Ctrl Alt Ask

In a crowded digital landscape, how do you get your brand to stand out? In our first-ever live episode, host Stephanie Woodin gets the lowdown from Emily Robinson, a top entertainment publicist who has launched countless TV shows, products and global brands. Together, they translate lessons from Hollywood publicity to the world of web creators.

Get Emily’s Hollywood insider tips on brand strategy from goal setting to execution, and learn how content creators, influencers, and entrepreneurs can build stronger, more memorable brands online.

AI crawlers are coming for your content: Should you block them, or let them in? In this episode of Ctrl Alt Ask, Raptive’s Chief Growth Officer, Marc McCollum, breaks down what every creator needs to know about AI scraping your site.
 
Our guest this week, Nate Hake, founder of Travel Lemming, shares why he’s already blocking AI bots, and why he thinks creators must unite to demand fair compensation from AI companies. From copyright lawsuits and licensing deals to the truth about traffic loss, this episode is a must-listen for all creators who publish online.

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As a creator, your niche is your superpower for finding and retaining an audience. But is honing a super-specific category leaving advertising dollars on the table?

This week, Jess Coppom of Make & Do Crew, wonders if she should expand her crochet content to attract advertisers. 

To give Jess the best advice, we pulled in MaryRay Lombardo, Raptive’s SVP of Advertising Partnerships. She explains why advertisers are drawn to creator sites, and what they’re looking for. She brings the latest research to help creators find ways to attract more ad dollars without alienating their devoted audiences. 

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What does YouTube really want? For years, it was long-form content, where more minutes meant more revenue. But after the TikTok takeover, YouTube abruptly pivoted to short-form, which is great for getting creators more eyeballs, but not as great for ad dollars. 

This week’s creator, Aimee Page of the Crazy Craft Lady, has had success on YouTube with long-form content. But should she suddenly start creating short-form content to keep up with this trend? How should creators meet the algorithm at this moment? And, most of all: where do they find the time?

Fresh off Made on YouTube 2025, we’re joined by Linda Petta, who delivers the hottest updates about what YouTube is doing to help creators out. Linda shares the best strategies she’s learned from years of helping creators achieve the biggest ROI from their efforts. 

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Where did all my clicks go? This is a common question we’ve been hearing over the last few years as traffic has plummeted for creators across the board.

Our creator this week, Organically Addison, has noticed that Google is ranking Quora or Reddit forums above her gluten-free recipes. Is that where her traffic went? 

Tom Critchlow, Raptive’s EVP of Audience Growth, joins Stephanie to explain  what happened. As it turns out, it’s a bit more complicated than just favoring community forums. But there’s good news: Tom has a bunch of simple, tactical SEO tricks you can apply today to help improve your traffic.

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