Meet Stanley

What does this ‘Stanley’ creature know about content marketing? Fair question, reader. In the introduction, I exposed myself as a mobile software developer and inspired doubt in my content marketing abilities. But my career as full-time developer came to an abrupt end. One year after conquering Quora and dipping into blog writing for my previous employer, my team was laid off.

And when my peers experienced a storm cloud of negative emotions and bitterness, my skies remained clear; yeah they let me go, but I fell onto a giant career pillow stuffed with joy and child-like laughter. A new path was right around the corner and the timing couldn’t have been more criminal. I began my first assignment the week after layoffs. One journey swiftly segued to the next and I had Quora to thank.

A month prior to the layoffs, Quora experimented with questions that rewarded the best answer with cash, Knowledge Prizes. I skimmed the narrow set of prize-granting questions and found one that spoke directly to me: What are the hardest things about transitioning from web development to mobile development?

At the time I was driving my skills in the opposite direction and I felt my journey would lend a unique perspective. I won the Knowledge Prize and by happenstance, my answer was read by an employee of a Portugal-based enterprise software company; they invited me to Portugal and made themselves my first client.

In the two years that followed I evolved into developer-slash-content marketer as I wrote blog posts, cross-promoted content, reached out to influencers, designed email campaigns, built content strategies, wrote website copy, modified blog templates, mastered search engine optimization, spoke to target audiences, researched keyword potential, and tracked engagement on Google Analytics. It was a lot to learn and my education required a diverse array of tutors.

I read marketing books, skimmed online tutorials, learned from seasoned peers, and took risks. Those are the experiences that I have condensed into this book: formulating content plans, executing on strategies, publishing great content, monitoring results, and adjusting tactics when necessary.

Do better books on content marketing exist? Yes. Have authors with more clout covered these topics? Of course. But will any be as honest, open, and direct with you as this one? Hell, no. Let’s cut the bullshit and get to marketing.²