Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

Writing Original Content Versus Sharing Other People’s Content (Content Curation)

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Passing-along-contentWhen I read the title of Roger Parker’s post, “Writing Versus Content Curation for Personal Branding Success” on Dan Schwabel’s Personal Branding blog, my immediate reply was “Both, of course.” As I read the article, I discovered that Roger had come to a similar conclusion.

I do disagree with one point – that in order to succeed with original content you cannot delegate the task. As a ghostwriter, I have helped dozens of business owners create their own original content.

Roger points out the many benefits of creating original content for your blog, such as increased credibility, thought leadership and the ability to re-purpose your blog post content into other forms such as books, presentations or courses.

The secret to keeping your blog and website fresh with new content

And as I also reminded people recently at my Business Blogathon in Barrie, Ontario, you don’t have to write a full-length (i.e., 500 words) feature article every week in order to keep your blog fresh.

You can alternate your feature articles with shorter posts (i.e., 250-500 words), what I call “connective content.” Connective content might be your own personal reflections on the topic of your feature article, a case study of a client, or recommended resources. These “in between” posts could also be your own comments about related content that you’ve found on other blogs or via social media.

What is content curation?

The formal term for sharing other people’s content is content curation. Though you may not realize it, if you’re active on social media you’re likely already using content curation as part of your online marketing strategy. Have you ever re-tweeted or “liked” someone else’s link on social media? That’s content curation – that’s you saying, “Here is some content that I find valuable, and I’m sharing it with you because you might not have seen it otherwise.”

All of a sudden you’re taking on a whole new role for that person. You’re sifting through all the noise on the Internet and finding the best, most interesting and most important content in your particular topic area. When you pair that with creating your own original content, your value as an expert rises significantly!

Sharing other people’s content on your blog

If you’re already doing this type of content sharing on social media, you may wonder why you would bother doing it on your blog. Here are three reasons to consider:

  1. Your blog is your home – your name is on the door, you decide how things are displayed and you own 100% of your content.
  2. You can find it later – by organizing, categorizing and storing your curated content on your own blog, both you and your readers can easily find it later so it will continue to be of value.
  3. Sharing other people’s content boosts your blog’s credibility with both readers (most importantly) and search engines – by curating and commenting on other people’s content, you enhance your own position as an expert in that area.

Of course once you’ve published the content on your blog you should also widely promote your blog post on social media.

Please be sure to give proper attribution when you’re sharing someone else’s content. For more information, check out my blog post, “How to Share Great Content Without Plagiarizing.”

Also, as Greg Bardwell of B2B Content Engine writes in his e-book, Curation for B2B Content Marketing, you should always read through whatever you’re recommending. “Just because a blog has a great title and you know the author or source does not make it worth curating.” Be sure you’re not inadvertently compromising your readers’ trust by sending them to a site or post that doesn’t share your values.

Sharing other people’s content is truly a win-win-win proposition. Your readers win because they have access to information they didn’t have to find on their own. The other expert wins because their content is seen by a new audience. And you win because you’re increasing your visibility, credibility and consistency.

How to Build on the Momentum of a Blogathon

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Hooray-finished-blog-postsHave you ever returned from a conference, class, seminar or other event, all gung-ho to apply your learning, but then find yourself quickly enveloped back into your busy life, with your new goals left behind?

It's certainly happened to me, but I didn't want it to happen to my Barrie Business Blogathon participants. So I put together these simple tips that will help you build on your momentum, so that you can keep building your blog and growing your business.

