Fun with Fake News: Two Truths and a Lie

Ever played the icebreaker game Two Truths and a Lie?

The object of the game is to separate fact from fiction. When played with a group of strangers, it comes down to guessing. The game can still be fun when played with people you know. But it’s harder to stump them.

You may know me well or only a little. But let’s see if I can throw you off track with my two truths and one lie:

  • I appeared on the ABC show 20/20.
  • I love hazelnut coffee.
  • I’m a PK (preacher’s kid).
Now, scrooooooll to near the end of my blog post to Four Truths and Two Lies Revealed to see if you guessed which one’s the lie. But just read the first three answers, so you don’t spoil round two that starts next.

Two Truths and a Lie About Marketing

Let’s go one more round with the topic of marketing.

For the past 12 years, my focus has been online marketing. My truths and lies have this slant, so channel Melanie the (Digital) Marketer to spot the fake news:

  • Every business should be on Instagram.
  • Having a blog on your website benefits SEO.
  • Marketing is meaningless if it’s never measured.

Scroll down to spot the fake or keep reading, and you’ll get to that section soon!

My YOTP is Still Going Strong!

In January, I declared 2020 the Year of the Pencil (YOTP) and wrote about my decision on my blog. You can read it here, but here’s the TL;DR (short) version.

I’ve been a pen fan forever. Blue ink, always. Rummaging through my desk drawer one day, I realized I had dozens of pencils. I’m not a hoarder … much … but I hate to throw certain things away and recycle as much as I can.

I decided right then to challenge myself to use only pencils in 2020 to reduce the stash. I’m happy to report this is a New Year’s resolution I stuck to.

When I recently checked my site traffic in Google Analytics, I was surprised to see my YOTP article is the most popular post with more than 1,600 views! (Most get 100–200 views.) Even better, many people reached out with comments, including the Blackwing pencil company. An employee read my article and sent a note wishing me a great YOTP, gifting me a box of their sleek, gray pencils.

Down the road when we all think back to this year, we’ll remember it as the Year of the Pandemic and the Year of Toilet Paper. (Two more YOTPs. Freaky.) I bet I’ll remember 2020 for my pencil adventure, too. Because I’m still learning things from this fun experiment.

Here’s where things are more than half-way into my YOTP challenge:

  • Initially, I wanted to commit publicly to a self-imposed challenge, but I ended up revealing more of myself in the article and people responded favorably.
  • I’m enjoying using pencils that once belonged to my mom (she passed away in late 2017) and son. He’s back in Missouri, and I can’t wait to finally see him and give him a hug!
  • I’ve inspired a few people to do their own use-what-you-have challenge.
  • I’m starting to make a dent in all those pencils!

While it might not make sense for every company to include personal content on their blog, I’m a company of one. (So are several of my clients.) My brand is Melanie the (experienced, approachable, transparent, fun, often-opinionated) Marketer, and there’s more on my mind than just marketing.

Four Truths and Two Lies Revealed

    1. I appeared on the ABC show 20/20.
          • Truth. It’s a long personal story, but you can ask me about it sometime.
    2. I love hazelnut coffee.
          • Gag. That’s the lie. I like every other coffee flavor, though!
    3. I’m a PK (preacher’s kid).
          • Yep, it’s true. I’m one of those angelic PKs. Couldn’t you tell?

Scroll back up to Two Truths and a Lie About Marketing

HEY! No peaking.

    1. Every business should be on Instagram.
          • Lie. Though I love it, Instagram isn’t a must for every company. Would a funeral home or meat-processing company need to be on Instagram? Nope and nope.
    2. Having a blog on your website benefits SEO.
          • It’s true that Google likes fresh content. Read the Google Loves Blogs section of my blogging benefits article where I mention this.
    3. Marketing is meaningless if it’s never measured.
          • Truth. There’s something measurable in every marketing initiative. Newsletter sign-ups. Leads. Clicks. Downloads. Sales. And occasionally, crickets. Every marketing action causes a reaction that’s worth noting and learning from.

Now it’s your turn!

What are two truths and a lie about you? Shoot me an email, and I’ll see if I can guess!

Published by Melanie Deardorff

I'm a veteran marketer who partners with a diverse mix of clients from myriad industries — finance, tech, coaching/consulting, legal, higher education, packaging — you name it. I also support in-house marketing teams and solopreneur creative pros (copywriters, graphic designers, web developers, etc.) who need to outsource content marketing (e.g., blog posts and case studies) and social media. I have a deep background in financial services and a knack for making tough topics a pleasure to read and understand. I've been a Phoenix-area resident since August 2017 (a life-long Missourian up to that point). It's a dry heat here, and my husband, my dogs and I love it.