A white paper—or guide, report, or other similar term—is a classic form of content marketing.  Its purpose is to draw people in by giving them free, valuable info about a topic in exchange for the right to plug your business as the solution at the end.   Like articles, infographics, videos, and other top-of-funnel materials,…

It was the spring of 2013 and life in London was good.  We were having a lovely day, my friend and I, enjoying a pint alongside the Thames in Twickenham.  Considering my fondness for travel and penchant for thrill-seeking, it was only a matter of time before the obvious question was posed.   “So, wanna…

Case study writers are the journalists of the B2B marketing world.  Whether they’re external consultants or internal staff, successful writers must be able to:   Ask the right questions Navigate conversations with different stakeholders Search for compelling angles Connect many disparate dots at once Use all of this to produce a story that pulls people…

Note:  I was fortunate to have a support network in getting my business off the ground, and I’m happy to pass along the favor to others doing the same.  So, the posts in this series will be slightly longer than the promised four-minute read rather than mailing it in for the sake of a self-imposed…

Lists of content marketing materials generally include case studies.  Sure, they’re content, and you market yourself with them.  Same thing with blogs, white papers, infographics, and so on.   I don’t consider case studies to be simply content marketing, though.  Unlike those other tools, studies are mission critical.  To wit:   You don’t need to…

News flash: we’re a social species.  Social media, social studies, social science, social distancing, social this, social that….   While we’re at it, how about social proof.  This is something you take part in all the time whether or not you’re even aware of it.  Coined by Dr. Robert Cialdini, “social proof” all boils down…