Express Writers
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Communications Tactics for World-Class Content Marketing with Pam Didner

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Communications Tactics for World-Class Content Marketing with Pam Didner

by | Apr 7, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Did you catch the latest #ContentWritingChat? We had a great discussion all about internal communications tactics. This is one chat you’ll definitely want to check out if you manage or are part of a team so you all can work together effectively. Keep reading for the recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Internal Communications Tactics for World-Class Content Marketing with Pam Didner

Our guest host for this chat was Pam Didner. Pam is a marketing strategist, speaker, and author. The topic of internal communications tactics was inspired by her book, Global Content Marketing.

Q1: Why is internal communication so important for successful content marketing?

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they felt internal communications was important when it comes to content marketing. We received some great responses and here’s what some of the chat participants had to say:

Pam knows that internal communication can help keep everyone on the team aligned. When everyone is on the same page and they’re all working together, amazing things can happen.

As Julia said, great internal communication is so important when it comes to content marketing planning and executing. It’s crucial for all of us here at Express Writers, especially as a remote team.

Varun said communication is key for clear and effective messaging, which is a must for content marketing.

Mallie knows it’s important to keep your content strategy cohesive, which is why it’s essential that you and your team communicate regularly.

As Iva said, if you aren’t able to communicate well with your own team, how can you effectively communicate with your clients and your audience?

Q2: How would you define internal communication(s) in content marketing?

We know why internal communications plays such an important role within content marketing, but what does it all actually mean? Take a look at these responses from Tuesday’s chat:

Pam’s definition of internal communications in content marketing is: coming together through strategy and working together via processes and tools. She also states that it’s about following the workflows you have in place.

Maureen said it’s the art of communicating ideas, value, and relevancy of content to those across the organization.

When it comes to the Express Writers team, Julia loves to have frequent meetings to brain dump ideas and curate ideas as a team. It allows everyone to co-create.

For Elizabeth, it’s all about having a system that allows every team member to be aligned and on the same page. After all, it’s so important that everyone on a team is on the right track.

Providing clear direction to your team and stepping back to allow them to shine is all part of internal communications for Cheval. It’s great to collaborate as a team, but you also want to give everyone room to do what they do best.

Q3: What are some key steps in creating internal communication tactics?

To create internal communication tactics for your team, you’ll want to read through this helpful advice from the chat:

Pam’s key steps include: align on the objective, agree on a strategy and tactics, execute tactics, and host regular meetings to follow-up.

Elizabeth’s advice is to find the right tools for your team to use. What works for one team might not be ideal for yours, so choose the tools that are going to be the most useful to the work you do. Then, take the time to train your team on how to use it so everyone can get the most from the tool.

Jason suggests having a method of communication that everyone on the team can use. You want to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Make sure you’re approachable with all members of the team. Create an environment where they feel comfortable opening up with questions and problems they might have by encouraging them to share.

Don’t forget to bring every team member on for meetings because you never know who could have the next big idea.

Jeremy suggests setting expectations for meetings when it comes to their frequency, how long they’ll list, and creative flexibility.

Q4: How can different businesses apply those general steps to their specific content marketing needs?

These steps can be applied to a variety of businesses. You just need to know how to make it all work for your unique team. Here’s some advice:

Pam’s advice is to apply those steps by knowing your business objectives, your products, and your team’s communication challenges. You can work together to create a process that’s ideal for your team.

Know your goals and what you and your team need to achieve. Encourage them all to get involved and share thoughts, ideas, and opinions. You want your team to feel comfortable engaging with you.

Julia suggests asking everyone on your team to contribute content ideas. Everyone has different ideas that are worth being shared.

As Jeremy said, you want to build excitement around your brand and your team can help you do that when you co-create on content.

Maureen’s advice is to set up a communication schedule. You can answer questions and provide your team with actionable steps for them to take next.

Set goals, define content need, divide the work, and discuss any problems that have come up.

And remember, the fundamentals of communication can be applied regardless of business type. Stay in touch with your team and allow everyone the opportunity to let their voice be heard.

Q5: In your experience, what are some of the most efficient tactics?

What are some of the most efficient tactics for internal communications? Check out these responses from the chat:

Pam encourages face-to-face conversation. She feels this makes it easier to communicate with other members on your team. If you’re a remote team, you can always try video chatting to make it feel more like you’re with the other people.

Here at Express Writers, we rely on shared Google spreadsheets for topic ideas and Google Docs for co-creating.

Mallie suggests planning regular updates to check in with your team. You can see where everyone is at with their work, answer questions, etc.

Elizabeth agrees that having scheduled check-ins is the way to go. Set a date and time frame for your meetings and check up on your team.

Great advice from Jim! Encourage open communication from the start if you want to see the best results within your team.

Q6: What are some of the most useful tools/procedures to use for internal content marketing communication?

