What’s Good Enough for You?

mlns='> [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( Weekly News 5.7.21 Connect with CMI [Want More Method and Less Madness? Check Your Content Operations]( People, processes, and technology (also known as content operations) make up the machine that turns your strategy into effective content marketing. Try this basic blueprint to set up a new content operations infrastructure or fine-tune the one you’ve got. [Read more]( By Ann Gynn [Content Operations] Some more of this week's best stuff: - [6 Steps to Help You Decide Whether to Optimize Your Failed Content]( by Kim Moutsos [Content Operations] - [Want Better Results From Your Original Research? Improve the Survey Experience]( by Clare McDermott [Content Creation] - [7 Ways to Repurpose Content and Grow Your Customer Base]( by Nadya Khoja [Content Operations] - [Your Content Inspiration of the Week: The Brash, a Bash, and Your Cash]( by Content Marketing Institute Team [Trends and Research] Join Our Weekly Wrap News Crew Did you come across an exciting content idea, unique example, or puzzling trend this week? Help us share it with your fellow Content Marketing Institute readers by completing [this form](. If we include your submission in an upcoming Weekly Wrap, we’ll credit you as the source of the inspiration.  A Note From Robert Rose What’s Good Enough for You? “If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me.” That’s a statement heard by no marketer ever. Yet endless discussions about what quality means happen all the time. What is good enough? Are you so focused on creating something great that you delay or miss out on producing something good enough? The trope that it’s better to get something out the door than to put too much effort into making it great is pervasive. Think of how many business books use one of these quotes: - “The best is the enemy of the good,” from Voltaire (who was [quoting an Italian proverb]( - “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without,” attributed to Confucius - “Striving to be better, oft we mar what’s well,” from Shakespeare. Business writer [James C. Collins's quote]( “great is the enemy of good” often gets lumped in with the rest of these. The irony is, though, his full quote argues the opposite – that we don’t often achieve “great” because it’s so easy to settle for “good.” In marketing and content creation, I see increasing tension around what “good enough” means. I once witnessed a debate between a marketing leader and sales director over the value of two content pieces. The first, an expensive white paper, attracted few downloads but a high percentage of conversions. The second, a short listicle blog post, got exponentially more views but a much lower conversion rate. Both pieces produced the same number of leads in a similar time frame. The debate centered on which piece was “better” and – most importantly – which kind of piece the content team should focus on in the future. Who was right? Many would argue to let the data decide and that both are equally valuable. But is that true? I bet you’re asking the same subjective questions that occurred to me: - What about the long-term performance? - Which approach will strengthen the brand? - Which direction creates a more loyal and educated customer? - Which approach is more cost-effective? - Which gives the team more leverage to repackage or reuse the content? - Which approach provides the highest long-term return on the investment? What does “great” or “good enough” look like? If you don’t know, then your organization can’t trust that one thing is better than another. Too often, the debate about quality or value happens without any standard or discipline to ground it. It’s not that people disagree – it’s that they never settled on what the answer should be. With no standards, the mindset “if it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me” can’t work. With no standards, nothing can be good or great. It can only be done. To set the standards for distinguishing good from great, you’ll have to answer many subjective questions. Once they're answered, stakeholders in your organization should agree that content will be deemed good or great based on the standards set by a few people (or even one person). In other words, setting standards lets stakeholders confidently say, “If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me.” 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](.  Sponsored Content:  2021 Video in Business Benchmark Report As the use of video increases, it’s important to have benchmarks to guide best practices, and get the most ROI from your video efforts. That’s why we created the fourth annual Video in Business Benchmark Report, which analyzes business’ use of video to support sales, marketing, and communication efforts. [Download Now »](   More from CMI Content Marketing Awards - Enter today! Did you create some of your best content in 2020? Were you challenged to create different content, distribute in new ways, and step out of your comfort zone? We want to celebrate your work in this year's Content Marketing Awards. With over 85 categories to choose from, there's a category or two that is right for you. Enter today! Regular deadline is next Friday, 5/14. [Enter Today »](   The truth, it seems, belongs to no one and brands are not immune. How do we earn credibility in an environment of disbelief? In this session from CMWorld 2020, Quest Digital's Jacquie Chakirelis helps us understand how we can leverage our content marketing efforts to earn and keep trust with our customers and empower them to become our messenger. [Watch Now »]( [CONTENT OPERATIONS RESOURCES]( Events [Content Marketing World]( [ContentTECH Summit]( [Master Classes]( [Content Marketing Awards]( Resources [Research]( [White Paper/eBook Library]( [Content VIPs]( [CMI Business Directory]( Education [Content Marketing University]( [Chief Content Officer]( [Webinars]( [Career Center]( Interested in advertising with CMI? [Learn more.]( To stop receiving future Content Marketing Institute update emails, please respond [here](. Copyright © 2021 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]