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.

March 2, 2020 Content Chat Recap: How To Make Content Marketing Work In Highly Regulated Industries

March 13, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Highly regulated industries like healthcare, financial services, and pharmaceuticals are notorious in the communications space for stifling creativity, requiring professionals to prioritize legal compliance over a compelling narrative in their content. But despite the perceived challenges, marketers in these industries have a prime opportunity to create valuable content that both engages their audience and further differentiates their brand.

In this #ContentChat, Ahava Leibtag (@AhavaL), founder and president of Aha Media, shares how you can make content marketing work in highly regulated industries, including tips for partnering with legal and compliance, recommendations on the type of content you can create in a regulated industry, and ways to encourage employee brand advocacy.

Check out the recap of our conversation below, and if you’d like to learn more on the topic, read the takeaways from our past chat on creating interesting content for conservative industries.

Q1(a): Certain industries have significant regulations around their communications with the public, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Does that mean content marketing is impossible for those industries?

Content marketing is possible for any industry given that one of its core purposes is to build relationships with an audience.

Absolutely not. In fact, the goal of #contentmarketing is to build relationships with audiences through education. Those industries sell complex ideas and products. They need to educate their audiences about what they provide and why it’s important.#contentchat
— Ahava Leibtag (@ahaval) March 2, 2020

Marketers in regulated industries have additional considerations to navigate, including the need to closely partner with legal and compliance teams.

A1: Having been the one in charge of creating a content strategy in both financial services and healthcare organizations, I can safely say that there are a TON of things you can do from a content marketing perspective. You just need legal and compliance buy-in. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Expert (@SFerika) March 2, 2020

A1: It’s certainly difficult, but not impossible. Marketers just need to know the ins and outs of the regulations so they can still inform their audience while adhering to communication standards.#ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) March 2, 2020

A1: Definitely not! It just means that writers need to be creative, cognizant of limitations, and be prepared to edit campaigns that don’t fall in the lines. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) March 2, 2020

A1: Not impossible but you are needing to be more aware of what you are creating and what the regulations are and that legal needs to be your friend. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) March 2, 2020

Remember that all companies in these industries are bound by the same regulations, so marketers have to get creative and be flexible to stay ahead of the competition.

A1: Another way to look at it: the issue is not the restrictions and challenges with regulations, but whether you can outperform the competition, all of whom share the same challenges.
— Open Road Digital (@openroaddigital) March 2, 2020

A1. Not at all! In fact, a great #contentmarketing strategy can really help companies like this stand out.
Just avoid jargon, outdated design, and boring copy — all common errors within those industries. #ContentChat
— Liz Willits (@lizwillits) March 2, 2020

A1: Regulated industries can be difficult to work with from a content marketing stand point, but not impossible. It requires much more organization and patience, and the lack of competition will generate better rewards for your client(s). #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) March 2, 2020

A1: Absolutely not. Many industries are heavily regulated, it doesn’t mean you can’t provide content for them, in fact, they need it more. Especially from knowledgable writers. #ContentChat
— Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) March 2, 2020

A1: OMG. So creative with the limitations. It also means you have to really focus on what will move the needle, because you need more time to create. #ContentChat https://t.co/yLQeYtmyNg
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) March 2, 2020

February 24, 2020 Content Chat Recap: Tips For Creating Unique Blog Visuals Your Audience Will Love

February 28, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Even the most well-written blog posts will have a difficult time gaining traction without compelling visuals. Whether it’s your blog header image or a chart that dissects an important concept, each graphic you include is a chance to further engage your audience, provide value to them, and solidify your brand recognition. Yet, so many blogs include generic stock images that leave audiences unintrigued and uninterested in reading your content.

In this #ContentChat, Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative), social media and community manager for Visme, and our community discuss the importance of a blog post’s header image, the elements of an effective blog visual, and the tools you need to make the process a breeze.

Q1: What is the role that a blog post’s header image should play?

A blog post’s header image is vital in helping someone decide if they want to read the post. The header image should be inviting, related to the blog’s content, and reflective of your company’s branding.

A1.a
The blog post header is the visual welcome mat to your blog post.
It should be:
– inviting
– attractive
– recognizable as your brand
– tell a visual story of what the blog post is about
#ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) February 24, 2020

A1: Your blog’s header image should provide an emotional hook, concept illustration, or other imagery that gives the reader a sense of what to expect from investing the time in reading your post—and it’s got to be something folks would want to share! #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) February 24, 2020

A1: The blog header image should be…
– Professional quality
– Consistent theme of blog content
– Compliment the headline#ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) February 24, 2020

A1) #contentchat
– act as a visual introduction to the piece
– be a relevant visual que as to the subject of the piece
– intrigue the reader
– entertain the reader
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) February 24, 2020

#ContentChat A1
The header image actually carries a lot of pressure on its back. It should:
⚡️Help illustrate the topic of the post
⚡️Capture attention and intrigue
⚡️Help anchor your reader to the post
⚡️Properly represent your brand
⚡️Serve as an excellent thumbnail on soc
— Kayla | Branding + Content + Creative + Culture (@KaylaNaab) February 24, 2020

Keep social media in mind when setting up your header image. Select the header image as the post’s featured image and also include it in your metadata to maximize its inclusion in social posts. Orana shares some tools that can help in this process.

