David, Author at DP Knudten / speaker • collaborator • creative

NONFICTION BRAND podcast E223 “No one else in the market was utilizing video.” Guest: Heather Ewing

By DavidSep 05, 2023

NONFICTION BRAND podcast | E221 “Going viral is terrifying.” Guest: Heather Ewing | full transcript In this episode of the NONFICTION BRAND podcast, I had the opportunity to discuss with good friend and fellow Madison, WI local Heather Ewing about her journey of using social media platforms like TikTok to promote her business and forge meaningful connections. As a commercial real estate broker, Heather shared her experience of embracing social media as a…

NONFICTION BRAND podcast

NONFICTION BRAND podcast E221 “Going viral is terrifying.”

By DavidJun 19, 2023

NONFICTION BRAND podcast | E221 “Going viral is terrifying.” Guest: Annelise Baer | full transcript In this episode of the NONFICTION BRAND podcast, I brought on one of my favorite TikTok-ers, archaeologist and producer Annelise Baer as my special guest. Annelise has gained popularity on TikTok for sharing educational content about archaeology and ancient history. I love following her TikTok's 'cause she's packs a powerful (yet friendly) punch and presence on TikTok, and her artful…

NONFICTION BRAND podcast

NONFICTION BRAND podcast E213 “…your expert authority is never going to come through.” | Guest: Tracy Hazzard

By DavidApr 24, 2023

Special Guest: Tracy Hazzard, podetize.com, The Binge Factor podcast Show overview In this "I soooo agree with you!" podcast episode, I sit down with Tracy Hazard, a true thought leadership expert in the content marketing space. Together, we delve into the intricacies of personal branding, effective marketing strategies, and the dangers of falling prey to trendy marketing courses. We also discuss the fascinating role of AI in content creation and how it can be harnessed to…

NONFICTION BRAND podcast

The birth of a brand: Workman’s Relief.

By DavidOct 02, 2020

It's not every day that you get to midwife a brand foundation that leads to the development of a logo worth inking on your body, but that's exactly what I've been able to do with the visionary team at Driftless Extracts. Starting from scratch, but with a crystal-clear concept, we worked to define the ‘completely true’ NonFiction Brand™ for a new line of hemp-based products. How’d we do it? Here’s an article I wrote in answer…

dp_povbranding, naming, NonFiction Brand

6.1.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Start at the end.

By DavidJun 02, 2020

The following is a pre-publication excerpt from NONFICTION BRAND—Discovering, crafting and communicating the 'completely true / completely you' brand—you already are. Keep your eyes out for its publication in early 2021. This is actually from the very last section of the book, which (of course) I wrote very early on in the process. - DP Knudten Step out of the shadows, and into your personal brand spotlight. If you’re reading this, you’ve either skipped ahead…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.30.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Green-flagged the section.

By DavidMay 30, 2020

I am so pleased to say that this section of the book is completely done, and has been awarded a green flag in Scrivener indicating that. It doesn't mean I won't be doing a final editing pass as I get this beast closer to publication, but for now, I don't have to worry about writing this section any more.- dp Focus on your expertise— but make sure it’s based on your experience. The concept of…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.27.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / So why are you on the cover?

By DavidMay 28, 2020

Last night's BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build was plagued by tech problems. The result was I didn't get a lot of writing done. So rather instead of a true 'daily build' post, I'm posting a section of the book that I wrote earlier in the process, long before I started this blog series. Good thing too, as it explains why I'm not at all shy about including my photo on the cover of the book.…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.26.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Face2Face & Face2Feed.

By DavidMay 27, 2020

The incredible power of Face2Face & Face2Feed. You don’t have to be an old-school Willy Loman-style sales person to understand the unparalleled power of the face2face meeting. Just think about it in your own life. Who are the people you most trust? Most depend on? Most recommend to others? I’m reminded of this fact by the fact that Mark Williamson is out in our backyard finishing up replacing a old deck with a new one.…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildface2face, face2feed

5.22.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Beginning ‘Focus on your expertise.’

