A good success story goes a long way. This is especially true when you work in an industry rife with complexity like healthcare or technology. That's because success stories are perfect for showing (vs. telling) what you do — and how awesome you are at doing it. Plus, with a success story, your target audience [...]
When I work with clients, I talk about why blogging is an important part of a content marketing plan. I also talk about the fact that I don't always set the best example. But my absence from this blog doesn't mean I haven't been hard at work. I think about writing and communications strategy and [...]
Life as a writer can be frustrating. You spend your days (and sometimes your nights, too) poring over your copy. You agonize over every word. You edit and rewrite and proofread. Then, you send your content into the world. Now, you wait. You wait for a response. Will people comment? Will people share on Facebook [...]
If part of your job is writing, then there's a good chance you want to be able to write faster. I hear ya. Here are a few tricks I use to help me make the most of my time. 1. Free write. It's easy to get caught up in the structure of a piece. But [...]
If you're a marketer, then you know that your job isn't just about producing beautiful materials. It's about producing materials that accomplish something. You're not successful unless a consumer picks up the phone or clicks a link or downloads a brochure — and ultimately buys something. And all of that hinges on the quality of [...]
Content, content, content. It's all you're hearing about. But you're struggling with budget at the moment. Who hasn't been there? Yes, good, strategic content marketing programs indeed require some time, energy and money. But if you need to make due on less, here are a few ideas for saving a few bucks. 1. Re-purpose, re-purpose, [...]
With the rise of content marketing, many marketing directors have discovered a need to hire outside writing help to tackle the volumes of blogs, white papers, websites, scripts and more they now require. Whether you're looking for a pinch-hitter or a daily starter, hiring the right freelance writer isn't always easy. Here are a few [...]
In 2008, Active Voice Communications was a dream. Like many people, I was nervous about the risks that come with starting a business. But I was excited about the opportunity, and I took a few small steps (like securing a domain name and drafting a simple business plan) — then I took that giant leap. [...]
This morning I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at Infusionsoft's ICON14. What a fun hour! (Even though it was at 8 a.m.) I love panels for a few reasons: One, it means people don't have to listen to my voice for the whole hour. Two, it's fun to be a part of [...]
Last week, more than 1,700 content marketers from around the world converged on Cleveland for Content Marketing World 2013 (#CMWorld). The conference was an opportunity for marketers to talk about content strategy and execution, how to apply the principles of content marketing to B2B and B2C environments, and how to generate great content on any [...]
