If there is one thing I hear time and time again, it’s that content marketing takes a substantial amount of time to do well. I agree wholeheartedly, but there are some things you can do to reduce the time you spend – while delivering better content to your audience.Continue reading

If you think a FAQ page is where readers find handy information about their needs or a place where customers go to look for answers to frequently asked questions, think again. In an informal survey  I conducted,  occasional to frequent Internet users generally agreed that FAQ pages were of little use...

We content marketers take a lot of pride in writing material that engages, inspires and motivates our customers. We talk about having a crystal clear focus on key messages that are relevant to our audience. We spout platitudes about “adding value” with “thought leadership.” Our Holy Grail is the perfect...

My college roommate used to hold up his giant screwdriver and say – “this is the only tool I’ll ever need.” And, he’d hammer nails with it, open boxes with it, open beer bottles with it (yes, college was like that for me). It was everything he needed. Sadly, the same can’t be said for different web content...

Did you know… 9 of 10 B2B marketers leverage content marketing as part of their marketing programs? 51% of B2B marketers are increasing their spending in content marketing over the next 12 months? Over a quarter of the total marketing and communications budget now goes toward content marketing? Junta42...

Download this free research from Junta42 and MarketingProfs to learn about the benchmarks, trends and budgets in B2B marketing in 2010.

You might be thinking, “Privacy policy? Who cares about that? It’s just something we had to put up because our lawyer said so.” You can leave it at that, or you can remake your privacy policy into a marketing advantage with a few tweaks. Continue reading

Must “content” come in written, video or podcast form? Consider the following . . . I’m a raving fan of the Brains on Fire movement. I was thrilled to be invited to participate in their Fire Sessions this year and, along with the other participants, was excited to find a copy of their...

Face it, marketing managers: Whether the economy is humming or tanking, you’re going to spend about the same amount of effort to find and qualify professional writing talent. In a brisk economy (remember those?), you’ll spend most of your time beating the bushes to identify a few qualified...

Shhh. Do you hear that noise? That’s the mournful cry of a program that lacks content. If I’m being honest, I’ll admit I’ve heard that sound occasionally myself. When you work on a communications program for many years, it can sometimes feel exhausting to identify new ideas or topics that move your audience....

When building an editorial schedule, you naturally look to your roster of subject matter experts for ideas. Even so, you may find that the well soon runs dry. Before it does, dig a little deeper into sources that you may not (yet) have mined, and you might uncover not only a mother lode of great content,...

Video content can bring your brand to life. Reach and attract a new audience. Explain and visually communicate a new or complex process or product. Even better, these days you probably have several video cameras in the office — just check your co-workers’ phones. But before you hit “record,” it’s helpful...