How to Write Effectively About Complex Topics
One of the payoffs of mastering a discipline is that you gain command of a new language composed of precise, extensive vocabulary that enables you to understand and transmit new ideas to others at your level of mastery at the speed of light and with pinpoint accuracy. While those words shorten the time you need to communicate with your peers, when communicating complex ideas to non-experts or experts-in-training, you can’t take any of those shortcuts. And your writing must be as clean as the board of health. That means no extra words, lots of transitions, and the frequent dropping of...
Read More5 Tips for Creating Content — Consistently | FunctionFox Newsletter
In the February 2012 Functionfox.com newsletter, I provide clients of web-based timesheet and project tracking system Function Fox with some tips on how to keep the content monster fed and happy. Read the article: 5 Tips for Creating Content — Consistently. (P.S. I use the FunctionFox Timesheet program to track and report on client time. Awesome...
Read MoreMore on Weaving Findable Content with AdWords
The purpose of last week’s post ” Weave a findable content tapestry with Google Adwords,” was to convince you that, in addition to producing content consistently, you must also begin to be conscious of the key word content in your posts, to ensure that your missives actually will be found. (Ensuring they are read and shared, well, that is another post .) To reprise: Using the Google Adwords search tool is great for finding relevant (if basic) key words and phrases that you can incorporate into your posts. It’s a great way to get your feet wet. If you’re new to...
Read MoreYou’re in the Marketing/Technology/Data Business Now
Grab a couple of aspirin and a glass of water (or a stiff drink), and take 10 minutes to read this Ad Age article: Tech Consulting Giants Slide Closer to Creative Shop Turf by Kunur Patel, published Jan. 16, 2012. Go ahead. I’ll wait. The message is: CMOs everywhere are scrambling to find the sweet spot between tech, creative and data. Their goal: To find the “big idea” that will not only “win the day” (think Old Spice Man) but also can be replicated and scaled to attract new consumers and drive sales. Previously, marketing executives engaged different vendor types to solve what...
Read MoreThree Words for 2012
Since 2006, Chris Brogan has invited his community to come up with three words for the coming year that define what we are focusing on in the coming year. Here are mine for 2012. Present Recently, Jeff and I went to a restaurant in an unbelievably beautiful casino on the Mohegan Indian reservation in Connecticut. I was fascinated by the juxtaposition of the symbols, soaring ceilings, and the implied natural and the noise, smoke, and acres of flashing lights. The problem was that as I craned my neck to take in the sights, I was not in my body or present to what I was doing, which, according to...
Read More5 New Year’s Resolutions for Small Marketing Agencies
1. Make this the year you get over your fear of “selling.” Most professional service business owners (not just marketing) are so afraid of the concept that they can’t even say the word out loud. Instead they say “new business development.” The thing is, sales and marketing (including PR) are inextricably intertwined. My sales vet significant other describes it this way: Sales without marketing is like a motorboat with no one at the helm. Marketing without sales is like a boat with a captain but no motor. Now part of the motor might be automated (read: conversion focused...
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