A1.b
The blog post header is also your featured image so it needs to be well formatted in your CMS. On WordPress, it should be added as your featured image at the right size.
Check your theme!#ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) February 24, 2020

A1.c
Your blog header / featured image must be added to your metadata so social shares will pull that image. @YoastSeo can do it for you in a flash. It will automatically add the image to FB posts and Twitter cards.
#ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) February 24, 2020

A1.d
Remember that your blog header and other visuals will be shared on social!
They need to be optimized and branded for that eventuality! #ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) February 24, 2020

This means if the words get cut off or the image isn’t especially interesting—or, worse yet, is actively disengaging—it’s a lot less likely to get shared and reshared on social. #ContentChat https://t.co/ds0BHtn2ih
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) February 24, 2020

Another great tool to solve this is the Facebook debugger. Sometimes even our best intentions aren’t enough and the image being pulled is the wrong one. https://t.co/bWCLeXshQP #ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) February 24, 2020

February 10, 2020 Content Chat Recap: Turbocharging Your Social Media Content Curation and Promotion

February 13, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

When curating social media content, many marketers know to use the 80/20 rule: Just 20% of your content should be promotional, while the remaining 80% should engage your audience by helping them do their jobs better or providing information relevant to their interests. The process of finding and selecting relevant content to highlight is more important than you may think, though, especially since the content you share can be a direct reflection of your brand’s credibility.

In this #ContentChat, longtime community member Paula Kiger (@BigGreenPen), editor of the SmartBrief newsletter, took the hotseat to share tips for finding the best sources for content curation, including how to identify influencers in your space, ways to optimize content for different channels, and the tools you need to work efficiently.

Q1: If you’re just starting out with curating content for a new topic or publication, how can you identify the best sources for curatable content?

Before looking for sources for curatable content, you need to understand your audience, their interests, and where your brand overlaps with those interests. Ideally, you should have a list of keywords and topics that are relevant for your audience that you can then use as the foundation of your search.

A1: there are a few things to keep in mind – who is your audience and what is the brand known for.
Figure out all the keywords around that and then start googling news articles around it. I also find looking for accounts talking about it on Twitter to help. #ContentChat https://t.co/ngPqkxt4VB
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) February 10, 2020

Find experts or thought leaders on those topic(s) that your audience is interested in, and explore the content that they are creating, sharing, or linking to.

A1. It’s a combination of not overlooking the obvious BUT not assuming it’s going to be easy to find what you’re looking for. Look for the experts in the topic and dig around for their sources. 1/2 #ContentChat
— Paula Kiger (@biggreenpen) February 10, 2020

A1. For example, for the @nasw newsletter fm @smartbrief, I look at the #MacroSW thread via @OfficialMacroSW & get their newsletter. Great ideas there. Keep peeling the onion of what they’re all discussing. 2/2 #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/RIBUMJwXrU
— Paula Kiger (@biggreenpen) February 10, 2020

A1: Like to scout our existing friends and ambassadors for content to find the best sources…it helps build community if you are going to people you already know first! #contentchat https://t.co/ojGfLZIOG8
— Agorapulse (@Agorapulse) February 10, 2020

A1: I like to identify self proclaimed influencers in any area with social search on platforms & specific keywords. Than I research to see if their methods, followers, & tools have merit. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) February 10, 2020

A1. I identify the thought leaders in your field and follow them religiously. See what they’re doing and what they’re not. This way you can see what consistently works and where you have room to experiment. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) February 10, 2020

One way to find these experts is by looking for trade or niche publications that regularly discuss these topics of interest.

A1: I try to find specialist publications and then follow the authors in those publications. Kind of a “six degrees” strategy. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) February 10, 2020

Tools like BuzzSumo, SEMrush, and Right Relevance can identify widely shared content or most-searched topics for you to then explore relevant publications or experts.

A1: I usually start my research by using @buzzsumo to see what the most socially-shared content on my topic was and where it was published. Then, I use @semrush to understand the most popular sites that are similar to them. #ContentChat https://t.co/YHPf84HQnL
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) February 10, 2020

A1) #ContentChat @semrush ‘s Topic Research tool is very consistent with pulling content based on subject as well as providing content on related topics.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) February 10, 2020

A1: There are a few different tools we like to tap into, including @buzzsumo, @healthhashtags and @semrush. @hashtagify is also a great resource for influencers, who can lead you to some good content. We also take advantage of industry newsletters! #contentchat
— WriterGirl (@WriterGirlAssoc) February 10, 2020

A1 (b) Another option is to find a good tool to discover influential folks or on-topic content before it starts trending. There are lots of good tools you can pay for. @RightRelevance is a great free option if you are on a tight budget! #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) February 10, 2020

LinkedIn, especially with its Pulse articles, is another place to find experts, as well as a few of the highly regarded outlets and companies that Vraj identified.

