Content is always changing shapes, morphing into something new. Long before there was the written word, people gathered to tell stories around campfires. Before there was a printing press, there were handwritten books. Then, of course, came ebooks. Now, our content comes to us through a dizzying array of devices and platforms. Smart creators are using the growing number of delivery options to continue to reshape content into new—and sometimes improved—forms.
Humans have been working to automate tasks since the days of Henry Ford. Sometimes, this means coming up with faster, more cost-effective ways to develop automobiles and other products or streamlining operations and reducing the need for manual labor in various manufacturing settings. Other times, it’s spurred by the rampant development of increasingly complex technology to create and distribute content. Regardless, the quest for new ways of getting work done without human intervention is ongoing.
The use of technology for content creation and dissemination is just one more example. It’s an area that is seeing increasing interest from developers and users alike. (more…)
While publishers continue to battle for audience, relevance, and engagement, some niche publishers are quietly making an impact—and money—from narrowcasting. Consider, for example, the following:
Emu Today & Tomorrow, a magazine for emu farmers
Twins, a magazine for parents of multiples, which launched in 1984
Spudman, a publication for potato farmers
The Chimney Sweep News, serving a decidedly niche market of chimney sweepers as the name suggests
These and other publications are finding success by casting a narrow net to appeal to smaller, more exclusive market segments. Publishers can draw inspiration and insight from the retail sector.
by Linda Pophal
I have a love/hate relationship with search engine optimization (SEO). I understand SEO. I very often use the concepts in my own writing—and often use the concepts in writing for clients. Sometimes, though, and probably because I was a writer long before SEO was even “a thing,” I balk at what can seem at times to be a misguided focus—a singular focus—on SEO to the exception of everything else. (more…)
by Linda Pophal
Having worked for organizations and their senior leaders and spokespeople for a number of years as director of corporate communications and marketing in various fields I’ve long been familiar—and quite comfortable—with the concept of ghostwriting. Ghostwriters write content for others. That content might be in the form of a speech, a presentation, an email, an article, a letter to the editor, a book-length manuscript, or a wide range of other applications. (more…)
There have been plenty of notable changes in the social media landscape as of late. New channels (like TikTok) are popping up. Legacy channels (like Facebook and Twitter) are cracking down on users and APIs whose approaches have been more spammy than strategic. (more…)
We saw a question recently in an online group to the effect of: “Is content marketing a viable lead generation tactic?” Great question, but not one that can be easily answered. The short answer is a resounding YES! But…
This is the time of year for predictions and, as we approach a new decade, we thought we’d take a look back at the last decade to see how well the predictions we made then have held up. Here’s what we said then, where we are now and what we predict for 2020. (more…)
Whether you’re writing a brochure, copy for a newspaper ad, a script for a radio announcement or a page or blog for your web site, there are some tried and true techniques that can help you make sure that your copy gets the results you’re looking for.
Think about writing copy as making a sales pitch to a customer. Your goal is to persuade that customer to do something – most likely to purchase your product or service. Here’s how: (more…)
Companies crave content—high-quality, timely, and accurate content that is brand supportive and designed to connect and compel target audiences to some desired action. To achieve these goals content providers, publishers, and organizations must establish content review processes. These processes generally involve multiple touchpoints, and many eyeballs. Everyone is reviewing content for different reasons—from grammar, spelling, and style compliance, to SEO, content accuracy, and more. Content marketers in regulated industries are subject to even more scrutiny.
Unfortunately, more reviews means more costs. Circular rounds of review squeeze the life out of carefully crafted content.
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