  1. Celebrate your successes in all forms – At the Blogathon, some people published new blog posts, while others wrote as many as three posts to publish later. Everyone took away a three-month blogging plan, customized for their own business. Some people got their technical questions answered, while others got new insights into the concept of attracting new clients with a blog. All experienced the camaraderie and driving energy of working in a room full of people with a similar goal. Now those are some blogging successes!
  2. Summarize your learning – I'll be reaching out to my Blogathon participants this week to ask questions about their experience and collect their feedback. Yes, their answers will help me to develop and market future events, but the process will also help them pull out the things they learned and highlight the key actions they want to take.   
  3. Integrate your new practices – I hope the Blogathon participants will take the blogging calendars I created and plug them in to their own calendars and/or time planning systems. For new habits to take hold, it helps to piggyback on the existing systems that are working for you. Put on your lab coat and be willing to experiment. If something doesn't work for you, tweak it until it does – instead of abandoning it altogether.
  4. Enlist ongoing support – I have always found it helpful to surround myself with people who see the positive qualities in me that I don't always see. Think about who could help build your confidence as a blogger and a business owner, and keep their phone numbers and email addresses handy. Even better, schedule regular times to connect. I would be happy to help with your blogging.
  5. Restart your momentum at regular intervals – All of the above strategies will help, but it's also important to re-energize your efforts. Sign up for another event, re-connect with your peers from the last event, re-read your notes or find other ways to light that spark.

If you'd like to re-ignite your spark at one of my upcoming Business Blogathon events, stay tuned to the weekly Content Mastery Guide newsletter for dates and details. You can subscribe on the right-hand side of this page.

The Truth About Your Business Blog

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True-or-falseWith another Barrie Business Blogathon approaching, this is a good time to do a health check on your blogging habits.

True or false?

  1. You feel embarrassed to send anyone to your ghost town blog because you haven’t posted in so long.
  2. You’re bubbling over with new blog post ideas and just haven’t had the time to develop any of them.
  3. You’ve been staring at the same unfinished post for longer than you can remember or care to admit.
  4. You read about new writing skills but then forget what you’ve learned by the time you’re sitting down to write your next blog post.
  5. You don’t know what to blog about, so you don’t blog at all.
  6. You made a New Year’s resolution to blog more this year – but you haven’t.
  7. You get writer’s block every time you sit down at your computer.
  8. You start to work on your blog but end up distracted by other things.
  9. Your blog always ends up last on your to do list.
  10. You get a lot more done when you can work at a relaxed pace and focus on one thing at a time.

If this quiz revealed any unpleasant truths about your business blogging habits, I dare you to attend the next Barrie Business Blogathon! Spaces are limited, so click here for all the registration details. I can’t wait to see you there!

How to Keep Blogging, Whatever the Weather

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Blogging-tree-sunshine-rainBlog writing is a skill like any other. You can learn how to do it, and the more you do it the better you’ll get. But only if you keep doing it.

If you don’t keep up with your blogging, it can turn your website into a ghost town that reflects badly on you and your business.

In today’s post, we’ll wrap up the Blogging Tree series with a look at some of the ways you can keep growing your blogging tree and welcome plenty of new clients to your orchard.

A strong blogging tree needs the right climate

Here in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, we enjoy four seasons every year. Not every day feels pleasant (though I do believe in the old adage that there is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing), but each season gives us something of value – even if that’s just more appreciation for the season coming up!

Your blogging tree needs different weather elements in order to grow strong. In my last post, I explained how wind spreads the seeds of your blogging tree. It also needs rain and sunshine, and here’s why:

Rain – For your blogging tree, rain represents the ideas that you’ll turn into new content for your blog. Once you get yourself into the blogging mindset, you’ll see these ideas all around as you carry out your day-to-day work with clients, and even on your personal time.

Over time, you’ll hone the skill of creating blog posts out of frequently asked questions, client meetings and other things that you see and read – both online and in the real world. And if you’re already getting the hang of sharing other people’s content on social media, you’ll be relieved to discover that sharing certain types of content on your blog is just one step further.

Note: Be sure to set up a rain barrel – I call this an idea catcher, where you can capture those ideas when you get them. Carry a notepad (whether it’s in your pocket or on your smartphone), have a designated folder on your computer or simply store ideas as draft posts in your blogging program. When you constantly feed your idea catcher, you’ll never have to face a blank screen or empty page again.

