Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Keep writing great content and people will notice!

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Alyssa Gregory has just been named the Small Business Information Guide of About.com, one of the largest producers of original content on the Web.

Alyssa worked with us a bit here back when we were You Talk, I’ll Write, and she also features the Style Guide in her online store at the Virtual Assistant Hub.

I asked Alyssa about her experience with content marketing and how it led to this new frontier for her business.

1. How did you leverage your formidable body of online content to demonstrate to About.com that you are an expert on this topic?

Great question! It certainly can be a challenge to get an extensive body of content to work for you and not against you. Hundreds of articles can be overwhelming for the reader to see, and it’s equally overwhelming for the writer to show the quality of the portfolio and not just the quantity.

I tried to zero in on the pieces I considered the most relevant and effective, and use the rest as a collective summary of my writing experience, bolstering the samples I sent in. Luckily, it worked!

2. What are your secrets for continuing to publish great content on a consistent basis?

It’s hard when you’re on the spot and feel pressured to spit out good content on demand. And that’s what it can feel like at times when you write for multiple outlets on a daily or weekly basis.

There are three things I do to try to prevent the pressured feeling from creeping in.

First, I plan in advance. At least one week in advance, I’ll go through all of my writing responsibilities and create a mini editorial calendar outlining what I will be writing about each day. This can take some time, but it really streamlines the process when it’s time to get writing.

If I have a little extra time, I’ll go a bit deeper and outline each article, do some preliminary research, and take time for some brainstorming so I have a running start when publication day comes. Ideally, I would love to write a number of pieces in advance, but this rarely happens with my schedule!

The second thing I do is keep a running idea file. I use it to keep track of everything from posts I read that inspire me, thoughts I have during the day, articles I want to write, etc. My full list usually has around 200 items on it at any given time, so I have a flexible list of material to pull from for when I do my planning. And since most of my writing is on small business topics, I can mix and match ideas for different sites.

Finally, I have found that it pays to be open minded when it comes to ideas. Inspiration can come from anywhere — blogs, comments, commercials, magazines, kids. If you’re receptive to taking in new things and can think broadly enough to relate it back to your topic, you may be surprised when an idea hits you.

3. How do you manage your ideas?

I use Evernote to maintain my idea file. It works great because it automatically syncs from my PC to my Mac. I can also access and add to my list from my BlackBerry so I don’t have to worry about losing ideas that come to me when I’m doing other things. Here is more information on how I use Evernote for idea management: http://www.sitepoint.com/how-i-use-evernote-to-manage-my-ideas/

Congratulations, Alyssa – keep up the great content! And I know you will.

How to turn a long article or book chapter into bite-size blog posts

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I've long talked about the danger of trying to write the article of a lifetime, and advised you to break up longer articles – especially if you're trying to make more than one point.

People who visit your blog may or may not know you, may or may not have time to read a longer item, and may or may not be interested in more than the one topic that brought them there in the first place.

But what if you're trying to explain a model, theory or method that has many pieces? You want to explore each of the pieces in depth, and those pieces may break down even further in several parts.

Does that mean you have to scrap this longer content and start again? Not at all! Here are four steps to help you turn a long article or book chapter into bite-size blog posts:

Step 1: Compose an introduction to the series. Sometimes this will be a stand-alone post, as I wrote here. Other times, your introduction will be part of the first post of the series, as in this example.

Step 2: Look at what you've written and find the natural breaking point(s), where you've finished talking about one element and you've started talking about another one.

Step 3: Decide on a format for each post in your series – will they be quick and to-the-point (example), or use a typical article format (example)?

Step 4: If you're going with an article format, compose an introduction and conclusion for each of your blog posts. Otherwise, just insert each separate point into its own blog post, using the format you chose.

Here are some additional helpful tips for turning your long article or book chapter into bite-size blog posts:

  • Language: Carry over some of the same language and phrasing in each post, so that you reinforce your unique writing style and personality. Above all, try to use some of the same language that your typical client might use when they discuss the topic.
  • Independence: Assume people are reading each piece as a stand-alone blog post. They may never read the related posts, or they may read them in a different order than you wrote them. Make sure each post makes sense on its own.

It IS possible to cover topics in more depth on your blog. And if you've taken the steps I've suggested, you've provided a road map of your ideas to the person who has the time and interest (and the good eyesight!) to sit and read them all at once.

