Strategy Talks: Content Strategy for Small Teams

Your smartest marketing strategist might not be a human!

In this weeks' episode, Dorien sits down with Neal Schaffer: author, educator, and Fractional CMO. Together they unpack what it really means to build an AI-first business strategy in 2025. From LinkedIn influence to creator-led growth, this conversation is your roadmap to scaling smarter, faster, and more human, with AI at your side.

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I'm Neal Schaffer, a fractional CMO and founder of PDCA Social, dedicated to empowering businesses to grow smarter through DIY digital marketing. As an award-winning author of six influential marketing books—including Digital Threads and Maximizing LinkedIn for Business Growth—and a global keynote speaker who's presented on four continents, I deliver actionable insights that businesses can immediately put into practice. I also teach cutting-edge courses at UCLA Extension, Rutgers Business School, and Solvay Brussels School Vietnam, host the top-ranked podcast Your Digital Marketing Coach, and run the widely-read industry blog nealschaffer.com.

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

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Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Your Digital Marketing Coach Podcast by Neal Schaffer

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

Events (and retreats) look great on paper, but how do you, as the host, ensure they deliver lasting impact and genuine connection to each and every participant, even having them ask for MORE time with you! This week, we are talking about hosting in-person events and retreats.

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Sara Munro brings a breadth of experience in digital marketing, event planning, and program development. She is an idea engineer bringing brilliant concepts to life as business strategies, communications plans, and activations for core audiences for small businesses and non-profits. This takes shape as program development, public relations, online fundraising, event planning, and content marketing. She regularly presents social media and digital marketing workshops for new business owners and entrepreneurs. 

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Social Content Retreats

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

The secret to standing out in a crowded market isn't just what you sell, but what you dare to disagree with! A powerful statement by this week's guest.

This week on Strategy Talks, we’re tearing apart tired branding playbooks with Alex M. H. Smith, founder of Basic Arts and author of No Bullsh*t Strategy, who’s helped CEOs turn hidden differentiators into unbeatable advantages. 

Get ready for the counterintuitive tactics that make brands impossible to ignore—starting with why most ‘strategy’ is just noise in disguise.

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Alex M H Smith is a strategist, writer, and trusted advisor to CEOs and founders. As the founder of Basic Arts, established in 2016, Alex helps businesses build truly differentiated brands that deliver real value. His mission is to elevate strategic thinking among founders—demystifying a discipline that's often misunderstood or ignored. Connect with him on LinkedIn.

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

BasicArts Newsletter Sign up

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

LinkedIn is no longer just about text and articles! What DOES it take to make your brand unforgettable on LinkedIn in 2025? Video!

Video is taking center stage. On this episode of Strategy Talks, I sit down with a LinkedIn insider to uncover the newest trends, features, and strategies that are driving results with LinkedIn video in 2025.

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Purna Virji is a globally recognized content strategist and best-selling author of the multiple-award winning book High-Impact Content Marketing. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is currently the Principal Consultant, Content Solutions at LinkedIn. She previously led global learning and thought leadership programs for Microsoft and is also an award-winning former journalist. A regular top-rated international keynote speaker, she has been featured in publications including The Drum, TechCrunch+, TNW, Marketing Land and Adweek. She has been recognized as an Adweek Young Influential, the Search Personality of the Year by the US Search Awards and the most influential PPC Expert in the world by PPC Hero. Virji is also an Honored Listee on the Marquis Who's Who 2023 list.

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Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

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Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Purna Virji on LinkedIn

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

Imagine publishing 4 million words, generating millions in sales, and helping over 160 businesses grow, all through the power of words.

Now imagine doing it in an AI-powered world. That’s where we’re headed. On this week's episode of Strategy Talks, meet Jack Wilson, a writer who's embraced AI. Join this conversation about AI Content Strategies!

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Jack Wilson has been writing online since 2009 and helping businesses grow through content strategy, SEO, and ghostwriting since 2012. With over 4 million words published and 160+ clients served, Jack’s work has driven millions in sales and brought in consistent, qualified leads for brands of all sizes.

He’s helped triple an agency’s SEO department MRR in under three years and built results-driven content for industries ranging from law, healthcare, and home services to SaaS, finance, fitness, and international franchises. Jack is known for making complex topics clear, creating content that ranks, and turning strategy into measurable business results.

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

20 Highest Paying Jobs for Freelance Writers

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

If you are running FB ads and want to increase your ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) here is a new strategy to try out!

Group Funnels: the FB ads that keep the customer on FB itself and cost less.

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Mitt is the founder of Uncamouflage marketing agency and Social Marketing Writing, a magazine that covers the latest social media tips. He helps SaaS companies, coaches, consultants, and course creators with email marketing, Facebook and Instagram (Meta) ads, YouTube ads, and organic social media marketing. He has worked with clients like AppSumo, CrazyEgg, and Hostinger. He lives in Paris with his dog, Finnan. 

