The Crusade Against Commodity Content with Joe Zappa of Sharp Pen Media

Joe Zappa is a content marketer, journalist, and academic who has spearheaded content programs for dozens of businesses. As the founder of marketing agency Sharp Pen Media, Joe approaches content and PR through a three-step process of narrative building, editorial planning, and content creation. From 2018 to 2023, he was the editor of Street Fight, a prominent martech trade publication. Prior to that, he earned his BA from Brown and his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Cornell. Here, he discusses his three-stage approach to marketing and PR and how to avoid producing commodity content.Key Takeaways:- The perils of commodity content- The importance of hiring experienced writers- Branding through crusades- Generative AIEpisode Timeline:1:20 How Joe transitioned from a journalist into the martech space2:45 Sharp Pen Media’s bespoke three-stage approach to marketing and PR4:450 The problem with commodity content7:30 Sharp Pen Media’s content8:50 The freelance vs. agency debate11:20 The importance of hiring experienced writers13:50 How algorithms affect content distribution15:30 "Broetry" on LinkedIn17:30 Building a brand's "crusade”22:00 Why are marketers wrong to be obsessing over generative AI?This episode’s guest:• Follow Joe Zappa on LinkedIn or send him your thoughts hereSubscribe and leave a 5-star review: https://pod.link/1496390646Contact Us!•             Join the conversation by leaving a comment!•             Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Thanks for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.