Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

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

Stuck for your next article idea? Try an article date

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When I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, it transformed my life and my business. At the time, I was a life coach specializing in self-care. The book opened my eyes to a group of people who really needed to practice good self-care – creative artists.

Woman-article-writing-dateCameron has a luscious practice called the artist date. It’s a chance to woo your inner artist and inspire your creativity, whether you choose a casual field trip to a music store or museum or a more structured event like an artist retreat day.

I’ve noticed that when I take the time to step out of my comfort zone, visit new places, meet new people and do new things, I’m always rewarded with ideas. I wrote about this article idea generating strategy back in May 2008 in the post “Want to write more? Get out more!“.

Why not create a regular routine of taking these adventures? Not predictably enough to take away the spontaneity, but often enough to keep you guessing: what’s going to happen THIS week? We could even call it an article date – what do you think?

Writing prompt: Been somewhere new and different lately? Revisit the adventure in your mind and be open to any possible connections with the issues and problems your target market are facing.

Should I get a Blackberry?

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I absolutely love my iPod Touch, and I was thinking that if and when I decided to upgrade to a smartphone, it would be an iPhone.

But you know what? Now that Google apps are so nicely connected, and I can sync my iTunes playlists to my Blackberry, I think I may just stick with my current mobile provider and get myself a Canadian smartphone!

I've resisted getting a smartphone, and I've sort of prided myself on only using my mobile phone to talk. But I have to say that even the glimpses I've had of mobile access through my iPod have really tempted me to get with the times. I guess I'd better start doing some thumb-strengthening exercises!

I do worry about always being connected (I tend to veer towards workaholism if I'm not careful), so I will need to practice good self-care and set clear boundaries for myself . Luckily, I've had lots of practice doing that. These things do have an OFF button, don't they?

My iPod Touch isn't going anywhere either! It has quickly become my home stereo system, my alarm clock, and (occasionally) a way to listen to a teleclass recording or some tunes while I walk Chyna.

My next stop is to the mall to actually try out the phones in my hands. The buttons absolutely must be comfortable!!

What do you think? Any recommendations (or warnings) about taking this leap? The Google Tutor has some great articles about the pros and cons of syncing with email using the Blackberry Internet Account or the Gmail mobile application. Which do you use? Please comment below – thanks!

Structure: The last (or first) piece of the article marketing puzzle

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Have you ever noticed how boundaries and structures that seem limiting at first actually give us more freedom?

We think we don’t want to be fenced in, we think we don’t want to be controlled, but then we realize that boundaries give us freedom FROM and freedom TO.

For example:

  • Limiting the number of cups of coffee you drink frees you FROM the harmful effects of too much caffeine
  • Letting calls to your business line go straight to voicemail on evenings and weekends frees you TO cultivate your personal relationships and practice self-care

When it comes to article writing and article marketing, I know you probably have no shortage of ideas for how to help the members of your target market solve their most pressing problems.

Are you blocked by your thoughts? Start with structure.

But sometimes your ideas get blocked behind your thoughts (like “I’m not a writer,” or “No one will want to read what I have to say,” or “Who do I think I am, some kind of expert?”). You feel disheartened, discouraged and defeated, and you end up with no words and no article.

Writing structures like editorial schedules, generators and templates free you FROM hurtful self-talk, and FROM clutter and overwhelm. Writing structures free you TO write consistently and strategically, and TO let your creativity flow.

When you’re blocked, I suggest you START WITH STRUCTURE:

  • Begin with a simple affirmation that will shut down your inner critic and unleash your creativity, e.g., I have a message that someone needs to hear and that person is only tuned in to hear it from my unique voice.
  • Create an editorial schedule with potential ideas for future articles or blog posts. It’s much easier to start with an outline (or even a title) than a blank page.
  • Use a generator like the Top 10 Article Generator. People use formulas for a reason – they work! Or create a template based on an article that got a lot of attention from your audience.

Are you bogged down by your ideas? Finish with structure.

Other times, your ideas flow out so quickly that you feel overwhelmed, scattered and confused. You end up with words everywhere but still no article.

In this earlier blog post, Writing structures – friend or foe? I told you to walk away from structure when you’re bubbling over with ideas, suggesting instead that you capture your ideas as they flow instead of trying to box them into any kind of format.

I’m not contradicting that advice here, but I’m broadening my definition of structures to include idea catchers like journals, mind maps, voice recorders or a session with a ghostwriter.

When you’re buzzing with ideas, I suggest you FINISH WITH STRUCTURE:

  • Begin by giving yourself the time and space to let all of your ideas out with the help of an idea catcher.
  • Use a readability checklist to hone in on the one main point you are trying to make.
  • Refer to your editorial schedule or content strategy to make sure you’re being consistent with the message and brand you are delivering.

So I invite you to free yourself with the boundary of a writing structure. You will be giving a gift to everyone who is waiting to hear your unique message.

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 today to find out how I can help!

The weekly project list – my low-tech life-saver

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Today's productivity post has nothing to do with Google or Gmail, but I AM going to use Google Docs to share a resource with you.

It was my mentor who first gave me the idea to print out a weekly project list that sits on my desk (on top of anything else that happens to be piled there). I admit I was a little skeptical – wouldn't it be more efficient (and fun) to keep experimenting with online productivity tools?

Well, I have been using this simple little tool as a structure for many months now, and I LOVE IT! There is something so grounding about having a physical piece of paper on my desk with all of my current and upcoming projects.

My favourite part? The front page, which represents the current week's work, including an estimate of how many hours it will take. When I get tempted to say, "Yes, I can do that by Thursday," or, "Sure! I can take on your rush job!" I am getting better and taking a breath and looking over at my piece of paper.

The fact is, if there is no space left to write on that front page, there is no space left in my week.

It helps me stay very clear about how much time I have available for new projects, and when. It hasn't completely solved my "magical thinking" about how much I will be able to get done within a finite span of time, but it is definitely improving.

I've recently tweaked my project list template to help me stay even more organized. For example, I'm using some of the precious real estate of the front page to record when I've had inquiries or sent estimates, so I can see at a glance if it's time to follow up again.