be changed. In this week's Podcast Prep newsletter, we will look at Determine in the IDEA podcast audit framework. ➡ Identify each step in the process 💥 Determine what is necessary and what can be changed 💥 ➡Eliminate and consolidate actions ➡Apply changes and test Join 1400+ readers to learn how to scale your production better at https://bit.ly/3UHFEwR

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Since curation is the new hot topic, it seems a good time to mention that’s what Ad Fontes Media does: we curate high-quality news inventory. Thousands of news publishers. Over 100,000 daily news URLs, and billions of daily news impressions on web, mobile app, CTV, and YouTube. You can activate our curated high quality news supply in several easy ways: •Pre-bid segments in DSPs including The Trade Desk and Basis •Deal IDs in SSPs/curator platforms including Pubmatic, Magnite, Index Exchange, and Xandr/Microsoft Curate •Through contextual and measurement partners including Comscore and Peer39 •Through YouTube Channel partners including Sightly, Channel Factory, and Pixability It’s no longer complicated to buy high-quality news at scale. We’ve got easy buttons in lots of places.

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Brands are wondering if they should turn off paid media + social media due to the California wildfire… but I actually don’t think you need to take that action, and I don’t think keeping social going makes your brand heartless. I’m a born & raised Californian who lived through far too many earthquakes & fires. This one is gonna be particularly devastating—I’ve had personal friends displaced & lose friends this time around, a first for me. But honestly, I believe we’re entering a time where there really are very few events that truly warrant a pause on social now. Historically, I’ve been on the hyper cautious side. I was a Strategy Director at R/GA working on Verizon during COVID and George Floyd’s murder, constantly being asked when it is and isn’t okay to post content. I’ve always been the “it’s better safe than sorry” guy when it comes to this stuff, and my answer was always “there’s never a reason to not just wait til tomorrow or the next day.” And with those two moments, I’d take the same approach I did then. But as the world’s returned to normal, things have changed. I monitored social closely after the Trump assassination attempt, and during the debates, and during the election. My advice was brands should steer clear and not push any campaigns during the window. But as I watched? I didn’t sense any bit of negativity towards the brands that kept on truckin’. I’m not saying to keep your brand on always no matter what’s happening in the world. Nationwide and global events happen, and are worth shutting things down for. The COVID shutdown and George Floyd murders I mentioned earlier? I’d still tell every brand to turn everything off for a few days if they happened again. But a regional event, even one as devastating as this, probably doesn’t warrant turning off your brand social. Your brand sells to the entire country, and the entire world. One state going through pain (even a state I love and was raised in) is ultimately a fraction of your audience, and I don’t believe anyone would actually fault your brand for posting. But hey, curious for your take. Reply with your thoughts, would love to chat about it.

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I know we just published our Seed 100 and Seed 40 lists, but I'm already thinking about our next VCs list. Who are the top solo VCs out there right now? Comment 👇🏽 for recommendations.

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The best way Matt McGarry said to organically grow our newsletter subscribers surprised me. Here's the highlights from his Q/A in CommaCon newsletter accelerator moderated by Jeanine Suah of storyarb OPEN RATE · Increase open rate through subject line · A/B split test titles (think YouTube thumbnails) · Have a welcome email - ask to (1) move to primary inbox (2) reply to email (3) click link (otherwise your newsletter will stay in promotion folder) SCHEDULING · Create great content 1x/WEEK (not daily) CONVERSIONS · 1% of subscribers sharing with friends is good · Aim for 50%+ click through rate · 2.6% conversion rate for free to paid subscriptions MONETIZE · Minimum 20k subs to get significant sponsor money · Use Megahit to find sponsors PAID ADS · First have good engagement (opens, clicks, polls, responses) before spending money on ads · Test $20-30 dollars/day on Facebook ads MARKETING · Have call to action on social media posts · Be very specific about newsletter value · Instagram is a great resource for organic growth · Send people to landing page to subscribe · Have email pop up on website Do you have a newsletter? If so - link it below.  And if you have 1 question on how to grow your newsletter ask it in the comments, you never know... one of the legends may just answer it for you ✍️ There's still time to tune in, just go to the LinkedIn storyarb page and all the access links are there. I'll also include the link in the comments below. 💥  #commacon #newsletters #storyarb

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