Content Chat

#ContentChat is a weekly twitter chat 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.

October 22, 2018 Content Chat Recap: B2B Blogging Tips

October 24, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Blogs are a staple for many businesses, but B2B blogs can be a tough nut to crack at times. In this #ContentChat with Kapost’s Aubrey Harper (@Aubrey__Harper) we focus on common issues with B2B blogs, and how to ensure you set your content strategy off on the right foot.

Q1: Is blogging still a valuable strategy for #B2B companies to reach their customers and prospects?

Blogging is still incredibly important in the B2B world, and blogs provide multiple opportunities to build brand awareness, generate and nurture leads, and improve your customer experience.

A1: Although it’s not as easy to build a following through a blog today as it was a decade ago when it didn’t seem everyone had a blog, a blog is still a very powerful way for many businesses to engage with clients + prospects. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) October 22, 2018

A1: If you expect to build digital awareness, you need a blog to rank and guide educational interactions. Anecdotal evidence: the @Kapost blog is our largest driver of organic traffic and a huge contributor to open opps. #ContentChat https://t.co/2AeWBEAIye
— Aubrey Harper (@Aubrey__Harper) October 22, 2018

A1: I would think it would be even more important for those brands or websites that are static in nature. Great way to use to build awareness and have content that is constantly changing #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger 🐝✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) October 22, 2018

A1: Absolutely! We definitely believe in blogging as a valuable strategy, not only to grab the awareness and interest of prospects, but it’s also a great way to become a trusted resource center for your industry’s relevant topics. #contentchat
— Brafton (@Brafton) October 22, 2018

A1. ABSOLUTELY! Blogging is still a huge traffic and revenue driver for #B2B companies. It helps with SEO, thought leadership and lead generation. #ContentChat
— MeetEdgar (@MeetEdgar) October 22, 2018

A1 #contentchat blogging is a way to answer your audience intent in a very valuable manner by sharing your deep know of your industry to educate, inform, inspire and support your prospects and customers in making the right choice for their businesses.
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) October 22, 2018

A1 #ContentChat – absolutely blogging is still valuable for B2B companies, and following up on below, our still-young https://t.co/T8jVE6vs8J blog caught up to its 10yo sister site https://t.co/TcFfJGM29g‘s traffic numbers within a year of launch. https://t.co/GAXq7nUHIh
— Laura Pevehouse (@LPVhouse) October 22, 2018

The fact that blogging allows you to put your company’s brand personality and corporate values front and center is so helpful as more #B2B decisions-makers are making purchases based on culture fit. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) October 22, 2018

That said, blogs must have a purpose and overarching strategy that each post points toward.

A1. This is a good question, and it depends on the purpose of the B2B blog. Is it just inbound marketing? That might not be a good use of time. Is it educating future customers? That’s good — it can accelerate the sales cycle. Does it build your brand? That’s ideal! #ContentChat https://t.co/IxSQpF15Jq
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) October 22, 2018

A1 I think some blogging is dead, or should be. There are enough generic, evergreen “advice” posts out there. Instead of just CONTENT, what are your posts adding to the CONVERSATION? #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) October 22, 2018

I think the idea of having a viral blog based on one run-away blog post is dead though. Blogs are no longer the Internet equivalent of a novelty act. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Strategy (@SFerika) October 22, 2018

October 15, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Seattle Startup Week 2018 Marketing Track Insights

October 17, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Seattle has seen near-record levels of VC dollar flow this year, and this bustling startup ecosystem shows no signs of slowing down. There are lessons to be learned from these successes, and in this #ContentChat we focus on the marketing track takeaways from Seattle Startup Week (@SEAstartupweek, #SSW2018), which our very own Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) developed!

Seattle Startup Week #ssw2018 is a volunteer lead and run week-long event created to help provide startups with the tools they need to succeed. It’s over 200 sessions for just $35 WHATTUDEAL! (but really, it’s great! #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) October 15, 2018

Q1: @notnathan talked about how marketing agencies and startups can work together to build great relationships at #ssw2018. What is a tried and true rule you’ve used to help keep the magic alive?

