Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

The Best Experts Are Not Always the Best Bloggers – Ghost Blogging Tips and Tricks

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Want a vibrant and busy blog but don’t have the time or talent to write posts yourself? Ghost blogging may be the answer. In my first guest post for Content Marketing Institute, I address these three common objections to ghost blogging:

  1. Is it unethical?
  2. Will the finished product still sound like me?
  3. Is ghost blogging social enough for social media?

(Hint: You don’t have to worry about any of these things!)

I also reveal my top tips for a successful relationship with a ghost blogger.

http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2015/01/ghostbloggers-fuel-company-blog/

© bst2012 - Fotolia.com
© bst2012 – Fotolia.com

Three Blogging Truths About Marketing a Small Business

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© Jag_cz - Fotolia.com
© Jag_cz – Fotolia.com

Blogging is a doubly effective marketing tool that can attract prospective customers to your website and impress them when they arrive. That means they’re more likely to return, and to think of you when they need your services.

Here are three truths to remember about marketing a small business with a blog:

  1. There is room for you in the blogosphere

Many small business owners tell me they’re intimidated to start or keep blogging, because there are so many other qualified experts blogging about the same topics.

Yet no other expert has the exact same background, skill set, perspective, personality and experiences as you. Find ways to inject these elements into your posts, such as real-life examples, case studies from clients, or quirky quotes.

You may turn off readers who don’t resonate with how you see the world, but isn’t that a good thing? The people left behind will be the best customers for you!

You can also stand out by committing to produce the very best content you can, and to keep up with your blogging.

  1. YOU have to map the way from blogging to business

Producing high-quality content that is relevant, informative and interesting to your target audience is only the start. From there you need to build relationships with your readers so your ideal customers will recognize that you’re a good fit to meet their needs.

It should be clear to both you and the reader what you want them to do after reading your blog post (in marketing terms this is the call-to-action or CTA). Here are four common actions you may want your reader to take:

  1. Sit down and stay awhile – Provide links to other blog posts on your site the person may enjoy. Help people find their way with lists of related posts and a clean sidebar menu.
  2. Come back soon – Provide a sign-up form for an RSS and/or email subscription. This sends your blog posts directly to the people who want to read them, so they don’t need to remember to return. Most importantly, it allows you to reach out to the people who want to hear from you. That can and should include updates and offers from your business – just keep the main focus on delivering the relevant content that attracted them in the first place.
  3. Bring a friend – Install social sharing buttons that make it quick and easy for readers to share a link to your post with their social networks (we’ll talk more about social media in the third truth).
  4. Jump in, the water’s fine – Design clear menus and/or banners that link to your products and services. Remember that your repeat visitors have been getting to know you over time, and may now be ready to buy something or hire you.

  1. A blog only works if people read it

When you’ve put the work into creating great blog posts, don’t keep them a secret! SEO (search engine optimization) is one way to be found, but it is certainly not the only way. People can discover your blog from a multitude of sources, and you can accelerate that process.

Social media

For every blog post, compose a brief teaser message for each social media platform. Capture people’s attention with a compelling question, a quote, or the most important thing they will gain from clicking through to read your blog post.

Here are specific tips for the three major networks:

Twitter: On Twitter you have a limit of 140 characters, but keep it even shorter to give people room to add a comment and RT (re-tweet or re-post to their own followers). Hashtags help you be discovered by new people.

Facebook: Your posts don’t show up in people’s streams automatically, even if they’ve liked your page (you can pay to boost these results). Look for creative ways to encourage people to respond to your post (like, comment or share), since Facebook rewards this engagement with more visibility.

LinkedIn: Aside from posting a teaser message to all your connections, you can also send a personal message to those contacts who would most benefit from a particular topic. You can share a link in a group, as long as it’s relevant to that group’s focus, and fits with the culture and rules of that group.

Email

Once people have subscribed via your sign-up form, you can send your blog post links via automated RSS broadcasts and/or manual newsletters. You can also send the link individually to people who’ve shown interest in the topic or asked a question that your post answers.

For the widest reach amongst your personal and professional contacts, add a link to your blog or your latest blog post (WiseStamp does this automatically) to your email signature.

