Erika Heald and Catara Lane discuss leveraging YouTube for content marketing and selling books. Catara emphasizes the importance of playlists, which act as sales funnels, guiding viewers through a series of videos. She advises authors to create original content, optimize titles and thumbnails, and use tools like Canva and Riverside. Catara suggests starting with a personal brand channel and focusing on consistent posting, aiming for 2-5 hours weekly. She highlights metrics like click-through rates and returning viewers. For viral videos, she recommends unlisting them to prevent them from overshadowing the channel. Catara also stresses the need for a mindset shift, viewing oneself as a media company.

Conversation highlights:

0:00 Intro – Why YouTube is critical for authors and thought leaders

2:48 Common struggles with YouTube & why you don’t need perfect production

4:14 Turning playlists into a YouTube sales funnel

12:43 Messaging map – understanding what your audience is thinking, feeling & doing

16:14 Packaging your videos: titles, thumbnails & identity-based hooks

19:30 Examples of top, middle & bottom-of-funnel playlist content

31:29 How much time YouTube really takes & creating a workable system

41:14 Tools to make YouTube easier: Canva, Riverside & simple setups

43:25 The metrics that matter & what to do with an off-brand viral video

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/JPqHonqm2gU?si=pPvmgKggLIletXKV 

Otter transcript: https://otter.ai/u/LF2TTRu4QdPKCaRUuYcBWSCw3ko?utm_source=copy_url 

Marketing teams across industries face similar challenges in reaching their audiences with relevant, timely offers that support overall acquisition and retention. Some organizations, however, face additional hurdles because their audiences are savvy to marketing tactics and may have an especially high standard for what it takes to truly grab their attention and earn their trust.

In this #ContentChat conversation, Erika Heald was joined by Maureen Jann, a marketing strategist with deep experience connecting with marketing-skeptical audiences, including IT leaders, startup founders, and marketers themselves. They covered how to build trust with skeptical buyers, why generic outreach backfires, and what it really takes to stand out when everyone’s been burned before.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube, or read through the highlights below.

What is content governance, and why is it essential for scaling content operations—especially with AI in the mix?

In this #ContentChat episode, host Erika Heald and guest Maureen Jann explore how content governance bridges strategy and execution, ensuring consistency, compliance, and brand alignment. Erika shares lessons from her earliest governance experiences through to her success at Charles Schwab, and previews her new book, Content Foundations.

You’ll learn how to build a brand voice chart, train AI tools with your content standards, and identify the tools and workflows needed to support scale without sacrificing quality.

Ideal for content marketers, content ops teams, and marketing leaders preparing to grow responsibly with AI.

In this episode of #ContentChat, host Erika Heald is joined by marketer Maureen Jann to explore how B2B brands can craft and maintain an authentic brand voice. They discuss why many companies overlook documenting brand voice in their guidelines—and why that’s a costly mistake. Erika shares how AI can support voice consistency, while Maureen brings real-world insights from the IT space, including how humor and empathy can make content resonate. Together, they offer actionable tips for building brand voice guides, aligning voice with compliance, and scaling consistency across teams.

Watch now to learn how to ensure your brand voice truly reflects your values—across every piece of content. https://www.youtube.com/live/iQSV2e5ZbM4 

Conversation Highlights

Why Brand Voice is a Strategic Imperative
[0:00:00] Erika opens by underscoring how brand voice is often missing from content strategy conversations—despite being crucial for connection and differentiation.

Barriers to Documenting Brand Voice
[0:03:00] Erika explains why she declines to create content until a brand voice guide exists—because clarity upfront leads to quality outcomes.

Emotional Intelligence as a Content Superpower
[0:07:45] Maureen discusses how emotional intelligence fuels authentic storytelling, especially in industries that often default to jargon or formality.

Building Brand Voice Guidelines That Scale
[0:11:35] Erika and Maureen walk through what to include in a useful voice guide: tone descriptors, voice charts, do’s and don’ts, and examples of voice in action.

AI as a Brand Voice Ally
[0:20:09] Maureen shares how she uses AI tools and creates shared prompts to reinforce brand voice across writers and platforms.

Navigating Brand Voice in Regulated Industries
[0:46:53] Erika shares her approach to maintaining personality while staying compliant, using “friendly disclaimers” and conversational language.

Context is Key: Know Your Brand, Know Your Buyer
[0:52:39] Maureen emphasizes the need to deeply understand both the company and the customer to create a compelling and authentic voice.

