Marketing Basics

An Introduction to Marketing Project Management

Marketing project management encompasses the tasks required to organize, develop, and administer a marketing campaign. It increases productivity in your business by ensuring each team member can focus on their specific tasks. The team meets the requirements for a successful marketing campaign as it finishes the tasks correctly and on schedule. 

1. What Is a Marketing Project Manager?

The marketing project manager is the person who ensures that all the people and elements involved with completing a project are working in sync. They are part juggler, part coach, and part diplomat in their work. A marketing project manager ensures that all tasks are completed on time, under budget, and by the appropriate people, often coordinating multiple timelines to ensure that deliverables are met.

These managers often work with various departments to complete projects. This can be challenging as each team has different, sometimes competing, demands on their time. The marketing project manager may need to be very diplomatic as they negotiate for other departments’ time to work on a project. 

An example of this could be a customer relationship management (CRM) software to be selected, chosen, installed, and set up at a company. While marketing may lead the project, the IT department has to be intimately involved in the selection and installation portion of the project. This may lead to competing demands on the implementation team’s time. A marketing PM may need to work with an IT PM or others to ensure sufficient time is allocated and schedules are reasonable. 

2. What is the marketing project manager's role in the company?

It is not always easy to define the marketing project manager's role. In basic terms, it involves managing projects involving customer experience. The marketing project manager works with the business owner and technical experts to understand the requirements for success in a campaign. 

Marketing project managers may work on specific marketing campaigns involving a company's product or service offered to customers. They may also ensure that the company's customer service department is communicating with callers effectively. Marketing project managers may also work with outside agencies as required to promote the company's products and services. 

Anyone working as a marketing project manager needs to have specific skills to succeed in this role. The following list includes the most important ones.

3. What skills do marketing project managers need?

Time Management

This skill is arguably the most important since the projects they are working on have deadlines. The team must complete several tasks on a specific schedule. A project manager in marketing must see the big picture and track the smaller tasks that make up the marketing campaign. 

Organizational Skills

A marketing campaign comprises many tasks, and team members can work on them simultaneously. Other jobs depend on task completion before they start, much like you can't start painting the interior of a house before wall construction. In a marketing project, the manager would be responsible for tracking deadlines, managing schedules, and ensuring the project stays on budget. 

Outstanding Communication Ability

Communication is not just about sharing information with others. It’s also (and possibly more importantly) about listening effectively. The marketing project manager will need to lead a meeting with their team. They need to keep the marketing director updated on the project's status. 

Part of the marketing project manager's duties may include being the contact point for the client on the project. In this role, they need to understand the client's needs and then convey them to the team transparently. Suppose a team member is having difficulty with part of the project. In that case, the manager must listen empathetically and then work with the team member to find a solution. 

Goal Management Skills

When talking about goal management skills, we refer to several abilities connected to goals. These include:

• Setting goals
• Identifying objectives that can help in meeting goals 
• Developing plans for meeting goals

Goal management skills are valuable to someone working as a marketing project manager. There will be several opportunities to set goals during the project to ensure the campaign is successful. 

For example, a marketing campaign goal might be to attract a certain number of new customers to sign up for the company's e-mailing list during a set period. 

Task Delegation

Task delegation is when tasks are defined and divided among team members. The project manager must give the team clear deadlines and a delivery method.

The marketing project manager will need to choose the best team member for each task. Their decision will affect the project's outcome.

Problem Solving Abilities

Unfortunately, no project ever runs smoothly. There are always some bumps in the road, which means the manager should have good problem-solving abilities. 

When these issues arise, the project manager in charge of marketing stays calm. They need to focus on understanding the problem thoroughly and then deciding on a solution. 

4. Responsibilities and Talents

What types of responsibilities does a marketing project manager take on in their career? What talents would they draw on in their work? Continue reading to learn more.

Negotiation Skills

All marketing project managers deal with deadlines and work with their teams. The project manager also needs to be mindful of deadlines when communicating with the client and external vendors. If the scope of the project changes, deadlines are adjusted accordingly and communicated to the team members. 

