How to Create an Editorial Calendar You’ll Actually Use
by Kathryn Brill, Social Media and Content Marketing Specialist The end of the year is fast approaching, which can only mean one thing. No, not holiday food—planning your content marketing for 2019. This crucial activity involves budgeting, taking stock of the successes and failures of the past year, and often, putting together an editorial calendar. These shiny documents often represent sincere hopes for the next year and a genuine desire to follow a strategic plan for content marketing. However, putting one together can be overwhelming, and frequently these calendars are abandoned quickly after hitting snags in the new year—or never used at all. But when used right, editorial calendars are some of the
The great debate: Does spec creative belong in your B2B marketing RFP process?
by Randy Mitchell, Creative Director If you’re a sensitive creative, please skip over the next sentence because I am going to use a four-letter word. That offensive term is spec. Sorry. I’m blushing too. Spec creative is essentially speculative conceptual work that is intended to demonstrate how a prospective agency partner thinks. In this capacity, spec is occasionally required in the B2B marketing RFP process. The company issuing the RFP might challenge the agency to “show us some ideas” based on very limited input. Some people insist that spec creative is a necessary evil. I can’t agree with the necessary part. But evil is spot on. There are multiple reasons spec is unwelcome, and some