Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

How Blogging Supports a Launch – With Launch Geek Cristina Favreau

By

© vector1st - Fotolia.com
© vector1st – Fotolia.com

I hear many people talk about how September feels like a new beginning in their life and in their business. And the launch of a new season often comes with the launch of something they haven’t done before in their business.

When you’re already so busy with a launch, where does blogging fit in? It’s often the first thing to go on the back burner, but you may not realize all the ways blogging can help make your launch a success.

To delve into this topic, we’ll hear from Cristina Favreau, the Launch Geek. Cristina and I met online and worked together many years ago, and have launched and relaunched many things in our businesses since then.

Today, she’s in the business of launching stuff online – courses, products and programs, events, businesses, membership sites, podcasts, blogs, you name it, she’ll help you launch it! Best of all, she helps you come up with a launch plan that fits YOU – your product or service, your personality, and your level of technical know-how.

How does a blog enhance your credibility during a launch, and how might that affect your results?

I know this is a given, but it’s important to point out that launching is not the time to start BUILDING credibility. You build credibility, over time, through your articles and blog marketing activities.

During a launch, your blog will help you achieve a few goals (depending on your situation):

  • Building your launch interest list
  • Creating curiosity, anticipation, buzz for what’s coming
  • Improving keyword rank
  • Demonstrating social proof
  • Attracting media or guest opportunities

While all of these elements are important, in my opinion building your interest list is the most important goal to work toward.

That way you’ll have a list of interested people (AKA a warm list) to send launch promo emails (versus sending a barrage of launch emails to your entire list for the duration of your launch).

What shape should your blog be in before you launch?

Because every blog and each launch is different, there’s not one right answer.

I advocate for starting where you are with what you have (“shoulds” just make everything more intimidating).

There are, however a few best practices to consider. I’ll also share some of my suggestions, based on my experience.

First and foremost, no matter how long you’ve been blogging, the most important factor of launching is PLANNING!

I know, I know! Planning isn’t sexy.

I’m sure you have better things to do than create an elaborate launch campaign. So don’t. Create a simple one.

Creating a simple launch plan will give you a clear picture of what blog elements are needed to support your launch (which may affect your timeline and/or budget).

Here are elements to include in your simple launch plan:

  • Important dates (open cart, close cart, teaser period, pre-launch phase, content release, live/virtual events, bonus release, program start/end, etc.)
  • Tasks to complete, when and by whom
  • Teaser, pre-launch and launch content plan
  • Visibility/promotion strategy for each piece of content
  • Teaser, pre-launch and launch email strategy
  • 2-3 launch goals and a way to track them

Your blog plays an important role in each of these elements, but especially during the teaser period (3-6 weeks before pre-launch) and pre-launch phase (5-10 days before you open the cart) where you “prime” your audience for what’s coming up.

Here’s a suggested blog strategy for the teaser period and pre-launch phase:

Write a weekly blog post (or more, depending on your schedule), only about your product/program topic

  • Create a freebie that is directly related to your product/program topic
  • Link to that freebie in each blog post
  • Send a link to each blog post to your entire email list
  • If you’re planning a launch a few months in advance, share “behind the scenes” of your upcoming launch (people love getting the inside scoop)

Keep in mind that during the teaser period, discuss the TOPIC of your product or program; don’t mention the product or program you’re about to launch (not just yet).

What are the top 3 ways that blogging can support the launch of…

An online business:

  • SEO and keyword ranking
  • Builds your list
  • Gets backlinks and shares (links, post excerpts, quotables, shareables, e.g., Click To Tweet)

An in-person event:

  • Your audience sees you being active in your industry (even if they can’t make the event)
  • Acts as your virtual business card where people can learn more about you after the event
  • Gets backlinks and shares (links, post excerpts, quotables, shareables, e.g., Click To Tweet)

A virtual event (telesummit or webinar):

  • Demonstrates your industry connections and expert status by association (interview your event speakers)
  • Gets backlinks and shares (links, post excerpts, quotables, shareables, e.g., Click To Tweet)
  • Offers added value for event participants (convert presentation transcripts and Q&A into blog posts)

A recurring podcast, blog or newsletter:

