As writers, content creators and marketers, we spend a lot of our time trying to figure out how to cut through the clutter and get our messages in front of the right audiences. That often means we are not spending enough time figuring out if what we have produced is easy to understand and [...]
We all write. We write emails and letters. We write texts. We write blog posts. Some write legal opinions. Others write creative briefs. We write short stories or poems or song lyrics. We all have things to say. We all have a story to tell. Yes, we all write. And some people are amazing at [...]
For a lot of marketers and creative types, brainstorming is a way of life. Coming up with new ideas. Creating clever campaigns to drive engagement. Being strategic with creative assets. This is where we left-brainers thrive, right? Meh. Maybe. One truth about marketing and advertising you don’t often hear is that creative brainstorming isn’t everyone’s [...]
You need story ideas for the next newsletter, so you call a brainstorm. Looking for art concepts for the corporate magazine? Schedule a brainstorm. Trying to figure out what to name the new company blog? Brainstorm, brainstorm, brainstorm! If you work in a large department or in a creative agency, you might be organizing and/or [...]
It’s January. A new year. A new set of marketing goals to achieve and fun new content to create. A fresh slate. But one thing that hasn’t changed is your lack of time. Even the most heroic of marketers and editors and writers can't have ALL the ideas. If you’re starting the year without a [...]
It's hard to believe, but 2017 is almost behind us. With each fresh year, I get excited. I stop to reflect and set goals (New Year's resolutions, some call them). I think about how I want this year to be different than the last. I consider myself — my health, my relationships, my business, my [...]
Could you hear my eye rolling all the way from your office? You probably did. Followed by a sigh and maybe a grunt. (I'm not very subtle sometimes.) I'm sorry, but some days, I just can’t take it anymore. When marketing and communications team members send out copy for a content review, we're trying to [...]
Communications is not rocket science or brain surgery. A lot of people can communicate. But strategic communications isn’t always easy. It takes thought and skill and training and time. Organizations run the gamut in terms of how much they value and support communications. Consider for a moment how you treat communicators in your organization. I [...]
It’s Which Word Wednesday. Instead of the usual training video addressing a specific set of often-confused words, today is a POP QUIZ! Lucky you! This is a great time to test your progress and see which lessons you might need to revisit. OK, here we go. In each of the sentences below, which word would [...]
When you’re working on a content project — whether that’s a large website, an e-book, a magazine or a blog — you might be responsible for hiring a content team to help with your copy. But what kind of help do you need, and what will your budget allow? Not all content professionals bring the [...]
