Listen to the Weekly Wrap right here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Nov. 1, 2019

This week I’m thinking about the danger of losing spontaneity. I offer a fresh take on the news that Google is changing the way search works. I talk with Kathy Klotz-Guest about how to promote a culture of experimentation in business. And I share an article about how chinchillas and bacon help you write better content.

Continue Reading

Are we listening or just waiting to speak?

When someone – a friend, a coworker, or our life partner – speaks, how often are we only thinking about what we want to say next?

You’re in a meeting where your coworker is talking about the state of the business, the results from last quarter, or the proposed new project, and you have this internal Q-and-A dialogue: “Wow, that’s a lot of data she just laid out. Do I agree with it? Which statements should I respond to? Should I ask a question now? I’m ready with an answer. What should I say to sound smart? What was I supposed to pick up from the grocery store?”

Continue Reading

Listen to the Weekly Wrap here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Oct. 25, 2019

This week I’m thinking about how to handle those marketing bumps in the night. I mull over Verizon’s startling move from publishing to commerce. I ask creative agency leader and teacher Jonathan Kranz for his tips on differentiating through content. And I point to an article that might just have you and your agency singing Kumbaya.

Continue Reading

Listen to the Weekly Wrap here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Oct. 18, 2019

This week I’m thinking about why we create the content we do. I offer a fresh take on a news piece about how Best Buy might just be your next media buy. I talk with Jesper Laursen about how integrating native advertising with content marketing makes one plus one equal five (and whether that’s reality). Finally, I point to an article that will help you do native advertising the right way.

Continue Reading

Listen to the Weekly Wrap here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Oct. 11, 2019

This week I’m thinking about finding the heart of thought leadership. I offer my take on an article suggesting publishers’ hearts don’t seem to be in the subscriber game – and why they (and content marketers) need to try harder. I interview Duct Tape Marketing’s John Jantsch about his new book – and what we can learn from American transcendentalists. And I point you to an article that will help give your content heart and soul.

Continue Reading

Listen to the Weekly Wrap here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Oct. 4, 2019

This week I’m thinking about how a tech snafu ate my interview. I also explore the need to create a new corporate culture club rather than fixing what exists. I offer a fresh take on a news piece that asks whether the days of TV advertising are finally over. And I point you to an article that explains why the content technology process is failing you.

Continue Reading

Listen to the Weekly Wrap here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

And that’s a wrap of the week ending Sept. 27, 2019

This week I’m thinking about how winning the “yes” is simply the opening salvo of any content revolution. I delve into the evolution of what we think of as a magazine and what that says about the importance of shared definitions. I query Doug Kessler, one of content marketing’s original rebels, about what happens when disruptors lose their cool factor. Lastly, I offer a resource for all the plans you need to create a complete editorial strategy for your own revolution.

Listen to the Weekly Wrap

Let’s get this week’s show – recorded as I travel around Europe – underway.

• One deep thought (4:40): What happens when (as Billy Madison so ineloquently put it) the puppy becomes the dog and the industry becomes the revolution? As hard as getting buy-in for your content revolution is, getting that yes is the easy part. Now you must channel the excitement of the revolution into a governed, scalable system – without losing the highly creative spirit that got you there. Even Genghis Khan recognized that struggle according to a quote often attributed to him: “Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard.”

• A fresh take on the news (9:50): What is a TV – is it a device or is it a service? What is a white paper? An e-book? A blog post? An article? I started thinking about these definitions (and the impact they have on content marketing teams) after reading a piece called It’s Time to Rethink Our Definition of a Magazine.

The article opens by describing how the shift from print to digital challenges our concept of a “magazine.” It contrasts the traditional definition with the current iteration of Glamour, a once-traditional print magazine that’s undergone an extreme digital transformation. It’s a fascinating read that brought up all kinds of questions I see content marketing clients struggling with – and I share my take on why common definitions really do matter.

• This week’s person making a difference in content (14:14): I took advantage of being in London this week to sit down with Doug Kessler, one of the most annoyingly talented and creative minds in marketing. Doug is co-founder of the London-based agency Velocity Partners (whose clients are mostly U.S-based). Doug started his career at Ogilvy & Mather, working on accounts for soap and fabric softener and other consumer goods that bored him rigid. Since he jumped ship to specialize in B2B, Doug’s been a speaker at marketing events all over the world and is a prolific writer on all things marketing, content, tech, strategy, and creativity.

Our conversation ranges from the dangers of winning your revolution, of deadening your content mojo with layers of process, and of running out of tea in London. On a less scary note, we talk about companies that won their revolution and still found something worthy to keep the rebel spirits high and how killer stories can solve (almost) all marketing problems.

Listen in to our talk, then get to know Doug better:

• Read his legendary post Crap: The Single Biggest Threat to B2B Content Marketing. (See also Stakeholder Through the Heart, which he mentioned in our discussion.)
• Visit velocitypartners.com.
• Follow @velocitytweets on Twitter.
• One content marketing idea you can use (34:20): Finally, I’d love for you to visit (or revisit) this post on Content Marketing Institute’s blog: Got a Plan? Content Marketing Success Demands It. The updated guide by CMI’s Jodi Harris covers all the components of a great editorial plan, including guidelines, governance, editorial style, tone, and operational workflows. In fact, her section on workflow is my favorite part – because defining steps, sign-off, and stakeholders can help you avoid potential breakdowns and bottlenecks at every turn.

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. And it’s all delivered in a little less time than it takes Fleabag to win another Emmy.

We so appreciate all the love you’re giving our weekly play on words, and 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.

To listen to past Weekly Wrap shows, go to the main Weekly Wrap page.  

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

Listen to the Weekly Wrap right here or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to rate it or post a review.

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.

Continue Reading