Relationship Building

The marketing project manager works with people from many different backgrounds. They act as the client lead and the advocate for the internal team. It takes special relationship-building skills to work with creative and talented team members and clients who want to see their vision translated into a successful marketing campaign. 

Familiarity with marketing Project Management Software

Marketing project management software is a valuable tool to manage projects through their entire lifecycle. Each project is unique in its exact needs and complexity. A software package like Trello or Basecamp helps all team members keep track of their tasks and deadlines. 

The software tracks the tasks assigned to each team member and their deadlines, and the software also registers task completion. The software also allows the team members to communicate with each other and the project manager if they have questions or need help. 

Positive Outlook

The marketing project manager plays a crucial role in their successful marketing campaigns. They are the person in charge of keeping everything on track, after all. 

When things go well, the project manager can share the accolades for a job well done with the rest of their team. If a campaign does not go as expected, it is their job to analyze how to do things better next time. 

Give Your Team Members Clear Objectives

When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.  

Make Materials Accessible to Your Team

Create a folder with photos, videos, and other documents your team can access readily. Mark the folder and upload it to your project management software.

Set Up Automated Notifications

Program your project management software to let team members know when someone completes a task. This option keeps the entire team in the loop about the project's status.

5. Marketing Project Manager Success Tips

Consider the following tips to help you be successful as a project manager for marketing.

When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.  

project management from seven oaks consulting: quality, customized, affordable

Your business may not have a full-time marketing project manager, or your project managers may have their hands full already. That’s where Seven Oaks Consulting comes in. 

When you work with the team from Seven Oaks Consulting, you are hiring experts in content marketing management. We will prepare a customized plan for your business that fits your vision, your voice, and works with your budget. Our content is designed to attract your audience’s attention and encourage them to take action. 

Contact us today to learn more about our marketing project management services or to request a detailed quote. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

Marketing Education Without a Degree

Nothing substitutes for a marketing education or a marketing degree. It’s invaluable, especially when seeking full-time employment as a marketing manager. 

However, I became a marketing manager without a formal marketing education. Here are the steps I took to learn to be a marketing professional without a marketing degree.

My Story - from Executive Assistant to Marketing Manager

I majored in English literature at Molloy College, a small Catholic college in New York state. My goal was to be a novelist. I wanted to write classic works of literature, including science fiction and fantasy. 

Yet I had to make a living. The occasional magazine stories I sold didn’t pay for much! I worked first as an advertising copywriter, then took a job as an Executive Assistant to the president of a nursery and landscaping company on Long Island’s North Shore.

His company included both a bustling garden center that catered to the rich, famous and wealthy, as well as a landscape design firm. It was one of the few large garden center businesses to have its own marketing manager, and I worked with her extensively. When she was let go in July 1995, the president asked me to take over the role since I wrote well and had worked alongside her.

It was my first marketing gig and I knew nothing! I messed up so many things it’s amazing I lasted the next two years. But last I did, and I ended up creating some fantastic advertising that one customer actually scrawled a message on and brought in to show his appreciation for the ad. I still have a copy of that ad.

After leaving the nursery in 1997, I went on to lead marketing for a financial services company and then for a series of education testing, professional development, and publishing companies before founding my own content marketing agency. Along the way, I did return to school, and completed a master of science in direct and digital marketing at New York University, earning not only a degree “with distinction”, the university’s highest honor, but also two national direct marketing awards.

5 Ways to Learn Marketing Without a Marketing Education

Here’s how I ensured my own marketing education despite starting in the profession without a marketing degree.

1. Learn from a colleague.

One of the first things I did when working at the nursery was study what the current marketing manager was doing. I followed her original blueprint for my first year in my new role as marketing manager, using her example to maintain marketing continuity. At each job, I was able to observe either what the previous marketing manager had done by reviewing her plans or by working alongside a more seasoned marketer. You can learn a lot from your colleagues. Here at Seven Oaks Consulting, we feature an unusual model of taking on a lot of college students and recent graduates as part of our content team. It’s not that we prefer junior marketers on the team, but we love to help them grow. It’s paying the profession forward -- helping to build the stellar marketers we hope to see someday in the field. To do that, they need to learn from seasoned professionals as I was able to do so long ago.

