Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Are You Curating or Hijacking the Content You Share?

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Hijacking-online-content.jpgSocial media networking is all about balance. Ideally, you want to be spending 80% of your time having conversations and sharing other people’s content, and the other 20% of the time sharing your own content and promoting your business.

Content curation is the formal term for sharing other people’s content. It’s a content marketing strategy that helps:

  • Solidify your credibility as a trusted resource in your topic area (your readers will think, “Sally always finds the best information!”)
  • Keeps you active on social media without having to always create your own content (imagine calling a prospective client and hearing, “Sure, I know you, you’re always popping up on my screen,”)
  • Cultivate relationships with the industry experts whose content you’re sharing (even if someone responds with a simple “thank you for sharing,” that could be the start of something. As a bonus, the rest of their network will see that message and may just check you out as well)

As more people realize these benefits and are using content curation (either manually or through software applications created for the purpose), I see some habits that could be unintentionally creating rifts instead of relationships and turning off your readers.

Let’s call it content hijacking, and look at how you may be doing it on your blog or on social media.

Hijacking content on your blog

It’s a legitimate and effective blogging strategy to use someone else’s content as the jumping off point for your own article (as I’ve tried to do in my recent posts about content curation and Twitter).

What I don’t enjoy is when I click on a link and find just a teaser – a summary and/or quote of the original content, so now I have to jump through an additional hoop to get to the content promised by the headline.

If you’re not planning to add to the content, stick with content curation via Twitter and other social media sites. Just be sure not to hijack there, either.

Hijacking content on Twitter

I know that 140 characters isn’t a lot of room. I know that you’re not intentionally plagiarizing. Yet when you post an enticing headline that leads to someone else’s content, without giving proper credit, you’re performing a bait and switch that could leave a bad impression on your network.

Content curation tips that will enhance your relationships and credibility

  1. Read the entire piece of content before you share. Even if you’ve read the person’s work before, or it was recommended by someone you trust, make sure it’s something you truly want to endorse.
  2. Use the author’s Twitter name. If you’ve discovered the content on the web (versus through social media), look for a link to the author’s Twitter account. Look to see if he or she has tweeted a link to the content, and RT (forward) that to your network.
  3. Make room for the credits. If someone else has hijacked content and you want to give credit, go ahead and add the author’s Twitter name when you RT the post. To make room, you can delete the hashtags or replace the headline with a shorter description. Note (and I just learned this myself): If you need to revise the tweet in order to add the credit, use MT instead of RT. MT stands for “modified tweet“).
  4. Acknowledge the source. For extra credits, let your network know where you heard about the content, by adding “via @name.”
  5. Always share links right from Twitter or HootSuite so that you can add the attribution and control what people will see. Beware: if you check a box to “Share with Twitter” from LinkedIn or Facebook, or if you have your account set up to do that automatically, your Twitter followers will just see the headline and link and it will look like a hijacking.
  6. Follow your content stars more closely. Create a Twitter list in HootSuite so that you can quickly and easily discover new content from your favourite experts and share it with your network – with full attribution, of course!

Want to be sure you’re curating and not hijacking? Learn more about our content curation services!

How to Build on the Momentum of a Blogathon

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Hooray-finished-blog-postsHave you ever returned from a conference, class, seminar or other event, all gung-ho to apply your learning, but then find yourself quickly enveloped back into your busy life, with your new goals left behind?

It's certainly happened to me, but I didn't want it to happen to my Barrie Business Blogathon participants. So I put together these simple tips that will help you build on your momentum, so that you can keep building your blog and growing your business.