  • Offers added value and alternative learning methods (post transcripts of audio and other content upgrades like worksheets and PDF reports)
  • Adds SEO value when you turn audio into text transcripts
  • Interviews mean more and content for you and potential exposure to the other person’s audience)

A book or other information product:

  • Gets backlinks and shares (links, post excerpts, quotables, shareables, e.g., Click To Tweet)
  • Creates buzz with free chapters and other book excerpts
  • Generates content for your book or info product

A course or training program:

  • Demonstrates that your program works (blog about success stories/case studies of students)
  • Gives people value while they wait for the course to start
  • Generates interest in the program with “behind the scenes” posts as you create your program

A membership site:

  • Attracts new members with a sneak peek of course content
  • Provides subtle ways to mention your membership site
  • Demonstrates value of site when you write profiles of member success stories

Wow, if I wasn’t already a blogging evangelist, I would be now! Thanks, Cristina, for showing us how integral blogging can be when you’re launching anything in your business.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy the Blogging Tips newsletter, delivered weekly to your inbox! Sign up here.

How to Manage a Multi-Author Wellness Blog

By

calendar tools multi-author blog
© djvstock – Fotolia.com

You’ve worked hard to create a team of qualified wellness professionals who deliver a range of services to your clients. But does your clinic blog reflect the unique wisdom and experience they each bring to the table?

Giving your team of practitioners a voice on the clinic blog has five key benefits:

  1. It lightens your load as the clinic owner to produce all the content.
  2. It gives each practitioner the chance to develop and express his or her own individual identity (brand) as a wellness professional.
  3. It demonstrates the depth and variety of the services and approaches available at your clinic.
  4. It helps your practitioners, clients, supporters and friends promote your clinic by sharing links to practitioners’ posts on social media.
  5. It cultivates a sense of teamwork, belonging and pride amongst the blog contributors.

Starting a blog and posting consistently can be challenging, and having more bloggers can mean there are more ways for things to go astray. Let’s go through some concrete tips for how to manage a multi-author wellness blog for ultimate success.

Before you start a multi-author wellness blog at your clinic

Long before publishing your first post, create a clinic or team blogging plan so that everyone is on the same page (here are the five things to include in your clinic blogging plan).

How to keep your clinic blog going

Once you have your plan and you’re ready to start, here are some helpful tips to stay consistent:

  • Create a shared calendar for editorial topics and timelines. Make it easy for writers to plan ahead, and for you or your editor to follow up as needed. Try Google Calendar or blogging-specific WordPress plugins such as CoSchedule, Edit Flow, or Editorial Calendar.
  • Hold regular meetings for the blogging team, where you can brainstorm ideas, troubleshoot problems, and celebrate results. If you keep restating the blog’s purpose and goals, it will boost motivation and enthusiasm for the project.
  • Offer alternatives for reluctant writers. Some of your practitioners may not have the time, patience or skill for writing, but with a little creativity, everyone’s voice can be heard. For example, let them talk out their ideas as a video or audio recording. Then have an editor or ghostwriter turn those ideas into a written post or a bulleted list of highlights published along with the video or audio message.

Promoting your wellness clinic blog

Readers will not remember to visit your blog, so you have to invite them back to read every new post. Ask everyone on your team to share links to the latest blog post – on social media, in their email signature, or in response to a question related the post’s topic. You can even supply pre-written social media teasers that will get readers curious about the post.

Give readers an easy way to share your posts on social media by installing social sharing apps and plugins (ask your web developer for help and recommendations).

As well, show your appreciation to your blogging team by spotlighting your contributors in your clinic communications on social media, in emails and/or newsletters, and in flyers posted at the clinic.

What can go wrong with a multi-author wellness blog

Here are some of the most common issues that may arise for multi-author blogs, and my suggestions for how to overcome them:

  • Maintaining quality – When writers are feeling pressured to finish a post on time, or just unsure of how to write an effective blog post, quality can vary. Share examples of the types of posts you’re looking for, as well as a style guide or simple checklist for writers.
  • Running out of steam – Things start out well, but then begin to fade. Eventually, posts get less and less frequent and in some cases they stop completely. Sometimes it’s because contributors aren’t seeing clear results so they have no motivation to put in the effort. Hold regular meetings to discuss concerns and celebrate results. Work as a group to brainstorm topics and reignite enthusiasm for the project.
  • Losing contributors – If one of your prominent bloggers or even the blog manager leaves the clinic, gets an influx of clients, or has a personal situation, the blog can flounder. Head back to the drawing board and make sure all five elements of your blogging plan are in place and still relevant, including someone to take ownership of the blog.
  • Competing priorities – There are many moving pieces in the day-to-day life of your clinic, and sometimes blogging might need to take a back seat. Do what you have to do, whether that’s stretching out the frequency of posts or taking a break. Get back on track as soon as you can. Always start with a fresh blogging plan so everyone has clear guidelines and the same goals in mind.

