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.
The Content Chat Bulletin: Get 2026 Off to Your Best Start Ever
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It's been a heck of a year, which makes it even more essential to pause and reflect on our intentions for next year. No, I'm not talking about setting New Year's resolutions—it's about using reflection as a strategic checkpoint to assess what's working, what's not, and how to align your 2026 content strategy with your brand's evolving goals and voice. For the past 15 years, I've made a point of walking through a set of intentional reflection prompts to help me enter the new year with focus and clarity about what I want to achieve. Let's walk through an updated version of those prompts, tailored to building on your content strategy, to close out 2025 and prep for a solid start for your content program in January. 1. What Went Well?→ ALIGN: Celebrate what supported consistency and clarity.
These wins point to what's already aligned—your documented brand voice, templates that work, and workflows that flow. Keep them front and center as you scale. 2. What Didn't Go So Well?→ APPROVE: Identify friction in your systems and fix the bottlenecks.
These signals likely point to gaps in your governance workflows, unclear roles, or the need for better templates. Remember, templates aren't handcuffs—they're accelerators. 3. What Do You Want More Of?→ AMPLIFY: Double down on what's working and scalable.
Now is the moment to prioritize content that supports your strategic goals—not just content created to fill a slot in your editorial calendar. Focus on the work that aligns with your brand's mission and values, and use your taxonomy to surface and repurpose hidden gems. 4. What Do You Want Less Of?→ GOVERN: Set boundaries with your content intake.
Use your governance tools to draw a line—update your content request templates, tighten your review cycles, and reinforce the "why" behind your documented brand voice. A consistent intake process is how you move from reactive production to proactive performance. 5. What New Elements Will You Add in 2026?→ SCALE: Expand with intention.
This is the growth work—the future-proofing that turns content into a sustainable business asset. Don't try to do it all at once. Start with the next most necessary system, and build from there. What content practice are you intentionally leaving behind in 2025—and what are you making space for instead? Hit reply and let me know, or if you share it on LinkedIn, use the hashtag #ContentChat so I can celebrate your wins and the entire community can share ideas and support your efforts. Coming Up on #ContentChatContent Chat is my weekly LinkedIn Live video chat focused on sharing expertise and ideas amongst the content marketing community. Join the conversation on Mondays at noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern. RSVP for our upcoming conversations by clicking the chat date below to get a reminder and to access the chat. We're on break from now until the new year. Get Involved with #ContentChat
How Scalable Is Your Content Program—Really?To celebrate the pre-launch of my book Content Foundations: Scale your content with AI without losing your voice., I’ve updated my Content Governance + Scalability Assessment. This 2-minute quiz reveals how ready your content operation is to grow without you and your limited time becoming a bottleneck. You’ll walk away with a quick self-assessment and some pointed ideas for what to fix next. Until next time, stay safe and be well! Cheers, Erika |
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.
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