2. Read books by the experts.

In every field or endeavor, there are known experts. In content marketing, Joe Pulizzi comes to mind, along with Ann Handley. Both are true experts in content marketing. My former NYU professor of direct marketing finances, Heidi Cohen, is also known as a content marketing and digital marketing expert. Read their books and learn marketing from people who don’t just talk about it but actually do it!

3. Keep up with the news.

Another way in which I learned the marketing profession as a junior marketing manager was to read industry news. I’d take along Direct Marketing News to read on the train during my commute or I’d read Advertising Age the Wall Street Journal. This continued my education by exposing me to current marketing trends and campaign examples.

4. Attend conferences.

I learned so much at the old Direct Marketing Days New York and the New York City Direct Marketing Club meetings. The guest speakers, the trade show booths, the small group sessions....I’d leave with copious notes and ideas about what to incorporate into my own marketing plans. Some of the contacts I made at those trade shows remain good friends. If you can, attend marketing conferences live or online as much as possible.

5. Ask a lot of questions.

Vendors want to share their knowledge with you. Ask questions of everyone! I went on press with my printing vendor to learn more about catalog production and eventually became a known expert in the field of traditional direct marketing thanks to my deep understanding of both mailing houses and printing. Marketing vendors were keen to help me understand new techniques and ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions.

Now...If I Had to Learn Marketing Without a Degree

How things have changed since I was a young college graduate studying marketing on my own!

The internet has opened up tremendous potential learning opportunities for marketing managers. You can watch YouTube videos, subscribe to podcasts, download tons of books thanks to Amazon Kindle and Google Play, and so much more. 

Hubspot free marketing courses enable any junior marketing manager to learn from the comfort of their own homes. Need to learn marketing software such as MailChimp or ConvertKit? The software vendors themselves provide training!

Many of the old newspapers like Direct Marketing News have gone digital. Gone are the days when the only way to learn about new techniques and marketing research was by attending a conference or seminar. But the opportunities unfolding daily on the internet have made it easier than ever for someone motivated to learn to find the information they need.

A marketing education remains, to me, a priority for anyone interested in a full-time career in marketing. I wouldn’t trade my New York University degree for anything. It was an amazing experience to learn in a workshop environment, to go to the offices of some of the best creative agencies in the world and watch as they planned campaigns, to learn marketing finances and accounting from people who were actually working in the profession. 

But if you aren’t blessed or lucky enough to be able to earn a marketing degree, you can still ensure your marketing education with these ideas. 

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by Jeanne Grunert

Print Media in Content Marketing

I admit that when I chose the topic of The Use of Print Media in Content Marketing, I did so because I love printed media. When I first entered the marketing profession, print media was still the way to go. Catalogs, direct mail postcards, brochures for checkout line racks, you name it, I produced it. Heck, even ad a print advertisement I created that was published in the New York Times generated such a response that a customer wrote a note to the owner of the garden center where I worked and dropped off the ad for him to see!

But if you Google the phrase “is print dead” you’ll return over 189,000,000 results, far over and above what Joe Pulizzi returned when he searched this phrase back in 2019. In his article, Print Magazines Dead? Bite Your Tongue, Joe states emphatically that print is most certainly not dead. It’s just changing. 

I’m with Joe. Print marketing, whether it’s a custom-created magazine, a flyer, or a rack insert, offers an outstanding opportunity for many companies to promote ideas, the heart of content marketing. Don’t forget that content marketing started with print -- the John Deere magazine, The Furrow, which offered a magazine filled with ideas for mechanizing the farm. And it just happened that John Deere sold those products from tractors to combines that mechanized the farm. 

 

Print Media Statistics

From Marketing Profs: print-a-tangible-way-to-invigorate-your-marketing-strategy-infographic

• In a crowded marketplace, print gives you an edge.
• 92% of 18-32 year olds state that print is easier to read
• When making purchasing decisions, consumers trust print 34% more than search engines
• Postcards have a 4.25% response rate compared to .1% for email marketing
• 70% of people recall more from reading a print ad than a digital ad
• Print is better for perceived value, memory and recall of an ad, and emotional response

Up Close and Personal: An Interview with Content Marketer Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi is the Amazon bestselling author of Killing Marketing, Content Inc. and Epic Content Marketing, which was named a “Must-Read Business Book” by Fortune Magazine. His latest book is The Will to Die, his debut novel.