By DavidMay 23, 2020

Focus on your expertise. But make sure it’s based on your experience. The concept of personal branding is sound, but I think the way some people practice it feels a little bit icky to some. And for good reason. Think about the typical ‘follow your dreams’ inspirational quote posting guru-wannabe on any of the popular social media channels out there. Or the dude flaunting his late-model testosterone-fueled roadster. And what about the ‘ten ways to…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book, personal brand

5.21.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Found that Scott Galloway quote

By DavidMay 22, 2020

Here's an update to my BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build post of two days ago. As you'll recall, I was writing about the power of podcasting, and wanted to use a quote I heard on the Pivot podcast from the brilliant Scott Galloway. I thought I'd never find it—but after speed-listening to about 30 old episodes, I found it and was able to transcribe it and drop it in the manuscript. Here's the revised copy:…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book, podcast

5.20.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Book Intro

By DavidMay 21, 2020

Ok, so this is a little bit of a cheat. I didn't do much new writing in the book last night, and chose to spend my livestream time to do a little formating cleanup instead. Rather than not post something from the book today, I'm posting something the introduction to the book I wrote something like 70 livestreams ago. -dp “I am not a fiction writer.” A long time ago, at the very start of…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.19.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Writing ‘Your Podcast or Their Podcast? BOTH.’

By DavidMay 20, 2020

Everyone who’s been paying attention has at least an inkling of the power of podcasting. As I write this, it was just announced that the #2 most popular podcast on Apple Podcasts, The Joe Rogan Experience, was picked up as an exclusive that will only be available on Spotify. While I haven’t seen any numbers yet, industry analysts think the deal was not in the millions, but tens of millions of dollars. Good job, Joe.…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildNONFICTION BRAND the Book, podcast

Locked down? Level up.

By DavidMay 19, 2020

Like everyone else on the face of this earth (and a few preppers in their subterranean bunkers) I’ve been on lockdown for, what, 900 years. As a long-time ‘from home’ worker and natural introvert, it’s not that big a deal for me. The annoying part? My thankfully healthy family being home is messing with my routine. And that’s my biggest tip for anyone stuck working from home: create, and keep, a disciplined daily routine. But…

dp_povgo big, livestream, NONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.18.2020 / BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / More on Expertise Laryngitis

By DavidMay 19, 2020

More about Expertise Laryngitis Expertise Laryngitis affects way too many people who have the goods to share valuable information and expertise for any number of reasons including, but not limited to, not know how or where to do it, lack of personal confidence, having no idea of how to get started, etc. You can literally create an endless list of reasons rationalizing your non-decision decision to sit on the sidelines. Back in the day of…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildExpertise Laryngitis, NONFICTION BRAND the Book

5.17.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Worse than Imposter Syndrome

By DavidMay 18, 2020

Worse than Imposter Syndrome. By now, everybody’s heard about Imposter Syndrome, right? That thing were even if you’re been working diligently in the same business sector for decades you still have this gnawing suspicion that you really don’t belong there? That for all your hard-earned expertise, you still shouldn’t be openly sharing your thoughts about it as there are ‘real’ experts out there that know everything about the big picture when you’re only truly expert…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildauthenticity, Expertise Laryngitis

5.16.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / More on Strategic Authenticity.

By DavidMay 17, 2020

Last night's BOOKWARD BOUND was cut short by technical difficulties, but I did manage to get some writing done before going suddenly dark. III. Knowing who you are. So you can be it. You just knew I was going to bring up this dual concept phrase pair again. It is the base pair concert of NonFiction Branding after all. To be 100% authentic is laudable. The share 100% of yourself is a mistake, and for…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildauthenticity, personal branding, strategy

5.15.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / More re: Strategic Authenticity

By DavidMay 16, 2020

So what elements make up a sound Authenticity Strategy? The quickest answer to this question is ‘this whole book.’ It’s filled with ideas, frameworks, suggestions and processes that can help you, but let’s just focus on three important aspects of any well-founded authenticity strategy. I. The varnished truth. Do you have one of those friends who always ‘tells the truth’ regardless of its fallout? The ‘keeping it real’ jerk who may in fact be telling…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildauthenticity, strategy

5.14.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / More re: Strategic Authenticity

By DavidMay 15, 2020

Authenticity’s evil twin: TMI. Too much information. The word authenticity has many meanings. Depending on who you are talking to, it could mean anything from ‘keeping it real’ (whatever that means) to oversharing about every aspect of your life, all the way down to your medical history. In some cases, and places, that can make sense and be incredibly freeing. In others, not so much. Strategic authenticity is about those ‘not so much’ situations. Let…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildauthenticity, strategy

