January 11, 2021 Content Chat Recap: Long-Form Writing Tips and Best Practices

January 12, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Despite the prevalent misconception that audiences always prefer short and concise content, long-form content has a rightful place in your content marketing plan. Many audiences rely on deep-dive resources that can answer their questions, explain how they can work more efficiently, and provide a deeper analysis than can be achieved in a 500-word blog post.

In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Chris Craft (@CraftWrites), co-founder of NeoLuxe Marketing and editor-in-chief of InspireFirst, to discuss how marketers can use the 3×3 writing process to accelerate the creation of long-form content. Read the full chat recap below, where we explain what the 3×3 writing process is, share tips to overcome the hurdles of writing long-form content, and discuss how to ensure your content meets its intended goals (from start to publish).

If you’re looking for more resources about how to navigate your content length, you can learn where shorter content fits into your content marketing strategy here, our double-down on in-depth content with these tips to make the most out of long-form content.

Q1: What is the 3×3 writing process, and why should marketers follow it when creating long-form content?

The 3×3 writing process is a framework to optimize your content creation. It has roots in academic writing, but can be applied to most content.

A1: The 3×3 writing process is a writing framework that helps writers get organized and produce well-researched content efficiently. I wrote about it here:https://t.co/UYFO6i5SVF #ContentChat
— Chris Craft (@CraftWrites) January 11, 2021

A1: The 3×3 writing process was mostly used for academic writing until I stumbled upon it and experimented with using it for crafting blog content. It has worked tremendously for our agency’s content and client content. #ContentChat
— Chris Craft (@CraftWrites) January 11, 2021

The writing process is designed to help you write higher quality content faster by following a specific set of steps. The community recommends that you revise your copy after you’ve finished the first draft, because editing as you go can bog down your creative process.

For me, 3 x 3 writing involves:
✔️ Besting with an ugly first draft
✔️ Rewriting the draft do you’re writing for the reader this time
✔️ Editing and finalizing things#ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) January 11, 2021

It’s so important to get that initial draft done BEFORE you start revising/editing. I think the ease at which we can edit as we go often impedes the content creation process. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Expert (@SFerika) January 11, 2021

Absoutely! It will ultimately create better content and save you time if you get everything out, rather than editing as you go. I think the same applies for editing — read through it, get the big picture first before diving into the details. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) January 11, 2021

One editing caveat for your first draft: ensure that basic proofreading is complete before you dive into the next steps.

I agree with on caveat—sometimes as an editor you receive content that hasn’t had basic proofreading done before you got it in hand…in those scenarios, I often have to do that first so I can read it without that interfering with taking in the ideas. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Expert (@SFerika) January 11, 2021

Per Jennifer’s question, Step 3/Revise is ongoing, but you should focus on publishing content once it is finished (for the time being) and updating it at a later time.

Do you find that Step 3 is ongoing, due to optimization and performance? #ContentChat
— Jennifer L. Dawson (@JLDContentQueen) January 11, 2021

@JLDContentQueen – Yes, there is always room for improving the content. BUT, it shouldn’t keep you from shipping/publishing. The beauty of the web is that you can always update your content later. #ContentChat
— Chris Craft (@CraftWrites) January 11, 2021

Yess! 🙌 And lately, I’ve been trying to focus on one thing so I can hit publish: progress over perfection.
You don’t want to stop creating just because you can’t make the content perfect. #ContentChat
— Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) January 11, 2021

January 4, 2021 Content Chat Recap: Digital Productivity Tips And Tools for 2021

January 7, 2021 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

January is often a busy time for marketers as they set their goals, develop plans, and get to work on the new year’s projects. Before you dive right back into your usual workflow, though, the start of the year is a valuable time to reset your workspace, review the tools you use, and find new ways to work more efficiently.

In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee), digital productivity consultant, to discuss how marketers can reset for the new year, with a specific look at the tools and best practices to boost productivity. Read the full chat recap below, where we explore our favorite workplace tools, ways to set more realistic goals, and tips for optimizing your workflow.

Q1: The start of a new year is a great time to declutter. What do you recommend marketers do at the start of the year to reset physical or digital workspace (think anything from reviewing email lists to file management)?

