Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

The Problem With Planning Your Blog Posts

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While I love seeing a long list of blog post title ideas, full of promise, there is a dark curse lurking within my editorial calendar – one that has plagued me in other years.

Like any smart business blogger, I try to start each year by pre-populating an editorial calendar of topics or titles. This way, I get a head start on meeting my goal of producing a particular volume of content – both for Content Mastery Guide and for blogs where I am a guest author.

Fast forward a few months, and it’s time to sit down and work on my next blog post. Consulting my editorial calendar for the topic I planned, I may face several daunting thoughts:

confused woman looking at the editorial calendar for her business blog

“What am I going to write about that?”
“Why would anyone care about this topic?”
“What was I thinking?”

The Linda of July or October tries to channel back the thought process of the Linda of last December, but it’s no use, and I’m back to staring at a blank page trying to think of a new topic. It’s almost as if I never had an editorial calendar at all.

The trick, I’m finding, is to not stop with the title or topic idea, but to develop that further into an outline.

Five things to include in a blog post outline

When you’re still in that juicy, creative, brainstorming mode, capture these five important elements of your topic idea:

  1. Premise – What is the one main point you want to get across in this blog post?
  2. Promise – Why is this idea important to your ideal customer? How will applying this idea improve their life or business? Hint: You can turn your premise and promise statements into your post’s description – what gets displayed in search engine results, RSS readers, and on your blog’s archive page.
  3. Sub-headings – What are two or three related ideas that support your main point?
  4. Bullets or numbers – For a list post, you may just have one sub-heading that is the name of your list (like this post). Jot down as many points you can think of, but don’t worry about coming up with a specific number at this point. Add some brief notes about each item in your list.
  5. Resources – Search for information you may want to quote or refer to in your own post, or that will simply inspire your own writing. Copy and paste any promising links into your outline to come back to when you’re developing the post.

Whenever you pre-plan your blog posts, whether it’s for a month, quarter, or for the whole year, protect your ideas with an outline you can use to write those posts in the future.

How to Start a Company Blog – 10 Steps for Success

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Caught the blogging bug and eager to get going? Hold on! If you jump in without having the right infrastructure in place, you may end up scrambling for the people, technology and content you need.

This extra stress and confusion could lead you to abandon your blog completely, leaving it a ghost town that could seriously detract from your credibility when people find the blog on your website or through search engine results.

Photo of the words Plan Ahead on a clock face

Before you jump into starting a company blog, be sure you’ve got all the pieces in place to ensure your long-term success.

  1. Study other blogs, both inside and outside your industry, to understand blogging’s unique capabilities and format, and its relationship to social media marketing and email marketing. Notice what you like and don’t like about each blog.
  2. Review your marketing goals to clarify how blogging will support these goals and deliver a consistent message. You’ll need to clearly communicate this strategy to your team and other stakeholders.
  3. Create a mission statement for your blog, defining its ideal readers, the problems your blog posts will help them solve, and how their lives or businesses will improve as a result.
  4. Define 5-7 blog categories (topics) that address your readers’ issues and also demonstrate your company’s capabilities and expertise. Start thinking about the types of posts that will fulfill these goals.
  5. Determine how often you’ll post new content to the blog. Create an editorial calendar that incorporates your blog categories and types of posts, as well as seasonal topics and key items from your marketing calendar.
  6. Work with your IT department and/or an external website developer to choose a platform for your blog. If your website is already using a content management system, incorporate the blog into your existing site. If not, consider upgrading your site to a content management system that includes a blog.
  7. Establish a way for readers to subscribe to your blog, ideally by both email and RSS (for feed readers). You can use Feedblitz or MailChimp to create automated email newsletters that are delivered whenever you publish a new blog post.
  8. Decide how to display the content on your blog, including:
    • Will you call your blog a blog, or will your audience relate more to “News,” “Articles,” “Tips,” “Resources” or something else?
    • What will you display in the sidebar of your blog? I recommend a search box, your five most recent blog posts, your list of topics (categories), and subscription options. You can also use this space to promote your services, an upcoming event or special offer, or a news item about your company.
    • How will readers find older content on your blog? Aside from the search box and links to recent posts and topics, consider an add-on like LinkWithin or Yet Another Related Posts Plugin that will suggest related posts.
  9. Mobilize your blogging team, including:
    • Who will be responsible for the blog? Typically this will be you as the marketing manager, senior executive or business owner.
    • Which subject matter experts (both inside and outside your company) have the knowledge to satisfy the interests of your ideal readers and prospective customers?
    • Who will solicit, coordinate and edit the contributions from these subject matter experts?
    • Who will interview your experts and turn their ideas into blog posts?
    • Who will coordinate the incoming posts to fit the editorial calendar?
    • Who will monitor the blog for comments and respond to those comments?
    • Who will promote your blog posts on social media and monitor any responses?
    • Will you outsource these blog management tasks to a business blogging expert?
  10. Schedule time to evaluate your blogging process and results regularly, so you can make adjustments along the way. Remember that blogging will take time to generate momentum and results. As you add more and more high-quality content (blog posts) to your site, you are creating valuable marketing collateral that will have countless benefits down the line.