A clinic blog can give your practitioners more visibility and credibility to potential clients, current clients, referral partners and other supporters. Use these strategies to ensure your blogging team’s success.

P.S. How healthy is your wellness clinic blog? Join me for a personalized review and free advice.

12 Blogging Pitfalls to Expect in Your First Three Months

By

© Milkos - Fotolia.com
© Milkos – Fotolia.com

You’ve convinced yourself that blogging is a good idea for your wellness practice. If you work in a clinic setting, you’ve gotten the rest of the team on board. All you have to do now is turn your subject matter expertise into captivating online content.

Before you start, be aware of these 12 predictable pitfalls you will face in your first three months of blogging, and plan for how to survive them:

1. Copycat confusion

You try to model your blog after others in the industry, but you don’t get the same results. What you’re missing is the solid foundation underneath any successful business blog. Survival tactic: Study other blogs for what you like and don’t like, then apply those things to your own unique blogging strategy.

2. Lack of buy-in

You were gung-ho from the start, but now you’re experiencing skepticism and resistance – either internally or amongst your clinic team. There’s confusion about what you’re doing and why. Blogging may feel like an onerous extra step that dilutes your existing marketing efforts. Survival tactic: In your blogging strategy, show exactly how blogging will fulfill your marketing goals.

3. Too many ideas / Too few ideas

You may be flooded with new ideas for blog posts, to the point of overwhelm. Or, you may feel unsure about which subjects would make a good post. Survival tactic: Create an editorial calendar and pre-populate it with key topics that meet your customers’ needs and your goals for the blog.

4. Branding confusion

If your blog has a different look and feel than your website, visitors aren’t getting a unified experience of your brand. Survival tactic: Work with your web developer to integrate the blog into your main website, with the same colors, layout and navigation options.

5. Every post is a dead end

Some people say they’ve seen and liked your blog, but most tell you they weren’t aware of it, or they didn’t realize anything new had been added. Survival tactic: Offer an email subscription for your latest blog posts. As well, link to other related posts from each post. Lastly, suggest one action readers can take after they read, e.g., read other posts, leave a comment, connect with you on social media, or learn more about one of your related products or services.

6. Comment obsession

You check the blog several times a day and despair there are no comments. Why do other blogs have comments and yours has none? Survival tactic: Have patience. It takes time to build an audience. Also, with some topics people may not feel comfortable leaving a public comment. This doesn’t mean that the blog isn’t working.

7. Inconsistency of quality and frequency

One week there are two new posts, then nothing for two months. Most posts are well written and researched, but if you’re honest, some lower-quality posts were published just to have new content. Survival tactic: Have a clear process for managing the calendar, editing submissions, and adhering to the basics of blogging.

8. Category clutter

Each contributor makes their own list of categories for every new post. Soon, there are several versions of the same category, creating confusion for readers and writers alike. Survival tactic: Lay out five to seven key categories in your initial blogging strategy and insist all posts fit with that list.

9. Good content can’t get through

In a larger clinic or organization, you may need to have your company’s legal, human resources, or communications department review and approve posts. Sometimes they’ll ask for revisions, and this can feel frustrating when you’re trying to keep your blog fresh and current. In other cases, it’s just one person who’s the bottleneck (it might be you). Survival tactic: Consult any content reviewers when writing your initial blogging strategy, and then meet regularly to discuss their issues and concerns. If you’re on your own, keep an honest eye on any delays and get the help you need.

10. Losing enthusiasm and fizzling out

After plowing forward for awhile, you start to question whether this is worth the time, effort and stress. You post less and less, and blogging moves down the list of daily tasks until it’s relegated to a few stolen moments in between more pressing priorities. Survival tactic: Follow your editorial calendar and keep posting. Read articles about successful blogging techniques and the benefits of blogging.

