by Brandon Glenn | Jun 25, 2025 | Blog
You’ve planned, outlined, and drafted some content that clearly communicates the points and messages you set out to convey. Time to sit back, relax, and think about what’s next, right?
Not exactly. Before the content appears publicly, it must go through the editing process. The more people who are involved in the process – writers, marketers, executives, subject matter experts – the more lengthy and convoluted the process becomes.
Welcome to the “dark side” of the editing process, as Joel Schwartzberg writes in Harvard Business Review, which may be characterized by excessive nitpicking, numerous disagreements, and competition over authority and expertise. Fun times all around!
However, editing doesn’t always need to be so painful. To improve the editing process, keep in mind the following three tips:
Be mindful of version control: Given that editing often figuratively involves several cooks in the kitchen at the same time, it’s important that those cooks work from the exact same recipe. In the public relations world, this means that we must ensure that all editors work from the same version of the content. This is easy in the beginning, but the process often breaks down as individual editors simultaneously make changes to the same Word document.
Three editors may equate to three different versions of the same content, creating challenges in reconciling what may be contradictory edits. To avoid this, develop a plan that includes all the individuals who will need to make edits, and send the document to them one at a time. Separately, shared cloud-based tools such as Google docs can reduce problems with version control but may bring their own set of issues with competing voices.
Resist the commenting urge: We all understand the urge to include edits in comments in the right-hand margin of a document or the body of an email. Resist the urge. Comments in the margin lead to confusion, misinterpretation, and inefficiency. Instead, if you think a change needs to be made to the text, simply make it. Save comments in the margin for genuine questions – not edits. Doing so will reduce the time and ambiguity associated with the editing process. As an alternative…
Make use of track changes functionality: The tools “Track changes” in Word and “Suggesting” in Google docs can be an editor’s best friend. By using these tools, the reviewer can make desired changes clear to the writer without the ambiguity and confusion associated with right-margin comments.
Editing can be a pain, but it is a necessary step when creating great content to ensure all participants are on the same page. To increase efficiency and create content that drives key messaging, practice the three tips above.
by Brandon Glenn | Apr 30, 2025 | Blog
In today’s content-saturated landscape, thought leadership bylines remains a powerful tool for building credibility and influence. For example, 88% of decision-makers believe high-quality thought leadership content improves their perception of an organization, yet 71% say less than half of what they read actually provides valuable insights, according to statistics cited by The New York Times.
This gap underscores the importance of crafting compelling, meaningful bylines that stand out. To increase your chances of publication and audience engagement, consider these three essential tips.
- Go easy on the self-promotion: The quickest way to lose credibility in a thought leadership piece is to turn it into a sales pitch. While it’s tempting to highlight your company’s solutions, most publications require bylines to be vendor-neutral. Readers seek valuable industry insights, not an extended advertisement. Instead of pushing products or services, share a fresh perspective, unique data, or a forward-thinking analysis of an industry trend. If your content provides genuine value, readers will naturally associate that expertise with your brand, enhancing its reputation without overt self-promotion.
- Focus on an industry problem: Readers engage with content that resonates with their professional challenges. A strong byline should tackle a pressing industry issue and offer actionable insights, not just general observations. Rather than reiterating well-known problems, take a deeper dive: Offer a counterintuitive take, present real-world case studies, or challenge conventional wisdom. For example, instead of writing about how digital transformation is crucial in healthcare, explore why certain digital initiatives fail and what organizations can do differently. Thought leadership isn’t about stating the obvious; it’s about advancing the conversation in a meaningful way.
- Respect your readers’ time: In an era where executives and professionals are inundated with content, brevity is key. Editors and readers prefer bylines that get straight to the point, typically around 800 words. If your article stretches beyond that, tighten your argument by removing fluff and redundant points. Strong, concise writing improves engagement and increases the likelihood of publication. Aim for clarity over complexity, and ensure every paragraph serves a purpose.
Final thoughts
A well-crafted byline can elevate your thought leadership profile, but only if it aligns with industry standards and reader expectations. By prioritizing valuable insights over self-promotion, addressing real industry challenges, and keeping your content concise, you enhance your chances of making a lasting impact. As the data suggests, high-quality thought leadership matters, so take the time to refine your byline and provide content that truly informs and engages your audience.
by Brandon Glenn | Feb 5, 2025 | Blog
Case studies represent an opportunity for companies to present potential customers with a real-world story of how their products and services helped an actual customer solve a common industry-wide problem.
Whether the customer’s positive outcome involved greater revenue, lower costs, or happier clinicians and patients, a case study enables companies to move beyond talk with prospects to action – as in, “If you take the same action as our customer did, you, too, can overcome the barriers that have been holding you back from accomplishing your objectives.”
Potential customers want to be reassured that they are hiring a vendor that has experience helping companies like them surmount obstacles like those that they currently face. A well-written case study will accomplish just that.
At its most basic level, a case study follows the familiar story arc of “problem – solution – results,” but there’s more to it than that. Here are three must-haves to build better case studies:
Quantified results: The surest way to kill the potential of a strong case study is to include unimpressive or vaguely worded results that fail to clearly illustrate the value of adopting a new solution. Solid case studies require data to demonstrate the improvement of key metrics. While some customers may be understandably reluctant to publicly share hard dollar amounts, many will be more comfortable stating percentage increases or decreases, such as, “reduced costs 10% in the first year of implementation.”
