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And that’s a wrap of the week ending Sept. 20, 2019
This week I ponder whether we might be burying our best “B” stories when pitching new content ideas and approaches for C-suite buy-in. Then I explore potentially troubling data on how Americans feel about their online news sources and offer my take on where marketers’ responsibilities lie when advocating for the truth. Lastly, I deliver marketers from the depths of glossophobia with a double dose of tips and advice for jitter-free live presentations.
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Got a comment, idea, or question you’d like to share? Don’t be shy: Leave a comment below or tweet using #WeeklyWrap. Now, without further ado, let’s wrap up this week’s happenings:
- One deep thought (4:19): In our role as change agents, we are often tasked with presenting new content ideas and approaches to executive leadership to secure their support. But while marketers are highly skilled at communicating the big ask in these pitches, we often leave out the all-important “B” story – the critical, emotional engine that drives home personal resonance and provides a compelling rationale to take immediate action.
If you are meeting with skeptical responses to your business case presentations, restructure your story to establish a clear answer to the question, “why now?”
Overcome skepticism of your #contentmarketing business case. Explain the “why now.” @Robert_Rose #WeeklyWrap Click To Tweet
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:
- A fresh take on the news (10:10): This week’s item is a must-read, especially if your job involves creating trustworthy news content. Recent findings gathered from Pew Research Center’s surveys and analysis characterize people’s increasing reliance on the internet (and, in particular, social media platforms) as the go-to source for news coverage. While few key data points are surprising, one really sets my teeth on edge: 57% of Americans say they expect the news they see on these platforms to be largely inaccurate. To me, this is a clear sign that marketers need to work harder to keep social media’s more questionable news practices from casting an unretractable dark shadow over the broader online news landscape.
- This week’s person making a difference in content (15:56): My guest this week is Michael Weiss, vice president of marketing for Creative Circle’s consulting arm, Creative360. Michael is also an adjunct professor at Loyola Marymount University and an accomplished content creator and public speaker.
It’s this last credential that resonated particularly strongly with the Content Marketing World attendees who sat in on Michael’s popular session, The Five Feet of Fear: How to Overcome Your Fear of Presenting. In the boot camp-like workshops he delivers on the subject, he puts marketers through their presenter’s paces with multiple speaking exercises; but for our conversation, I shine the spotlight on how he gets out of his own head when he has to get up on stage.
If you want to learn more about the man behind the microphone:
- Check out his personal website.
- Follow him on Twitter @mikepweiss.
- One content marketing idea you can use (33:25): Lack of confidence in or familiarity with the subject matter is a common element among those who fear public speaking. It’s a source of anxiety with which CMWorld keynote speaker Tamsen Webster has firsthand experience despite her role as a public speaking strategist and former executive producer at TEDxCambridge. I revisit some of Tamsen’s favorite tips (from her interview with CMI’s Cathy McPhillips) for overcoming the dissonance in your speaking opportunities, and chime in with a few of my own story-driven solutions.
Love for this week’s sponsor: CMI University
Looking to advance the narrative in the story of your content marketing career? Add new layers of personal expertise and enhance your ability to address your industry’s toughest questions by enrolling in the training we offer at CMI University. Our newest class offerings home in on the process considerations for a successful content marketing framework, but we also offer a wide range of online courses that can help you increase your efficiency, proficiency, and effectiveness in all aspects of content marketing – from strategy to creative to measurement and beyond. Registration for this semester closes Sept. 30. Secure your seat today at ContentMarketingUniversity.com.
The wrap-up
Tune in next week for another deep thought, a fresh take on the news, an interview with one brilliant person making a difference in content, and a great content marketing idea you can use – all delivered in a little less time than it takes Apple to add another lens to its iPhone.
If you like our weekly round-up and repartee, we’d sure love for you to review it and share it. Hashtag us up on Twitter: #WeeklyWrap.
It’s your story. Tell it well.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
