Content Conversations

Conversations and resources for small business, startup, and solopreneur content marketing and social media.

February 4, 2019 Content Chat Recap: Making the Case for Likeable Content

February 8, 2019 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Most marketing activities boil down to one purpose: building relationships. Without the trust, loyalty and familiarity of your audience, they are not likely to engage with your brand or your content. One way to build these relationships is to be likeable, but what does that mean and how can you become more likeable?

In this #ContentChat, we were joined by Dave Kerpen (@DaveKerpen) to learn how to create more likeable content to build relationships that last.

And please welcome today’s guest: @DaveKerpen is the co-founder of @LikeableMedia, @LikeableLocal & #BeLikeableDay & the NYT bestselling author of @LikeableBook: https://t.co/CivfDPGVYF #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) February 4, 2019

Q1: What does it mean to be likeable, from a brand and content standpoint?

Likeable content is anything that your audience engages with, including through liking, commenting or sharing.

Being likeable as a brand means sharing content that YOU YOURSELF would click the Like button on, or Comment, or best yet, Share. https://t.co/uNaIsNODrg
— Dave Kerpen (@DaveKerpen) February 4, 2019

A1: a “Likeable” brand I believe is one that is sharing content that is worthy of engagement I hope most brands would be likeable in a positive way 🤗 Sharing useful content #ContentChat
— Sarah Clarke Biz 🇨🇦 (@sclarkeOville) February 4, 2019

A1: Being likeable as a brand and content means people feel enough emotion or connection to it that they will engage. That might mean liking, sharing, or commenting, or otherwise taking an action further than just an impression. #ContentChat
— Click Ctrl Marketing (@ClkContrl) February 4, 2019

A1. I think it means focusing on creating AMAZING content, rather than just pushing to get something out the door. If you don’t love what you’re creating, why are you creating it? Because odds are, your customers won’t love it either. #contentchat
— Ali Roth (@aliroth121) February 4, 2019

A likeable brand not only produces likeable content, but also engages with its audience and provides value through its content and services. This often involves humanizing the brand.

Being #Likeable means taking off your marketing cap and putting on your consumer cap. #contentchat
— Dave Kerpen (@DaveKerpen) February 4, 2019

Start with amazing, valuable content, for sure. But to be #likeable you must CONTINUE the conversation with your customers and prospects online! #contentchat
— Dave Kerpen (@DaveKerpen) February 4, 2019

A1. For me, it means being accessible, honest, transparent, and one that delivers. Some of my favorite brands solicit feedback, respond to it, engage with their community, and deliver content that serves purpose for those digesting it. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@fulldelmonte) February 4, 2019

A1 #ContentChat Likeability all comes down to a #community recognizing the value in engaging with you! pic.twitter.com/y1p9WfJQtY
— Dan Willis (@MLLNNLmotivator) February 4, 2019

A1 It starts with showing interest in other people. When people feel liked, they’ll (often) reciprocate. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) February 4, 2019

A1. Hello #contentchat (ers). For me, the word that comes to mind is ‘relatable’. A brand has to be relatable and, for B2B, this often means finding a way to humanize it. pic.twitter.com/sJeEC522W3
— PathFactory (@pathfactory) February 4, 2019

A1. I see being likeable as being insanely helpful. Share great content that solves problems, treat your fans like actual people and talk to them like a human! #contentchat
— MeetEdgar (@MeetEdgar) February 4, 2019

A2: I think it’s often overlooked, but your local news stations consistently put out likeable content (even if the content isn’t something the audience wants to “like” – it keeps them informed). #ContentChat
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) February 4, 2019

Be careful to not mistake controversial with likeable. Content can be shared or engaged with for a variety of negative reasons, which can hinder your chance of being a likeable brand.

A1: I would call it prioritizing (and achieving) creating a positive emotional association with your brand/content. Many brands succeed by being controversial or intelligent or challenging, but those can threaten that positive association. Not to say it can’t be done#ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) February 4, 2019

January 28, 2019 Content Chat Recap—Community Conversation: Ethical Marketing

January 30, 2019 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Professionals of all industries face ethical dilemmas in their day-to-day work, and marketers especially have a responsibility to ensure their actions do not mislead or mistreat their audiences.

