Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

It’s Blog Action Day – But First, Let’s Eat!

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I'm proud to be a Blog Action Day bloggerI've written on this blog about how my ideal work day has me blogging first and taking care of clients second.

But there's something even more important, and that's my self-care, which includes both physical and spiritual practices.

To plan my day, I use a combination of a daily printout of my Google Calendar and the Freelancer Workweek planners from Charlie Gilkey of Productive Flourishing). But long before that, I've blocked out time for my self-care activities, including meals and snacks.

My current self-care regime has me dividing my meals throughout the day to separate the foods that don't seem to get along well when I eat them at the same time.

While it's been better for my digestion, it raises some challenges to add those other meal times into the day. And I do it. Because it's important.

Without the proper fuel, my body cannot do its daily work and I won't be able to help anyone.

Back when I was coaching creative artists and others on their own self-care journey, I wrote two articles about food:

Please enjoy these articles, as well as the multitude of other blog posts that have been published today as part of Blog Action Day. Start at blogactionday.org or follow the #BAD11 hashtag conversation on Twitter.

Five Ways to Find More Time For Content Marketing

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TypingWhether you're starting a new blog or trying to keep one going, a common concern for all of us is finding time to write.

Here are five concrete actions you can take to free up time for this crucial task:

  1. Batch your tasks – Dividing up your article writing time will make the most efficient use of your time and energy, and you'll accomplish more in less time. And once you're in brainstorming or writing mode, don't stop with one post; use that same mindset to work ahead on the next few.
  2. Be purposeful on social media – As soon as you publish a new post and it's fresh in your mind, preschedule 3-4 updates to announce the post to your social networks (I call these conversation starters). That way your content marketing task is done, and it won't get pushed aside or delayed if you get lost in conversation.
  3. Plan ahead – Have you ever zigzagged through the aisles of a grocery store because you didn't have a list? You'll also spend more time on content marketing if you don't have a plan. Your actions here may include laying out your blog categories, following a weekly blogging system or using a weekly/monthly blog planner. 
  4. Blog on the go – Grab some writing/blogging time while you're standing in line or waiting for an appointment. You may not be at your freshest creative time, but you can come back to polish later. Save and store your work online, either as a draft post in your blogging platform or in a system like Dropbox or Evernote.
  5. Maximize your brain power – Give your blog the best part of your day. You'll get more done faster because you're at the peak of your creativity.

How are you finding time to blog? Add your best tips below and let's learn from each other.

Five Reasons to Give Your Blog, Not Your Clients, the Best Part of Your Day

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I’m often flooded with ideas for content and services first thing in the morning. It’s as if the rejuvenation of sleep allows me to clear the channel to my Higher Power and receive the divine inspiration that’s always beneath the surface (but I’m sometimes too caught up in other things to notice).

Blogging-top-of-to-do-listThe challenge? I usually feel like I “should” (warning bell) be spending my early morning, highly creative, clear thinking time on client projects. Isn’t being of service to them my highest priority? After all, without clients, where would I be?

Yes, and…

Here are five reasons why I’ve re-committed to the (almost) daily practice of giving my blog, not my clients, the best part of my day (and why you may want to as well):

  1. Blogging turns me on – Blogging awakens my creativity, which I need for all aspects of being an entrepreneur, and especially working on client projects. My clients benefit from me being in this state.
  2. Blogging sustains my business – By consistently building a mountain of high-quality content on my blog, I will grow my visibility, my reputation and my business. That frees me up to concentrate on serving my current clients without needing to worry about the future ones.
  3. Blogging empowers me – When I’ve met my blogging goals for the week, or worked towards them, I feel satisfied, proud and confident to do my best work.
  4. Blogging is my thing – I’m a content marketing expert who teaches others how to make time for blogging. And that makes it a key task for my business – not something I cram in once other things are done.
  5. Blogging is a team sport – Whether it’s my sister who is proofreading my blog posts or my VA who is setting up my weekly email broadcast, it’s not fair to request quick turnarounds because my blog posts weren’t finished early enough.

Of course the most important member of my team is YOU, my wonderful reader. Whether you visit the blog via a feed reader, follow my links from Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, or wait for the weekly summary by email, I want to make sure you always have a variety of interesting and helpful content to consume.

And that’s why I’m going to continue to give YOU, my blog, and my creative fulfillment the best part of my day.

Summertime and the Blogging is Easy

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Summer-fun-water-skiing-250w-167h As I’m settling into my first summer in the waterfront community of Barrie, Ontario, I’m noticing that my new neighbours sure take their recreation seriously! I only hope it rubs off on me. As local translator and copywriter Ashleigh Grange linked to on Twitter last week, summer vacation eludes many of us entrepreneurs.

Here are five ways to make blogging easier this summer, so you can keep building your business relationships (and your mountain of content) while still enjoing a vacation or staycation:

  1. Batch your tasks to make the most out of your time – When you’re feeling creative and buzzing with ideas, draft two or three posts instead of just one.
  2. Get ahead of the game – Pre-schedule your blog posts and emails so they continue to be on a predictable schedule, even if you’re not.
  3. Write easier posts – Ease off the pressure to be a thought leader and write the posts that come naturally to you, whether those are top 10 lists, product reviews, frequently asked questions, or connective content.
  4. Catch the sparks – Whenever you head out into the world, you’re bound to feel revitalized by the new people, places and ideas you encounter. Keep a notebook or smartphone app handy (I’m experimenting with Evernote for iPhone and Dragon Dictation for iPhone) so you can build on your experiences and share them with your readers.
  5. Make creative connections – What does staying up on water skis have in common with whatever your readers are striving for? What can packing for a vacation teach your clients about the techniques they need in their toolkit? What business lessons can you adapt from a popular vacation spot with long lines of happy customers?

So enjoy your summer, take some time off, and most of all keep blogging!

P.S. If you want to make your blogging even easier, check out my blogging services!

 

Busy time ahead? Don’t lose momentum on your content marketing

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The topic of last week's Small Business Buzz Twitter chat was Vacation Strategies.

While it's not a vacation, I AM looking ahead towards some down time from my business. That's because the Content Mastery Guide is relocating to beautiful Barrie, Ontario. That's right, Patch and I are moving!

Adding to the excitement (and a bit of stress) is that it's all happening relatively quickly towards the end of September. And there's a lot to do between now and then!

I knew that if I was going to keep up with my regular content marketing goals AND keep telling you about the new content writing solutions I'm putting together for you, I had better plan ahead.

First, I used Charlie Gilkey's blog post planner to plot out the categories I want to focus on over the next few months, and I filled in a few article ideas I'm already brewing for each category.

Then, I used his blog post calendar to put together a content strategy that laid out precisely which pieces of content will go out on which date. This document went beyond an editorial calendar, and helped me look at:

  • The types of content I want to be sharing, both in this blog and with the members of the Content Mastery Action Club
  • The best timing for each type of content, based on what's happening in my business
  • The different resources and services that I offer, and how to weave my content strategy through all of these solutions so that the right people hear about them   

The real bonus is that I'll be able to replicate this strategy long after I'm settled in Barrie.

How do you plan ahead when you know you'll be away from your business? Please comment below.