Which tools are procedures do our chat participants rely on for internal communication? Here’s what they had to say:

Pam’s advice is to select content creation and management tools to aid communications. You then want to create a workflow and define the roles and responsibilities of your team members.

Sarah’s tool suggestions include: a messaging platform, email, team meetings, and a content calendar. She also recommends being honest, open, and accessible.

For Maureen and her teammates, they’ve relied on face-to-face communication. Since they do often work from home, she said they’re going to start using Slack to stay in touch outside of the office.

The team at HeyOrca! relies on Slack, Trello, Canva, Grammarly, and Google Docs.

Elizabeth recommends Slack, Google Suite, Asana, and CoSchedule.

Iva recommends using the cloud, chat softwares, and a unified file system. She also encourages people to avoid email overload. After all, no one likes an out of control inbox.

Zachary loves using Google Drive for collaborating.

Varun said the tools you use should depend on the size of your team and the complexity of communication, which is great advice. What works for one team might not work out so well for yours. He does, however, suggest checking out Slack, Trello, WhatsApp, and even Facebook for Business.

Here at Express Writers, we recently invested in Zoho for our email, which has been proving to work out well for us.

Q7: How can you connect tactics with content marketing goals?

To connect your internal communication tactics with your content marketing goals, follow these tips:

This is helpful advice from Pam and something everyone should keep in mind!

Be sure to start by setting your goals, then work backwards from there to figure out how you’re going to achieve them. This will help you get where you want to be.

Maureen suggests making a flexible plan that aligns to your objectives.

Julia said to set realistic deadlines for your team and make sure everyone is aware of those deadlines and prepared to meet them.

Q8: What are some important metrics that will help us optimize and track our success?

Which metrics should you keep an eye on? This is what you’ll want to watch:

As Pam said, the metrics you track the closest will depend on your marketing goals and objectives. Your might track shares, impressions, discount offers, and many others.

Maureen and her teammates track placements, traffic, conversions, and closed deals.

Jeremy likes to track engagement and also what led to people taking the next step with your brand.

Remember that there’s no catch-all success metric, as Mallie said. You have to figure out what’s most important to your unique goals.

#Contentwritingchat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Customer-Centric Email Content with Kristen Dunleavy

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Customer-Centric Email Content with Kristen Dunleavy

by | Mar 31, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Could your email marketing use a major boost? If so, you’re in luck! This week’s #ContentWritingChat was all about how to create customer-centric email content. Keep reading for the recap and be sure to apply these tips to your next email newsletter!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Customer-Centric Email Content with Kristen Dunleavy

Our guest host this week was Kristen Dunleavy. Kristen frequently joins #ContentWritingChat as a participant, so we were excited to have her step in and guest host. As the Content Marketing Manager for Movable Ink, she had tons of great tips to share on email content.

Q1: How do you define customer-centric email content?

So, what exactly does customer-centric email content mean? To kick off this week’s chat, we asked our participants to share their definitions of it. Here’s what they had to say:

Kristen said that customer-centric email content spotlights your customer and their interactions with your brand. While this may seem simple, it’s a great way to show your customers that you appreciate them. They’ll love it!

To do this, focus on your customers by using testimonials, personalized content, and addressing their needs.

Julia’s advice is to make your email content all about your customers. Don’t try to sell to them until you’ve built a relationship with them. After all, you need to build a level of trust first before they ever take that next step.

Maureen said this kind of email content provides value and speaks in a tone that your customers understands. This is key to remember not just for creating email content, but also blog posts, social media posts, and much more.

As Elizabeth said, it’s important to create email content that’s useful for your customers, but it should also help you reach your end goals. Know what you hope to achieve with each email you send and create the content that will help you get there.

Give, give, give! One thing to remember when creating email content is that you should give to your audience more than you ask of them. As Bill said, you can do this by addressing the key pain points your audience is facing.

Q2: What are the benefits of creating customer-centric email content?

Now that you know what customer-centric email content it is, you need to know the benefits it can provide to you. Here’s what some of the chat participants had to say:

Kristen knows that spotlighting your customers is a great way to build trust with your audience. Having a certain level of trust is key if you ever want to convert those subscribers into customers and this is a great way to go about it.

Bill agrees that it’s a great way to build trust with your audience. By adding value and having an audience that trusts you, you’ll see higher open rates and click-through rates.

Maureen said its benefits include: trust, self-selection, tribe integration, and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Cheval said it’s a great way to create a community around your business. It’s also essential to help you build a relationship with your subscribers.

Customer-centric email content is one way to make your audience feel special. When they feel special, they’ll appreciate your brand even more.

Email is such a personal form of communication, so use that to your advantage. It’s an amazing way to connect with your audience.

Q3: How is featuring your customers in your emails different from other mediums?

Emails are just one place you can feature your customers. You can also do so on social media and your blog. But how is it different when it’s done through email? Check out these answers from the chat:

As Kristen said, email is very personal so you should make your content feel that way as well. If people chose to let you into their inbox, you need to deliver content that speaks to them.