The bonus is that you haven't lost the person who just came for a quick look! You gave them a quality taste of what you have to offer, and if they're a good match for you they will be back. That is the magic of content marketing.

Article time: Where do you find it?

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I received these two related questions when I asked my readers what you want to know about article marketing:

  1. When you don't really have time to blog or write an article, what is the most time-efficient way to complete the task?
  2. How do I make the time to put article marketing at the forefront of my To Do list?

My short answer is that you don't find article-writing time, you create it! And once you create it, you protect it!

Decide

The first step to finding time for any new thing has to be a decision that the new thing is a priority. In this case, you've decided that it's important to grow your business, and you've read enough about article marketing fundamentals to believe in the power of article marketing to grow your business. Hooray!

Since growing your business is important, article marketing is important, too.

Create

So now you'll want to devote special time in your schedule to getting your articles done. I suggest you block separate times for brainstorming, drafting, writing, editing and publishing. Batch the tasks to get the most momentum (I wrote about batching in a previous post).

I'll be posting more suggestions about some of those specific tasks in separate blog posts, beginning with brainstorming. For now, just keep in mind that some tasks have more than one part, and you'll complete them in more than one sitting.

I'll take anywhere from two days to one week to bring an article from idea to publication, depending on the amount of research and/or collaboration I have to do.

Protect

Here's a self-care article I wrote back in 2006, with some relevant messages about saying no to anything that is threatening your article writing time.

And here is a timely message from my colleague Kim Nishida, about how what's important is also the most urgent.

Remember, article writing is in service of your article marketing, and your article marketing is in service of growing your business. Decide, create, protect!

Do you have the patience to make article marketing magic?

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I’m really saddened when I hear people say that they don’t write articles and publish them online because they tried it and it didn’t work for them.

Did you know that since I opened my own account with Ezine Articles, back when I was promoting my self-care coaching business, my three most popular articles have been viewed a combined total of 72,235 times? Check out the latest report that EzineArticles just sent me.

Did I get all of those page views in the first month? No. In the first year? Nope. It’s been four years since I posted these articles (you can tell by all of the Style Guide violations!!).

So please have a little patience with your article marketing. Be consistent. Submit clearly written and creative articles that speak to your target audience. And while you keep doing the things that make you great at what you do, your articles can be working magic in the background.

Article marketing isn’t the only part of being a small business owner that requires patience. Idea Generator reader Gale Denning Mailloux sent these thoughts last week:

“Patience, oh patience….by staying in the moment to observe and be informed, and knowing it is NOT all about me, but the context…I have been able to generate creative ideas on how to continue to do what I love as a therapist even when economic realities have impacted my practice. I did not leap into the solution-only mode, but with patience, am able to co-create my practice with my clients, and enhance what I do. THAT is how patience has helped my marketing!“

Then I polled my new friends from the Twitter chat group #sbbuzz about patience. Here is a transcript summary of that part of the discussion, courtesy of the #sbbuzz website:

sbbuzz: Q1 from @lindadessau for tonight’s sbbuzz chat: How has having patience paid off when growing your small business? #sbbuzz