Sunshine – Your blogging needs your time, energy and attention (sunshine) in order to flourish and continue to attract new clients to your business. Once you’ve decided to include blogging in your marketing mix, you need a plan for how that’s going to happen. As we discussed in another post in this series, the trunk of your blogging tree – your plan – must include:

If you’ve heard enough about the benefits of blogging, such as its power to:

  • Position you as a trusted expert
  • Educate your clients about how you can help them
  • Deliver more value to everyone you meet
  • Gain wider exposure to your website
  • Keep your website fresh

then be sure your blogging tree doesn’t dry up and wilt. Keep it growing strong by giving it the elements it needs to succeed.

You don’t have to do any of this yourself! There are plenty of resources on the Content Mastery Guide website and elsewhere on the web. You can also hand your blogging over to someone else who can make this all happen for you (hey, we do that!).

Linda Dessau, CPCC, is the author of Write Your Way to More Clients Online and the founder of ContentMasteryGuide.com. She offers ghostwriting, editing, training and consulting.

How to Decorate Your Blogging Tree to Attract Your Ideal Clients

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Blossoming-cherry-treeIn the forest of online content, along the vast landscape of social and promotional messages we all constantly receive, how will your blogging tree stand out enough to attract your ideal client? 

There are three elements of decorating your blogging tree so that it stays fresh and appealing:

1. Twigs – Connective content

I recommend that service-based business owners aim for one new blog post every week. You don't need to reach that goal perfectly (I certainly don't) or immediately (it often makes sense to plan a gradual transition from a monthly newsletter to a weekly blog).

You may be thinking, "Every week? How am I supposed to add blogging to my already busy schedule, and still keep up with my business's primary activities?"

My weekly blogging method is designed to systemize and simplify the blogging process for you. Once you've written your monthly feature article (designed to help your readers and meet your business and blogging goals), you can build on that topic over the following three weeks with fun, creative content that comes naturally to you, whether that's:

  • Audio (we'll cover video below), e.g., an interview with a related expert
  • Storytelling, e.g., a client success or an interesting experience from your life or business that relates to the topic
  • Reviews and recommendations, e.g., for a website, book, product or service that would be helpful to your reader and is complementary to what you offer

2. Leaves – Illustrative content

For those who would rather talk than write, video posts seem like the perfect solution. Be aware, though, that a certain percentage of your visitors (myself included) prefer to read content. When I visit a blog I rarely watch videos or listen to audio, as I explain in this post about why audio isn't enough. So be sure to include a synopsis of the key points you cover in the video – otherwise readers like me will never experience your brilliance.

Whichever type of connective or illustrative content you use, write something about why you're sharing it, how you found it and/or how your reader might use it. This brings you back to the forefront as the expert and host of the blog, even if you're sharing content someone else created.

Other forms of illustrative content include slide shows (or slide show videos), comic strips or the wildly popular infographic (I recently shared one about content marketing).

3. Flowers – Images

Images create visual interest on your blog, connect with your readers at a different level, and break up the text on the page, making it easier on the eye. Choosing the right image can also help drive home the point you're trying to make.

Here's a tip from an earlier post: Start your image search by naming the emotions you want to capture – i.e., the pain of having the problem you're trying to solve, or the joy of solving it. Then add another search term that's more descriptive or literal.  

According to Facebook expert Mari Smith, including photos in your blog posts also makes them more appealing when you share via social media sites such as Facebook.

My favourite resources for blog post images are iStockphoto (paid) and stock.xchng (free), along with PicMonkey (free) for resizing or editing your photos.  

You've got three weeks every month to play with these techniques and choose the decorations for your blog. You can get into a routine (e.g., do a new book review in the second week of every month) or be spontaneous (e.g., turn on the video camera and talk about a question that customers have been asking this month).

With so many options for connective content, illustrative content and images, there's no excuse for a bland or boring blog. Show your ideal clients who you are and why you're the right one for them.

P.S. After you've done all this work to attract the right people, don't repel your readers with typos or bad grammar. Before you publish, walk away from your work for a while, then come back and read it out loud to catch any mistakes. Ideally, you'll have someone else who can look it over for you (hey, we do that!).

Linda Dessau, CPCC, is the author of Write Your Way to More Clients Online and the founder of ContentMasteryGuide.com. She offers ghostwriting, editing, training and consulting. If you want better results from your online writing, contact her today to learn how she can help.