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Lucius Michel: Content that works.

I’m excited to re-launch my updated website with highlights from more than 10 years of content strategy and content marketing projects. I think the secret of staying on top of this fast-changing business is to stay true to the basic principles of user-centered content while always pursuing new tools and methods for realizing and measuring how successful we are at helping people make a decision, solve a problem, find an answer, or simply complete a task.

I look forward to sharing my experiences, ideas, and discoveries with you. Stay tuned!

Thoughts on “inclusive” and “exclusive”

After 3 years back in content marketing, it’s clear that the term “exclusive” continues to be a staple of the marketing pitch: “exclusive offer,” “your exclusive invitation,” “this exclusive event,” and so on. This week, I am participating in a company-wide program to promote “inclusiveness” in the workplace. That has me thinking about both words: what they mean, and what they imply.

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Design, delight, and 6 “deadly D words”

The mantra at my previous employer was “Dare to Delight.” It’s an almost irresistible concept, and one embraced easily by executives and stakeholders. But “delight” isn’t a goal; it’s an outcome that can only be achieved by understanding the obstacles to delight: disbelief, distraction, and other words that also happen to begin with the letter D.

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A lightweight form is the “last step” in content engagement

I recently subscribed to Heather Cox Richardson’s lucid and concise “Letters from an American” journal, and thought it worth sharing this example of the Substack publishing platform’s simple, lightweight subscription form.

Anyone involved in content marketing, especially premium content, should be concerned with form design and usability. A good form increases the likelihood of achieving an engagement or conversion goal. A poorly designed form, or even a well designed form with a long or complicated set of fields, may stop a reader from taking that critical final step, driving down success rates and blunting the effectiveness of what is typically an extensive, cross-functional marketing effort.

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