Content Mastery Guide

Weekly Blog Posts I'd Like to See from WriteaBio.com

Barbra asked for blog topic ideas for WriteaBio.com, saying, "It's not currently a blog but I want to add a blog component. My audience is anyone who needs to write a bio, which ranges from executives to tradespeople."

When I visited Barbra's site, I saw that it was indeed geared to people in a WIDE variety of industries. What do they all have in common? They're looking for a job, or some sort of career change.

And so a valuable topic for a monthly feature article might be job interview/meeting tips, e.g., confident communication strategies, the importance of non-verbal cues, preparing for your interview, or even hints about clothing and make-up/accessories.

Of course there's already been lots written about this topic, so be sure to put a creative slant on your posts. Try something like, "How job interviews are like ________," or "What _________ can teach you about job interviews."

In between those monthly feature articles, I'd suggest playing off the main topic with industry-specific suggestions that help people make the best impression in their particular field or industry.

And how about some case study examples from your customers? You already have some wonderful testimonials on the site - can you approach some of those people to do a more in-depth interview with you? Photos would also enrich these stories - especially if you can capture people "in action" at work.

For more connective content, you could also be combing newspapers and blogs for interesting stories about job interviews and career success stories, and playing off those from your own perspective and experience as a career coach.

Now that was a challenge - blog topic ideas for a site that doesn't have a blog yet! Thanks for playing along, Barbra - I can't wait to see what you do with them.

---

Do you need some ideas for YOUR weekly blog posts? You can submit your blog for consideration and I will write a post just like this one - but it will be about YOU, YOUR business and YOUR prospective clients.

Click here to apply now, or meet me one-on-one as part of your VIP Weekly Blogger membership in the Content Mastery Action Club.

Could Your Last Email Exchange Be Your Next Blog Post?

As I was thumbing through (yes, I printed out the e-book) Karri Flatla's new Sales Page Relief package, I noticed she had a section about how to craft a mobile version of your sales page or "mini website."

Typepad does a decent job of displaying my website on mobile devices (at least from what I've seen on my iPod Touch), though not as nice as the Genuine Coaching website I recently re-built using Weebly.

I've been wondering whether I should bother creating a separate mobile version of this site, so I emailed Karri to ask what she thought. When she replied promptly with a stellar answer, I immediately suggested she post it to her blog - and so she did!

She was respectful enough to leave my name out until she could check with me, but of course I was happy to tell the world about how brilliant she is.

You can read Karri's post at: Wondering if You Need a Mobile Website? Some Things to Consider.

Writing prompt: Has anyone responded to one of your emails lately by saying something like, "Thanks, that was really helpful!"? If so, see if you can re-work that email exchange into a blog post that ALL of your readers can learn from. 

How Will Weekly Blogging Make Me More Money? Coach Bloggers Talk...

Some coaches wonder whether there's any point to blogging or if it's worth their time. Their bottom line question: Am I going to get more clients? And the real bottom line question: Am I going to make more money?

I spoke to some accomplished coach bloggers to get their answers:

Blogging shows prospective clients whether they can relate to you

Glain Roberts-McCabe is the Founder and President of The Executive Roundtable, devoted to supporting ambitious mid-career leaders. She's a regular blogger (sometimes multiple posts per week) and says that even if they’re not reading every post, people are still seeing her posts go by (for example, on her LinkedIn updates), and that's a good thing because it keeps her "top of mind." People tell her she always seems to be showing up on their screen. This reinforces the perception that her business is fresh, there's always something new going on and she is at the forefront of her industry.

And she's met prospective clients, who've sent feedback like "I totally believe what you’re saying [in this post]." Glain told me, "[Blogging] is a very powerful way for coaches to connect to an audience. It's important for clients to feel like they can relate to you, and if they're reading your blog, they’ll either like your tone of voice or they won’t."

Even the busiest people are online looking for information

Some coaches scoff at blogging, because they say their clients and prospects are too busy to read blogs. Dr. Marcia Reynolds is the author of Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction, and a pioneer in the coaching profession. She is also a busy blogger, contributing regularly to Huffington Post and Psychology Today, as well as her own blog.