A1: LinkedIn is a great resource for finding experts and the top sources in different industries. Find influencers and top voices in different areas of expertise and connect with them.#ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) February 10, 2020

A1.
Best sources for curable #content:
1. Blogs:
+ @CMIContent
+ @SMExaminer
+ @socialmedia2day
+ @hootsuite
+ @Crowdfire
2. eBooks
3. Infographics
4. Webinar and Podcasts
5. #TwitterChats 🌟#ContentChat
— ⚡ Vraj Shah 📸 (@vrajshahspeaks) February 10, 2020

A1
*Blogs by industry leaders
*Twitter Chats
*LinkedIn
*Listly
*Google Trends to see what people are most interested in.#ContentChat https://t.co/plzaN51FGh
— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) February 10, 2020

View this process as a journey, not a one-and-done exercise. After you identify your initial list of content sources, create lists or follow experts on Twitter, subscribe to newsletters, and sign up for Google Alerts so that you are constantly being fed new potential sources.

A1:
That takes a combination of active discovery (intently looking for relevant content) and passive discovery (taking note of valuable/relevant content as you read newsletters, article digests, etc.#ContentChat https://t.co/KBU0KZ0NQs
— ChipBot🚀📈 (@getchipbot) February 10, 2020

February 3, 2020 Content Chat Recap: How To Use Data Science To Level-Up Your Content Marketing

February 10, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

“Data-driven” is a common buzzword in our digital world, but what does this actually mean and how can marketers use data science to increase their success? In this #ContentChat, Danielle Oberdier (@DikayoData) and the community discussed what data science means for marketing, including the type of data that matters, where to find it, and how to use data science to better connect with your audience.

Q1: Let’s start things off with some level-setting. What is data science, and how does it relate to AI and machine learning?

Data science combines various approaches and tools to understand a set of data, extract meaning from it, and to try and identify trends from it.

A1: #DataScience is a method of using tools like #AI and #MachineLearning to unearth trends that could change the way our industries operate. #ContentChat https://t.co/pUHkLSpaQi
— DiKayo Data (@dikayodata) February 3, 2020

A1. Data science it the discipline of extracting knowledge and insights from data. AI and machine learning leverages automation to streamline the process of gathering and disseminating data. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) February 3, 2020

A1: Data science isn’t just about AI and machine learning, it’s using data in a scientific (collecting/experimenting/rigorous) manner to derive business, user, and product value. Many practitioners don’t work with ML #ContentChat
— Randy Au (@Randy_Au) February 3, 2020

A1: I define data science as the ability to gather meaning and interpret data that is outside of normal analytics. It is getting deeper into the what. #ContantChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) February 3, 2020

A1. Data science is organizing and analyzing sets of inputs (data) to report on performance. That’s my non-technical definition, anyway. #ContentChat
— allison ryder (@allisonryder) February 3, 2020

Certain tools for data science leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve efficiencies in data collection, storage, and analysis. Basically, these technologies make various data science tools more efficient and enable a level of automation that frees data scientists/humans from needing to do as much manual work.

A1; What we are trying to do as #data scientists is to leverage technologies like #AI and #MachineLearning to improve efficiency. There are barriers to efficiency that are preventing innovation or even basic operations from happening. #ContentChat https://t.co/pUHkLSpaQi
— DiKayo Data (@dikayodata) February 3, 2020

Right! And using machine learning to automate that process saves so much time, and ultimately, money. It’s clearly worth the investment.
— ChipBot (@getchipbot) February 3, 2020

January 27, 2020 Content Chat Recap: An Introduction To Marketing Automation For Small Business

January 30, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

With an ever-growing list of to do’s and only so many hours in the day, many marketers know the value of adopting tools that help automate repetitive, tedious tasks that can detract from other business priorities. When you’re starting out, though, it can be difficult to know where to start on your marketing automation journey.

In this #ContentChat, our friend Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo), founder and managing director of Super Deluxe Marketing, shared the basics of marketing automation for small businesses, including discussion of who benefits from marketing automation, how to evaluate your options (and which are most cost-effective), and tips for success along the way.

Q1: Who can benefit from marketing automation in a #smallbusiness setting?

Anyone could benefit from marketing automation, but the first step is to identify the goals of the automation to then identify who specifically on your team it will benefit.

