Being Content With Your Content: How to Know If It's Time to Change

Several years ago, I penned a song entitled “Content” [kuh n-tent] that was all about being satisfied.  Everyone pronounced it “content” [kon-tent] and thought it was a placeholder for the actual title. It’s a little ironic actually. Is a musician every content with his or her pieces? Marketers, too, often find themselves asking this question often: am I content with my content?

Author and historian, A. Wyatt Tilby, first used the expression “content is king” in 1914. However, he wasn’t referring to copy, video or audio, but rather to being satisfied. We think of this as a positive thing today, but Tilby spoke of the British monarchy when content was a derivative of “constrained” or “contained.” So, for a royal, their content audience was captive. Literally.

So, how do you keep your audience’s captive attention? By taking innovative and fresh approaches that keep readers informed, entertained and empowered to do more in their daily lives. Here are five ways to know if you can be content with your content or if it is time to change:

1. You are excited for others to read it

This may seem obvious but if the content doesn’t excite you – as the subject matter expert – it isn’t the right approach or needs more work. No matter your profession, we are all called to write and persuade or inform others from time to time – be it a manager, coworker, customer, patient or client. For some, writing is all they do in their jobs, and it comes naturally. For others, it’s a dreaded task. The key is to find opportunities to write about subjects that excite you. When you do, it becomes easier to create content with which you can be content. You may need to stretch the boundaries of your writing comfort zone, and research for supporting sources. But in doing so, the content will be strengthened and ultimately, professional expertise will be heightened. Now, if that isn’t exciting, I don’t know what is.

The key is to find opportunities to write about subjects that excite you.

2. Ask a trusted, skeptical colleague to review

Before you hit “go live” on any piece of content, seek out your most trusted, skeptical colleague to give it a thorough review. He or she needn’t be an expert in the topic of the piece, but you do want their unbiased and honest opinion about the aesthetics, clarity, and audience-perceived value of your content. Does the headline grab the reader and pull them in? Is it true to the “meat” of the piece or is it simply click bait? The latter, while a heavily used tactic these days, can damage your credibility with your audience. Take in all feedback and make adjustments to your content to ensure your audience has the utmost opportunity to engage with, and derive meaningful takeaways.

3. The content has been active for more than three months

Now, let’s talk about the “lifespan” of an effective piece of content. Once you have your ad, whitepaper, blog or video “in the wild,” and your audiences are consuming it, you’ll want to consider how long to promote it. The duration may vary according to the traffic it gets and the resonance of its message with the intended audience. If the piece – whether being promoted via paid venues, or lives organically on your website – has been running for three months or more (or you can’t remember when it was changed), it is probably time for an update. The best way to remain content with your content is to ensure your audience doesn’t have a chance to get bored.

4. It has been seen by your core customers more than seven times

Closely tied to recommended lifespan of your content is the marketing “Rule of Seven,” which states that audiences need to see your content seven times to remember and/or take action on it. If the content is compelling, it can make an impact sooner than seven times. If the content is run-of-the-mill, it can be seen more before becoming redundant. If you’ve used the content in your rotation at least seven times, it’s a good practice to change the content before it becomes too familiar and easily tuned out.

5. The Call to Action is no longer effective

“Call to Action” (CTA) defines the desired behavior of the viewer: buy the product, watch this movie, or shop this store. Although it can be difficult, it is important to measure the results of your content based on your CTA. Pay attention to the messages your audiences are sending to you via the CTA: e.g., are they opening your emails; are they clicking the links; are they visiting your page to learn more; are they sharing or commenting on your content? These are all important indicators of message and content resonance. Monitoring the results of your CTA helps you understand if your CTA is compelling enough, or perhaps it is time to refresh the content.

This article was originally posted on Leaders In Heels. 

LieFi

LieFi: fake news online

Own Your Career and Find Balance

It was a pleasure to talk with Angela Mezzetti from Women in Leadership about owning your career. Check out the recording of our fun conversation: Own Your Career and Find Balance.

