Snap out of it

How to set up for a more creative, successful 2024 [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( WEEKLY NEWS 12.1.23 WEEKLY NEWS 12.1.23  [Together with ClearVoice]  FEATURED [How To Turn ‘Meh’ Ideas Into Marvelous Content]( By Amy Higgins and Monica Norton Ever received a not-so-great content idea at your organization? Don’t despair. Follow this idea transformation framework to turn it into successful content. [Read more](  SPONSORED CONTENT 🧗 Scale YOUR Content Mountain by ClearVoice OK, marketers, it’s intervention time. Your brand’s content is lost in the wilderness. Your content team: talented? Sure. Inspired? Debatable. Your inbound demand gen? Lagging. The remedy? I.C.R.A – [click here]( to optimize your content journey  MORE OF THE WEEK'S BEST STORIES [OpenAI’s Drama Should Teach Marketers These 2 Lessons]( by Content Marketing Institute Team Should you care about the C-suite drama at OpenAI? Only if you plan to integrate any brand’s generative AI tools into your marketing strategy for 2024 and beyond. [39+ Content Marketing Statistics To Help You Succeed in 2024]( by Lisa Murton Beets Improve your business case and your brand’s content and marketing in 2024 with this curated list of helpful statistics from this year’s CMI research. [3 Questions About AI in Content: What? So What? Now What?]( by Robert Rose Getting your arms around the disruptions of generative AI presents an extreme challenge. A 20-year-old framework for self-reflection may help. Ask these three questions in proper succession. [The Ultimate Content Marketing Reading List: 50 Recommendations]( by Ann Gynn Choose among the dozens of book recommendations to fill your shelves or add some to the gift list for your team or other favorite marketers. They tackle expected and surprising topics, from writing and AI to disruption, science, and more.  A NOTE FROM ROBERT ROSE Snap out of it 2024 arrives in a month, bringing the chaotic second half of 2023 to a close. It’s been a weird time. You’ve worked to keep the proverbial lights on as generative AI disrupts marketing and content operations. Social media efforts seemed futile, but sharing great content took on greater importance. And interest in a robust owned-media strategy picked up. It feels like we’ve been here before. [Quickly checks the archive.] Ten years ago, I pondered the [disillusionment with content marketing]( as a practice. While 2023 is different, it feels eerily similar. In 2013, content and marketing teams behaved a bit like the IT department – taking orders, serving internal clients, and delivering enough to get by. In 2023, you may again feel like doing just enough to get by because you’re overwhelmed by disruptive changes that might make you irrelevant. But you can snap out of this malaise and go into 2024 with a renewed spirit of innovation, creativity, and inspiration. In 2024, your marketing strategy and challenges will center on two questions: - How do you build and merge the teams that work on content management (governance, processes, structured content, first-party data, and technology) with the creative marketers responsible for valuable, purpose-driven, content-driven experiences? - How do you reconcile the disruption of content creation and distribution that generative AI will inevitably bring with the continued de-evolution of paid media (advertising) and social media? The business case for content as a strategic function in marketing has changed. It’s no longer about selling “content marketing” as a concept. If your business case involves showing the C-suite how competitor X has an amazing blog, competitor Y won an award for its white paper program, or competitor Z drives better loyalty with a podcast, expect shrugged shoulders and a lifted eyebrow. It’s not that senior leadership doesn’t believe that content marketing can work. They do. But they can’t see how any one project or platform connects to the overall business strategy. Put simply: Don’t ask to build a new model of car. Show how you’ll survive the disruption of the auto industry instead. Make no bones about it – these challenges will hit every business in every industry. My four most recent consulting engagement inquiries didn’t involve launching a new content marketing approach or measuring thought leadership. Each request involved helping make content creation in marketing and communications more effective and efficient. In [Rose-Colored Glasses]( this week, I explore the biggest pushback you’re likely to face and how you might address it in the new year. [I’d love to hear what you think]( – and your plans or concerns for 2024. It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Would any of your colleagues or friends benefit from Robert's weekly updates? Please invite them to [subscribe]( here.  SPONSORED CONTENT Maximizing CMS for Omnichannel Experiences Learn what it takes to choose a content management system (CMS) that future-proofs your business. Get real-life examples and insights from industry experts. [Download the report »]( Maximizing the Top 7 Trends in Customer Experience What does it take to create unparalleled customer experiences in 2024 and beyond? Discover seven transformative trends in CX and learn how to act on them today. [Free download »](  Calling All Content Connoisseurs and Demand Gen Experts! Dust off your crystal ball. Tell us what trends, challenges, and evolutions you foresee for 2024 – and get exclusive early access to the results. [Take the brief survey »](  MORE FROM CMI Next Week’s Digital Event: Content and Marketing Trends for 2024 Marketers have had a year of thinking on their toes. Are you ready for 2024’s new challenges and opportunities? Join us December 6-7, starting at 1 p.m. ET, for a two-day online event to equip you for the evolving landscape ahead. Explore sessions like AI and SEO strategies for 2024, zero-click content, leveraging incrementalism for better ROI, user-generated content's role in storytelling, and evidence-based SEO tactics that challenge existing norms. Join us to rethink approaches and prepare for a successful 2024. [Register now »](  Livestream Playback: Get Your Video Content to Reach Its Full Potential Content Marketing Institute's 3rd Annual Video & Visual Storytelling research shows that most video content fails to reach its full potential. If you missed last week’s Ask the #CMWorld Community livestream, catch up now to hear from Amy Balliett, senior fellow at Material, and Theo Thompson, video strategist and owner of Nourish Social, on steps you can take to get the most out of your video and visual content. [Watch the livestream »](  To change your email preferences or unsubscribe, visit our [subscription center.]( Copyright © 2023 Informa Connect, All rights reserved Content Marketing Institute, an Informa Connect brand 605 3rd Ave | New York | NY 10158 [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Statement]( [informa tech]