5.13.2020 BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build / Strategic Authenticity

By DavidMay 13, 2020

Strategic Authenticity. Is there such a thing? Is it even possible to be both strategic in your goals, and authentic in your execution at the same time? Some people would say no. That to be authentic, you must let go all restraint and live a life completely unfettered by bourgeois considerations. To be truly authentic (for some) is to wallow in self. “I’m just telling you exactly what I feel at this exact moment in…

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Buildauthenticity, strategy

Introducing BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily Build

By DavidMay 13, 2020

Why not? It's not like there's anyone to stop you. One of the coolest things about the good ol' Internets is its ability to host, present and amplify just about anything you can think of. Your blog could be about food,

BOOKWARD BOUND / Daily BuildBOOKWARD BOUND, Daily Build, livestream

301 Days. Seriously.

By DavidApr 07, 2020

What was I thinking? I've been a little quiet of late as the COVID-19 thing has messed with more or less every aspect of my day to day. Luckily, no one in my family has been infect (knock on wood), but my eldest daughter was in the UK at the University of Bristol for a semester abroad—and we had to get her back before the US went into lockdown (and we did). Then my globe-trotting…

BOOKWARD BOUND

So, what _________ do you use?

By DavidMar 25, 2020

Here‘s a quick answer for a FAQ. As I've done more and more live-streaming videos via Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Twitch, I've begun to get the same question over an over again—but with a single word changed depending on the questioners primary interest. It goes something like this: Hey DP, I love the way you‘re videos look. What (camera, lens, lighting, microphone, live-streaming app, etc.) do you use? That‘s a really good question, and…

BOOKWARD BOUND, dp_pov

We’ll do it LIVE!

By DavidMar 19, 2020

LIVE out loud. If you want to get something done, say it out loud, in public, and then invite your audience to hold you accountable. That's the strategy I'm using with something that I just started doing: writing a book that I've been meaning to write for 10+ years by doing a livestream, every day, for 301 consecutive days. The first video, created on 3.5.2020, is above in all it's 'do you even know what…

BOOKWARD BOUND

Head, Hybrid or Hands?

By DavidNov 27, 2019

A couple of days ago, a colleague emailed me a question that got me thinking. She's faced with creating an effective, efficient creative team, and was looking for any resources be: industry best practices, proven frameworks, or ‘this is how you do it’ recipes. I‘ve been thinking about such things for quite a while, so I had a lot to say—so I started typing. Here‘s what I sent her: "That’s a great question, but I’m…

dp_povcreative, dp_pov

Showing, not Telling / Holiday Edition

By DavidNov 16, 2019

Yes, Virgil, there is a Santa Claus. You can call her 'Mama.' Meeting and getting to know Geriann Wiesbrook at Social Media Marketing World 2019 was a treat—assuming you like spice. Within, I don’t know, 3.5 seconds the woman was up in my grill regarding my feeble attempts at creating and growing an active Facebook Group. Hate to say it, but she was right—and given her track record with her near 16K-member Military Mama Network…

dp_povdp_pov

8.31.2018 Tell Your BIG Story Small / Madison NonProfit Day

By DavidAug 31, 2018

dp_pov, WALK/TALK/BRAND

8.15.2018 Demonstrating Spark Camera

By DavidAug 15, 2018

dp_pov, WALK/TALK/BRANDWALK/TALK/BRAND

The BTUs of BTS*.

By DavidFeb 18, 2018

BTUs (British Thermal Units) are a measure of heat output. BTS stands for 'behind the scenes,' a style of social media post that pulls back the curtain on who you are and the way you do things. Put them together, and you've got a compelling case for adding such personal-brand-boosting content to your social media strategy. Here's just one example that was blowing up my social feeds this past week: Talk about bringing the…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

What’s your favorite SupBowl commercial? WHO CARES.

By DavidFeb 05, 2018

It's Monday, post-game 'Big Game' 2018. Every social media channel is packed with opinions about who won marketing's version of the game. And frankly, I don't care. One person's hilarious is another's blah blah. But there was something that grabbed my attention about one of the commercials shown during the game—and it wasn't the commercial shown during the game. It was the massive strategy behind it. I'll wait while you check out this story by…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Judging a Podcast by its Cover.

