May

4 reasons marketers must shift toward a ‘knowledge extraction’ mindset

May 2, 2018

Marketers… if you had to describe your most important role in one or two words, what would you say? My gut tells me that many would say “promotion,” “brand building” or “thought leadership.” I doubt many would say “knowledge extraction.” And that must change.

Knowledge extraction is basically that — extracting knowledge from your subject-matter experts (SMEs). It’s a specialized skill when done right, and it’s imperative for effective business-to-business and professional services marketing. Here’s why:

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Apr

7 ways to overcome content marketing’s biggest challenge: just getting it done

April 24, 2018

by: Michelle Calcote King in B2B , Content marketing , Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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We’ve all heard it before:

“I just can’t get my subject-matter experts to give me the information I need.”

“We would do content marketing, but we can never find the time — we’re too busy focused on billable work.”

I get it. Content marketing takes time. It’s the reason I have a viable business, after all.

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Apr

Legal marketers: Here’s how to get general counsel’s attention, straight from the horse’s mouth

April 17, 2018

by: Michelle Calcote King in Law , Marketing strategy

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Four marketing strategies are particularly effective, says panel of GCs at Legal Marketing Association conference

Law firm marketers: Want to know what works to get the attention of general counsel (GC)?

Here’s the short answer: high-quality, relevant and timely thought leadership content, in the form of client alerts, helpful articles vendita piscina gonfiabile con scivolo and speeches. In addition, well-written case studies help GCs understand your firm’s experience in solving specific problems (that they may be facing themselves).

Five GCs sat down for a panel discussion at last week’s Legal Marketing Association national conference and laid bare how they choose outside counsel, what gets their attention and how to cut through the clutter in today’s information-saturated environment.

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Mar

Crisis PR and the FIU bridge collapse: 8 ways to prepare your AEC firm for the worst

March 30, 2018

by: Michelle Calcote King in Public relations , Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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“By the time you hear the thunder, it’s too late to build the ark.” —Unknown

It’s everyone’s worst nightmare in the architecture, engineering and construction industry: a catastrophic incident with multiple fatalities, and your company is on the line.

That’s the reality right now for FIGG Bridge Engineers and MCM — the designer and builder, respectively, of the pedestrian bridge at Florida International University that collapsed March 15, killing six and injuring 10 others.

The focus now is on honoring the lives vendita gonfiabile percorso ad ostacoli lost, determining what led to the collapse and ultimately holding anyone negligent accountable. However, the incident is a reminder of how incredibly important it is for AEC public relations professionals to prepare to respond to such worst-case scenarios.

While every situation is unique, and the experience of a crisis PR professional is invaluable during an event, here are eight ways you can prepare now to protect your firm’s reputation as much as possible in the event the worst happens.

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Mar

3 simple ways law firms can promote litigation wins

March 19, 2018

by: Michelle Calcote King in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Public relations

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For litigation firms and practice groups, promoting your wins can be an uphill battle. Client confidentiality, multi-year timelines, last-minute rulings, and complex legal ideas and maneuverings make litigation promotion a unique art form.

High-profile cases require proactive media relations

Sometimes, litigation is high-profile and requires a proactive, ongoing effort to manage the public narrative as litigation unfolds. In this case, your PR team builds relationships, tells your side of the story in plain language, explains complex legal ideas and builds trust with reporters covering the story.

Not all litigation is media worthy

However, not all litigation is high-profile or media worthy. Or, clients’ concerns about confidentiality prevent any kind of public relations until a favorable outcome is obtained.

In these cases, how can law firms showcase their prowess in obtaining victories on behalf of their clients and stay top of mind with prospective clients who face similar business risks?

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Feb

How to become a legal public relations star: Be like Jack

February 6, 2018

by: Michelle Calcote King in Law , Public relations

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Becoming a trusted media source can be an incredible boon for lawyers and other professional services providers such as accountants, architects and management consultants.

The media’s third-party credibility provides nearly the same power as a personal referral — the gold standard in professional services marketing. And, when compounded over and over again (with multiple media appearances), it can even beat personal referrals.

But becoming a media star is no easy task. Yet somehow, some attorneys are always quoted and featured in top media outlets, over and over again. Take Jack, for example.

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Nov

Professional B2B content marketing writers: Why you need ‘em and how to find ‘em

November 10, 2017

by: Michelle Calcote King in B2B , Content marketing , Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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By far, the number-one challenge we hear from prospects and clients when it comes to content marketing is finding the time to do it. Producing content is time consuming.

Behind every blog post, white paper, hüpfburg mit rutsche kaufen e-book, case study, infographic and video are countless hours of research, interviewing, organizing, writing and editing for accuracy, word choice, clarity, voice and flow.

At the same time, many in complex B2B industries (like law, manufacturing, technology, architecture, engineering and construction) believe that their businesses are too complex and niche for non-technical professionals (such as writers) to grasp and translate into compelling, digestible content.

“We have to do it ourselves” is something I’ve heard time and time again.

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Sep

7 steps to developing a law firm content marketing strategy

September 27, 2017

by: Michelle Calcote King in Law , Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Lead generation

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While law firms are prolific content generators, very few firms have a documented content marketing strategy.

According to Greentarget’s 2017 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey, 96% of in-house counsel say that there is content overload, while 81% of law firm marketers plan to produce more. And a measly 26% of law firm marketers say they have a documented content strategy.

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Sep

Thought leadership vs. lead generation: Why legal blogging needs a strategic update

September 22, 2017

by: Michelle Calcote King in Law , Marketing strategy , Lead generation

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At the Legal Marketing Association’s Southeastern Conference last week in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a session on content marketing, the presenters gave an overview of Greentarget’s 2017 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey. Unsurprisingly, the theme of the report: information overload. The survey found that 96% of in-house counsel say that there is content overload, while 81% of law firm marketers plan to produce more.

How to rise above this content deluge? Shift from a thought-leadership mindset to a lead-generation mindset. By doing so, law firms will be forced to become more strategic in how they reach their prospective clients, giving them the content that they want, when they want and how they want it. Because if they don’t, the proof will be in the pudding: zero leads.

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Jul

Content marketers: 7 ways to improve your subject-matter-expert interviews

July 12, 2017

by: Michelle Calcote King in B2B , Marketing strategy , Content marketing , Architecture, Engineering and Construction

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Get the information you need to create persuasive, insightful content by conducting better interviews

I’ll let you in on a little-known secret that sets great content marketers apart from the good ones. It’s not the writing. It’s not video production skills. It’s not even research.

Don’t get me wrong — those are important. But the real secret sauce? Conducting great interviews.

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About the Author

Michelle Calcote King is an award-winning marketer with nearly 20 years of expertise in all things marketing, content, media and public relations. Specializing in highly complex industries, she leverages superior writing skills, media savvy and a love of all things digital to move her clients' businesses forward.

Read my full bio or connect with me on LinkedIn.

4 reasons marketers must shift toward a ‘knowledge extraction’ mindset

7 ways to overcome content marketing’s biggest challenge: just getting it done

Legal marketers: Here’s how to get general counsel’s attention, straight from the horse’s mouth

Crisis PR and the FIU bridge collapse: 8 ways to prepare your AEC firm for the worst

3 simple ways law firms can promote litigation wins

High-profile cases require proactive media relations

Not all litigation is media worthy

How to become a legal public relations star: Be like Jack

Professional B2B content marketing writers: Why you need ‘em and how to find ‘em

7 steps to developing a law firm content marketing strategy

Thought leadership vs. lead generation: Why legal blogging needs a strategic update

Content marketers: 7 ways to improve your subject-matter-expert interviews

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