Take a couple of weeks to think, take notes, and find articles that you like, or that tell a similar story. (I would say “that you want to rewrite” – but I want to warn you that plagiarism is not cool. Your ideas need to be original – but you can certainly use other blog posts for inspiration)
You should have a notebook, or use trello or evernote or some other way to capture ideas.
Take time, gather those ideas. While you’re on the john, in the car, waiting, watching tv – use those moments to gather your ideas.
I think you ought to be able to do this in a month maximum. But what would really help is if you schedule your day to blog. If I were you – I’d schedule two days right in a row. If you get it all done the first day – you can have a DAY OFF as a reward. But if you get off track, you’ll have that extra day just in case.
Want to KILL it with your blog? Let me give you a handful of blog tips to make your blog KILLER!
1. Premeditated Murder
If you don’t have a blogging plan, and your posts SCHEDULED – guess what happens? You get behind, and you don’t make forward progress! You’ve got to sit down, make a plan, and work ahead. If you are writing your blog post for this week or next week today, you are not working far enough ahead! Make an appointment with yourself, carve out the time to write AHEAD a month or two. (Interestingly enough – I’m behind on my blogging. It does happen. It was going so much better when I was working ahead!)
2. Blunt Force Trauma
Sometimes the fastest blow is the quickest way to get the deed done.
No need to write lengthy paragraph after lengthy paragraph. Blogging does not have to be about long stories and drawn out explorations of the human psyche. Sometimes, 150 words is just as effective a blog as 3500! In fact, you can get good SEO from 150 words, if you place your keywords right!
I think the fear of long blogs is honestly what keeps people from A) writing blogs and B) reading blogs. Keep it Simple Stupid – like a candlestick to the head.
3. Bullets
Websites like Mashable, Viral Nova, and Buzzfeed (love them or hate them) are the kings of using bullets. (They are also really good at writing headlines – which is a WHOLE ‘NOTHER blog post for another day!) Create a numbered list – and then fill out the content. It makes it easy to read, helps you communicate your message in a clear and concise way. Do you need to do it for every post? NO. But it sure helps you get some content out there!
4. Serial Killing
Sometimes, I struggle finding a topic. Here’s a quick tip. Pick 12 themes, one for each month. Try to make them appropriate for the season, if necessary.
Then, break each of those months into four or five weeks – and write up your posts.
If it helps, try to picture one title – with four installments for each month….
This helps you build anticipation for the NEXT week’s blog post, and it gives you a reason to keep people engaged.
It also makes one really long blog post split up nicely into multiple posts – filling up more time for your blog!
5. Arsenic and Old Lace
Up until two minutes ago – I thought arsenic built up in your system… like someone can sprinkle some on your food everyday, and after a year you die. As it turns out – this isn’t true about arsenic (though it is true about anti-freeze)
So let’s pretend that this IS true about arsenic – because I really like using “Arsenic and Old Lace” as a bullet point.
Think of this as the “trickle effect”… the more frequently you post – the more your reputation with your network, your readers, and with search engines happens. Post a little every day – and share it on linkedin – facebook – twitter – wherever…. and you start to build brand recognition.
Even if people don’t click the link and read your blog – they will start to identify your brand, and when they need you – they know you.
Over time, you have them eating out of the palm of your hand.
And in terms of Search Engines – if you set your page up with the right Search Engine Optimization – every post is like raising your hand and saying, “OOOOH! HERE I AM GOOGLE! PICK ME!”
I hope that none of you would ever take ANY of this advice if it came to ACTUALLY killing someone – but I’m sure if you apply it to your blog – you’ll be the Hannibal Lecter of the blogosphere in no time!
Hey folks – Pinterest is often known as a “chick thing” – and it certainly is a platform dominated by women.
Remember that A) women have buying power… so while you MAY be masculine – it doesn’t mean you should avoid all those DIY Crafty Recipe Decorating stuff appearing on Pinterest.
That being said – Pinterest can be a GREAT resource for growing your brand.
David Meerman Scott says in “The New Rules of Marketing and PR”
“Instead of one way interruption, Web marketing is about delivering useful content at just the precise moment that a buyer needs it.”
That’s the key! You’ve got to change your mindset when it comes to social media marketing… you are not trying to interrupt someone as they are reading the newspaper or listening to the radio or watching television….
you are trying to ENGAGE them in conversation at the moments they need it most.
LinkedIn is a powerful marketing tool that many people forget about.
It’s got even MORE power for entrepreneurs. Here is some advice for harnessing the power of LinkedIn to help you market your business ideas.
1. Get Started.
If you don’t have a linkedin profile, set it up – and get your resume online.
Start connecting with your contacts.
Start endorsing your contacts.
Upload a professional looking profile picture – NOT a company logo – as there is a DIFFERENT place for those.
This will help you gain some connections, so that the rest of your marketing efforts will get noticed.
2. Discussion Groups
There are groups centered around your areas of expertise. Join them, and interact with other people on them. When you post a new blog post on your website – SHARE IT in the relevant group. When you TITLE the group post, ask a QUESTION to get people to engage!
