Got an interesting newsletter from Peep Laja at Wynter.com this morning, that got me thinking of the marketer's dilemma. If a marketer does boring and safe, nobody will object. If they do as it's always been done. If they use terms like productivity, efficiency, streamlined, best-in-class, seamless. Even when every one at the table has … Continue reading The marketer’s dilemma
Tag: content marketing
Prepared to communicate
If you do not have time, if you are too busy, if you have many things to do, if you are juggling different tasks. Then avoid sending important messages or giving important speeches. Effective communication requires time and intentional effort. No, you are probably not a natural communicator, and people will not get it one … Continue reading Prepared to communicate
Overestimating
We are bad at communicating in written form. We overestimate our capability to share meaning via a written message, and most importantly to share the underlying emotions, mainly because we fail to understand that our audience is often in a different state of mind. Two considerations. If you are about to send a written message, … Continue reading Overestimating
On hold
When we hear, read, or consume content, all we get is often about us. Our fears, expectations, experience, knowledge. What we think about the author, about the medium, about the source. The day we are having, the day we are not having. Likes and dislikes. How confident we are today, what we have been told … Continue reading On hold
Templates
I used to start working on presentations by opening PowerPoint (or Google Slide). Now I start on a piece of paper, perhaps with the aid of some post-its. The reason is simple. When I started planning my presentation on a set of slides, or on a template, I always ended up twisting the message to … Continue reading Templates
Positioning Bernie
If you have been around the internet in the past week, you have certainly seen it. One of the greatest example of positioning in recent times. The informal attire of Bernie Sanders to last week's presidential inaguration, the meme-frenzy that followed, and the way him and his team promptly reacted. All of it has put … Continue reading Positioning Bernie
Squeezed or integrated
There are two ways to do product marketing. Reactive product marketing is when product marketing is squeezed between departments. Product marketing managers react to the needs of the other parts of the organization. When product releases a feature, product marketing has to find a way to communicate that feature. When sales targets a new type … Continue reading Squeezed or integrated
Words
When you write copy for a website, a landing page, a brochure, a banner, an email, or any other marketing or sales material, this is a great piece of advice. Except, you should actually ask that question at word level: what is this word supposed to do? Words take up precious space on screens, and … Continue reading Words
Auto reply
Four ways companies can decide to (automatically) answer an application for an open position. #1*crickets chirp* #2Hi, we have received your application. Best Regards. #3Hi *candidate name*,Thank you for your interest in *company name*! We wanted to let you know we received your application for *open position*, and we are delighted that you would consider … Continue reading Auto reply
All-encompassing
When you are sending a message to the mass, the tendency is to make it as all-encompassing as possible, and by doing that you probably fail to make it relatable, motivating, effective. A great example is what happens every year when companies share season's greetings with their audience. And as it is possible to send … Continue reading All-encompassing