Sarah said email feels more like a one-on-one interaction. lt’s much more personal than social media or advertisements.

JMatt agrees that email feels more personal than other platforms. Plus, he likes that they’re no character limit to restrict you when you’re sending to someone’s inbox.

Elizabeth said it can make people feel as though they’re part of a group. Because we all love to be included, it’s a great way to establish a sense of community.

Jason suggests adding user-generated content (UGC) into your emails to show that you care about what your customers say. It also lets them know that you’re paying attention and listening to them.

Q4: What are some ideas for spotlighting your customers in your emails?

Now that you know the benefits customer-centric email content can provide your brand, it’s time to come up with some ideas for your next email. Here are a few ways you can spotlight your customers in your newsletters:

Kristen recommends sharing testimonials from happy customers as well as user-generated content. It’s a great way to tell your story through the eyes of your customers.

Jenn said to share some success stories in your emails. She suggests sharing what your customers are doing and how you empowered them to make it happen. Other people will see the value you provide to your customers and they’ll want to know more.

This is a great response from Bill. He said to avoid focusing on what your business has done for a customer. Instead, focus on what your work has allowed that customer to do. That will speak to the rest of your audience and won’t come off as overly salesy.

Jacob’s advice is to use customer-centric email content to tell the story of your customers. Share how they succeeded with the solution you provide and offer tips on how others can replicate this.

Try sharing customer accomplishments, testimonials, and other customer stories that are helpful to the rest of your audience.

Jeremy knows that transformation stories are pretty powerful. He suggests telling an inspiring story about how someone overcame adversity.

Jason’s advice is to ask questions in order to get feedback from your audience. You can then share the results with the rest of your audience. As he said, people love to share their opinion and it helps them feel valued.

Q5: What are the biggest challenges when it comes to featuring your customers?

Creating customer-centric email content isn’t without its challenges. Here’s where you could hit road blocks so you know what to avoid:

As Kristen said, getting permission to share testimonials and stories from your audience can be tricky. Not everyone is willing to contribute or give permission for public sharing. Always ask your audience first and let them know the value it would provide to others by sharing their story with them.

She also suggests setting a goal first. Know what you want to convey to the rest of your audience by showcasing a particular customer.

Important questions to ask: Can you mention this customer? Are there restrictions? Is there any sensitive information? Does the customer want to be featured?

Julia knows getting data can definitely be a challenge. She suggests offering free content or coupons as an incentive to get people to contribute.

As Jeremy said, many people struggle with fear or shyness when it comes to sharing their story. This can hold customers back from being open with you.

Q6: What are some best practices for featuring your customers in emails?

To make sure you’e featuring your customers and doing it in the best way possible, keep this advice in mind:

Kristen reminded us that we need to receive permission from customers before sharing their stories. It’s also important to make sure you don’t release any sensitive information when sharing.

She also suggests letting customers know where testimonials and user-generated content will be used so they know in advance.

Always ask first! Don’t assume your customer wants to be featured.

Choose your email content wisely. Patrice said the content you include needs to appeal to your audience and be relevant.

Sarah also agrees that it needs to be relevant to everyone on your email list.

This one should be obvious, but unfortunately it’s something that people are guilty of doing. Don’t make up customer reviews or testimonials. It’s misleading to your audience. So, if you don’t have any reviews to share, ask previous customers for them.

Q7: What are some tips for getting to know your audience better?

In order to create customer-centric email content that resonates with your audience, you need to get to know them and understand them. Here’s how you can do that to create your best content possible:

The best way to get to know your audience is to just ask! Kristen recommends creating a survey and sending it to your email list. Ask key questions to understand who your audience is and what they need from you.

Make sure you take the time to actually talk to your audience and listen to what they have to say. It shows that you care and gets you all the information you need to know about them.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions to get the conversation going. Sarah suggests finding out where your audience hangs out online and being present there.

Once you find your audience online, make sure you’er also listening to what they have to say and reading the content they share. It’s a great way to get insight into their needs.

Communication is key! Talk to your audience and focus on building a relationship with them if you want to get to know them better.

Zala is absolutely right about that! Getting to know your audience is a never-ending task and there’s always something new to learn. This is why you need to be proactive about it.

Julia suggests creating a customer persona so you know exactly who you’re trying to reach with your content. From there, spend time getting to know them in a non-stalkerish kind of way.

Q8: What are some great examples of customer-centric email content?

To learn more about creating customer-centric email content, we asked our chat participants to share some great examples with us. Check out these suggestions:

Kristen loves Spotify’s Tracked campaign. She said it’s a great use of data to tell a personalized story.

Another example Kristen is a fan of is Glossier. Showcasing people using their products is a great way to spark interest and encourage purchases.

For Julia, she’s a big fan of Panera’s emails. They’re relevant to the purchases she makes and to her unique preferences.

