22 Blog Posts That Content Marketers Can Be Thankful For. The CMI team is always thankful that we work with — and can learn from — so many inspiring, insightful, and creative professionals in the content marketing industry. Great tips on how to craft a story that’s relevant to your customer. –Lisa Murton Beets Post: It’s All About Attention: Why Trusting Your Intuition Matters in a Noisy World Author: Jay Acunzo Why I’m thankful I read it: I love reading anything Jay writes, and this particular article really resonated with me. Instead, she hits us where it hurts — and helps. Try to become it.” –Cathy McPhillips Post: What’s the Best Content For Links and Shares? And lastly, though marketers never want to create posts just to receive links or social shares, this post reminds us just how important distribution and amplification are when it comes to reaching our conversion goals. Second, he’s right: Too many marketers start with the “what” and not the “why.” Great reminder from Mr. Kessler. We create content that gets lost in the fight for sore eyes when we have to ‘just get it done.’ The team must stay inspired, engaged, and excited to tackle new projects.” –Stephanie Stahl Author: Andrew Davis Why I’m thankful I read it: Drew offers some surprising advice to companies that are looking to push their panel discussions beyond the standard (boring) fare: Bring the drama. So, I’m thankful that Ann has already done the research, and has shared her discoveries so that we can all benefit.
The CMI team is always thankful that we work with — and can learn from — so many inspiring, insightful, and creative professionals in the content marketing industry. But in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday that’s being celebrated in the United States, we thought we would express our appreciation a little more directly — and publicly.
We share some of the blog articles and videos we admired most over the past year. Like our list from 2015, a few of our favorites were curated directly from our own blog; but this time around, we’ve also added outside voices to the mix so you can discover what they have to offer, as well.
While this list represents only a small fraction of the amazing content marketers we should all thank for sharing their wisdom and experience, we hope you’ll find something of value that will help guide you on your path to greater content marketing success.
Post: Wickedly Effective Storytelling: Exercise of the 5 Whys
Author: Carla Johnson
Why I’m thankful I read it: Carla teaches how to make the difficult task of storytelling easier. In this post, she reminds us not to focus on “what” to say, but “why” we want to say it. Great tips on how to craft a story that’s relevant to your customer. –Lisa Murton Beets
Post: It’s All About Attention: Why Trusting Your Intuition Matters in a Noisy World
Author: Jay Acunzo
Why I’m thankful I read it: I love reading anything Jay writes, and this particular article really resonated with me. His advice here is simple to understand: Trust your intuition — even when it seems to go against conventional wisdom or it takes you in a direction that’s “unthinkable” (i.e., unfamiliar or even a bit uncomfortable). Following your gut is not always an easy path to take, but, as Jay asserts, it’s the only way for your content to stand out and gain attention in our noisy world. –Lisa Dougherty
Post: Moz Returns to SEO
Author: Rand Fishkin
Why I’m thankful I read it: Rand always offers an interesting “all-cards-on-the table” perspective that I really appreciate. In this post, in particular, he crystallizes that approach better than I ever could: “If we shy away from transparency when things are rough, then it’s not really a core value, it’s just a marketing tactic.” It’s a compelling view on remaining true to your authentic self that all content marketers should subscribe to. –Ann Gynn
Author: Justin Gray
Why I’m thankful I read it: As someone who has evaluated many marketing automation platforms, I appreciate reading a post that speaks to the work it takes to prepare yourself for success after you’ve selected your system. Justin does a great job of breaking down specific content creation tasks, providing clear direction and helpful tips along the way. –John Hanson
Author: Buddy Scalera
Why I’m thankful I read it: I often find marketing-related blogs are either information-driven (i.e., relating facts, figures, company news) or built around sharing personal experiences, opinions, and anecdotes — it’s all business, one way or the other. It was a rare pleasure to come across this particular post, which deftly balances purpose and prose: It provides useful insights, analysis, and advice on how to design visual content, but it also brings those lessons to life with a relatable story that’s actually fun to read. –Jodi Harris
Author: Rebecca Lieb
Why I’m thankful I read it: Following on Rebecca’s compelling new research report, this post gives a quick rundown of the benefits of providing contextually relevant communication through the power of smart devices and internet-of-things technological innovations. In the future, if your business isn’t prepared to answer whenever, wherever, and however your audience calls out for assistance, you may be putting your marketing strategy at a Siri-ous competitive disadvantage. –Jodi Harris
Post: 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
Author: Celeste Headlee
Why I’m thankful I read it: This video post, which I discovered on the TED website, busts through the typical advice on how to be a good conversationalist. Celeste avoids superficial tips like maintain eye contact. Instead, she hits us where it hurts — and helps. Whether I’m interviewing someone for a blog post or chatting with a neighbor, this talk’s through-line applies: “Be interested in people, and then be prepared to be amazed. You won’t be disappointed.” –Marcia Riefer Johnston
Author: Clare McDermott
Why I’m thankful I read it: I am a huge fan of podcasts, in general, and I’m a regular listener…
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