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 #ContentChat Bulletin: Making 'Limitade' Out of Our Limitations
|
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 inevitably note, immediately conjuring up the notes of the song and visions of her in that other, Blue Velvet, dress. For those of you who aren't avid red carpet fashion watchers, let me explain. As nominees in the major categories walk the red carpet before the event, reporters always ask them about who or what they're wearing. As reported by Vogue, her fashion choices were deliberate—honoring both her late mother, the actress Ingrid Bergman, whose earrings she wore, and Lynch. The cherry on top, so to speak, was her walking the red carpet and then sitting with her Wild at Heart co-star. In just a few simple camera shots, she gave us a master class in how to make a situation's limitations work to your advantage to get your message across. It can be so easy to get caught up in feeling overwhelmed by our limitations as content creators. No budget. Too few resources. Not enough time. Lack of C-Suite support. I get it. We've all been there and felt that. (I've even been referred to as an Eeyore!) But we've got to get past feeling sorry for ourselves and dwelling on what we can't do. Instead, why not ask:
So, the next time I find myself having a sad about something I can't quite pull off, I'm bookmarking this as a reminder to ask myself, 'What would Isabella do?' and 'Who's my Laura Dern?'—and you should too! P.S. For those of you (I see you, Maureen!) who just aren't that into David Lynch and wish I'd moved on already, this is probably the last time I'll write about him—pinky swear. 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.
Get Involved with #ContentChat
Please take my content scalability assessment!Thank you so much to the 150+ folks who've already taken the assessment! Content Marketing + Related Jobs
Send Us Your Content Jobs!If you have a content marketing contract position, full-time job, or freelancer opportunity, reply to this email and let us know. We are always happy to share jobs with the community at no cost. ICYMISpeak at Content Marketing World (CMworld) 2025 State of Create 5 Gen AI Myths Holding Sales and Marketing Teams Back TA #182: 🧟 The zombie test; 3 approaches to great writing 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.
Summer is meant to include BBQ, leisurely strolls, and making a dent in the to-read pile stacked on my desk. Instead, I've spent the past two weeks battling some sort of viral ick—but at least I've gotten to do some reading! This year, however, Summer is ALSO something else really special to me. It's the 10-year anniversary of my taking on hosting #ContentChat and going out on my own as a full-time content strategy consultant and fractional content leader! For those who weren't around here 10...
What do e-book, Ebook, and E-Book all have in common? They're three variations on the name of one content type, and they're wreaking havoc on your taxonomy. I know, I know! Most content teams don't spend much time thinking about taxonomy. We're focused on integrating into marketing campaigns, content creation, distribution, performance, and proving business impact. Taxonomy often feels like something for website managers, CMS administrators, or information architects to worry about. Until...
Most organizations already have a style guide—it just isn’t documented. Instead, it lives: in Slack messages inside tracked changes buried in old slide decks scattered across Google Docs comments and in the heads of the person everyone depends on to “make it sound right” And while those tiny decisions may not feel strategic in the moment, they add up fast. Every: “Would we say it this way?” Every: “Do we capitalize this?” Every: “Can you make this sound more on-brand?” …creates friction. And...