Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Write from the headlines: Are big box stores on way out?

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This morning I heard Mike Eppel from 680 news discussing how those big home improvement stores are  falling out of favour and may have reached their saturation point. This Toronto Star article quotes Rona’s CFO, Claude Guévin, saying that “Young people … want to get in and out fast and they value good service.”

How might this news story springboard into a coaching article? Let’s see:

  • Marketing coach: Top 10 ways to distinguish yourself as a coach in a saturated market
  • Career coach: Top 10 customer service strategies that will keep them coming back
  • Life coach: Batching – 10 Ways to save time by grouping your errands together
  • Spirituality coach: Top 10 reasons that more is not necessarily better
  • Money coach: Vote with your feet – Reward the businesses that are aligned with your values
  • Executive coach: Top 10 ways to stay ahead of the trends in your industry

Writing Prompt: Review the news story and article titles and brainstorm any connections to your own readers, clients and prospective clients. I’d love hear what you were inspired to write – please comment below and let me know! Feel free to include a link to your article.

What can interior design teach us about writing?

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In my 7 things you probably didn't know about me post (recently updated!), I didn't mention that besides crime drama, I also love to watch TV shows about home design and decoration.

At a recent Women's Success Alliance meeting, I heard designer Anita Wiklem speak about how to revitalize your living and work space to make you feel better (which in turn, as she pointed out, will make you more productive). 

Her biggest recommendation? Before you spend a dime on design or decoration, de-clutter. It's the most sure-fire way to improve the look of your space and maximize your enjoyment of it.

I heard Candice Olsen of Divine Design say the exact same thing on Oprah the other day. I happened to catch the last few minutes of her Clean Up Your Messy House tour (Single in the City episode) with Peter Walsh from Clean Sweep.

Any post where I talk about clutter would not be complete without my two favourite resources: The Fly Lady (I recently looked through her book, Sink Reflections and I highly recommend it!) and Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston.

Writing Prompt: Are you still trying to write the article of a lifetime? Take a hint from the design world and de-clutter your message to revitalize your writing.

Write from the headlines: President Obama surprises Ottawa market shoppers

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Obama-beavertail I would have loved to be in Ottawa yesterday to catch a glimpse of President Barack Obama, though I have to say I was much warmer and more comfortable watching it indoors on my TV.

Imagine strolling around the Byward Market, when all of a sudden the motorcade stops and there he is! (Read the story.)

Here are my suggestions for how you can use this story as a springboard for your own article or blog post, depending on what kind of coaching you do:

  • Executive coach: Management by wandering around – Get out of the C-Suite and walk around the office once in awhile!
  • Business coach: Everyone loves a surprise – 10 ways to delight your clients with extra value
  • Family coach: Missing you – Make separation easier by bringing a piece of your trip home with you
  • Life coach: Invite the unexpected – Top 10 reasons to look up from your to do list
  • Career coach: Put your best work forward – How to stay front of mind for promotions and other special opportunties

Writing prompt: Use one of these suggestions, vary it for your own audience (please comment below with links – I'd love to see what you do), or check your local, national and international news for others stories that spark article or blog post ideas for you. 

Blogger uses a theme strategy for her content development

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Remember Mary Wollard? Mary is an attorney/mediator who specializes in co-parenting issues following divorce. Her Colorado Family Solutions Center blog is an excellent example of how writing can boost your credibility, highlight your expertise and help people find you on the Internet.

Since I featured her story in May 2008 we've continued to work together on her blog posts. Some posts she'll do on her own, but the longer ones she will send to me for editing.

Recently Mary decided to apply some content strategy in her blog; a structure that will make it easier for her to come up with content and organize her content in a valuable way for her readers.

She's decided to use monthly themes, and will write a new blog each week exploring a different aspect of the theme.

In January she blogged about communication (here is a post I edited for her) and this month she's writing about the harmful consequences of dragging other people into the conflict of divorce.

When I asked Mary how it felt to have her monthly themes all laid out for the rest of the year, she said:

"It is such a relief to have my blog post themes laid out for the entire year. I already have some ideas for specific posts, and even for the ones that are blank I’m confident that having a theme will spark lots of ideas when the time comes."

Quick Writing Prompt: Can you think of 11 themes you can focus on in your blog and/or newsletter between now and the end of the year? Would it make your writing easier if you could start with a theme?

 

Write from the headlines: The high cost of healthy food

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Welcome to a new feature here at Idea Generator. If I see an interesting news story, I'll suggest article (or blog post) angles for different types of coaches. Please let me know what you think – was this helpful?

The news story I'm using today is one that came out on Monday, titled "Food costs vary widely across Canada, forcing some to forgo healthy choices." [Update December 18, 2012 – Link is no longer active.]

How can you use this news story as inspiration for an article or blog post? Here are some suggestions:

  • Health coach: 10 reasons to invest in your health
  • Family coach: 10 reasons to make time for dinner together
  • Parenting coach: 10 ways to get your kids to eat healthier
  • Money coach: 10 ways to find money for what's important
  • Clutter coach: 10 ways to organize your pantry and make the most of what you've got
  • Career coach: 10 ways to ask for a raise to meet your increasing costs of living

Quick Writing Prompt: Whether or not you actually link to the news story, use these potential topic ideas to brainstorm some of your own.