Making Content

how to find, shape, and tell the stories that move your business forward

Tactics
Practical help for messy content problems, murky decisions, and stuck ideas.

Featured
Prompt Like an Editor: Old-School Skills Are New Again
Tactics, AI, Writing, Editing, Prompting
Prompt Like an Editor: Old-School Skills Are New Again
Tactics, AI, Writing, Editing, Prompting

AI gets better when you stop treating it like a search box and start treating it like a first draft. The old editorial skills still matter.

Tactics, AI, Writing, Editing, Prompting
Why Your Content Plan Never Sticks
Capacity, Content Planning, Evergreen Content, Sustainable Minimum Audit
Why Your Content Plan Never Sticks
Capacity, Content Planning, Evergreen Content, Sustainable Minimum Audit

A content plan only works if it fits the weeks when everything else is happening too. Build around your real capacity, not your fantasy schedule.

Capacity, Content Planning, Evergreen Content, Sustainable Minimum Audit
How to Get Real Buy-In Across Teams
enterprise content, content plnning, content projects
How to Get Real Buy-In Across Teams
enterprise content, content plnning, content projects

Getting budget approved is only the beginning. Real progress happens when the teams you need have the time, context, and reason to help you ship.

enterprise content, content plnning, content projects
How to Finish the Content You Start
content strategy, content planning
How to Finish the Content You Start
content strategy, content planning

Half-finished work does nothing for your business. Use a simple reality check to finish the projects that are closest to done.

content strategy, content planning

Principles
A closer look at what makes content work

Featured
Viral or Not, Content Works
Introverts, Trust Building, Audience Building
Viral or Not, Content Works
Introverts, Trust Building, Audience Building

Content marketing is not influencer work. Useful content builds trust, answers questions, and keeps bringing the right people to you long after you hit publish.

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Introverts, Trust Building, Audience Building
Content Compounds Why the time for content is always now
Content Planning, Repurposing, Audience Building, Content Creation, AI
Content Compounds Why the time for content is always now
Content Planning, Repurposing, Audience Building, Content Creation, AI

Content compounds over time. The work you make now can be reused, adapted, found, and learned from later—which is why the time for content is always now.

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Content Planning, Repurposing, Audience Building, Content Creation, AI
Why Structure Makes Content Readable
Principles, Structure, Readability, Content Strategy, Writing
Why Structure Makes Content Readable
Principles, Structure, Readability, Content Strategy, Writing

Structure makes content easier to consume. Subheads, spacing, and sequence help readers see the path before they commit to the read.

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Principles, Structure, Readability, Content Strategy, Writing
How Context Shapes Content
Context, Content Strategy, Reading the Room, Writing Tips, User Experience, Audience Intent
How Context Shapes Content
Context, Content Strategy, Reading the Room, Writing Tips, User Experience, Audience Intent

The same message can land very differently depending on where it appears, what the reader expects, and what they know when they arrive.

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Context, Content Strategy, Reading the Room, Writing Tips, User Experience, Audience Intent
Why Content Needs the Right Container
Content Strategy, Writing Process, Editorial Archetypes, Content Marketing.
Why Content Needs the Right Container
Content Strategy, Writing Process, Editorial Archetypes, Content Marketing.

Good content needs the right shape. Match the message to the container, and the work gets clearer, stronger, and easier to follow.

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Content Strategy, Writing Process, Editorial Archetypes, Content Marketing.

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Prompts
Find something to say that moves your business forward

Featured
December 21 | Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice, Business Vision, Year-End Reflection, Small Business Marketing, Content Strategy, Brand Growth, Fall-Winter, Block 1
December 21 | Winter Solstice
Winter Solstice, Business Vision, Year-End Reflection, Small Business Marketing, Content Strategy, Brand Growth, Fall-Winter, Block 1

The Winter Solstice is more than just the shortest day of the year; it’s a moment to pause. Use the "returning light" to share where your business is headed and thank the people who helped you get there.

Winter Solstice, Business Vision, Year-End Reflection, Small Business Marketing, Content Strategy, Brand Growth, Fall-Winter, Block 1
December 13 | National Violin Day
National Violin Day, Business Positioning, Content Strategy, Brand Voice, Small Business Marketing, Industry Debates, Fall-Winter, Block 1
December 13 | National Violin Day
National Violin Day, Business Positioning, Content Strategy, Brand Voice, Small Business Marketing, Industry Debates, Fall-Winter, Block 1

Whether you’re playing "classical" or "fiddle," National Violin Day is the perfect metaphor for how you position your business. Use today to tune in to what your audience really needs.

National Violin Day, Business Positioning, Content Strategy, Brand Voice, Small Business Marketing, Industry Debates, Fall-Winter, Block 1
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday, Small Business Marketing, Brand Values, Generosity, Content Strategy, Community Support, Fall-Winter, Block 1
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday, Small Business Marketing, Brand Values, Generosity, Content Strategy, Community Support, Fall-Winter, Block 1

A post about generosity should actually be generous. This Giving Tuesday, skip the "stealth sell" and use your platform to highlight the people and causes that inspire your business.

Giving Tuesday, Small Business Marketing, Brand Values, Generosity, Content Strategy, Community Support, Fall-Winter, Block 1
November 15 | National Clean Out Your Fridge Day
National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, Business Efficiency, Brand Authenticity, Content Marketing Tips, Small Business Planning, Fall-Winter, Fall-Winter\, Block 1
November 15 | National Clean Out Your Fridge Day
National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, Business Efficiency, Brand Authenticity, Content Marketing Tips, Small Business Planning, Fall-Winter, Fall-Winter\, Block 1

Cleaning out the fridge is the perfect metaphor for a business reset. Show your audience how you're clearing the mental clutter to focus on their results.

National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, Business Efficiency, Brand Authenticity, Content Marketing Tips, Small Business Planning, Fall-Winter, Fall-Winter\, Block 1