Staging environment

Content Theory

4.9 (9)

·

5 Days

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Cohort-based Course

The Science, Psychology, and Philosophy Behind High-Peforming Content Programs

Brands I've worked with

Shopify.com
QuickBooks
LinkedIn
Vimeo
Twitch

Course overview

Rules to create, analyze, interpret, and build high-performing content programs.

“This is the underpinning of how this industry-wide conversation needs to be.”

—Sarah Sher, Director of Content @ Codeless


Are you unsure of how to approach audience research—or what it really even is?


Do you struggle to get approval on strategies that are outside leadership’s limited view of content?


Does the content you’re producing feel irrelevant, disconnected, or ineffective?


You’re not alone.


In fact:


🔸 60% of content marketers are unsure or unconfident their content stands out on voice and tone.


🔸 43% of content marketers report not doing nearly enough research.


🔸 Only 30% of in-house content marketers feel their leadership is fully bought-in.


Many content marketers are stuck “playing content”:


They’re stuck using outdated playbooks—where leaders see the medium (podcasts, blogs, social media) as the strategy.


Without a distinct process to prove ROI, marketing is often treated as an arts-and-crafts department rather than a critical business function.


And with AI looming overhead, many marketers are too afraid to propose big ideas in case they don’t pan out.


Content Theory solves this problem


It offers a series of durable, repeatable frameworks for developing standout strategies—plus the communication skills to get buy-in from even the most skeptical executive.


Whether you’re a Head of Content, in-house content marketer, or part of the c-suite, you’ll leave with a proven approach you can put to work immediately.


“Everything I thought I knew about creating differentiated content, and all the advice I hear daily now feels very weak, unconvincing, and basic. Tommy showed us dimensions to content that I never knew existed.”

—Haris Spahić, Brand & Content Marketer @ Supermove

Most content marketers are stuck “playing content”

01

60% of content marketers are unsure or unconfident their content stands out on voice and tone.

02

43% of content marketers report not doing their research nearly enough.

03

Only 30% of in-house content marketers feel their leadership is fully bought-in.

What do you get out of Content Theory?

Proven-Frameworks For Creating Differentiated, High-Performing Content


"It's almost impossible to create a similar piece of content." - Erica Schneider - Cut The Fluff


You’ll learn the exact systems and frameworks used to create wildly differentiated content for Fortune 1,000 brands.

An Entirely New Way of Thinking


"Everyone is rethinking their approach to content marketing and I think your approach digs into things that are eternal." - Emily Epstein - Sigma


We're at an inflection point. If we keep doing things the same way, we're toast. It's time to adapt and rethink what's possible.

A Reinvigorated Passion For The Work


"When you come out of it, you'll realize it is B2B's moment, I'm feeling refreshed again, I'm feeling like this industry is possible, and we're not just selling degrees of differentation." - Sara Sher - Codeless


I love this stuff and I want to help you fall back in love too.

3 Hours of Private 1:1 Consultation

"I have never met anyone in my career that is more passionate about content marketing than Tommy is." - Josh Briggs - QuickBooks


We're not selling a course, we're starting a movement.


This only works if we get specific about your business and how these principles work for you.

An Intimate Five-Day Virtual Event:


"Very, very few, if any courses are as nutritional in terms of value-per-minute as what Tommy put together." - Ryan Baum - Content Consultant


Four jam-packed interactive group-based lessons and a day to reflect and discuss learnings and how to apply them.

Lasting Resources:

🔸 Lifetime access to session recordings


🔸 Worksheets, templates, and guided lessons you can reuse and share with your teams and clients.


🔸 The foundation for your personal “content manifesto” to guide future strategies.

This course includes

6 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

25 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

5 projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Jan 27—Jan 31

    Jan

    27

    Session 1: The 8 Layers of Market Research

    Mon 1/275:00 PM—8:30 PM (UTC)

    What to expect out of Session 1

    10 items

    Jan

    28

    Session 2: Creative Development

    Tue 1/286:00 PM—9:00 PM (UTC)

    What to expect out of Session 2

    9 items

    Jan

    29

    Optional: Session 3: Group Discussion & Assignment Review

    Wed 1/296:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

    What to expect out of Session 3

    0 items

    Jan

    30

    Session 4: How to Create Wildly Differentiated Content

    Thu 1/306:00 PM—9:00 PM (UTC)

    What to expect out of Session 4

    10 items

    Jan

    31

    Session 5: Driving Adoption & Leading Change

    Fri 1/316:00 PM—9:00 PM (UTC)

    What to expect out of Session 5

    0 items

Post-course

    Feb

    17

    Optional: Two Week Follow Up Q&A

    Mon 2/176:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)
    Optional

Bonus

    Bonus Download: Debunking the SEO Content Myth

    1 item

4.9 (9 ratings)

What students are saying

What people say about working with Tommy

        I can attest to how revolutionary your process has been for our business! I think it's wonderful that you're taking the time and energy to share your knowledge!
Cassie Dell

Cassie Dell

Senior SEO & Content Marketing Manager at LinkedIn
        The amount of impact you've created for us at LinkedIn has been incredible.
Mariam Jameel

Mariam Jameel

SEO & Content Manager - LinkedIn
        Tommy is so savvy about content strategy, you could even say cunning. When we worked together, I was always impressed with his constant push to raise the quality game and to find a strong narrative when others couldn’t.
Peep Laja

Peep Laja

Founder, CXL.com & Wynter.io
        The depth and quality of Tommy’s work set new bars for excellence and depth for the Unbounce blog. Being honest, I was envious of his content, which pushed me to become a better writer. His knowledge and strategic thinking will be a massive asset to any business trying to set up a content marketing program the right way.
Oli Gardner