In this #ContentChat community conversation, we go beyond legalities to explore what behaviors are unethical, and how you can navigate difficult situations so that your professional life does not conflict with your moral compass.

Q1: How important is it to you that you are ethical in your marketing?

The community unanimously agrees that acting ethically is their No. 1 priority. Trust is crucial in building relationships, and acting unethically can destroy the trust of customers and coworkers.

A1: Even before I became a consultant, my perspective is my business actions 100% reflect upon me as a person. And for that reason, I refuse to engage in unethical practices, even when directly told to do so by an employer or client. #ContentChat https://t.co/eVRG2zqMYc
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 28, 2019

A1: Being ethical in marketing should be priority #1. This is just a part of building trust and a relationship with your customers #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger ✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) January 28, 2019

A1. Very important. Your marketing is an extension of your brand and team. If you come across or are found as unethical, all of your efforts and reputation building suffers with it. Make sure that you are ethical and true to your brand / audiences with efforts. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 28, 2019

A1: Being ethical should be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy. #ContentChat
— Berrak Sarikaya | Content Strategist | Speaker (@BerrakBiz) January 28, 2019

A1: Ethics are a #1 priority for me. From ensuring that my clients aren’t competing companies to citing sources, without ethics, we would be sunk. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 28, 2019

A1. I’m a conscientious marketer. It’s important to be to be ethical because it’s:
the right way to live life.
the only way I can sleep at night.
#ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 28, 2019

A1: Good marketing *is* ethical. Honesty and transparency are good for business (unless the business is sleazy to begin with) #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) January 28, 2019

Q1: Marketing is, at its crux, about building relationships with customers. Holding yourself to high ethical standards is vital to building trust. #contentchat #smnite19 #pmswish
— gillianforclass (@gillianforclass) January 28, 2019

A1: Being ethical is an absolute necessity for your marketing strategy. Unethical practices completely undermine your brand’s authority, authenticity, and trust. Not to mention it leaves a bad taste in your team’s and your customers’ mouths. #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) January 28, 2019

January 14, 2019 Content Chat Recap: How to Enable Your Sales Team with Content

January 17, 2019 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Content is crucial in enabling sales success. If your sales reps don’t have the right resources to engage with their leads at various stages of the sales cycle, or if your potential customers can’t find the information they need from your site, you may risk losing that lead to your competitor.

In this #ContentChat, we were joined by Pam Didner (@PamDidner) – who recently released a book on sales enablement – to dive into what sales enablement is, why it’s important, and how your content and sales teams can align to decrease sales cycles and increase close rates.

Shameless plug it is!! LOL. Check out the book on Amazon. https://t.co/FIuKf9Sx0N Effective Sales Enablement. How to better enable your sales team as a marketer. https://t.co/UwYc3E1UM4
— Pam Didner (@PamDidner) January 14, 2019

Q1: So Pam, tell us… What Is Sales Enablement?

Sales enablement involves equipping sales teams with the resources they need to work more efficiently and increase success rates.

A1 Traditionally #SalesEnablement is onboarding and training. I expanded the definition to: “Deliver a positive customer experience by equipping sales with knowledge, skills, processes and tools through cross-functional collaboration to increase sales productivity.” #ContentChat
— Pam Didner (@PamDidner) January 14, 2019

A1: Sales enablement is the act of enabling sales using tools of the trade… like #marketing #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 14, 2019

A1: Sales enablement is providing content and resources to help streamline the sales process and make it more effective. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 14, 2019

A1 Sales enablement is making sales self-sufficient so they don’t disrupt their selling by running to marketing #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) January 14, 2019

I’ve used (and written) about this expanded definition of @SalesEnablement. It means:

1. Sales onboarding training
2. Providing and creating sales tools.

#1 is traditional, #2 was caused by digital tecnologies blurring the lines between sales and #marketing.
#ContentChat https://t.co/TsYoR2cnwf
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 14, 2019

This increased sales efficiency should also lead to a better customer experience.