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

 Are you a B2B marketer or do you own a B2B brand? You're in for a treat. Today we're talking to an expert on going to market strategies. We're gonna talk about positioning and mistakes that are made.

Want to learn to avoid the most common mistakes? Tune in.

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Katie Hollar is a growth-focused B2B marketing leader with 15+ years of experience helping SaaS and professional services firms stand out in competitive markets. With a track record of scaling marketing teams, refining positioning, and building high-converting GTM strategies, Katie has worked with thousands of B2B businesses to cut through the noise and drive real growth. She specializes in demand generation, strategic messaging, and product marketing—always keeping an eye on the latest trends reshaping the industry.

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

How do you say no at work? Can you say no at work? Can you say no to clients, partners, managers?

On today's Strategy Talks we are talking about setting business boundaries!

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With over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience, Lisa Danforth brings hard-earned wisdom, real-life lessons, and a refreshingly honest perspective to every conversation. A former boutique catering business owner turned coach, she knows firsthand what it means to chase success—only to realize it came at the cost of fulfillment, family time, and personal well-being.

While running a thriving business, she found herself working 10-12 hour days, six (often seven) days a week, missing out on the moments that mattered most. It wasn’t until she hit burnout—overwhelmed, exhausted, and disconnected from the life she was working so hard to build—that she made a change.

Now, she helps fellow business owners break the cycle of burnout and build success with more ease, clarity, and purpose. Her story is one of resilience, reinvention, and the power of reclaiming your time—making her a perfect guest for conversations about entrepreneurship, balance, and building a business that supports your life (not the other way around).

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Strategic Thinkers. 

Expert Insights. 

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

Lisa's Resource: Core Values Assessment

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

What’s working on LinkedIn in 2025?

From multi-image posts to native documents and video content, the 2025 LinkedIn Benchmark Report reveals the strategies driving engagement and growth for brands of all sizes.

In this SPECIAL EDITION of Strategy Talks, Dorien is joined by Adina Jipa, co-founder of Socialinsider, to unpack the data and share actionable insights on how to optimize your LinkedIn presence and stay ahead of the competition.

Together, they will dive into the formats dominating engagement (spoiler: multi-image posts and native documents), why polls are algorithmic goldmines, and how smaller brands can outpace larger competitors in follower growth.

Whether you’re managing a company page or building your personal brand, this episode is packed with data-driven tips to help you craft a winning LinkedIn strategy.

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Adina Jipa is co-founder & CMO at Socialinsider, a Social Media Analytics & Insights Tool

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Strategic Thinkers.

Expert Insights.

Strategy Talks.

Join Dorien Morin-van Dam every Tuesday at 8 AM ET on LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube for 'Strategy Talks,' where she dives into the latest insights on business, AI and marketing strategies!

★★★★★ 

Resources: Dorien on LinkedIn

The 2025 LinkedIn Benchmarks Report by Socialinsider

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg

Imagine having a supercharged marketing team at your fingertips.

Imagine you could stop hiring and firing people. 

Imagine a world where AI assistants help streamline content creation, automate tedious tasks, and unlock new growth strategies. 

Join us for Strategy Talks as  we dive into the world of AI assistant strategies. 

Let’s find out how to harness AI's power to revolutionize your marketing efforts and stay ahead of the competition. 

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Mike Allton is an AI Consultant & Trainer, host of The AI Hat Podcast, and international keynote speaker & author at The Social Media Hat, where he has been educating businesses and organizations on the best use of social media & content marketing for reaching and converting target audiences.  He has spent over a decade in digital marketing and brings an unparalleled level of experience and excitement to the fore, whether he's delivering a presentation or leading a workshop.    

Since 2011, Mike has excelled at helping his community understand the nuance and best practices involved in utilizing social platforms, leveraging social media management tools, and creating 10X content.  He has established a reputation for being able to explain complex tools or topics in easy-to-understand ways, all while bringing a necessary sense of overall brand strategy and business purpose.    

As the founder of The AI Hat, Mike provides hands-on training and strategic consulting to businesses in the St. Louis area and beyond, helping them navigate the complexities of AI and harness its power to drive success.  Through The AI Hat Podcast, Mike shares insights from top AI experts and explores practical applications of AI for businesses of all sizes.    

When he isn’t writing yet another blog post, Mike also serves as the Chief Storyteller at Agorapulse where he strengthens relationships with customers, social media educators, influencers and partner brands.    

Allton is also the co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Social Media Marketing, available wherever books are sold.

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Resources:

Dorien on LinkedIn

AI Resources from Mike

Strategy Talks | Season 1 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3veW5re

Strategy Talks | Season 2 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3YbXet0

Strategy Talks | Season 3 YouTube Playlist: https://bit.ly/3O5JlK8

Strategy Talks | Season 4 Youtube Playlist:  https://bit.ly/3WVPUUg