3. Leverage your employees.
You may or may not have employees or team members yet – but if you do – send them an email and ask them to share your blog post on their LinkedIn profile. It helps THEM prove their connection to your company, and helps YOU get your name in front of THEIR connections!
Many employees might feel uncomfortable sharing your posts on their private twitter or facebook accounts (they also might not. It doesn’t hurt to ask – just let it be their choice – and don’t penalize them either way.) The advantage with linkedin – is that the professional nature of the site makes them a little more prone to share…. Unless they HATE their job – in which case… you might not want them working for you ANYWAY… but that’s another blog post for another day.
4. Pages – not profiles.
You need to have your own PERSONAL LinkedIn profile – and then after that – you can create a COMPANY page. This will help you get your business content out there, and highlight customer recommendations and highlight your products and services.
Company pages also has a reasonable tracking system, so you can see what kind of engagement those posts are getting.
5. Connect.
I know we covered connecting with your contacts in the Get started section… but it’s a good idea to frequently run through your contact list, to see if you have anyone you can connect with! Keep it fresh, and don’t be afraid to send messages!
6. Status
You know how you update your facebook status? You can do the same on linkedin! Take some time to PLAN OUT and schedule a list of status updates to post to linkedin.
If you use HOOTSUITE – you can plan your posts out and schedule them in advance.
Just another way to keep getting your BRAND NAME and your OWN name in front of people that you want to do business with.
As Facebook has changed it’s algorithms drastically, Facebook pages are getting less traction, and personal accounts are getting even more notice than before.
So, depending on your business, you could leverage your personal network to promote or market… but you want to be careful!
Facebook is a little like church. If you stand up in the middle of the service and invite everyone to stop by your grocery store, you’ll get some dirty looks… because it feels a little, well… dirty.
I know my business survives on personal connections. Most of my business comes from a friend of a friend who saw my blog posts or facebook posts, and they referred people to me because of that. You CAN turn your friends into a referral marketing machine… but you want to do it carefully, or else you will turn them off.
So let me give you some simple advice for using your PERSONAL facebook to promote your business….
1. Don’t be a idiot.
Remember that everything you post matters. I shouldn’t HAVE to say that Saturday Night Drunken Selfies, and personal and family drama will hurt your public reputation, but it’s true. It can hurt your chances at landing jobs, getting into schools, and in promoting your business. Potential clients and customers WILL remember the things you posted on facebook.
2. Politics and Religion.
I won’t say that you CAN’T discuss these things publicly, but understand, that these discussions DO influence your friends opinions about you. If you are going to discuss them, do it with reason and compassion. Don’t bash or hate. And don’t post things that could be misconstrued as bashing or hating. Check your sources, and make sure you back up your claims with reasonable arguments… and that leads us to our next point…
3. Be NICE.
Take the time to say THANK YOU on facebook when someone does or says something nice. Send thank you notes, either privately or publicly(where appropriate) for things that happen OFFLINE as well.
Be sure to offer complements, encouragement, and hope.
4. Be authentic.
It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to express your feelings. It’s okay to BE who you are… but you want to make sure that your expressions are NOT overwhelming.
If you make a mistake, own up to it.
Be sure to demonstrate that you ARE a good person without tooting your own horn. And if you have to toot your own horn… you might want to spend some time working on the person that you are… so that you ARE a nice person… and not just pretending….
5. Josh’s Rule of Thumb.
You have five fingers, and one of them is a thumb. If you are going to use your personal account to promote your business… imagine your thumb is your business post (a “thumbtack” if you will) and your other fingers are real life stuff.
You should post a minimum of four or five real life posts (pics of your cat, inspirational quotes, and interesting discussions) for every one business promotion.
Some say this number should be closer to 1:7… and that might be more accurate… just make sure you don’t go past 1:4. If you do… your personal page starts to feel “spammy” and uncomfortable.
6. Be a good friend.
This should go along with being nice… but there’s a great blog post here that describes proper facebook friend ettiquete. It’s a great read.
http://mashable.com/2013/08/04/facebook-friend-etiquette/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link
7. Don’t overdo event and group invitations.
You can invite people to events… but you’ll want to be sure NOT to be too annoying with it.
As far as inviting people to groups… especially a group where you are going to market products to them… do it sparingly. It’s best to ask them first.
8. Be careful with tags.
NO ONE likes to get tagged in a photo they are not in. Unless it’s a photo of their grandkids….
but I don’t want to get a notification and then have a picture on my profile of your discount sneakers flyer. No one does. So tag people in photos they are in… don’t tag them just to make sure they see it.
9. Wall Posts – use sparingly.
You can share your blog posts directly on the walls of friends that you KNOW want to read it. Your mutual friends will see it too… but I would do it sparingly. Try to do it if they are already interested in what you are sharing…
10. Relationships are golden.
Remember the girl scout song? Make New friends, but keep the old… one is silver and the other gold.
If you have an existing relationship with someone… you want to do whatever you can to make that relationship stay. Tick them off with too much marketing, and you lose a friend.
You wouldn’t wear your sandwich board to their house for dinner… so make sure that your communication is NOT JUST about your business.