To refresh your physical space, clean it up and remove any trash, keep your most-needed items within reach, and make it a daily habit to reset your space for the next day.

A1. Physical space.
a) Get rid of items that are obviously trash.
b) Only keep what is needed at your fingertips on your prime real estate (your desk).
c) Make a reasonable plan you can keep up with to reset your desk at the end of *every* day. #ContentChat #GetOrganized
— Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee) January 4, 2021

A1a From my personal experience, decluttering your workspace area can have a huge impact on your productivity. I think it is something we tend to neglect, so the end of year is a good time to tackle that! #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie 🎯 (@derekpillie) January 4, 2021

A1 Clean your desk, switch over physical calendars (if you’ve got one), update your planner, go through recurring events on your calendar and update them according to priority and if they’re still needed, etc
-Alyx #contentchat https://t.co/3vZe1SoSDA
— Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) January 4, 2021

To refresh your digital space, first look at your files. Remove any duplicates, create a naming convention for all files, and delete or organize any clutter from your computer and smartphone. If you’ve been saving resources for content ideas or work purposes, build them into your content strategy and then store them in an easily-accessible place for future reference.

A1. Digital space [1/3] — FILES
a) Get rid of duplicates! (no, you don’t need them #seriously)
b) Create a simple naming convention for all digital files.
c) Remove digital clutter from your desktop & home screen of your smartphone. #ContentChat #DigitalProductivity
— Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee) January 4, 2021

It’s always surprising how few people (and organizations for that matter) have a process for file naming. But it’s critical for ease of finding and sharing important files with your team! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Expert (@SFerika) January 4, 2021

A1. I cleaned all the crap off my digital desktop: deleted all those screenshots I’d already put in presentations and gave proper filenames to the stuff I wanted to keep. #contentchat https://t.co/Lu3IxlP7uU
— Carmen Hill 😷 (@carmenhill) January 4, 2021

In Google Docs I’ll sometimes add search words at the top of the doc to increase search functionality. This includes terms that I or my colleagues use (simple differences like media FAQ vs press FAQ). That way it’s more likely someone can find it. #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) January 4, 2021

Review any saved newsletters, articles, or resources that have been gathering dust and build the insights into your content strategy for the year. Contact/connect with folks whose ideas stand out. Discard anything that doesn’t.
— Consummate Prose Consulting (@ConsummateProse) January 4, 2021

Next, review your emails and email management practices. Schedule time to read/respond to emails, use keyword search to find important emails, and spend a limited amount of time to reach “Inbox Zero” (if possible).

A1. Digital space [2/3] — EMAIL
d) Schedule 2-3 times/day to reply to messages.
e) Forget #InboxZero & use keywords to search. Or, keep Inbox Zero BUT limit the time you take to clean it up.
f) Daily actions: Do, Delete, Delegate, Delay. #ContentChat DigitalProductivity
— Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee) January 4, 2021

A1: A few things I do at the start of each year:
– Email: get to 0 unread messages, review email subscriptions and unsubscribe from anything that no longer sparks joy or provides value
– File mgmt: I start new GDrive folders for the corresponding year#ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) January 4, 2021

Now, find ways to limit your distractions. Apps like Rescue Time can show how often you are using your phone, and turn off notifications when possible so your focus is uninterrupted.

A1. Digital space [3/3] — DISTRACTIONS
a) Use an app like @RescueTime (or native app on your smartphone) to track how much your phone is distracting you. E.g., # pickups per hour? 🙄
b) Turn off notifications *everywhere* during deep work! #ContentChat #DigitalProductivity
— Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee) January 4, 2021

In regards to b), I’d offer that you should be very selective about the notifications you turn back on. My phone only notifies me of texts, phone calls, and calendar reminders. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) January 4, 2021

Some other ideas from the community include creating a to-do/daily task list (ideally with a digital tool, if preferred) and optimizing it for efficiency…

A1: Besides decluttering my physical office space (clean office = clean mind), I also like to look at my to-do and daily task setup in @trello and see if there are ways I can optimize it for the New Year or make my workflow more efficient. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) January 4, 2021

A1: I tend to do 2 things. I make a point of cleaning my desk, and I evaluate the sections in my Tul notebook. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) January 4, 2021

