I hopped up on my soapbox recently, as I am wont to do, and wrote this: "Over the past year as our news editor, I've edited more than 100 news articles and written 35+ of my own. Because if you're implementing They Ask, You Answer to drive more sales with inbound marketing you need to understand "what's happening!!" in the mysterious realms of search engine optimization, marketing automation, and so on.  "The fact is, however, I could have shoved hundreds of news stories down your throats today – but none of them really matter. And that right there is the "news story" I want us to focus on today. Not every single digital marketing news story matters to you. Some of them do, of course, but a vast majority of them don't. They never will, and that's OK."  ? IMPACT+ course: They Ask, You Answer fundamentals with Marcus Sheridan Of course, the moment my co-host John Becker read it, he beckoned me virtually to our little Content Lab studio because: "We need to talk." So, in this episode, John and I hash this out. Is most marketing news really not worth your time as a practitioner of inbound marketing? How can you tell the difference between stories that require at least some cursory awareness vs. those where you need to dig in and learn more? We answer those questions and many more!  Related resources Data: 'Funny' seniors imagery is not only demeaning, it's inaccurate Google punts third-party cookie block on Chrome to 2023 Apple Mail privacy news spooks email marketers, newsletter creators Until next time! ?

Content Lab

How much does marketing news really matter?

Last week, I wrote this: "If you're creating content as a means to drive traffic, leads, and sales for your company, the imagery you use to augment or communicate your messages is not just window-dressing. "The visuals you choose allow your ideal customers to see themselves as part of the experience of what you're offering. When you use imagery that positions a segment of your ideal customers (e.g., seniors) as a butt of a joke, you're going to turn them off. "Also, if you've adopted a They Ask, You Answer approach to inbound marketing to drive more sales, you need to remember that the pool of ideal customers you have – the 'they' asking all of those questions you're answering in your content – are likely more diverse than you think." This was in response to the fact that recent data from Google unequivocally proves how demeaning and inaccurate meme-like imagery of seniors confused by technology really is.  As practitioners of inbound marketing and, more specifically, They Ask, You Answer, it's easy to forget that every time you hit publish on a blog article from The Big 5 content topics (pricing and cost, comparisons, problems, reviews, and best of), that your words aren't the only things doing the talking. Every image you post sends the message of who is (and isn't) an ideal customer in your eyes.  But talking about diversity and inclusion in the context of They Ask, You Answer is more than just the images you put on a website page or attach to a blog article. In fact, the conversation around diversity in your approach to inbound and They Ask, You Answer extends far beyond the crticial inclusive identifiers many of us are familiar with – race, gender, identity. It also includes age, neurodiversity, disabilities, and much more.  So, for instance: Depending on the background of your ideal customers, they may not be asking those Big 5 same questions in the exact same way.  As we improve our business website user experience to be more in-line with modern buyer expectations, how often are we challenging ourselves to make those website experiences inclusive for those who may have hearing, vision, or other disabilities? Those are just two ways we inbound marketing and They Ask, You Answer companies need to challenge the assumptions we hold about our ideal customers. So, John and I invited IMPACT Demand Generation Manager and DEI Editor Ramona Sukhraj for an open, honest conversation about diversity and They Ask, You Answer.

They Ask, You Answer and diversity, equity, and inclusion

In the past 45-ish days, Google has rolled out six different updates: Big ups to Search Engine Roundtable for this graphic. It doesn't help that the folks at Google are often vague (if not completely silent) on what some of these updates include, which only further exacerbates the trust issues many of us have with Google. For example, there's the two-part core update that rolled out in June and then at the start of this month. They wouldn't say what was included. They only said that "some parts of it" weren't ready in June, so they had to break the update up. Oh, and they also said that some folks might see increases or drops in June with the first update, and those may (or may not) reverse themselves with the July update.  Then there's the page experience update that is its own can of worms, as a story, with even Google disagreeing with itself about what impact this will have on websites, depending on who you ask. In conjunction with the chatter regarding the impending third-party cookie block in Google Chrome, you might say a few of us content marketers are feeling a bit frayed around the edges, emotionally. And that is why we are dedicating an entire episode to a conversation about the waterfall of Google news recently, including topics like: What are the big picture takeaways from all of these stories? What is motivating all of these different updates and moves? Should we be panicking or not panicking? How is it possible to stay on top of everything or understand what is happening? How is this related to the Apple mail privacy news? Is Google really the "good guy" in the data privacy conversation? Also, during the conversation, I made a mistake. I inadvertently said the new page performance report is in Google Analytics, when it is actually in Google Search Console. Sorry about that, got a little tongue-tied after almost an hour of Google product talk! Related resources Apple Mail privacy news spooks email marketers, newsletter creators Google June 2021 core update live, July core update coming Google's June page experience core update will be mobile first, then desktop Finally, Google page experience core update is rolling out Google July 2021 core update rolling out over next 2 weeks Too many internal links in content can confuse Google about site structure Google punts third-party cookie ban to 2023 for 'responsible planning' Until next time! ?