Curated said Time Out London does a great job at tailoring their email content for customers.

Emily suggests sharing birthday promotions, individualized product recommendations based on previous orders, and customizing your marketing to the customer.

We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing with Tara Clapper

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing with Tara Clapper

by | Mar 24, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

In our latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about storytelling and personal branding. If you’re ready to take your personal brand to the next level, this is the chat for you. Keep reading for the recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing


Our guest host this week was one of our own team members, Tara Clapper. Tara is our talented Content Development Specialist. In this chat, she shared some helpful tips on personal branding that you’ll want to put to use for your own brand.

Q1: What is personal branding and who needs to develop their own personal brand?

To kick off the chat, we wanted to hear how our chat participants defined personal branding. We also wanted to know who they felt needs a personal brand. To find out what some of them said, check out these responses:


Tara said your personal brand is an expression of who you are, both online and off. It should also be genuine. There’s no need to be fake, so keep it real and true to yourself. And as she said, everyone needs one!


Great answer from Julia! She said if you’re in marketing or running a business, you have a brand. You need to develop that brand in order to stand out online.


Kristen agrees that everyone has a personal brand and that it’s all about reflecting that brand to the outside world.


Cristy brought up a great point for those who work as part of another company. If you have a public role within that company, you have to be careful about the image you put forth, as it reflects on the company as a whole.


Chris feels anyone who is serious about career development, digital marketing, or who wants an online presence should be focused on personal branding.

Q2: What are the key steps someone should take when developing their personal brand?

Now that you know why personal branding is so important, you need to know what steps to take in order to develop a brand of your very own. Here’s some advice straight from Tuesday’s chat:


Great response from Tara! When developing your personal branding, you need to define your brand, have clear messaging on social media, consistency within your branding, and you should also make it multi-faceted.


Gabriela shared some helpful steps to ensure you effective craft your own personal branding. She recommends the following: define your purpose, discover the value you can provide, develop your voice, and deliver your message consistently.


Julia’s advice is to start by defining what you want to stand for. You should create a mission statement for your brand so you and your audience know exactly what you represent. You can then develop that into slogans and share it on social media. Don’t forget to have a nice logo and color palette to create a great brand image as well.


Kristen knows you can learn a lot from other brands that are already established. Make a list of the brands you look up to and ask yourself why you love them so much. While you don’t want to copy them exactly, you can implement what you love about those brands into the creation of your own.


This tweet is a very important reminder from Cathy. As she said, you need to be authentic in everything you do. Being fake will hurt your brand because people will see right through you.

Q3: What is storytelling and how can brands use it to their advantage?

You’ve likely heard all about storytelling by now, but what exactly is it? And how can brands use storytelling to their advantage? Check out these great tips from the chat:


Tara feels storytelling is the truth and the why behind your brand.


Gabriela said storytelling is using a narrative to give context to your message. She followed that up by saying storytelling can help make your content memorable and relatable while also helping you build trust with your audience. It’s always a great way to communication your brand’s personalty with others.


Storytelling allows you to connect with your audience and take them on a journey with you.


You can tell an effective story through a variety of ways. Tony suggests using video, photos, and written content to take your audience through your story.


As Breonna said, brands can use storytelling as a way to humanize the brand overall and give emotional context to their content. It’s a powerful way to make a connection with your audience.


Mallie knows that people respond to stories, which is why it’s so important to share your story with your audience.


Keira said storytelling puts your product into context for customers. It’s a great way to encourage your customers to be part of your journey and the story you’re telling.


In a time where people are all about automating everything, storytelling helps to show your brand is human.

Q4: How do personal branding and storytelling work hand-in-hand?

Check out these tips from Tuesday’s chat all about making your personal branding and storytelling efforts work together:


Personal branding and storytelling equal innovation in Tara’s book. She feels your natural story will progress like a good character would throughout a book.


Julia knows you can weave your story into every element of your personal branding. Use it in your slogan, your about page, and more.


You can allow your audience to grow alongside your brand as it develops. The story you tell will take them on that journey and make them become loyal fans.


Michelle said your personal brand shows authenticity while storytelling provides a narrative for your product. Together, they’re powerful for growing your brand and building a fanbase.


Storytelling encourages your audience to engage and connect with your brand.

Q5: How can you improve your personal brand using social media?

Social media is just one way you can improve your personal brand and connect with your audience. But how do you do it? We asked this question during Tuesday’s chat and got some great advice in response. Check it out:


Have conversations with others, start conversations yourself, and find your tribe. Make sure you’re engaging with others so you can grow and develop your brand.


Gabriela’s advice is to focus on building your tribe, sharing and consuming great content, showing thought leadership, sharing your USP, and building trust. Make sure you’re also being consistent!


Mallie’s advice is to keep your voice consistent on all platforms. This is essential when working on your personal brand. Don’t be afraid to make tweaks along the way when you’re still in the early phases.


