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Your soundtrack for cooking, greeting guests, and getting through Turkey Day.

Yes, Virginia, there is music for Thanksgiving.

When my parents bought their dining room furniture in the 1960s, the store gave them a framed print of The First Thanksgiving 1621 by American painter, Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. It hung proudly in my home and I studied it often over the years, especially on Thanksgiving. Art historians consider it an idealized alternative version of history. Still, as a little boy, I saw the generosity to and thankfulness for the Wampanoag and the release from the brutality of the first winters on the shores of the New World.

I quickly came to love Thanksgiving, and thanks to—pun intended—my church’s effervescent and inspiring organist and choirmaster, Stephen J. Ortlip, I quickly grew to love music, including Thanksgiving hymns, songs, and music of all kinds.

That’s why in 1998, I was so excited to be a minuscule part of the record, “Grateful Hearts,” created by CCM superstar songwriter Tony Wood and producer Kevin Stokes. I created a version for FamilyLife to be the accompaniment to our product, ThanksLiving Treasures. I finally had a soundtrack for the truly American holiday featuring musical styles and artists I loved. Since then, I’ve been adding songs to the ten on “Grateful Hearts” to make a playlist for the season.

So before the onslaught of the thousands of recordings and the countless hours of radio airplay of Christmas favorites, let us cue up these 70+ songs to help us celebrate our day of giving thanks. Trust me, these tracks are great for the heart, remind us of the object of our thankfulness, and help us obey the Pauline admonition:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 ESV

I’ve grouped my favorite Thanksgiving Music into categories. You can add the entire playlist to your favorite music app. Just choose Apple Music or Spotify. (And UTR has created their own playlist with not-so-familiar tracks. It’s full of new jewels.)

Thanksgiving Bangers

You’ve got to get up and get moving on Thanksgiving morning to make sure that all of the food preparations come to their tasty conclusions and are hot (or appropriately cold) when everyone gathers around your table. These tracks are guaranteed to have your toes tapping, your apron dancing, and your hands closing cabinet doors to the beat.

“Good Morning (feat. TobyMac),” by Mandisa

This infectious tune will sound familiar to “Today” viewers. The morning news and infotainment program featured the song for months thanks to Robin Roberts’ friendship with Mandisa. You’ll find yourself smiling as you turn on the lights, preheat the oven, and start putting your ingredients and utensils mise en place. “Good Morning” also works for those who get up early for a Turkey Trot Road Race.

“Good God Almighty,” recorded by Crowder

Wooly bearded and gravelly voiced Crowder shows up twice in our list. “Good God Almighty” was a #1 hit on Christian Radio and peaked at #17 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2021. He turned a quasi-violation of the third commandment into a God-glorifying foot-stomper.

“Gratitude,” by Earth, Wind & Fire

The guys who made September 21st part of the cultural zeitgeist find an honored place on this list for the third Thursday of November. While I wish the guys had added more horns and Hammond B3 organ, you’ll feel this bass line of this “holy sound” all the way into your gizzards.

“G.O.O.D. (feat. Zachardi Cortez & Cory Henry)”, by Anthony Hall

Speaking of Hammond B3 organ and keyboards in general, funk maestro Cory Henry makes a wonderful and rich guest appearance on this great jazz-meets-R&B track he co-wrote with emerging New Orleans’ artist Anthony Hall (who leads worship in Houston when he’s not performing his own work.

“Big House,” by Audio Adrenaline

While a song about the New Heaven and the New Earth, Mark Stuart and company may very well have had a Thanksgiving celebration in mind when they wrote, “Big, big house with lots and lots of food. A big, big yard where we can play football.” Take a moment around your table and allow your meal to foreshadow what heaven will be like. For some of you, it will be a foretaste. For others, you will long for a much different heaven than your table. Remember, God loves you and is working in your life.

