INFOGRAPHIC: 8 B2B Content Ideas to Steal from Women’s Magazines

Posted by & filed under Content Writing, Infographics.

fashion model advertising infographic on B2B content ideas

B2B decision makers are bored.

Don’t get mad at us—that statement comes from a survey of B2B buyers, where 82% said they wish B2B content had the creativity associated with B2C. And during challenging times, this craving for a can’t-put-it-down read ramps up even higher.

Hero’s Journey Content’s founder, Linda Formichelli, started out writing for the women’s magazines (think: Redbook, Woman’s Day, Family Circle), where the content is fresh, readable, and fun—even on topics as dry as budgeting and nutrition.

That’s why we created this infographic on how to steal ideas from the women’s mags that will turn your content from ZZZ to OMG!

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC: PDF

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC: PNG 

But wait, there’s more! In the FULL REPORT, we dissected one of Linda’s articles for Women’s Health magazine to show how you can incorporate these same principles into your B2B content. Each of the numbers on the article corresponds to an explanation of that element on the following pages.

Your readers are relying on you to save them from B2B boredom—and to inspire them to action. This report reveals how to do it.

 

Ready to bring some B2C excitement to your B2B content?

We hate boring as much as your audience does. We create engaging, relevant content—and develop content marketing strategy—for clients like Best Buy Health, Prevention magazine, Domtar Paper, CVS, and Intel.

Email us at hello@herosjourneycontent.com or call/text 919-446-7667 to talk about how we can work together.

Need to Create More Content? Here’s How to Turn 1 Piece of Content into 25+

Posted by & filed under Content Strategy, Infographics.

Is your idea of repurposing content repurposing content to turn a blog post into a social post and call it a day? If so, you’re missing out on opportunities to get more value out of your content while reaching new audiences.

Here’s how to take just one piece of long-form content—like a webinar, article, case study, or whitepaper—and turn it into more than 25 new content assets.

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How to Find the Best Content Writers (And Stop Getting Burned)

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How to find the best content writers - hand holding sparkler

How to find the best content writerLate work? Hours of rewrites? Writers who just don’t deliver? We understand your challenges. Here’s how to hire content pros who will blast you toward your content goals—instead of holding you back.

Our 6 expert-approved tips are below, and we’ve also compiled them into an infographic you can download and share. There’s no form to complete—just click the format you prefer.

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC: PDF

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC: PNG 

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The Best Email Sign-Offs During Covid-19 (& the Worst)

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Infographic of the best and worst email sign-offs during COVID-19

I usually sign off my marketing emails with “Cheers,” but that suddenly seems mildly inappropriate given the coronavirus situation.

So how do you sign off your marketing emails in a way that fits your brand—but still shows that you’re aware of what’s going on out there for your customers?

Here’s a chart with 30+ options listed from best to worst, with options for both cheeky and formal brand images.(And yes, some of them are very cheeky…but we know there are brands out there that could/would use them for real!)

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30 Creative Alternatives to the Word “Unprecedented”

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virus with text "30 creative alternatives to unprecedented"

I’ve now received emails from every brand I’ve interacted with over the past 20 years, telling me how very much they care about me in these “unprecedented” times.

scatter chart of 30 alternatives to the word unprecedented for COVID-19 communicationsIf they’re smart, your prospects are going to start filtering on that word soon. So here are some creative alternatives in a downloadable scatter chart…we selected words that will fit every brand, from irreverent to buttoned-up. (Click to zoom in on image.)

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3 Little-Known Ways to Repurpose Content

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recyclable cardboard with headline "3 little-known ways to repurpose your content"

You know that repurposing your content lets you squeeze more value out of your existing content assets—and that even in the best of times, recycling content is a budget-friendly way to reach more prospects.

But what few marketing pros know is that there are more ways to repurpose content beyond chunking down a long piece of content into a handful of shorter ones. Here are three tips that let you pretend you’re a penny-pinching grandma and your content is a chicken that’s already been used for sandwiches, soup, and pot pie.

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The Quick-Start Content Guide for Field Service Businesses

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Quick-Start Guide to Field Service - Paint Rollers

You’re a plumbing, pest control or other field service company. Or maybe you’re a business that provides software and supplies to companies like these.

You’ve heard that providing helpful content is one of the best ways to attract prospects, nurture customers, and build loyalty. And it’s true:

But where do you start? What do you write about? And how do you develop topic ideas and content that prospective clients actually, you know, want to read. 

Here, we put together the basics of field service content. These guidelines are founded on our team’s background in consumer and trade journalism, as well as our experience in writing for businesses just like yours.

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What’s Not There: How to Use Space the RIGHT Way in Your Content

Posted by & filed under Content Writing, Journalism.

how to use white space header - empty chaire

When we think of written content, we think about what is there: the copy itself.

But what’s not there in your content—in other words, the white space that breaks it up—also has a huge impact on meaning, readability, SEO, and results.

Here are a journalist’s best practices for creating just the right breaks in your blog posts, articles, case studies, and white papers.

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15 Key Questions to Ask in a Case Study Interview

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case study questions header - pile of question marks

Got a case study on your to-do list? To create a case study that converts, it’s crucial that you ask your customer the right questions—otherwise you’ll end up with 1,000 words of sales talk and unconvincing fluff. (“Company X is great! Rah rah rah!”)

My team of content marketing writers and I recently created a compelling case study that earned our client a lot of kudos, and we pulled together a list of the interview questions we routinely ask to create tension-filled, reader-grabbing case studies like that one. (Want a free PDF copy of this list? Download it here…no form to fill out, just click and grab!)

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Beyond the Content Idea: 6 Real Elements of Content That Converts

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content ideas header - hand holding lightbulb

Good content marketing writers know that there’s more to captivating an audience than coming up with a killer content topic. Anyone can come up with an idea, but it’s what you do with that idea once you have it that makes all the difference.

Ready to earn more attention with your content? These elements have been repurposed from journalism best practices to bring authority, trustworthiness, and relevance to your content.

You can also download a handy infographic version of this list. Here’s the PNG version, and this is the larger PDF.

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Not All Good Writers Are Good Writers (+ What to Do About It)

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good content writer header - confused man at laptop

Before I launched Hero’s Journey Content this year, I spent 22 years writing magazine articles, books, and content on a freelance basis.

Now I’m in the editor’s seat, testing out writers to make sure we onboard the very best talent.

We typically give a writer one or two small assignments to see how they fare before adding them to our team. And, sadly, I’m not surprised at how many writers with amazing samples just…can’t write.

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Should You Curate Content on Social Media?

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curating content on social media header - hand holding phone

You’ve probably read that you should curate interesting content from others on social instead of having all your posts be about “me, me, me.”

Well, I’m not one to believe everything I hear online—especially since there are so many self-styled “content gurus” out there who don’t know what they’re talking about—so I tested this advice for a client:

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Top Content Marketing Terms—Explained

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content marketing terms - woman with book

If you want to get the most out of your content, you need to know your KPIs from your CTAs.

FUNNEL

You cram a lot of people into the top of the funnel, and only a few come out the bottom to become customers. Somehow this is considered a good thing.

CUSTOMER JOURNEY

A romanticization of the process whereby someone learns about your product or service and buys from you. Thinking of it as an incredible journey for the customer makes content marketers feel better about their lives.

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