JULY 2019: REALITY BITES

Reality Check

Let’s be honest about the things content marketers sometimes get wrong – from how we handle failure to the ways we let client-agency relationships get in the way of great content – and reflect on how we can do better.

This issue isn’t about pointing fingers or sharing gripes. Far from it. It’s about finding success by identifying where (and how) we need to improve.

I hope you find the practical advice and resources – including our relaunched agency database and the latest agency research – helpful on your journey.

Stephanie Stahl Sig
Stephanie Stahl
General Manager, CMI

FEATURES

Failure: The Ultimate Content F-Word

Anna Hrach

Like most things, content marketing is an inexact science. There are countless right and wrong ways to respond to a brief or complete a project, and even the best of us are not immune to failure. But do we dare admit it?


How to Survive Content by Committee

Rusty Weston

Collaborative editing rarely produces compelling content. That can be a problem when, for example, the agency-client relationship is collaborative by definition. Discover how to seize control of the content review process and improve it.


Brand and Product Marketing: How to Solve the Split-Personality Problem

Noah Brier

Brand and product marketers might seem like opposites – particularly in the feature-packed, spec-filled world of B2B technology. Yet truly effective content relies on both disciplines working in harmony.


ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

TALKING POINTS

A Special Relationship: Agencies and Clients

Clients rely on agencies and agencies need clients, but the relationships between them aren’t always smooth. How can brands get the most out of their agency partners? And how can agencies win and retain more clients?

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Henry Rollins Brings Illumination to a Murky Media World

In his ContentTECH Summit 2019 keynote, Henry Rollins argued that creating content is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. The punk rocker, author, and actor shared his thoughts on content purpose, authenticity, and “moral goodness.”

SOCIAL WEB

The Hidden Consequences of Moderating Social Media’s Dark Side

Far from trivial, inconsequential banter, social media can have genuine, potentially damaging consequences for employees faced with negative comments and extreme content every day. Are employers doing enough to support their teams?

CMWORLD

Event Marketing Lessons from Content Marketing World

The annual Content Marketing World conference isn’t just about content marketing – it is content marketing. The CMWorld team shares how it creates a memorable event that continues to attract a larger audience every year.

CMWORLD

Conference Survival: It’s Easy to be Wise After the Event

Conferences are a great way for you and your team to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and find inspiration for future projects. The orange snacks are good too. So how do you ensure your team gets the most from the event?

CMWORLD

Award-Winning Content Marketing Inspiration

Every year, the Content Marketing Awards celebrates the best the industry has to offer. Here are some of the projects that impressed the judges in 2018, snaring shiny new trophies for the agencies and brands behind them.

EXPERT INSIGHT

Email Marketing: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Nearly every brand uses email marketing due to its proven effectiveness and acceptance with consumers. But we’ve all seen plenty of poor marketing practices in the inbox. Are we driving our audiences away with too much of a good thing?

TACTICIAN

How to Create a Branded Podcast That Doesn't Suck

Podcast marketing is huge. No wonder everyone seems to be launching company podcasts these days. But instead of treating podcasting as just another content channel to tick, how will yours stand out in such a crowded field?

WORDSMITH

Style Matters: How Well is Your Copy Turned Out?

Every writer develops a personal style, with preferences for everything from the Oxford comma to paragraph structure. When working with multiple writers, conflicting style preferences can lead to linguistic chaos. How will you mediate?

IDEA GARAGE

Tasty Content = A Dash of Color and a Pinch of Personality

A smorgasbord of spicy content marketing fare concocted from only the freshest ideas; including Bumble’s new print mag, Colors of Carlsbad, and Adobe’s Creative Types.

UNSOLICITED ADVICE

Shiny New Objects

You didn’t ask for it, but he’s dishing it out anyway. This issue, Andrew Davis serves up some unsolicited advice to all of those marketers looking to hitch a ride on the next big thing.

BEST OF CCO

A Brief Guide: How To Write a Brief

If, as the saying goes, proper planning prevents poor performance, then a good brief is the cornerstone of effective content.

The Content Assembly Line Is Broken

Content creation silos inhibit great work. We shouldn’t be producing content as we would a Ford Focus. Here’s the problem and the solution.

JULY 2019: EDITORIAL AND DESIGN TEAM

Chief Consulting Editor
Jonathan Crossfield
@Kimota

Editorial Consultant
Ann Gynn
@anngynn

Creative Director
Joseph Kalinowski
@JKKalinowski

Consulting Graphic Designer
Crystal Madrilejos
@CrystalMadrilejos

JULY 2019: SPONSORS

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