Before you write a word — whether that’s for your blog, for a newsletter, or for any business-related effort — you need to understand who you’re writing for. Who is your Ideal Reader? (Usually, this is the same as your Ideal Client) In this...
Create a Persona or Character Sketch for your Ideal Customer Just as a novelist will write 3 to 5 pages of back story on each main character before she begins writing, I recommend you write a character sketch for your ideal client. That means, writing about ONE...
The following video was recorded as part of my DigitalDiningRoom program. We look at a different aspect of your marketing plan (aka storytelling framework) each month. New members are always welcome. ...
Almost every blog post you write (at least 75% of them) should bring your reader back to working with you or buying from you. So let’s start there! What are you trying to sell in the next two to three months? Do you have a new product or program? Your blog should...
Half the battle of promoting your blog posts falls under making it easy for others to share your work. To do this, be SURE you’ve got a solid social sharing plugin installed. What does “solid” mean? In short, we’re looking for a plugin...
This might surprise you, but not everyone enjoys the process of blogging. Even those who write for a living! I’ve had clients whose main source of income was freelance writing tell me “I hate blogging.” And others who’ve even written and published entire books ask me,...
Many times when we talk about “optimizing” our content, we’re really talking about SEO (or Search Engine Optimization). The thing about SEO is that it’s a constantly moving target. Whatever I write about it today will be out-of-date tomorrow....
Include an image that conveys what the blog post is about. Images appeal to readers and help them better assimilate text-based content. A blog post that has some type of visual that’s a photograph, graphic or some type of infographic typically has better reach than...
Welcome to Blogging for Business 101. This course is available to you at your own pace. That means you do the lessons when you’re ready and have the time. You can progress as fast or as slow as you like, but you’ll need to mark each lesson topic complete...
My own process for editing requires at least three different run throughs after the first draft. And in between each edit, I make it a point to step away from my desk for at least 20 minutes. The first time through, my focus is about coherence: just look for (and...
Think about your Aunt Sally. You care about her, right? So, you don’t knowingly serve her shellfish when she’s allergic. By the same token, any marketing message you try to deliver should also be created around specific knowledge of your prospect. Here’s what I mean:...
Blogging 101 - New Student Intake Form Before we start our time together, please share where you are right now with regard to your blogging. This information will help me deliver the best, most appropriate content for YOU. Thanks! Name First Last Email Website (If you...
Have you seen these rules before? [Get more writing and content marketing tips from Copyblogger.] Here’s Step #11: Don’t Write in a Vacuum. It’s simple: if you want to get better — no matter what your experience level — you should also find and work with a critique...
“The first draft of anything is shit.” — Ernest Hemingway All writers everywhere struggle at times to get their thoughts down on paper in a way that makes sense. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself by expecting something that looks good right...
Online, it’s important to break text up into chunks. Online reading is not like reading a physical book. The online reader needs to be able to immediately scroll through content to get to the subheaders and the bolded content and even bullet points. For example,...
Just as with your email subject lines, the title or headline of your blog posts is equally crucial to getting folks to click a link and read further. And funnily enough, the process is the same: write the title last. And brainstorm at least 10 potential blog post...
A great starting point is to leverage your existing connections and create new relationships. Reach out to influential bloggers in your industry and attract their attention through mentions on your blog and social media. Your goal here is to create an opportunity for...
Does the thought of starting a blog for your business feel overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be. You really CAN write content that matters, if you take the time to do some initial groundwork first. This course will teach you what you need to know to get started....
Create Space/Time to Blog We all have the same 24 hours in a day, right? So why is it that some people can find the time to blog – even while accomplishing a boat load of other tasks – and some folks can’t? One word: Priorities. I’m going to be honest with you here....
The following video was recorded as part of my Digital Dining Room program. We look at a different aspect of your marketing plan (aka storytelling framework) each month. New members are always welcome. ...
The following video was recorded as part of my Digital Dining Room. We look at a different aspect of your marketing plan (aka storytelling framework) each month. New members are always welcome. ...
The challenge of crafting every marketing message (copy AND content) you’ll ever need has been distilled here into five simple questions. These questions make the task of writing copy and blog posts as easy as baking bread – and tasty, too. Each step in the...
Almost every blog post you write should bring your reader back to working with you or buying from you. So let’s start there! What are you trying to sell in the next two to three months? Do you have a new product or program? Each of your blog posts (or at least the...
If you’re not sure how to begin a blog post, the easiest way is to outline a writing structure. You can use the Starter Recipe as a guideline: 1st paragraph: state the problem. 2nd paragraph: talk about why the problem persists. 3rd paragraph: paint a picture of...