Nathan distilled his talk into three Tweets, noting there needs to be full buy-in and alignment on vision by both parties. Marketing agencies can lend the storytelling skills critical to connecting with larger audiences, but the results may not be immediate.

A1: There has to be full buy in on both sides. If both the startup and agency are aligned on vision, you can build something truly beautiful #contentchat
— Nathan Young (@notnathan) October 15, 2018

A1: The startup is responsible for the idea that disrupts. The agency is responsible for the idea and message that connects with a wider audience. Together, magic is made. #contentchat pic.twitter.com/nnUg2wOSEI
— Nathan Young (@notnathan) October 15, 2018

A1: And one last nugget of truth that we often have to remind our startup clients of. Brand is a long term investment. You don’t build an MVP brand. You rarely pivot.
You cannot iterate your way to meaning and impact when it comes to brand. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/ZMuOnHfq6g
— Nathan Young (@notnathan) October 15, 2018

The community mirrored his thoughts, with two key additions. First, the company must have the necessary resources and infrastructure to leverage the agency to its fullest potential, and second, the agency needs to challenge the client by bringing new ideas to the table and keeping ideas fresh.

A1: Working with agencies (from an in-house side) has always been about collaboration and trust. Trust your people, hold them accountable, and work together to solve problems. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) October 15, 2018

A1B: As someone acting as an agency, making sure that the organization you’re working with has the infrastructure to utilize you and your team in the best way possible. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) October 15, 2018

A1: It’s important to try new things together. It’s easy to get into a rut with the same old plans, month after month. Make sure you find ways to keep it spicy. #ContentChat https://t.co/ldpcIcrdbZ
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) October 15, 2018

October 1, 2018 Content Chat Recap: What You Need For a Content Marketing Plan-On-A-Page

October 4, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Annual content planning can feel a little overwhelming. Even if you’ve aligned your content marketing goals with your business goals, it can be difficult to know how to turn those goals into a content plan. That’s why for this week’s #ContentChat we discussed everything you need to get a content marketing plan-on-a-page.

I’ve personally found that starting from a 1-page plan makes it a lot easier to ensure your final content marketing plan ladders up to your primary business goals, instead of becoming a kitchen sink collection of activities. #contentchat
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) October 1, 2018

Q1: Two weeks ago we took a deep dive into how to align our content marketing goals with our business goals. With that conversation in mind, what are your top 2-3 #contentmarketing objectives?

Objectives will naturally range from individual to individual, covering everything from sales and marketing alignment, continuing momentum of existing campaigns, and increasing visibility.

A1. I think my major goal (which is also my biggest challenge) is to develop a content strategy that will get marketing and sales on the same page. Yeah, I know it’s not a SMART goal, but it’s the starting line for me. #contentchat https://t.co/bxiUOhbaV9
— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) October 1, 2018

A1: Top #contentmarketing objectives
1. Not lose steam mid-campaign
2. Move folks from inital push to ongoing engagement
3. Develop potential partnerships early before next campaign push (build my well before I need it) #contentchat https://t.co/ms6Um7tXFp
— Jennifer Navarrete (@epodcaster) October 1, 2018

My goals: Become known as a leading SME on content marketing for startups. Lead generation. Business growth. #ContentChat https://t.co/TIxl4WWhBZ
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) October 1, 2018

A1: One is to have content that is relevant toward the audience and to have a goal for the content – sales, transactions and engagement. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger 🐝✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) October 1, 2018

A1: #1 is always drive more bookings/sales. Good SEO is always important as well. As a startup that is largely unknown, we also want content to educate customers of our mission and establish a ln approachable voice with our content marketing. #ContentChat
— Divya Mulanjur (@Di_Mulan) October 1, 2018

A1:
In short
1) Personalization
2) Optimization
3) Integration#ContentChat
— LaDonna LaGuerre 🇯🇲 🏳️‍🌈 (@ladonnajonze) October 1, 2018

September 24, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Making Content More Personal with Custom Animated GIFs

September 29, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

This week’s #ContentChat was incredibly animated—literally. We were joined by Jeffrey “JMatt” Matthias (@JMattMke) to discuss everything related to custom animated GIFs—from how to make them and why you should (or should not) use them.