In-person events

When you’re out and about in the community, look for chances to promote your blog. If someone new asks what you do, or someone you know asks what you’re up to, tell them about your blog and what topics you cover.

If they seem interested, offer your business card with your website address (be sure your blog is easy to find from the main page of your site!). If there’s a blog post that relates to the conversation you had, follow up with that person by emailing the permalink of that post.

Now that you know these truths about marketing your small business with a blog, which of these tips will you apply first?

Blog Post Writing Tricks to Supercharge Your Motivation

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fit woman motivated for blog post writing
© Dirima – Fotolia.com

I’m feeling strong and powerful these days, thanks to the caring crew at Fitness Infuzion in Barrie. Amazingly, most of the time I truly WANT to go to the gym, and I’m disappointed if other obligations cut short my workout time.

This hasn’t always been true, and I’m not naïve enough to think it always will be – there will be days where I come up with a million excuses, and I have to talk myself into following through with my planned workout.

Blog post writing might create a similar scenario for you. You know that business blogging is good for you (i.e., it can attract prospective customers to spend time on your website, and helps them get to know you and see your expertise firsthand), yet you have difficulty dredging up the motivation to write blog posts and promote them on social media.

If that sounds like you, here are five blog post writing tricks that can supercharge your motivation for business blogging:

1. Pull up an empty chair

I’m in business because I love to make a difference in other people’s lives. When what I’m doing will help someone, it inspires me to push through any resistance or procrastination.

Who will your blog post help, and how? What changes are possible for that person’s life or business? Use the words and phrases your ideal customer would use to describe their situation and problems. (Learn more tips for reader-focused blogging.)

This strategy requires you to know and understand your target audience. If you’re trying to reach everyone, you’ll have a hard time reaching anyone.

2. Make it matter for your business

When your business is successful, what will that mean for your life? For your family? What difference can you make in your local community? Your global community? What legacy can you build and leave behind?

While we all want to help people, it takes money and other resources to sustain ourselves through that process. To motivate your business blog writing, you must know precisely how blogging is going to lead to revenue, even if that is a long and winding road. (See how blogging leads to business, both customers and referrals.)

When choosing their top business blogs of 2014, Social Fresh judges looked for a clear business strategy. On your blog, that might be to ask the reader to subscribe to your newsletter, leave a comment, or check out one of your resources.

3. Find a motivating model

Find a blog that accomplishes what you’d like to do with your own blog. Just beware of the common tendency to feel overwhelmed or inadequate from comparing your own progress to someone who has been at it longer, someone in the marketing field (who eats, sleeps and breathes marketing strategies all day) or a multi-million dollar business.

Instead, look to these blogs for inspiration and ideas. If they’re producing a high-quality blog, you can too! Notice what you like and don’t like about what they’re doing. You can even use some of their posts as a springboard for your own content.

4. Leap into your blog writing time with both feet

Cynthia Morris has inspired me for years with her bountiful creative juju. Recently, she offered 10 creative transition ritual ideas that can help motivate and prepare you to write blog posts. These include free writing, listening to specific music, and taking a walk before you write.

To dive deeper into writing rituals, Darin Hammond explored the topic at SteamFeed [that blog is now closed]. He explained that all rituals tend to involve manipulating one of these three elements: environment, behaviour or time. Which rituals might get you in the mood for writing? Try the ones that appeal to you and stick with what works.

5. Reward yourself and celebrate with someone else

Which rewards do you find most motivating? Build these into your blog writing process at different milestones, e.g., sitting for half an hour of focused writing, finishing a blog post, or publishing four posts in a row. I use Pomodoro breaks to reward myself with music that lifts my spirits.

I credit my business coaching group for getting through my own recent blogging slump. Let other people know about your blogging targets and be accountable for your actions. They can support you in your struggles and cheer on your achievements.

If business blogging keeps falling to the bottom of your to do list and never gets done, use some or all of these strategies to spark your motivation.

How to Schedule Your Business Blogging Time

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If you want to receive all of my latest posts by email, click here to subscribe to the Blogging Tips newsletter.