What the heck is going on with all the Google updates?

Let's say you want to get started with inbound marketing and creating the content you need to establish yourself as the No. 1 authority in your space about what it is that you do or sell. However, there's just one eensy, weensy problem – you don't have anyone on staff who can be a dedicated in-house content manager. On the one hand, outsourcing your content to an inbound marketing agency or other similar outfit can seem like a smart business decision. You get the content you need from a team of "experts" without having to bring on the overhead cost of hiring an additional full-time employee that feels more like a "marketing expense" rather than a "revenue-driver." ? Related resources: IMPACT+ course: How to hire a content manager for your company The Big 5 best business blog topics to drive traffic, leads, and sales What are the real consequences of outsourcing our content? On the other hand ... can company outsiders really capture the values, soul and depth of experience of your business (and your experts) in your content, so you maximize your ability to drive traffic, leads and sales with your inbound content? As someone who has worked in-house at an agency as the owner of creating outsourced content for a portfolio of clients (before coming to IMPACT), I have a lot to say on this topic.  So, buckle in for a candid conversation in which John and I talk about: What limitations exist in outsourced content relationships Behind-the-scenes of what some outsourced content operations can look like What you really are (and aren't) sacrificing with outsourced content partners And much, much more... 

Realities of outsourcing content for inbound marketing

If you saw my talk at Video Sales and Marketing World last year – psst, VSMW2021 is coming next month! – you know that when I was given the gift of running IMPACT's video program, I was not thrilled. I always viewed myself as a writer and editor, and video was for... someone (anyone) who wasn't me.  In fact, I hated video. Even though I understood its value, its ability to drive traffic, leads, and sales better than any other medium, on a personal level... hard pass. Clearly, today is a different story.  So, what changed? How did we launch a robust video program during a pandemic? And how can other content and marketing leaders like you get their own video marketing program off the ground, no matter how limited your time, resources, or experience is? Well, those are the exact questions we talk about in this episode. Related resources Video Sales and Marketing World 2021 How to feel confident, be likable, and build trust on camera IMPACT+ course: Video sales and marketing strategy for brands How to adapt a video script from a blog article (Content Lab) Until next time! ?

How to get started creating video

This episode features a special guest, Shondell Varcianna of Varci Media. It's not enough to simply create content that answers our buyers questions. As someone who is a "path of least resistance" kind of gal though, I wish I could say it was, though. That we could all just "check the box" knowing that simply "accurate" answers to questions in content would bring all the "buyer's milkshake to the yard." But it doesn't.  Five or 10 years ago, maybe. But not today, when "good enough" content doesn't cut it anymore, and when it's more likely than ever that our competitors are also trying to win more revenue through the same content marketing tactics.  So, how do you stand out? How do you make it so your content is not only correct and educational, it also is so engaging and memorable that your buyers will come flocking to your digital doorstep? Well, that's exactly what we talk about in this hilarious, super informative, totally candid conversation about what it really takes to create content that stands out in these, the "roaring 20s" of content marketing. Related resources How to write a blog post (+ blog post template) How to put personality into your blog posts the right way 6 topics every subject matter expert must address Trailer for The Terror 