He has founded three companies, including the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), and has launched dozens of events, including Content Marketing World. In 2014, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Content Council. His podcast series, This Old Marketing with CMI's Robert Rose, has generated millions of downloads from over 150 countries. He is also the author of The Random Newsletter, delivered to thousands every two weeks. His Foundation, The Orange Effect, delivers speech therapy and technology services to children in over 30 states.

My Take on Joe’s Book, Content, Inc.

If you haven’t heard of Joe, I invite you to get to know him through his outstanding book, Content, Inc., which was recently revised and reissued. I purchased my own company from Amazon and devoured it over vacation. It helped me rethink many aspects of content marketing. It’s a great book because it doesn’t just explain what content marketing is, but what a content-first business model looks like and how to create one -- and then, how to leverage it as a business model.

Joe is honest throughout the book that content marketing isn’t a fast route to sales, and he’s right. It takes time, sometimes too long for our clients’ comfort levels, to generate the kind of impact they need to make. That’s okay. Not every marketing tactic is right for every client, and I get that. 

But like Joe, I’ve seen content marketing produce outstanding results. When it works, it works exceptionally well to build brand loyalty, elicit and emotional response, and create a memorable impression on customers that no amount of hype creates.

Joe took time out of his busy schedule to respond to my questions. Thank you, Joe.

The Use of Print Media in Content Marketing

Seven Oaks Consulting (7Oaks): What is your experience using content marketing for your company or your clients?

Joe Pulizzi (JP) I've been in the content marketing industry for over 20 years. Originally, I worked at Penton Media's Custom Media Division working on print magazines for companies like HP, Autodesk, and American Red Cross. I left Penton in 2007 to start Content Marketing Institute, the leading educational organization for content marketing.

7Oaks: Do you use print media, such as niche-focused magazines or other printed materials, as part of your content marketing program?

JP: Not presently. While at CMI, we launched Chief Content Officer magazine in 2011 targeted to 30,000 senior-level marketing executives (I left CMI in 2018).

7Oaks:  How many do you send? How is it distributed and to whom?

JP: Quarterly

7Oaks: What was your ROI?

JP: It was generally break even (subsidized with partner advertising)…but expenses approximately $30,000 per issue. For ROI, we found that those highest-yielding customers of CMI were also subscribers to the magazine. 

7Oaks: Why do you think print is effective?

JP: There are many  reasons why print is effective. First, it grabs attention. Because so few brands are doing it these days, it stands out. Next, if you already have an audience, such as a customer list, you’ve got a good chunk of the work out of the way -- you have an audience who might like to hear from you and who may respond positively to your print piece. Third, and this may be a little out there, but I do think print is ready for a Renaissance. Everyone talks about it being dead, but TV didn’t die when cable and on-demand movies came out, and radio thrives even though we have more choices than ever. There’s still room for print in a media manager’s marketing mix if it fits the strategy.

7Oaks:  Do you think print media is effective for specific industries or all industries? 

JP: I believe print can be effective in any industry.

7Oaks:  Is it better for acquisition or retention marketing?

JP: I think it’s better for retention and building loyalty, but yet, it can work for acquisition marketing. It’s just harder to measure when usingi it for acquisition. 

7Oaks:  Do you think printed materials have a place in the future of content marketing? Why or why not?

JP:  Absolutely. With limited competition it's very easy for a high-quality publication to stand out. Also, people are much more willing to voluntarily give data information for a quality magazine.

Thank you, Joe. You can find his books on Amazon or check out his blog at joepulizzi.com

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by Jeanne Grunert

Cause Marketing Considerations

You may not be familiar with the term cause marketing, but you're probably familiar with brands of all sorts touting the Black Lives Matter hashtag or a similar cause they believe in. Brand have participated in cause marketing since 1974 when 7-11 convenience stores issued collectible cups to commemorate the 1973 Endangered Species Act. Since then, many brands seem compelled to align themselves with a cause.

