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.
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.
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!
Excuses suck. These are the things that I hear people say all time when they are faced with their lack of social media presence.
1. I don’t have time.
Bull.
We’ve all got the same amount of time in every day. Billionaires and paupers all wake up with 24 hours each day.
The real problem here is that you don’t think social media deserves a high enough priority to make it happen. What amazes me is that I see people who say they don’t have time to promote their business on social media who are sending me invitations to Candy Crush.
Excuse Buster: If you come up with a PLAN – social media doesn’t have to take that much time. You can sit down in an afternoon and schedule posts for several months at a time.
Bonus Excuse Buster: You can pay someone to do it for you. You don’t have the time? Get it done ANYWAY.
2. I don’t like social media.
Hmmm…
Not to sound callous here – but whether you like it or not, it’s the quickest and cheapest form of advertising you can use, and when done properly, can be very effective at making you money.
Lots of people don’t like colonoscopies, either – but it’s got to be done!
Excuse Buster: Suck it up, and make it fun.
3. I don’t know what to post!
This is a common one. I think it stems from a lack of belief that your business really has a good product or service. If you BELIEVE in what you are selling, than you know what to post!
Sure, you might have to sit down and come up with a plan – but an editorial calendar can be a very valuable tool to help you determine what to say and when to say it!
Excuse Buster: I’ll give you a handful of things you can post about. 1. Pictures of cool things that happen around your business. 2. Testimonials from clients. 3. Ask a question about something your target audience is interested in – the weather, football, the memorial day parade, etc. 4. Inspirational quotes from people in your industry. 5. A sales pitch for your product or service.
(note – my rule of thumb is 1 to 5. if you post five things that are not a sales pitch- then that gives you the ability to do a sales pitch.)
4. Someone might criticize us.
Well, they already are criticizing you! You will not escape the bad things people say about you.
You can certainly monitor your site, and moderate any negative comments if you want…
but sometimes, those negative comments might be an opportunity to show the OTHER folks that you do take customer service seriously, and it also gives you a chance to get some real feedback from your customers, to know how well (or poorly) you are doing.
Excuse buster: Be confident that you are doing your best to offer good quality in your product or services, and it shouldn’t matter what anyone says about you.
5. I don’t know how.
All this newfangled technology is too much for you, eh?
You have two options:
Learn to do it yourself. There are a million ways you can learn how to use social media. Countless articles have been written. You’ve probably got a nephew who is a whiz at it, and he could show you if you take him out for pizza.
Pay someone to do it for you. Hatcher Media can sit down with you to discuss your vision, and your message, and we can help you come up with a plan, and execute that plan, so that your social media presence stands out, gets heard, and delivers opportunity.
Facebook has recently changed their algorithms. Actually, facebook is always changing their algorithms!
But this most recent change has really hurt brand marketers in a way they didn’t expect!
It works like this. You’ve set up your fan page, worked for months to get a decent number of followers and build engagement. NOW – facebook is not showing your posts to all of your readers! They can’t see what you are posting in their newsfeed!
WHY?
Facebook says they are trying to make their service better for the readers, by showing them the posts they are most interested in.
I like to think that facebook is as brilliant and greedy as they pretend to be. Nefariously hooking you with their free and effective advertising tool (your facebook page) and then changing the rules of the game – because they want you to PAY for advertising.
I believe it makes good sense for YOU to spend a little cabbage on some facebook ads, but it’s important to use some good strategy, so that your dollars aren’t wasted!
1. Boost Posts.
If you have specific posts that you want to have seen, boosting a post is the simplest way to do it. Just click the “Boost Post” button, and set your parameters.
2. Targeting.
Targeting is always important. You may be trying to create a national brand – but if you are paying per click, you want to try to REACH the people who are going to be most likely to be interested in your brand. Are there competitors or people that are similar to your brand? For example – if I was a cola company, I could try to target my ads to people who are fans of Coke or Boylans Cane Cola on Facebook… because by targeting their interests, I’m more likely to connect to the kinds of people who WOULD buy my soda!
3. Budget
I prefer to pay per click…. as I think paying for impressions is not effective. Facebook will give you a recommended “Bid” – I always bid on the lower side, and I’ve never had an ad rejected for that per click bid.
You need to take some time to determine what you want to spend to reach people.
You can have an effective campaign for less than a dollar a day! The more you spend, the more people you will reach.
4. Campaigns
There are a number of different types of campaigns that you can setup.
If you want to get more people to LIKE your post – you should set up a “page likes” campaign – which will promote all of your posts, and your page as a whole to try to get people interested.
You can also promote specific posts, or promote a page that is NOT on facebook. (NOTE – when promoting to a non-facebook link – facebook can be pretty picky, and will reject a lot of ads. Especially if it is to an opt-in page!)
5. Sidebar ads.
If you are going to create a sidebar ad – there are two things this can do for you.
