Boston Content
Finding your next marketing role during a ...

Job hunting can be a stressful time, especially if the loss of your job or client-base was unexpected. To make matters worse, 75% of resumes are rejected before they even reach the hiring manager. As content marketers, we spend our days trying to stand out above the noise in the work we do and stories we create. So how do you carry that into the job hunt process? Especially with unemployment at historical highs as the economy navigates through COVID-19.

Finding your next marketing role during a pandemic

What to Consider When Seeking Feedback on Your Writing

Boston-based Chuck Leddy has been crafting engaging content since 1995, as a journalist and B2B brand storyteller. He's written for B2B brands such as General Electric, ADP, Office Depot, Cintas, the National Center for the Middle Market, and many more. He's also been published in print publications such as the Boston Globe, Forbes, the Washington Post, and San Francisco Chronicle. His website and blog are at www.ChuckLeddy.com.

I was asked recently to be a guest lecturer for a college writing class. The instructor asked me to share some insights about writing (I’m a brand storyteller) with her students, who were filled with energy and lots of thoughtful questions about writing. One student asked me if there was a "right" way to use feedback. The question got me thinking about that, and other, questions related to feedback. Let me answer five basic feedback-related questions here:

1. Is it always a good idea to seek feedback on your writing? The answer depends. You may be working against a tight deadline and hence have limited time to seek feedback. In these cases, I don't recommend you seek it. At other times, you may feel confident about what you're doing (perhaps due to experience) and won't necessarily feel the need to invite feedback. I generally seek feedback when there's time for it and when I feel feedback will improve my writing (in other words, when I have some doubts about what I’m doing). Usually these doubts revolve around beginnings and endings, and the overall narrative flow and tone/voice of the writing.

2. Who should you approach for feedback? It's a good idea to have two or three people you trust who are willing to provide feedback. I have a close friend who is an experienced, savvy business consultant. When I'm writing about business topics and I have time and doubts, I'll email him my draft and ask him to provide feedback. I also ask my wife for feedback. She's a skilled editor (and English teacher) and has always been able to spot weaknesses in my writing, which has been tremendously helpful. Find smart people you trust to offer feedback, and reward them for providing it (with at least a “thank you” note).

3. What feedback is “valuable”/useful? Well, it depends on what you need. I like to have feedback that spots problems in the writing, but I generally don't want the person to offer specific solutions. In my opinion, it's the writer's job to find solutions once the problems have been identified. With my wife, for example, I always ask her beforehand to point out problems but not tell me how to solve them.

On a related note, useful feedback is always about the specifics of the writing itself and never about the writer. To be useful, feedback should be as specific as possible. "Your ending doesn't feel right," for instance, isn't very useful. It recognizes a problem, but the writer wants to understand the problem in more detail. Better feedback might be: "The ending doesn't seem to tie together with the rest of what you've written, so it seems tacked on at the end because you ran out of space or couldn’t think of something more organic." With this latter feedback, I can analyze and solve the problem. All good writers must be strong problem-solvers once specific problems present themselves through feedback.

4. What if the feedback is more about the person giving feedback than the writer or the writing? Then it’s bad feedback the writer can feel free to disregard. Sometimes, the giver of feedback would handle the writing differently, perhaps using a different tone of voice or structure. That's fine, but the writer is the owner of the work and the writing should reflect the writer's perspective. Take in all feedback, yes, but the writer retains the ultimate right to disregard it. If, for example, you write a personal essay about a painful childhood experience, nobody has the right to tell you not to share that story or to make it more upbeat. These choices are the writer’s alone.

5. Do the same feedback rules apply to editors? Yes, but editors should be able to both identify problems and also help you resolve them with precise, actionable suggestions. Editors are supposed to understand the "editorial voice" of the publication or client, so if a writer is off target with the voice/tone, a good editor will help you get back on target. Like a good writer, a good editor is also a problem-solver. Editors who merely point out problems (“The tone doesn't feel quite right. Can you change it?") are not effective editors, and writers won't much enjoy writing for them. When you find an editor adept at providing good feedback, keep working with that editor.

The best practice would be to start asking for more feedback and learning how to use it as you go. That will take time and patience, but will also improve the way you work and the writing output itself. For this reason, and in the right context, good feedback is a gift you should seek out and use wisely.

Telling Stories in the Post-Text World

Ed Harrison is the SVP, B2B Tech Practice Lead at InkHouse.

A version of this post initially appeared on the InkHouse blog.

Are you ready for the post-text future?

(I acknowledge the irony of using the written word to comment on its de-emphasis.)

Earlier this year, the New York Times’ Farhad Manjoo headlined a collective of reporters cataloging the trends shaping the digital world.

The takeaway? While words still matter, video, images and audio have taken the lion’s share of our attention from text-based content — attention spans that were already lagging behind that of a goldfish.

