Content Marketing Tip #2 - How to Create Content for Real People

Have you read blogs or watched sales & marketing videos that sound like a regurgitation of Donald Trump's corporate-speak? If you feel turned off when you read content that's riddled with jargon and words that belong in a PhD dissertation, you aren't alone. The average content reader wants to read "real" information, and not be exposed to content that sounds like it was manufactured in a board room. You are a human being, and so are your readers. 

1. Find & Develop Your Authentic Voice - Don't copy other people's content style. Don't lecture or talk over people's heads (or make yourself sound or look better than other people). That's a given, but you would be surprised at how 'holier-than-thou' people come across in their content. I have opted-out of newsletters, blogs, and social media because of the condescending tone people use in their content. Be kind and respectful. It's about engaging with people, and not coming across as an egotistical windbag. 

2. Share Your Real Story - Be honest and authentic. When developing content, don't pretend to be something you aren't. Do you speak five languages? Did you serve in the Peace Corps? Are you a military vet turned entrepreneur? Your background and experiences are part of who you are and people are curious to know the "real" you. Don't be afraid to share who you are - both online and offline. 

3. Create Targeted Content That Real People Enjoy - Because you are interested in the technical aspects of how to build a website, that doesn't necessarily mean your targeted audience will enjoy content on this particular topic. Research topics and trends that "real people" enjoy. Don't create content for yourself -- develop content aimed at your target audience. You can still create content that interests you, but make sure the average person will enjoy it as well. Skip the jargon and keep it simple!

Help! Your Blog Has Fallen and It Can't Get Up!

Yesterday I had a meeting with a business contact that I haven't seen in awhile, and we discussed blogging. She knew she wanted to start a blog, but she didn't know where to begin or what topics to choose. After our blog discussion, I started to think about what makes a blog really stand out and what makes a blog fall flat on its face. 

It can be difficult to  figure out what topics fit well with your blog readers. I struggle myself with blog topics sometimes, and that's when the trusty search engines like Google come in handy.

Does your blog content feel stale lately? Do you read your blog and don't feel excited by the topics? It might be time to revitalize up your sleepy blog with a fresh, creative spin. 

Where do you start? Set aside time to review your blog content and figure out what's missing:

1. Review past posts. Do you spend too much time on topics that only interest YOU as opposed to topics that interest your readers? Your blog is meant for your readers - it's not a platform to get on your soapbox and preach to the world. 

2. Do your posts read too long? Too short? 

3. How many times per week/month do you write posts? Be consistent - don't blog every few months. 

4. Are you speaking 'at' your readers? Is your tone too preachy? 

5. Do you include topics centered around timely current events that directly affect/influence your readers? If your blog lacks newsworthy content, check out these helpful resources:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/lists.html

http://www.newslink.org/

http://www.google.com/news/

http://www.refdesk.com/

http://www.toptenlinks.com/cat.php/News%3ANewspapers%3AResources

If your blog has fallen short, take some time to review and then revitalize your blog content with new information and topics. 

How to Write Blog Posts That Don't Backfire

Last week I pointed out the damage control I did on my blog, and bloggers who mislead their audiences with erroneous information. Today a fellow colleague pointed out an article that caught her eye - and not in a good way. This marketing blogger included the slang word 'sucks' in his headline and his topic was ''why your blog content sucks.'

By using the word 'sucks', it gives the post a negative connotation. His audience is savvy marketing professionals. Why would you use the word 'sucks' in a headline talking about how to write professional blog content? That's an oxymoron and as the reader, I didn't take his message seriously. I was disappointed with his word usage - not to mention the headline was insulting  to me as a professional marketer. His tone implies that all business professionals churn out bad content. 

It doesn't matter whether he included helpful tips or not in his blog, he set a negative tone from the very beginning with the word 'sucks' in his headline. I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago about the social media blogger who used the word 'funnest' in her post. The same rule applies - pay attention to your language and think about your readers.

I know what you're thinking - why am I being so picky about language when blogs are supposed to be casual and informal? It's one thing to write in a casual way, but it's another to use inappropriate language that doesn't resonate with your audience. Words have energy and create a life of their own. There's enough negativity in this world without using words that speak down to and insult your readers (which equates to turning off your target markets and possible clients).

Take the time to re-read your blog posts - review the following questions before you hit the publish button: 

1. Could I offend or insult my audience with the words, language, jargon, etc. that I include in my post?

2. Is my tone preachy or condescending?

3. Does my headline grab people's attention in a positive way? 

4. Is my content relevant, timely and appropriate for my audience? 

5. Have I researched and checked my facts, sources, interviews, etc thoroughly? Do I have enough knowledge and past experience under my belt to write about this particular topic? 

