More or Less

mlns='> When you’re asked to do more with less, make sure you end up with more. [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( Weekly News 7.15.22 Connect With CMI [Ban These Words and Phrases From Your Communications Right Now (an A-to-Y Guide)]( Are you guilty of letting any of these overused, meaningless, or confusing words, phrases, or categories of no-no’s slip into your content? You won’t do it again after reading this list suggested by Content Marketing World speakers. Brace yourself for the fingernails-on-blackboard effect. [Read more]( By Ann Gynn More of the week's best stuff: - [Be Careful Where You Put the Emphasis on ‘Do More With Less']( by Robert Rose - [An Inside Look at the Ambitious and Successful Content Strategy Behind Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials]( by Ann Gynn - [How To Use AI-Generated Content the Right Way (and Avoid the Downsides)]( by Michael Brenner - [How To Make LinkedIn Your Top Social Media B2B Marketing Platform]( by Aleksandra Iakovleva - [CMI News: The Headless CMS Rides Again [Video Update]]( by Robert Rose  More or Less Do more with less. That’s a phrase most of us have heard like a drumbeat over the last 20 years. It doesn’t seem to matter whether budgets are going up or down – the message remains the same. The question is, which word gets the emphasis: more or less? Do you switch the emphasis when economic or other headwinds are present? The combination of economic conditions and transformational challenges over the last two years seems to have encouraged conflicting behavior trends. Talent is hard to come by (and hard to keep), yet it feels like we’re heading for a recession. Business profits are at an all-time high, but austerity rules when delivering customer experiences. It’s as if brands are choosing to do less instead of improving the customer experience. Are companies using this confusing time to see how much of a degraded experience their customers will tolerate? I recently had a four-night stay at a brand-name hotel where prices had spiked compared to 18 months ago. I was informed on check-in (in the app and on the website) that my room wouldn’t be cleaned during my stay unless I requested it, and only on the day requested. If I needed things usually replenished during a housekeeping visit (e.g., towels, soap), I should call housekeeping. I get it. The pandemic left many hotels short-staffed and challenged with creating a more efficient operation. Still, this hotel chain had a 34% increase in revenue from 2020 to 2021 and a 103% increase in revenue in 2022. Yes, really. But let’s put that aside. My problem isn’t that they didn’t plan to clean my room. My problem is the redesigned customer experience. Why are they institutionalizing a degraded experience? The chain put the onus on me – the customer – to pay more but also deal with more hassle. Why didn’t they use this opportunity to design a better communication experience for the check-in process? “Hello, Mr. Rose. Thank you for your loyalty. We’re trying to do better for the environment and our natural resources. Can you tell me on which days of your four-day stay you would prefer your room cleaned? We can clean it once, twice, or not at all.” The hotel’s service model remains the same. But the way it's presented to the customer changes. Now, take that simple change and think about how the hotel could transform its content. This customer-focused messaging could be delivered on the website and incorporated into the content strategy. It could even play an important role in branded editorial content. So why isn’t the hotel chain doing this? Because it’s easier not to, that’s why. Instead of doing more with less, they are doing more with less. It’s a subtle but important difference. Instead of moving toward more creativity and innovation despite having fewer resources, they’re focusing on doing less with their energy and resources. I’ve seen this same thing happen on content teams. For example, I worked with a team at a company that was in growth mode last year. At that time, the team was charged with building an innovative thought leadership program with no increase to their marketing budget. They planned to work with select subject matter experts to produce a small number of high-quality e-books (one per SME). The plan worked brilliantly. Despite that success, this year’s mandate to the team was to create the same number of assets (or more) with the same budget. Everything would be judged on whether they met the budget of assets produced vs. dollars spent. The team also executed this plan perfectly. But the results this year have been much less inspiring. What happened? In both years, the team received the “do more with less” message. The emphasis made all the difference. In the first year, the team strove to do more. In the second year, they institutionalized a lesser set of experiences. But how do you avoid institutionalizing a degraded experience when you’re asked to do more with less? I offer some suggestions in this week’s [Rose-Colored Glasses](. Once you’ve read it, drop me a line [via email](mailto:cmi_info@informa.com) or in the [article's comments section]( to share your thoughts. In the meantime, remember: It's your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute Do you have colleagues or friends who would benefit from Robert's weekly updates? If so, please invite them to [subscribe]( here.    Sponsored Content Everything you need to know on how to get started building a pillar page strategy that will increase your first-page rankings. [Download the eBook »](   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: - Assistant Director - Content, Principal Financial Group – Des Moines, IA – [Learn More]( - Marketing Manager, Informa Connect – New York, NY or Remote – [Learn More]( - Marketing Intern, Informa Connect – New York, NY or Remote – [Learn More]( Interested in posting a job here? 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