Earlier in this series, I described an eight-factor e-news editing test that should be applied during competitive analysis projects. Warning: that collection of caveats is merely the tip of the snafu iceberg. And in many cases, you are your own worst enemy. Take timeliness, for example. Needless to say (I hope), the news you post…
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Writers and editors of B2B news need to pay more careful attention to the use of direct quotes from end users (that is, their target readers). While many trade publications excel at gathering comments from readers, just as many do poorly. Still others gather ample reader quotes, but mostly from advertisers and vendors, not end…
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In part 1 of this article, I covered the first 13 of 25 qualitative factors in my competitive scoring system. Here are the remaining 12. Contents page. Do headings go beyond conventional labels such as “Features” and “Departments”? Are photos accompanied by newsy captions, not just the page number? Do department listings consist of the…
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Will corporate demands to “do more with less” overwhelm editors who already have their hands full with print and online responsibilities? Several tweets posted over the past two months indicated that answers are not immediately forthcoming. Other tweets in this time frame summarized several high-value guidelines covered in the first four installments of the new…
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The system described here emerged shortly after I launched Editorial Solutions Inc. in 1989. A B2B publisher with multiple titles asked me to prepare a two-day, in-house editorial workshop. One of the longer sessions (90 minutes) was to focus on competitive analysis. Part of the challenge was to create an objective scoring system that would…
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The ability to deliver a steady flow of high-value editorial content has always been a miraculous skill. For evidence of such miracles, you need look no further than to those many publications where full-time staffs of just one or two editors have against all odds consistently produced great publications. But as if such miracles weren’t…
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At least 10 years ago, it became apparent that B2B print media news sections were growing more tepid every day. Some clients admitted to me that they intended to eliminate their news coverage entirely. In many cases, the news department’s focus was being directed to online coverage. Surviving print news sections, such as they were,…
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A newly revised online news scoring system from Editorial Solution Inc. will definitely test your editing skills. This competitive analysis system concentrates on eight key editorial factors most likely to trip up writers and editors of online publications. ESI will be applying this system in all online projects. Of course, you are also welcome to…
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The first time you do a competitive editorial analysis report, you may find out that the editorial superiority you thought was yours has vanished. The last time you looked— maybe years ago—you owned a clear edge over your competitors. But much to your astonishment, your presumed leadership has slipped away. As business conditions have tightened,…
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Preparing competitive analysis reports typically requires plenty of counting. The standard goal of such projects is to document such competitive differentiators as who can claim quantitative leadership in the number of editorial pages or in content devoted to specific product categories. As useful as those reports may be, perhaps we should consider a new instructive…
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