This month’s summary of my posts on Twitter leads off with a special series of tweets explaining how to identify graphics superiority in competitive analysis reports. Four measurable factors should always be present: Total number of pages carrying editorial content Number of pages with four-color graphics Number and percentage of all-type (unillustrated) pages Number of…
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Taking time to build solid industry connections is paying off for editors during convention coverage assignments. Gone are the days when they could simply roam conference halls collecting newsworthy quotes from readily available show attendees. Increasingly, one editorial director warns, “you have to call in advance to make appointments with authoritative sources.” Established connections are…
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For many top B2B editors, earning the associate publisher title used to be an elusive reward. In other cases, where a debut issue is involved, associate publisher is tacked on right from the start. No matter what preference satisfies top management, there are clear criteria for whether or not the upward step has already been…
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Does your editorial content include enough fear factors? Why are solution-oriented ledes more instructive than problem-oriented intros? How is the way you cover conventions the best test of content exclusivity? Why are women better editors than men? Do medical e-newsletters include too much red tape? Is your editorial marketing program in fighting shape? These are…
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Existence of strong editorial “fear factors” is a key issue when I evaluate existing publications serving a given market. Until now, my approach included matching up my client vs. competition in terms of five “fear factors.” What occurred to me, perhaps now more than in the past, was how many firms did not measure up…
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August tweets from Editorial Solutions Inc. (ESI) covered hot B2B topics such as staff productivity measurement, editorial burnout signs, and useful ESI books. Of particular note this month is the availability of ESI’s self-scoring Marketing Arsenal. This exclusive 10-factor review deserves immediate attention, considering the heavy competitive activity B2B editors can expect in the months…
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“Who says Church & State is ancient history?” That recent Tweet drew prompt responses from concerned editors. When quid pro quo coverage for ad buys is demanded, snapped one editorial director, “to me it sends a signal the publisher doesn’t believe in their product.” Another manager admitted that “keeping Church and State apart has become…
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Editorial ethics is not a topic that ordinarily attracts a concerned readership. The topic itself may have plenty of supporters, but speaking out when clashes between sales and editorial reach boiling points is rare. Despite that reality, last week I chose to invite responses to a discussion about the future of the traditional journalistic separation…
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Many B2B editorial managers still have an aversion to preparing quantitative job descriptions. The result: plenty of fumbling when staff reviews are scheduled. Expected future shuffling of staff responsibilities suggests now as a good time to arrange assignment factors in order of importance. Whether or not you choose to quantify itemized job descriptions depends upon…
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A longtime top executive on consumer magazines who launched his career on the editorial side, Ira Ellenthal believes sales and editorial teams can work together to make things happen. Here’s his money quote: Playing ball–that is, editors working closely with the business staff–is not only a smart idea in current times, it’s an imperative. The…
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