Creating content your buyers will love

A couple of weeks ago in the IMPACT+ forums, one rockstar content manager had this very honest answer to a prompt I had about what everyone thinks is the worst part of creating content: Nathan has a point, you know? And it's understandable why he feels this way. It can feel frustrating to be an expert in something and then be coached to what seemingly feels like "dumbing down" content so it's better understood. How does that make creating content feel valuable, rather than an exercise in futility? Well, let's exactly what we tackle in this week's episode – how do you create content you feel good about and is a positive reflection of your deep expertise (or the deep expertise of your team) without creating distance between you and your audience with that very same expertise? To answer this question, John and I invited IMPACT Principle Content Marketing Trainer Kevin Phillips to join us as a guest this week. Related resources Astrophysicist explains gravity in five levels of difficulty How to write a blog post (+ blog post template) How to put personality into your blog posts the right way Essential content manager training resources, guides, and courses How to build rapport with any interview subject matter expert Until next week! ?

'Dumbing down' your content isn't dumb

You know what kills me? When someone tells me their people are their greatest asset at their company... and then I look at their blog. Every single article sounds exactly the same. And then, when I pull up the blogs of their competitors, they sound just like them.  We're all wandering around talking a big game about wanting to be thought leaders who have big, boundless opinions and singular voices that get us noticed by our ideal buyers. But something happens when we sit down to create a piece of content. We flip a switch and we turn the unique aspects of our personality off. We crush every syllable, punctuation mark, and sentence through a restrictive, buttoned-up translation machine, so we all end up sounding just like everyone else.  So, in this episode, John and I pull back the layers on this problem and discuss: Why we sterilize our voices in our business content Why it's so important (and profitable) that we overcome this How exactly to do it in your content (both written and video) Related resources How to put personality into your blog content How to feel genuinely confident, be likable, and build trust on camera Liz's trusty content audience planner worksheet Subject matter expert's guide to creating content (IMPACT+ pro course) Fake MLK quotes your stepdad Gary posted to prove he's definitely not racist Until next week! 

Why personality in content is profitable and how to do it

Did you know that competition-based content goes hand-in-hand with creating content proven to drive the most revenue at your company? I know, I know. That was a jargon-heavy opener, but let's face it — we're here to do one thing and one thing only. We're here to create content that makes money. And if you want to make money with your content, that means you absolutely must be writing about your competition. That's easier said than done, however. Because, on its face, talking about your competition can feel really awkward. Are you really allowed to do that? Doesn't that come across as biased? Or worse, won't that just drive your ideal buyers into the arms of other companies and vendors? Have no fear, content nerds. In this 100% brutally honest deep-dive of an episode, John and I discuss: Why you need to talk about your competitors What great competition content looks like What you should never do in competition content And some of our favorite competition content hacks Enjoy!  Related resources How to write your competitors in your content (+ examples) Quarantine Day 299: A running list of apologies to everyone I've ever wronged 30-day website redesign: 6 questions to ask an agency making big promises Competition content example: 8 best commercial real estate companies in Austin, Texas (Aquila Commercial) Aquila Commercial inbound marketing success story John's learning corner Compliment - an expression of praise (Thanks for the compliment!) Complement - something that completes or brings to perfection (the wine was the perfect complement to the meal) Principle - a core belief, basis for conduct (a guiding principle) Principal - the foremost or most important (our principal focus) Discrete - individual and distinct (discreet categories) Discreet - careful in one's speech and action, especially to avoid causing offense (please be discrete) Until next week! 

Writing about competition in content

Welcome to 2021, ladies and gentlemen. Although John and I are both forward-thinking individuals, he and I realized something. Yes, it's supremely tempting to blow off the pandemic-themed, quarantined dumpster fire that was 2020 without a single backward glass.  However, we would be remiss if we did not take a moment to reflect before we moved ahead into the new year.  It is with that in mind that I present to you all this very special episode, in which we reflect on the largest lessons we learned in 2020 and our resolutions for the new year. I'll admit, this wasn't the "check the box" resolutions episode I expected. As I noted at the top of this episode, when I finally sat down to prepare for our recording, I was surprised at what I realized were my biggest lessons and my chosen resolutions. Oh, and we talk about this: Enjoy!  Related resources How to hire and onboard a content manager Robert DeNiro's audition for Sonny in The Godfather Important show note As I mentioned a the previous episode, in the coming weeks, we'll be releasing a bunch of episodes John and I recorded over the past few months. For various reasons, we always felt very quickly that they would become obsolete — for example, we would cancel events we were promoting in those episodes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After serious consideration, we've opted to release those episodes anyway. So, please understand that there may be some cases where we reference events that ended up not occurring during certain episodes that we opt to publish down the line, as they make sense. They also may be released out of order, based on their topic. The topics we discussed are still very valuable and evergreen, however, so we hope you'll excuse any momentary confusion.  Until next week! ?