A1. When incorporated into a cohesive content strategy that spans the entire customer lifecycle, sales enablement content provides a more consistent storyline and value prop, and gives customers a better experience. #contentchat
— Carmen Hill (@carmenhill) January 14, 2019

The exact phrasing is up for debate, but the meaning stays the same.

A1: Anybody else dislike the word “enablement”? What about “sales empowerment” or “sales acceleration”? #contentchat
— Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) January 14, 2019

@pisarose: I like empowerment and acceleration. That’s what Marketers should do. Empower sales. I should have talked to you before I finalized my title. LOL. #ContentChat
— Pam Didner (@PamDidner) January 14, 2019

Or funnel greaser! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 14, 2019

I’ll take “sales enablement” over “funnel greaser” in a hot minute… #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) January 14, 2019

Or simply sales HELP? 😄 #contentchat

I agree that “enablement” is a fluffy (non) word.
— Judy Gombita (@jgombita) January 14, 2019

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January 7, 2019 Content Chat Recap: 2019 Content Marketing Career Development Planning Session

January 9, 2019 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

The start of the year is a natural time to celebrate the successes of the past year and set aspirations for where you want to be next year. Too often, though, these goals can fizzle out by mid-year when professionals realize they didn’t take the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.

In this #ContentChat planning session, we detail the steps for you to develop an action plan that keeps your eyes on your professional prize this year.

As we get started, you may want to make a copy of my professional development template by going here and choosing File: Make a Copy to save it to your G drive. https://t.co/y0VZ3qbB7W #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 7, 2019

Q1: This time next year, how do you want to answer the question “What do you do for a living?”

Answering this question may be a challenge, and that’s OK. Take your time to truly assess what you want your career to be, and set an intention to reach that.

I know *some of you* may find it a bit daunting to answer this first question. But the thing is, by stating your goal you make it real. AND you can find accountability partners in all of us. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 7, 2019

You could want to add to your existing role, focus in on a specific aspect, or jump into a different area entirely.

A1: This time next year, I want my intro to be, “I’m Erika Heald, and I’m the head of a content marketing agency that partners with startups and specialty food companies to create and execute content strategies that drive business growth.” #ContentChat https://t.co/JjLrLy2zSx
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) January 7, 2019

A1: “I’m a marketing consultant that helps B2B technologies take their business to the next level through funding, new product releases and thought leadership.” BOOM #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 7, 2019

A1: I think I want to be more strategy focused. Granted, I am now, but I’m really only a team of one. I’d like to grow our business and internal team where I can take a step or two back to really focus on the vision of Marcel Digital and how we bring it to life. #ContentChat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 7, 2019

A1: This time next year, I hope to utilize the “manager part of my title more and have a small team under me to help with content creation. We really want to expand beyond offering only PPC services and take on social media management and website building. #ContentChat
— Click Ctrl Marketing (@ClkContrl) January 7, 2019

#ContentChat A1: I develop strategies that help solve B2B SMB revenue problems.

Wait, I already do that. But I do too much other stuff – I’d like to narrow my work. #focus
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 7, 2019

A1:this time next year, I want my intro 2B: “I’m Holly Miller the sought-after marketing muscle behind (insert large brand in retail/food/fitness/tech industry). I create, partner with, educate & empower teams on executing SEO & content strategies that deliver growth #ContentChat
— Holly Miller | SEO & Content Marketing Consultant (@millertime_baby) January 7, 2019

#ContentChat A1

Right now: I help businesses understand and empower their brand and grow through content marketing.

Next Year: I build courses and programs that help entrepreneurs and startups affordably brand and market themselves. https://t.co/64ucFtvIGo
— Kayla Naab Consulting (@KaylaNaab) January 7, 2019

If you’re having trouble, consider using this formula from Patrick.

I love when businesses and experts can say “I am / We are _____ experts that _____ for ______” Can be hard to get to but it makes everything so much more specific and tangible. #contentchat
— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) January 7, 2019

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21 Social Media and Content Marketing Tools to Make Your Life Easier

December 31, 2018 by Erika Heald Leave a Comment

Content marketers have a seemingly endless number of tools at their disposal to make their jobs easier. Whether it’s optimizing your social media accounts, researching the best keywords to use, or creating visuals to accompany your content, there’s something online for everyone (and often times free).

