Why we don’t run content marketing

We write a fair amount on this site. Articles like this one go up most weeks. By the standards of a small consultancy, the volume is high.

We don’t, however, run content marketing. That sounds contradictory, so it’s worth explaining the distinction — both because we get asked about it, and because the difference matters for how clients should evaluate not just our work but anyone’s writing on the internet.

What content marketing actually is

Content marketing, as a discipline, is the production of written, video, or audio material designed to attract organic traffic, build SEO authority, and convert readers into prospects and prospects into clients. It’s a real, well-developed practice with measurable metrics: traffic, dwell time, conversion rates, search rankings, lead capture. There are agencies that do it well and tools that support it.

The work we sometimes do for clients under the CMB Amplify banner can include content marketing as part of a wider campaign. We’re not against it as a discipline.

What we’re doing instead

What we publish on this site isn’t content marketing in that sense. We don’t research keywords, we don’t optimise for search rankings, we don’t use the writing as a top-of-funnel lead capture mechanism, and we don’t gate anything behind a form. There’s no analytics on writer performance, no editorial calendar in the sense of “we need a piece on this topic because the keyword volume is good”.

What we do, instead, is write things down because writing things down is useful. It forces us to be clear about how we think. It gives us a place to point clients when a question comes up that we’ve answered before. It creates a record of decisions and principles that’s accessible to the team. And — yes, importantly — it gives potential clients an honest preview of how we think before they hire us.

Why the distinction matters

Three reasons.

First, it changes the incentive structure. Content marketing rewards volume, attention, and topical relevance. Our writing rewards clarity and honesty — even when honesty makes us look smaller or less commercial. That’s why we publish things like what we got wrong alongside what’s going well.

Second, it changes what readers can infer. A piece of content marketing tells you what the publishing firm wants you to think. A piece of unguarded writing tells you something about how the firm actually thinks. Both are useful, but they’re not the same thing.

Third, it changes the relationship with search. We aren’t trying to rank for specific keywords. That probably means less traffic in aggregate. It also means we don’t write to a template. Each article is what it is rather than what an SEO brief tells us it should be.

How clients should read our writing

If you’re considering working with us, treat the articles on this site as a sample of how the team thinks. Where you disagree with what we’ve written, that’s useful information — it tells you something about fit. Where you agree, that’s also useful, for the same reason.

If we ever start gating articles, running pop-ups, or publishing pieces titled “The 7 Marketing Trends You Need To Know In 2027”, you have permission to call us out on it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you measure anything about your writing?

We look at traffic and shares informally. We don’t optimise based on them.

Why publish at all if not for marketing?

Because writing things down is independently useful, and because it gives clients a preview of the team. Both of those things matter regardless of whether anything converts.

Do you ever write things you won’t publish?

Sometimes. If a piece feels self-serving or doesn’t add to what’s already on the site, we don’t post it.

Will this approach change as the business grows?

The day we start writing content marketing pieces for our own marketing, you should expect a different tone here. We’ll try not to let it happen.