  1. Celebrate your successes in all forms – At the Blogathon, some people published new blog posts, while others wrote as many as three posts to publish later. Everyone took away a three-month blogging plan, customized for their own business. Some people got their technical questions answered, while others got new insights into the concept of attracting new clients with a blog. All experienced the camaraderie and driving energy of working in a room full of people with a similar goal. Now those are some blogging successes!
  2. Summarize your learning – I'll be reaching out to my Blogathon participants this week to ask questions about their experience and collect their feedback. Yes, their answers will help me to develop and market future events, but the process will also help them pull out the things they learned and highlight the key actions they want to take.   
  3. Integrate your new practices – I hope the Blogathon participants will take the blogging calendars I created and plug them in to their own calendars and/or time planning systems. For new habits to take hold, it helps to piggyback on the existing systems that are working for you. Put on your lab coat and be willing to experiment. If something doesn't work for you, tweak it until it does – instead of abandoning it altogether.
  4. Enlist ongoing support – I have always found it helpful to surround myself with people who see the positive qualities in me that I don't always see. Think about who could help build your confidence as a blogger and a business owner, and keep their phone numbers and email addresses handy. Even better, schedule regular times to connect. I would be happy to help with your blogging.
  5. Restart your momentum at regular intervals – All of the above strategies will help, but it's also important to re-energize your efforts. Sign up for another event, re-connect with your peers from the last event, re-read your notes or find other ways to light that spark.

If you'd like to re-ignite your spark at one of my upcoming Business Blogathon events, stay tuned to the weekly Content Mastery Guide newsletter for dates and details. You can subscribe on the right-hand side of this page.

Ten Secrets to Blogging Consistently

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While I’m thrilled that more and more people in the Barrie business community are recognizing me as a business blogging authority, there is a downside. Sometimes, people cringe when they see me, because seeing me reminds them that their blog has turned into a ghost town.

Please be easy on yourself! We all miss a step now and again and my own blog is a good example of that. I want you to experience only the benefits of blogging, not the stress.

While I’m going to keep encouraging you to be consistent with your blogging, I’m also going to keep offering tools, resources, suggestions and services that will help you do that effectively.

Weekly-calendar-bookThe biggest secret of all is that none of the things I’m about to reveal are secrets. They’re tried and true productivity habits you may already be using in other areas of your life. Now let’s apply them to blogging!

  1. Build the blogging habit – Try pairing blogging with something you already do on a regular basis, such as your weekly invoicing time.
  2. Jog your memory – Until blogging becomes a habit, set up physical and electronic reminders for yourself.
  3. Catch your ideas – Be sure you always have easy access to a notebook, smartphone application or computer file where you can quickly jot down and store ideas for future blog posts. That will give you a jump start on your next post.
  4. Convince yourself – Always stay mindful of your end goal and how blogging is going to get you there. Even if you’re not sure how this blogging thing is going to work for you and your business, be 100% committed to the experiment for at least six months.
  5. Make a list and check it twice – Break down the blogging process into a system so you can approach each step separately. A written log of your progress can help with both encouragement and organization.
  6. Use your time and energy wisely – Consider which part of the day is most effective for you to work on your blog. If blogging is something you’ve been avoiding or procrastinating on, try to “eat that frog” at the beginning of your day.
  7. Buddy up – Find another business owner who is using blogging as a marketing strategy. Share your goals and support each other to achieve them. You can also share each other’s blog posts via social media.
  8. Choose a mentor or model – Find a blog that accomplishes what you’d like to do with your own blog. Whether it’s someone you know or just admire from afar, watch how they use this tool and learn from that.
  9. Reward system – Build in rewards for every step of the process – from creating a list of future blog topic ideas to sketching out blog post outlines to finishing and publishing a completed post. Your reward could be as simple as calling a friend, treating yourself to a hot drink or getting out for a nature walk.
  10. Get into action – Use a structured event like a blog writing action day or blogathon to spark some momentum for your writing project. You can even create your own blogging retreat.

How this Barrie Lawyer Grew His Practice, One Blog Post at a Time

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Brian-GalbraithWhen he first started blogging, Brian Galbraith of Galbraith Family Law thought that a blog was pretty much the same as a newsletter. Soon he realized that it was more like a library, a library he continues to build. And while he's creating new content, visitors are still finding and reading his older content, evident in his blog's statistics and reader comments.

