Although I've been writing content and curriculum for TogetherCounts.com over the past seven years, this is the first time I've been responsible for the entire Schools section of the website. During the spring and summer of 2018, I developed the content and curriculum for all four levels — Pre-K, Grades K–2, Grades 3–5, and Grades 6–8 — plus training modules for the Educator Support Center, at-home activity guides and lesson plans to be used in conjunction with FDA (Federal Food and Drug Administration) charts and guidelines.
Read moreRoad Map for Content Writing
Content_Writing
A Writing GPS: The Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Next Piece of Content [Infographic]
A step-by-step process? Really? Why not just wing it? Why not just... write?
Because in writing, argues Ann Handley, process is necessary. Because, as she says, you need a road map to get you to where you need to be. Handley's handy GPS gets you from one place to another: "from discombobulated thoughts to a coherent, cogent piece of writing."
Numbered steps prompt you to pause and think:
What's your business goal?
How does your idea relate to your readers?
What credible sources and data support your idea?
What format would best communicate your point? (Blog post, infographic, case study?)
Who is your audience? (Write to one person. Period.)
Now start writing. Write, walk away, rewrite, walk away. Write, edit, edit again. Pass it by a co-worker or read it to your cat. Proofread. Polish. Is it ready to publish?
Call to action.
Check the 12 steps. Have you left readers hanging? What should readers do next?
Subtly prompt, nudge, guide, steer or drive in the right direction to reach the desired outcome or destination. Now push the button and pat yourself on the back. Stretch, breathe, crack your knuckles, relax.
Before you write your next post, read Ann Handley's Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Writing Ridiculously Good Content. Because, as Ann says, "in today’s content-driven world, writing matters more… not less."
Content Marketing for Valentine's Day: Who says BtoB is boring?
Best Agency Cards
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Cards Against Marketing: The only agency valentines you'll ever need
"We created the perfect Valentine for everyone in your open-office floor plan because while they may know when your next dentist appointment is, they may not know the depth of your love/contempt." – Location3
Business-Speak Valentines from Frequency540
‘Let's get aligned.’ / ‘You've got a tight brief.’ / ‘Let me A/B test your core competencies.’
Click to see and share more e-valentines from F540.
Best Agency Brand Message
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Holland-Mark Agency Goes Wild Kingdom
This small agency is all about the love, all times of year. But in their February blog they gave a subtle plug for their new website, which is a great Valentine's Day promo in and of itself. It's pretty fun and much more Marlin Perkins than Madison Avenue — which I guess is the whole point. As the narrator explains, "Much like the prairie vole, your brand needs to find mates for life."
Best B2B Valentine's Day Campaign
B2B Comedy in Content Marketing: The perfect gift for Valentine's Day, from Cisco
This is a fun one from 2013, and still hard to beat. Valentine's Day lesson of the day: Businesses that boost their budgets to cover high-quality creative get love, affection and ROI in spades.