When the cause is chosen with care and aligns with the company's brand positioning, mission, and vision, it can be a great boost for the company.

However, just because a cause is popular doesn't mean it's right for every brand. Before you append that hashtag, add a frame to your company's profile picture, or drape your website in blue/pink/green/black/or rainbow colors, think carefully. There are many considerations to weigh to ensure that cause marketing supports rather than detracts from your brand.

What Is Cause Marketing?

The original meaning of cause marketing was to align a for-profit brand with a non-profit to support the missions of both. The purpose of cause marketing is to showcase a brand's corporate social responsibility while simultaneously generating positive feelings in the general public.

There are several benefits that brands receive when they participate in cause-related marketing campaigns.

What Are the Benefits of Cause-Related Marketing?

• Positive public relations. Consider the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, which almost always generates lots of positive publicity for brand. Photos of women of all sizes, shapes, colors and ages walking in solidarity to raise money for their sisters suffering from breast cancer is a powerful image and seen throughout October as walks continue across the nation. This form of cause marketing raises over $115 million annually for breast cancer research.
• Increased visibility. Along with the positive public relations comes increased visibility, which also boosts the company's brand awareness among their target consumers.
• Additional marketing opportunities. How many companies participate in awareness campaigns? Supermarkets are "pink washed" in October as breast cancer awareness month and the subsequent alignment of brands ranging from yogurt to frozen meals takes front and center. Affixing the cause's pink ribbon, special color, or other visual identifier to a company's public advertising and marketing helps it stand out and may lead to additional marketing opportunities.
• Increased sales. Some people prefer doing business with companies that align themselves with specific causes. Goya Foods voices its support for President Trump, and while liberals predicted a slump in sales, the brand experienced a temporary boost as supporters poured into markets and bought canned Goya foods. PetSmart gives local animal shelters space to show pictures (or the actual pets, as in the case of cats) in their stores. If people adopt the pet, they certainly need food, toys, and other equipment for their new family members. Supporting the cause ends up supporting the brand and increasing sales.

Drawbacks to Cause-Focused Marketing Campaigns

There are also several drawbacks to cause-based campaigns.

• Skepticism: Given how many brands rushed to declare themselves woke, equitable, and fair to all colors/creeds/sexual preferences in 2020 in the wake of the riots and other racial unrest in the United States, it's no wonder that the public can be skeptical. If a brand's values and attitudes do not align with the cause, consumers can spot it a mile away. A line of inexpensive clothing produced in Pakistan that suddenly declares itself against the exploitation of workers may get hoots of laughter instead of support because clearly, to produce a $5 t-shirt they aren't coddling their workers. Similarly, a company known for its antipathy to female workers that suddenly calls itself equitable or voices support for more women on boards of directors is also opening itself to criticism.
• Money: Consumers also want to know exactly how much money a company does indeed give to support a cause. If they choose a more expensive brand because it supports a cause they believe in, how much of their purchase goes towards the charity?
• Oversaturation: Too many brands leaping into cause marketing has led to consumers feeling jaded by all the colorful ribbons, slogans, and hashtags. They are overly saturated with messages about problems and how brands support, solve, or stand strong with whatever. It leads to message numbness in the marketplace.

Choose Your Cause Carefully

Given the pros and cons of cause marketing, brand would be wise to choose their causes carefully.

When I worked for Martin Viette Nurseries, one of the top nursery and garden centers in the nation, their specific 'cause' was the local Mental Health Association. The company donated the beautiful location on Long Island to host an annual gala.

Now, there is nothing wrong with supporting this charity or another health-related charity if you're a garden center. It certainly was a great cause. But it did absolutely nothing to support the brand. A charity gala is just one step. To successfully convert the event into a cause marketing campaign, other relationships could have been developed.

• The garden center may have hosted workshops on how gardening improves mental health, with speakers from the mental health association
• They may have donated gardening tools, supplies, or landscape design to the local mental health hospital
• They may have put signs around the nursery during mental health months etc.