Which Types of Blog Posts are Right for Your Business?

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businesswoman laptop blogBusiness blogging is a great way to keep your website fresh and attract new customers, but some people find it hard to see how blogging could work for their particular business. This list of eight types of blog posts has something for everyone.

1. Advice, “how to’s” or instructions – People are online everyday looking for help and ideas they can trust.

Success tips: Answer the questions you’re asked the most by clients, prospective clients, colleagues, friends and family members. Imagine you’re writing to an absolute beginner who knows nothing about the topic. (Hint: Recipes are a great option, and with a little creativity most businesses can find a way to relate to food!)

Perfect for: Automotive, business and professional services, clothing, computers and electronics, contractors, health and wellness, home and garden, legal and financial, personal care and services, pet services, real estate, retail, sports and recreation, technology, travel.

Blog post example: Four Ways to Add Curb Appeal (Blinds.com)

2. News – When you deliver the most important and relevant news to your audience, it increases their trust and encourages them to seek out your expertise.

Success tips: Depending on your business, this might be industry news, breaking news, or finding a connection between your product/service and a current news story. Consider interviewing an industry expert using video or audio, and post along with a written transcription or summary.

Perfect for: Agriculture, arts, business and professional services, computers and electronics, health and wellness, industrial, legal and financial, real estate, technology.

Blog post example: 2013 Small Business Survey Results part 5: Anticipating the economy’s direction (US Bank)

3. Innovation, opinions and commentary – Take your business’s credibility to the next level and become the news that others report.

Success tips: Whether you’re introducing a brand new concept or putting your own slant on things, be strong in your opinion to really stand out from the crowd.

Perfect for: Arts, business and professional services, computers and electronics, health and wellness, industrial, technology.

Blog post example: The Pope is Right on Food Waste (Virgin)

4. Client/customer showcase – Go deeper with stories that demonstrate how real people are using your products and services. More importantly, this shows your appreciation for these relationships.

Success tips: Incorporate photos and videos to increase the personal connection and bring more visual interest to your blog.

Perfect for: Every business!

Blog post example: Jenny & Chris – Wedding Highlight Film & Love Story Engagement Film (Honey & Dear Wedding Cinema)

5. Staff/vendor showcase – Spotlighting your talented team nurtures good relationships, and makes your business more transparent to your customers.

Success tips: Give staff and vendors the opportunity to write guest posts or regular features, or interview them and/or their co-workers or customers.

Perfect for: Automotive, business and professional services, clothing, food, home and garden, pet services, restaurants and quick-service restaurants, retail, travel.

Blog post example: It’s Joe’s Abilities That Count (Marriott)

6. Behind the curtain – People love to see how the magic happens behind the scenes of a business. The larger your company, the more people will be craving a way to know and connect with its leaders.

Success tips: Just like in blog post type #1, you want to step into your readers’ shoes and imagine what would be most fascinating to someone who isn’t as familiar with your business. Tap into the variety of subject matter experts within your company.

Perfect for: Agriculture, business and professional services, food and dining, home and garden, industrial, legal and financial, retail, travel.

Blog post example: Managing a Floating Garden on the World’s Largest Cruise Ships (Royal Caribbean)

7. Product/service tours – Help your customers understand and use your products and services.

Success tips: Video demonstrations can be very effective, but include text for those who prefer to read and/or print the directions.

Perfect for: Automotive, business and professional services, computers and electronics, food, health and wellness, home and garden, retail, sports and recreation, technology.

Blog post example: Advantageous Avocados (Wegman’s)

8. Resources and reviews – Showcase other experts and companies that provide complementary products and services, and guide your readers to the best ones.

Success tips: Explain to your readers why you’re recommending this other product or service. You can demonstrate your own industry knowledge even while you’re introducing another business.

Perfect for: Automotive, business and professional services, clothing, computers and electronics, construction and contractors, food and dining, health and wellness, home and garden, personal care and services, pet services, technology.

Blog post example: Best Smartphone Apps to Accelerate Your Next Road Trip (GM)

I hope these ideas, tips and examples have opened your mind to some new blogging possibilities for your business!

Would you like a customized blogging plan for your business? Apply for a one-on-one blogging consultation and get blogging today!

Ten Ways to Fill Your Business Blog

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Icon of a person in motion, holding a computer keyboardA reader named Karen recently shared a common business blogging issue. “My problem, as always, is time. I write a couple blog posts, then I miss a couple of weeks.” Sound familiar?