The Essentials“From Shore to Shore,” by Guy Penrod

Iconic Christian music songwriter Tony Wood birthed the 1998 album “Grateful Hearts” with his friend and producer Kevin Stokes. Like me, they bemoaned the lack of Thanksgiving music. This playlist is full of their work. Inspired by the faith-filled and heavily documented research of Peter Marshall and David Manuel in The Light and the Glory, “From Shore to Shore” opens with the Mayflower and then shifts to the map of the U.S. You’ll hit repeat on this moving anthem of thankfulness.

“The Thanksgiving Song,” by Ben Rector

I’ll let Ben introduce his own work: “It’s weird to me that there’s an entire genre that is just Christmas music, and you can bring up an entire palette of sounds around this one holiday. I love Christmas, but everybody in America, for the most part, celebrates Thanksgiving, and there’s no music around that.”

“The Thanksgiving Song,” by Adam Sandler

What started as a skit 30 years ago on “Saturday Night Live” is now a must-listen-to ditty for November. Caution: If you’ve got small ears around, you might want to hit skip. If not, you might have to explain that V.D. doesn’t stand for “variety of desserts.”

“Thanksgiving Theme,” by Vince Guaraldi Trio

Thanksgiving hasn’t been the same since Charlie Brown celebrated the first “Friendsgiving” with Snoopy, Linus, Franklin, Peppermint Patty, and the rest of the Peanuts in 1973. This is Vince Guaraldi’s contribution to our collective Novembers. While not as iconic as “Linus and Lucy,” it will perk up the cranberry sauce. I’ve included George Winston’s tribute to Guaraldi in the playlist.

Songs about the Food

The bounty of the flock, heard, field, and vine have been central to our Thanksgiving celebrations since the first Thanksgiving. Some of these songs stretch the boundaries of this playlist, but I think you’ll agree they deserve a spin and will contribute to your celebration. And it’s okay. You can sing along with your mouth full of your, um, recipe testing.

“U Name It Holiday Anthem (feat. Shirley Caeser & DJ Battlecat),” by Snoop Dogg

Snoop’s anthem samples Shirley Caeser’s musical sermon. You’ve got to watch the entire thing and not give up because she serves dessert at 5:30. That few seconds inspired this track. If Shirley doesn’t preheat your oven, your natural gas is disconnected. And Snoop’s reflection on the holiday will hit home. And it’s a banger of its own.

“Mashed Potatoes,” by James Brown

The Godfather of Soul grew up in South Carolina and Georgia where they know that mashed potatoes don’t come from a box. This 12-bar blues instrumental will get you shufflin’ through your kitchen.

“Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie,” by Jay & The Techniques

This fruity snack hit the #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1968 making the debut single for this pop group who went on to have a few hits that sold more than a million.

“Cowboy Ham and Eggs,” by The Sweetback Sisters“Turkey Chase,” by Bob Dylan

My friend Gregg and I have talked about Bob Dylan much over the years, but this will be the first track that has ever made one of my playlists… and it’s an instrumental. If you know, you know. This is an instrumental from his first movie soundtrack. It’s fantastic music, but I’ll admit I’ve never seen the movie.

“What’s Inside,” Sara Bareilles

Sara’s first foray on Broadway brings us this reflection. As you bake your pies this holiday, remember that there is more than “sugar, butter, and flour” inside them… and more inside you than others may know. You are loved beyond belief.

The Hymns

The traditional American hymnal has an entire section of ancient and more contemporary texts dedicated to giving thanks. If you grew up in a hymn-singing church, these were broken out once a year. I’ve chosen my favorite versions. Feel free to substitute yours.

“We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing,” recorded by Celtic Spirits (orr. 1626)

A hymn with a Dutch text set to a Dutch folk tune translated to English by Theodore Baker, this beloved hymn celebrates freedom by The Netherlands from Spanish oppression. For years, the Dutch had been embracing Calvanism and were ever at odds with the Catholicism of Spain. The struggled for political—and religious—independence and finally reached a truce in 1609. The hymn emerges from the rich soil of the Reformed tradition at the high period of Dutch art… Rembrandt, Vermeer, and others. 