Jeremy said to be yourself on social media. If you aren’t true to who you are, your audience will see right through you. You should also take the time to listen to others and help them in any way you can.


Julia said to make sure you’re engaging with your followers on social media. Use it as a platform to start real conversations and make connections with others. This is key when it comes to personal branding.


Michelle recommends participating in Twitter chats. She knows it’s a great way to connect with others, but can also provide an opportunity to share your expertise. Make sure you’re listening to what others have to say and help them with the issues they’re facing.


Cathy also agrees that participating in Twitter chats is a good idea for your brand.

Q6: How can you craft a personal brand story that builds trust with your audience?

We all know that building trust with your audience is essential. Having a level of trust is key to ultimately making sales and landing clients for those who are running a business. To build trust, here’s what you need to do:


Tara says to credit when necessary, be personal, apologize when you mess up, and be transparent with growth.


Jeremy knows that people need to get to know you and start liking you before they can build trust. You can encourage trust by chatting with your audience and actually listening to what they have to say.


Be a source of information and engage with your audience.


Be yourself! You shouldn’t try to be something you’re not because it’ll only turn off your audience.


Cathy encourages you to be vulnerable and share the real stories even if they aren’t all that pretty. Those are the stories that people can connect with.


Sarah agrees with taking that open and honest approach. She recommends sharing when things go wrong. It’s relatable because we all make mistakes and your audience will appreciate that you’re sharing things like that with them.


Varun’s advice is to be approachable. When people feel like they can reach out to you, it helps to establish trust within your personal branding.


Engage with your audience! Ask questions, answer the questions they have, and don’t be afraid to have a sense of humor when talking to them. It shows you’re real.

Q7: Which content formats are key for best telling your brand story?

There are all kinds of content formats available to us: blog posts, videos, podcasts, and more. Which one is the best way to go? Here are some responses from the chat:


Tara’s advice is to consider how you best express yourself. For her, that includes blogging, podcasting, webinars, and live events.


Sherri agrees that you have to consider what works best for you. Determine your strengths and embrace that.


Pamela loves Snapchat and Instagram Stories as a way to share behind-the-scenes content.


There’s no denying that video is a great way to go! It gives your audience the opportunity to see you and hear your voice.


For Javier, it’s all about that long-form content. We’re big fans of valuable, longer blog posts here at Express Writers as well.


Whatever format you use, you need to bring your audience along on your journey.

Q8: Which personal brands do an amazing job at storytelling?

Who does an amazing job with their personal branding? You’ll want to check these people out:


Tara is a fan of our own CEO, Julia, as well as the actors behind the Marvel characters.


It’s no secret that Gary Vaynerchuk is pretty impressive! Both Julia and Zachary are fans of his.


Sherri thinks Gala Darling does a great job at sharing and connecting with her audience.
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Project Management & Content Marketing with Brittany Berger

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Project Management & Content Marketing with Brittany Berger

by | Mar 17, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

In the latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about project management and content marketing. If you want to learn some tips that will take your project management workflow to the next level, this chat is sure to help you out. Keep reading for the recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Project Management & Content Marketing: How to Have a Fluid Content Project Management Workflow with Brittany Berger


Our guest host this week was Brittany Berger. Brittany is a PR and Content Marketing Manager for Mention. She shared a ton of great advice with us, so be prepared to take some notes!

Q1: Why is project management important for content marketing?

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share their thoughts on why they though project management played an important role in content marketing. Here are some of the answers we received during the chat:


Brittany acknowledges there are many different moving parts when it comes to content marketing. For this reason, there’s always the possibility something could fall through the cracks or your content could become misaligned with the goal. With a project management strategy in place, you can keep everything working as it should be.


As Sarah said, project management helps to keep everyone aligned when it comes to timing. You want to ensure everything gets done on time and that people are meeting deadlines. Having a strategy in place will help you make that happen!


Mallorie agrees that it’s essential for consistently meeting deadlines. It gives you the opportunity to set goals and create plans to help you achieve what needs to be done.


Benefits of project management: it keeps your content aligned, keeps you on or under budget, and keeps overwhelm at bay.


As if you needed more reason to create a strong content project management workflow for your brand… Julia mentioned it’s key to success.


Without project management, Cassandra said content marketing becomes chaos. And you don’t want that, do you?

Q2: What does content project management entail?

Now that you know what project management is important to your content marketing, what exactly does it entail? Check out these responses from the chat:


Brittany said content project management entails planning, organizing, and executing.


Structuring calendars, setting quantity, and deadline structure all are important aspects of project management. Julia also said you need to stay on top of the creation process and everyone involved.


Sarah said you need to have a goal, figure out your timeline, schedule and plan with your calendar, execute, and make sure you keep all team members on track.


You need to organized the who, what, and when of each of the content pieces you create.


Varun said you need to create your content calendar, know who will be contributing, important dates and events, deadlines you need to meet, as well as targeting and monitoring.