11. Don’t be afraid to invite your contacts.
When you meet someone in real life, get their business card, and look them up on facebook. Send them a friend request. Don’t be offended if they don’t accept… but adding them to your personal network can be a GOOD thing!
12. Don’t send game requests.
People hate them. ‘Nuff Said.
Besides… if you are working on your business, you shouldn’t have time for Farmville.
13. Do Post Often.
And do comment and engage on your friends pictures and posts.
A fresh post on your personal profile daily would be a minimum.
14. Klout
Facebook PAGES has insights to track and measure your engagement. But there isn’t an internal feature to track and measure how well you are using your personal page to connect.
I recommend signing up for Klout.com, which gives you some good metrics. You can use Klout to track a Facebook Page or a Facebook Profile, but at this time… it can only do one or the other.
Don’t get too hung up on your klout score… but you CAN use it to see how people are engaging with your content.
I know that “organic” is a bit of a buzzword – and it’s important to understand what I mean when I say that “content should be organic.”
This quote from Malorie Lucich of Facebook explains it very well. People will engage with content that comes from friends and people they know and trust.
Keep that in mind – if you are sharing something from your business page – that it may not get the same result as sharing it on your personal page!
Honestly, the first and biggest place that people FAIL MISERABLY with their social media is that they did not take the time to plan.
Failing to PLAN is PLANNING to FAIL.
If you expect your social media to be entirely organic, and as it happens, you’ll be sorely disappointed with the results.
Let me give you a few pointers for building a social media plan.
1. Start by defining your target.
Know how you are trying to reach, and how you want to reach them. And don’t just say, “We want to reach everyone.” This simply isn’t true! WHO is your target demographic? Narrow it down. Having trouble defining that? Look at who you ARE reaching – because that’s the people who are interested in what you are selling. People like THEM are your target. (You can realign your target, if you are NOT reaching the people you want to be reaching.)
Step 1 should probably not be in this list, but I add it as a reminder, because so may businesses just forget how important it is to know to WHOM you are communicating!
2. Make a calendar.
For me – I create a spreadsheet in Google Docs. One document per month, so that I don’t get distracted or confused. Then I make a column of dates, and a column of days of the week, and a column for each social network that I use.
And then I start planning my posts.
3. #hashtags
Here’s just a little tip to help you get started on your plan.
Pick a day of the week, and make THAT day about a particular thing you want to promote.
For example, for Hatcher Media – we have #marketingmonday and #wisdomwednesday
And that way – EVERY week, we have something we can post or blog about on that day.
You can do something for every day of the week if you want! It gives you something to start from… a consistent branded idea so that you aren’t stuck GUESSING for what to write about!
or WHATEVER. You can use a popular existing hashtag, make up your own – or not even USE a hashtag – but assign a day of the week to a particular theme.
4. Write. Write. Write.
Start writing your posts – If I’m writing a blog, I create a new document in Google Docs, or write it directly in wordpress. But if it’s just a social post, I write it directly in my spreadsheet, so that I can copy and paste directly from that to my scheduling software.
Having trouble knowing what to write about? Do a google search for QUOTES related to your area of expertise. You can fill a whole day a week or more with quotes from industry leaders or others that fit your company’s vision.
5. Rule of thumb.
You only have four fingers and one thumb on each hand. I recommend sharing four “added value” posts – posts that are free, informational, or fun before you post a hard sales pitch. Why? because social media is kind of like church. It’s very personal. And if you were to stand up in church and tell everyone that you were going to give them 10 percent off their lunch today at your restaurant, it would be uncomfortable.
So when you are posting – try to post four to five informational, inspirational, or fun posts before posting a clear call to action or a hard sales pitch. You are building a relationship, and that relationship will give you the right to try to sell something. You have to put in the time.
6. Schedule
You can use Facebooks “schedule post” feature to post your stuff LATER… so that you can actually work ahead, rather than have to spend a lot of time every day on it.
There are other services you can use as well – hootsuite and buffer which will allow you to schedule posts in advance, rather than lose good content, and constantly feel like you are behind the eight ball.
I’d encourage you to carve out one day, and work several months ahead at a time.
7. In the moment.
Don’t just “set it and forget it” – once you have your schedule and your plan set – you should STILL watch for those perfect social media moments that just HAPPEN. Someone interesting walks in your shop – snag a picture. You find yourself with a surplus of chicken soup – run a special. A really good thought pops in your head and you don’t want to wait to share it…
This allows your PLAN to run things in the background, and allows you to be free to ACCENTUATE it with real life, in the moment, exciting stuff.
8. Hooks
Social media marketing is fishing.
Social media will work BEST if you have all of your hooks in place.
Think of each post like the bait… and your hooks are your occasional calls to action – as well as making sure your PROFILES have the right information – phone numbers, business hours, website links – and your website is updated with the right information as well.
Your social media should build a relationship with your clients, get them to nibble on the bait, and then you HAVE to make sure your hooks are ready to set when they get it in their mouth!
1. Don’t start just yet.
Chris Anderson, author of “The Long Tail” says:
id not take the time to plan.