James Read

When chima mmeje🏳️‍🌈 moved to the UK in 2022 and launched the Freelance Coalition for Developing Countries, she quickly noticed something surprising: 90% of people signing up for the Tech #SEO training thought it meant “SEO for tech companies”. This was a simple misunderstanding caused by a lack of awareness and she knew she needed to do something about that. She realised many people from developing countries had historically gravitated toward content work, as it’s often the easiest entry point into the industry. Chima shares how she herself first got into SEO through content, simply because it was something she could teach herself without formal training. Chima also shares how instrumental Aleyda Solís was in getting the FCC off the ground in its early days - and how she didn’t hesitate for a second to offer her help. Watch the full episode here https://lnkd.in/eyaWT7Ks

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This is me at the lectern last week giving a talk on AI, SEO and Digital PR. It was a Figaro Digital event for marketers working within financial services, professional services and B2B. I've been asked quite a lot about this subject recently so here are a few of the main take-aways from my talk: 1. Don't panic. Yes things are changing and it's ok to feel overwhelmed by the avalanche of AI news, but things aren't changing quite as quickly as some would have you believe. AI search is tiny compared to organic Google searches and the intent behind those searches is quite different. You have plenty of time to consider your approach and adapt activity before Chat-GPT overtakes Google, if it ever does. 2. SEO isn't dead. If you are doing best practice SEO then you are already doing most of what the LLMs care about. Ignore the hype. Rather than being dead I think we'll see the opposite, a boom in demand for good SEOs who understand how to rank in both search engines and AI. 3. Brand mentions are vital. Having your brand spoken about and reviewed in the press and on social channels is one of the most important things if you want to get more AI traffic. That's why being great at Digital PR is a superpower. 4. Data is limited. We're at the start of things so the tools we are used to haven't been created yet or are far from where we need them to be. Those great keyword suggestion tools and the ranking software you're used to aren't really a thing yet. This is important if you are requesting or defending budget for this work as it's a lot harder to do projections and harder to prove value. I was hoping people would find the talk useful and thankfully the attendees did, with 94% of the room rating it "very good" or "excellent". With that in mind I'll be delivering it at other event in the coming months. Watch this space.

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My annual post recommending digital marketing trends to watch is now live, covering the new techniques and opportunities to look forward to in the year ahead. ✨ 🔮 📈 🚀 https://lnkd.in/ejh6s5GZ Of course AI is the main game in town, but which aspects of AI should you be taking a look at from a strategic POV? I cover 5 top-level use-cases of using AI to support marketing. But AI isn't the only game in town and I also look at the latest Gartner hype cycle, our updated Martech tools wheel and other opportunities to improve marketing across our RACE framework. Please take a look and let me know the new techniques and trends which you think will be important for you in the year ahead.

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CEOs. Neglect LinkedIn at your peril. If your work in any way connects to corp comms, can I point you to Helen Dunne's excellent, weekly ‘Corporate Affairs Unpacked’ Newsletter. The latest one is right here https://lnkd.in/eZHYnJQm. It’s 15 minutes well spent for interesting views and information. I don't love a self-promotional plug BUT digital exec comms is a hot topic of mine, so, full disclosure, I do feature in the latest one (feel free to eye roll me. Let's not get into the argument that ALL LinkedIn posts are self-promotional). To expand on the lunchtime chat I had with her, this is what I'd say to those in senior corporate positions: 🟢 Traditional media isn’t enough: press opportunities are shrinking. LinkedIn has become a credible alternative front page for modern business, where audiences and journalists already are. In a crisis, it also enables CEOs to speak swiftly and directly. 🟢 People perform over pages: CEOs generate 35% more engagement than their brands, despite having less than 10% of the following. Their voices cut through further than logos ever can. 🟢 Authenticity is expected: stakeholders want leaders who are human and visible. A credible digital presence now signals modern leadership - building trust, reputation, and even career advantage. And should you want to go even deeper here, you can read our full report on People Over Pages. https://lnkd.in/eijARMuQ