Know your budget, plan out your campaign, delegate tasks based on the strengths of your team members, and get started! Great advice!


Brittany brought up a solid point for those of who are working solo. Just because you don’t have a team behind you, it doesn’t mean you can take advantage of project management. You should still have a great editorial calendar and assign deadlines to hold yourself accountable.

Q3: What tools are the best for content teams to stay organized?

The great news is, there are a ton of tools out there that can make project management a lot easier. We received some great suggestions in response to this question, so be sure to check these out if you haven’t already!


Brittany recommends using tools that will help you communicate, store assets, and organize processes. There are many tools you can choose from to make each of these tasks easier!
She also shared that the team at Mention loves using CoSchedule, which is an amazing tool for planning out your content.


Evernote and Asana are two go-to tools for me. I use Evernote to store ideas and draft content, plus Asana keeps me organized when outlining larger projects and editorial calendars.


Bill is also a fan of Evernote and he flies on Google Docs and Sheets to stay organized when it comes to project management.


The HeyOrca! team loves using Trello, which is a handy app for planning projects and creating to-do lists. They also rely on Slack to communicate with one another.


The Digital Natives team recommends Google Drive, Slack, Glip, and Group Me.


The team at Netvantage relies on Google Drive and Basecamp to get things done.


For Shereese, she switches tools based on the work she’s doing. When handling client projects, she uses Wrike. However, Evernote is a go-to for her personal work.

Q4: How can content writers help prevent overwhelm when working on several projects at once?

The reality is, we often find ourselves juggling multiple projects at the same time. It can be a lot to manage, often resulting in feelings of overwhelm. To prevent that from happening, check out this advice:


Brittany’s advice is to look at each step in the process as its own thing. You want to break larger tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks. Not only is this less overwhelming, but it makes it easier for you to tackle the things on your to-do list.


Prioritize each of your projects and list them in order of importance. Start with what needs to be tackled first and focus on getting it done before moving onto the next.


Beki suggests dividing your time into manageable chunks for different projects. You can use a timer to keep you on track.


Breonna also agrees with blocking out time on your calendar. This ensures you dedicate ample time to each task so you can stay on track and make progress. She also recommends focusing on just one project at a time.


When you’re blocking out time for your work tasks, Bill said to make sure you block off some time for yourself as well.


Chris suggests setting realistic targets and goals, defined steps, and micro-achievements.


Sarah said to be up front when it comes to your schedule and let your boss or team know if you get behind on tasks that need to be completed.


Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Tony also suggests using plenty of Post-It notes!


Don’t take on more than you can handle. If you stretch yourself too thin, you become overwhelmed and the quality of your work will suffer.

Q5: How can teams maximize the amount of content they’re creating without burning out?

We all want to avoid burning out, especially when it come to content creation. So, how can we create plenty of content without crashing and burning? These tips will help you out:


Brittany shared some great advice with us. She said she separates the creative versus logistical parts of content creation. Collecting links, conducting research, getting screenshots and other similar tasks are separate from writing time.


Julia knows it helps to have a supportive team by your side, as well as a strong project management workflow.


Plan out your content in advance and then batch write blog posts, newsletters, etc. Once you get into that writing groove from writing one post, it’s much easier to keep going and write another. It’s a lot more productive to write three posts back to back then it is to write a blog post, complete another task, and then go back to writing blog posts.


Don’t forget to take advantage of the content you’ve already created. Michelle said you can repurpose and scale your current content, which will help you get more eyes on the stuff you’ve published in the past.


Kristen agrees that repurposing is essential. She said to take top-performing content and recycle it for multiple channels.


Cheval recommends writing in a notebook every day to prevent writer’s block. This is a great way to strengthen your writing skills as well.


Never stop creating! Zala said you should always collect ideas and brainstorm. She also knows it helps to create content in advance and repurpose what you already have.


While some audiences love long-form content, others don’t resonate with it as much. If that applies to your audience, you can break up longer content pieces into multiples to create a series. It’s also a great way to keep your audience coming back to your website.


Varun knows collaboration is one key to success when it comes to content creation. He also recommends setting priorities and being open to discussions with your team.


Jeremy’s advice is that you shouldn’t promise more than you can actually deliver. It’s better to under-promise and over-deliver on the content you create.

Q6: What’s the biggest mistake a content team can make when juggling multiple channels and formats?

There are a lot of mistakes a content team can make and we asked people in this week’s chat to share which ones they thought were the worst. Keep these in mind so you can avoid them!


Brittany said it’s a mistake to think of each thing as a separate project. She suggests looking at how everything works and interacts with each other.


If you aren’t communicating with your team, you’re setting yourself up for failure. You need to be open to working together and sharing ideas.


If you don’t stay in contact with your team, it can be chaos.


As Jason said, you shouldn’t assume someone has a task covered. This is where open communication comes into place. Keep in touch with your team to make sure everyone is on track.


