Why Are Fewer Corporations Blogging?

Kevin McNulty (@netweave), an esteemed friend and colleague in the industry (I can see his eyes rolling — he’s so humble), asked me for my thoughts on this week’s Marketing Profs Report showing that Social Media usage among Inc. 500 companies was up, while blogging was down. Although I am far from a bandwagon jumper,…

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5 Questions to Ask Before Publishing B2B Content

We’ve been considering an “Infrequently Asked Questions” series—covering the most common mistakes B2B content teams make and how to avoid them. For now, we’re going to highlight a few of our favorites. Feel free to add your own or ask for more! 1. Did you remember to use industry jargon and acronyms? That’s right! Unlike traditional…

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Is Your B2B Content Getting the Mileage it Deserves?

Business-to-Business (B2B) marketers are forever chasing the challenge of publishing valuable, relevant content to their blogs and websites. And for good reason. Companies with blogs gather 68% more leads than those without blogs (HubSpot). Those who turn a standard blog into a well-produced, highly-relevant content machine may even see that number rise to a whopping…

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When Good Blogs Go Bad

Social Media has very few rules that are black and white. Which is why real-world examples tend to be the easiest way to demonstrate the power of these explosive marketing tools. That said, sometimes the best way to learn how to do something right is to see examples of what happens when it’s done wrong!…

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Shut Up, Listen Up, and Read!

For those of you who have endured my voice and tone workshops and training, brace yourself. Deana’s got her “rant” voice on today. If you’re a thought leader who’s genuinely ready to enlighten, educate and inspire others…awesome! Guess what? Your business will grow along with your online influence. This blog and my business are ALL…

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Writing a Blog Post That Generates Sales Leads

Generating sales leads from your blog while remaining authentic is not only possible, it’s mandatory! But, during the editorial planning and brainstorming process, it’s easy to overlook the most effective sales-generating blog post ideas. Am I saying you should rehire Your Inner Sales Guy? Heck no! I’m encouraging you to add genuine, straight-up value that…

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The Most Essential Part of Your Blog’s Design

YOU! Hmmm… I could actually just end this post right there. 🙂 It really IS that simple. As a Thought Leader, your impact doesn’t end with the content. You also need to dominate your blog’s design. That means incorporating an image of YOU in your blog’s masthead, header or another prominent, site-wide area. Feeling shy…

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Embrace and Nurture Your Followers

Once again, TED blows us away with their simplified dissection of leadership and how to “make a movement.” Key messages: You’re not a leader until you have your first follower. As a true leader, you must embrace your followers as equals! How does this translate to your online presence? Respond to comments on your blog…

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Why Uncertainty Makes For Killer Blog Content

Always let them see you sweat (a little). Whenever I speak to an audience about Blogging, Social Media or web strategy, there is that moment where I know I’m most vulnerable — The Q&A session! Although confident in my content and preparation, there’s sometimes a little crumb of fear that someone will ask questions I’m…

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How to Fire Your Inner Sales Guy

Are you hearing voices? By now you know that, as a Thought Leader, it’s critical to lose the “sales speak” when creating content. But, when writing about topics that relate to service offerings or products—we can easily slip into “sales speak” fast. Before we know it, we’ve blurted out, “Buy our stuff,” or “Call me…

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Does Your Blog Answer the Right Questions?

As an expert in your field, you have answers for your blog readers. Lots of them. But do know the right questions? Business bloggers often get too close to their expertise and passion—eventually losing touch with what readers really want to know. Many of us find ourselves going off on blogging tangents and traveling down…

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