Erika Heald and Maureen Jan discuss the importance of using data-driven content strategies to create unique, relevant content. Maureen, with extensive experience in marketing and tech, emphasizes the abundance of data available, including product usage trends, support tickets, and AI-transcribed sales calls. 

They highlight the value of proprietary research and anonymized case studies in building trust and engaging audiences. Erika shares her experience at Achievers, where she used reader surveys to create impactful content. Both stress the need for timely, respectful data requests and the role of AI in data processing, while humans excel at building communities and relationships.

Key Highlights:

1. Why Data-Driven Content Strategy Matters in Modern Marketing
   [0:00:01] Erika frames the discussion and introduces the data-driven theme.
2. Key Types of Internal and Proprietary Data Every Marketer Should Use
   [0:05:50] Maureen details ideal internal data sources for marketers.
3. Overcoming Common Data Access Challenges in Content Marketing Teams
   [0:13:05] Maureen discusses barriers and tactics for obtaining internal knowledge.
4. Building Trust: How to Get Internal Teams to Share Insights and Data
   [0:09:50] Maureen and Erika explore trust-building cycles with internal/external partners.
5. Practical Ways to Incorporate Data into Your Content Creation
   [0:38:02] Erika and Maureen suggest ways to turn data into actionable content.
6. Annotating Analytics: Why Context is Critical for Accurate Reporting
   [0:29:00] Discussions on annotating analytics, context for data spikes/drops.
7. Leveraging Events and Customer Advisory Boards for Unique Content Ideas
   [0:43:32] Erika describes gathering content inspiration from in-person events and CABs.
8. Where AI Meets Human Insight: Limitations and Opportunities in Content Strategy
   [0:46:38] Maureen summarizes the unique value of human creativity and community, even as AI processes data.
9. Actionable Takeaways: Steps to Make Your Marketing Content Truly Data-Driven
   [0:47:46] Maureen and Erika wrap up with key lessons, action points, and next steps.

In this edition of #ContentChat, host Erika Heald is joined by Maureen Jann to discuss how content marketers can create trusted, human-centered content in an AI-saturated landscape. They explore how to differentiate your brand through empathy, transparency, and audience-first strategies while still benefiting from AI tools.

Key conversation highlights:

• 01:50 Using AI for Supporting an Authentic Brand Voice
• 03:41 The Problem with Generic AI Content
• 05:00 How AI Can Support Authentic Thought Leadership
• 06:45 Erosion of Trust & Content Transparency
• 07:30 How to Leverage AI (with Human Input)
• 08:54 Synthesizing Insights: Human + AI Collaboration
• 10:00 Custom GPTs and Content Consistency
• 13:02 Strategic Value vs. Gatekeeping in Content Teams
• 14:32 8 Human-First Content Types to Focus On
• 16:05 1) First-Party Research & Gap Reports
• 18:26 2) Real Customer and Employee Stories
• 20:00 3) Turning Best Practices into Scalable Content
• 21:20 4) Frameworks and Process Playbooks
• 27:38 5) Embracing Mistakes and "Lessons Learned" Content
• 29:39 6) Leveraging Community & Advisory Boards
• 38:28 7) Partnership/Ecosystem Content & Unique Collaborations
• 43:14 8) Interactive Content: Tools, Calculators, & Engagement
• 46:37 AI as Support, Human Content as Differentiator
• 48:30 Focusing on Proprietary, Unique Content

As content teams have started incorporating AI into their workflows and strategies, however, many are missing a critical foundational element they need: A documented brand voice.

Without a distinct brand voice, your generative AI outputs—or human-created content, for that matter—will lack consistency and likely miss the mark on your brand identity. This also means AI will give you the same content it’s giving every other marketer in your industry… and helping none of you stand out because of it.

Let’s get your house in order and define your brand voice for better content marketing. 

In this edition of #ContentChat, host Erika Heald is joined by guest Phyllis Davidson, VP and principal analyst with Forrester, who explains how to create an AI-led content strategy. They explore the evolution of AI tooling and how AI has become a competitive essential for content marketing teams, and AI use cases you can implement to improve your workflows.

Conversation highlights:

AI's Role in Content Strategy and Operations (3:18)
Challenges and Opportunities in AI Implementation (8:43)
AI in Content Life Cycle and Personalization (9:16)
AI in Understanding Customer Journeys (18:23)
Technology Platforms and AI Tools (40:20)
AI in Content Marketing and Future Trends (50:56)
Resources and Recommendations for AI Adoption (51:13)
Conclusion and Final Thoughts (56:39)