Kim said it would be a mistake to not plan or have a strategy in place.


Not communicating with your team, failing to proofread, and not thinking through your content are all big mistakes in Sara’s book.


Jim suggests designating tasks to the specialists and letting them do their thing.


Don’t sign up for a platform and then fail to commit to it. If you join a platform, you need to post consistently and be present.


Don’t underestimate the size of your workload.


Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged because you can’t do it all.


Quit pushing quantity over quality. Quality is always more important in the end.

Q7: As a content writer, how can you keep ideas straight when working on multiple, but similar, projects?

It can be tough to keep ideas straight when you’re working on multiple projects. Here’s some advice to help you out:


Brittany likes to get her ideas out on paper as soon as possible. This is great for ensuring you don’t forget anything and allows you to map everything out later. She also recommends not switching back and forth between projects too much. Chunk your schedule to work on similar tasks back to back.


Jason also agrees that chunking your schedule is helpful. He suggests scheduling blocks when you work on just one project, instead of jumping between different things.


Mallie is a fan of blocking off time on your schedule as well. She even thinks it’s a good idea to give each project its own folder to keep things separate.


Julia relies on multiple to-do lists, content calendars, and Google Sheets to keep things organized. And you can’t forget a cup of coffee (or two)!


Kristen makes a new to-do list every day as well. She also uses project management tools like Trello to help.


Jeremy likes to outline and save drafts in his blog and in Evernote. This makes it easy for him to work on content whenever he wants.

Q8: What other content marketers are great at project management?

Who else is amazing at project management? You can get some inspiration from these content marketers:


Brittany has learned a lot from Nathan Ellering, Benjamin Brandall, and Jess Ostroff.


Julia is impressed with how Content Marketing Institute manages their workflow and editorial structure.


Cheval was too kind and including Julia and I in his list, along with Ann Handley.


Jeremy shared a bunch of great people with us. You’ll want to check them out if you aren’t already!
We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Content Marketing Strategy 101 with Doug Kessler

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Content Marketing Strategy 101 with Doug Kessler

by | Mar 10, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

It’s no secret that every brand needs to have an effective content marketing strategy if they want to see results within their business. However, many brands feel unsure of how to get started when creating a strategy of their own. This week’s #ContentWritingChat was all about the basics of creating a content marketing strategy, so there’s no more excuses. You can get started on yours today!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Content Marketing Strategy 101 with Doug Kessler

For this Tuesday’s #ContentWritingChat, our guest host was Doug Kessler. Doug is the is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Velocity. He shared some great insights with our audience about content marketing, so you’ll want to read through these tips and start implementing them.

Q1: Discuss the importance of content marketing for brands in 2017.

So, how important is it for a brand to develop their own content marketing strategy? And what kind of results will it provide once they have? Check out these tips from Tuesday’s chat:

Doug said that content marketing has turned into a mainstream strategy.

Julia knows just how important your content marketing strategy is when it comes to marketing. The stats she shared are pretty impressive!

As Annaliese said, content marketing has become expected of brands. She feels it helps you to build an interested audience and can establish you as a thought leader in your industry.

Content marketing can help you build relationships with your customers, which can ultimately lead to more brand loyalty. You’ll see these kinds of results when you do your content marketing strategy the right way.

The Digital Natives team said it’s key for establishing trust and adding value for your clients.

Q2: What’s the first major step(s) of a solid content marketing strategy for any business/industry?

When creating a content marketing strategy for your brand, there are a few steps you’ll have to take in the early phases. Here’s what you need to know in order to get started:

Doug said that the first step to creating a content marketing strategy is getting to know your audience. If you don’t know who your audience is, you can’t create the right kind of content to attract them.

To get to know your audience, you’ll need to do some research. It may be time-consuming, but it’s a must before you can get started with anything.

Know your goals and who your audience is. Once you’ve figured out those two things, you can start planning how you’ll connect with them and what kind of content you’ll create.

Annaliese agrees that it’s important to set goals before you begin creating your strategy.

Take the time to map out the journey you expect a customer to take. This is very beneficial to your success!

Bill’s advice is to list out your business objectives and the needs of your audience. This will help you start planning.

Tony recommends finding ways your audience likes to read and access content. Once you’ve figured that out, you can create exactly the type of content they’re looking for.

Q3: Content marketing vs. traditional marketing (i.e., TV spot): Your thoughts? Is one higher ROI?

Today’s brands still invest in traditional marketing as part of their content marketing strategy. There’s no shortage of ads on television. But is it really the most effective tactic or is content marketing the way to go? Here’s what our chat participants had to say:

Julia shared a link to her post that showed just how effective content marketing can be when compared to a Super Bowl ad.

Kevin’s advice is to figure out who your audience is and where they’re spending their time. Once you know that, you’ll be able to create content and put it directly in front of them on the platforms they’re using.

