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Effective communication Language and ideas Leadership Uncategorized

How writing well translates in 2021

The way we communicate with one another has changed fundamentally since early 2020. Meetings that once occupied fluorescent-lit conference rooms now occur via Zoom. Collaboration and decision-making take place electronically. We depend more on email, chat, and even old-fashioned mail and phone calls. The emergence of new social platforms might lead us to believe that…

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Corporate storytelling Leadership

Thought leadership: Beyond the buzzwords

We’ve talked at length about how thought leadership can benefit organizations of all sizes. When developed and executed with care, thought leadership can strengthen company culture, add depth and authority to an enterprise content strategy, and provide a platform for big, innovative ideas. All these considerations aside, thought leadership still has an uphill climb. It’s…

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Leadership

What thought leaders can learn from presidents

Thought leaders are made through innovation. However, everyone has role models – people who influenced and inspired them as they cultivated new ideas and brought them to life. In honor of Presidents’ Day, we’re taking a look at US presidents’ communication styles and what we can learn from them. They use emerging media to reach…

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Leadership

Till You Get It Right: Lessons from Groundhog Day

The Bill Murray classic Groundhog Day (1993) may have more meaning in 2021 than in years past – in part because we’re all a little trapped, and in part because time has less meaning when your routine is unchanged for months at a stretch. Dig a little deeper, though. Look beyond “I Got You, Babe”…

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content marketing Leadership

Investing in content in 2021

In content marketing, change is constant. COVID-19 accelerated the rate of change and required companies to radically alter how they market and sell their products and engage with their customers. In 2021, executives expect to work even harder to survive and thrive. Surveys reveal that company leaders plan to make big changes to meet customers’…

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Effective communication Leadership

Lead thoughtfully in 2021

New year, new leaf. That’s how it typically goes. But no one can deny that we all have a bit of a 2020 hangover that isn’t likely to go away with a couple of aspirin. The concerns of 2020 are sticking with us, and as such, our business goals can’t ignore that trials of the…

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Content creation Effective communication Leadership

Content strategy in 2021: What “human” means

Countless experts are weighing in on how brands must build a content strategy in this fragile age. They are largely in agreement that brand messaging must be “human” and “empathetic.” This notion shouldn’t be revolutionary, but somehow it is. Perhaps brand gurus are acknowledging that until now, the expression of their brand identity was canned,…

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Effective communication Language and ideas Leadership

Lessons from 25 great year-end messages

We’ve discussed at length the challenges of holiday messaging as well as the importance of language when building a brand and a company culture. Today, we take a closer look at end-of-year employee communications. Entrepreneur Keith Miller shared a “top 25” list of year-end messages on the Future of Working website that look straightforward –…

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Corporate storytelling Language and ideas Leadership

Speechwriting lessons from FDR

On this day in 1941, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor in the first direct attack on the United States by an Axis power. The following day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his “date which will live in infamy” speech. Roosevelt had been delivering fireside chats via radio since 1933. His voice was well known to…

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Brand growth Content strategy Leadership

Plan, don’t predict, your 2021 content strategy

The year 2020 is nearly over, and not a moment too soon. Experts are predicting another tumultuous year for brands and content marketing. These predictions reflect months of unease, as well as the rapid-by-necessity reframing of the sales funnel (and sometimes business models as a whole). But are they helpful when it comes to content…