Read the Latest B2B Content Blog in your RSS ReaderWalking the Tightrope and Making It Look Easy
I had an interesting phone conversation yesterday with Evan Schuman, founder and CEO of The Content Firm. I had requested use of a whitepaper from his site. I want this blog to deliver relevant and useful information, so I dig deep when researching for it.
Evan’s concern was that I dug too deep. The whitepaper I was interested in is several years old. He didn’t want me to post something that isn’t up to date. The name of the whitepaper is ‘The Top 11 B2B Communication Mistakes’. We solved that issue quickly, but we kept talking. I think we both felt that we had found a kindred spirit.
My background is over 20 years in high tech marketing. He’s been a journalist and publisher (much of it in the tech field) for over 20 years. We talked about how the world has changed, and how our roles have coalesced. After a bit, we were finishing each others’ sentences. As an old boss of mine used to say, “We were in violent agreement.”
Here’s a short list of the points we agreed on:
- sales messages drive prospects away
- people will read (or listen to, or watch) content only if they want to
- they’ll want to if it’s interesting, entertaining and relevant
- content developers need a new mix of skills and talents to be effective.
What is that mix of skills and talents?
They must deliver both the unbiased reporting of the professional journalist and the persuasion techniques of the master marketer - at the same time! It ain’t easy. There’s a real art to it. It’s a balancing act between delivering the information people want (warts and all), and simultaneously being gently persuasive… so gently people aren’t even aware it’s happening. We agreed it’s a rare mix of skills and talents - very difficult to find or cultivate.
I can’t speak for Evan, but I really enjoyed our chat. I’ve run out of time to write about that whitepaper (by the way, only two of the eleven communication mistakes are out of date - and many of the remaining ones were prescient given when they were written). I’ll address them in my next post.
Tags: content, journalistic reporting, marketing persuasion
Like it Bob and it encourages me to look for the next post to learn more.
Nice Job
Mark
Well done, Bob. It’s interesting this “coalescence” of skills. You mentioned two copywriting focuses converging, and I think there’s also some graphic knowledge, and publishing skills required of business bloggers. Not to mention technical skills even for user-friendly blog publishing software. Where did all those typewriters go?
I remember when “Desktop Publishing” rolled around in the early ’90’s, and people thought if they bought PageMaker they could be a Graphic Designer, Typesetter, Writer, Printer and Publisher all in one. Professionals know, however, that even in this coalescence there’s a limit to how many skills on which Jack can trade before he becomes a master of none. Where is that limit, do you think?
- Scott
Scott,
You’re absolutely correct. Evan and I also discussed how design is becoming ever more important; how ‘content’ includes graphics, audio and video; and how typography affects readership and comprehension. I think anybody in this business has to know something about all those areas AND needs to have a decent understanding of how the technology works. But nobody’s professional grade in all the above. I think that your talents and skills in design and technology are very complementary to mine. We ought to do some business together.