Keira brought up a great point about how consumers now crave relationships with brands. Those relationships are what help to build trust, which ultimately turns a follower into a customer. Conversations are key to building relationships with your target audience.

As Roslyn said, it’s also easier to track the success of content marketing than traditional marketing. This will help you to really see the results you’re getting from your investment.

Q4: Discuss a few favorite channels/content types that work for you (live streaming, guest blogging, etc.).

The channels and content types that work best for one brand won’t necessarily be what works best for another. It’s important to experiment so you can see what works for you, then make it part of your content marketing strategy. Here’s what seems to be working well for our chat participants:

Doug is a big fan of SlideShade, which we’ve also used here at Express Writers. If you haven’t tried it for yourself, give it a shot and see how your audience responds.

He also mentioned video, which is still very powerful today. Whether you’re uploading videos to YouTube or doing live videos on a platform like Facebook Live, it’s great for your brand.

As Julia said, she sees results from writing guest blogs for other sites and here on Express Writers. This Twitter chat and her book have also worked out well.

When blogging on your own site, make sure you do so consistently if you want to see results.

Annaliese has seen great results with guest blogging. It’s a fantastic way to increase your exposure since you’re able to get in front of a whole new audience. Social media engagement is also great!

For Sarah and the ThinkSEM team, they get the best results from blogging and sharing on Twitter.

Andrea is also a fan of Twitter, as are we here at Express Writers. Infographics are a great one as well!

If your audience is on Pinterest, it’s worthwhile to pin your content there to increase traffic back to your website.

Michelle loves joining Twitter chats. They’re actually a great way to connect with new people and to share your expertise. She also enjoys using the story features on both Instagram and Snapchat.

Meg mentioned email has been very effective for the team at Brandfolder.

Cheval knows that podcasting is great for building his authority within his industry. Even if you don’t see a return on your investment right away, it can happen over time.

Another point for podcasting!

This is great advice from Bill!

Q5: Share some ways to stand out in a sea of content. How do you find and showcase your brand voice?

With so much noise online these days, it can be hard to stand out. How do you do it? Check out these tips:

Infuse everything you create with your brand’s voice. Doug said Slack and MailChimp do a great job with this. Honesty is also important!

Great answer from Michelle, especially her point about authenticity and transparency.

Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. If something doesn’t work out for you, don’t get discouraged. Learn from it and move on.

Jeremy said it’s important to test the content you create. This allows you to see what’s working and what’s not. Make sure you’re also being helpful and serving others.

Make sure you’re also expanding your reach by utilizing SEO.

Don’t forget to engage with your audience regularly. It shows them that you’re human and helps to build a connection.

Q6: How can you identify if your content marketing strategy is actually working and generating results?

Once you’ve developed and implemented your content marketing strategy, how do you know if it’s working for you? These tips will show you what you need to track:

Doug’s advice is to measure everything. You can learn a lot by seeing the areas in which you’re growing.

As Kristi said, this is where your goals come in. You need to set goals for the content you create so you can see if it was actually effective. If it is, great! If not, you need to make some changes.

Make success specific and measurable from the get-go. This is great advice from Mallie!

Jacob is spot on with his answer. You don’t want to get lost in a sea of data, so know what you want to measure first.

Be sure to give yourself ample time to reach your goals. Don’t expect results overnight.

Julia knows it’s important to track leads. Your content brings in leads, which ultimately leads to more clients and revenue for your business.

As Sabjan said, it’s all about those conversions.

If people are engaging with your content, sharing it, and eventually becoming customers… You’re doing something right.

Q7: Share some favorite tools you rely on consistently for your content marketing.

If you’re looking for new tools to help with your content marketing, you’ll want to check out this list.

Doug loves using SlideShare and Evernote.

Like Annaliese, we also rely on Yoast here at Express Writers. It’s great for SEO and readability.

Evernote is great for storing ideas and writing drafts. Asana is awesome for project management. And we can’t forget about Yoast and Buffer!

These tools are all worth checking out!

Cheval relies on Post Planner and Buffer on daily basis to put content out for his audience.

Buffer, Trello, and Google Docs are key for Amanda when it comes to her content marketing strategy.

CoSchedule is great for planning out your content!

Q8: Share some predictions or observations on the state of content marketing for 2017 and beyond.

What do you think is in store for content marketing in the future? Check out these predictions:

Those who commit to content marketing will win, while those who dabble won’t.

Julia is predicting new platforms, tools, and smarter systems.

Sarah thinks it’ll become more important to hone in on your audience’s desires, as well as timing and placement of your content.

Now is the time to start committing to video content, as its popularity will only continue to grow.

Tony also agrees that video content is important.

Great visuals for your content will always be important!

Javier predicts that augmented reality will become a lot more common.

Work smarter, not harder with strategic content.

We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time for great chats centered around content writing and marketing. Follow @ExpWriters to stay updated on our new topics and guests!