Oli Gardner

Co-founder, Unbounce & Be the Keynote
        Tommy possesses the ability to lead complex editorial processes with multiple moving parts. He’s able to look at projects with a 30,000-foot view while managing through the granular details.
Ying Shen

Ying Shen

Social Media & Digital Marketing, QuickBooks
        “Tommy is the ultimate content marketer. He’s always up on the latest, knows how to use every tool and program, and has curated an extensive network of freelancers, marketers and partners to call on for any project or challenge. He understands how to get the best ROI for content marketing dollars, how to optimize content for maximum SEO results, an
Mackenzie Pedroza

Mackenzie Pedroza

Marketing Director at Brightflow AI
        Tommy is one of the most creative and enthusiastic individuals I’ve met in my professional career. His passion is contagious and inspires the people he works with to strive for better. Tommy believes in quality marketing content and can identify blossoming trends and bring his writers’ material to the next level.
Tia Fomenoff 

Tia Fomenoff 

VP of People, PurposeMed
        “Half of the best content marketers I know were either directly trained by him or have followed his work closely to inform their own content decisions.”
Jacob McMillen

Jacob McMillen

Founder, Write Minds

Meet your Instructor

Tommy Walker

Tommy Walker

Founder @ The Content Studio

👋 First marketing hire @ Shopify Plus, former Global Editor-in-Chief @ Intuit.


🚀 Works with the world’s best-known brands—like LinkedIn and GoDaddy—to create industry-leading content programs.


🎯Built content operations that have generated billions in revenue and have scaled to markets around the world.


“I have never met anyone in my career that is more passionate about content marketing than Tommy is.”

—Josh Briggs (QuickBooks)



“I learned a ton, every day was ridiculously valuable. I don’t doubt that I’ll look back in 5-10 years and see this as a turning point in my career.”

—Zachary Totah, Content Manager @ Selecthub

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Join an upcoming cohort

Content Theory

Cohort 4

$3,000

Dates

Jan 27—31, 2025

Payment Deadline

Jan 24, 2025

Don't miss out! Enrollment closes in 7 days

Get reimbursed

When you enroll in Content Theory you'll get:

When you enroll in Content Theory you'll get:

3 Hour-Long Private 1:1 Sessions

This is the beginning of a movement.


We want to set the new standard for what content marketing can be, and we can only do that if these principles are applied to your specific company to solve your specific challenges.


"Tommy's intuition, creative eye and insight in the marketing space sets him unto a category all his own." - Mai Overton - Sr. Research Data Analyst, State of California

The 8-Layer Market Research Model

Developed to help you pinpoint precisely where your brand sits in the larger competitive landscape, this process ensures you understand your customers’ motivations and your industry’s pulse.


By exploring your company, customers, competitors, search competitors, industry-adjacent players, influencers, news outlets, and automations to keep track of everyone in real-time, you’ll see opportunities to differentiate that no one else sees.


"Tommy believes in quality marketing content and can identify blossoming trends and bring his writers' material to the next level." - Tia Fomenoff - VP of People - PurposeMed

The Creative Ideation & Distribution-First Validation Model

Stop guessing if an idea will succeed.


By validating your concept and securing distribution partners before you produce a single deliverable, you’ll ensure that every new piece of content has a waiting audience.


This is a game-changer for resource allocation and executive buy-in.


"Tommy is the ultimate content marketer. He understands how to get the best ROI for content marketing dollars and understands how to optimize content for maximum results." Mackenzie Pedroza - Head of Marketing - Brightflow AI

Several Behavioral Psychology & Storytelling Principles

From Self-Determination Theory (decoding intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation) to leveraging screenwriting and acting frameworks, you’ll learn how to craft content that captivates and drives action.


These principles help you build trust, anticipation, and genuine excitement around your brand—while making your content impossible to ignore.


"Tommy has an artistic sense of what makes great content and an insistence on achieving it. I'll put it bluntly: many content strategists can talk about analytics but are totally clueless about how to create content that's truly remarkable." - Jon Morrow - Founder - Smart Blogger

The Power to Lead Change & Build a Coalition

Even the most brilliant content strategy can stall if no one else sees its potential.


Learn stakeholder management, buy-in techniques, and a blueprint for leading change from within, so you can usher your organization forward—especially if they’ve been stuck using outdated playbooks.


"Tommy possesses the ability to lead complex editorial processes with multiple moving parts. He's able to look at projects with a 30,000-foot view while managing through the granular details." - Ying Shen - QuickBooks

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The Time to Elevate Your Content Strategy is Now

Nearly two decades of experience distilled to one information-packed week

Nearly two decades of experience distilled to one information-packed week

I’ll be straight with you:


This event isn't just another item on your calendar. It's a turning point. It's where you step away from the uncertainty of the "Big Ole' Keyword List" and hit-or-miss content strategies and step into a world where your content consistently hits the mark.

 

I've been where you are. That's why I've tailored this event to not just impart knowledge, but to give you frameworks you can put into action immediately and bring together others who are ready to explore what's next for our industry.


I truly believe in the power of these strategies and tools. They are my life’s work, the culmination of years of experience and success. I am confident they will help you as they have helped others, and I look forward to celebrating with you when they do.


Warm regards,


Tommy Walker

Frequently Asked Questions

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A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Content Theory

Cohort 4

$3,000

Dates

Jan 27—31, 2025

Payment Deadline

Jan 24, 2025

Don't miss out! Enrollment closes in 7 days

Get reimbursed

$3,000

4.9 (9)

·

7 days left to enroll