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The #ContentChat Bulletin

Erika Heald is the host of the weekly #ContentChat LinkedIn Live video podcast for content marketers, held Mondays at noon Pacific. As a B2B marketing consultant, she helps organizations define and execute content marketing strategies that drive business and professional growth. As a creator, and gluten-free blogger helping people discover gut-friendly farm-to-table food. She frequently speaks at B2B marketing industry events on employee brand advocacy, content strategy, customer experience, AI readiness, and social media topics. You can find her on her blogs erikaheald.com and erikasglutenfreekitchen.com.

Featured Post

The #ContentChat Bulletin: Only YOU Can Prevent Random Acts of Content

I had a boss whose first quarterly goals for me were to publish 12 blog posts and acquire 30 demo signups. Somehow, we managed to publish a blog post every week and cranked out a whole slew of social content in pursuit of those "goals". Unfortunately, we could only prove that we were the source for 29 demo signups, so I didn't get my bonus. The lack of a bonus was definitely a bummer. But, more importantly, because we had to publish a blog post every week, and spend most of our time creating...

For the past month, it's felt like Summer here in Sacramento, California. I've been walking to my local library branch and spending afternoons reading on the patio while the bulldogs soak up the sunshine. It's nice to change things up and enjoy the slower pace Summer brings. Last night, after seeing the wonderfully funny and smile-inducing film, The Phoenician Scheme, I had a brain wave. Why not put our weekly #ContentChat livestream into Summer Camp mode for the next couple months? I've...

Back when #ContentChat was still a Twitter chat, every 6 months we did a community check-in where I asked everyone to share their wins, their biggest challenges, and what they wanted to learn about in the months to come. It was a great way to bring the community together and help me identify great guests and topics for the upcoming months' chats. As much as I love the livestreams we do now, I miss those check-ins! So, in that spirit, I give you a poll: What is the one thing you want to learn...

Over the weekend, we helped our 16-year-old cat cross the Rainbow Bridge, putting an end to his fight against kidney disease. I wanted to honor his memory and let the friends he'd met and loved know about his passing. But I was not at all up for writing anything. Luckily, I had a blog post I'd written about him and his brother when we'd adopted them. I'd remembered the adorable photos I'd included in the post. But I was surprised to rediscover so many little details about their kitten...

Hey there! I'm taking this week off for a much-needed staycation. That means we're also taking a break from our usual newsletter format, so I can actually take a breather! Sp, while I'm hooking up my new printer, reorganizing my closets, making headway with my reading pile, and having some truly epic lunches around town, I hope that you will take a moment to commit to always be learning—the ABL in our subject line. This may seem like a tough time to invest in yourself and your career. With so...

It's been fun looking at everyone's most recent round of AI-generated portraits and action figures. You can tell that people realllly needed a bit of a distraction by how much some of them look like the human they're imitating. Sure, they say they just typed in "Create a picture of me based on what you know about me" and out popped that spitting image of themselves with their dog and a bunch of on point, seasonally appropriate accessories. But I have to call shenanigans on that for most of...

In a Mastermind meeting last week, I was asked by a participant what my brand stands for. It was easy to answer—it's all about no more random acts of content, just like it says at the top of this email. That's why my services all help others develop a strong content framework, from their content strategy through all the foundational governance elements that bring it to life. It's not just a tagline it's truly my work commitment and focus. Yes, I do create content, too. But it's always in...

Why do you create content? What do you want content to do for your brand? For its fans? And for the community it serves? I've been thinking about this a lot since my #ContentChat conversation last week with Alexandre Gravel. You see, as part of my usual business development, I am always looking at content marketing job listings, looking for companies with remote, part-time roles that I could be a good fit for in a fractional leadership capacity. These job listings include all sorts of details...

While watching the Oscars last night. I quickly spotted Isabella Rossellini in a prime aisle seat. The best supporting actress nominee for her role in Conclave was all smiles, seated with Laura Dern. My first thought was, "OMG! Are they doing a David Lynch tribute?" But almost as quickly, I dismissed that thought. And I got it. They weren't presenting a David Lynch tribute; they WERE the tribute to David. It starts with Isabella's dress. She wore blue velvet, as all mentions of her would...

It's been two weeks since I launched my content foundations assessment in this newsletter. While I'm not yet at my goal of 300 completed quizzes, we're off to a great start! Most importantly, I'm learning a ton about what's working for content pros and which parts of the foundation need some extra attention. What's interesting is how you start to see trends forming early on. Specifically, I'm already seeing which foundational elements most mature content programs have in place, and which...