“Come Ye Thankful People Come,” recorded by Babbie Mason (orr. 1868)

Babbie’s arrangement on “Grateful Hearts” is as soulful as the lyrics are profound. You’ll want this version on repeat.

Hymnwriter Henry Alford grew up in troubled times to study at Trinity College and became an Anglican priest. He drew his inspiration from Matthew 12 where Jesus presents the parable of the sower and drew visual inspiration from harvest festivals in England called “Harvest Home.” He set his poem to the tune and meter of St. George’s Windson.

“Great is Thy Faithfulness,” recorded by Steven Curtis Chapman with his brother and father

This American hymn by Thomas Chisholm, a Methodist ministry from Kentucky, grew not out of a joy and abundance but out of trials. Intelligent, good looking, successful Chisholm married the woman of his dreams and became a Methodist minister. Then his health declined. He couldn’t pastor anymore. Without his income, his medical bills piled up and he faced a life unlike anything he’d ever dreamed. He began writing hymns. He clung to Jesus and found a new career as a life insurance salesman.

Since the hymn was born in Kentucky, I selected three good ole Kentucky boys to sing it for us. Feel free to add your favorite arrangement. For me, it wouldn’t be a playlist without a Steven Curtis Chapman contribution.

“How Great Thou Art (feat. Jennifer Hudson),” by Pentatonix (orr. 1885)

In 1885, Carl Boberg, a Swedish editor and future politician, got caught in a thunder and lightning storm. After riding out the storm in shelter wherever he could find it, he made it home as the world was refreshing itself. He opened the windows of his home and was greeted by the vision of a clear sky, the birds’ song, the peal of church bells, and a stirring in his soul. He pee=nned the words to a poem, “O Store Gud,” which was published in a newspaper. Someone set it to a Swedish folk tune. It was translated to German, Russian, other languages, and then finally made it to American shores in 1925.

It didn’t find my ears until the 1980s after my Uncle Steve’s tragic death. I was out of the country and returned home to a horror story and the news that his funeral had even taken place. To me as a boy, Steve was big with an even bigger laugh, creative and skilled beyond belief, full of faith, and my “funcle.” I heard that there were two songs sung at his funeral: “How Great Thou Art,” and “It is Well with My Soul.” I’m sure I had heard them, but they weren’t the regulars at our church as they might have been at yours. I learned them on the guitar and borrowed my dad’s car for the day. I drove to the cemetery and worshiped at his graveside singing both hymns. I’ve come to love both of them like so many of you, but I can’t help but think of Uncle Steve every time I hear  them or sing them in church.

Pentatonix has become a Christmas music staple and I love Jennifer Hudson’s voice. Again, feel free to choose your favorite recording of this beloved hymn.

“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Sufjan Stevens“Count Your Blessings,” by Guy Penrod“Morning Has Broken,” by Cat Stevens“This is My Father’s World,” Fernando Ortega“For the Beauty of the Earth,” by Sara GrovesSongs about Family and Friends

The people around the table are infinitely more important than the food at the center or the football game on in the other room. Here are few songs that celebrate our human connection and the memories surrounding the passage of time.

“Over the River and Through the Woods,” recorded by The Northmen“Heart of Thanksgiving,” by Kevin Stokes“Around This Table,” by Charles Billingsley“Thanks Giver,” by Crowder“Celebrate Me Home,” by Kenny Loggins“Twenty Years Ago,” by Kenny Rogers“Unanswered Prayers,” as recorded by Tonight I’m Garth Brooks

To me, this song is to Thanksgiving what Dan Fogleberg’s “Ole Lang Syne” is to Christmas.

