Look Left @ Marketing

Each year, thousands of content marketers make their way to Content Marketing World to gain insight from a wide variety of experts. For the first time, the show moved from its original home in Cleveland to Washington, D.C. Look Left’s David Sprague and Skylar Cohen spent two days attending multiple sessions that covered many emerging—and traditional—content-related topics.  To no one’s surprise, the most talked-about topic was generative AI, which has created a  whirlwind of disruption in the content marketing sector in recent months. As you’ll hear, most at the conference stand firm in their belief that human beings are necessary to harness the power that AI can give a marketing team.  02:53 - On “Evolve,” the theme of Content Marketing World 2023 06:36 - Skylar and David share their favorite sessions: SEO, AI and editing 12:26 - Insights from Content Marketing World that can be applied to our client service 15:32 - The most common theme at Content Marketing World: AI needs humans 20:34 - Content needs to be more personalized 20:10 - Making content more accessible 25:53 - Many sessions contradicted each other in a healthy way Resources Content Marketing World David Sprague’s CMW takeaways Skylar Cohen’s CMW takeaways 

For those dwelling on the dirt and worm sides of rocks, the term “generative AI” probably doesn’t spark a conversation. For the rest of us, there hasn’t been a day over the last year when we didn’t talk or read about it. Almost every company is trying to figure out where they fit into the AI conversation and how to use it to their advantage.As a B2B tech marketing and PR agency, we get a ton of questions about generative AI from our clients (but not our moms—they still don’t understand what we do for a living). In this edition of the Look Left @ Marketing Podcast, we grabbed three of our Smartypants—Geena Pickering, Matt Raven and Bryan Scanlon—to answer some of the most common queries we get about this disruptive technology.3:08 - Dispelling the notion that AI will make B2B tech marketers obsolete.7:30 - Generative AI can save time, but efficiency shouldn’t supersede content quality and accuracy.11:52 - Using human smarts and generative AI to develop messaging.14:43 - Companies positioning themselves as an AI company should do so with caution.17:34 - AI can help with SEO and content marketing, but sweat equity is necessary to achieve desirable results.21:50 - Generative AI will compete with search engines moving forward.22:43 - Companies must be vigilant about having an AI policy to address copyright and data privacy issues.Resources:Look Left blog: How We’re Using Generative AILook Left blog: Is AI the New Mail Merge?Look Left blog: AI Prompt Engineering to Produce Better OutputsLook Left blog: How to Edit AI-Generated Content in B2B TechLook Left blog: The Impact of ChatGPT on Your SEO Strategy

For B2B tech companies, rebranding exercises are incredibly involved and require expert teamwork, creativity and decision-making. Look Left recently underwent a rebranding, and we decided to use the podcast to share some of our most important learnings.Look Left’s David Sprague, Liesse Jayalath and John Masserini offer lessons learned from the Look Left rebrand project and touch on other topics like expanding AI budgets and (ridiculous) child-to-parent litigation stories. 3:07 - David, Liesse and John start with an icebreaker: The fast emergence of generative AI9:27 - The impetus for Look Left’s rebranding process.11:40 - The importance of ‘starting with the why’ in a rebrand13:25 - Before you tell the world about you, it’s critical to determine the right SEO keywords15:49 - Creating a rebranding team that represents a diverse group of people19:30 - Everyone’s opinion should be welcomed, but there should be a single decision-maker20:48 - Tips for sticking to your rebranding timeline22:58 - Once a decision is made, you have to move forward and be all-in25:36 - One key to launching a rebrand successfully and on time is internal empathy26:49 - Maintaining ‘the why’ and consistency throughout the rebranding process30:04 - Updating the rebrand after the launch32:50 - The roundtable shares things that made them LOL recentlyResources:AI spending report Lex Fridman podcastRASCI responsibility frameworkLook Left blog: The Ultimate Rebranding Project Plan to Bring a New Brand to LifeLook Left blog: How to Build a Successful Website Migration Strategy