Sidewalks on the Map

"In a walking city, shouldn't the sidewalks be on the map, instead of the streets?" - Mike Rawlinson, CityID

Data is No Match for Narrative

Garr Reynolds, the presentation coach and author of PresentationZen wrote recently on Twitter:

“What I learned from watching US election coverage on cable news today: feelings beat evidence and fact, data are no match for narrative.”

I think this is truer than we’d all like to admit.  Not only in the US election coverage, but in our lives and business.  The story is what anchors and provides meaning to the facts, not the other way around.
 

Why does Amazon buy cardboard?

Amazon must be a huge consumer of kraft cardboard. We have a model in which product is shipped in cardboard and then, in most communities, is picked up at the curb for recycling. Why don’t we turn this around?

Why aren’t the deliveries made in something akin to a mailbox, but for packages. With limited packaging (ie, soft packaging, reusable totes, etc) and then we have curbside or community drop off of goods? 

Today the brick and mortar retail world relies on customers picking up goods from a store and trashing the packaging at home. What if it was the opposite? The goods were delivered to the home and we dropped off the packaging (on our own schedule). As tools like Amazon become more ubiquitous, the infrastructure for curbside reusable pick-up is a natural next step.
 

Go Together

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." -African Proverb

Speak in Numbers. Build the Story.

Often passionate leaders and visionaries resist expressing their vision in quantitative benefits.  Although the story narrative around customer benefits is very important and can lead to the kind of sticky, emotional connection that everyone strives for, if you can also quantify the benefit in terms of dollars saved or earned, time saved, injuries or deaths prevented, or other outcome improvements, the message is much stronger and more credible.  I recently heard Norman Winarsky, author of If You Want to Change the World, express it well when he said “the more you can quantify the benefits, the more customers will understand.”  Numbers don’t stand on their own, typically, but they are a strong pillar on which to build the story.
 

Just Do It

“The talking about the thing isn’t the thing.  The doing of the thing is the thing.” – Amy Poehler

If it is an epidemic to have people confuse activity with results, then it is even more tempting to confuse talking about work with actual work.  Talking about what you are going to do is not doing it.  Only doing it counts.  

Talking about what you should have done is even worse.  It’s not work and will never result in work, unless your work is time travel.
 

Shared Sense of Occasion

Don't have an occasion to celebrate? Invent one. 

You are Gold: the cost of paying attention

In the world of advertising sponsored media (starting with the TV and extending now to games and apps on our devices), the attention we give is what is being sold to the brands sponsoring the content.  Our attention is for sales.  We don’t use the apps.  They are using us.  We might be thinking we are mining for gold in Minecraft, but in fact, we are the gold.  Our attention being traded for revenue.

Mara Zepeda and Samuel Hulick recently calculated the value of our attention on the Facebook platform using their current ad rates.  They estimated that our attention on the platform is being sold to advertisers for something like 12-cents an hour.  Apparently, that is what our attention is worth.  And frankly, it is worth even less, because we are not the one earning.

We should pay attention to what we pay attention to because they aren’t paying you for attention.  Make sure the value you are getting is worth the gold you are trading.

The Building Block of All Luck is Curiosity

"The building block of all luck is curiosity." -Art Gensler

Customer Feedback

Nothing beats customer verbatims.  Marketing teams might roll-up feedback from surveys.  Sales teams may advocate for their accounts.  But nothing is more powerful than the words (or video) of a customer talking about their experience.  Find more ways to get that into the organization and your products will be better and your customers more loyal.

Fighting for Diversity: from the room where it happens

By now, you all have seen fearless girl statue by Kristen Visbal that State Street Global Advisors placed facing down the bull on Wall Street to bring visibility to the lack of diversity on corporate boards of directors.  The symbolism of a girl facing down the charging bull and sticking up for herself is resonating and it has already become a popular tourist attraction in New York City as girls line-up to strike a super hero pose alongside their bronze muse.

Although the statue appears to be defiantly advocating for herself, I can tell you from experience the real key to gaining diversity on boards is to have white, middle aged men take a stand and fight for diversity.  Capable women, people of color, and other minority groups require advocacy from inside “the room where it happens” (to quote my favorite political hip hop musical, Hamilton).  Seats at the table are advocated from peers within that room and within the leadership ranks that exist. 

