Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Blog Readers Are Your Friends, But…

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My definition of friend has changed from spending so much time online. I have many friends that I've never met in person, and probably never will. Some friendships began with a five-minute Twitter exchange; others were sparked in person and then deepened online.

I've written before about how you want to engage your blog reader as if you're already friends. After all, even as a brand new reader, that person has still come from somewhere.

Maybe they found you on Google, "Hey, my friend Google the search engine thought I should meet you because I'm looking for…" If they've come via a link on social media, the introduction was even warmer and more meaningful.

But presuming too much intimacy can backfire – both on your blog and on the popular business networking site, LinkedIn.

How to get ignored on LinkedIn

"______ (name) has indicated you are a Friend and would like to add you to his/her professional network."

There's something about that phrase that bothers me, and I click the "Ignore" button when I receive these types of LinkedIn invitations. Unless the person includes a note about how we're "friends." (I used to write back and ask them, but it became too time consuming.)

On LinkedIn, if you can't honestly say that you know someone via work, school or another institution, you have two other options other than "Friend": (a) you can say you don't know the person or (b) you can click "Other" and include a note about why you'd like to connect.

The latter option is what I always choose. You have to enter the person's email address, but don't worry, it's not a test; it just helps LinkedIn deliver your message.

Remind your blog readers why they like you

Blog readers might also ignore your advances if you get too close, too soon. While you want to take a friendly approach, keep in mind that even if they've "met" you once or twice, they may not remember whether or not they liked you.

That's why it's so important to be consistent with your language and branding – it helps remind people who you are and what they liked about you. So you're not just presuming intimacy; you're backing it up.

Keep earning your friendships

Someone recently recommended that I change this phrase in the Wellness Blogs submission guidelines: "Pretend you're chatting with a good friend who came for your help and expertise." He said people wouldn't give the same level of advice to a friend. I disagreed, and kept the phrase as is. What do you think?

This reminded me of an important point, though. Keep making the effort to impress and deliver value to your blog readers. Don't skimp on details or explanations because you assume people read them in a previous post – they may not have. 

How do you define friendship these days? Do you think people throw around the word too liberally? Do you consider your blog readers to be friends? How does that affect your approach to writing?

Blogging Makes Being a Local Celebrity a Celebration

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PaparazziBlogging can feel like an ego-driven pursuit, especially when we get too caught up in the numbers: how many "Likes" do I have on Facebook, how many comments am I getting, how many people are there on my mailing list?

When I talk about how blogging makes you a star and the "go to" expert in your industry, I see some people shy away from that idea. They say they don't want to be a celebrity; they just want to help people and earn a good living.

Maybe it's time we redefined what it means to be a celebrity, and why it's an admirable goal for any service-based business.

What if becoming a celebrity was actually a celebration? Here are five ways that blogging can make it so:

  1. You can use your blog (and your celebrity status) to give back to your local community. 
  2. Blogging builds your confidence and helps YOU see just how much of an expert you are. After all, it's easier to plant your flag of expertise on top of a mountain of content.
  3. Your celebrity status can be an inspiration to others in your local community, and shows them what is possible.   
  4. Blogging is a way to express the meaning behind your business – why you do what you do. So as you blog, celebrate your passion!
  5. Your celebrity status will attract a tribe of people with the same passions and interests, and your blog can be a forum for them to celebrate as well. They may comment (or they may not, and that's okay, too!), or simply show their affinity by sharing your content with their own tribes. 

Have you been shying away from your celebrity status? What's one way you could celebrate it, starting today?

Business Owners, Ask This Question Before You Post a Photo on Social Media

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PhotographerWith the plethora of mobile devices and apps at our fingertips these days, business owners can stay in touch with their network anytime and from anywhere.

These updates keep you visible to your clients, prospective clients and referral partners. When you consistently deliver valuable content – tips, solutions and resources to improve their lives or businesses – the people in your network will learn to trust your expertise. Solid content is what turns social networking into business networking.

Of course it’s not all about business, though. Part of the reason to participate on social media is to be social, and to give your network a peek behind the scenes of your business AND your life.

Photos are the perfect way to deliver that peek. Like any pet parent, sometimes I can’t resist sharing cute photos and stories about my greyhound Patch. Usually I limit these to my personal profile account on Facebook, but not always. I know that many of my Twitter friends are dog lovers, so these posts help us connect on a different level.

Depending on your business, photos can draw people in to want to know more about you and what you do. They can also entice prospective clients and customers to try your products or services.

But before you share a photo on a social networking site, ask this question:

Does this photo belong on my blog, instead of on a photo sharing site?

Here are some benefits to posting candid photos about your business on your blog:

  • Seeing is experiencing – It’s one thing to say that you had a successful event or an awesome morning of baking, it’s another to show photos of your happy attendees or delicious treats.
  • You’re the host – When you alert your social network that there are new photos on your blog, you’re inviting them to YOUR site (your home, as it were), rather than to a third-party site.
  • Brings YOU into the blog – One of the reasons people visit a blog is to get to know the person/voice behind the business. These conversational snippets are part of what makes a blog a blog.
  • Makes the next step easier – Once people are on your blog, they’re only a hop, skip, jump and link away from taking an action – whether that’s to call you, read more about your product/service, visit your business or place an order then and there.

Three Steps to Sharing a Photo on Your Blog

While it may not seem as fast and easy as sharing through social media, posting a photo to your blog can be as simple as 1-2-3.

