Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Five Things You Need to Know Before Starting a Business Blog

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Business blogging is a proven way to keep your website fresh, which will satisfy both the potential customers who are looking for information and help, and the referral sources that are looking to send those customers your way.

The referral sources could be friends, family members or business associates of your clients-to-be, your own network of professional contacts, or search engines. The more you blog about the topics that are important to your customers, the more credibility you will gain with these referrers.

To help you get started on the right foot with your business blog, here are five key things I like people to understand:

five leaves

  1. You must blog consistently. The biggest mistake you can make with blogging is to start and then stop. An inactive or outdated blog – I call it a “ghost town” – creates a negative impression about you and your business. So however often you decide to post, stick with a schedule that shows visitors they can count on you.
  2. A small effort brings a big reward. According to Hubspot, companies that blog just 1-2 times per month generate 70% more leads than companies that don’t blog at all. I recommend you start with that frequency and then eventually work up to once a week. Give people a reason to keep coming back to see what’s new.
  3. Blogging is marketing. Blogging and social media aren’t separate from the rest of your marketing plan, they’re additional ways to implement that plan. Ultimately a blog is another place to express who you are and what you do, in ways that also provide concrete and practical information for your visitors.
  4. Blogging can be fun. There are many different kinds of blog posts you can write – they don’t all have to be 500-word feature articles. You can incorporate other content that is enjoyable and easy for you to produce, and appealing to your audience, such as videos, interviews or book reviews. Hint: Aim to include at least 250-300 words of text in each post, even if you’re featuring an audio, video or graphic.
  5. One blog tree can produce multiple types of fruit. Once you get the hang of keeping your blog active, you can re-use that same content to have other meaningful conversations with your audience (email newsletters, social media, slideshow videos, reports, e-books, books, presentations, training, etc.). The reverse is also true; there are many way to “blogify” existing content that you already have on hand.

Is there anything you would add to this list? If you’re already blogging for your business, what’s something you wish you had known before you started?

Photo credit: Flооd via photopin cc

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.

The Etiquette of Reblogging

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Copying-contentBlogging consistently can be a challenge, but it’s crucial to your credibility to keep it up.

I often suggest that business bloggers look to other blogs for content ideas that will be valuable to the prospective clients who may be reading.

Recently a client asked:

“What is the etiquette for re-blogging someone else’s blog [post]?”

Great question! You have a few options:

1) Share the content with your network by posting the permanent link to that post in your email newsletter and social network accounts, always introducing it with the author/company name so it’s clear that you’re not taking credit for the content.

2) Interview the author about the topic, by email or phone, so he or she can state the same ideas, but in a written conversation with you where you get to participate with your own thoughts.

3) Write a review and/or expansion of the post, where you briefly quote (no more than 1-2 sentences) the original blog post, and provide the link, author and title of the original post.

If you have EXPLICIT permission from the author, you can also:

4) Reprint the entire article on your own blog, including a bio of the author and an additional statement that reads, “This blog post originally appeared on [blog name] and was reprinted with permission,” followed by the permanent link to the blog post.

5) Revise/adapt the article to suit your own audience, including a bio of the author and an additional statement that reads, “This blog post originally appeared on [blog name] and was reprinted and adapted with permission,” followed by the permanent link to the blog post.

Note that on some blogging platforms you’ll actually see a “Reblog” button. In this case, the system will automatically generate the proper links and credit the author appropriately.

For more information, please see How to Share Great Content Without Plagiarizing.

photo credit: Alan Cleaver via photopin cc

This post was updated on November 17, 2014. See: Business Blogging Etiquette: How to Properly Use and Share Other People’s Ideas.

If You Start a Business Blog, Keep Posting or Risk Losing Credibility

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When you start blogging and then stop, it leaves a worse impression of your business than if you’d never started blogging in the first place.

Have you ever had this experience as a website visitor?

  • Click. Services. This looks good, this might be just what I need!
  • Click. About. Hey, you really seem to know where I’m coming from. You look like someone I’d like to do business with.
  • Click. Blog. Hey, wait a second. All I see is a few posts from last month/year – what happened??? Are they still in business? Is something wrong with the website? Why didn’t they fix it? Did they just stop writing? Do they leave other things unfinished?

Here’s a video where I speak more about this issue:

Like it or not, a blog that’s turned into a ghost town raises doubts about you, your commitment and your capability.

Will your blog turn into a ghost town?

Only time will tell, but check for these three risk factors:

  1. You started with no blogging plan. You had the best intentions to blog every month or every week, and assumed that would just happen. Maybe you’ve planned out some of your content, but did you make time in your schedule for the brainstorming, drafting, writing and editing that are all part of the writing process?
  2. You’re a perfectionist. You’re not sure your posts are good enough, so you don’t post them. Are you pressuring yourself to produce brand new, mind-blowing original ideas in every post?
  3. You’re brand new at this. Blog writing is a skill like any other. It takes time, effort and practice, and so you can either study (this Content Mastery Guide blog is a great place to start!) and apply what works, ask for help or hire someone to do it for you (hey, we do that!).

Do any of those sound like you? Check out my Ten Secrets for Blogging Consistently and keep your business blog alive!

How to Turn LinkedIn Activity into Blog Posts

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Pen-for-writing-blog-posts-from-linked-inThe other day I was using Google to search for guidance on a difficult client situation, when I came across Ilise Benun’s post on the Creative Freelancer blog, “Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Client.”

Ilise runs a LinkedIn group called Creative Freelancer Conference, built as an extension of the annual HOW Design Live and Creative Freelancer Conference. In the blog post, she repeated a question from one of her LinkedIn group members – with permission, of course, and with a link to the member’s website.

At the end of the post, Ilise wrote, “This question has gotten a number of helpful responses from other creatives. Any advice for Stacey? Join the CFC LinkedIn Group to take part in the conversation.”

I was very impressed by this clever combination of LinkedIn and blogging, and I asked Ilise how the blogging strategy is working for her. She replied:

“The LinkedIn Group I moderate for creative freelancers is a place where members engage in very rich discussions. But that group is restricted to members so it’s not accessible to those outside the group or to the search engines. By reposting on my blog, I’m trying to make the material available to a wider audience and grow the LinkedIn Group as well. And it works!”

It certainly worked on me – I joined the group! It also helped when I saw that several people from my network were already members.

By the way, if you’re thinking about starting your own group, check out these tips for effectively managing a LinkedIn group.

As a perfect follow up to my previous post about how to turn your Facebook activity into blog posts, here are a few other ideas for doing the same thing on LinkedIn:

Browse LinkedIn’s Questions and Answers

Whether you answer on LinkedIn or not (note: doing so would be great for attracting new connections and showcasing your expertise), browsing the questions about your industry is a great way of making sure your blog content is relevant. If one person asked, many are wondering!

[Update January 22, 2013 – LinkedIn is closing its Answers section at the end of January 2013. Instead, look for relevant questions within your LinkedIn groups.]

Follow LinkedIn’s Thought Leaders

LinkedIn now features regular posts from some fascinating and inspiring business leaders. Write a response to one of these articles on your blog, or just see how they inspire your own ideas.

Review Your Endorsements

Is there a skill you’d like more recognition for? Write a blog post that demonstrates that skill. You could tell the story of how you used that skill to help a client, or write a “how to” article that highlights your knowledge and expertise.

When you’re active on LinkedIn and other social networking sites, you’re creating valuable content that can benefit both your business and your website visitors. Be sure to take that extra step and convert your social networking activity into blog posts.

Photo credit: The Seafarer via photopin cc