Essey Marketing

06/04/2026

A brand can explain what it sells in seconds. The harder question is "why" anyone should care.

Brand storytelling gives people a reason to remember the business. It connects an offer to a purpose and the people the company hopes to help.

Brand stories:
– Explain why the business exists
– Show the human motivation behind the work
– Support product details instead of replacing them
– Build trust through proof and action
– Help customers understand what makes the brand different

The best stories are not exaggerated. They are true, specific, and visible in the customer experience.

A company’s “why” should appear beyond its About page. It should shape content, emails, product pages, videos, and customer stories.

Read this week’s Digital Marketing for Students newsletter to learn how to build a brand story people can understand, trust, and remember.

Newsletter:

Learn how brand storytelling helps businesses share their why, build trust, connect with customers, and create a memorable marketing message online.

06/02/2026

A huge thank you to Renewal by Union Cleaner for supporting my Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest campaign benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

I’m grateful for local businesses that invest in causes that strengthen our community and help advance the fight against cystic fibrosis.

Please consider supporting Renewal by Union Cleaners and the businesses that give back to our region!

Businesses like Renewal by Union Cleaners demonstrate the impact local organizations can have when they invest in their communities.

If you’d like to support this fundraising effort for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, donations can be made here:

05/21/2026

One of the things I love most about Pittsburgh is that businesses here still care about their communities.

You see it at local fundraisers.
You see it when a family is going through something difficult.
You see it when local businesses decide to support something bigger than themselves.

People here still show up for each other.

That’s part of why I’m honored to be part of Pittsburgh’s 50 Finest through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and why I’m currently working to raise $15,000 to help fund research, treatments, and support for families impacted by cystic fibrosis.

I’d love to see Pittsburgh businesses come together around this cause.

If your business would like to donate, sponsor, or help support the campaign, I would truly appreciate it. Every contribution helps move research forward and supports families who need it most.

I also want to publicly recognize the businesses willing to step up and support the cause because I think those businesses deserve to be highlighted. Businesses that donate will be recognized across my personal and business social media platforms through spotlight posts, Instagram/Facebook stories, LinkedIn recognition, business tags, logo placement, and future campaign-related content throughout the fundraiser.

This city has always taken pride in showing up for people.

I hope we do it again here.

Donation link: finest.cff.org/pittsburghfinest2026/Donate/Index/2166732

05/19/2026

AEO and GEO are useful terms. They are not a marketing strategy.

Google’s latest guidance on generative AI search makes something clear that marketers should not ignore: AI visibility still depends on the work teams often skip.

Clear pages. Useful content. Technical accessibility. Original insight. Stronger proof. Better answers.

The issue is not whether marketers should learn new language around AI search. They should.

The issue is when new language becomes a substitute for fundamentals.

– SEO is still foundational to generative AI visibility
– AEO and GEO can frame the shift, but they do not replace ex*****on
– Generic content loses value when AI can summarize common knowledge
– Paid media pages need different treatment if they are expected to live beyond a campaign
– The real advantage is content that is useful, specific, crawlable, and trusted

Read this week’s Essey Marketing newsletter to understand why AEO and GEO are useful terms, but not replacements for clear content, technical accessibility, and trust.

Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/aeo-geo-useful-terms-marketing-strategy-chris-essey-4v40c

Google’s AI search guidance shows why AEO and GEO can frame change, but SEO fundamentals still decide whether content earns lasting visibility online.

05/08/2026

Most businesses do not need “more marketing.”
They need the right strategy, the right systems, and the right ex*****on behind it.

From SEO and website development to paid media, social media marketing, and digital strategy, every service we offer is built around one goal: helping businesses grow in a way that actually lasts.

No shortcuts. No vanity metrics. No one-size-fits-all plans.
Just thoughtful marketing built around your business, your audience, and your long-term goals.

If your business is ready to grow with intention, let’s talk.

esseymarketing.com
724-255-4056

05/07/2026

Small businesses are not behind because they are ignoring AI.

Many are already using it.

The real problem is that too many are using AI as a shortcut instead of a marketing system.

AI can help a small business write faster, plan smarter, analyze customer questions, improve website content, and support SEO. But it cannot fix weak positioning, unclear offers, generic messaging, or a poor customer experience.

The businesses that win with AI will not be the ones that publish the most content. They will be the ones that use AI with better judgment.

Key takeaways:
– AI should support strategy, not replace it
– More content does not always mean better marketing
– Brand voice still needs human direction
– AI search rewards clear, helpful, specific content
– Customer insight is still the strongest marketing asset

Read this week’s Essey Marketing newsletter to learn what small businesses are getting wrong about AI right now.