“If These Walls Could Speak,” by Amy Grant

Some have named Amy Grant the queen of Christmas music. While she doesn’t have an outright Thanksgiving song, this beautifully framed cover of Jimmy Webb’s ode to memories feels right among a list about giving thanks for family and friends. I’ve included Webb’s own recorded version for good measure. It’s a song so good you can listen to it twice.

Amy was my favorite artist of my teens and remains among the handful of artists I listen to on a regular basis. I wake up every “Black Friday” and blast her entire first Christmas record—from start to finish—to welcome the Christmas music season which rightfully begins on the day after Thanksgiving.

“For Good,” by Kristin Chenoweth & Idina Menzel

Who is your grain of sand that helped you become a priceless and beautiful pearl? We all have one… or more. Sing along to this amazing song from “Wicked” and give thanks for them today.

“First Family,” by Rich Mullins

This slice of Americana courtesy of the musical ragamuffin makes the list for two reasons: family and food. If you close your eyes, you can see the Indiana farm and barn as Rich sings.

“I Remember,” by Kathy Troccoli

I’m at that age where the list of those who have gone on to their eternal rest continues to grow in size and is stained by tears. While this song is about more than just those who’ve died, the setting, instrumentation, and Kathy’s voice remind me of a cold, but clear, fall day in a cemetery. And like the Teacher, I believe:

It is better to go to a house of mourning / Than to go to a house of feasting, / Because that is the end of every person, / And the living takes it to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2, NASB

“11:22 P.M. (The Last Goodbye),” by Sandi Patty

I wish I could find the version sung by Brenda Schulte, but it’s not on any of the services. If you’ve run the marathon of family and food and hosted at your home, you know that moment at the end of the day when the sugared-up toddlers are finally asleep, the dishes are done, the house is quiet, and you can finally breathe. This song is a prayer for that moment. And I urge you to listen tonight at whatever time your race is done.

The List of What We’re Thankful For

Whether you hand a Thanksgiving tree on the back of your front door, place five kernels of dried corn on every plate, leave notecards and pens at every setting, or just ask the question, “What are you thankful for this year?”, we all have the lists. These songs remind us of the good, the hard, the funny, and the absurd that we give thanks for every year.

“World of Wonder,” by Bonnie Keen“Things I’m Thankful For,” by JJ Heller“What a Wonderful World,” by Louis Armstrong“The Goodness (featuring Blessing Offer),” by TobyMac“This Good Day,” by Fernando Ortega“How Could I Ask for More,” by Cindy MorganThe Object of Our Thanks

We give thanks to the God of all creation, the Lover of our souls, and our Redeemer. These songs are good year-round, but for me, take on special meaning this time of year.

“Give Thanks,” by Maranatha Praise Band“Gratitude,” by Brandon Lake“Goodness of God,” by Jenn Johnson“My Tribute,” by Andraé Crouch“Thankful Heart,” by Petra“Thank You,” by Ben RectorThe Rest of the List

These recordings don’t easily fall into the categories listed above but can’t be left off the list any more than sweet potatoes can be left off the table.

“Thanksgiving,” by George Winston

The opening track to his 1982 Christmas reflection, “December,” 

“Thanks a Million,” by Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra“Simple Gifts,” recorded by YoYo Ma and Alison Krauss“Be Thankful,” Natalie Cole“Every Time You Go Away,” Paul Young

What songs would you add? Leave a comment below.

Keyword-Rich Articles

Well-written content is essential to any brand or personality being found on the internet.

These articles were crafted using a process beginning with the audience, their needs, their questions, and then my answers.

