Hiya,

Have you taken a minute to notice your breathing today? Why don’t you try it now? 

Are your breaths quicker and shallower? Longer and fuller? If you take longer breaths, how does that affect how you feel?

I know you’ve got a lot of stuff going on, but it’s important to check in with ourselves. Now that we’re centered, let’s dive in!

• Another day, another update to Google spam policy documentation. Basically, some wording was clarified around web search spam policies and the definition of “spam” and its tactics. Whether this means that Google will be updating the algorithm with this is up for debate. We’ll keep you posted.

It’s Our SAIO-versary! 💬

It’s been a highly dynamic ride! Our discovery of the potential of SAIO as a new marketing channel is a year old,, so our favorite SEO & SAIO strategist, Marc Engelsman, released a fact-driven article about SAIO, then and now – check it out!

• A majority of marketers (51%) say their primary goal for YouTube is to generate top-of-funnel brand awareness. That said, 26.5% say their goal is bottom-funnel conversions. However, there is a case to be made for mid-funnel goals, especially among non-Gen Zers. Apparently none of the respondents were given the opportunity to say another goal for leveraging YouTube is to support SEO and SAIO optimizations and visibility. No worries, DBE has that angle covered for you.

• As many companies are in the midst of their 2025 budget planning, this timely article from MarTech covers “How to secure leadership buy-in for digital marketing initiatives.” It addresses techniques to overcome the trio of challenges management often presents including:
  • skepticism and trust issues, 
  • resistance to change, and 
  • budget constraints.
  • If you’re facing any of these issues, the article is worth the 5-minute read. 

• Connecting some dots from the previous story… WordPress VIP’s survey of over 1,000 marketing and media leaders (including 200 C-Level executives) shows a distinct difference in their responses to this question: “Compared to the same time 12 months ago, how has the pressure to use content to drive revenue changed?” On average, the C-level execs consistently felt the pressure was less than what the other marketing leader respondents perceived. This ties into the skepticism challenge mentioned above. 

• You ever wonder why we stalk our own social profiles? According to the psychotherapists and psychologists in this article, it could be rooted in a couple of things, including the need for social acceptance and/or perfectionism. Here’s my way of thinking of it: if we live in the past, we’ll never fulfill our needs for social acceptance nor will we love ourselves in the present. I like to think of social media like a scrapbook – you check it to see how times have changed and recall them fondly.

Thoughts to Take With You… 💞

A friend recently brought up that the “-ber” months go quickly.

From holidays to seasonal changes, business seems to be at a peak.

Like we discussed in the intro, don’t forget that you are steering this ship. You don’t have to fill your schedule to the brim and neglect yourself. Yes, it’s lovely to enjoy this time of the year. 

Always remember, you almost always have time for a 10-minute break (if not more). Take advantage of breaks and pauses so you don’t run yourself to exhaustion. 🙂

See ya next week!

Natalie

Y’all know that DBE also created A Better Paradigm, a site that connects people with positive workplace resources, including consultants, events, team training, and more!

Well, now we’ve got a podcast!🥳🎙️

Hosted by DBE CEO & ABP Founder, Niki Fielding, and yours truly, the first episode outlines how we can heal hostile and toxic workplaces. Listen now!