Newsletter:

What small businesses get wrong about AI marketing, plus how to use AI for better strategy, SEO, content, and customer trust.

04/30/2026

Most brands don’t struggle with what to say. They struggle with how they say it.

Brand voice and tone shape how people perceive, trust, and engage with your content. When done right, they create consistency, clarity, and connection across every channel.

Here are a few key takeaways:
– Brand voice is your consistent personality across all content
– Tone adapts based on context, platform, and audience
– Consistency builds recognition and trust over time
– Clear voice improves content quality and team alignment
– Tone directly impacts engagement and conversion

Strong messaging is not just about information. It is about delivery. The brands that stand out are the ones that sound intentional, human, and consistent.

Read this week’s Digital Marketing for Students newsletter to learn how to define and apply brand voice with confidence.

Newsletter:

04/27/2026

Most businesses treat content like a campaign. The smart ones treat it like an asset.

One well-built evergreen article can generate qualified traffic for years. It can rank for dozens of related keywords. It can lower acquisition costs while building authority and trust at the same time.

Content does not compound because it exists. It compounds because it answers high-intent questions better than competitors and continues to earn trust over time.

Key takeaways:
– Evergreen content targets long-term search demand, not short-term trends
– High-intent keywords drive qualified organic traffic
– Comprehensive guides improve rankings and topical authority
– Internal linking and updates accelerate compounding growth
– Organic visibility reduces reliance on paid ads

Businesses that commit to clarity, depth, and consistency build marketing systems that strengthen year after year.

Read this week’s Essey Marketing newsletter to learn how to build content that compounds instead of fades.



Newsletter:

Evergreen content builds SEO rankings, authority, and trust over time. Learn how compounding content drives long-term organic growth.

04/23/2026

Five years ago today, I made it official and started Essey Marketing.

After months of freelancing and about half a year after leaving a 9–5 corporate job, I took a leap to build something real, despite having more uncertainty than confidence. Essey Marketing did not begin with a clear roadmap. It came from long nights, early mistakes, uncomfortable learning curves, and pushing through moments where quitting would have been easier.

The early days were tough. I messed things up. I underpriced myself. I overworked. I questioned whether I made the right call more times than I can count. But little by little, the work improved, the clients strengthened, and the vision sharpened.

What still surprises me is not just where this work has taken me, but who it has connected me to. I have worked from national parks and mountain towns, from borrowed desks and airport floors, and from places I once only visited on vacation. I have collaborated with nationally recognized leaders and creators, partnered with ambitious founders, and supported organizations doing meaningful work across the country.

Along the way, I have had opportunities I do not take lightly. Being featured in Entrepreneur Magazine. Helping launch nonprofits at no cost. Contributing to digital marketing curriculum at multiple universities. Speaking at nearly 15 campuses and countless roundtables. Being honored with Pittsburgh’s 30 Under 30 and Duquesne University’s Dukes from the Last Decade Award. None of those were goals when I started. They were byproducts of doing the work consistently.

Five years in, Essey Marketing is built on a simple belief that businesses can grow while giving back. That belief is not theoretical. It shows up through our scholarships, nonprofit partnerships, park cleanups, sustainability commitments, and reinvesting a portion of every dollar earned into something bigger than ourselves.

Five years in, I am still learning, still building, and still committed to doing this work the right way. I am deeply grateful to the clients, partners, mentors, students, friends, and supporters who trusted the vision, challenged the work, and helped make this journey possible.

04/20/2026

Getting noticed is harder than ever. Not because businesses lack good products. Not because marketers lack creativity. It is harder because attention is now the scarcest resource in the market.

Every scroll, search, and swipe is filtered by algorithms. Competition is global. Content volume grows daily. Human attention does not.

The brands that win understand the economics of attention. Article key takeaways:
– Attention is finite. Content supply is infinite. Strategy must respect that imbalance.
– Algorithms reward relevance, engagement, and trust, not just reach.
– Short attention spans reflect low relevance, not low intelligence.
– Owned channels like email and SEO-driven content create long-term leverage.
– Clear positioning cuts through noise faster than generic messaging.

Marketing success today requires disciplined focus, strong positioning, and systems that adapt to platform shifts.

Read this week’s Essey Marketing newsletter to learn how competition, algorithms, and shrinking attention spans are reshaping modern marketing strategy.



Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/economics-attention-why-getting-noticed-harder-than-ever-chris-essey-8guqc

Learn the economics of attention in digital marketing and how competition, algorithms, and short attention spans reshape modern strategy.