If there were a fan club for librarians, I’d be a card-carrying member. Over the last few years, librarians have taught me more about content management than any other group of professionals. We marketers are practically drowning in content, and librarians are experts at making content organized and findable. We’re a perfect match. I obsess […]
Long a staple of highly productive, high velocity teams, collaboration has been the focus of many technology solutions over the years. Yet, constant interruptions and multitasking affect productivity, as detailed in the studies highlighted in The Collaboration Curse article in The Economist. The distractions of an environment where teams are encouraged to contribute to everything leave
How to Avoid Collaborative Overload Within Your Content Team Read More »
Ray Bradbury once said that “you must stay drunk on writing so that reality cannot destroy you.” Some of you may have perked up at the idea that a famous writer has endorsed writing blog posts while smashed on gin and tonics. What this really reveals is something important about how useful writing is in
Four Killer Reasons Every Creative Person Must Write Read More »
The secret’s out. Agile project management is a game-changer – and developers and IT folks are no longer the only ones to know about it. As a marketer, you’ve surely heard about Agile. Your team may be using some Agile practices, like project sprints and stand-up meetings. If so, you’re in the minority. The benefits
Agile Practices: Mistakes Marketers Should Avoid Read More »
“The minute you’re satisfied with where you are, you aren’t there anymore.” — Tony Gwynn A sustainable business is a growing business, not a static one. This might seem like a simple concept, but it is an idea that most business owners do not consider. To stand out, to continue to earn well, to stay motivated, and
Back in the early days of CMI, we used to experiment all the time. (OK … sometimes “experiment” was code for “we don’t quite know what we’re doing, but let’s try this …”) As our business matured, we focused more of our attention on what works and putting processes around those things to make them
Growing any kind of business can be bloody hard. You will make mistakes, doubt yourself and experience setbacks. I’ve seen all of this on the front line as an illustrator trying to make a living at it. But I’m still here to tell the tale. If there’s one vital trait for succeeding on your own
Need something to snap you out of your slump? Turn to your fellow marketers for advice about books and a few podcasts that are practical, inspirational, and downright fun. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi This book is a fantastic reminder of how to recognize joy in the work we do. If we are in “flow,” we are engaging
Summer Book Recommendations from Content Marketers Read More »
Remember The Milk (RTM) // Trello // Asana // Any.do // Evernote. Since I’m really serious about following the main idea for this site – which is making normal people’s lives easier by providing structured and actually useful info – I’m starting with something that’s an important part of every internet person’s existence. The fact
I beat myself up when I procrastinate. Life is so damn short. For me, it’s inexcusable to lose too much time to excuse-making. But I know how important it is to produce things. Not just one or two things, but many things. Similar things. Day after day after day. It’s not all about quality at
