INTRODUCTION
In other words, that opportunity has put new pressure
on marketers and layered new requirements onto the
marketing department, because there's a lot of competition
clamoring to be heard. That's why it's important to write
clearly and suc- cinctly: to communicate your ideas and
thoughts in a way that doesn't meander maddeningly; to
respect the reader; to ensure that any content we produce
doesn't come off as indulgent.
I know this will sound harsh, but as someone
who's been editing marketers for almost 20 years (first
at ClickZ, and now at MarketingProfs),Iassureyou . . .
anawfullotofcontentmeander- ing goes on in articles, posts,
PR pitches, and emails. I'm sorry to tell you so, but I also
assure you there's love in my heart as I do.
What matters now isn't storytelling; what matters is telling
a true story well. Marketing pundits increasingly talk up the
importance of story and storytelling, and even I've crowed
here about quality content.
But those words all feel vague and amorphous, don't
they? What's quality, exactly? And do we really want to be
storytelling, with all the improvising and embellishing the
word implies?
3.