Just hosting the gala was one way to align with a cause but not an effective form of brand marketing.

Should You Jump on the Latest Social Cause?

As I mentioned before, many companies leaped before they looked at the cause marketing scene in 2020. They pinned hashtags to their posts, demanded that their employees forswear allegiance to organizations, and promoted their own version of social justice warriorhood to their employees and customers.

There are several problems with this (lack of) strategy, however:

• Before trumpeting support for any cause through your corporate communications channels and aligning your brand with a cause directly or indirectly, make sure you are completely aware of all of the connotations and denotations of the cause.
• Ask yourself: Is this cause something that my avatar or target customer would support? You'll lessen the risk of brand/cause mismatch by taking the time to understand who your target customers are and what they care about (hint: it's not what YOU care about that matters).
• Does this cause align with my brand's mission and vision? If you don't have a stated brand mission and vision, work on that first before declaring your undying love of a cause.

Alignment Is the Key to Cause Marketing Success

Cause marketing is a powerful way to boost both a for-profit and a non-profit by aligning both together to share a value-driven message. It goes awry when there's a mismatch and it thrives when both resonate with the target customer. Consider carefully this alignment before jumping on the cause campaign train.

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by Jeanne Grunert

How to Write a Business Email - Watch Your Tone

You may think you don't need to learn how to write a business email (or Slack message, or Skype). After all, you've probably been sending business emails for years, perhaps since you began working.

During this unusual time in history in which everyone is working virtually, learning how to write a business email is essential. Not just any email, but one that considers emotion and tone.

How to Write a Business Email

I'm older than most of you reading this, and I didn't begin my career writing emails. In fact, email didn't exist when I started my first full-time job.

Instead, when necessary, communications were typed in a specific format called a memo. These formal communications followed a very traditional format and tone; and, because they were typed (on an IBM Selectric, no less), each one was crafted with diligence and precision.

Emails, on the other hand, can be dashed off as quickly as one can type. Skype and Slack messages pose even great problems because they are often typed as part of the ebb and flow of a conversation.

These conversations taking place in cyberspace using pixels and emojis often lack the nuances of actual in-person conversations. Lacking physical expressions, gestures, and the subtle cues people give each other during the give-and-take of conversations, arguments, and meetings, they can be misunderstood.

Mind Your Tone! Emotional Mistakes Made in Writing

Have you ever been in an email war of words? It usually starts when one person mistakenly "reads" into the tone of the initial email. What began as an innocent attempt at communication ends up in a string of ever-increasing angry emails that may end up as a phone call or virtual meeting to straighten things out.

What leads to such email wars? Emotional mistakes in tone.

What is tone in writing?

Tone, according to the literary definition, is the attitude of the writer towards his or her subject.

Word choice conveys a great deal of the tone in any piece of literature, including instant messages, emails, and other communications.

Ritchie Blackmore, guitarist of the rock band Deep Purple, said something in a documentary on the making of their (awesome) album Machine Head (yes huge Purple fan here) that underscores the importance of tone.

"When things are positive, the management always says 'we' as in 'We're going up the charts!' But if something is negative, it's you: 'You're going down the charts.'"

Ritchie is sensitive to tone. The choice of management's words -- we verus you -- is a perfect illustration of tone. Sensitivity to tone enables him to read instantly into the situation. He knows that if the record company sends a message such as "Can you talk?" it's probably something unpleasant whereas "We would like to talk to you" it may be positive.

Words Matter

Your choice of words matters a great deal when crafting email messages. As you're writing your emails, your brain chooses words seemingly on its own. But your intuitive understanding of the connotation of each words - it's unspoken bias or meaning - helps you choose the "right" words to convey what you truly feel.

Learning How to Write a Business Email - 5 Steps to Avoid Miscommunication

Without the nuance of spoken language, emails can be construed as passive-aggressive. "Let's talk" can start an email war of words. "I'm not clear about the direction of the program - can we speak at 1 o'clock and go over the details?" is a much better way of asking for the same conversation.

Let's avoid those war of words and look at 5 steps to avoid miscommunication when you write a business email.

