Category: Making Content
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Two editors red-lined my copy for being “too negative.” Both were wrong.
The instinct to strip negativity out of content/copy comes from the fear that anything negative will rub off on the brand. The problem with that line of thinking is that it doesn’t factor in how our brains work. And how our brains work is the foundation of all strategic marketing.
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The Great Botoxification of Content (ft. the ARS Framework)
We’re living in the age of the great botoxification of content—everything nipped, tucked, and pulled to give you the illusion of perfection while remaining completely devoid of emotion. And that’s a big problem.
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For better content, throw away your question list and do this instead
In content marketing, like in journalism, getting the question right determines the fate of your final piece. That’s where the art comes in.
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The case for scrappy videos
Adaptability is one of the most important survival skills in this industry, and you don’t have to suddenly become a capital-C Creator to make videos that matter.
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What makes or breaks your B2B original research report often happens long before you start writing
Many marketers assume the success of a research report comes down to promotion, distribution, or budget. In reality, the reports that perform best are usually shaped by decisions made much earlier in the process.
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Most B2B research wouldn’t survive a peer review — and it’s costing us our credibility
Genuine research requires you to move beyond the brief, into your audience’s world. Nothing in the system rewards that move, at least for 90% of companies out there. But the 10% that prioritize this publish content that survives algorithmic changes and shapes perceptions for years to come.
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3 lessons on effective use of data from The Economist (+ fostering credibility without stats)
As B2B writers, we’ve accepted as gospel that a claim isn’t credible unless there’s a third-party claim to back it up. But I believe strongly that poorly used data is more detrimental to credibility than no data.
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Content marketing isn’t just for robots
If AEO content is at least partially about building for robots, and we can engineer AI to do that work, it’s time to focus on the rest of content marketing.
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I stopped guessing what to write and started eavesdropping instead
Most content calendars start with keyword research and capturing historical search volumes. Mine starts with listening to how people actually talk about their problems.
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What we can learn from animators about scaling content
In animation, as with any creative discipline, your results are only as good as the system behind it. The same is true for content marketing.
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Seeking: B2B content with range
Here’s the diagnosis hiding underneath most B2B content strategies: they default to the same two or three psychological jobs — inform me, guide me, advise me — and treat every other reason an audience might seek out content as someone else’s concern.
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My favorite AI project is a 75-page document nobody ever reads
It’s the single biggest unlock that has made our AI-assisted work actually good instead of just okay.