Cybersecurity expert Deb Radcliff returns to the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. Since 1996, Deb has been embedded in the hacker and law enforcement communities learning the techniques, lifestyles, and philosophies that make them unique.This conversation covers current cybersecurity topics as well as Book 2 of Deb’s exciting Breaking Backbones trilogy, which is now available. Deb still writes articles and does research, and she hosts the Cy Beat podcast from ITSPmagazine. Here are some highlights:01:01 - Overview of the Breaking Backbones trilogy03:55 - Breaking Backbones has been in the works for 25 years07:10 - How the case of former Uber security chief Joe Sullivan impacts the role of CISOs11:20 - CISOs need documented processes and indemnification before taking jobs17:00 - A look ahead to RSA 2023 22:15 - New cyber threats like “deep fake” phone calls24:20 - Awareness of cyber threats is higher, but criminals are finding new ways to wreak havoc 

Over the past 45 years, Wayne Rash has covered every inch of the tech space. Among his many notable posts, Wayne was executive editor at eWEEK, eWEEK.com, and Ziff Davis Events. He was a senior contributing editor and a senior analyst in the InfoWorld Test Center. Additionally, Wayne worked as a reviewer for Federal Computer Week and Information Security Magazine. He also ran the reviews and events departments at CMP's InternetWeek and was a long-time columnist for Byte Magazine. Today, Wayne is based in Washington, DC, and contributes to Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, CNN_Underscored, and Red Ventures. In addition to his work as a reporter, editor, and reviewer, Wayne has authored five books, including Politics on the Nets: Wiring the Political Process, a 1997 work examining the emerging role of the internet in politics. Wayne also pioneered the use of big data analysis in his reporting. As part of his coverage of the 2016 presidential primary season, he was able to show a likely win for Donald Trump. Wayne is a retired naval officer and a former news director for a number of radio and television stations in Virginia.  In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Davida Dinerman gets Wayne Rash’s insights on a wide variety of topics. Here are a few of the highlights: 01:51 - 20 years of service in the U.S. Navy03:31 - Technology advances through the years04:45 - Early online communities that foreshadowed social media05:48 - Tech that had promise but went bust06:53 - The current state of tech journalism09:52 – How content properly generated by companies can be helpful and influential11:45 - How to break into the news business13:29 - The best way to grab the attention of a tech journalist16:59 - Predictions for what’s ahead in technology20:29 - The problem with building security into products22:18 - The bleak outlook for tech journalism

Welcome to the second part of our conversation about aligning content with lead generation. In the previous episode, Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven examined the ways that different types of content appeal to prospects at different stages of the sales funnel. In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, the sixth in our content marketing series, Bryan and Matt take a look at pillar pages and the importance of focusing on retention after a customer is on board. Here are a few of the highlights: 00:41 - The importance of pillar pages05:01 - Don’t force marketing structures on prospects08:38 - Delivery and experience are more important later in the funnel10:31 - The value of complete honesty, even about a product’s weaknesses16:56 - The sales funnel doesn’t end at conversion. Retention is as important as conversion.18:30 - Show the ways your product solves real-world problems

One of the primary objectives of a B2B content marketing program is to attract the attention and interest of potential customers. There are a lot of factors to be considered—after all, certain content may be more effective with prospects at different points in the sales process.   In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, the fifth in our content marketing series, Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven provide insight and suggestions for B2B companies looking to properly produce content that supports lead generation. 00:51 - A look at the classic marketing funnel01:30 - The role of search and science in identifying customer interest03:46 - Understanding the B2B audience05:49 - How to plan for search when your emerging tech isn’t well known yet07:59 - Appealing to “top of the funnel” prospects09:41 - Companies that don’t fit in well-defined categories need to explore a variety of place12:32 - Consideration and evaluation in the middle of the funnel, where comparison-based content works well 15:07 - The value of product reviews has changed in recent years

The 2022 RSA Conference returns June 6-9 in San Francisco and online. Two people who know a thing or two about the evolution of security are Jill Aitoro, SVP of content strategy for CyberRisk Alliance and editor in chief for SC Media, and Bill Brenner, VP of custom content at CyberRisk Alliance. Jill and Bill joined Look Left’s Davida Dinerman to preview the upcoming show and to dig into what they’re looking forward to:01:17 - The excitement of returning to live events03:25 - What Jill and Bill are most looking forward to at RSA04:45 - The impact Zoom has had on SME interviews7:06 - What topics they’re looking to cover at RSA11:27 - Changes they’ve seen at RSA over the years15:11 - RSA as an opportunity to produce a lot of interesting content18:38 - What they look for in a good interview21:49 - What challenges there are to pitching media24:50 - Favorite “hot spots” at RSA28:06 - Interesting stories from past RSAs29:58 - How security blogging has evolved 