11. The pull to quit

As you post less, momentum stalls and you lose touch with your initial enthusiasm for blogging. You wonder whether it’s going to produce the promised results, and when. Survival tactic: Set clear and realistic goals for your blog, with both qualitative and quantitative measurements. Schedule specific times to objectively review these measurements. Remember that blogging is a long-term strategy that builds on itself and creates a collection of marketing collateral you can draw on for years to come.

12. Success!

If you plan ahead for these pitfalls and apply these wellness blogging survival tactics, you will see a return for your blogging efforts, such as increased awareness in the marketplace, more leads, or the “social proof” of people liking and sharing your pages and content. Some savvy marketers even turn their blog posts into other valuable assets such as white papers, presentations, books, case studies, videos or checklists.

Your first three months of blogging don’t need to be a battle through one pitfall after another. Learn how I can help you master the art of blogging for clients.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy the Blogging Tips newsletter, delivered weekly to your inbox! Sign up here.

5 Ways to Energize Your Wellness Clinic Blogging Team

By

© Jacob Lund - Fotolia.com
© Jacob Lund – Fotolia.com

Wellness clinic owners and managers often tell me they know they should be blogging more often, but they’re just not getting any contributions from their team.

Before you can expect your team to support your blogging efforts, they – and you – need clarity about what they’re signing up for, specifically:

  1. Purpose – Who will the articles on your clinic’s blog help, and how?
  2. Topics – In which key subject areas do your practitioners excel? What sets your clinic apart from others?
  3. Goals – What do you want your blog to achieve and how will you measure those results?
  4. Schedule – How often will the team post new content to the blog? To achieve that, when does each individual contributor need to submit their work?
  5. Ownership – Who is ultimately responsible for maintaining the blog? This may be you as the clinic owner, your office manager, someone else on your team, or you may hire an experienced blog manager.

Solidifying these details will help everyone start with a mutual understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish with your wellness clinic blog, and how. From there, employ these five elements to continually activate your team of wellness bloggers:

1. Awareness

Keep reinforcing the blog’s purpose. Remind the team that their efforts could inspire and motivate your clients and potential clients to live healthier lives.

Recognize and celebrate any and all results, from a “Like” on Facebook to a comment from a client to increased views of the website. You may not get much feedback to start, but this will grow over time if you stick with it, so celebrate the small victories right away!

2. Recognition

Give your blog contributors rock star treatment with praise and special accolades. Recognize them in internal communications, and promote their posts via all company social media pages.

Tag their personal profile on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as any pages they have on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social sites.

3. Persistence

If there is anyone who seems even the least bit willing or interested, keep asking, even if they don’t produce anything right away. It’s easy for people to get distracted or lose confidence after the initial commitment.

Create an online calendar so everyone can access the updated schedule of topics and timelines. This will make it easier for the writers to plan their time, and for you to follow up with contributors as needed.

Keep track of what people say they will do and when, and mark down in your own calendar to check back.

4. Coaching

It may be really scary for some of your practitioners to put themselves out there on the clinic blog. After all, blog posts live online forever. Support and encourage them by validating their expertise and your confidence in them.

Find other wellness clinic blogs to model your own after, and discuss as a team what you like (or dislike) about what they’re doing.

Most importantly, lead by example with your own consistent blogging habit. Include yourself on the schedule and do your best to get your own posts done on time.

5. Tools

There are many tools you can offer to make blog writing easier for your team of wellness practitioners, such as:

  • Lists – When you’re staring at a blank screen, writing list of 10 best, 10 steps, 10 ways, 10 signs, etc. can propel you forward.
  • Talking it out – If someone is more comfortable talking than writing, interview them (or hire a ghostwriter) and write up the post for them.
  • Other types of posts – If someone feels stumped by writing a how-to post, ask them to review a book or describe a piece of equipment you use in your clinic.They could also tell a client success story, or write a curated post about a useful article or video they found online.
  • Resources – Pass along blogging tips, like the posts on this site about finding time to blog. See also: Help, My Boss Started a Blog!

With awareness, recognition, persistence, coaching and tools, you can mobilize your wellness clinic team to produce a thriving blog that attracts new clients and showcases your unique expertise.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy the Blogging Tips newsletter, delivered weekly to your inbox! Sign up here.