1. Pause before you hit send, especially when angry or upset. Your brain is merrily tootling along choosing words as your fingers fly across the keyboard. You may think that your message is neutral when you want to reach through the monitor and throttle a coworker, but your brain's circumventing your common sense and selects a few choice hot button words sure to begin the dreaded war or words. Pausing before you hit send, rereading messages, and changing hot button phrases can defuse problems before they start.
2. Watch out for typos. A typo may be simply that - a typo - or it can convey that you are so angry your fingers are flying over the keyboard. It can also make your communications appear rushed and unprofessional. While typos are common in instant messages and text, often due to the smaller keyboards and quick nature of the responses, eliminate typos from emails to avoid sending unintended messages about your urgency or tone. A program such as Grammarly, which can check all types of written communications including social media messages, instant messages, and emails, can highlight typos for correction on screen.
3. Walk away from the computer. Did something set you off? Walk away from the computer and let the message cool. We're all working in a strange environment now with kids screaming in the background, dogs barking, and the stress-relieving afternoon Starbucks run a thing of the past. As we learn how to navigate the new work from home environment in which kids need the computer, spouses need quiet to close a deal, and you need the video for a conference call, it's no wonder that little things trigger emotions. Walking away and pausing before answering can save a world of hurt.
4. Don't use emoticons. The Harvard Business Review (of all places) accepts the inevitable use of emoticons. I don't mind them in Skype or Slack messages - I was famous for using my "Queen" emoticon when making editorial pronouncements at one job - but using too many in a formal email looks amateurish and unprofessional. It's a smart idea to avoid emoticons, especially in an email.
5. Use email appropriately. Email is best for conveying lengthier thoughts. Use instant messenger for quick questions. In other words, don't hit "Respond All" and say "Thank you" or "Yes."

Better Emails, Easier Communications

If you're struggling with how to write a business email, and you're uncomfortable writing longer emails, think about how you can overcome your discomfort. What's holding you back?

Right now, we're all struggling to work virtually, juggling Slack, Skype, text, and email messages. But let's face it: email is also an important aspect of all workplace communications, pandemic or no pandemic. Learning how to write effective business emails is an important skill everyone should master.

(c) by Jeanne Grunert - "the Marketing Writer" at Seven Oaks Consulting, a content marketing writing agency in Prospect, Virginia.

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by Jeanne Grunert

B2B Content Marketing Writing - Sell the Story First

When it comes to B2B content marketing writing, you must sell the story first. Here's what that means to your business and brand.

B2B Content Marketing Writing

Tell the Story First

Everyone loves a good story. From the time we're able to understand the world around us, the words "once upon a time" transport us to new worlds.

This is the power that we tap into when we tell brand stories. Unlike product descriptions or sales copy, brand stories shape perception by engaging the imagination.

Scientists tell us that information flows in different directions in the brain depending on whether we engage our imagination or reality. Sales copy which focuses on product descriptions engages the reality centers. Stories, on the other hand, engage the imaginative centers of the brain.

Despite the difference in how the information flows through the brain, imagination is perceived as reality by our minds. What this means to content marketers is that encouraging consumers to imagine themselves using a product (videos or stories) or facing a similar problem in which the product solves (case studies) brings people one step closer to actually owning the product. Engaging the imagination feels real; the next step is to make it real by owning the product.

Content Marketing Writing Storytelling Basics

Like all good writing, good B2B content marketing writing includes the basics of strong narration:

• A hero
• A villain
• A challenge to overcome
• A beginning, middle, and end

Let's look at an example: manufacturing ERP software. ERP, or enterprise resource planning software, is a business process management software. It integrates many areas of business knowledge, including accounting, finances, manufacturing, supply chain, inventory, and more.

Companies researching ERP software have a problem. Perhaps that problem is siloed information, a common problem faced by manufacturing firms that add software piecemeal over time and find that it's no longer working well for their needs.

Our hero, in this case, is the software. Let's name it Software X. Software X challenges a villain. The villain is the proliferation of software across the company. The challenge to overcome is how to synchronize information across multiple departments and plant locations.

One Narrative, Multiple Formats and Channels

I love writing B2B content marketing writing stories because one story can turn into multiple formats for a variety of channels.