The RSA Conference, the world’s leading information security conference, will hold its annual cybersecurity conference June 6-9 at The Moscone Center in San Francisco. 50,000 people in the industry -- from vendors and company executives to policymakers and academics -- will converge to talk about current and future cyber and privacy concerns, ideas and solutions.In this episode of the Look Left podcast, Davida Dinerman speaks with award-winning cybersecurity and privacy journalist Mathew Schwartz. Since 2014, Mat has been with Information Security Media Group, where he now serves as the executive editor for DataBreachToday and for European news coverage. For a preview of what will be new and exciting at RSA 2022, check out these highlights:02:31 - The ISMG team that will be at RSA04:56 - After a two year in-person hiatus, what is Mat looking for at RSA this year?06:29 - 2022 trends in cybersecurity08:45 - The latest coverage areas for ISMG12:02 - Burnout factors impacting CISOs14:49 - Changes in RSA through the years19:40 - The evolution of today’s cyber threats20:52 - Mat’s “shock and awe” approach to covering RSA26:41 - Mat’s advice for first time attendees at RSA30:38 - Having fun at RSA

HIMSS22 takes place March 14 - 18 in Orlando, Florida. As always, thousands of people in the industry -- from vendors, clinicians and health system executives to policymakers and patient advocates -- will participate in person or via the Digital Experience.   In this episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast, Davida Dinerman chats with John Lynn, founder of HealthcareScene.com, and Colin Hung, chief marketing officer and editor of HealthcareScene.com. John and Colin have been at the vanguard of digital health and consumer engagement for decades - and they have plenty of valuable information to share in this podcast about health IT conferences. Here are some of the highlights:01:35 - HIMSS is about connecting with people throughout the industry03:55 - How to approach a conference with so much content05:35 - It’s a mistake to skip the conference because it’s “too big”08:29 - The evolution of HIMSS 11:40 - The merging of technology and healthcare16:08 - Where is telehealth is going17:13 - Advice for first time attendees - “Have a plan, but be brave.”19:59 - Extending the value beyond HIMSS22:44 - Possible competition between HIMSS vs. ViVE26:05 - Don’t miss the community photo

Reimagine Health is the theme of HIMSS22, which takes place in person March 14 - 18 in Orlando, Florida. People can also participate in the Digital Experience if they can’t travel. In this episode of the Look Left podcast, Davida Dinerman gets the inside scoop on the latest  developments for this year’s conference from HIMSS Meeting Services VP Karen Malone, Professional Development VP JoAnn Klinedinst, and Senior Director of Event Programs at HIMSS Media Cynthia Hornketh. For a preview of what will be new and exciting at HIMSS22, check out these highlights:01:08 - Planning for this year’s conference02:35 - Lessons learned from the COVID-impacted show last August04:14 - Why relationships and connections matter more than ever06:22 - The Digital Experience complements the in-person program08:11 - Networking opportunities via the Digital Experience10:35 - What’s new for 2022!12:59 - Amplifying the voices of speakers and attendees via social media14:20 - A preview of keynote speaker Angela Duckworth16:31 - Olympic champion Michael Phelps will deliver the closing keynote, “The Pursuit of Dreams”

Companies typically devote a great deal of time and effort to putting together PR strategies. Goals, campaign themes, messaging and media lists are classic components of a plan. But in today’s digital era, SEO data should also be part of the mix—yet, in many cases, it’s not.  In this episode of the Look Left podcast, the fourth in our content marketing series, Matt Raven offers three ideas for effectively using SEO data to build a PR plan.00:54 - Why companies don’t include SEO data and the risks of leaving this material out of planning03:11 - The reasons companies are still a bit intimidated by SEO04:50 – Why SEO data needs to be part of message development and refinement07:17 - What cusp content is — and why it is important11:03 - How to use backlink gaps to refresh media lists14:15 - How to expand media horizons by assessing competitor activity15:22 - The best SEO tools to accomplish proper planning goals 17:27 - How often SEO data should be revisited For more information on using SEO data in PR planning and content development, we invite you to read Matt’s blog post on the topic. 