By DavidNov 01, 2017

ROTOMA the book is out, and needs a playmate. ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind' is out and selling nicely (thank you very much), and we're adding a lot of new members to the Tribe Called ROTOMA almost every day. But laurels are not for sitting on, and both Spencer X. Smith (my co-author) and I are way to antsy to just let things gather dust. So what are a couple of such…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Killer Cereal.

By DavidSep 24, 2017

This is an excerpt from ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' a new book I just co-authored with Spencer X. Smith. ROTOMA is now available at Amazon. The when, why, and how of social is everywhere. Hundreds of Top 5/10/50 lists of ‘Must dos’ to build your social presence. Millions of words (and pictures) telling when to post, where to post, and how to post. But there’s surprisingly little about the most…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

The Real Deal.

By DavidSep 17, 2017

As I have often said (maybe too often?), American Family Insurance's DreamBank is one of the best things going in Madison's business community. This past Tuesday's event with Neal Schaffer was just the latest example of the kind of quality programming that's available to anyone interested—totally free of charge. If you don't know of Neal, you should. Hailing out of southern California, he's a master sensei of social media who serves clients and companies…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Unselfish Selfies—an excerpt with an extra.

By DavidSep 14, 2017

This is the first in a series of excerpts from ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' a brand-new book I just co-authored with Spencer X. Smith. The book is now available at Amazon. The excerpt: Unselfish Selfies. I continue to learn a lot about how to work the levers of social media simply by watching the master at work. Spencer’s the man when it comes to all this stuff, and…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov#rotoma

The most powerful words in marketing? Verified Purchase.

By DavidSep 04, 2017

The most powerful words in marketing? It's time to add two more: Verified Purchase. Here's a quick note to talk about something that's happened so slowly you may not have noticed: the rise in the undeniable promotional power of Amazon Verified Reviews. Back in the day, my dad was a rabid Consumer Reports guy. I think I learned my propensity to over-analyze any purchase based on his 'no such thing as over-thinking' model for…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Run Silent, Run Deep.

By DavidAug 20, 2017

Oh wow. I just looked up the date of my last Getting Cre8tive blog post. It was a full month and two days ago. That lapse violates every single thing I preach about social media. You can't be a 'thought leader' if you aren't consistently sharing your thoughts. But there’s a good reason for this. Not only has it been a heck of an August with a family reunion vacation and the dropping…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

60 minutes in < six.

By DavidJul 17, 2017

Anybody who knows me at all will tell you that I'm a bit of a DreamBank booster. I've posted about this 'best-kept secret' several times, and continue to attend as many of their free presentations as I can. Why? Because they are just so valuable. Covering everything from introductory social media to advanced sales and marketing concepts, American Family's Business Accelerator program, curated by Program Director Chris Rudolph, is packed with great speakers…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Serve Sushi, not Clickbait.

By DavidJul 13, 2017

In the world of social media, the term ‘clickbait’ has become a go-to descriptor for that is designed to grab your eye, garner your click, and deliver you elsewhere. It’s also got a bit of an aroma associated with it related to it’s propensity to over-promise, and under-deliver. Clickbait can be a headline: Amazing but true! Supermodel uses all-butter diet to make weight melt away! A listicle: What happened to them! 15…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Step #1: One step.

By DavidJun 28, 2017

You know you're supposed to be social, but... For too many people, even those who know they could reap real benefits by losing their online 'lurker' status, just getting going in social media is the hardest part. With all the channel options, and too little time available in the day, how can you get maximal social lift with a minimal commitment of time and effort? Read on. Start with the basics. For the sake of…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Ask Simple Questions. Share Smart Answers.

By DavidJun 21, 2017

“I just don’t have that much to say.” That’s a sentence that’s been said by countless people who know they should actively participate on social media, but don’t. For every blogger or tastemaker who loves opining at the drop of a tweet, there’s a vast majority of lurkers who can’t be bothered—or more likely, suffer from “I’m no expert” syndrome (a topic addressed throughout this book). Get over it. If you want to ever…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Unselfish Selfies.

By DavidJun 09, 2017

I continue to learn a lot about how to work the levers of social media simply by watching the master at work. I’m talking about Spencer X. Smith, and the many techniques and posting styles he uses to fill his feeds. Here’s one of his savviest: Seriously, the dude does not quit—and hasn’t met a name he couldn’t drop. This simple picture says a heck of a lot more than the few…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Protect your Power Cycle.

