Digital Machiavelli

Digital Machiavelli

Home
Archive
About
Digital Machiavelli #1: Information Architecture in the Attention Economy
Ignore it at your peril.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #12: Effective Storytelling for Social Ads
How to do paid social well, and how not to.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #2: Video Editing for Attention & Profit
How to get your viewers invested and keep them that way.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #3: Clickbait Titles That Actually Work (And Why)
Exploring a microcosm of narrative design.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #8: Visual Hurdles
Grabbing and holding attention with a scrolling-addicted audience.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #5: Too Long; Didn't Listen
On the vital importance of narrative in corporate demand generation.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #6: Optimizing for YouTube Discovery Algorithms
How to leverage the web's most powerful equalizing force.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #11: Effective YouTube Content Tactics
Double-dipping the right way, and other useful maneuvers.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #4: Your Resume, Your Story
Using Narrative Design to Build Your Own Hero's Journey
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #7: The Magical World of Headings
Laying the foundation for the best content navigation experience.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #9: Effective Thumbnail Design
Why compelling visual narratives trump low-effort clickbait every time.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
Digital Machiavelli #10: Practical Color Theory in UX
How to say more with fewer words.
 • 
Merlock Fairwood
© 2025 Merlock Fairwood
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture