Gotta thank Marketing Profs for teeing us so many good blog posts for me this week! Here's a key finding from an article on the results from their latest survey, B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends:

Align your content with the buying cycle. According to the survey results, the most effective content marketers are more likely to segment their content based on the buying cycle (45% of best in class versus 39% of industry average and 29% of "laggards").

How do you Align content with the sales and buying cycles?

Just takes a few steps:

1. Define the cycle: Start by talking with your sales and/or biz dev team to chart the typical cycle. This will help you understand the different topics you need to cover in content development.

2. Determine the topics: Ask the sales/biz dev team to help you make a list of common questions and objections they get from prospects so you can create content that addresses those head-on. It's also worth chatting with your CRM/call center/receptionist to see what kinds of calls they get from prospects and new customers. Take this big ol' list of topics and map it to your sales process. Not sure where something goes? Ask the experts!

3. Make a calendar: Put your cycle on a calendar and then drop the topics in where they belong. Chances are good (really good) that there will be some periods with tons of topics and others without many or any. You'll also probably find some topics that could be combined or jettisoned, and maybe even a few that need to be added. Again, engage your cycle experts to help you determine the final line-up, based on purpose, relevance and frequency (i.e., you may not want to post a boatload of content on one day). You'll also want to line this up against any other editorial calendars you have to get the complete picture.

This is the easiest way I know to map your content to your sales/biz dev cycle and make your content marketing more relevant. We've taken a handful of clients through this process and it's helped us get buy-in and identify SMEs in addition to being a kick-ass planning tool.

To get you the rest of the way, check out these posts:

• Managing content differently (the content supply chain)
• Content Development: Creating faster and better
• Identifying the right channels
• Extending the value of content

Interesting MarketingProfs article the other day on B2B content marketing trends. One part, in particular, caught my eye:

"The key is to identify which channels, if any, deliver more return than others. Then, ensure that your level of investment matches your audience's use of that channel."

Click image for larger view. Copyright 2010 TTMS/TWF

It works like this:

1. Brainstorm channel options

Include stakeholders from across the organization, like marketing, CRM, sales, etc. The idea is to get as many people who can help you align choices to business goals while addressing the needs and preferences of your target audience. For more ideas, check out the first box in my content supply chain model.

2. Vet against your purpose

What do you want the audience to think or do? Delete any channels that don't make sense for what you're trying to accomplish.

3. Vet against target audience(s)

Who are they and what channels do they use? Drop any channels that your audience doesn't use, or doesn't use for the purpose you have in mind.

4. Challenge your assumptions

What channels “should” we use because of existing partnerships or corporate expectations? Do any media create legal or regulatory issues? What outlets does our audience expect to use? Do our customers really look for this kind of content or take this kind of action via this channel?

5. Select your final channel mix

The channels you have left are the ones that best suit the purpose and audience of your online marketing and content. Set up some metrics for checking off your assumptions and you're ready to roll.

A better process yields better results

• Save time and money by avoiding extra cycles to correct miscues.
• Increase buy-in from the C suite, management and other stakeholders.
• Achieve more effective integration with other initiatives and goals.
• Experience better results by delivering the message to the right people through the right media.

You can download more tips and a blank organizer here. Drop me a line if you have questions or if you'd like me to walk you and your team through the process.

Vote against on May 8. Click the image for more information.

Effective definitions of terms won't leave your audience with raised eyebrows. (Photo by M.C. Lester)

I don't know about you, but I remember an exercise back in school that involved writing definitions. I think it was probably related to some kind of vocabulary-building function, but I often harken back to it when I'm doing definitions as details, or when I'm working on a glossary of terms, as I was today for a content library.

Here are the Gold Standards for a glossary of terms that's actually useful:

1. Serve your audience.

If you're doing a glossary of terms for people knowledgeable on your subject, you may be able to get away with including technical terms in your definitions. But most glossaries are for people new to the topic, so using jargon to define jargon or other specialized term isn't really helpful. Describing something as "an alkylating agent used in combination with corticosteroids" is just forcing the reader to do more looking. That's not helpful.

2. Use plain language.

The point is to improve someone's understanding, so avoid don't dress up your explanation. Keep it simple. Case in point: Don't describe anemia as "having a low hematocrit" because you probably need to explain hematocrit, too. Instead: Anemia: A condition in which the body doesn't have enough red blood cells. Often detected with a hematocrit, a blood test measuring the percentage whole blood that consists of red blood cells.

3. Don't use the word in the definition.

I used to hate this rule in school, mostly because I already knew the definition of the word. But when you approach glossary-making from the reader's point of view, you see how frustrating this can be. For instance, Agile modeling session: A modeling session that follows the principles and applies the practices of agile modeling. (BTW, I didn't make that up). If I don't know much about agile modeling or what goes on in an agile modeling session, I sure as shootin' couldn't figure it out from this.

4. Include synonyms and examples.

Sometimes we can get all the information we need to understand a term by looking at its synonyms (and antonyms), so it helps to include them with your definition. Same for examples, if you've got them.

5. Provide pronunciation tips.

This is a small thing, but it really helps to know how to say the work correctly. This is especially important for abbreviations that aren't spelled out. We refer to SPUG a lot -- it's our shorthand for spelling, punctuation, usage and grammar. But we don't spell it. Nobody here would call it S-P-U-G. We call it spug, like pug, or spud.

Try these tips the next time you have to define a term in your content or create a whole glossary. It's a little more work, but the pay off will come in the form of an educated and appreciative audience.

Tips on Being A Writer

Back in 2006, Steve and I wrote Be A Writer, the first installment in our series of books on the art and craft of putting pen to paper (and fingers to keyboard). Included in the book were interviews with writers we admired. It seems only appropriate to include them here on a blog that focuses frequently on writing and content development. Here’s the first.

Be A Writer Like Philip Dodd

I met Philip Dodd when I was living in L.A. We had some epic adventures, including negotiating an international art purchase, hanging out with jazz greats at a swanky London gallery and having drinks with Don Was at the Four Seasons. But Philip’s not all fun and games. He’s one of the most talented and prolific writers I know. And a natural for inclusion in our book.
Philip was a book publisher for 15 years before becoming a writer and publishing consultant. His most recent book is Get the Job You Really Want, which he wrote with James Caan -- the entrepreneur, not the actor -- famous for his part in the British TV hit, Dragon’s Den. Philip has also worked with the Rolling Stones on their autobiography According To The Rolling Stones and with Nick Mason on his personal history of Pink Floyd, Inside Out.  Word lovers will enjoy The Reverend Guppy's Aquarium, a book on the people behind of some of the English language's most colorful words.

What kind of writer am I?

I’m a non-fiction book writer, so I’m usually writing about factual subjects after doing a load of research, trying to convey my personal take on what I’ve found out. I’ve written books on music - rock’n’roll mainly – and one about the great cities of the world. I also help other people write their own autobiographies or personal histories, which involves interviewing them and then turning their spoken words into text using their distinctive voice. And I have also done some copywriting for design groups, supplying the words for brochures, ads and slogans for their clients, anything from beer companies to restaurant chains.

Why do I write?

I’ve always loved words, and playing with words – I still do, especially great puns (I just saw a delivery van for a Portuguese chicken restaurant which had ‘Poultry in motion’ on the side). And I enjoy the challenge of trying to communicate ideas, hoping that readers will come away with some fresh insight into whatever I have been writing about. These days I write because publishers commission me, but I never think of writing as a chore: everyday I am learning new things.

What made me want to be a writer?

There must have been something planted in my brain early on. In my loft I’ve got a ‘book’ I wrote when I was about seven. Winston Churchill, the great British prime minister during the Second World War, had just died, and I took it upon myself to write a biography of him, complete with introduction, chapters and photo captions. As a teenager I created magazines based on my life – which was a pretty unremarkable one, believe me – and just carried on doing similar things. Now I’m lucky enough to make a living out of editing and writing.

What advice would I give to a fellow writer who was just starting out?

My advice is always ‘structure, structure, structure’. By that, I mean try mapping out whatever it is you are going to write and plan roughly how many words you need for each section. When you’ve got all your thoughts and notes together, bash out a first draft, following the plan. If you can’t think of what to write, simply put down the first thing that comes into your head, even if it’s ‘blah, blah, blah’, anything to fill the space – funnily enough, I sometimes find those are the best bits! The structure stops you worrying about the shape of what you’re going to be doing (gets rid of that ‘blank page’ phobia some writers suffer from), and frees you up to get creative.

Also, read as much as you can – anything you like: trashy novels, great literature, erudite biographies, celebrity magazines, serious newspapers… Keep pouring new thoughts, new words, new phrases into the reservoir of your brain to refresh it, and you’ll find you’re always full of fresh ideas and ways of writing what you really want to say.

Remember that I volunteer for my local paper, the Carrboro Citizen, writing mostly about local filmmakers and the occasional business story. So I get a lot of emails from people who just take any address ending in @carrborocitizen.com and ask for coverage. (More on the negative impacts of this egregious habit here)

An outtake from the holiday photo shoot by Alicia Stemper.

Wasting your time with the media

Today, I got an email from a comedian asking me to review her show at a local venue. Really? If she'd done any research on me at all, you'd know I don't do reviews, and I don't cover live performances. If she'd even looked at the online version of the paper, she'd also see that we don't do entertainment reviews at all.

Getting more from media outreach

In the amount of time it took her to find my name and write me a note, she could have done enough research to see that my paper and I aren't a good fit. Then she could have quickly started researching other opportunities instead of reading my reply.

Before you send that press release or coverage request, see what the reporter covers and what the paper/station/blog runs in terms of content. You'll end up getting better results for the time you invest.

Happy Valentine's Day from The Word Factory (photo by MC Lester)

For your V-Day reading pleasure, a compendium of love-related content:

• Dump the Valentine's Day dumps
• When your Valentine has had a heart attack
• Valentine's Day for a first date?
• My guide to office romance (podcast)
• Guidelines for Valentine's Day giving

As long as we're talking about love and relationships, if you're a North Carolina resident, please vote against the marriage amendment on May 8th. Need a reason? Click here for details.

Everybody's talking about "storytelling" these days. It's the hottest meme in the content marketing world. I'm Southern, so storytelling, to me, has been my bread and butter since God was a boy. The idea, as my Granny Memory would say, is older than dirt.

But too many people doing storytelling for business purposes focus on the tell. Tellers of effective tales know that a great story shows. Telling is just the "medium".

A storytelling a-ha

Yesterday I was at a meeting discussing goals for our community. The discussion turned at one point to presenting these goals in terms that would garner support instead of opposition. One of our group said if he knew how these goals would help the community retain the things he really cared about, he'd be more inclined to support them. Light bulb moment!

If we wrapped the goals in the context of the values that drive decision-making -- in this case, making changes so we could keep some things the same -- we'd have an easier row to hoe. And trust me, if you've ever tried to farm Carolina clay like we have around here, an easier row is really valuable!

The take-away

Don't stop at telling people what they want, need, should do/not do, etc. Create a story, paint a picture around that "what" that plays out the how and why.

Here's a handy strategy we use, called, conveniently enough, the Tell-Show. It can really help you tell a good story.

Planning your content

When you're selling bridal gowns, your ability to tell a story is almost as important as your inventory. Here’s how I used a Tell-Show to plan out mini-stories about each gown and the woman it was made for:

Here’s the draft copy:

• The sparkly Beautiful Bling Wedding Dress. Feel pretty as a princess in this gown featuring a bodice embellished with sea pearls, bugle beads and crystals that falls into a full ruffled skirt with a chapel-length train. Available in white only.
  