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The graphs on page 3 and 9 of this research feel particularly accurate to how a lot of marketers are feeling. I hope it at least makes you feel a bit more 'seen' and less alone! Earlier this year, The Marketing Meetup embarked on our first-ever big piece of research to enquire into the 'state of marketers' (not just the state of 'marketing'). In the past few weeks I've delivered a bunch of talks, and met a lot of marketers 'doing the job'. Conversations have led me to a place of pointing them to this report, as I think it helps a bunch of us feel a bit more 'seen' as it represents their experiences, too. From 1,070 responses - some key findings included: - 46.5% of marketers described their work as positively challenging - top of the emotional list. - 41.1% feel uncertain, 39.3% stressful, and 36.7% overwhelmed. - Only 5.4% described their work as calm. - Marketers rate their current job satisfaction around 7/10. - They’re more optimistic about marketing’s future than their present - The most common daily challenge is “too much to do, not enough time”. - Lack of time for creative work ranked as the second biggest challenge. - Mid-sized teams (6–10 people) report the highest satisfaction. - Solo marketers and those in very large teams feel more isolated and stressed. - AI enthusiasts report 15% higher job satisfaction than AI avoiders. - Enthusiasts rate their job satisfaction at 6.8/10 vs. 5.9/10 for avoiders. And plenty, plenty more. The full report is below (ungated and freely accessible). We'll run the survey again in 2026. We'd also be interested in partnering with brands to do more, too. Whatever you take from it - I hope you find it interesting, useful, and perhaps even feel a little 'seen' by the findings (in the sense of not feeling alone). A big thank you to everyone who filled in the survey ☺️ ✌️ P.S. For more stuff like this, plus invites to free/choose-your-price online/IRL events - do get on our newsletter list, found on the TMM website!

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A note on how to handle redundancies (and how not to), for PR & Comms agencies 💡 Redundancies in the PR agency market seem to be higher this year than last - despite PR Week reporting there would be less in 2025 vs 2024. Would you agree? I'm cautiously optimistic we're over the worst. However, having spoken to many people on the receiving end it's clear there are good vs not so good practices surrounding this. My top tips: - Don't drag the process out. Anticipation (especially for those with anxiety) and being kept in limbo is difficult for everyone. The best processes I've seen are ones where staff are given the notice they're at risk and the decision is made as quickly as possible. - Be fair with severance pay. Some agencies seem to be giving the bare minimum/statutory - others are giving more generous severance payouts which reduce stress for employees at a difficult time. - Consider voiding their garden leave. Candidates shouldn't have to wait 1-3 months and let opportunities slip by, they should be able to work immediately. - Don't behave weirdly. One candidate I spoke to said that like a breakup, she knew it was coming for months. Slowly being frozen out, distancing and even after the news, an awkward and tense atmosphere at work. This compounds an already difficult situation and what for? - Clear communication with the rest of the team. Explain why the redundancies were made, what the plan is for the business and the health of the business going forward. Whilst no one can guarantee anything, communication and transparency are crucial to avoid a domino effect where others leave out of concern for their job security. What are your thoughts, anything I've missed? #bradshawsearch #redundancies #pr #communications

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Most businesses are stuck thinking about AI as purely a cost-cutting tool. Jim Lecinski thinks this is exactly why marketing teams, in particular, are getting sidelined whilst CEOs prioritise growth. Jim is a Clinical Professor at Northwestern's Kellogg School and former Google VP who saw the AI revolution coming years before ChatGPT launched. His strategic framework cuts through the noise: map AI applications across two dimensions - internal vs external impact, and efficiency vs transformation. Jim argues the magic happens when you move beyond the obvious productivity plays. Take IKEA's AI interior designer - it doesn't just save costs, it gives every customer access to professional design expertise that was physically and economically impossible before. That's transformational growth, not just incremental efficiency. The companies winning aren't just doing things faster and cheaper. They're doing things that were never possible. In our latest podcast episode, Greta Thomas and I had a brilliant conversation with Jim covering his framework and real examples from Coca-Cola, Starbucks, and others that are actually driving growth with AI. Worth a listen, particularly if you're thinking about doing more than just being more efficient - search 'Don't Stop Us Now AI Edition' on your favourite podcast platform or grab the link from the comments.

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