Erika Heald Marketing Consulting

Content marketing that drives business results

Content Chat

#ContentChat is a weekly chat on Twitter and LinkedIn that brings together content creators and content marketers to share their challenges and best practices for solving them.

I took over hosting duties from Lucy Rendler-Kaplan on June 13, 2016. The chat was originated by Jenise Stout Fryatt of Smarter Shift who built up the community over three years.

Check out these recaps from recent chats and join us on Mondays at 12 noon Pacific/ 3:00 p.m. Eastern to join in the conversation.

Want #ContentChat on your calendar? 

Use this link to follow our calendar, so you never miss a chat.

Be our guest—send us your pitch!

Are you a content marketing practitioner or consultant who is interested in being a guest for an upcoming edition of #ContentChat? We’d love to see your topic pitch via our Content Chat guest submission form.

March 13, 2023 Content Chat Recap: The Future of B2B Content

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A Content Chat header image that says today’s topic is The Future of B2B Content with guest Phyllis Davidson, who is @PhyllisMusings on Twitter.

B2B content is notorious for being product-centric, jargon-heavy, and impersonal—so how can teams create more engaging content for specific personas across the buyer’s journey?

In this #ContentChat recap, Erika joins Phyllis Davidson (@PhyllisMusings), VP and principal analyst at Forrester covering content strategy and operations, to discuss the future of B2B content and ways that teams can build a better content strategy.

Read through some brief highlights from the conversation below, and listen to the full recording below.

Do you want to help Phyllis with her upcoming research on content experimentation? Phyllis is looking to speak with content leaders at organizations of all sizes—regardless of if you are a Forrester client—to understand how you are experimenting with your content strategy (with a particular focus on AI), your learnings, and tangible results. Reach out to Phyllis on Twitter or LinkedIn if you’d like to share your story.

Q1: What are some common criticisms about B2B content?

Audience centricity is a common issue with B2B content, and teams are challenged in tailoring messages toward new customers and keeping existing customers engaged.

Portfolio marketing is one way to address this, which is the idea that you should organize your messaging and value exchange around your unique audiences (much like you’d sell different products to different audiences in a unique way).

Instead of dwelling on the criticisms, Erika and Phyllis discuss the challenges teams face and potential solutions below.

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March 6, 2023 Content Chat Recap: LinkedIn Profile Recommendations and Reviews for Content Marketers

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A Content Chat header image that says today’s topic is Live LinkedIn Profile Reviews and Recommendations for Content Marketers with guest Erika Heald, who is @SFerika on Twitter.

When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile? While many marketers let their LinkedIn collect virtual dust until it’s time for a job hunt, a well-maintained profile can be key for helping you find new collaboration opportunities and stay ahead of your competition.

In this #ContentChat recap, Erika shares her advice for how to optimize your LinkedIn profile, including a review of three profiles from marketers who joined our LinkedIn live audio conversation. Read through the key points below, and listen to the full audio recap here.

What are the essential elements to cover in a LinkedIn profile to stand out for content marketing or related roles?

“When we start thinking about our LinkedIn profiles, pretty much everybody puts in their name and the job title for their current job; maybe they upload a picture—but frequently, it stops there.”

Be sure to address these areas in your LinkedIn profile:

  • Updated profile image: Choose a photo that is appropriate for your work setting and includes only you (we love pets and families, but your LinkedIn photo should feature just you). Anything that you would wear to an in-person meeting is ideal for what to wear in your profile photo.
    • Ensure that people will recognize you based on your LinkedIn profile when they meet you for the first time or when you’re at an event. This means you should update your photo at least once every five years, if not more frequently.
  • Banner image: What do you want to have behind your photo? You can use a banner to promote something you’re working on or give a look at your personality.
  • Headline: This will default to your current job title, but you should write a headline that encompasses the roles, activities, and objectives that you have for using LinkedIn to connect with other people. For example, Erika’s headline reads “Marketing Consultancy Founder, Fractional Content Marketing Leader, Executive Ghostwriter, and Gluten-Free Blogger.”
  • URL: Create a unique URL for your profile. A short URL that has your name is a lot more memorable and approachable than having a generic URL with random numbers and letters.
  • Contact information: In addition to your email address, you can link to your blog and other social media channels. Regularly review these details and ensure you still have access to those accounts.
  • Recent activity: Anyone who visits your profile can see your recent activity, which gives an indication of how often you engage with other users and share content other than your own. Create a content curation strategy to help everyone get to know you better and show them how you think.
  • Summary: Create a summary that explains your elevator pitch: who are you, what do you do, who are you looking to connect with, and why do you want to connect with them? Include keywords relevant to your industry to help people find you through search.
  • Experience: Explain not only what you did in your role but what you accomplished. If you have information that you can publicly disclose about the dollar-value ROI that you had in the role is incredibly impactful and helps people understand what kind of experience you had at the company.

How can marketers best use LinkedIn’s native features to create and promote their content?

Enable the “Creator” profile element on LinkedIn to better showcase your content and provide examples right on your profile. LinkedIn also offers a newsletter tool, that enables you to publish (or republish) a newsletter

What mistakes do people often make when using LinkedIn for content marketing?

Erika discusses two big mistakes in the audio recap:

  • Too many people fail to give us a sense of their personality and any real context to what it is that they do and what they did in previous roles.
  • Don’t show up on LinkedIn only when you’re looking for a job. Regularly comment on people’s posts and reshare people’s requests for help to show you’re there to help—not just promote your content or sell your services.