• The convertible Banyan Gown. Perfect for the bride who appreciates a women’s prerogative to change her mind. Lace cap sleeves (optional) and ‘jewel’ encrusted bands highlight this embellished bodice that cascades into embellished lace and tulle. Trumpet silhouette. Available in white, diamond white/pewter or light gold/champagne.
• The layered Seaside Fantasy Gown. A beach beauty will exude elegance in this mermaid dress of pearl silk chiffon over blush silk charmeuse with Chantilly lace with hand-embroidered insets. Available in White Sand and Beach.
• The 1920s-look Vintage Wedding Dress. Traditional brides will love the layers of flowing tulle, ruffles and appliqué that adorn this dropped-waist gown with sweep train. Available in ivory and white.

Tuning up your content

Tell-Show is a great revising tool, too. Whenever you feel like your work lacks a story or would benefit from more visual language, try a Tell-Show. Here's a short blurb:

Wear your bike helmet.

It’s worth it, no matter how goofy you think it makes you look. The North Carolina Department of Transportation estimates that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent, and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Yet a recent study  found that only 24 percent of North Carolinians actually wore one. Many of those who did weren’t wearing it correctly. Need a helmet? Click here.

It's pretty dry. We used the Tell-Show to freshen it up with a story from a real person, and some clearer instructions on how to wear the helmet properly.

Click image for larger display. Copyright 1995 Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc.

Now look at what we have:

Wear your bike helmet.

It’s worth it, no matter how goofy you think it makes you look. The North Carolina Department of Transportation estimates that bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent, and the risk of brain injury by as much as 88 percent. Yet a study by the UNC Highway Safety Research Center found that only 24 percent of North Carolinians actually wore a helmet -- and many of those who did weren’t wearing it correctly.

Think that doesn't matter? Just ask Bobby Rigby. Bobby thought he was safe wearing my helmet until he swerved to miss a dog and took a bad fall. He cracked open his skull and his brain swelled dramatically in response. He was in a coma. When the swelling subsided and he woke up, his balance was so off, he couldn't even sit up in bed. His speech was slurred and he had trouble with his short-term memory. Months of vocational therapy helped minimize the speech and memory problems so he could go back to his job. But his balance is remains unsteady.

"I still bike to work, but I have to ride a three-wheeler because I'm so unstable," Bobby says. "And now I make sure my helmet is on right."

To give your noggin a fighting chance, position your helmet securely on your head (most come with foam pads to help get a good fit). It should rest 1 or 2 fingers over your eyebrows, and the chin strap should be as snug as comfortable. Need a helmet? Click here.

Now you know how to use the Tell-Show to plan your storytelling, or to bring more story to an existing piece of content. Give it a try!

The inimitable Russ Carr

We are devastated to report that friend and co-worker Russ Carr passed away yesterday.

Russ was our lead copy editor, but so much more than that he was a sassy, witty and thoughtful man and amazing father, husband and son. We'll miss his wicked sense of humor, delicious recipes, thought-provoking world view and loving presence. And we send every bit of love and comfort we can muster to his family.

Rest in peace, big fella.

Click image for larger view.

Probably the best way to know if a client's happy with your work is if they keep using it.

This ad we did for my alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, originally ran last March. I opened our alumni magazine and see it's back in action. That's the pay-off for doing solid work creating evergreen content.

As the granddaughter of a librarian/geneologist and the daughter of an American history major, creating an ad for the Friends of the Library that focused on the spectacular North Carolina Collection was especially important and meaningful to me.

But it's just as important and meaningful to see that the client found value in the work -- enough so that they re-ran it!

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Click here for more posts on customer service.

Getting ready to run under the watchful eye of my granny, Memory Lee Aldridge Lester. Chapel Hill, 1963

It's easy, when you're trying to work on a new habit or line of business or whatever, to focus on baby steps. But at some point, if all you make is little, tentative moves, you're gonna look up and realize you're not making much progress. Sure, you could continue to advance incrementally, or you could stop focusing on the size of your steps and just keep walking, gaining speed and confidence till you're ready to run.

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Speaking of making progress, the State of North Carolina's about to take a giant step backward unless we defeat this amendment.

Click the image for more information.