A1: It really depends on the structure of your organization, but in a nutshell: everyone. From owners who do their own marketing to scrappy teams with minimal time, marketing automation can improve the quality of your life. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020

A1: Anyone who is doing marketing for their business can potentially tap into one form of marketing automation or another. How much of your business has a digital component to it may be a big driver in how much of it you can need/will use. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) January 27, 2020

A1) #contentchat It depends on the business structure and the goal of the automation. But automation is so broad and flexible it could benefit really anyone willing to learn and implement it.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 27, 2020

A1: I would look at what you are looking to achieve with automation and what it will be replacing and how does it impact the relationships with your audiences. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #SMOS2020 Speaker (@B2the7) January 27, 2020

Marketing automation is valuable because it handles repetitive, easy tasks so that you can then focus on different priorities.

A1b: When I say that marketing automation can improve the quality of your life, it means that marketing will feel less stressful and onerous after it’s set up. It will give you more time to focus on what matters. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020

A1c: Companies are asking marketing orgs to do more with less every day, investing in marketing automation makes that actually possible. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@SuperDeluxeMo) January 27, 2020

a1 SMB’s can automate aspects of their content marketing by using workflow tools such as calendar tools, tools that assist in the organization of their workflow processes.#ContentChat
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) January 27, 2020

Great point! Investing in a CRM makes it so your marketing automations interact with your other tools for sales, operations, and support. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 27, 2020

A1: Done right, the whole team can benefit from automation. It can make jobs easier and free up time that can then be dedicated to other tasks. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 27, 2020

January 13, 2020 Content Chat Recap: Best Practices for Content Marketing Reporting and Measurement

January 16, 2020 by Alek Irvin Leave a Comment

Planning season is in full swing for many content marketers, so the #ContentChat community traded tips on how to best approach reporting and measurement cycles. Read the full conversation below, which explores how to quantify content marketing success, best practices for presenting the data, and the tools you should adopt to support ongoing measurement of your activities.

Q1: Are you working on a 2019 year-in-review content marketing analysis or another reporting project right now? If so, what do you hope to learn? If not, why not?

Many marketers start the new year by analyzing the success of the previous year’s content. Typically, they’re looking to see what types of content performed best, how different channels stacked up, and what topics they should explore next.

A1 That’s on the calendar for tomorrow, actually. I’ve only been in this job for a month and a half, but we’re gonna look at the entire year’s metrics and discuss what worked and didn’t. Good times! #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) January 13, 2020

A1: I am. Most interested to learn what formats performed the best.#ContentChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) January 13, 2020

A1 #contentchat We tend to do that as the year closes so in December. We looked at growth metrics and their performance. This gave us insight on where to focus on in 2020 at a holistic level. Then we dove in specific channels and content types to find the growth triggers.
— Bruce Deschamps (@brucedesch) January 13, 2020

A1: I’m reviewing my writing from the past year to see what topics I want to explore this year. It’s exciting! #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) January 13, 2020

Q1: I’ve been working on the social media report gor Visme and we are looking at switching to bigger and better tools for 2020. #ContentChat
— Orana Velarde (@OranaCreative) January 13, 2020

A1. Definitely doing this. Hope to learn the balance of assets created in 2019 and the value add vs the repurposing we have done. Also it particular subjects were more popular than others. https://t.co/JjCvwWf83L
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) January 13, 2020

A1. I worked on several 2019 reviews to come up with our 2020 recommendations. I have learned that for my clients, simple additions are easier to implement than huge changes. #ContentChat
— Janette Speyer (@JanetteSpeyer) January 13, 2020

A1: I’m with @MLLNNLmotivator here. I’m looking forward and continuing the goals I put in place in 2019. I reviewed 2019 analytics, but I don’t plan on sharing them. They will just help me move forward.#ContentChat
— Dr. Donald Hecht (@realDocHecht) January 13, 2020

A1: Yup! We waited until the year closed so that we could include December numbers as well. We provide insights and recommendations for optimization. #ContentChat
— Berrak Sarikaya 👩🏻‍💻| B2B Strategist (@BerrakBiz) January 13, 2020

A1. We just presented ours last week! Happily, it provided a lot of affirmations that our current content strategy is taking us in the right direction! It also offered valuable insights on what content was best received. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) January 13, 2020

That said, annual content audits are not conducted by all marketers, or they are just one piece of the measurement puzzle. We’ll explore some different reporting cadences in Q8.

Yeah, my mantra is #ContinuousImprovement.
Go for singles, not home runs. A home run strategy is a fool’s game.
To figure out how to improve you need to understand where you are now. Every day is a new starting point.
#DontJustDoStuff #ContentChat
— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) January 13, 2020

A1) #contentchat We tend to analyze as we go in order to try new things or repeat successes, but a full year in could be interesting.
— Diana Richardson (@DianaRich013) January 13, 2020