Just got off the air on @1037KISSFM, time to get on #ContentChat with @SFerika to talk about my favorite thing… GIFs! pic.twitter.com/CitKvS0EX3
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 24, 2018

Q1: What’s the difference between an animated GIF and a Boomerang?

Sir King of GIFs himself joined us today, noting that a Boomerang plays forward then backward, whereas a GIF loops content.

A1 a boomerang plays forward then backwards and a gif is a straightforward shorter video. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/wBOMwlIXDz
— Annoyin’ Observer (@SirKingofGifs) September 24, 2018

A1: An animated GIF loops video content from start to finish on repeat. A Boomerang plays a quick video forward then backwards on repeat. #ContentChat
*This is a GIF. pic.twitter.com/ALqEbIVdrv
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 24, 2018

Q1 Animated gif is a Frisbee. Boomerang is, well, a boomerang. #contentchat
— Joel Schwartzberg (@TheJoelTruth) September 24, 2018

September 17, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Aligning Content Marketing Goals to Business Goals

September 19, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Content is crucial in helping you achieve business goals—whether it’s to increase sales, improve employee retention, expand your brand awareness, etc.—but aligning your content marketing goals to your business goals is often easier said than done. In this #ContentChat with special guest Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer), we dive into the goal alignment process and share tips to help you map your content marketing strategy to the business results that matter.

ICEBREAKER: As we gather for #ContentChat please introduce yourself and share if you have documented content marketing goals and business goals.
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 17, 2018

Q1: Does your business communicate business goals to the company? What are some of the common goals you are working toward?

Rebekah started us off with some quick tips: goals are necessary to keep employees moving in the same direction. It doesn’t matter if the goal is annual, quarterly, or even for individual campaigns.

A1a: Companies should share overall goals so that all of its employees are pulling in the same direction. Whether that’s one large annual goal broken down into quarters or individual campaigns, getting everyone together is key. ⁰#ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) September 17, 2018

Goals can range in focus, including sales, customer engagement, brand awareness and more. These can be set at a corporate level, then individual teams can be assigned their own goals that ladder up to the overarching goal(s).

A1b: Common broad company goals include things like building awareness, generating sales, and keeping current customers engaging with your company. These can break down into specific goals, such as gaining social media visibility or shortening the sales cycle. ⁰#ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) September 17, 2018

A1. We keep everyone in the loop on our important business goals throughout the year. Also, at the end of each year we have a strategy meeting to set a vision for the upcoming year. Recently, a main goal of ours is to work at increasing our overall company awareness. #ContentChat
— CHARGE (@CHARGEgoforward) September 17, 2018

A1: We share, discuss, and update company-wide goals in quarterly meetings. We also have department and campaign goals that might be shared within and across teams in a similar style. #Contentchat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 17, 2018

Well, we wait for approved goals and then the updated goals, and then more goals. So we make our own: improving our website experience, measured via survey tools, and increasing web traffic via specific content marketing to strategic site pages. #contentchat https://t.co/xOK4N1TdOI
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) September 17, 2018

With those goals, teams can plan and prioritize upcoming content or activations to ensure they stay focused on the finish line. Sometimes, that means saying no to projects that do not tie back to your goals.