  1. Check your mobile options – Typepad and WordPress’s self-hosted and hosted platforms all provide mobile posting options.
  2. Post your photo
  3. Scoop out the details – Describe all the action that’s going in your photo, and be sure to mention the related product or service. Give your reader the links/info they need to take the next step.

With a little practice, sharing photos on your blog can become second nature. As a result, the people who enjoy your photos can also enjoy your products and services.

How Passive Blogging Can Inspire Active Conversations

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When I say in my bio that I have attracted nearly 100% of my own clients through content marketing, that doesn't mean that I never go out. 

I learned early on that there are two forms of marketing: passive and active. As an introvert, it's no surprise that I prefer marketing in the comfort and quiet of my home office – passive marketing activities like blogging, upgrading my website and scheduling social media updates.

I also know that to market my business I need to have real conversations with real people. Here's how my blogging efforts support me during those conversations (and vice versa):

Clients: It used to baffle me when clients would ask a question that I had already answered in a blog post. Then I remembered that they have full lives and businesses and – gasp! – don't always read my blog posts or newsletters.

Does that mean my blogging isn't working? Hardly! Do you think those clients are impressed when I have a well-written answer to their question right at my fingertips? Absolutely!

And the other side of that coin is when I'm able to take a client's questions and draft my answer in the form of a blog post – benefitting that client, as well as other people with the same concern.

Networking contacts: As I describe in this blog post about using your blog to follow up with networking contacts, conversations with other business owners are easier when I take the time to discover their blogging questions. Then I can follow up by emailing them a blog post that addresses that very concern.

Social networking contacts: When I alert my networks about new content on my blog, that helps me get the conversation started. Sharing my content is what turns social networking into business networking.

That's only the start, though. From there, it's my job (not something to outsource) to nurture my connections by responding to comments or starting new conversations about what other people are up to. 

Audiences: I often use content from blog posts as the basis for my training webinars or when I speak as a guest at someone else's event. If it's a new audience, all of the content is new to them, so why not use my best material? If they're regular readers, they appreciate the reinforcement of my core message.

Referral partners: Through all of those other activities, I've built a network of people who know me, stand behind my passion for what I do, and trust that I will take good care of whoever they refer.

I stay on their minds by publishing consistently, being active on social media and by reaching out via email. By striving to produce quality content, I show them that I have expertise in a very specific area so it's clear what types of referrals would be best. Who will they think of first when someone expresses a need for blogging support? 

When you put the effort into creating high-quality content for your blog, you'll feel more confident about your expert status. That confidence will shine through all of your conversations, attracting your ideal clients as well as the people who will refer them to you. 

Ten Reasons to Share Your Blog Post on Social Media

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As I’ve mentioned before, blogging helps you turn social networking into business networking. It allows you to promote your business in a subtle way, by sharing valuable information that your ideal clients are looking for. I call that Blogging for Business 101.

Blog-megaphoneThe first step is to make sure you send out a notice to your social networks when you post something new to your blog.

But what do you do after that? Here are ten suggestions for when and why to link to your latest blog post from your social media accounts.

  1. You posted something new – Integrate your blog with your social media accounts so this happens automatically. Typepad makes an app that streams any RSS feed to your LinkedIn account and WordPress has many social networking plugins – ask around for recommendations and find one that works for you.
  2. You sent a link to the blog post to your mailing list – Similarly, you can set up most email broadcast systems to automatically post an announcement/link to your social networks when you’ve sent an email broadcast.
  3. You mentioned a friend, colleague or industry bigwig in your blog post – Alert the person you wrote about. It’s a great way to start or deepen a relationship. And if the other person continues the conversation, then you both get an introduction to each other’s network.
  4. It’s been a couple of days (or hours) – since you posted – The people in your network are not watching your stream 24/7. So link to your new blog post on Twitter and LinkedIn several times and on different days, to give them the chance to see it. (Note: Unless you have a high volume on your Facebook Fan Page, I suggest limiting your blog post links to once per day).
  5. You have (or want) readers from all over the world – On a similar note, remember that if you post something at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, people across the pond in the U.K. have already ended their business day. And making a big announcement about your latest post at 8:30 a.m. Eastern won’t have much impact on your friends on the west coast who are still sleeping.
  6. Someone left an interesting comment – You can link directly to a particular comment or to the post itself so people can read it for themselves and then peruse the comments at the bottom.
  7. No one left any comments – Ask people in your social networks for their feedback or opinion about what you’ve written. Just don’t be discouraged if comments are quiet.
  8. Someone has posted a question you can answer – You can set up a Google Alert or Twitter search, or just watch your streams for people talking about your area of expertise. When you see a question you’ve already answered in a blog post, send that link.
  9. There is a call to action in your blog post – Whether your call to action is to attend an upcoming program or try out a new service, you’ll want to remind people about this opportunity. Try using a variety of “teaser” phrases to entice people to click through to your post.
  10. You’re feeling shy, busy or you just haven’t posted in awhile – Sharing helpful information is always a welcome addition to a conversation. Once you’ve jumped in with that, be sure to follow up by responding directly to what someone else has shared.

By blogging about topics that your ideal clients care about, you are creating a mountain of content that will build your credibility and visibility online. Use these 10 reasons to keep sharing that content long after you’ve posted it on your blog.

P.S. You may also want to add a link to your latest blog post to your email signature line – WiseStamp helps you do this automatically.