By Stephanie Conner Ten years. That’s a lot of brochures, newsletters, feature articles, websites, annual reports, blog posts and other materials. Active Voice Communications made its official debut in March 2009. And in the past decade, I’ve been fortunate to work with clients in various industries — healthcare, technology, higher education, real estate, banking, [...]
Words matter. Words educate, inform, entertain and uplift us. They can also confuse, irritate or depress us. Writers carefully select the words they choose — whether for a headline, book dialogue, tagline or product name. Yes, words matter. But so do the rules of grammar that surround them. Many writers excel at research, interviewing [...]
Every writer knows that sometimes you struggle. You get writer's block. You feel uninspired. You're drained. So, where do the pros go when they need to fuel their creative fire? Our team pondered the question: Which magazine or book do you turn to for inspiration? Where are your favorite places to find good writing? Here's [...]
How many words should it be? This is a question I often ask editors and content managers. For writers, a word count is a useful gauge to estimate how long a project will take and what the cost will be. Writers need to understand your vision so they can fulfill it. But as an [...]
There are two important things you need to do in order to become a better writer. First, you need to write a lot. And second: read. Read as much as you can and with as much variety as you can ... fiction, nonfiction, prose, poetry, humor, recipes, technology, blogs, books, short stories. Read it all. [...]
Over the summer, I took two weeks off for vacation. Two glorious weeks! Before I left, it had occurred to me that I hadn’t taken time off from work in about 14 months. When my clients keep me busy with such great work, I end up not taking the time. Yes, it’s hard to [...]
We’ve done a lot of work with healthcare companies over the years — insurers, employee wellness providers, hospitals all over the country, even a local gym — and one message that we hear over and over is that it’s important for patients to get the right care in the right setting at the right time. [...]
No matter how much we plan, there will be instances where you just simply run out of time. Someone on your staff gets sick. People take vacations. A holiday shuts down the office for a few days. Maybe there’s been a merger or acquisition drawing your attention away. Perhaps you were focusing your resources elsewhere. [...]
A content plan is an invaluable tool. It keeps your team on track. It helps you be more strategic. It’s a great device for communicating with other teams in your organization. And having a plan can save you money. Clearly, I love content plans. I want everyone to have one. (And I want to help [...]
By Stephanie Conner and Allison Thomas Without smart strategic planning, the big wins just don’t happen. Every decent coach (and content marketer) knows it’s true. You don’t make up plays on game day, and you don’t build a content plan while you’re creating content. Now, do some teams attempt this? Of course. But very few [...]
