The Time I Got to be a Branded Content Professor for a Day
When branded content is done right, everybody “wins”: the audience, the sponsor, and the publisher. But we need to educate audiences about this fast-growing space: what it is, and isn’t, how it differs from traditional journalism, and how to tell if you are are engaging with content that has been paid for by a sponsor. […]
Just in Case You Want to Know My Life Story
In October 2015, my husband and I made one of the best decisions of our life: we moved to Ridgefield, CT. We love the town’s family values and strong sense of community. We value its schools, commitment to the arts and theatre, vibrant restaurant scene, and pro-small business climate. I also appreciate that it is […]
Why Now Is a Good Time to be “a Little Guy (GAL!)”
I have been noticing a trend. When brands are contacting me for help with their content marketing or PR and thought leadership strategies, a growing number are sharing that they are parting ways with large agencies. Instead, they are assembling their own teams of independent contractors or boutique firm owners like me–people who have the […]
We Earned Our Editor Credit on Amazon
Last spring, JR Lisk helped Brian Jones, founder of Nuts & Bolts of PR, create a PR workbook that teaches people how to take PR into their own hands. Brian had so many tips, tricks, and success stories to share—he needed help organizing his insights and presenting them in the most useful way possible. Brian […]
Why Your Business Needs Video
Businesses of all sizes are investing in video. Here’s why: People prefer them. Research shows that 60% of site visitors will watch a video, if available, before reading text. (Source) They are shareable. Content that includes a multimedia element is more likely to be shared than text-only content. They are effective. After watching a video, […]
The Content Marketing “Sweet Spot”
When working with clients to document a content marketing strategy, I always end up talking about the “sweet spot” – that magical moment when an audience’s needs and interests intersect with the company’s products, services or expertise. Here are a few “sweet spot” examples: One of my clients is a managed IT services company. We […]
The Surprisingly Tricky Task Of Writing Company Summaries
Helping a new company boil down what it does into a few sentences is a surprisingly challenging task. The last four years, I have been helping businesses, big and small, do just that. Writing a company description is especially hard for a nascent organization that is still working out exactly how its products or services […]
Why Aren’t You Blogging?
When I get busy, I tend to neglect my own blog so I can focus on creating content for my clients. I am not proud of this, but it is a deliberate decision. Blogging doesn’t fall through the cracks. It is not something I forget about. The truth is, there is only so much content […]
Infographic: The 2017 State of Content Marketing in the UK
Zazzle, a UK-based digital content marketing agency, surveyed thousands of businesses about their content marketing. While 79 percent of those surveyed felt the use of content marketing is effective, only 6 percent were “definitely sure how to implement content marketing” strategies on their own. I’d wager a poll of American marketers and business owners would […]
What Makes Content Engaging?
Part of the reason why content marketing is so popular is because it is more engaging than traditional advertising tactics like, say, a stagnant banner ad. Your audience spends time reading or watching your content and may even be compelled to share it on their own social media networks. This helps you build trust and […]