Get Quoted at the Buyer’s TableDon’t Lose Your Humanity in the Pursuit of Digital LeadsThe Blog is Not Dead19 Things to Help Your Blog Post Rank Higher in SearchHow to Create Content with Clarity for HealthTechBuild a Winning Content Calendar for Your HealthTech CompanyHow to Discover the Pain Points of Your HealthTech Prospects20 Reasons Why Virtual Events are Better Than LiveTikTok is Coming to B2B. Are You Ready?Your Forgotten AudienceBring Your B2B Buyer Persona to Life: 8 Clues Learned from Studying FictionThree Reasons Editing Your Podcast Makes You a ProB2B Product Launch Secrets from the Apollo 10 MissionThe “Bump, Set, Spike” Approach to Great B2B Calls-to-Action that ConvertsDisrupt Your Language: How to Write B2B Tech Copy without Jargon Email Marketing Samples

I have written email copy from daily broadcast summaries and monthly catalog copy to weekly nurturing emails for marketing qualified leads.

 

Take a look a few examples.

 

 

 

Audio Production

Audio production was my first love. I’ve been at the helm of everything from news packages for the Georgia cut-ins for “All Things Considered” to radio commercials to audio drama.

Please listen.

My March 10, 2022 article at goldenspiralmarketing.com

In this article, I outline four essential gifts you must give to those who interact with your marketing efforts including your website, webinars, podcasts, trade show booths, and videos.

Help to ApplyA Story to TellA Statistic to CiteA Vision to Cast

These four gifts don’t guarantee someone will quote you during purchase discussions and decisions, but without them, you’re surely just another name in the crow.

Here’s an excerpt:

A Statistic to Cite

In just a few characters, we gain a sense of how big, small, important, or odd a concept is.

As marketers, we have become obsessed with numbers, stats, and metrics. Sometimes to our own detriment. Rightly used, numbers can move your business forward. Our clients appreciate the clarity our performance analytics process brings to their marketing strategy.

If you can craft a statistic about how your solution improves your customer’s business or patient’s outcome that sticks in your prospect’s mind, you are bound to be discussed or quoted.

The sticky factor is essential. Companies throw around so many dates, names, stats, and jargon that our brains brush most of them aside. Brothers Chip and Dan Heath in their book Made to Stick discuss many different ways to be remembered. My favorite is “concreteness,” the process of comparing your statistics to items, places, or icons your audience knows well. For instance, the average number of people who listen to our boutique podcast weekly would fill up the average Starbucks… three times over. If I did my job correctly, you’re imagining the last time you were in a Starbucks and looking around in your memory… then multiplying by three.

We’ve recently examined the performance of three of our customers and compared their 2020 and 2021 data. The results are impressive. Each client is from a different segment of HealthTech and thus has a different customer base. Nevertheless, the growth is noteworthy.

One client is in a crowded vertical within HealthTech. They’ve committed some of their marketing strategy and budget to paid media. And it’s paid off.

In 2020, their leads from paid could’ve filled the Four Seasons Hotel New York. In 2021, they nearly tripled their paid leads. They could’ve filled Freedom Tower.

While that stat is impressive, this client has seen great growth in other areas as well:

68% growth in marketing qualified leads from all sources83% growth in form conversions101% growth in sessions from organic traffic

What statistic do you want your prospects to remember most? How can you make it stick in their minds?

Read the full article here.

A number of new neighbors have moved into our neighborhood and, with the number of houses for sale, more will be moving in. I long to be a good neighbor and to live in a friendly and giving community.

I started thinking about ways we could introduce ourselves and build a better neighborhood.

While baked goods and casseroles have the the staple of Southern hospitality for over a century and are always appreciated, remember it truly is the thought that counts.

Buy a box of microwave popcorn. Print out a picture of your family. Create a card that reads, “Just poppin’ by to meet you. We’re the Smiths and we live _______________.” Include an email address or phone number, if you’re willing, to keep the conversation going. If no one answers your knock or doorbell ring, leave the box near the door.We have a lot of dogs in the neighborhood. Often, the way to a neighbor’s heart is through the dog’s wagging tail. The next time you’re at Kroger and you’re lost in aisles without labels, try to find a dog toy to deliver to the furry friend nearby.Create a giving plate. This one will take some craftiness and a little time. Go to a self-designing pottery place like Third Coast Clay in Frankin, Tenn and create a plate. Write on the main body of the plate, “This is a giving plate. It is owned by no one. Fill this plate with a favorite dish or batch of goodies and pay the gift you received forward to another neighbor.” Once the plate is done, start the tradition and give it away.Create an event of your own… a coffee klatch, book club, Sunday at the Masters, an Oscars party, toy exchange, etc. If your neighborhood has a Facebook Group, be active online and use the “events” tool to create one.Just say hello. Just introduce yourself. It might take a little bravery, but go for it! You’ll be glad you did.