From the longform journalism of the New York Times’ podcast The Daily to Google’s ambitious Accelerated Mobile Pages format for publishers, major media players are embracing new ways to create, publish and distribute their content. Our increasingly digitized lifestyle also presents new opportunities for marketers and PR pros to rethink the way we tell stories using fewer words, and more, rich content, such as:

Less Is More

We all know the media landscape is changing (again). My colleague Tina Cassidy recently shared her conversation with a senior editor at a major news outlet. No one is reading the glut of news, and publishers are favoring “fewer stories, but more impactful ones.” PR is staying apace, so the time has come to shed our “more is better approach” and, instead, focus on generating fewer, better stories targeted at key audiences, measured with real data.

As communicators, the post-text world simultaneously changes everything — and nothing. The assets may be more visual, but the foundation — a strong story, grounded in authenticity and extended with a unique point of view — remains critical.

What We Worked on at #FieldDay2018

Last Friday, Boston Content members convened at WeWork South Station to work alongside one another for the day. In addition to collaborating with other content pros while getting that "to do" list done, here's a quick recap of what we worked on during #FieldDay2018:

“Search ads and SEO.”
— Carl Blume, Principal, Atlantic Marketing Advisors
“ I’ll be working on getting out 1 regular blog post, 1 tech blog post, and the company’s weekly Thought Leadership Roundup email, which keeps everyone updated on the week’s social and thought leadership content. ”
— Allison Grinberg-Funes, Marketing Manager, Raizlabs
“Will be working on a white paper for Boston-based digital talent platform Catalant (my client). It’s titled “Re-Imagining Work 2020” and will describe why companies should be exploring “agile talent solutions,” including using Catalant’s software to find internal and external talent for their projects. The white paper will also be prescriptive, describing the steps companies can take to adopt these agile talent solutions.

Will also be preparing for a Freelancers Union “Spark” event, where I’ll be offering attendees (freelancers all) tips on effective negotiation with prospective and existing clients. Might be making some notes and thinking of ways to facilitate and open up this “negotiating” discussion with the Freelancers Union members who attend.

Lastly, will be meeting BosCon member Sean Malvey (he wrote BosCon blog recap of the Wayfair event moderated by Ann Handley) for lunch and “soccer talk.” Both Sean and I are avid soccer players and big supporters of FC Barcelona, the best soccer team in the world.
”
— Chuck Leddy, B2B Brand Storyteller, ChuckLeddy.com
“I set up a few goals for the day: 1 complete post on my own site, 1 for Medium, map out the first 2 episodes of my new podcast, and fill the rest of the time with curation/social. Maybe a little ambitious, but with enough coffee and a positive atmosphere, anything is possible!”
— Katie Dickinson, Blogger, Weird Travel Friend
“The big one right now is trying to push out a new app for online Workers’ Comp insurance quotes, so writing and checking all the content for that on our test site. And for smaller projects, I’m working on writing a style guide for the company, and a project to align and streamline our email and billing communications. ”
— Cat Anderson, UX Writer, AP Intego Insurance Group
“Today I will be working on fleshing out a new venture. Caitlin Pfitzer (also attending), founder of Independent Femail, and I are in the process of starting up a partnership. We will be working on revamping her website to reflect new offerings and tackling a couple branding statements needed for current clients.”
— Kaitlin Provencher, Associate Director, Digital Content & Strategy, Tufts University
“I’m working on a landing page to tell my crazy story for how I came to UX! I’ve found that a resume and portfolio piece aren’t effectively communicating my engineering background in a UX-centric way and I want to try something that I think will work. I’ll be generating some content and sketches today.”
— Katie Fitton, UX Designer, KatieFitton.com
“I’m writing a blog post for a client and setting up an 8-week Facebook advertising campaign for another client.”
— Janet Mesh, Freelance Content Marketer & Strategist, JanetMesh.com

Missed our Field Day event? Not to worry! Check out our events page here to learn more about our upcoming gatherings.

Why You Should Run Your Content Department Like a Newsroom

Katy Kostakis is an Account Executive and Marketing Writer and Editor for Costas Provisions Corp., a foodservice distribution firm in Boston, as well as a blogger and freelance writer. A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Telecommunication (now Mass Communication) at Arizona State University, Katy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcasting with a Major Concentration in Broadcast Journalism and a Related Field of Theatre. Her distinctive voice and writing style, with its’ conversational and highly descriptive tone, helped her find her true calling in written media. Her vast body of work includes concepts for marketing and advertising campaigns, product descriptions, lifestyle and entertainment articles, film reviews, columns, and commentary. She launched her blog, The Lioness’ Den, in January 2017. Visit The Lioness’ Den at www.lionessden.tumblr.com.