-Create brand awareness
This is one of my best kept secrets. If you get a targeted market, and you want them to be familiar with your brand… the easiest way to do that is to create a campaign that displays your logo on the right hand column, with your slogan or something catchy in the text portion. Don’t worry about whether it gets any clicks, but bid it out as a per click campaign. Again – just communicate your brand message, but do not write it with the goal of getting clicks, but rather the goal of constant exposure. It will show up in the sidebar for your target audience, and over time, they will become familiar with who you are. You will get SOME clicks – but it will keep displaying it until it uses up your budgeted amount. Think of this like a billboard, or a sign out front with your logo on it. The goal is simply to communicate your brand message, so that people are familiar. Do not expect this to generate measurable revenue right away, but rather to make people familiar with your brand.
-Get Clicks
These ads should be written with catchy text that makes people want to click. It helps if you have a picture of an attractive man or woman or both in the picture. Also – don’t be afraid to make one campaign for women and another for men… so your ad can more specifically target a demographic.
This ad will send people to your facebook page, or your site. I’m good with sending it to either, as long as you make it a point to follow up with new followers, new subscribers, etc, and continue to deliver the kind of good content that converts!
I have a wealth of other facebook ad advice to give. Feel free to contact me if you have questions!
The climate is changing. It used to be – that if someone had a problem with you – they came to you to tell you to your face – or they gossiped about you behind your back. These days, social media means just about anybody can give you a black eye, and think nothing of it.
I’ve had my share of trolls try to knock me (and my billy goat friends) off the bridge. So let me give you some tips for handling negative social media.
Monitor your Social Accounts regularly.People often “set it and forget it”. You’ve got to make sure to check to see if someone has messaged, tweeted, commented, or tagged you in a post. Stay on top of it – every day. Even if it’s just a quick check. Monitoring is important. It’s also good to be sure your employees are monitoring, and let you know if they see anything posted elsewhere. It’s also helpful if you set up a Google Alert that will email you anytime something new is posted about you online.
The Customer is always right…. most of the time….Make “The Customer is Always Right” your mantra. Chances are good that you will get the occassional customer who is just being a tool that bashes you, and they are not right. But if we are honest with ourselves, and keep our egos in check – nine out of ten complaints are legitimately from a customer who had a bad experience. Sometimes they want compensation – sometimes they might just want a public apology. Before you assume that you complainant is just spouting off, or is a deadbeat, or is just trying to get their meal for free – START with the assumption that you are at fault, and that your desire is to make it right.
Don’t Delete – EngageIf it’s an obviously insulting or “trolling” comment – just delete it. Mostly – you’ll get something like this: “I had a burger at Bob’s Burger Shack. The burger was undercooked and my server was rude.” These comments shouldn’t be deleted. Just reply with an apology, and encourage them to contact you offline (give them a number or email address) so that you can make it right.
Make it Right.How much can it cost to give the guy another burger, right?
Now obviously – some situations are going to be different. But hopefully GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE and QUALITY are hallmarks in your business model. If the customer is not happy, than you’ve got to do your best to make them happy. You will NOT make everyone happy. But you can try!
Don’t Freak Out.Don’t insult. Don’t panic. Don’t REACT. Just calmly try to make it right. Sometimes – you just can’t beat the negative PR. You screwed up – and now the world sees it. DO NOT REACT IN ANGER to the situation. Even if it is not your fault. Try to turn the online conversation into an offline conversation – so that your other readers see that you are doing something to work it out.
Bury it.Do you have a negative review on the front page of your YELP? Can’t delete it? Than work hard to BURY it. Start soliciting every positive review that you can – and direct those clients/customers/friends to the place you want them to post. Usually, a website like that has five to ten “top” reviews that show up first. So solicit enough to bump the negative review down a few pages!
Don’t assume that because someone challenges you, corrects you, disagrees with you publicly that they HATE you. Most likely they are either “trolling” (posting negatively for the fun of it), or they have a legitimate customer service complaint, or they are just ignorant fools. But don’t assume that the public confrontation is motivated by hate – and then be sure to respond with kindness and patience. It works most of the time!
When it comes to blogging and social media, there is no right answer to the question “How Often Should I Post?”
The truth is this: The more you post – the better.
I can’t give you a magic number, because a lot of it has to do with the amount of time YOU want to spend posting!
But let me give you a few guidelines.
Facebook and Twitter – at least once a day. Even if it’s sharing a meme, a picture, or a quote.
Blog – At least once a week. Even if it’s a company news item, a photo, a weekly special, or a quick cell phone video.
Email Newsletter – at least once a month.
I know. That seems like a lot – but again – the more you post, the more effective your social media becomes. I’d highly recommend posting a lot MORE than these numbers…. but these are the minimum.
If you take the time to plan out your posts a month at a time, this becomes a lot easier. Blogs and Facebook have built in scheduling – so you can work ahead. Try hootsuite or buffer if you want to keep your scheduling in one place!
Whatever you do – post often. Post more than you think you need to post!
Need some ideas for what to post? Start a conversation with me! – mail@joshhatcher.com
1. Don’t start just yet.
id not take the time to plan.