Donna had a similar concern, and after the Barrie Business Blogathon in January 2013 she wrote: “A whole morning, 9 to noon, all devoted to writing blog posts. I produced four blog posts that I was able to email to Linda, four feet away from me. As I wrote the next post, she improved the post I’d just sent.”

Even if you’re not registered for the Blogathon, you can still devote time and attention to your business blog this week. Here are 10 ways you can incorporate the key techniques we’ll be using at the Blogathon:

  1. Book the time – Schedule an appointment with your blog in your calendar. Choose a day and time when you typically have the creative and mental energy you’ll need for writing.
  2. Protect the time – If you’d registered and paid for the Blogathon, you’d probably do your best to show up. Consider the cost of not showing up for your business blog – disappointed website visitors, reduced credibility, decreased website traffic, nothing to talk about on social media. This is an important business development meeting that you must not cancel.
  3. Plan ahead – Blogathoners receive a customized blogging plan. When you sit down to meet with your blog, start with some big picture planning and brainstorming. Here is my seven-step blog planning method.
  4. Batch your blogging – Aim to write several posts at once, to capitalize on your momentum and make the most of your dedicated time. Donna, who you met above, holds our Blogathon record with four posts written in three hours (less, considering our introduction and wrap-up time).
  5. Draft before you edit – You’ll be able to get more blog posts written if you’re not worrying about making them picture perfect. Just aim to get all your ideas out of your head and onto the page. At this point, don’t censor yourself or worry too much about your writing.
  6. Book your next blogging meeting – Keep up what you’ve started and make the commitment now when you’re feeling jazzed about your blog. As I mentioned in #1, find an optimal time that matches your energy for doing this type of creative work.
  7. Set up for success – Set up some blank documents, folders or mobile phone notes with the titles of your blog’s themes/categories. Then keep those topics in mind as you meet with clients, browse websites, blogs and social media, and hang out with friends. Jot down anything that could be a potential blog post, then bring these notes to your next blogging meeting.
  8. Edit before you publish – For Blogathoners, I’ll edit up to three blog posts that they write at or after the event. Be sure to step away from each of your posts for a few minutes or a few days, and then come back and read it out loud. Does it sound like you? Does it say what you wanted to say? Correct any awkward sentences, typos or other errors, then publish the post for all to see.
  9. Promote and discuss your blog post – Blogathoners will see examples of compelling social media messages that encourage people to visit your blog and read your new post. I recommend you write three different messages and schedule them at various times over a few days. Include some questions to spark discussion that could even provide content for your next round of blog posts.
  10. Do it all again – Whether it’s once a week, once a month, or four times a year at the Barrie Business Blogathon, make sure to repeat this process so your blog stays active.

Blogging will keep your website fresh, give prospective customers a better understanding of you and your company, establish your credibility as an expert, and provide content you can discuss and display on social media. Like any other important task in your life, you need to set aside time to make it happen.

P.S. You don’t live in Barrie? Stay tuned for a virtual version of the Barrie Business Blogathon.

Reader-Focused Blogging: Set an Empty Chair at Your Blog

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empty chair at table

In To Sell is Human, Daniel Pink lets us in on a success secret of one of the 30 wealthiest people on the planet – Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. At every important meeting, Bezos leaves an empty chair at the table. Pink writes:

“It’s there to remind those assembled who’s really the most important person in the room: the customer.”

I often suggest to business bloggers that you write as if you’re talking to ONE ideal customer, imagining that person is sitting across the desk from you.

Here are five ways to make that empty seat as welcoming as possible:

  1. Begin again and again – If you’ve ever read a bedtime story to a child, you’ve heard the command, “Again!” No matter how many times you or others have covered a topic, your most important reader is the one who’s hearing it for the first time, or who just needed to hear it again.
  2. Answer real questions – As you picture the imaginary customer sitting in the chair, give that person a voice. Think back to conversations with current and prospective clients. What’s the first thing people said or asked when you told them what you do? Answer those questions. Again.
  3. Watch your language – Some people suggest you write as though you’re explaining your concepts to a young child. Others say your grandmother should be able to understand. The point is to eliminate – or spell out – any jargon or acronyms that will be unclear to someone new to the topic. Use the same words your clients are using when they ask their questions.
  4. Make it comfortable – Ensure your text is easy to read (dark text against a light background), and that it’s large enough for people with older eyes. Choose a clean, uncluttered layout, break up long paragraphs into lists or sub-points to create more white space on the page, and choose attractive images to go along with your posts.
  5. Provide a menu of choices – Make it easy to find other topics and information on your blog (provide a search box, list of categories, recent posts, related posts, etc.). As well, cater to different learning styles by offering your content in different formats, such as audio, video, slideshows and graphics.

There are many benefits to keeping up with your business blogging, but the most important one is the relationship you build with each individual reader. Keep that person in mind as you write your next blog post.

P.S. For more tips on reader-focused blogging, check out “How to Make a L.O.V.E. Connection With Every Article You Write.”