This year, I joined the Leadership Search Committee for InfoComm International, the trade association for the commercial AV industry.  In this role, I am working with a team who is tasked with identifying talent to fill critical committee leads, board positions, and officer roles for the organization.  The committee’s conversation has focused on making sure that the nominees is capable, high integrity, engaged, and willing to serve and that we are building the leadership pipeline to preserve and growth the organization into the future.

As we work on the appointment recommendations and election slates for the coming year, we are really challenging ourselves to be strategic and find geographic, racial, gender, and company type diversity to the leadership pipeline.  In a male-dominated technology industry, diversity doesn’t happen without conscious and disciplined effort.  I am inspired by my committee peers, both men and women, who are doing the difficult work of developing industry talent and encouraging people to serve and lead. It requires determination and persistence.  It requires resourcefulness to find the qualified candidates that also represent diverse perspectives.  It, like other good things, requires struggle to achieve and is best accomplished together.

The InfoComm organization is an example of one who is very purposeful about building their leadership pipeline and thinking long-term about what is best for the organization.  Other organizations and companies who take this approach reward their stakeholders with great returns.  I applaud the work that is being done both on non-profit and commercial boards across the country and the world, the world many of you are spearheading, to add diverse perspectives to their governance: those who are daring to grow talent and advocate for opportunities for that talent to serve.  Fearless, indeed.

Originally published in LinkedIn's The Pulse

Skidding in Broadside

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” - Hunter S. Thompson

Here Are Ten Ways to Listen More

"The key to learning is listening. It was great to talk to CEO World about this important topic. I confess I'm still learning to apply my own advice here, so I'd better listen up!"

Everyone knows that great leaders are great listeners. But as senior level professionals, our opportunity to listen diminishes as we are the people in the room that introduce new ideas, present plans, answer questions. When we do listen, many of us are guilty of preparing our response, thinking about the implications, or predicting what the speaker will say next, instead of truly listening.

How can we tap into the thoughts from our staff? Here are ten ways that you (and I) can listen more.

1. Stop talking.

When someone is speaking to you, let them finish their entire thought before responding. It sounds simple, but it is harder in practice. Even when we agree, we often interrupt to show we understand the point by talking over the speaker before they have finished their thought. In disagreements, we might talk over the person to communicate our counter viewpoint. But when you stop talking and better yet, pause before you respond, you will likely hear something in that last trailing sentiment that you might not have heard if you had interrupted to rush your reply.

2. Advocate for the person speaking.

As you master the skill of refraining from interrupting, you will notice how often others interrupt. Be an advocate for the person speaking – not necessarily agreeing with their position but asking others to let them finish their statement.   

3. Don’t multitask.

In our fast-paced society, multi-tasking is celebrated. But to truly listen, the person speaking deserves our full attention. Be fully present throughout the conversation by taking notes and asking follow up questions as needed. By focusing on their words instead of using the time for other responsibilities, we can be more productive in that moment, gaining more clarity for that topic and potentially save time in the future by eliminating misinterpretation.

4. Let someone else lead the conversation.

As senior level professionals, we are inclined to determine the topic, set the agenda and carry the conversation. But when we let someone else lead, whether it be a meeting, group discussion or 1:1, we can empower others voices to be heard while giving ourselves an opportunity to stop, listen and reflect.  By being fully present in the moment with the person speaking or leading the conversation you communicate respect and encourage leadership amongst your team members.

5. Ask open ended questions.

When my kids started in school, I would ask them about their day and get brisk “it was fine” or “good” answers. I asked a friend how he got his teenagers to share details of their day and he recommended starting the daily conversation with a story starter, such as “I dropped you off at school, then what happened?” With a storytelling prompt, I found that it was easier for the kids to recall details about their teacher, friends, lessons and activities. In business, this technique works well as you lead people through a timeline, putting them in the moment and likely down a path you wouldn’t have heard if the question could be answered with one word.

