Why you always need the original source

Always, always go to the source cited to judge how relevant it is. That's my rule of thumb -- not just for my journalistic work but even for my content marketing. And it never ceases to amaze me how many people don't bother with that even while positioning themselves as authorities on the subject.

I knew I'd regret it, but I gave into temptation and clicked on an article with the title "How to Write Headlines That Grab Attention and Convert"

It gave the usual advice that most seasoned writers already know, including writing the title only after you've finished writing the article, being specific but not giving everything away, etc.

But it also sought to add insight taken) from "Data Driven Strategies for Writing Effective Titles & Headlines," the 28 page report put out by HubSpot and Outbrain.

Instead of putting in the title and link properly as you should do for anything you cite, it introduced the information this way:

Lessons from a 3-Million Headline Study

HubSpot and Outbrain analyzed more than 3 million paid link headlines from Outbrain’s network of 100,000+ publisher sites to find out what kinds of headlines can increase CTR, reader engagement and conversions, and this is what they found:

It then proceeded to share stats and insights from that study for the next 16 paragraphs. (I'm not exaggerating; I counted them). Despite drawing heavily on the study, the article never puts in a link to it.

In fact, it never even shares the title, which made it a bit more difficult to find. But I am nothing if not persistent when it comes to research and tracking things down.

I located the original source, which says that it was based on headlines in the time period of 2013-2014. That's right, the data is form nearly 10 years ago. In the world of online content, I wouldn't bank on anything more than two years old to still be current.

So why did the writer of an article published in August 2023 not include the link? It's possible that he deliberately intended to obscure that bit of historical context by not linking directly to the source. What's more likely, though, is that he came across another secondary source that cited those figures and takeaways and so didn't even know when the original study came out.

Unfortunately, that is often the case for writers who just go with the first Google result, which is more-often-than-not not the original source. You have to dig more to get the source in context.

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A matter of degree

Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-person-holding-a-diploma-and-a-graduation-hat-12752021/*

 

I  got this question from someone on LinkedIn: "If I might ask a question, how do you feel your PhD has helped you in your content writing?"

I'm not a degree snob. In truth, you don't need a PhD to produce content. Some people manage quite well with no degree at all.

The reason I completed the degree back in my early youth is that I thought I'd make a career in academia. Several years of adjuncting disabused me of that notion.

Here's the gist of the answer: 

It helps in ways most people don't appreciate because they think about content marketing as just applying SEO tricks (plug in the keywords, use the right tags, follow a template, and put in a clickbait headline).

You get boring, predictable, and disappointing content when that's all you've got. Even if the information is accurate -- and it frequently is not -- it is not going to be a pleasure to read.

Aiming for high quality content takes more than formulas. And that's where the skills related to earning a PhD are relevant:

🗃1. The ability to do research to find out what you need to know about the industry, product, and the customers who use it to present a clear and accurate account rather than fudging things.
🔍2. Obsession with tracing quotes to the original source
This is very important in an industry in which people tend to copy each other and lose the context and the year of the stat, presenting old information as if it's current.
🗺3. Vision combined with practical planning
Completing a PhD doesn't just take a big idea but organization, persistence and an understanding of how to break down a huge project that last years into smaller steps. You have to do the same when planning a content marketing strategy and content calendar.
📚4. The best models for content in your head
I have a lot of literature in my head that I can draw on to make interesting connections and offer memorable phrases that resonate.

*Yes, I used a stock photo to represent a graduation. I didn't attend any of my own since the 8th grade. 

You can download and read my dissertatio here: CUNY Academic Works

Learn more about what I've done as a content marketing specialist, particularly for B2B tech, here: Experience and Testimonials To book a free phone consultation, use this Calendly link 

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Visit WriteWayPro.weebly.com  Like and follow on Facebook and on LinkedIn 

3D printing goes live

Within a generation, we likely will not just hear of things like 3D-printed hearts serving as models, but as real, functioning organs.

The world of 3D printing possibilities keeps expanding, from the purely ornamental to the truly useful. This technology has already made a difference in healthcare with prosthetics and replacements for bones, and even models of patients' hearts that improve the outcome of surgery. In the future, the 3D-printed heart may itself be alive, as researchers have now discovered how to print living tissue.

Read more in 

It's Alive! The 3D Printing of Living Tissues

DNA data storage

The latest developments in data storage turn to biology. DNA sequencing, not only allows for big data to be stored for thousands of years, but allows for a more compact encoding system based on the 4 letters in the DNA bases rather than than binary zeros and ones that have been used until now. Still, the cost makes it prohibitive for now, and the fact that the sequencing make the data impossible to update within DNA make it not quite the same as a flash drive.  Read about it in  Big Data: Tiny Storage