Weekly Alert: Did You Get Buy-in or All-in?

18 days until CMWorld 2019! [] 54648/ct0_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm [] [Forward to a Friend](54648/ct1_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) Weekly News 8.16.19 Connect with CMI 54648/ct2_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm 54648/ct3_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm 54648/ct4_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm 54648/ct5_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm [] How This Marketer Electrifies 'Energy is Good' Stories (B2B CMY Finalist) [] 54648/ct6_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm “Energy is a good story” is the tagline this B2B Content Marketer of the Year finalist and his team deliver every day. They transform stories about what could be a dry topic into content that captures attention and imagination. [Read more](54648/ct6_1/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm)by Carla Johnson [Content Creation] Some more of this week's best stuff: - [How to Make Your Brand's Podcast Soar to Top of the Charts](54648/ct7_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) by Mark Jones [Content Creation] - [7 Things Successful Marketers Do With Original Research](54648/ct8_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) by Michele Linn [Trends and Research] - [Want More Opens and Fewer Unsubscribes? Fix These 35 Email Mistakes](54648/ct9_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) by Ann Gynn [Distribution and Promotion] - [Weekly Wrap: Data Makes Content Marketing Better](54648/ct10_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) by Robert Rose [Trends and Research] - [Henry Rollins Brings Illumination to a Murky Media World](54648/ct11_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) by Jodi Harris [Chief Content Officer Exclusive] [] [] A Note From Robert Rose Can I or May I? What question are you asking and what answer are you looking for when you ask for executive buy-in? You’ve no doubt heard the “can or may” challenge in grammar. A student might ask the teacher, “Can I go to the bathroom?” The teacher then jokes, “You can, but you may not,” meaning the student is capable of leaving the room but does not have permission to do so. When looking for executive buy-in for a new project, people sometimes make a business case that’s the equivalent of asking, “Can I innovate?” In other words, they simply inform their leaders of what they plan to do. The attitude is, “If you want to stop me, speak up.” “May I innovate?” is seeking permission. In other words, the project can’t move forward without approval. With either question, think about what you need – or expect – to hear in response. The answer is rarely as straightforward as yes or no, stop or go, permission granted or permission denied. What if you asked for one of these more-nuanced answers: - We’re in strong agreement. - We agree. - We’re neutral. - We disagree. - We strongly disagree. Would these answers change your approach? These five choices make up the [Likert scale](54648/ct12_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm), a widely used approach to scaling responses in survey-based research. It’s most useful when trying to understand unobservable characteristics, such as attitudes, feelings, or strength of opinion. I recently worked with a senior director of marketing who made a “May I?” business case to secure permission to create a new role for herself in conjunction with developing a centralized content strategy. She brought in consultants, did the financial analysis, assembled the budget, and laid out the 12-month roadmap for executing this change. The executive committee agreed and approved her project. About six months into her project, though, the company experienced a small budget shakeup. Her project – and subsequently her new role – was put on indefinite hold. She was confused and disappointed. As it turns out, the executive committee only approved her project because they could find no strong objection to anything in her plan. No one felt excited about or even desired the change. She’d made an efficient business case with solid performance metrics none of them could say no to. But she hadn’t made them care. So, when it came time to defend it against other budget issues, no one felt strongly enough to back it. You don’t always need a gushing endorsement before moving forward with a new idea. But too often, I’ve seen innovative projects die on the vine just because bosses didn’t squeal with delight when they heard about them. Still, it’s useful to understand that executives’ buy-in doesn’t mean they’re “all in” when it comes to your ideas. As you assemble new ideas to tackle, you’ll be challenged to assemble data, arguments, best cases, and identified risks before you ask, “Can I?” or “May I?” Just make sure you understand which question you’re asking – and what answer you need to move forward. 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](54648/ct13_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm). 54648/ct14_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGmListen to the Weekly Wrap This week Robert explores the danger of forgetting that “buy-in” doesn’t necessarily mean “all-in.” Plus, he offers a fresh take on an article asking why so many content marketers [overlook one obvious (and effective) tactic](54648/ct15_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm). Then he chats with Salesforce’s Heike Young about finding no-cost ways to use data in content (and why sales enablement strategy trumps TikTok strategy every time). Finally, he points to an article that will help you [spice up your content strategy](54648/ct16_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm). Get all this inspiration [right here](54648/ct14_1/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) or subscribe below: [Subscribe on Apple Podcasts](54648/ct17_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) or [Subscribe on Stitcher](54648/ct18_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) [] [] A Word From One of Our Content VIPs Compare different digital asset management solutions and functionalities: The easy way to compare DAM vendors for free. This digital asset management software comparison guide aims to help you compare vendors and features so you can see which solution is perfect for you. Learn about different digital asset management vendors and solutions, and how to define your company’s DAM needs and requirements. 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[Code EM100 saves $100!](54648/ct21_1/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm) [] CMI Video 54648/ct22_0/1?sid=TV2%3ABVdKyLnGm As part of our new Mastering Content Marketing video series, we asked Buddy Scalera, a content marketer, to share tips on creating the most effective visual content. 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