Think back through the last few marketing meetings you’ve held.

How much time was devoted to discussing the metrics—email open rates, the number of downloads, conversion rates, etc.?

On the other hand, how much time was devoted to talking about your actual customers and leads, their needs, and how to best reach them?

Technology can’t suss out the real reasons someone is shopping for a solution.

Here’s an excerpt from the complete article.

Humanity as a Brand Differentiator

My first full-time employer had a customer-first ethos like no other. On my first day, I heard the phrase, “Always be the last to say thank you.” I didn’t know what that meant. I was just an ambitious kid who wanted to get the job done. I wasn’t concerned with the human side of my work. Slowly, over the next two years, I saw the ethos come to life.

The customer service team fielded thousands of calls and letters a day. A four-inch binder took center stage on the desk of each rep. At the front of the room, a series of large binders crowned the bookcases. The representatives were charged with not just acknowledging the phone calls and letters but genuinely responding to them with deep answers. The binders on their desks contained official answers to the most frequently asked questions and the binders on the bookshelves contained every carefully worded answer to every question they had been asked in the previous 20 years of existence. Representatives were held accountable, not for the speed of the phone calls or the number of letters they replied to, but for the depth of their caring and response to the callers.

But even more than that, the phone calls would end in a grown-up version of “you hang up first.”

The representative would say, “Thank you for calling today.”

Inevitably, because they had been so well served, the caller would say something like, “No, thank you for finding the answer to my question.”

Then the rep would reply, “Thank you for being a part of our organization.”

This would repeat and repeat until the representative was the actual last one to say thanks.

It happened in the mail, as well. All the letters closed with gratitude. A percentage of those who received answers would send thank you cards—and sometimes flowers or elaborate handmade gifts—and the representatives would return a thank you card. That process would repeat until the customer didn’t reply anymore.

Now, 25 years later, I get the point of the exercise. In 1991, in the infinite wisdom of a 20-something, I thought it was a waste of resources and came off cheesy. Now, I see that this practice created two things.

In the heart of the customer, “thank you” created an unwavering sense that “I am important. I matter to these guys. I’ll be loyal to them because they’ve done much for me and they really appreciate me being a part of their company.”For the representatives, instead of it being an exercise in manipulation or a contest of wills, it truly fostered an appreciation for the customer and, more than that, helped them remember at all times that the customer came first.

The advent of technology hasn’t changed the ethos; it’s changed the speed the reps can find the answers and respond to the customer.

What ethos drives your marketing? Do you strive for empathy?

Content marketing costs 60% less than outbound marketingIt generates three times as many leads as other avenuesCompanies that blog increase their positive ROI 13x

So why does it feel like blogging is dying?

Because some blogs are on life support.

Is yours?

In a recent article at goldenspiralmarketing.com, I wrote about three reasons having a business blog still matters. Here’s an excerpt:

3. Your Content is the Magnet to Convert Leads

We see so many company blogs that stop at delivering a message. They don’t go the next step to convert their visitors into leads.

In the same way you have to ask for the sale, you must ask for the conversion. Author and influence expert Robert Cialdini isn’t wrong when he encourages communicators to create “ethical bribes” to exchange content with high value for something small like an email address.

Furthermore, if you are going to discuss your product and expertise in any other format—social media, a podcast, webinars, or video—how do you keep the conversation going? How do you get your audience to respond?