Have you ever noticed that what gets scheduled, gets done? The same is true for your business blogging. In my latest post at SteamFeed, I reveal the scheduling tool and method I use to keep my blogging on track.

It’s called Wunderlist, and it’s absolutely free (they do have a paid version, but you won’t need it to implement the suggestions I offer in this post). I use Wunderlist in virtually every area of my life – client work, business development tasks, my own blogging, household chores, health reminders, shopping lists, travel planning and more.

As I was writing about the ways I use Wunderlist to increase my blogging efficiency, I realized there was actually a broader set of steps that anyone could apply – regardless of what task management system you use.

Read the post at SteamFeed to learn:

  • Why scheduling is important for business blogging
  • The benefits of Wunderlist as a blog scheduling tool
  • How I use Wunderlist in my business blogging workflow
  • Three steps for scheduling your business blogging tasks

The SteamFeed blog is now closed, but you can read this post here at Content Mastery Guide.

Three Keys to Effective Business Blogging – Lessons from the Top Business Blogs of 2014

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© nanuvision - Fotolia.com
© nanuvision – Fotolia.com

In early October, Social Fresh published their list of the top business blogs of 2014. If you’re looking to start or improve your own business blog in 2015, take the time to visit each of these blogs to learn from their examples.

What I found even more instructive about the Social Fresh post were the three criteria the judges used to rate each of the finalists. We can all apply these to assess and plan our own blogging efforts for 2015 and beyond.

As I was writing this post, I also came across a business model based on a three-legged stool. I found helpful synergies between those concepts and these three blogging standards from the Social Fresh post:

  1. Calls to action

Is the blog actively trying to convert a user in some way? This might be an email signup, a white paper download link, or even a simple CTA to watch, share or comment. Is there a clear business strategy being executed?

I love that this was first. It really speaks to the marketing part of content marketing. If each and every blog post isn’t trying to advance your relationship with the reader, then why bother?

Note the last sentence: Is there a clear business strategy being executed? Why are you blogging in the first place? What business goals is your blog serving? How will you know you’ve reached them?

The first leg of the business stool is money – there needs to be a clear path between reading your content and becoming a customer – even if that journey takes a long time and involves several steps.

For example, asking someone to sign up for your newsletter can create an opportunity to build a trusting relationship that leads to a later sale or referral.

Action: Make it clear and easy for your reader to follow through with an action that will lead them closer to doing business with you. Your call to action may appear at the end of the post, somewhere else in the post, and/or as part of the site design of each page.

  1. Content quality/consistency

Is the blog actually providing value? Is the content good and appealing to readers? Is the company regularly producing content?

Quality content is the purpose of the Content Mastery Guide blog and all of my work. While I personally strive for a weekly publication schedule, I would rather leave a hole in my calendar (and that definitely happens!) than post something that feels rushed, incomplete or sub-standard.

The second leg of the business stool is infrastructure – in this case whatever you do to consistently produce high-quality content on your business blog. This may include using an editorial calendar, managing your blogging time, and editing your work before you publish.

Action: Define a clear plan for your blogging success and revisit often to stay on track. Commit to whatever you need to start doing, stop doing, or keep doing in order to blog well and blog often.

  1. Audience engagement

Are there any comments? Are there a lot of social shares? Are people online talking about the content? Is there an audience engaged with the content?

I’ve never used comments as a measure of business blogging success (after all, would you rather get blog comments or calls from customers?). Today there are so many other powerful ways to interact with you and your content.

The third leg of the business stool is people – if a blog post publishes in an empty forest, does anyone read? Your blog needs a community of readers who see, reply to, like, comment and share your posts.

You may also find that you need different people to take on the many tasks involved in business blogging, whether that’s assigning a team member to coordinate and edit submissions, or outsourcing the whole process to a business blog writing service.

Action: Use social sharing buttons that make it easy for readers to promote your post to their networks. Share the posts widely across your different social media platforms. Reply graciously to all feedback and mentions. Build a blogging team to support your efforts.

To learn from 2014’s top business blogs, ask yourself whether your blog has the business strategy, consistency and quality, and audience involvement it needs to succeed in 2015. Start with these simple actions and let me know how it goes!