Who is someone on LinkedIn that you admire? What do you like about their content or profile setup?

What is the best way to reach contacts you may not know on LinkedIn?

Per Erika, “the best way to reach somebody new that you don’t know is to see what content they are making public—what is actually available from them on LinkedIn—and comment on the things they’re creating.” You can ask them a question back or provide meaningful comments that show you care about what they posted. Continue to engage with their content over time to warm them up to your outreach.

Once you’re ready to reach out, send an InMail Message (not a connection request) explaining why you would love to connect with this person that you don’t know.

February 13, 2023 Content Chat Recap: Why Brands Should Invest In Original Research

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A Content Chat header image that says today’s topic is Why Brands Should Invest in Original Research with guest Michele Linn, who is @MicheleLinn on Twitter.

All you need is one survey to fuel a year’s worth of content—but that doesn’t mean that any research survey or topic will drive the intended results.

In this #ContentChat recap, Michele Linn (@MicheleLinn), co-founder and chief strategy officer of Mantis Research, and the community discuss why brands should invest in original research and how to craft a study that will yield valuable insights that your community will love. Read the full recap below to learn:

  • How to dispel the common myths about conducting original research
  • Ways to get survey responses if you don’t have a list
  • Recommendations on how to invest your time during a research study

Erika and Michele discussed each of these questions on a LinkedIn Live audio conversation—listen to the recording here.

Q1: What are the different kinds of original research that content marketing teams can pursue?

Surveys are most commonly associated with research, but research can also include qualitative interviews, observational research, user data analysis, and public data analysis. Michele explains each of these below:

Q2: Why is it beneficial to invest in original research (especially in the age of AI)?

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February 6, 2023 Content Chat Recap: Job Hunting Tactics for Content Marketers in 2023

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A Content Chat header image that says today's topic is Tactics For Job Hunting in 2023 For Content Marketers with guest Andi Robinson, who is @HijinxMarketing on Twitter.

Job hunting should be exciting, but it is more often anxiety-inducing, frustrating, and discouraging. If you’re having a hard time finding your next role, we want to help.

While it’s understandable to cast a wide net when applying for jobs, we want you to land a role that you actually want. And by tapping into your content marketing skills, you can greatly increase your likelihood of standing out from the pack.

In this #ContentChat recap, Andi Robinson (@HijinxMarketing), owner of Hijinx Marketing and author of The Content Puzzle, and the community discuss tactics for job hunting for content marketing or related roles. Read the full recap below to learn:

  • Tips for organizing your job search
  • Must-include (and remove!) resume elements
  • Proven ways to have a great interview

Erika and Andi discussed each of these questions on a LinkedIn Live audio conversation, and you can access the recording here. Please note that the recording starts partway into Q2—we appreciate your patience as we get the hang of our new dual-channel format.

Q1: When was the last time you were job hunting, and what was that experience like?

Several of our community members are currently job hunting or have been in recent months. If you know of open content marketing or related industry roles, please send them our way so we can include them in the Content Chat Bulletin email newsletter.

Q2: What challenges have you seen people face when looking for a job in recent months? If you are currently job hunting, what challenges are you facing?

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January 23, 2023 Content Chat Recap: Why Brands Need Both Content Marketing and Public Relations

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You’d be lucky to get a room of executives to agree on the value of public relations and content marketing, but both of these areas fill necessary and unique brand needs that are critical to your success. In this #ContentChat recap, Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs), PR consultant and host of #FreelanceChat (Thursdays at 9 a.m. Pacific/noon Eastern), and the community discuss why brands need both content marketing and public relations, including what each field involves and how to balance your efforts. Read the full recap below to learn:

  • Advantages and disadvantages of public relations and content marketing
  • How to align your content marketing and PR teams
  • Ways to assess which area is a better investment for your brand

Q1: How do you define content marketing and public relations?

Here is how the community defines content marketing:

And here is how we define public relations:

Q2: What goals can your brand meet by investing in content marketing vs. public relations? What are the shared and unique needs they can address?

Content marketing and public relations activities can both result in content—blog posts, news articles, videos—that helps your buyers find the information they need to make purchasing decisions.

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December 12, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How To Optimize Your Content for Semantic Search

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A Content Chat header image that says today's topic is How to Optimize Your Content for Semantic Search with guest Mariah Obiedzinski, who is @MariahWrites on Twitter.

The days of keyword stuffing to get a top rank on search engines are out. If you’re trying to reach your audience through content, you’ll need to factor in the new way that they search for content and the language that they use.

In this #ContentChat recap, Mariah Obiedzinski (@MariahWrites), AVP of content services at Stamats, and the community discuss how to optimize content for semantic search. Read the full recap below to learn:

  • What is semantic search and what has led to its rise
  • How to understand your personas’ semantic search profile
  • Ways to address semantic search needs in your new and old content

Q1: What is semantic search, and how does it differ from other forms of search?

Mariah says that semantic search involves the natural way that people type or speak into Google when they’re seeking information.

The “people also searched for” section on Google is a great example of how people conduct their semantic searches.

Semantic search gives us insights into how to tailor our content pathways, the language we use, and the topics we discuss.

Q2: What has led to the rise of semantic search?

[Read more…] about December 12, 2022 Content Chat Recap: How To Optimize Your Content for Semantic Search

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