Reviewing your online communities…

A1b Another area that I think that can get ignored is your personal community. End of year historically has been a good time for me to assess who I’m following and why, and who isn’t really adding value. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie 🎯 (@derekpillie) January 4, 2021

Using different internet browsers for work and personal needs…

A1: Switching the default browser from Chrome to Safari – at least trying to do personal things on Safari now. Unsure what results it will bring, but certainly migrating the bookmarks tossed many of them away… #ContentChat
— BegayaCat (@Begaya) January 4, 2021

Or taping paper on your desk each week for notes, doodles, etc., and transferin any outstanding items over to the next week’s sheet.

#ContentChat
A1. Tape an A3 sheet of paper to your desk each Monday morning. Use it for doodles, notes and scribbles. At the end of the week put the outstanding points on next week’s sheet and scrap this week’s.
Oh, and make sure chocolate is within easy reach at all times.
— Luc Benyon (@HanburySt) January 4, 2021

Whatever approaches you try, be sure to reflect on the previous year and make a plan to address any shortcomings or inefficiencies. The problems will only get worse the longer you wait to address them.

A1. Assess. Take a look back at the past year … shield your eyes from the blinding sting of 2020! 😵
Continue with what worked & capitalize on them. Learn from what didn’t work so you can make a solid plan for 2021. #ContentChat #Productivity
— Deb Lee (@DAllisonLee) January 4, 2021

A1: Do an inventory of FY20 – clean your workspaces, files, review what worked vs. what didn’t, change location space, use block scheduling. I like to change it up often. #ContentChat https://t.co/s8bQfbY93I
— Megan Ingram┃#YourBrandYourStory (@thedataoutlier) January 4, 2021

17 Marketing Industry Events You Need to Attend in 2021

December 30, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Industry events and conferences can be immensely valuable for brands and individuals alike, presenting opportunities to catch up on the latest trends, network with other professionals in the space, and learn how to more efficiently drive results.

With the massive shift in favor of digital or hybrid digital/in-person event experiences in 2021 and beyond, it’s easier than ever to access a range of events tailored to any marketing need. Which presents a time management challenge: how do I find the right events for my needs, and how can I optimize my time at an industry event?

To help, we’ve collected more than 15 marketing industry events to attend in 2021, covering everything from content marketing and demand generation to social media strategy and sales enablement.

Once you find events that pique your interest, check out this post to explore what type of event engagement you should pursue. Keep in mind that the majority of these events have a fee to attend (great content takes resources). And those registration fees typically increase as the event draws closer, so you should act fast to lock in a low rate.

Or, if your team is planning its own event, read through these tips on how to make the digital event experience engaging for your audience.

If we’re missing your favorite marketing industry conference, let us know in the comments! We’ll update this post throughout the year to keep you updated as new events are announced, so keep this bookmarked so you can check back as more are added.

15 Free Chrome Browser Extensions Every Digital Marketer Should Add

December 28, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

A marketer’s day often involves a dizzying mix of tasks, bouncing from writing blog posts and crafting social media content to recording a podcast or designing a digital event experience.

Efficiency is the name of the game when balancing such a diverse to-do list, and savvy marketers know the value of digital tools to help them complete whatever content needs they face.

Luckily, some of the best tools are free to use and available through any marketer’s best friend—an internet browser. These digital marketing browser extensions provide a seamless experience and fast track almost any content needs. The hardest part is finding the right browser extensions for marketing, so we’ve asked the #ContentChat community and other marketing pros about their picks.

The Content Marketer’s Toolbox: Browser Extensions to Download

We recommend these browser extensions (in alphabetical order) to help with the range of tasks that content marketers face in their day-to-day.

Of note, this list focuses on those extensions available through the Google Chrome browser, but many are also available on other top browsers like Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Spelling & Grammar Browser Extensions

Writing is the bread-and-butter of any marketing role, so a spelling and grammar check browser extension is a must-have.

