Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

How Passive Blogging Can Inspire Active Conversations

By

When I say in my bio that I have attracted nearly 100% of my own clients through content marketing, that doesn't mean that I never go out. 

I learned early on that there are two forms of marketing: passive and active. As an introvert, it's no surprise that I prefer marketing in the comfort and quiet of my home office – passive marketing activities like blogging, upgrading my website and scheduling social media updates.

I also know that to market my business I need to have real conversations with real people. Here's how my blogging efforts support me during those conversations (and vice versa):

Clients: It used to baffle me when clients would ask a question that I had already answered in a blog post. Then I remembered that they have full lives and businesses and – gasp! – don't always read my blog posts or newsletters.

Does that mean my blogging isn't working? Hardly! Do you think those clients are impressed when I have a well-written answer to their question right at my fingertips? Absolutely!

And the other side of that coin is when I'm able to take a client's questions and draft my answer in the form of a blog post – benefitting that client, as well as other people with the same concern.

Networking contacts: As I describe in this blog post about using your blog to follow up with networking contacts, conversations with other business owners are easier when I take the time to discover their blogging questions. Then I can follow up by emailing them a blog post that addresses that very concern.

Social networking contacts: When I alert my networks about new content on my blog, that helps me get the conversation started. Sharing my content is what turns social networking into business networking.

That's only the start, though. From there, it's my job (not something to outsource) to nurture my connections by responding to comments or starting new conversations about what other people are up to. 

Audiences: I often use content from blog posts as the basis for my training webinars or when I speak as a guest at someone else's event. If it's a new audience, all of the content is new to them, so why not use my best material? If they're regular readers, they appreciate the reinforcement of my core message.

Referral partners: Through all of those other activities, I've built a network of people who know me, stand behind my passion for what I do, and trust that I will take good care of whoever they refer.

I stay on their minds by publishing consistently, being active on social media and by reaching out via email. By striving to produce quality content, I show them that I have expertise in a very specific area so it's clear what types of referrals would be best. Who will they think of first when someone expresses a need for blogging support? 

When you put the effort into creating high-quality content for your blog, you'll feel more confident about your expert status. That confidence will shine through all of your conversations, attracting your ideal clients as well as the people who will refer them to you. 

How to Pare Down a Long Blog Post

By

Whittling-woodWhen I recommend 500 words as the optimal length for a feature article (such as a "how to" post or thought leadership post), some clients have trouble sticking to that length.

Please know that I'm not trying to inhibit your creativity or water down your content. If a post really needs to be 750 words, then let it be.

Usually, though, tighter writing and editing will reveal the truth: You can make your point in far fewer words than you think you can.

To the client who inspired this blog post, you know who you are. I hope these tips are helpful to you, as well to others whose posts may be overflowing. 

  1. Stay active – You'll use less words with an active voice (the dog bit John) than a passive one (John was bit by the dog). 
  2. Tighten up your story – There are many benefits to telling a personal story in your blog post, but sometimes you just need to cut to the chase.  
  3. Focus, focus, focus – Don't try to cram everything you know into one article. Focus on a very specific topic, and then turn your attention to the next post.
  4. Break it down – Maybe your article is actually a blog post series in disguise - check out these tips for how to divide it. 
  5. Be ruthless – Ruth is actually the name of my sister/editor. If you're Ruth-less, without an editor of your own (hey, we do that!), then you MUST be ruthless with your self-editing. 
  6. Watch for repetition – When you're in the flow, the same important point may pop into your head more than once. Don't censor yourself in the writing stage, but edit out these repetitions. 
  7. Take time for quality – Above all, give yourself time for editing (and ALL four phases of the writing process). Avoid planning to write and publish the same day.
  8. Walk away for today – Ideally, you'll want to step away from the article after you finish, so you can come back with new eyes another day.
  9. Read it out loud – You'll catch lots of errors this way. Also be sure to shorten and simplify any run-on sentences. 
  10. Ask for help - If you've done your best and the article is still longer than you want it to be, ask someone else what you can cut out. And if you've already edited, this person can tell you if the article still makes sense. 

As writers we can get pretty attached to our words – they all seem essential. Yet with a little work, time and distance, you'll see how much crisper your writing can be.

How does that lead to more business? Plain language makes it easier for your readers to get your message and benefit from your expertise. Then they'll remember you when they're looking for more help on the topic.

Are you interested in more blog writing strategies? Check out the series, How to Write a Blog Post. Here's the first post in the series. 

Ten Reasons to Share Your Blog Post on Social Media

By

As I’ve mentioned before, blogging helps you turn social networking into business networking. It allows you to promote your business in a subtle way, by sharing valuable information that your ideal clients are looking for. I call that Blogging for Business 101.

Blog-megaphoneThe first step is to make sure you send out a notice to your social networks when you post something new to your blog.

But what do you do after that? Here are ten suggestions for when and why to link to your latest blog post from your social media accounts.