Just like a library, Brian's website and blog have become a trusted reference for at least one local service agency, who repeatedly refer clients to his website so they can get helpful information that's easy to understand. The agency appreciates having this valuable local source of free information for their clients who are in vulnerable situations.

Giving away this information promotes goodwill with his readers. Whether or not they're in a position to hire him now, that goodwill helps his law firm stay "top of mind" until they're needed.

Familiarity brings trust

The firm's familiarity in the community has resulted from the cumulative effect of all of Brian's marketing efforts, both offline and online. For example, they've had good results from using Facebook ads and Google ads, and the SEO benefits of blogging have also helped the site show up reliably at the top of search engines pages.

Whether you're driving along Dunlop Street West in Barrie or Googling information about divorce and family law, you will see Galbraith Family Law – again and again. And that kind of repeat exposure helps prospective clients get an impression of safety, familiarity and trust. When they need help, people tend to choose the name they recognize.

Once they pick up the phone or come into the office, Galbraith's excellent customer service practices come into play. From free WiFi and refreshments in the waiting room, to a genuinely warm welcome and a kind, listening ear.

Local connections

Partly in thanks to his affiliation with LexBlog, Brian has readers and guest post submissions from all over the world. Having guest bloggers eases his own writing load (that's Tip #6 in my time-saving blogging tips for busy business owners), but what pleases him the most is featuring other local professionals so they can cross-refer and help build each other's practices.

About eight years ago Brian Galbraith was on his own. Today he has six busy associate lawyers and six support staff, and the firm has been voted "Best of Barrie" by readers of the Barrie Examiner for the past four years in a row.

Brian jokes that spending time on his website and blog are just a way to avoid work, but the truth is that he attributes much of the firm's growth to his consistent efforts to create and share valuable content online. Brian believes the key to his success has been spending time each week working "on" his practice instead of just working "in" it.

A Blogging Schedule is Key for this Barrie Real Estate and Estates Lawyer

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Cesia-GreenCesia Green is a Barrie real estate and estates lawyer and a partner with Wall-Armstrong & Green. She blogs at wallarmstrong.wordpress.com/. I asked Cesia to tell me more about her experiences with blogging and the results she's seen.

How did you get into blogging? 

"I went to a seminar run by Joanna Hoffman of Oomph Group on different ways of marketing for professionals. One thing that came up was using blogs and other digital methods to share knowledge as a way of making connections and therefore clients. At the end of the seminar, I went to my (now) partner with the idea for a practice-related blog."

What were your initial goals for the blog? 

"My initial goal was to share knowledge. There is a lot of very technical information out there in my practice areas, as well as a lot of fun stories, and I enjoy sharing them with people who might otherwise never come across them."

Have your goals changed as time went on? 

"They haven’t really; I still enjoy blogging primarily as a knowledge-sharing tool. I am always reading other peoples’ blogs and if I come across something interesting, or read an interesting article in the news, one of my first thoughts is how I can reference it in a blog post to better educate my clients and colleagues, both current and potential."

When we met, Cesia also told me that her firm's newsletters are a breeze to put together now that she's blogging. She simply chooses the best blog posts from the previous quarter.

What kind of feedback and responses have you gotten? 

"I often feel like I’m shouting into the wind, so it’s great when I hit on a topic that gets some comments. I was given the opportunity twice to guest post on the livehigh.com blog, which was great. I have also been interviewed for a couple of articles, and occasionally get calls from other lawyers who have had similar issues to mine to discuss how they were resolved."

How do you keep up with blogging on a regular basis? 

"I schedule absolutely everything in my life, and blogging is no exception. I have task reminders set for my two regular posts each week (estates on Tuesdays, real estate on Fridays) and I make sure that I have them up by then. When I’m really organized, I will do a whole lot of writing all at once and pre-schedule the posts."

What are your future plans for the blog? 

"I intend to keep at it! I have always loved writing, and this is a great way for me to do that without the pressure of trying to write something longer for formal publication."

That's good to hear, Cesia. You're helping people understand two complicated areas of the law, and ones that so many of us will run into over the course of our lives.