Unexpected 2020 lessons and resolutions for 2021

As a content manager, one of the most absolutely essential skills you must master in order to be successful is to be an effective interviewer of subject matter experts. It is from those experts that you must extrapolate the "goods" you need to create the revenue-generating content your company needs to drive qualified traffic, leads, and sales. But beyond rapport-building, there are so many ways your interviews with those experts can go well... or entirely off the rails.  Although, the sad fact is, you may not realize what those weak spots may be in your interview-based content foundation.  So, in this episode, John and I delve more deeply into the ways content interviewing can go wrong — both in terms of your mindset as a content manager, as well as your execution in the interview and post-interview content creation processes. P.S. Don't forget to check out Dark Sitcom Reboots as recommended by John in this episode!  Enjoy!  Related resources How to write a blog post (+ blog post template) How to build rapport with any subject matter expert interview How to interview subject matter experts How to assess the interviewing skills of a content manager Important show note As I mentioned a the previous episode, in the coming weeks, we'll be releasing a bunch of episodes John and I recorded over the past few months. (This is not one of those episodes, but I wanted to be sure to note this here, should you choose to delve into our archives.) For various reasons, we always felt very quickly that they would become obsolete — for example, we would cancel events we were promoting in those episodes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After serious consideration, we've opted to release those episodes anyway. So, please understand that there may be some cases where we reference events that ended up not occurring during certain episodes that we opt to publish down the line, as they make sense. They also may be released out of order, based on their topic. The topics we discussed are still very valuable and evergreen, however, so we hope you'll excuse any momentary confusion.  Until next week! ? Festive tunes from Scott Holmes Music of freemusicarchive.org.

Happy holidays and expert tips on content interviewing

As a content manager, you have a choice when you sit down to look through a draft someone else has given to you. You can simply edit it or you can take the time to coach a subject matter expert who is really in search of elevating their skills so they can become a thought leader.  This is something we engage in quite a bit at IMPACT. We spy those rising voices — whether or not they realize it themselves — and we invest the time to not only get a single piece of content across the line, but also to help them strengthen their content creation and storytelling chops as an individual. But what does content coaching actually look like? And when is it the right choice over traditional editing for your company's content creation? That's exactly what we dive into in this episode. Related resources How to write a blog post (+ blog post template) How to insert personality into your article the right way 7 reasons why your buyers hate your website copy You're killing your messaging with these words Important show note As I mentioned a the previous episode, in the coming weeks, we'll be releasing a bunch of episodes John and I recorded over the past few months. For various reasons, we always felt very quickly that they would become obsolete — for example, we would cancel events we were promoting in those episodes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After serious consideration, we've opted to release those episodes anyway. So, please understand that there may be some cases where we reference events that ended up not occurring during certain episodes that we opt to publish down the line, as they make sense. They also may be released out of order, based on their topic. The topics we discussed are still very valuable and evergreen, however, so we hope you'll excuse any momentary confusion.  Until next week! ?

Content coaching vs traditional editing

Whether we're talking about blog articles, website copy, or some other form of business content creation, there is one internal battle we all face as the creator of those forward-facing pieces that we often lose without realizing it.  No, I'm not talking about writer's block. I'm talking about what it means to write for our audience instead of for ourselves.  You see, most of the time when we sit down at our respective keyboards to create some show-stopping copy or engaging content, we do so from a perspective solutions we provide and other stuff that makes us look good. ? Related: How to create a brand messaging strategy ultimate guide "But Liz, isn't that what we're supposed to do with digital sales and marketing content? Focus on our solutions? Focus on why we're the best?" Well, that's exactly what we're going to be talking about in this summertime throwback episode today — the constant tug of war between what you want to say in your content vs. what you need to say. Establishing that balance is much tougher than you think. Enjoy!  Related resources How to write a blog post (+ blog post template) How to insert personality into your article the right way 7 reasons why your buyers hate your website copy You're killing your messaging with these words Important show note As I mentioned a the previous episode, in the coming weeks, we'll be releasing a bunch of episodes John and I recorded over the past few months. For various reasons, we always felt very quickly that they would become obsolete — for example, we would cancel events we were promoting in those episodes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After serious consideration, we've opted to release those episodes anyway. So, please understand that there may be some cases where we reference events that ended up not occurring during certain episodes that we opt to publish down the line, as they make sense. They also may be released out of order, based on their topic. The topics we discussed are still very valuable and evergreen, however, so we hope you'll excuse any momentary confusion.  Until next week! ?

