Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

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!

Search tool for your blog provides great marketing stats for you

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I search my own blog a lot – I'll want to find previous posts to send to a client, link to in a new post, or just refresh my memory about something I've written.

Everything TypePad recently led me to the Lijit search tool (before that, I was using a clunky tool that really wasn't meeting my needs), and so far I am absolutely loving it. It will also search other sources like Twitter.

Plus, there are some really helpful statistics, such as the top search terms that brought visitors to your blog, and the terms people searched for on your blog AND DID NOT FIND (from the folks at Lijit: "Hint…it's a great way of figuring out what you should be writing about!").

Check the right-hand column of my blog to try the tool, or visit the Lijit website to sign up for your own account. [Update December 22, 2012 – I am no longer using this tool.]

Social networking freedom for coaches

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Would you like some social networking freedom? Kristen Beireis and the gang at Coaches Marketing Source have just the answer.

Several coaches have told me that they're:

  • Having a lot of fun with Twitter and Facebook, but they're not sure it's paying off
  • Not having any fun on Twitter or Facebook because they're completely overwhelmed
  • Not on Twitter or Facebook yet because they have no idea where to start

If you can relate, check out the Social Networking Freedom program today. This hot new program is extremely relevant for coaches who want to grow their business using social networking.

I've known Kristen for years and we've worked together in several capacities. I've also seen her in action on Twitter and she definitely knows the medium! She has always impressed me and I'm positive this will be an excellent program.

[Update December 22, 2012 – This program is no longer available.]

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter!

On the subject of subject lines

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Here is a slightly paraphrased version of an email I sent to a client, Chronic Illness Coach Sylvia Lippman, reprinted here with her permission:

Hi Sylvia,

While we’re on the subject on subject lines, I wanted to mention that I very nearly deleted your last email without opening it. There were two reasons for that.

1. The From line: Counseling and Wellness Innovations

The email was from Counseling and Wellness Innovations, who I didn’t recognize – and all I could see on my Outlook screen was actually “Counsel,” so I thought it was some legal thing and probably spam.

When you’re building a brand (and what they call “brand recognition”) it’s really important to reinforce the same key names and phrases in all of your marketing materials and messages.

I’d suggest your “From” line either read Dan & Sylvia Lippman, or Feel Better Now-CI.

[Sylvia explained later that they used that return address because so many of the people on their list were familiar with Dan’s former business name]

2. The Subject line: Your very personal opinions (read ’em here)

This didn’t tell me enough about what was inside or who it related to. For that reason, I like to include the name of the ezine and/or business in every subject line, e.g., [Idea Generator] This week’s writing prompts and updates.

Also, I think it’s wonderful to be conversational with your readers, and yet you have to remember that since you last “spoke” to them, they’ve gone in and out of hundreds of other conversations, and they may need some help getting back into yours.

In this case, a more effective subject line may have been: Thanks for your feedback on our Feel Better Now-CI website.

Here is some more reading you can do about good subject lines.

I have three subject line suggestions for your first ezine that we recently worked on together:

  • [Feel Better Now-CI] 3 self-care tools that do the trick (this option highlights the solution)
  • [Feel Better Now-CI] Firstname, are your challenges piling up? (this option highlights the problem)
  • [Feel Better Now-CI] Firstname, are you taking time for joy? (this option highlights a key emotional benefit)

Where it says “Firstname,” you’ll use your email service provider’s personalization feature.

Thank you Sylvia, for sharing your learning process with the rest of us!

Twitter works – here’s an example

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Last week I was trying to teach myself how to use Pivot Tables in Microsoft Excel. I have a large Excel worksheet and I’m trying to sort and analyze the data to prepare my numbers for my 2008 tax return.

I posted a plea on Twitter and before I knew it I had a great resource from someone in my network – Tracey Lawton, the Office Organization Queen, who I know from the New Coach Connection, sent me a Microsoft Tutorial. Thank you, Tracey!!

But I saw the real magic of Twitter a little later, when computer consultant Debra Dalgleish contacted me. Now, not only did Debra write a book that was specifically designed to teach novice users about Pivot Tables in Excel 2007, she also happens to live in a neighboring city to Toronto.

But I’m quite sure that without Twitter, I never would have heard of her.

How did Debra know I was looking for this information? She used Twitter Search. First, she entered search terms related to her area of expertise. Then she set up an RSS feed for those results to be delivered directly to her Google Reader.  Once or twice a week she scans through them and responds to and/or posts about some of them on her blog.

Notice how Debra was using several of the strategies I mentioned in the Networking basics post I published the other day. By reaching out and making contact with a stranger in need, she helped me out and educated the Twitter network about what she does. And when I replied to Debra to say thank you, I introduced her to my network as a helpful, positive presence on Twitter.

Way to go, Debra! Nice to meet you, and thanks again for the help!