There are several options to fit this need, and Grammarly is highest-recommended by our community. That said, each free option has varying capabilities, and some writers will naturally appreciate the interface of specific tools over others. We recommend you explore each of these to find the option that works best for your needs:

Digital Marketing Browser Extensions

Content creation is just one part of a marketer’s role, with search engine optimization, graphic design, and other tasks taking increasing priority. These are some of the top browser extensions to meet a range of digital marketing needs:

Alexa Traffic Rank: Need a quick look at a website’s traffic? The Alexa Traffic Rank extension is perfect for a general gauge of how popular a website is. The tool shows global traffic rank, plus the rank in whichever country the site best performs. This is useful when researching high-authority domains or trying to prioritize different opportunities based on traffic. As with most free tools, the details are limited, though, and we recommend you explore paid options if this tool is short of what you need.
Bitly: Quickly create and share shortened, trackable URLs. This extension gives you all of Bitly’s website features within your browser.
Calendly: This extension expands the value of your free Calendly account and enables you to view and schedule meetings right from your browser.
ColorPick Eyedropper: The design-minded content marketer will love ColorPick, as it gives the hexadecimal, RGB, or HSL color code of anything on your screen. The extension can also help you create a color palette based on the color you select.
ColorZilla: Unsure if ColorPick is right for you? Give ColorZilla a try! The two provide similar features with a different user experience, so your pick will depend on how design-focused your role is.
Dictanote: This note-taking and organizing tool is notable for enabling speech-to-text so that you can take notes by talking.
Evernote Web Clipper: “Better than a bookmark,” this tool lets you save web pages, articles, and PDFs that you can then annotate and organize in just a few clicks.
GIPHY: Why say it with text when you can say it with GIF? Send GIFs and stickers easier than ever using this tool.
Headline Studio: Expanding on the immensely valuable CoSchedule headline analyzer, the Headline Studio extension allows you to draft and analyze headlines on any website. The tool even has a built-in thesaurus and word bank so you can add unique power, emotional, and uncommon words that make your headlines pop.
LastPass: If you struggle with remembering your passwords or need help creating unique passwords to strengthen your online security, LastPass is a great tool that securely stores and auto-fills your passwords.
SEMrush SEO Writing Assistant: Although this is technically an add-on for Google Docs or WordPress, we couldn’t skip recommending this incredible SEO tool. It checks your content for SEO-friendliness in real time based on your target keywords, with everything from a plagiarism checker and tone of voice analysis to a link checker and recommended keywords.
Serpstat: This SEO tool gives a page and domain analysis in just a few clicks, including top keywords, optimization information, and more.
WhatFont: Ever wonder what font a web page uses? WhatFont has you covered.

Extensions That Meet Any Digital Marketing Need

The above tools are just a few of our favorites, but there are plenty more that you can try. Google Chrome has a writing essentials page with 40+ extensions that could help supercharge your writing, for starters.

Did we miss your favorite browser extension? Let us know in the comments! Tell us the extension name and how it makes your day-to-day more manageable, and we will update this list as relevant.

December 14, 2020 Content Chat Recap: How To Keep Content Front and Center During a Website Redesign

December 17, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

When is the last time your team reviewed its website content? Marketers often overlook their brand sites after they have launched, which is a missed opportunity to communicate your most updated services, showcase your successes, and optimize the experience so that your audience can more easily find you and the resources they need.

In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel), content marketing manager at WriterGirl & Associates, to discuss the best practices for updating a website and how to keep content front and center during that process. Check out the full recap below, where we discuss how often a marketing team should review a brand’s website content, how to effectively audit and update your website content, and the tools to help you along the way.

Q1: How often do you recommend a content marketing team review its website content?

Every buyer persona has changed during the events of 2020, so we recommend reviewing your website content ASAP if you have not already.

A1b: Honestly EVERYONE should be looking at their web copy if they haven’t already. The pandemic has fundamentally changed ever single persona and that means your site needs to be updated. That’s a fact. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020

For ongoing purposes, review your website content at least once a year, ideally with a quarterly or mid-year condensed audit. Naturally, this cadence will depend on your team’s resources.

