One size DOES NOT fit all. Your workshop curriculum must be tailored to the needs of your organization, including the skill level of participants (experienced marcom pros versus product managers, for example) and the kinds of deliverables (Web pages, emails, articles) you want to create.

Workshop exercises fall into two broad categories:

1. General skills, such as storytelling or creating effective headlines, that apply to just about any communications project
2. Specific deliverables, such as how to write marketing emails or Web landing pages

Before you commit to a workshop, be sure you can work with the instructor to create a curriculum that genuinely fits your objectives.

Learn more about on-site marketing writing workshops here.

Both the presentation tool (typically PowerPoint) and the worksheets should include examples that illustrate the principles being taught. Further, these samples work best when they’re related to your own industry, revealing the lesson’s skills/ideas within the context of familiar vocabularies and concepts.

CAUTION: Resist the temptation to include samples of your own organization’s work. The author(s) may be in the workshop, exposing them to embarrassment. Worse, even the suspicion that the responsible parties may be in the room will inhibit the free flow of discussion, criticism and feedback that’s critical to the workshop’s success.

Learn more about on-site marketing writing workshops here.

Energy is contagious. And we learn best when we have the opportunity to teach others. Structured feedback in both small (teams of 3 – 5 people) groups and large (the entire class of 15 – 25 people) puts students in multiple roles, allowing them to become, in turn, writers, editors, students and teachers.

Structured, collective feedback creates a safe environment to test new ideas and skills without fear of failure or reprisal. Added plus: participants become more comfortable with the vocabulary and discipline of editing, improving their ability to collaborate with colleagues on future communications projects.

Learn more about on-site marketing writing workshops here.

A little course correction, a gentle nudge, a pointed question – these and other tidbits of personal attention can have an impact exponentially out of proportion to their size. Often, the right word under the right circumstances can mean all the difference between confusion and confidence. Under the guidance of a skilled teacher, “eureka” moments may bloom, breaking free from old habits and frustrations.

But this kind of education is personal and can’t be found via the anonymity of an online course or among a crowded plenary session. (Rule of thumb: if the instructor needs a mic, the room’s too big or has too many people.) Everyone on your team will enjoy a more rewarding experience when they have the opportunity to receive one-on-one attention from a thoughtful teacher.

Learn more about on-site marketing writing workshops here.

No amount of talking, no matter how engaging, will make you and your colleagues more effective marketing writers. A writing curriculum must be built upon – wait for it! – writing. The right writing exercises focus on precise techniques or qualities (storytelling or skimmable subheads, for example) to develop practical skills that can be applied long after the workshop is over.

A good writing exercise must:

• Transfer a skill relevant to marketing requirements
• Include clear examples and instructions
• Be simple enough to fulfill on site, yet rich enough to reward subsequent efforts in the weeks and months to come

Learn more about on-site marketing writing workshops here.

I started out writing consumer catalog copy, then moved into healthcare communications and B2B direct marketing. Today, most of my work is Web-content related. Things changed and my business has changed with the times. Ten years from now, who knows what I’ll be doing? How about you? You can’t predict the future, but you can prepare for it by rejecting overly-narrow specializations and embracing flexibility.

I’m exaggerating – there are times when brochures are useful. But why are they the first thing that comes to mind when marketers are launching a new product/service, when they should be the very last thing to worry about? When was the last time anyone bought anything on the strength of a brochure? Worry about creating a real marketing plan that complements a workable sales pathway. Worry about creating content that attracts attention by addressing your audience’s interests. Only worry about brochures when you’re satisfied with everything else.

True story: I once worked for a bank on a direct marketing campaign that was delayed for well over a year as the client tweaked and retweaked the offer, the wording, the value prop, etc. Why? They wanted to get it just right. Here’s why they were wrong: while they spent months making incremental adjustments, they lost momentum, leads, opportunities and revenue. Had they taken action when they were 80% there – damn the remaining 20% — they would have gained new business and important lessons for improving their marketing program. Instead, they stalled and got nowhere. Moral of the story: Get moving. Perfection is for dreamers.

What really motivates the B2B buyer? Sure, features and benefits are important – vital, in fact. But if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll recognize that our competitors make promises very similar to our own. Inside the buyer’s mind is a fragile, timid little creature with one ardent desire: “make me feel safe.” This creature cowers before the multiplicity of competing offers, the complexity of conflicting information. Instead of being inspired by hope, it is numbed with fear; after all, in the B2B context, the rewards of a successful choice are far less vivid than the immediate and painful results of failure. Above all else, when you’re marketing to B2B influencers and decision-makers, you have to communicate the certain conviction that choosing you is the safe choice to make.

The antidote to the “its only” disasters is the creative brief, a document that articulates the project’s purpose, use, audience, key messages, proof points, etc. Creating creative briefs takes time, so it’s tempting to skip the step. Resist that temptation. Time “saved” on the front end almost always leads to unnecessary confusion that wastes much more time on the back end.