Of all the changes wrought by the internet and social media, the technology that allows companies, governments and individuals to track people’s digital footprints is among the most promising and the most perilous. From a business perspective, it’s promising, because...
What to know, and avoid, to truly be a ‘thought leader’
Does there exist, in the language of business and nonprofit leadership, any phrase more overused and yet misunderstood than “thought leadership”? (okay, “synergies” and “digital transformation” aren’t far behind, but you get my point). It seems every organization...
Facebook is out of the news business. Now publishers can focus on publishing.
From the days of the Gutenberg printing press until, oh, around the early 2000s, one rule seemed to hold firm: People would pay money for news that interested them, as long as it was easy to get, priced fairly and fresh when they got it. Along with it held a corollary...
Your messaging has a shelf life: How to maximize the time-value of content
If you handle or manage your organization’s content, whether you work at a for-profit or nonprofit, you may occasionally feel stuck in a box: You’ve got some social media posts to push out, an annual report to finish, a white paper from Research and a marketing...
What to do less of? Why nonprofits struggle with resource planning
Q: How many nonprofit employees does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Probably just one, but we can never really tell how many people it takes to do anything around here. Okay, it’s not the funniest light-bulb joke. But it makes a point: Mission-driven service...
Don’t worry, editors—content marketing will save your brand, not harm it
A former colleague from my newspaper days, who now publishes a high quality newsletter in the education sector, recently asked: “What’s the difference between news publishing and content marketing?” “None,” I replied quickly, to her surprise. Thinking like an editor,...
Five competitors, one prize for the best customer service. Who won?
Like most of us, I seem to find myself at the end of the year interacting more than usual with retail, travel and service companies and organizations. Holiday shopping and travel explain part of it, while end-of-year deadlines and extra time off also mean more time...
How to survive an audit — of your content
The content on your organization’s website is an asset. So, imagine for a moment that each piece you’ve published is one of your employees. Some questions would immediately come to mind: What is its job description? How hard is it working? How well is the job being...
I love my electric vehicle. Why are so many other car buyers resistant?
I couldn’t be happier with my all-electric 2013 Nissan Leaf. For four years now I’ve been gleefully swooshing past gas stations. And it’s been in the shop only once, back in March, to upgrade the navigation software. Other than tires, brakes, wiper blades and washer...
Yes, computers can now learn and adapt. Can you?
According to Google Trends, we hit “peak AI” in May 2017. In that month, Google searches for the term “artificial intelligence” in U.S. business and industry sources outpaced any period since March 2004 (when the AI film “I Robot,” with Will Smith, was released). It’s...