It doesn't take much for your blog to backfire on you, so make sure to re-read and edit your posts before you publish them. 

 

How to Syndicate Your Blog with Social Media Tools

 

You just spent hours re-designing your blog. You wrote one of your best posts to date – but that’s it. You didn’t do anything else with your blog. No one on the Internet will know your blog exists unless you actually promote it. What’s the point of having a blog if it floats around in the cyber ethers?

With the many social media plug-ins out there, it is very easy to syndicate your blog – an efficient and cost-effective way to market your blog. I’ve discussed the power of social media automation in my past series, How to Automate Social Media Posts in 5 Easy Steps – and automation also applies to your blog. Why make more work for yourself?

Use these social media tools and your blog will take off in no time:

HootSuite is a web-based social networking application that lets you bring together content from various online sources. Access and manage your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other accounts all in one location. You then have the option of manually updating them all, or setting up an auto-update for your social sites.

RSS Graffitiis the easiest way to update your Facebook page. It takes your blog post title, a small sample, and an image from the post and updates your status.

TwitterFeed is one of the most effective way to syndicate your blog. It can update Twitter and Facebook (among a few other social networking sites) and integrates hash tags, keywords and URL shortening services.

Keep in mind that while these are helpful tools for auto-syndication, it is not a good idea to solely rely on them to market your blog. Automated updates, coupled with personalized updates and comments (mention your posts on other blogs, forums, LinkedIn, etc.), are effective channels to create buzz around your blog. Remember to create impactful content that keeps readers coming back for more!  

What other social media tools do you use to market your blog? Please comment/share! 

How to Plan Your Blog Editorial Calendar

Before you sit down to actually plan your blog editorial calendar, make sure you read the steps I outlined in my previous post about How to Create Your 2011 Social Media Calendar. 
Before you start planning, consider the following questions.
 What is the editiorial purpose behind your blog? 

• What are you trying to achieve with your blog?
• Is it entertaining, serious, educational, etc.?
• Before you pick topics for your posts, figure out the purpose behind your blog. Don't write a blog just for the heck of it - think niche and be specific. Don't be 'general' with your blog's purpose and focus. 
• For example, don't write a blog about general "green-friendly" topics. Hone into a targeted topic - green-friendly fashion or even more specific: green-friendly clothing for babies and toddlers. 

Who are your targeted readers? 

• Do you have sub-markets you want to reach besides your main audience? For example, your blog appeals to real estate professionals but mortgage lenders, home appraisers and title companies would also highly benefit from your information. 
• What are your readers' likes, dislikes, wants, needs, demographics, etc.?

What topics and trends interest your readers?

• What's the latest hot industry news? 
• What problems can you solve for readers in your blog?

Have you researched your competitors' blogs? 

• Get a pulse for what's going on in your industry.
• Dig into competitors' posts and find out what's hot and not - read their comments.
• Are their posts well-received? Do they have a huge reader following?

5 Easy Steps - How to Plan Your Blog Editorial Calendar:
Step #1  Look at your calendar for the year. Pick months, weeks and days according to significant milestones, events, news, etc. within your company or industry. For example, if you're a tax consultant April would be a great month to post tax tips.
Step #2  Figure out how many posts you'll write and publish each week.  If you post only two times per week then remain consistent. Don't write one post every other month and forget about your blog - that's the kiss of death for a blogger. You can save time with posts by writing and auto-scheduling posts ahead of time. Hint: Mix up your blog with longer posts/articles and shorter posts. Some bloggers post every day and some only once a week - it's up to you how  many posts are feasible to write/publish each week. Just be consistent with your posts!
Step #3  Create a calendar spreadsheet in Excel or Word that details the following: title of blog post or topic and "to be published" dates.
Step #4 Optimize your blog with keywords by reviewing your blog research, topics, information etc and include key words in your calendar.

• For example: Topic: How to Write Winning Content, Date: March 1, 2011, keywords: content writing, copywriting, how to write better content

Step #5 Write and schedule posts BEFORE your published dates. Don't wait until the last minute to write your posts. That's the entire point behind having a blog editorial calendar - so you can easily plan ahead!

 WordPress and other blog platforms allow you to schedule posts at any time - day or night & 24,7. Look into social media automated software such as HootSuite or Postling - makes it easy to write, manage and schedule posts.

There is a great WordPress Editorial Calendar plugin that is very helpful and will move you in the right direction - saves you a lot of time!

Stay tuned for Part Three in my blog series...How to Plan Your Weekly Social Media Updates