Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Content Marketers, don’t let your blog fade away…

By

It might start with an innocent thought like, "Well, it's okay if I don't post this week, I posted last week." But if you eventually find yourself saying, "I hope no one clicks on that  'Blog' tab on the website," you've probably fallen victim to the dreaded "blog fade."

It's great that you decided to progress from doing a monthly email newsletter to publishing new content more frequently and consistently.You're a Content Marketer now!

But then your blog turned into some sort of hungry beast, demanding to be fed more often than you could handle – and here you are.

The good news is that you can publish new blog posts without having to always come up with brand new content. I call it a connective piece, and you may have read about it in my series about the three types of online content, or the follow-up post about how to build a relationship with your ideal client using each of the types.

I've put together a free call to help you make the most of this writing strategy and apply it to your own content marketing efforts.

Connective Content: How to balance your blog by combining your expertise with other people's content

Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time: 2:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern (in, out and on with your day)
Cost: FREE (open to Content Mastery Guide subscribers only)

Agenda:

  • Why do you need connective content?
  • What is connective content?
  • Three ways to claim your expertise using other people's content
  • Three ways to claim your expertise using your own existing content
  • Five magical questions that can turn existing content into new content

Is it okay to go back and edit your published blog posts?

By

As part of the process of writing my books, I’ve been reviewing a lot of my archived blog posts. That’s brought up the question of whether it’s okay to edit blog posts, essentially changing history (as I was working on this post, Jeff Korhan published one about how to rewrite your life story with social media).

My answer? It depends.

If there are typos, spelling errors or broken links, I would absolutely encourage you to edit those immediately, whenever you spot them (or someone else spots them for you).

If there are things you wish you had said differently or better, you can make those changes as well, however in that case I would add a note where you’ve made the change, e.g., [Edited on May 16, 2010] or at the end of your post, e.g., [This post was edited on May 16, 2010].

With my own blog recently celebrating its three-year anniversary, I’ve also been thinking a lot about how a blog is really a public chronicle of our evolution as writers, marketers and entrepreneurs.

While some older content may make me cringe and wish I’d known then what I know now, I try to celebrate my learning and how far I’ve come.

Can you edit your blog posts and change history? Certainly. Should you? That depends on your relationship with your past self.

How different types of online content can help you build a relationship with your ideal client

By

For more information about these three different types of online content, please see the Content Marketing à la Carte series.

While I commented briefly at the end of the series that one type of content isn't better than the other (it's a matter of personal preference and the suitability of your message), I wanted to talk more about how your choice of content will help you build relationships online.

The thought piece

A thought piece naturally positions you as a leader in your industry, particularly if it challenges or innovates a commonly-held practice or opinion. This creates a level of comfort for your ideal client that you are a credible expert. It can also set up a structure for your work together (such as my self-assessment for content marketers). 

How you can help it along: Surround yourself with a community of fellow innovators who support you to express your original ideas. Let thought pieces happen naturally in their own time, and then highlight them in your blog or newsletter. Invite some of your most influential industry colleagues to read and comment – sometimes they're the ones you'll most connect to with a thought piece.

Remember to balance: Some potential clients won't spend the time to read a longer or deeper piece, and others simply are not interested in your musings or theories – they don't want to watch you figure it out, they just want you to tell them what to do or show them how others are doing it!

The connective piece

A connective piece naturally positions you as a trusted resource for your ideal clients – both a connector who knows a lot of people and a maven who has a lot of good information to share. The connective piece also does a wonderful job of nurturing your relationships with your peers, encouraging reciprocal links and referrals when they happen to run into your ideal clients.

How you can help it along: Be on the lookout for information and resources that will benefit your ideal client, whether that's from a colleague or a "competitor." Trust that there is enough work for everyone and that the right clients will be attracted to you if you express yourself authentically.

Remember to balance: Potential clients want to see some original content from you, both theory and practice – it reassures them that you have something to offer.

The core piece

A core piece naturally strengthens your ideal client's trust that you will be able to help them with their problem. By delivering bite-sized pieces of your unique solutions, you give them a taste of what the experience of working with you will be like.

How you can help it along: Listen to what your clients and readers are telling you and asking you. Give them the solutions they're looking for, not just the ones you think they should have (Alicia Forest and I discussed this in an interview).

Remember to balance: There's not much of a downside to publishing a high volume of well-written core pieces, other than the fact that your ideal client would likely enjoy seeing different types of content from you. And mixing it up can also keep your creativity stoked!

Each type of online content has a role in your relationship-building efforts, and balancing between them can help maintain your rapport with your reader. If you usually stick with one kind of article, challenge yourself to write a different one this week. Want to go further with the challenge? Aim to write at least one of each type over the next month.

American spelling? Canadian spelling? British spelling? Oh my!

By

Style Guide reader Lee Strauss asked: My audience are Australian and American. Should I use American spelling or British spelling?

Great question! Here's what I replied:

Thanks for your question, Lee. It's a tricky point, especially when your clients are in different countries.

In the Style Guide I say that it makes sense for Canadians (and other non-Americans) to use American spelling since so many of our clients are American.

However, since then I've taken on the role of Editor for VOICE, the newsletter of the International Association of Coaching, and I love their approach of publishing each article with the spelling conventions of the author's home country.

So now I mostly stick with Canadian spelling, as a proud Canadian.

For me this also relates to the willingness to stand out and be who you are, even if someone else may think that is "wrong" (like the VOICE reader who wrote to point out my spelling error of the word honour).

Note that you'll see plenty of examples of both American and Canadian spelling on my blog and website – this is definitely an instance where I have not always been consistent. And an example of how a blog is a public record of our evolution as writers and entrepreneurs.

Idea Generator is now Content Mastery Guide

By

After three years as the Idea Generator, on May 11, 2010 this blog combined with You Talk, I’ll Write to become ContentMasteryGuide.com. This new home will allow us to explore beyond idea generation, so that you have everything you need to achieve content mastery.

If you’re familiar with You Talk, I’ll Write, you’ll find most of what you’re used to in the navigation buttons above. And stay tuned, because more will be revealed.

If you’re new here, welcome! ContentMasteryGuide.com is your place to find the ideas, tools, support, products, services and inspiration to produce masterful content.

Why masterful content?

Content marketing is the practice of sharing valuable information as a way of demonstrating your credibility, knowledge and skill. This helps you to build and enhance online relationships with people you may never have the chance to meet in person.

Masterful content that is planned mindfully, written artfully, edited skillfully, published consistently and shared widely has the power to connect you deeply with your tribe of prospective clients, existing clients and colleagues.

And I want that for you.

Whether you’re a Content Starter, a Content Marketer or a Content Master, there is a place for you here at ContentMasteryGuide.com. It’s absolutely perfect that you are exactly where you are, and if you’re ready to move to a different level, I’m here to show you the way.

You can start by browsing the free Resources, or the blog posts listed along the right-hand side of the page.

Do you have questions about how I can help you achieve content mastery and how that could transform your business? Check out the Services page or contact me today!