This is the third installment in our content marketing series. Our previous episodes focused on the art and science of content marketing and avoiding common B2B marketing mistakes. Look Left’s Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven examine earned media’s role in a content marketing strategy. The media landscape is changing all the time, so a company’s earned media content marketing strategy must be flexible. And we find that the most successful companies place an emphasis on making sure that public relations, in-house content and SEO teams all work closely together. Here are a few of the highlights from the latest Look Left @ Marketing podcast: 00:49 - What is earned media?04:50 - The value of earned media placements.07:14 - Keyword strategy is just as valuable to journalists as it is to business.10:28 - Using public relations to position a company for SEO success.13:55 - Don’t let keyword strategy drive corporate storytelling. Keep the focus on how to solve customer problems and weave keywords into the story.17:23 - The importance of a workflow to promote earned media placements.23:10 - Leveraging earned media placements via account-based marketing.26:40 - Ensuring integration between earned media and owned content initiatives.29:25 - Including the public relations team on material developed by a company’s content creation team to ensure everything is media and SEO friendly.

For years, satellite media tours have offered executives the opportunity to share their message through broadcast stations across the country, all from a single broadcast studio. While the pandemic initially impacted the opportunity to conduct satellite media tours, emerging video technologies have opened up many new possibilities. Russell Grant is the principal and founder of Live Shot Media, a one-stop video and live broadcast production company. Russell and his team of broadcast professionals have produced hundreds of radio and television media tours over the past 25 years. These tours have amplified the message of Fortune 500 and industry-leading companies and many non-profit organizations.  Look Left’s Davida Dinerman and John Moran sat down with Russell to explore how satellite media tours are evolving and what executives can do to prepare.01:35 - Description and value of satellite media tours.03:50 - How has streaming video impacted media tours?05:41 - The importance of a distinctive news hook.08:41 - Covid19’s impact on satellite tours.11:32 - The differences between in-studio and remote interviews.15:48 - How producers manage interviews and provide feedback to guests during a tour. 18:19 - Unique locations for remote interviews and the importance of tying the location to your message.24:16 - Best practices for doing multiple interviews in a short period of time.28:23 - The value of media training prep sessions prior to a satellite tour.

Content marketing is critical to raising your brand’s visibility to the right audience. However, there are a number of mistakes—from failing to conduct search optimization to publishing boring content to relying too heavily on owned content—that can offset your team’s hard work.Look Left’s Bryan Scanlon and Matt Raven have seen just about every content mistake imaginable. They recently shared the top content strategy mistakes companies make and ways to avoid them in the latest episode of the Look Left @ Marketing podcast.00:50 - Don’t fall in love with messaging that isn’t search-optimized.01:50 - Top-of-the-funnel B2B content should focus more on problems and pain points instead of solutions.04:53 - One of the biggest content strategy challenges is producing content for the right sized audience.06:47 - Content has to be both interesting and SEO optimized.08:12 - There’s some thought that says the sales funnel is now more of a pinball machine.09:39 - Owned content is important, but brands also need earned content to gain greater credibility.11:20 - Successful, efficient content marketing is based on larger, optimized pieces of content that can be repurposed into smaller offerings.14:49 - Updating older, well-performing content is a relatively painless way to extend its relevance and lifespan.

Fred Bazzoli is a skilled reporter who has written for respected publications such as Modern Healthcare, MedTech Publishing and Health Data Management. Unfortunately, Health Data Management’s publisher shuttered the property in February 2020. Through a set of unexpected events, Health Data Management has been revived and will now operate as a not-for-profit publication called HDMgroup, where Fred will serve as the chief content officer and editor-in-chief. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman talked to Fred Bazzoli about the new venture, what readers should expect, and his thoughts on some pressing healthcare data topics. Conversation highlights include:01:11 - On the demise of the original Health Data Management and its rebirth as a not-for-profit publication in 2021.02:37 - HDM will be more forward-looking than the original publication. 04:31 - The new HDM will feature writers well known in the healthcare industry and contributed content.05:17 - HDM will explore topics that will affect the healthcare industry in the years to come, like electronic health records (EHR).07:53 - HDM will also explore the impact of cybersecurity on healthcare.08:49 - Fred shares his thoughts on organizations having an impact on healthcare data processes.11:08 - As with all new regulations, Fred believes compliance to the 21st Century Cures Act will take time. 11:36 - Tech giants can impact healthcare today, but what the future holds is still undefined. 12:43 - The pandemic has resulted in the acceleration of certain kinds of patient care, specifically telehealth.16:50 - What Fred would be doing if he weren’t in journalism.  