What’s next: It’s easy to remember that a case study highlights what a customer accomplished after adopting new technology, but one less obvious element to include involves next steps. Now that the customer has taken care of its most pressing issues, what are their plans for the future? While it may seem like a small point, including next steps can help potential customers envision a long-term strategy around your product.
The customer’s own words: A customer’s own description of a solution’s impact will always carry more weight than what a vendor says about its own products. Interview some end-users to obtain quotes and insights that detail the difference your product made for them – once again with an eye toward obtaining quantifiable measures.
Case studies can be effective tools for nudging prospects and customers along the next steps of the buyer journey. To maximize their value, be sure to include quantified results, what’s next, and the customer’s own words.
by Brandon Glenn | Sep 18, 2024 | Blog
You’ve done the hard work of crafting a public relations strategy, researching the right media targets, and pitching the story to journalists.
Reporters have responded positively to your pitches and are interested in setting up interviews to learn more about your company and executives’ viewpoints. Now what?
For most companies, and in particular startups, media interviews represent a valuable opportunity to introduce their stories, value propositions, and reasons for existence to a broader audience of potential customers, investors, employees, stakeholders, and other industry participants.
However, executives are sometimes hesitant to engage in interviews because they are reluctant to put in the time to mentally prepare or are fearful that reporters will ask them difficult or confusing questions.
The good news for health IT leaders is that there is little to fear. By doing a little homework and preparation prior to a media interview, executives can approach the event with calmness and confidence.
The following are four preparation tips to ensure media interview success:
Turnabout is fair play: Once the interview starts, the reporter will ask many questions of you. Before the interview, take advantage of the opportunity to gain clarity about reporters’ intentions by turning the tables and asking them a few questions. Who is the publication’s audience? What is the reporter interested in talking about? Will she share a list of questions prior to the interview? Do your diligence to make sure the opportunity is worth the time.
Get to know the reporter: Take some time to perform a little pre-interview research about the reporter, browsing through her bio or LinkedIn profile. Read through some of the articles she’s previously written. By getting a feel for the reporter’s background and interests, executives gain fodder for rapport-building pre- and post-interview small talk, demonstrate that they value the reporter’s time and work, and set the stage for follow-up coverage.
Craft talking points: As the one asking the questions, the reporter is generally in control of the interview, but that doesn’t mean that the interview subject is merely along for the ride and must go wherever the reporter steers the conversation. Executives should come prepared with a few basic talking points that expound upon the problems they solve, the negative consequences of those problems for their customers, and why their solution is the right choice to solve these problems. Talking points should be quick, straightforward, and conversational. Repetition of key points is encouraged.
Follow-up and promotion: During interviews, executives often make points or cite statistics that require further clarification or verification by reporters. Be sure to follow up to see if the reporter needs any further information. After the article goes live, promote it through all available channels, including social media, company blog, website, and email to customers and prospects.
Unless your company is an industry giant or a household name, opportunities for media interviews don’t come along that often. When they do, set yourself up for success by investing the necessary time and effort into interview preparation.
For more media interview preparation tips, check out this post from my colleague Philip Anast.
by Brandon Glenn | Aug 7, 2024 | Blog
We all understand that the role of a corporate marketing department, among other things, is to promote its company, educate potential customers, and strengthen the company’s brand image – with the ultimate goal of driving higher sales.
Most marketers know how to articulate the benefits and value proposition of their company’s products, and, generally, they do a solid job of it.
What fewer marketers understand is when NOT to talk about their companies – particularly on social media. (For the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on LinkedIn because it’s the most valuable social site for business users.)
It’s important for marketers to remember that social media platforms are intended to encourage two-way communication, as opposed to functioning like a megaphone used to blast messages.
Accordingly, corporate social media must focus on providing value to followers. Indeed, corporate social media success requires putting followers’ wants and needs above the company’s own objectives.
The 80/20 rule for social media success
The 80/20 rule is the answer for keeping marketers focused on delivering value to their audiences. This cardinal rule for social media simply holds that 80% of the content posted to a social account should deliver value to the audience (think general industry news, opinions, and observations) while it’s ok for the other 20% to be blatantly promotional.
In my experience, most corporate marketing departments have mastered the 20% aspect of the rule but tend to struggle with the 80% part. Admittedly, it can be a little daunting in the beginning to understand and figure out how to fulfill this goal.
First, start with a list of keywords that pertain to your company’s niche in the industry. For example, if the company works in the virtual care space, create news alerts and perform searches for keywords like “telehealth,” “virtual care,” “virtual nursing,” “value-based care,” “healthcare staffing shortages,” and “healthcare burnout,” for example. Relevant hash tags can also help to surface third-party articles that discuss industry trends.
These articles make up the 80% of non-promotional content, while the other 20% can consist of product and technology-related information specific to the company.
Professionals go to LinkedIn when they need information, making it a great place to demonstrate thought leadership by sharing insights, stats, and case studies. These users want to discuss topics in their industry, cultivate professional connections, and better themselves as professionals along their career trajectory.
By adhering to the 80/20 rule, brands can help LinkedIn users accomplish these objectives. Just keep in mind the cardinal rule of social media: It’s not all about you.
Page 1 of 612345...»Last »