Once I have the gist of the story and a hero, villain, and challenge in mind, I can then spin the story in many ways for different audiences.

I might:

• Write a series of blog posts about the "villain" or problem of older software not communicating with one another. The bad guy in this scenario is lost profits and time.
• Narrate it as a story using illustrations of a child's game of telephone where messages get lost as they are passed along. Removing steps in the transfer of information maintain data integrity and accuracy.
• Choose a different angle on the problem, such as how much time is wasted by gathering raw data and inputting it into spreadsheets in order to make it usable by the organization.

Once the basic story format is known, you can spin so many narratives and formats from it that it starts to fill an editorial calendar by itself!

In every case, the B2B content marketing writing begins with figuring out the story angle.

Every brand tells a story. The implicit promise, the problem solved, the villain conquered. Figure out the characters in your story and you'll engage the imagination of your customers, motivating them to take action.

 

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by Jeanne Grunert

SEO Expert Reveals 3 Secret Optimization Tips

As an SEO expert, especially in the realm of marketing writing, I have my 'secret optimization' tips that I use to really grab Google's attention in the SERPs.

These are my three most powerful SEO tips.

SEO Expert Tips

These secrets aren't some arcane knowledge available only to a powerful few. They aren't really secrets, either -- just search engine optimization techniques that the average site owner or blogger doesn't bother with using.

1. Optimize your images
2. Use plenty of internal links
3. Write in a natural, conversational style

1. Optimize Your Images

Images are the unsung heroes of search engine optimization. Many people use Google Images to find out more about a topic of interest. Just the other day, I used Google's Image search to identify a bug, check on a rash on my cat, and find a map of a city I used to live in. Okay, weird searches to be sure, but a Cooperative Extension website, veterinary hospital site, and a town website each received search engine traffic from those images.

When optimizing images, be sure to incorporate several best practices:

• License images properly and be sure to follow use and attribution requirements or take your own pictures
• Resize images from your camera to minimize the file size! This is super important. Big images slow down your website and Google hates slow sites. Resize as JPGs to the proper size for your site.
• Use a compression tool such as the Smush WordPress plugin to further shrink image file size and make them load faster.
• Rename the file with your keyword phrase.
• Add an alt tag that accurately describes the image and utilizes a keyword phrase or synonym if appropriate

SEO experts agree that optimizing images may help boost your posts!

2. Use plenty of internal links

I love internal links for SEO for a variety of reasons. Not only do they link to other content on your site as a helpful resource to readers but they give Google's crawls more pathways to follow to find and index additional pages.

Use plenty of internal links but be sure to link from a keyword phrase or at least a useful phrase. Avoid "click here" and "learn more." Yes, I know, this SEP expert has indeed done that on this website, but I do so only when it is a simple call to action. Blog posts like this one are linked from within to juicy keyword phrases.

3. Write in a natural, conversational style

Have you heard of BERT? BERT is Google's new natural language processing code and it is driving an enormous change throughout many industries. It's an open-source code, which means that Google has shared it with other companies, too.

BERT processes language in context. It can read the words both before and after a phrase to understand a search query better. Unlike other artificial intelligence language processors that look at words in sequence, BERT can understand everything in context...so it knows when you mean the past or present tense of the verb "read" for example.

More people search using voice-activated tools than ever before and that trend is likely to continue in the future. The more natural your online content sounds, the better.

Avoid stilted, outdated SEO writing that uses rigid rules to infuse keyword phrases into the content. The days of writing X keywords Y number of times into the content and calling it a day are over and have been since 2012.

Natural writing, conversational writing, and writing that matches a user's query exactly carry more weight with Google than ever before.

Revise, Refresh, Keep Writing

Revise and refresh old blog posts. Keep writing new ones.

One of the beautiful things about the internet and search engine optimization is that it's never-ending. I used to think of it as "once and done" but it's really an ongoing, evolutionary process.

As you learn more about SEO, use what you have learned to improve old posts..

If you need help, we're running a Winter Blogging Special to help you produce SEO blog writing that gets your blog noticed.

 

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by Jeanne Grunert