Top 10 Blogging Tips for Professional Services

By

© michaeljung - Fotolia.com
© michaeljung – Fotolia.com

When a prospective client is looking for the professional services you provide, they may not be ready to talk to you yet. Instead, they may browse your website to find out more about you.

While the other sections of your website can show that person who you are and what you do, your blog shows them just how much you know.

Reading your blog gives clients a non-threatening way to interview you at a distance. If they like what they see, it will give them the confidence to contact you directly and take the next step.

Here are 10 blogging tips for attracting new clients for your professional service business:

  1. Plan first. A blogging plan is the best way to build confidence in your ability as a blogger, and in blogging’s effectiveness to grow your business. Outline why you’re blogging, your goals, and how you will achieve them. Detail when and how you will write, polish, publish and promote your posts, and define your blog’s key categories.
  2. Commit to a set of core topics. Hone in on 5-7 themes that intersect between your areas of expertise and the interests and concerns of your readers and prospective customers. Do not publish anything that doesn’t fit precisely into one of those categories. (You can add categories later, but think carefully first.) Blog categories focus your efforts and make it easier for both you and the reader to return week after week, knowing exactly what you’re doing there.
  3. Tap into a team. If a topic is outside your immediate scope, but important to your audience, you can still include that category. Simply create a list of people you can invite to write a guest post or be interviewed. Consider partnering with other professionals to share your resources. Decide who can best help you plan, produce and promote your blog posts.
  4. Ask and listen. You don’t have to guess about the topics your target audience is interested in, you can ask them! From a formal questionnaire to a casual question in passing, find out what’s on their minds in relation to your business. You can also listen in the background by searching for key phrases on social media platforms and reading comments and questions about your topics.
  5. Be a beginner. You’re an expert. That’s why people hire you. Yet it took years for you to build up your knowledge base and the collection of experiences you draw on every day to help your clients. Be sure your writing is accessible to someone who is brand new to your topic and your industry. Don’t use jargon or acronyms, or if you do, include a clear explanation that any novice can understand. Constantly put yourself in the shoes of a beginner and review what you’ve written from that perspective.
  6. Make your blog posts easy to read. Treat your readers like clients and give them a good experience of being with you. This can mirror the positive way you’ll treat them when you work together. Include plenty of white space on the page, by keeping paragraphs short, using sub-headings and/or lists. Include a compelling title and an eye-catching photo that help your reader connect to the topic on an emotional level.
  7. Proofread and pause. Walk away from your writing for a few minutes (at least) or a few days (ideally). You’ll be amazed at how many improvements you’ll find by giving yourself this space. Read your post out loud to catch errors your brain will skim over when you’re reading onscreen.
  8. Promote and repurpose your posts. As much as you’d like to think people are visiting your blog every morning to see what’s new, that’s highly unlikely. If you want them to see a new post, you must let them know it’s there. Use email newsletters (manual or RSS, social media updates, your email signature, and individual messages to people who would benefit the most. Schedule additional social media messages for the future. You never know when someone new will come along who needs to hear the exact message you just wrote. When you write posts on related topics (which you will, since you’re following my suggestion in #2), link back to this post to keep it alive.
  9. Monitor your responses and results. Janet Barclay of Organized Assistant® says there are three ways blogging gets business results: authority (i.e., recognition as an expert in your field), numbers (email subscribers, website traffic, social media followers, etc.) and dollars and cents (new clients, product sales). Be clear about the results you’re looking for, so you can track what’s working well and keep doing it.
  10. Keep blogging. Blogging only works if you do it consistently. While blog posts can and will draw new readers and results for years, when you stop blogging or blog only sporadically, it can raise questions about your professionalism and dependability. No one is perfect, myself included, so if you DO fall off the wagon, just jump back on as soon as you can.

If your business offers a professional service, blogging can tell prospective clients a lot about you. They will see how much you know, how generous you are with that knowledge, and how skilled you are at using your knowledge to help people just like them.

Use these 10 guidelines to make the most of this powerful marketing opportunity that is accessible 24/7 from your website, not to mention from any device connected to the internet.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy the Blogging Tips newsletter, delivered weekly to your inbox! Sign up here.