  • BeckyMcCray: Patience pays off when it takes a dozen years to be an overnight success. You never know when it will come.
  • rongraham1: On Q1, it… ummm… hasn’t quite paid off yet. But it will. Probably starting middle of next month. LOL
  • bradfordshimp: Q1 – Hmm, sometimes I think I am being too patient (or maybe that is just procrastinating).
  • soclmediacoach: Q1: Slow and steady wins the race. I’ve seen my competition burn out and grow too quickly. We learned from that.
  • toddschnick: @sbbuzz need patience to be disciplined and dedicated to sustained effort
  • pardiman: Q1 I’m the overnight success (taken almost six years to get there) I originally had a five year plan, and then I was moving on
  • Whistletree: We often over-estimate what we can do in 1 yr. and under-estimate what we can do in 5. Keeping perspective is key.
  • rongraham1: @soclmediacoach, sometimes we just have that tendency to grow a lot when we know we can grow a little. I’ve seen that too.
  • adarowski: Q1 We’re kind of in a crowded market, so patience was needed to allow the world to see why we’re different and awesome.
  • mattharrell: Q1: It’s taken a long time to land some customers…but when they came on our product was much better…and ready for them.
  • mattgillooly: @sbbuzz – Q1 – Waiting until 5 or 6 to crack a beer… Some days that takes a lot of patience!
  • pardiman: Q1 Now I introduce myself and people say I’ve heard of you. Build the brand one brick at a time. :)
  • JoGolden: Q1 Perseverence is just as vital as patience and perspective–all 3= a triple threat to the competition
  • rongraham1: On Q1, those first few customers are really precious, because we want ‘em to become our champions. :-)
  • pmohara: Q1 – I liked @mikemcderment’s answer that the cover of Entrepreneur mag came from “stringing together 1000 tiny victories”
  • RPamela: Q1 Patience=Results. Only a few are truly overnight successes. Relationships, trust and loyalty take time.
  • chelpixie: Q1 Patience I think came from hard work. I was too busy to notice I was being patient too. ;)
  • Timberry: Q1: in my case, owning the business outright, without investors, would have been impossible without patience.
  • merylkevans: Q1 When I left corporate America for full-time freelancing, I had a full load. I worked both jobs for 5 years before switching.
  • mattgillooly: @sbbuzz – Q1 – on the flip side, I’ve been really glad on a few occasions that I stopped having patience for a bad idea.
  • bradfordshimp: I would add the caveat – patience on the right things – you can be patient but be doing the wrong things and hoping they will work.
  • Whistletree: Sometimes patience can also turn into overthinking. There is a time to push a little, too.
  • rzazueta: Q1: Patience = sanity. Sadly, the world is not on your schedule. You need to actively push, but you need to demonstrate patience.
  • Timberry: Q1: Great concept from @trunkclubjlv: for startups, don’t wait until all the lights are green. Patience isn’t everything.
  • wvpmc: Hi everyone – sorry I’m late tonight – Q1 patience essential to weather economic cycles

Article marketing magic: Consistency is the key

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Article marketing works like magic – IF you know the right tricks. One of those tricks is consistency. If you can persevere with your article writing efforts and apply them consistently, articles can provide a steady stream of readers, prospects, clients, customers and money.

There are several reasons that consistency is so important for effective article marketing:

How you do anything is how you do everything

I first heard this important truth from Andrea J. Lee, author of Multiple Streams of Coaching Income, and I have never forgotten it. When you have a service-based business, your customers are buying YOU just as much as they are buying the results that you will deliver.

Since everything you do is a reflection of you, that means that whatever you do, wherever you go, whenever you are interacting with people or the world around you, you are teaching people what they can expect from you.

Your prospective customers want to know they can rely on you to show up when you said you would and deliver what you promised (but don't worry – they don't expect you to be perfect). Are you curious about what else your customers want you to know about what they want? Sonia Simone has a list of 50 things. 

If they see you publishing a newsletter or blog consistently, especially if you keep up with a schedule that you've posted, you're giving them a little taste of the level of service they can expect when they hire you or buy from you.

You'll build on your own momentum and success

Action creates action and inaction creates…well, inaction creates nothing (more inaction). I have proven this to myself time and again as I have sometimes vacillated between working too little and working too much. 

Accomplishment is so gratifying. Once you've taken time to rest and celebrate your successes, you can also reinvest some of that energy to do more of the same.

Your content collection will snowball

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. When you consistently generate new content, you will build an empire of information one article at a time and you will be amazed at the volume of content you have produced.

Here are three strategies that can help you develop the discipline to write consistently:

  1. Set a schedule. Make a commitment to yourself (e.g., a monthly newsletter and one additional article in between issues). An editorial schedule will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed because you can plug in potential topics ahead of time. 
  2. Declare your schedule. Make a commitment to your readers; let them know exactly when they can expect to hear from you.
  3. Turn article marketing into a team sport. Whether it's professional assistance with ghostwriting, editing or article submission, or simply a buddy arrangement with another coach, all of a sudden you are accountable for finishing the article a few days before you need it, so whoever is helping you has time to review it.

Article marketing can have magical results; growing your mailing list, increasing your visibility, enhancing your credibility and bringing you new customers, clients and revenue. So why would you stop after only one article?

If you feel like you're lacking the discipline, skill or structure that you need to apply the power of article marketing to grow your business, contact me now about how I can help!