The hard part? Cutting through the noise and finding the best tools for the money.

Luckily, our #ContentChat community regularly discusses the must-have content marketing tools that they use in their professional life. Here’s a selection of the most mentioned and loved content marketing tools. Note that I’ve included affiliate links for a few of the tools I use every day and recommend the most. If you make a purchase from one of those links, I may receive a small commission.

If your favorite isn’t on this list, comment below:

Grammar & Plagiarism Tools

Copyscape
- While most of its value comes from its paid offering, Copyscape has a free comparison tool to check websites or text for plagiarism. With the premium offering, you can check text for plagiarism with a search of the entire internet. This can come in handy if you’re managing a guest blogging program.
Grammarly
- This free browser extension checks your content for critical grammar and spelling checks, and its premium offering has advanced checks for punctuation, context, and even plagiarism. Use my affiliate link to try it out for yourself—if you end up going pro, I’ll receive a small commission.

Influencer Research Tools

BuzzSumo
- BuzzSumo can give you a more comprehensive look at your social footprint, helping to track what content is working well and identify the most influential users in your space.
Klear
- This influencer search engine can help you find the most trusted voices across social networks and blogs, and paid offerings add relationship management and measurement capabilities.

Keyword Research Tools

AnswerThePublic
- This highly visual tool distills the who, what, when, where, how, and why of any term to see what people are searching for. Be sure to linger on the homepage for a minute so you can see the video through to its completion.
Moz
- This all-in-one SEO tracking and research toolset has a range of free offerings for SEO, link building, and local marketing. Paid options unlock the full suite of tools. I personally use it to create at-a-glance website performance dashboards for my clients.
Neil Patel Uber Suggest
- Get data on keywords with just a quick. Whether it’s for SEO or PPC, this free tool gives you data on keywords, as well as suggestions for others.
SpyFu
- Stay ahead of the competition by getting data on their most profitable keywords and ads for paid and organic search. The free functionality with SpyFu is limited, but paid options give you unlimited data and downloads.
Yoast.com/suggest
- Enter your keyword and this will suggest new long tail keywords. Just what you need when you’ve got a blog deadline combined with writer’s block.

Reputation Management & Media Monitoring Tools

Mention
- This platform provides real-time media monitoring for your brand and your competitors, as well as use cases for crisis management, influencer marketing, and competitive analysis.
Meltwater
- Meltwater has solutions for marketing, PR, and communications, including insights on your share of voice, brand monitoring, and influencer research. Disclosure: I’m a long-time content marketing contributor for Meltwater.

Social Media Schedulers & Management Tools

Buffer
- A close competitor of Hootsuite, Buffer is a widely used social media scheduling tool that’s worth a look. Buffer has the greatest appeal for smaller teams or if you’re only juggling a few social profiles, but both Buffer and Hootsuite support businesses of all sizes.
Hootsuite
- If you have ever worked in social media, chances are pretty good that you already you know of Hootsuite. This social media marketing and management dashboard has everything you need to thrive on social, including good support for team workflows. That said, it’s worth it to try other offerings in the space to find the best fit for your team.
MeetEdgar
- MeetEdgar is unique in its approach to combating social media overload by helping you to easily share and reshare your best content over time, automatically. If you want to give it a try with a 30-day 100 percent money-back guarantee, check out my referral link (it also has more details on the product). Or, you can follow them on Twitter @MeetEdgar for the latest social media tips and resources. They host #SoloBizChat on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. ET, and are also a regular participant in our #ContentChat!
Sprout Social
- Sprout Social is a great option for everything from robust social analytics, social engagement, social publishing, and social listening. Plus, it’s built to scale. I’m a long-time Sprout Social user and highly recommend it. Use my affiliate link when you sign up for your free trial and help support #ContentChat.