Priority is so key! Goals can often clash, so it’s not just enough to know what they are. Good decision making is all about deciding which ones to spend time/resources on, at what time! #ContentChat
— Rebekah Meyer (@RebekahLMeyer) September 17, 2018

A1: We have a strategic plan that is well communicated to all employees so we understand the overarching goals of the organization as well as the priority areas during periods of time. We use that plan and goal hierarchy to prioritize work and content needs. #contentchat
— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) September 17, 2018

A1: Big yes. We look at revenue goals by quarter and target the personas who have the capacity to hire us. Not going to share the nitty gritties, but from there, we look at how much we need to have in the pipeline and what needs to be done to reach that number.#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/c2enSMPL6J
— Jesse Ghiorzi (@jesseghiorzi) September 17, 2018

With a clear set of goals, you can also say “no” with confidence, which is important! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 17, 2018

September 10, 2018 Content Chat Recap: Post CMworld Conference Catch-Up

September 16, 2018 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Content Marketing World (#CMworld) is my favorite conference of the year. And this year, the #ContentChat community came out in full force to join in on the fun—our friend Carmen Hill even won the Community Champion Award! In this chat, we shared some of our favorite takeaways from the one-of-a-kind event and started the countdown for next year.

Do you have #FOMO after seeing how much fun I had with @ladonnajonze + @SuperDeluxeErin + @atxcopywriter at #CMworld last week? Then you'll want to join us for today's #ContentChat conversation at 12 noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern to hear everyone's highlights from the event. pic.twitter.com/QHv0tjalyu
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 10, 2018

Last week at #CMworld, I ran into a number of #ContentChat peeps, including @PRisUs @atxcopywriter and @todcordill. Join us for today's #ContentChat at 12 noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern to hear some of our favorite takeaways from this one-of-a-kind event. pic.twitter.com/6cDNGO9KAs
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 10, 2018

As we gather for #ContentChat please introduce yourself, let us know if you were at #CMworld last week, and share your favorite selfie fro th event if you have one!
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 10, 2018

Q1: What was your goal for attending CMworld and did you reach it?

Many of us attended to connect (and reconnect) with fellow marketers to network and share ideas.

A1: My goal was to make and solidify connections with other marketers. As many of you know, I definitely managed that! #ContentChat
— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) September 10, 2018

A1: My goal was to dive back into the conference world (in a content marketing context) in order to gain some new perspectives and meet new people. Important when you primarily work from home. And you know what? Achievement unlocked! #ContentChat
— Erin Hryciw |air’•in – her’•shoe| (@SuperDeluxeErin) September 10, 2018

So many goals on behalf of my org…but for my personal & professional development, I was at #CMWorld for the #networking opptys #ContentChat And YES I met many amazing fellow marketers!
— LaDonna LaGuerre 🇯🇲 🏳️‍🌈 (@ladonnajonze) September 10, 2018

A1) To connect with some of my favorites in the content world (And I did) and to catch up on they most important trends (And I did) #contentchat
— Debbie Schwake (@SpiceDebbie) September 10, 2018

But the conference is also a great place to gain exposure for your company.

A1. We had a booth so based on the variety of people who attend we were going for brand awareness, esp since our rebrand is still relatively new. We had marketers, solutions, and sales folks avail to chat and give demos! #contentchat
— Amanda L (@AmandaJayeL) September 10, 2018

On behalf of our brand, the goal was to meet, connect with, and learn from some of content marketing's brightest minds! and duh, we totally reached that, basically the second I walked in. #contentchat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 10, 2018

And for the presenters, there was a whole different set of goals for success.

A1: My #1 goal was to ensure that I didn't die or puke during either one of my sessions and I'm happy to report, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/3poUc129JF
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) September 10, 2018

Regardless of what your goal was, it’s great that you came to the conference with a purpose. Continue setting goals for any conferences you attend to stay focused!

What I'm also excited about is seeing that all of you HAD goals for the event. I think too often people attend conferences without a specific goal in mind to just soak up all the htings. And while that has its benefits, I find a goal to be helpful. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Consultant | Content Strategist (@SFerika) September 10, 2018

Goals almost help you keep in line and not get distracted…#ContentChat…and of course it feels awesome to meet them!!
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) September 10, 2018