Since 2016, Matt Fisher has combined his two areas of expertise—healthcare and law—to host the Healthcare de Jure podcast. In the bimonthly podcast, Matt talks to various guests about emerging healthcare trends from a legal point of view. He also serves as general counsel for Carium, a telehealth platform company. Before joining Carium, Matt practiced law for more than a dozen years and advised clients across the healthcare spectrum on a wide range of legal matters.Additionally, Matt is active with the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the American Bar Association (ABA). He recently spoke to Davida Dinerman on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. 01:10 - Matt explains the origins of the Healthcare de Jure podcast and talks about some of his more memorable guests.04:05 - His passion for the law and healthcare happened unexpectedly.06:22 - Matt shares details on what Carium does. 09:22 - At HIMSS, he will discuss the intersection of HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act and the opportunity for greater collaboration.12:56 - Contrary to what some suggest, Matt doesn’t see HIPAA and the 21st Century Cures Act as contradictory regulations.15:30 - How state-to-state privacy regulations impact how data can flow between care organizations.18:32 - Matt explores the state of healthcare and tech and how the pandemic accelerated the use of telehealth.22:23 - Matt shares his thoughts on Zus, the new healthcare platform company founded by former Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush. 

Dr. Christy Dempsey is Chief Nursing Officer Emerita at Press Ganey, where she offered clinical guidance to help clients transform the patient experience. Her work has led to significant results, including reducing hospital waiting times by up to 70%, improving patient satisfaction by double-digit percentiles, developing and enhancing teamwork and leadership, and improving operations through scheduling, staffing, and data integration.In addition, she has been a faculty member of the Missouri State University Department of Nursing since 2008. She is active in the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders. 02:05 - The “a-ha” moment that sent Christy on a path toward nursing.03:50 - Nurses, while highly skilled and trusted, don’t get all the credit they deserve.5:57 - The use of technology in nursing is a double-edged sword.8:08 - Nurses need to integrate technology into their interaction with patients, starting at nursing school.10:54 - Christy shares her journey from nursing to an administrative role.13:50 - The pandemic offered Christy the opportunity to step back into a temporary patient-facing activity. 14:50 - Christy, who is based in Springfield, Mo., is seeing an alarming rise in COVID-19 and is trying to use her influence to increase vaccination rates.15:42 - Christy details her career mentors.17:22 - Christy discusses the impetus for writing her book, “The Antidote to Suffering: How Compassionate, Connected Care Can Improve Safety, Quality, and Experience.”20:47 - Preventing healthcare worker burnout requires a new mindset that prioritizes self-care.23:38 - What Christy would have done if she hadn’t become a nurse.

You produce great content, but is it getting in front of the right sets of eyes? Content marketing is a complex skill set that requires more than just a great writer—you also need SEO smarts. Bryan Scanlon and Look Left’s head of digital Matt Raven discuss what content marketing is, how to use tech to optimize content and the strategies to gain greater visibility in the first installment of their content marketing series on the Look Left @ Marketing podcast. 00:50 - Content marketing defined.02:48 - Voice search and core web vitals are changing content marketing.06:33 - The right combination of art and science is critical in SEO.09:36 - The continued importance of organic search in content marketing.10:13: Content marketing and SEO are interdependent on one another.14:11 - Once content has been SEO optimized, what do you do to generate visibility?18:05  - Organizations should embrace engagement with the content it creates.

Founded in 1996, Dennehy Public Relations is a boutique agency, and the woman behind it is Julie Dennehy. She connects brands with consumers via creative PR, having built a diverse portfolio of clients that includes well-known brands, small businesses and events.Julie has also served as president of the Boston chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and currently teaches at the Boston University College of Communications. Look Left’s Davida Dinerman recently caught up with her. Conversation highlights include:01:21 - How Julie got into the public relations industry and starting her own agency.03:20 - Changes she’s seen in PR over the last two decades.05:40 - Her journey through the “2020 pivot.” 07:02 - The unique nature of learning as much from her students as she teaches.10:30 - Learning where younger audiences are getting their news/content is key to future PR success.13:57 - Her thoughts on how certain obstacles facing women in business are eroding.19:22 - How the pandemic prioritized creativity and user-generated content in marketing.23:19 - The concept of “doing well by doing good.” 27:28 - What PR professionals could learn from jugglers.31:13 - What Julie would want to do if she wasn’t in PR.