6. Be open to old ideas.

As senior professionals, we’ve experienced many of the same situations repeatedly and original ideas and solutions are far and few between. When we hear an idea we’ve already proposed to colleagues or a solution have tried ourselves, we tend to stop listening, often interrupting the speaker with a statement “we already did that.” But if we take time to listen more, we can consider how the environment, products, and other variables have changed since our last attempt. If the context has changed, we might have a solution that could work again or for the first time. By listening more effectively, we can open ourselves to old ideas.  

7. Repeat back what the person said.

Reflecting listening skills are a tried and true method for increasing understanding and empathy. By summarizing the speaker’s thoughts in their own words, you demonstrate that you are engaged and understand their statement. If there is a misinterpretation, summarizing gives the speaker an opportunity to clarify and continue the conversation knowing you are both on the same page and leading to a more productive outcome.

8. Create environments to listen.

One reason we might not hear from our team is we haven’t made the time to listen. Schedule meetings and secure a meeting place that allows for conversation. If there is a specific topic you want to learn about, share a few questions before the meeting, kick off with a reminder of those questions, then stop talking and start learning. Scheduling your undivided attention shows your commitment to listening to your employees.  

If it’s not possible to meet individually, schedule small group meetings, regularly host open office hours, or make time at the end of a team meeting for open Q&A. Dedicating consistent time to listen to your team, shows that you value their opinions and want to learn from their areas of expertise.

9. Listen with your eyes.

A small child asked his mother if he could tell her a story while she was cooking. The mom responded “sure” but didn’t move her eyes from her cooking task. Moments later she looked down and asked why he wasn’t telling her the story and the boy responded “you weren’t listening with your eyes.”

Maintaining eye contact with the speaker demonstrates they have your full attention and allows you to pick up on their body language – their passion and excitement or their uneasiness about the topic. Listening with your eyes as well as your ears gives you clues to how the speaker is reacting to their own words and gives you greater insight.

10. Act on the conversation.

Perhaps the real value of listening more is the response it elicits. After the conversation, take time to think about the learnings – write down thoughts and any action items. Commit to following up with the person, even if you don’t have an immediate update – circling back to reference the conversation shows that you listened and have learned from what was shared.

In the News

It was great to chat with Gary Kayye on Rants and rAVes again. Tune in to Episode 582: Planar & Leyard Will Show 0.9mm LED and New Rental Solutions at DSE to hear about the innovative displays we'll be showing off at DSE 2017.

The Instagram Life

I heard Joey Harrington, the famed college quarterback who floundered in the NFL, talk recently about failure and not living up to expectations.  He mentioned the challenges of having “Instagram life” and trying to keep up with the virtual Joneses.  To illustrate his point, he showed the mocking social handle @SocialityBarbie, where the Mattel doll was placed in “typical”, white-washed posts online to mock how people aren’t authentic online.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth a look and a laugh.

But a more serious thought occurred to me.  I was struck by the interesting phrase, “Instagram life.”  Instagram is a platform, sure.  It’s a social technology, sure.  But it’s also a brand.  What other technology brand gives you “life”?  I’ve never heard someone refer to their “Whirlpool life,” or their “Arco life” or their “TiVO life.”  No, it’s an Instagram life.  Or a Facebook life.  Or perhaps even a LinkedIn life.  The platform where a corporate brand and a person’s identity combine into something resembling…well, neither.

As I reflect on this, I think any “life” that is so one-sided as to only show the good, is no life at all.  We all know heartache and the lessons that disappointment have taught.  Any “life” that can be seemingly controlled, curated, and “hashtagged” (is that a verb yet?), isn’t a life.  Real life is famously (and infuriatingly) uncontrolled, filled with surprises (both good and bad), and defies simple labels.  Unlike an “Instagram life,” real life is neither “instant” nor just a “gram” (ie, a communication).  It is an experience of sorrow and triumph and better lived together.  Not socially (as in social media), but socially (as in human connection).

Rewarding Impulsiveness

Ecommerce, mobile payments, and related technologies have taken friction out of the purchase process.  And successfully completing tasks and “retail therapy” have proven psychological effects.  I am sure this has implications for the future of our spending habit and our relationship with stuff and money in the future.  It is important for us to recognize when impulsivity is being rewarded.  And make sure we are aware of the personal impact and implications and make good choices, even when bad choices are being rewarded.