Marcia told me that her audience of executives and leaders may be too busy to read LONG posts, but they are definitely online looking for information. They want "sound bites," she said. "People who don’t write in a quick-scan format won’t get read."

Marcia has found that blogging has helped expand her visibility, so that when she publishes a new book or launches a new program, she has a wider audience. And even when prospective clients have discovered her another way, she finds that they still check out her blogs as a way to get to know her better - before they call.

Blogging helps establish your credibility

Peter Bregman is the author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done (September 2011). As CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., he is a management consultant who coaches CEOs and leadership teams at some of the world's premier organizations. He also writes a weekly blog post for the Harvard Business Review and occasionally contributes to Fast Company and CNN opinion. He spends at least one day per week writing, and says, "I love it so it's easy to make time for it."

He also cautions that blogging is a mistake for people who are doing it simply to get clients. "If you don't enjoy the writing, and you're not dying to get new ideas out every week, then it will feel like a real burden to blog and it will be a huge challenge to sustain." (A note from Linda: Remember, you don't need to completely re-invent the wheel every week. You just need to present the information from your own unique and creative perspective.)

How has blogging influenced Peter's business? He said that blogging helps establish credibility, which has made it easier to get new clients. 

As for me, one of the biggest benefits that weekly blogging has had for my business success is that my confidence as an expert has sky-rocketed. As I explained in a previous post, it's much easier to plant your flag of expertise on top of a mountain of content.

---

Is weekly blogging in your future? Start with the free package, Don't Be Last Week's News, Be a Weekly Blogger - soon you could be producing more content than you ever thought possible.

Weekly Blog Posts I'd Like to See from Beaches Fine Market Grill in Barrie

I'm not the easiest person to cook for. Between the foods that don't agree with me and the ones I stay away from for health reasons, there's not a lot to work with!

That's why I'm always glad to find a restaurant that can accommodate me and still make my meals taste amazing.

I recently met Tom Friedli, co-owner (with his wife Dale) of Beaches Fine Market Grill here in Barrie. I had an amazing meal featuring fresh, local food, and it got me thinking: How could Tom apply some of the weekly blogging techniques I covered in last week's call about how to be a weekly blogger?

For starters, I'd like to see a feature article that reinforces the philosophies of the business, e.g., the health benefits of eating locally-produced food.

Following up that article, I'd like to read about one of their suppliers, e.g., a local farm, and hear more about where my food comes from.

Then, maybe in another week, I could get the background story on one of their regular customers and hear about why eating locally is important to him or her.

At the end of the month, maybe Tom could provide some tips for shopping at the farmer's market - since I can't eat ALL of my meals at his restaurant.

And in each email, why not tantalize me by describing a featured menu item - maybe something a little different that I wouldn't have thought to try.

Receiving these gems by email every week, would I be more likely to think of Beaches Fine Market Grill the next time someone asks me to join them for a meal or a coffee? Absolutely! I'll probably be dreaming up reasons to eat out!

There, Tom, now you're set for the month! You can thank me later, and YES, I will work for food ;)

Just kidding! I definitely paid for my own meal at Beaches Fine Market Grill, and this blog post was my idea, not Tom's. I wanted to show all of you that thinking of weekly blog post ideas can be creative, fun and easy! Stay tuned, because I'll be posting more ideas using other businesses as examples.

UPDATE! March 23, 2011 - Tom's new blogging journey has begun: Fresh, locally sourced food...many PROs...any CONs?

---

Curious what kind of ideas I might have for YOUR weekly blog posts? You can submit your blog for consideration and I will write a post just like this one - but it will be about YOU, YOUR business and YOUR prospective clients.

Click here to apply now or meet me one-on-one in your VIP Weekly Blogger package.

Automating Your Weekly Newsletter

If you're not sure where you'll find the time to create a weekly newsletter, never fear! Once you're writing weekly blog posts, there are ways to automate the task.

