DOWNSTAGE MEDIA BLOG
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY, MESSAGING, AND EMAIL MARKETING TIPS
Why Your Network Matters When Budgets Are Tight
Budgets are tighter, trust is harder to earn, and content alone doesn’t carry the same weight it used to. This post explores why your network has become part of what clients are really buying, and how intentional relationship-building increases trust, retention, and long-term value.
What to Put in Place So You Hit Your Goals All Year
New goals are easy to set in January. What’s harder is sticking to them when motivation fades later in the year. This post breaks down the three supports every business needs so progress doesn’t disappear in February, May, or the middle of summer.
Your Email Deliverability Problem Is Really A List Problem
If your email campaigns feel unpredictable, it’s probably not a tech issue. It’s a list issue. This post breaks down why cold emailing quietly damages deliverability, what spam filters actually look for, and how to rebuild your email program on permission, trust, and long-term visibility.
How to Use a StoryBrand BrandScript to Clarify Your Message (Examples Included)
If your marketing feels scattered, you’re not alone. Most experts, founders, and speakers work way too hard for far too little traction because their message isn’t clear. This guide walks you through how to use a StoryBrand BrandScript to simplify your message, strengthen your content, and make marketing finally feel doable.
What Does This Make Possible? The Question That Keeps Thought Leaders Profitable
Every thought-driven brand faces the same challenge: the ideas come fast, but the content process lags behind. The Content Production Team helps you choreograph the content by defining who does what so your thought leadership becomes consistent, scalable, and effective.
What Thought Leaders Can Learn from Junk Mail About Clearer Websites
If you’re a thought leader or the face of your brand, you’ve probably invested in a beautiful website that may not convert the way you want. In this post, web designer Kristin Madeja shows you how direct response marketing principles can help your site move people from “This looks nice” to “I’m ready to book.” You’ll learn about clarity, calls to action, testing, and photography, so your audience takes action.
Why Thought Leaders Should Revive Their Neglected Blogs in 2026
Many thought leaders let their company blogs go quiet, which means their best ideas disappear the moment they speak them. New research shows exactly why 2026 is the year to revive a neglected blog and how content created with strategy can strengthen authority while influencing AI search results. This post shows you what works now and simple steps to bring your blog back to life.
How to Name Your Offer So It Actually Sells
If you keep calling your work “consulting” or “just working with me,” you are shrinking the perceived value of your expertise. The right name turns a loose idea into a structured offer that clients understand, remember, and trust. This post shows you how to name your offers and processes so they feel valuable, future ready, and easier to sell. Keep reading if you want clients to say yes faster.
The Content Production Team: How to Turn Thought Leadership into a Scalable Marketing System
Every thought-driven brand faces the same challenge: the ideas come fast, but the content process lags behind. The Content Production Team helps you choreograph the content by defining who does what so your thought leadership becomes consistent, scalable, and effective.
Advantages of Working with a Mailchimp Pro Partner (even if you don’t have Mailchimp)
Email marketing has gotten more sophisticated. So even platforms like Mailchimp that may have seemed simple when you first signed up, require a little know how in order to get your money’s worth out of it. This blog post breaks down why working with a Mailchimp Pro Partner can help you get the results that you want so you can use email marketing to gain and retain clients.
Why Your Company Should Blog (And Why It Has Nothing To Do With SEO)
You keep putting off blogging because it feels like too much work, and as a result, prospects lose interest and clients drift away. In this post, you’ll learn how to blog in a way that saves time, builds trust, and makes follow-up effortless so you can keep the clients you have and attract the ones you want. If you don’t blog yet, you’ll learn exactly how to start. If you already blog, you’ll see how to make it even more effective and how to contribute to Orbit Media’s annual blogging survey. Read the full post to start.
Where Content Becomes a Business Plan: What to Expect at Content Entrepreneur Expo 2025
The Content Entrepreneur Expo isn’t just another industry event. It’s where creators, consultants, and founders go to sharpen their content strategy, meet real collaborators, and build businesses with staying power. Annie Figenshu—author of Simple Social Media and co-author of The Content Entrepreneur—will be there in Author Alley, ready to connect.
How to Grow an Email List That Actually Converts: A Practical Guide for Business Owners
Growing your email audience shouldn’t feel like a guessing game. If you’re not sure what to offer, where to promote it, or how to keep it fresh, you’re not alone. In this post, you’ll get a simple, doable plan to build a healthy list filled with the right people. The kind of list that keeps your audience engaged, your content working, and your business moving forward.
How to Build Brand Awareness with Engagement Posts
Engagement posts are a smart way to build brand awareness. Used well, they boost visibility, train the algorithm, and keep you top of mind.
What Happens When Local Marketers Sit Down Together (Over Steak Frites and Strategy)
A cozy table. Sharp minds. And one very good reason to keep talking marketing offline. Here’s what happened at the first Marketing Algonquin.
How to Get More Traffic to Your Squarespace Site (Without the Guesswork)
You built a beautiful Squarespace website. The messaging is solid, the visuals are on point—but the traffic? Crickets. If you’re wondering why no one’s finding your site (and what to do about it), this post breaks it down. Learn why long-form content still matters, how blogging can be your website’s best traffic engine, and what a smart strategy really looks like—especially for Squarespace users who’ve done the brand work but still feel invisible.
What Is a StoryBrand Certified Coach? (And Why the Title Changed)
Name changes are so 2025! StoryBrand Certified Guides are now StoryBrand Certified Coaches. If you're wondering why, what changed this post clears it all up.
Why Blogging Is the Most Important Part of Your SEO Strategy
Blogging isn’t just another marketing tactic; it’s the backbone of a successful SEO strategy. Learn why consistent, strategic blogging can make or break your search engine rankings and overall online visibility.
What It Takes to Clarify Your Message for a Shark Tank-Sized Moment
High-stakes moments don’t give you time to clarify what you meant. When a message isn’t sharp, even a strong idea can lose the room. This post breaks down what happened in the Tank, the messaging work History By Mail did with Downstage Media ahead of the pitch, and what founders can learn about preparing their message before the pressure hits.
The Email Signup Experiment Wrap-Up:
I set a simple goal: get 10 new email subscribers by March 31. No ads. No big campaigns. Just smarter placement, clearer messaging, and a system that could run while I focused on client work. Here’s what worked, what didn’t—and what I’ll try next time.