What You Can Learn in 7 Minutes?

I am excited to participate again this year in Portland Business Journals' BizWomen Mentoring Monday on April 3rd.  After introductions and a delicious breakfast at The Sentinel Hotel, they will set up 40 of us around the room to meet in a "speed dating" format with as many women as possible in short increments.  7 conversations, 7 minutes each.

You might be wondering what you could possibly get done in 7 minutes?  And I can tell you having been on both sides of the table at this event, you can accomplish a lot.  If you have a goal in mind and you talk to the right person.

My first year attending, I visited with leaders from companies as diverse as Blue Cross Blue Shield to Waggner Edstrom.  And I received great advice.  We skipped the "get to know" you steps of mentoring.  We skipped the pleasantries where we tried to be nice to each other.  We went right to the point.  I asked their advice and then gave it - unfiltered and extremely practical.  I brought questions, queued up behind people who were knowledgable about my topics of interest, and they provided distilled wisdom that I found very useful and actionable.

Last year, I tried to do the same for the people who talked to me.  Several of them followed up and we met up for coffee and a longer conversation.  I found it very rewarding and hope they received some insights as well.  If you were one of the ones I spoke with last time, please come see me again!  I'd love to find out what the last year has brought you and what new challenges or opportunities you are facing.

The women they have assembled as mentors this year are a diverse and accomplished crowd of business leaders in Portland from a variety of industries and backgrounds.  They include the following, including myself:

• Christy Aleckson, Owner, Single Point Financial Advisors
• Rebecca Armstrong, Managing Director/ Principal, North
• Kyra Bussanich, Owner, Kyra's Bake Shop
• Jeanne Carver, Co-Owner, Imperial Carver Ranch
• Stacey Dodson, President, U.S. Bank
• Angela Dowling, President, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
• Debra Dunn, President, Synergy Resources Group
• Jill Eiland, PBA Oncore Fellow
• Angie Galimanis, Owner and President, Lawrence PR
• Alyssa Gasca, Owner, Spark Executive Solutions
• Missy Gerber, President, Organizers Northwest
• Anna Hutson, Founder & CEO, Avenue
• Margie Hunt, CEO, Special Olympics Oregon
• Laurie Kelley,   President and Chief Development Officer, Oregon Region Foundations,    Providence Health & Services
• Tara Leigh Kinateder,  Senior Vice President and Private Client Advisor, US Trust
• Tara Kramer, CEO and Owner, Ri-Ky Roofing and Sheet Metal LLC
• Elizabeth Large, General Counsel Executive
• Ivo Lukas, CEO, 24Notion
• Juliana Lukasik, Principal/Director, Large Films
• Diana Marsden, Owner, Aries Apparel
• Janeen McAninch, President, Becker Capital Management
• Judith McGee, Chair/CEO, McGee Wealth Management
• Serena Morones, Owner, Morones Analytics
• Francine Read, President, VOICES, INC.
• Jan Robertson, Chief Operating Officer, Norris, Beggs & Simpson Companies
• Sara Schmidt, Creative Director, IDL Worldwide
• Ellen Schmidt Devlin, Director, Sports Product Management Program, University of Oregon
• Jennifer Sheasgreen, President, Triumph Healthcare Finance
• Angela Sheehan, CFO, Glumac
• Ann Smith, Founder/Owner, A.Wordsmith
• Janean Sorenson, Vice President, Parker | Smith | Feek
• Suzanne Stevens, Editor in Chief, Portland Business Journal
• Vanessa Sturgeon, President, TMT Development
• Chelsea Vandiver, Executive Managing Director, Ziba Design
• Michelle Weisenbach, President, Oregon & SW Washington, KeyBank
• Michelle Williams, Women Living a Richer Life Program Director, Brighton Jones
• Kimberly Wuepper Rudick, Sr. Financial Planner, New York Life

You can read their bios here.

Register here to reserve your spot!