What you want to say vs. what you need to say (Summertime Throwback)

As I sit down to write this, I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC, and Santa will be arriving soon. Even though I'm only a couple of years away from 40, I still get excited. This year is a little different, though. On the one hand, it's strange to watch in a post-apocalyptic way. There are no crowds and often, parade participants are singing and talking through masks. So clearly, we're all trying to pretend this is all fine and everything is normal. On the other hand, I am thankful to still be able to enjoy this tradition. Oh, and also, as I said on Twitter... Dolly Parton remains flawfree. #ThanksgivingDayParade — Liz Moorehead ? (@naptownpint) November 26, 2020 Pandemic weirdness aside, however, there is a lot we have to be thankful for this year. So, in this week's episode, John and I gathered 'round our virtual turkey day table to talk about what we're so thankful for this year.  Also, if you'd like to know what Millard Filmore, Rasputin, Keanu Reeves, and Genghis Khan all have in common... you'll need to listen to this wild, hilarious, and heartwarming episode.  Enjoy!  Stuff we talked about By the way, this is not the complete list...  Notion Trello  AP Stylebook Le Pen pens Moleskine notebooks Our revenue team Related resources Was the automotive era a terrible mistake? How to insert personality into your article the right way How to use Trello for your written content strategy How to use Trello for your video content strategy How to create sales enablement content your sales team will love 

What we're thankful for (Happy Thanksgiving!)

The best business websites out there are built by companies that understand you need to attract qualified traffic, convert that qualified traffic into leads, and those leads (ultimately) close as sales for your company. And what's the most common place someone converts from a visitor to a lead? On a landing page. A landing page is simply a place where some sort of offer or perceived value is promoted, and your visitors (in exchange, most commonly, for filling out a form) can capitalize on that value or gain access to the offer. ? Related: Best examples of landing page videos from businesses For instance, this is a landing page... ...for our email newsletter, THE LATEST. While there are a lot of variables and factors that drive your conversion rates on a landing page up and down (videos, form placement, and so on), one of the most important components of your landing page is the copy. So, in this episode, we talk about: Our advice for writing impactful, action-driving landing page copy The most difficult challenges of landing page copywriting (and how to overcome them with ease) Our favorite word and phrasing tricks for driving action And much, much more...  Related resources 5 best landing page video examples you'll want to copy ASAP 42 best landing page examples to inspire your next campaign How to boost conversion rates on your current landing pages Important show note As I mentioned a the previous episode, in the coming weeks, we'll be releasing a bunch of episodes John and I recorded over the past few months. This is one of those episodes. For various reasons, we always felt very quickly that they would become obsolete — for example, we would cancel events we were promoting in those episodes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  After serious consideration, we've opted to release those episodes anyway. So, please understand that there may be some cases where we reference events that ended up not occurring during certain episodes that we opt to publish down the line, as they make sense. They also may be released out of order, based on their topic. The topics we discussed are still very valuable and evergreen, however, so we hope you'll excuse any momentary confusion.  Until next week! ?

Landing page copywriting (Recorded, May 2020)

Are you a marketer or content manager struggling to create content? Are you tired of high-level “insights” that don’t give you anything to do right now to make your content better? Do you wish someone would just spill the secrets on what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next? If so, Content Lab is for you. Join IMPACT content strategist Liz Murphy each week for shenanigans, candid conversations with fellow content nerds and industry experts, and the inside scoop on the tools and tactics that will transform you into a content rockstar.

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