Ann Gynn edits the CMI blog. Ann regularly combines words and strategy for B2B, B2C, and nonprofits, continuing to live up to her high school nickname, Editor Ann. Former college adjunct faculty, Ann also helps train professionals in content so they can do it themselves. Follow Ann on Twitter @anngynn or connect on LinkedIn.
Everybody should take their vacation time.
Studies show stepping away from work can lower stress, lessen the risk of heart disease, and give more motivation to achieve goals.
But when people follow that advice – often in larger numbers in the summer and at the end of the year – content marketers struggle to find sources in the office, approvers to review their content, etc.
Instead of letting that frustrate you, why not use the forced downtime productively?Continue Reading
You learned a skill in grade school that can set your content apart today.
Verbs can make all the difference in your sentences.
That lesson learned in elementary school will let your content stand out in the proliferation of boring, weak, and ineffective language. By slashing through those wasted, wimpy verbs, your content will pack a bigger punch and better motivate your audience.Continue Reading
Who cares who created the content?
Sure, the person who wrote, recorded, or produced it cares. And probably, their parents do, too (if my personal experience is any indicator.)
And maybe, if the person is a known expert or celebrity in their field, the publisher cares because their involvement will draw more attention.
But for most, authorship doesn’t matter. Yet, given the voluminous conversations around generative content AI, you would think it does.Continue Reading
Instagram’s Adam Mosseri is a social media content strategist’s best friend.
The Instagram leader frequently gets in front of the camera or behind the keyboard to remove some of the mystery behind the social media platform.Continue Reading
Working as a reporter, not a marketing copywriter, levels up your content. It allows audiences to view your brand as a trusted resource for valuable information, not a product-hawking promotional engine.
The first step? Think outside your company.Continue Reading
Case studies prevent your prospects from getting stuck in the funnel.
That’s probably why almost two-thirds of B2B content marketers use the tactic.
Case studies tell the story the prospective customer wants to know. Do you understand their pain points or need? Do you have a solution? Does it really deliver results? And case studies give those answers in a way that communicates credibility that an intrusive ad designed to sell, sell, sell could never do.Continue Reading
I’ll let you in on a little secret.
I volunteer to bring the cranberry relish to the end-of-the-year holiday meals. It’s the easiest to cook on the list of dishes at our family table, and I’m a fan of the fruit.
So last Thanksgiving, Ocean Spray’s Cranberry Club promotion intrigued me. How could a brand with a famous seasonal product create a year-round club? Since it was free, I signed up.
Seven months later, I realized the Cranberry Club is just a newsletter.Continue Reading
Engagement metrics don’t tell the whole story.
A lot of B2B and B2C marketers – more than 75% – use engagement with email and websites to evaluate content’s impact. About three in four assess social analytics and their engagement metrics.
While engagement numbers work well as a measurement of interactivity, they don’t work as well to understand the person’s sentiment. That requires a qualitative assessment, and, more importantly, it often requires a qualitative response in real-time.Continue Reading
More and better.
That’s what marketers say they need to improve the average and below-average results from their video content, according to CMI’s Video and Visual Storytelling Survey.
They need more budget (52%), more human resources (46%), and more training (33%). They also want better on-camera talent (27%), better equipment, production, and editing tools (25%), and better quality (21%).Continue Reading
Once upon a time, you had an opening on your content marketing team.
Combing through the resumes, you winnowed the pile to a half dozen potential unicorns who should know how to craft content that grabs (and keeps) your audience’s attention while keeping the brand’s goals top of mind.
On the appointed day, you clicked on the video conference link and, up popped one of the finalists. Of course, you asked a bunch of questions. After all, you were looking for answers.Continue Reading