Visual Tools

Canva
- Tackle design needs with ease with Canva. The interface is easy to navigate and can help with everything from posters to infographics. I build all of my #ContentChat promo images and blog post headers with Canva.
GIPHY
- Make your content more animated and personal with GIFs, and GIPHY makes it easy to find or create a GIF for any occasion. The site also allows for you to apply for a brand channel if you are a recurring GIF creator.
Pablo by Buffer
- Even if you don’t choose Buffer for your scheduling, Pablo is incredibly easy to use when you want to overlay text over any image and share on your social. You can either choose from their 600k+ images, or you can upload your own.
PicMonkey
- If you need photo editing and design capabilities, PicMonkey is well worth your while. The tool has an expansive library of fonts and templates, and can easily become your go-to for most design needs. Use my affiliate link to get a free one week trial to test it out yourself.
Unsplash
- If you think that royalty-free images are only available with a big price tag, you are going to love Unsplash. This community of photographers provides gorgeous free visuals to complement your content.

The Holy Grail

Google
- Oh Google, how we love you. If you have a content marketing need that the tools above can’t quite crack, give it a Google search or try Google’s marketing tools before you reinvent the wheel. You can even set up Google Alerts for tracking purposes so you’re always in the know on the key topics that affect your business.

13 Blogs and Resources for Content Marketers and PR Pros

December 28, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

A large part of professional success comes from a curiosity to learn more and a resilience to constantly adapt to the ever-changing landscape of our tech tools.

Whether you’re working in-house and needing further training than your company offers, or you’re a solopreneur needing resources to stay on top of your game, there is a well of great blogs and resources online to keep content marketers and PR pros in the know.

These 13 websites come highly recommended by our #ContentChat community. Check them out for yourself, and comment below if you have others you’d add.

Buffer
- The social media management platform creates a plethora of unique articles that highlight great case studies, market research (including analysis of proprietary data) and how-tos. The company also hosts weekly webinars to teach you how to get most out of the platform.
BuzzSumo
- BuzzSumo’s content has a heavy focus on data and using it to help you reach your audiences more effectively. This includes branded reports that you can only find on the site.
Content Marketing Institute
- It’s no surprise Content Marketing Institute has more than a quarter million followers on Twitter. The content marketing powerhouse hosts the annual Content Marketing World, and it keeps pros up-to-date on the latest and greatest of all things content on its site.
Contently
- This blog taps a series of experts to weigh in on everything from the role of content in sales enablement to what people really feel about working for brands.
Hootsuite
- Hootsuite hosts a range of simple list/tip style articles that are incredibly helpful to learn something new from in each post. You can even filter by topic, network or resource type to only view articles that are pertinent to what you need.
HubSpot
- HubSpot hosts a blend of tech news and how-tos filled with great case studies and easy-to-follow steps for topics most pertinent to your business.
Kissmetrics/Neil Patel
- The Kissmetrics blog, which Neil Patel bought in January 2017, was full of great resources and tips for marketers and PR pros. Many of the posts now live on Neil’s site, where he regularly adds additional content, including podcasts and in-depth articles.
MarketingProfs
- Articles, courses, reports, podcasts, and video tutorials, if you name it, MarketingProfs probably has it. The site has produced tens of thousands of marketing resources and has a great search function to help you find just the right content you need. Topics range from ABM, branding, demand gen, social media, public relations, and more.
Meltwater
- PR and marketing pros alike can learn something new from Meltwater’s blog, which often displays best-in-class examples of campaigns, as well as insights on how the latest technology like AI is shaping the communications landscape. Did we mention that #ContentChat’s Erika Heald (@SFErika) and Michelle Garrett (@PRisUS) are regular contributors?
Orbit Media
- Orbit Media shares practical tips for content marketing professionals, as well as a focus on analytics and web design (a unique aspect compared to many of the other blogs on this list).
Social Media Examiner
- If your company is heavily invested in social, you don’t want to miss out on Social Media Examiner’s content. The site keeps you in the know on all the updates in the rapidly evolving social media landscape, with marketing guides for each of the major platforms.
Sprout Social
- Sprout offers a range of deep listening and analytics, social management, customer care and advocacy solutions for businesses of all sizes, and its blog details everything from trends changing the industry to deep-dive how-tos for crucial topics like how to set up your content plan.
TrackMaven
- TrackMaven puts it best in its own blog header: “everything you need to drive results, empower your team, and keep up with the latest marketing technology news.” The blog hosts everything from answers to marketing challenges, crucial skills for C-suite marketers, and the top tools to keep you ahead of the competition.