A1a: This depends on your specific industry, team size and resources. Aim for a comprehensive audit once a year and quarterly condensed audits. For many of our clients (healthcare), we recommend a clinical review of service line content at least once a year. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020

A1. Yearly review is important, as your yearly goals change it is important your website reflects what it is expected to achieve. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020

A1: I love the idea of a quarterly web copy review, but I think in practice and in practicality, you’re probably going to end up in pretty good shape with once a year, tbh. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020

A1: #ContentChat Start quarterly. But just like everything in marketing, test out that pace. You may find you need to review more or less often. It’s just going to depend on the type of content you’re producing & if you have the resources.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020

A1: Annually at minimum. Quarterly would be better. You’ll find much of it is untouched unless there’s major change, unfortunately. #contentchat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) December 14, 2020

A1: Quarterly is a great starting point, especially if you write on your website a lot. You might think once a year will be fine, but if you update materials even twice a week, you’re looking at 104 pieces to be looked at by year’s end. That’s a lot! #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020

A1 Depends on the business, but I’d say quarterly. More often is unsustainable. Less often and content gets stale. #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) December 14, 2020

A1. It depends on how much content you create, but as a general guideline, once a year should be enough. At @Impressa_LV, we review content once a year for small updates. Every two years, we redo most of the old pieces and go for significant updates. #contentchat
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 14, 2020

Your website content should also be reviewed any time your team adjusts its messaging or brand voice.

A1c: You should also make sure to review your content anytime you’re considering a refresh from a messaging/voice standpoint or if you’re shifting your marketing strategy. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020

SEO elements should be reviewed quarterly if possible, and there are tools you can use to keep ongoing maintenance needs light.

A1b: From an SEO standpoint, it’s a good idea to have a tool that can help provide an ongoing review (like @SEMrush) so you can catch any red flags and fix them before they become a problem. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020

December 7, 2020 Content Chat Recap: Year In Review: The Highs and Lows of Content Marketing in 2020

December 17, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

As we near the end of 2020 and this year’s #ContentChat lineup, the community and Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo), chief marketing strategist at NeoLuxe Marketing, took this week to reflect on the past year and predict what 2021 has in store for the world of marketing.

Q1: Let’s start with a celebration! What are you most proud to have accomplished in 2020 (can be personal or professional)?

The community has a lot to celebrate this year. Check out what we’re most proud of below, and comment with your big win(s) from the year.

A1: I’m proud to have survived. This has been the most challenging pers/profess years in my life (cause they’re connected). Between challenging business circumstances to opening up tough personal conversations, this year was a doozie. I’m here! I’m alive! YAY! #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 7, 2020

A1b: I’m also proud to have partnered with the amazing @craftwrites! He keeps surprising me the best ways. We are delightfully complimentary! #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 7, 2020

A1: I’m proud to have taken a leap of faith to expand my knowledge base and get out of my comfort zone by going back to school 20 years into my career. Gulp. #ContentChat
— Erika Koff (@KoffErika) December 7, 2020

A1 I’m super proud to have gotten my license for insurance in both WA and ID, it took a lot of studying and patience, but I’m excited for this new career path I’ve started down
-Alyx #contentchat https://t.co/G2ayvxEQJR
— Charlie Appel Agency (@ColfaxInsurance) December 7, 2020

A1: #SEO improvements that have helped broaden awareness for @WriterGirlAssoc and put us in a good place to launch some exciting projects in 2021. Also, joining this Twitter chat!! #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 7, 2020

A1 Sorry to have missed the introductions… proud of my team for navigating more cases than this office has seen in history and maintaining a high quality of professionalism in the midst of a crisis situation. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) December 7, 2020

A1: Despite 2020 being… 2020… I’m thrilled to be working more regularly with Erika and to have moved from Chico to Sacramento. #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) December 7, 2020

A1 I earned the certification for being a woman-owned business. Even though I was already living the role, I got through the paperwork to be certified. Thanks, 2020. #ContentChat https://t.co/FYh7FKMUyw
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) December 7, 2020

A1. I was laid off in March and had to up my game on the professional branding. I wrote about five thought leadership articles on PR. I’ve been in the biz 20 years, and globally, so was glad to be able to summarize some learnings – see here: https://t.co/ydYhUcBKGx #contentchat
— Caroline (@CAZJAMES) December 7, 2020

Mindset shift. And now I’m ready to start a new business #ContentChat
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 7, 2020

Alek Irvin