It’s no secret that those with journalism credentials excel in copy and content writing for what may be obvious to those in the “inner circle.” They have a flair for storytelling. They know the ins and outs of many industries. They will give you different styles, moods and color in every piece constructed. Journalists who have transitioned to marketing, advertising, and public relations certainly have the advantage of knowing what their brethren want to create maximum media coverage and great publicity for clients. In talking with other writers, my own journalism degree pops up in debates about tactics and practices in content creation. Everything I learned in journalism school has been applied throughout my career in both freelance writing and in my current position in sales and marketing.   

The industry has changed over time with more and more non-traditional media being at the forefront. Established methods of reporting are being uprooted in favor of influencers who cater to society’s craving for the instantaneous sharing of thought and information. People who may have not had formal instruction in certain areas that journalists are well-versed in are now responsible for content that goes public. Constant technological advancements in web and social media place every writer under a microscope, regardless of training, forte, or educational level. With a litany of concerns and “what if” scenarios that could come into play at any time, those in content need to be just as responsible as journalists in maintaining certain standards. To do that, I recommend running your content department like a newsroom. While the majority of you may never see the office of a media organization, what is expected of a journalist? How can content writers and developers benefit from following journalistic protocol? More than you could imagine! Get ready for my tips to keep your content department functioning like a well-oiled machine!

Implement and use a style guide.

All news organizations and other entities follow a style guide. Associated Press style is the gold standard for American media, as well as Chicago. These stylebooks usually list acceptable word usage and spelling across the board in all types of media. It’s also a good idea to consult other style manuals for rules of grammar. Once a set style guide is implemented, there is a uniformity and clarity to all work, with no second guessing as to what the correct form is.

Take a course in Media Law.

As part of their educational curriculum, journalists are required to take a course in Media Law, which covers a multitude of legal matters that may arise in one’s career. As journalists and writers deal with information that gets reported as fact, such issues that are discussed include plagiarism, libel, slander, trademarks, copyright, and intellectual property, as well as the application of the First Amendment. It’s extremely important for any writer to be educated in those areas, as a violation not only sparks a public relations nightmare and loss of credibility, but can result in litigation. Most universities with a journalism or communications department will offer a Media Law class that you may be able to audit for the course fee.

Set up a standards and practices manual.

Obviously, you should have a legal representative keeping their eyes and ears open, handling tricky instances should something go towards the litigation route, but you must be your own self-governing body against those major infractions I mentioned above. This should also apply to obtaining and using outside copy and images. Along with a style guide, you should definitely fashion a Standards and Practices manual and put it on paper. This not only protects your organization, but also sets a precedent, as changes are made as needed for future editions.

Please do not sacrifice quality for quick publishing. It will come back to bite you.  

Countless media outfits are so focused on constantly churning out content at a rapid pace that they don’t take into consideration the basic rules of journalism and writing in general. I have encountered so many typos, spelling and grammatical errors by major news media. What I’ve also noticed is that these same organizations don’t always catch their mistakes, often not even correcting them or publishing a retraction. It’s a reasonable expectation that as a professional writer, you should absolutely make sure that you…

Check your facts!

Every single quote, name, and statistic needs to be verified, and don’t forget to attribute where you obtained this information. This may be a tad repetitive, but it is crucial that all your T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted. I remember that a major entertainment publication put out an article stating that a well-known town was in Rhode Island rather than in Massachusetts! Even if this particular city wasn’t familiar to everyone, all that had to be done was to consult the internet to find out what state the city was located in. That’s why major news organizations have copyeditors and fact checkers on staff: to ensure that these errors are avoided. Please don’t cut corners just to have content ready for publishing. Take those extra few minutes and go over your copy with a fine-toothed comb. While you’re at it…

Proofread and edit constantly!

In journalism school, I learned a lesson that I still use in my everyday life: edit and proofread as you go. While I usually have a dictionary, thesaurus, and AP Stylebook at my disposal, my eyes always glance over and over at the copy I’ve written. Once I’ve made my initial draft, I read it out loud, tweaking it as necessary. Make sure you are using the correct word and in the correct context and proofread and edit as many times as necessary. Have a colleague check it, then check it again. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Read anything you can get your hands on and keep your writing skills fresh!

Journalists don’t simply read just their own stuff. They check out the work of their colleagues, competition, and other important entities. Try to read as many trade periodicals and industry websites to stay abreast of what’s happening. When it comes to writing, get out of your comfort zone! If you work in technical writing, take a shot at penning some fiction for a peer group! This keeps your mind sharp and active!

If you don’t have a standing deadline, put yourself under one.

Just like journalists, content and copywriters have some sort of schedule and content calendar they have to follow. Imposing a deadline gives you leeway to proofread and correct what you have written. I try to set a soft deadline for myself to allow for wiggle room in my editing, rewrites, and corrections.

With these tips, you’ll be well on your way to guiding your content department to success!