Option #1: Create a customizable email broadcast of your blog posts

I have been very happy with AWeber's Blog Broadcast feature. Every Tuesday at 5:00 a.m., it gathers together all of the blog posts I've written since the previous Tuesday, and plops them into a new broadcast draft - using a template I created with Kristen Beireis and her team a few years ago.

Later that day, I go into the draft and add a personal note. I also revise the descriptive paragraph that my subscribers see for each blog post.

By default, this text is the first paragraph of my post, but I rewrite that to be a more compelling introduction. Usually I mix and match content from the post, but sometimes I write something completely new. I try to put myself into my readers' shoes and imagine what would interest them about the post.

Once I'm finished these personal touches, my newsletter is ready to go. The last step is to create a test copy and read it out loud before I send it to my list.

Option #2: Create a fully automated email broadcast of your blog posts

With AWeber, I also have the option to send the blog broadcast automatically, without customizing the descriptive paragraphs or adding a personal note. And MailChimp has a similar feature called RSS-to-Email. 

The two key benefits of using one of these services are:

1. You're not creating a new mailing list in a completely separate program. You'll be reaching out to exactly the same people (or a segment of that group) who have already signed up for your pink spoon (you do have a pink spoon, don't you?). Just be explicit about what people will get when they sign up. Here's how I handle that on my pink spoon sign-up page and on the sign-up form for my blog updates.
2. You can use your own branded template, so these emails will look the same as the other emails you send to your list.

FeedBlitz and Feedburner are two other services that allow you to send fully automated emails of your new blog posts. FeedBlitz also allows you to send additional newsletters to your subscribers, and has many of the same functions as AWeber and MailChimp - so FeedBlitz could potentially be your sole email service provider.

Feedburner is a feed distribution service that enables readers to subscribe to your blog in a "feed reader." But you can also use it to create automated emails of your new blog posts, and it does this very well. If you're not concerned about sending other messages to your list - or if you don't mind having two lists (or more) to keep track of, Feedburner is a good option.

NOTE: If you're going to use Feedburner, be sure to read this post from my friend Sandra De Freitas: How to Customize the Subject of Your Feedburner Emails.

If you can get into the groove of writing weekly content, these automation options can help you extend your reach with not much extra effort. 

Remember that automation is personal - by setting up these helpful tools, you're making it easier to get your content into the hands of your readers in different ways. So it's more likely you'll tap into the way they prefer to receive information from you.

---

P.S. Need some help generating weekly blog posts? Join us on Thursday, March 10, 2011 from 9:30-10:00 a.m. Eastern for a free call to learn How to be a Weekly Blogger.

---

Before you even think about weekly emails...

Do you have an email service provider?

Starting and growing a mailing list will be a key part of your content marketing strategy. While it's easier and quicker than ever to publish your thoughts using online tools such as blogs and other social media tools, just putting your content out there is not enough.

When you have a list of people who have shown interest in what you do and agree to hear from you again, you can build on that initial contact to grow those relationships. Whether they hire you personally, refer you or simply pass along your information to someone else who may hire you or refer you, you never know what can come out of staying in touch.

An email service provider allows you to broadcast emails to a group of people at once. Using one of these services is the best way to ensure that you are complying with anti-spam regulations. Each company offers their own collection of tools to help you grow your mailing list and keep in touch with your readers, clients and prospective clients.

I use and recommend AWeber. They're a pioneer in the industry and are constantly evolving and innovating. I've also heard excellent things about MailChimp, Constant Contact and iContact.

If you're blogging (which I hope you are), AWeber, MailChimp and FeedBlitz (and perhaps others) each make it easy to send blog updates. They provide a template that automatically compiles your latest blog posts so you can send links to those in a broadcast email to everyone on your mailing list.

(The above text was adapted from Write Your Way to More Clients Online.)

If you want your prospective clients to think of you when they're ready to take action, you need to be in their Inbox more often (you can't be last week's news). But before you even consider increasing your email frequency, make sure you have an email service provider in place.