  1. You posted something new – Integrate your blog with your social media accounts so this happens automatically. Typepad makes an app that streams any RSS feed to your LinkedIn account and WordPress has many social networking plugins – ask around for recommendations and find one that works for you.
  2. You sent a link to the blog post to your mailing list – Similarly, you can set up most email broadcast systems to automatically post an announcement/link to your social networks when you’ve sent an email broadcast.
  3. You mentioned a friend, colleague or industry bigwig in your blog post – Alert the person you wrote about. It’s a great way to start or deepen a relationship. And if the other person continues the conversation, then you both get an introduction to each other’s network.
  4. It’s been a couple of days (or hours) – since you posted – The people in your network are not watching your stream 24/7. So link to your new blog post on Twitter and LinkedIn several times and on different days, to give them the chance to see it. (Note: Unless you have a high volume on your Facebook Fan Page, I suggest limiting your blog post links to once per day).
  5. You have (or want) readers from all over the world – On a similar note, remember that if you post something at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, people across the pond in the U.K. have already ended their business day. And making a big announcement about your latest post at 8:30 a.m. Eastern won’t have much impact on your friends on the west coast who are still sleeping.
  6. Someone left an interesting comment – You can link directly to a particular comment or to the post itself so people can read it for themselves and then peruse the comments at the bottom.
  7. No one left any comments – Ask people in your social networks for their feedback or opinion about what you’ve written. Just don’t be discouraged if comments are quiet.
  8. Someone has posted a question you can answer – You can set up a Google Alert or Twitter search, or just watch your streams for people talking about your area of expertise. When you see a question you’ve already answered in a blog post, send that link.
  9. There is a call to action in your blog post – Whether your call to action is to attend an upcoming program or try out a new service, you’ll want to remind people about this opportunity. Try using a variety of “teaser” phrases to entice people to click through to your post.
  10. You’re feeling shy, busy or you just haven’t posted in awhile – Sharing helpful information is always a welcome addition to a conversation. Once you’ve jumped in with that, be sure to follow up by responding directly to what someone else has shared.

By blogging about topics that your ideal clients care about, you are creating a mountain of content that will build your credibility and visibility online. Use these 10 reasons to keep sharing that content long after you’ve posted it on your blog.

P.S. You may also want to add a link to your latest blog post to your email signature line – WiseStamp helps you do this automatically.

Is Your Blog in Good Company?

By

I was in good company this weekend speaking at WordCamp Toronto 2011. Kudos to organizers Al Davis, Andy McIlwain and Craig Taylor, and all the volunteers and sponsors who made the event happen.

In the session right before mine, Ruth Martin-Maude from Dandelion Web Design spoke about search engine optimization (SEO) strategies for WordPress. She made an important point about the SEO benefits of incoming links (having other sites link to your blog).

Connection-hubAccording to Ruth, if one site has 10 incoming links and another has only 5, the site with 5 links will still place higher in search engine results if those 5 links are from large, reputable sites like Reader's Digest or CNN.

That reminded me of a similar SEO lesson published last week in the IAC VOICE newsletter. IAC member benefit provider Sara Sims from CoachingWebsites.com wrote about how to "network" your website. She explained that by listing it in credible places such as IAC's Find a Coach directory, you boost your own site's credibility as well.

How to get credible incoming links

Consider which larger sites or blogs you'd like to be connected to. What sites or organizations are important in your industry? Which ones will be most relevant to your ideal client?

If those sites have a directory, get yourself listed.

If there are other service providers, products or industry experts that you would like to be associated with, follow them on social media and look for value you can give to the relationship, such as:

  • Sending congratulations for a new book, product, client or anything else you've learned about by following the person or brand on social media
  • Posting a sincere and relevant compliment via social media or email about something they've done, written or shared
  • Sharing their materials with your network by retweeting, clicking "Like" or mentioning them in your newsletter
  • Writing a positive review, either on your blog, the comment stream of their blog or a third-party site such as the Amazon book review page or a customer review site

Asking for a link – don't do it

Posting a review on your blog is just one example of the connective content you can use to keep your blog fresh, without having to write a new article every week.

When I mentioned this at WordCamp, an audience member asked me if you write a connecting post that links back to someone else's blog, should you then contact that person and ask for a reciprocal link?

Not necessarily, I said. While I definitely think you should connect with the person you wrote about in a blog post, I wouldn't jump right in and ask for something in return. Just as website traffic shouldn't be the goal of your blog, reciprocal links shouldn't be the goal of your post.

Let the links happen naturally. Maybe someone will thank you for a positive comment or retweet on Twitter – all of a sudden, their entire network will see your name.

Or maybe someone will check out your website when they read your comment, and then decide to post a link to your latest blog post from their Facebook fan page.

Over time, these connections can lead to guest posts or other mutually beneficial opportunities, as well as heightened visibility and credibility for you.

When your motive for blogging is to share useful, relevant and high-quality content, you don't have to worry about keeping good company. Good company will be attracted to you – and so will prospective clients!

P.S. At WordCamp Toronto 2011, I presented How to Be a Weekly Blogger. If you're interested in this topic, you can watch the video.

Tap Into the Possibility of a Team Blog

By

I mentioned in an earlier post that when it comes to blogging, many hands make light work. Blogging with a team has five key benefits:

  1. Less work – Keeping a blog fresh with weekly posts is much easier when there are more contributors.
  2. Lower costs – Team members can share the blogging costs of domain name registration and hosting, as well as editing and blog management (hey, we do that!).
  3. Higher credibility – As long as you hook up with other trusted professionals, your combined qualities will boost your individual clout as well.
  4. Shared network – Each team member can promote the blog to their professional and personal contacts, creating a much broader audience.
  5. Greater momentum – When a group of like-minded people put their heads together, creative ideas flow more freely. This is bound to impact the rest of your business as well.

If you’re a solo practitioner or business owner, you may think there’s no way to tap into these benefits of team blogging. Yet consider these possible teams:

  • Co-leasors of an office space, office building or strip mall
  • Independent service businesses with complimentary specialties
  • Networking groups
  • Business associations

Who can you get together with to make lighter work of blogging?

If you have a team that’s ready to start blogging for business, contact us today to find out how we can help!