Direct them to your blog (or podcast show notes, video information pages, etc.) or other information pages need conversion points (like the one above) so that you have a chance to get to know them better and serve their needs.

Recently, I created an infographic to help all content creators write with clarity. Click on the picture to download yours.

There is a hard truth in digital marketing: if your blog article doesn’t make it on the first page of search results for your prospects, they won’t see it.

The issue grows even more acute. The #1 organic result is ten times more likely to receive a click compared to a page in the #10 spot.

How are your blog articles ranking?

We’ve compiled a list of the 19 essential tasks you must complete for every blog article. When you do, you’ll see your overall website rankings begin to rise. It’s not a magic wand that will bring about instant results, but it is a tried and true formula for moving up.

The list includes:

#2 What is Your Audience’s Search Intent?#6 Can You Frame Your Headers (H2s) in the Form of a Question?#10 Have You Broken Your Paragraphs into Shorter Segments?#13 Does Your Featured Image Support Both the Topic and Your Brand’s Visual Identity?#17 Have You Optimized Your Permalink?

Read the entire article to discover all 19 essentials.

We also created an infographic and checklist to help you accomplish the entire list every time you write. Click on the link below to download the infographic.

The HealthTech buyer demands clear, efficient, and practical content.

No matter which format you choose to present your ideas, don’t just write, speak, or design polished words and images.

There are seven tools—often overlooked—you need to put to work.

If you do so, every article, video, webinar, and more will be full of clarity.

I have no doubt as a content creator, you are an expert in your field. You possess amazing tools when it comes to your specialty — great command of language, photo composition, sound design, public speaking, word pictures, and more.

Allow me to challenge you that the seven tools listed are even more important than your content-making tools.

The seven tools create the acronym, C.L.A.R.I.T.Y.

Read the article or download the infographic.

HealthTech companies that create content generate leads. In general, if you produce and publish more content, your search rankings will improve, you will build customer trust, and generate more revenue.

Creating content, however, doesn’t happen in a vacuum or as an afterthought. You need a process, a plan, and the right people to make it happen.

In this article, we will answer five questions:

Why do you need a content development process?What is the philosophy behind great content?How do you build safeguards for your content and your team?How should you deploy content?How do you create a useful calendar?1. Why do you need a content development process?

“Creativity doesn’t flourish in a process.”
I believed that lie for many years. I was producing a daily, pre-recorded radio talk show. Industry veterans urged me to put 20 episodes “in the can” and get ahead. At 23, I kicked at the goads while still striving to be a team player. Boy, am I glad.

I learned my lesson in nine grueling and sometimes painful months, and emerged with a new mantra:

“Process gives room for creativity to grow.”

Have you ever stood next to a machine and felt static electricity or felt the wind generated by moving parts? These machines work as they are designed to operate, but give off excess energy. The same thing happens with any solid process.

When it comes to the content goals for your HealthTech company, your content calendar produces the most energy which can be spent in extra time to go deeper on a topic, extra bandwidth to create more graphics or supporting content, or the ability to take a deep breath and recover before moving forward.

This newfound margin is where creativity truly flourishes. With the time and sanity created by a process, you can come up with new ideas, spend more time on complicated tasks, experiment with things you once thought too time-consuming, risk failure, or find other ways to augment and improve.

The statistics bear this out.

More than half (53%) of businesses spend time and money on content marketing. Nearly 50 percent of businesses expect increased spending on their content marketing and content creation initiatives in 2020.Content marketing performed better in the last 12 months than the previous 12. For example, brand awareness was five percent more effective, audience education was six percent more effective, and building trust was seven percent more effective.Marketers who prioritize blogging efforts are 13x more likely to see positive ROI.32% of marketers say visual images are the most important form of content for their businesses.Monthly podcast listeners grew from 24% of Americans to 26% year over year.

Read the other four aspects of a winning content calendar in the full article.

We’ve also created this infographic called the Content Mapping Matrix. Click on the image below to download it.