Weekly Alert: When Success Leads to a Crisis of Change

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[Read more](2e5a5/ct9_1/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8)by Jodi Harris [Content Creation] Some more of this week's best stuff: - [How to Find a Writer Who Won’t Kill Your Content](2e5a5/ct10_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) by Chris Gillespie [Operations, Teams and Process] - [6 Time-Saving Apps and Tools Marketers Obsess Over](2e5a5/ct11_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) by Jonathan Crossfield [Content Marketing Tools and Technology] - [How to Create Great Gated Content From Existing Content](2e5a5/ct12_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) by Patrick Whatman [Content Curation] - [7 Instagram Stories Ideas to Get More Followers](2e5a5/ct13_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) by Olga Rabo [Content Distribution and Promotion] [] [] A Note From Robert Rose Succeeding Into the Crisis of Change At the end of a workshop or keynote, the question I most frequently get asked is some version of this: “When your management team doesn’t see the value in content marketing, how do you convince them that change is needed?” It’s a thorny problem because change doesn’t just require convincing one or two people to think differently. The obstacle is in getting the company (as a whole) to change its collective mind and try something that flies in the face of everything that brought success in the past. In other words, it’s not only the failures that bring our teams and our companies into a crisis of change. We also frequently come to a crisis of change because we’re still doing some successful thing that has outlasted its usefulness. When we look at the inspiration for change from the “we are doing something wrong” perspective, the inevitable problem is that the company starts answering the wrong questions. We start asking how to fix the thing that seems to be losing momentum or showing signs of age. We were right in choosing these strategies, and we assume we just need a minor course correction. So, we pull data and research and gather input from stakeholders, looking for ways to fix a strategy that’s increasingly worthless. One global company I recently consulted with is slavishly working on a “one website 2020” strategy. They’ve been down this road before, when launching microsites and campaign-websites created a mess of digital experiences. They’ve gathered extensive information to build the case that one website (as opposed to other owned digital media properties) will provide better brand consistency, efficiency in asset management, and easier workflow. Will it? It might. But they haven’t answered (or really even asked) whether it’s actually better for their customers. Remember, the once-successful strategies outliving their usefulness were typically developed by the corporate leaders who now resist changing them. So, these leaders are in no mood to hear new facts, disruptive ideas, or things that fly in the face of what’s been successful. Put simply, they don’t want to now be told their strategies are failing. So, they couch their reactions in nostalgic logic, saying, “This isn’t the way things are done here” or, “That isn’t core to our brand architecture” or, “Our founders didn’t think that way.” The most frustrating corporate reaction is, “Our problem isn’t our strategy, it’s the execution. We just need to do better.” This pushback is a normal human reaction. As Seth Godin recently said so brilliantly, “It's almost impossible to get someone to try something new today if they also have to admit that they were wrong yesterday.” So how, instead, do we make the argument for change? One technique I’ve found useful is to change the entire premise of the “ask.” We have to make clear to our colleagues and our bosses that our marketing strategy is not in crisis because it’s flawed, but because our successful strategies have outlived their useful lifespan. It’s not about blaming the current strategies – and it’s especially not about blaming the people behind them. In meetings where we build our crisis-of-change strategies, we should be asking, “What did we successfully create that brought us to this inflection point?” Then, ask not how to course correct the old, but how to create the new approach that will continue our success moving forward. Look at how we’ve succeeded our way into the opportunity to change. It’s a great first step in convincing the company not to change the current course, but to change out the steering mechanism and create an entirely new one. It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute This article from Robert is available only in this newsletter for you, the newsletter subscriber. If you have friends that would see value in Robert's weekly updates, please have them [subscribe](2e5a5/ct14_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8). [] [] Content Marketing Job Listings Currently on a job search? Thinking about switching gears with your career? Please check out our job listings below. Available Positions: - DIRECTOR AND PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE, DIGITAL AUDIENCES LAB, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ - [Learn More](2e5a5/ct15_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) Interested in posting a job here? Please see our [CMI Careers page](2e5a5/ct16_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) for more info. [] A Word From One of Our Benefactors What Is Interactive Content? How does boring content become exciting? By using interactivity to bridge the gap between content and experience. Get the basics on interactive content in this white paper from ion interactive, where you’ll learn how interactive content marketing can generate, qualify, and deeply profile more quality leads. [Get the white paper!](2e5a5/ct17_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) [] [] More From CMI 2e5a5/ct18_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8 May is flying by, isn't it? Don't let the Content Marketing World Early bird rates fly by without you getting the best deals for our favorite event. Register before 5/31 AND use code EMAIL to save an extra $100 off the early bird rates - double up on the savings now! Visit our website for details, including speakers, the agenda, and our amazing closing keynote. You won't want to miss this! [Register today!](2e5a5/ct18_1/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8) [] CMI Video 2e5a5/ct19_0/1?sid=TV2%3Am0dlK6Pd8 You know content marketing could make a tremendous impact on the business. You just cannot get the rest of the organization on board. In this clip from CMWorld 2017, Michael Brenner, CEO of Marketing Insider Group, shares advice on how you can get the entire organization to embrace your content marketing initiative. 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