By DavidJun 01, 2017

Creativity is such an elusive thing. But if you have to 'be creative' as a fundamental part of your 'every day of the week' job, and you're paying attention to the periods when you're most productive (or completely unproductive), you're sure to have noticed a few things about the way you work. I found this out the hard way very early in my career as an advertising copywriter. Come mid- to late-afternoon, I could…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_povcreativity, dp_pov

The 3Ps: Ping, Promote, or Proffer.

By DavidMay 24, 2017

When thinking about social media, pay special attention to the second word in the phrase; media. The plural form of medium, it lumps every app, website, and service together into one all-encompassing bucket. And for many, that bucket can actually look more like a can of worms; messy, hard to disentangle, and worst case, not worth opening. In reality, it’s not one bucket at all. It can be broken down in any number of…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

You're invited: NonFiction Branding™ at DreamBank.

By DavidMay 20, 2017

I am so excited to be presenting at my favorite Madison sharing site, DreamBank, on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, from 9 to 10:15 a.m. You can register for this FREE presentation at amfam.com/dreambank If you've never been to a DreamBank event, check out my writeup about this amazing MSN resource: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/getting-creative-earn-free-mbia-dreambank-d-p-knudten RSVP today to reserve your spot. I hope to see you there! - dp

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

In praise of parameters.

By DavidMay 17, 2017

For many creative types, if anything is possible, nothing is. A provocative over-statement, perhaps, but it's often true when trying to create work, art, music, poetry, and baked goods. Endless possibility is often creatively debilitating. I mean, where to start? For me, it's parameters, as in "let's tightly define the parameters of this project." Classical poetic forms? Parameters. A cogent Creative Brief? Parameters. A stretched canvas? Parameters. Grandma's rye bread recipe? Parameters. Without parameters, there's…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_povdp_pov

Master the ABCs, not APPs.

By DavidMay 10, 2017

It happened again. A once rapidly rising social media platform—the hyper-locally focused, anonymous chat-oriented Yik Yak—bites the dust. A victim of its own fundamentally flawed service model, the once white-hot tech star (with a reported ~$400 million valuation at its peak) burnt out and was snapped up by Square for just $1 million. A sad story that serves up a sobering message. Alas, poor Yik Yak. And Vine, iTunes Ping, Orkut, Xanga, Friendster—you…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

It takes a neigh BRAH! hood.

By DavidMay 04, 2017

I originally posted this in 2013, but given the amount of bad bro behavior going on, I think it's worth an update and a repost. -dp I ran into an HR situation today that was quickly resolved with three simple words: 1. Dude 2. Not 3. Cool When used in combination, they form a phrase of surpassing power, an incantation capable of transmogrifying a raging jackass into a repentant basset hound. …

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Sharing, not shilling.

By DavidApr 24, 2017

A client is finally waking up to the potential of social media. Hallelujah for that. The problem is, they are rock solid certain that the best way to use it (for them) is as a always-on megaphone for their products and services. The online equivalent of dragging their catalog behind an airplane over a baseball game. They don't “get it,” like a health club that creates a smoking station right outside their front door.…

#gettingcre8tive, dp_pov

Earn a FREE MBiA at DreamBank

By DavidApr 19, 2017

99.9999% of the time I agree wholeheartedly with the maxim 'You get what you pay for.' Cheap shoes don't last. Fast food will feed, but never delight. And an education you don't pay for usually comes with a hard sell pitch for some kind of highly caveated proprietary system that 'will pay for itself ALMOST immediately.' Yeah, right. But occasionally the maxim is proven 100% wrong; and Madison is home to a great example of…

#gettingcre8tive

Know your REAL product.

By DavidApr 12, 2017

NOTE: I originally posted about this a couple of years ago, but a recent altercation client conversation made me revisit and reinforce an argument that needs to be made frequently with inventory-centric, navel-gazing clients. Added some new thoughts, too. - dp My very first Creative Director once said to me one of those supposedly insightful but at the time mildly mystifying marketing sayings: "People don't go out to buy drills. They go out…to…

dp_pov

The 411 on 'Film Look'

By DavidApr 01, 2017

Just a short post to say @d4darious is fantastic. Every capital 'C' Creative (or anyone who has to deal with them) who isn't a member of the American Society of Cinematographers NEEDS to watch this fast, fun, and really comprehensive dive into what it takes to create great looking 'film look' video with whatever kit you have available. It's also a master class in vlogging from one of my favorite vloggers. Keep…

dp_pov