Content Marketing Archives - Page 2 of 4

August 31, 2017 by LJ Sedgwick Leave a Comment

How to spot these 5 symptoms of a failing blog – and fix them!

With phrases like “content is king”, it’s easy to think that churning out content is the best way to save a failing blog.

After all, if you build it, they will come, right?

Nope. Not in the world of blogging. More content doesn’t always equal more traffic.

You need to give visitors a reason to visit your content, otherwise you’re going to end up with a very sickly blog indeed. And when that happens, some 95% of people stop blogging. They assume blogging is a waste of time.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it’s still really important to start or have a blog in 2017, moving into 2018.

So if you suspect your blog might be ill, see if you can spot these 5 symptoms. With early intervention, your blog can be saved!

1. The dreaded ‘wall of text’

Back in the early days of blogs, there wasn’t as much competition for attention. And blogs still had a degree of novelty value. So you could post the so-called ‘wall of text’ and readers would still read it.

But readers have a lot more demands on their time now. And there are a lot more blogs – and therefore more competition.

If a visitor lands on your blog and finds an impenetrable wall of text, they’re likely to stop reading after a couple of paragraphs. Reading on screens is hard on the eyes. And comprehension is still much better when we read content on paper.

So posts need to be scannable. Use headers to break up content. Readers can decide for themselves what sections they need to read, and which sections they can skip. Believe me, you’d rather your reader skips around within your content, rather than skipping to a whole different site.

Or just use images. GIFs are great, depending on your audience. I write for tech and software companies so I might use science fiction or tech GIFs. Like this one.

via GIPHY

Bullet points are useful for giving short bursts for information, or providing checklists. Images and infographics can also get across your point far more quickly.

So look at one of your current blog posts. The content itself might be fine – but if visitors can’t read it properly, then they won’t get the best out of it.

Work out where you can add headings to guide the reader through the content. You can use headings like I have here, to indicate a change of topic. Think of them like mini chapter headings.

2. No fixed focus or theme to the content on your failing blog

I’m my own case study here. When I started this blog, I’ll be honest – I didn’t know what to share on it. Now, I knew how to blog – I’ve been doing it since 2009. And I’ve been ghostblogging long enough to know how to write posts. I just didn’t know what kind of posts needed to be on here.

So if you look back at the earlier posts, they ping about around digital marketing, social media, storytelling, and copywriting.

It’s not a million types of content, but it wasn’t as focused as it should have been.

But why does it need to be focused?

Pretty simple. Say a visitor comes to your blog and enjoys the post they found on Twitter. You’d written about 6 hidden features of Photoshop to save time when editing photographs. They love it. It’s exactly what they needed.

But then the reader clicks onto the previous post, and it’s a post about an appearance you’ll be making at a local trade show. And the one before that was about a brilliant video you watched on Youtube the day before.

Are they likely to subscribe to your email list? Or come back to your blog? Sure, they might use your fancy category dropdown. And maybe they’ll use your search bar. But they want to know there’s essentially “more of the same” elsewhere on your blog.

You know you need your blog, but it's not quite wowing your visitors. Spot these 5 common symptoms of a failing blog and give your content a shot! — Diagnose problems with your blog.

So in the example of my content. I wouldn’t call it a failing blog – but I knew I needed to change something. So I got strategic. I worked out who I wanted to help, and I planned an editorial calendar. I focused on themes I wanted to cover. It’s helped me to work out what value I want to provide – and what I want to help you with. All in a logical order.

If you’d like help creating your editorial calendar, drop me a line!

3. Using too much jargon

It’s one thing showing how much you know about your subject. But it’s another thing confusing visitors to your site.

And I get it. If you make software, you want to speak to the people who use it. So you should use technical terms, right?

Not quite.

Scrivener are a good example. Their writing software is pretty much industry standard among authors. And their blog features short tutorials on using specific features.

But the terminology relates to the tools a user needs. It doesn’t bamboozle them with science. And nor should you.

For a great example of a conversational, friendly blog, check out Wunderlist. Their style is one of many reasons why I signed up for their to-do list app! (That’s not an affiliate link, by the way. I just think they’re ace).

A failing blog uses jargon; a healthy blog talks to its users as trusted friends.

4. Focusing on news type updates instead of useful content

A lot of companies still use their blogs as a place to host their news updates. And I know why you’d do that.

You’ve won an award. You’ve hired new staff. Awards show credibility and authority in your niche. And new staff prove you’re willing to invest in your brand – which should give a better experience for users.

But ask yourself; if you came to that blog as a first time visitor, what would you think?

You wouldn’t care. You don’t know who the company are, so why would you be interested in their new hires? If you haven’t used their software, you’re probably baffled by the new features.

Humans are inherently selfish, and “What’s in it for me?” seems to be the phrase of the 21st century.

So if you focus on yourself, you might end up with a failing blog.

I agree it’s definitely important to keep updates on your blog. The company behind OmniFocus use their blog to announces new updates to their software, or forthcoming features. It’s great for existing customers who want to keep up with the software they love.

But try to balance it with stuff for your visitors. What problems can you solve for them? Or how can you entertain them? Remember, being entertained is still a definite benefit for a reader.

You can even include content like ‘a day in the life of…’ to show visitors what it’s like behind-the-scenes. The value lies in the way you draw back the curtain. Plus, it humanises your company. People like to buy from people, not companies.

5. Not promoting your content in the right places

If you wanted to advertise the juiciest beefburgers in town, would you put your posters in a vegan restaurant?

I hope not!

You’d put them in the places where your ideal customer might shop. And your blog is no different. Your marketing strategy should have already identified where your target audience hangs out.

And that’s where you need to promote your content.

You might have already guessed that I don’t just mean social media. How about internet forums? Other blogs? Hell, you can offer your content as a guest post on a blog that your target audience reads.

But you also need to make your content shareable! If I land on a blog post and I can’t find share buttons, then often I just won’t share it. If your blog is on WordPress, plugins like SumoMe make it really easy to add nice sharing buttons.

You might want to experiment with the best place for the social share icons. But at least readers can now share your content – and help promote it for you.

So as you can see, a failing blog could be due to a range of factors.

But hopefully one – or all – of these symptoms can be easily fixed. And your failing blog can make a full recovery! But it’s obviously a big topic, and if you’d like a blog audit, then drop me a line!

We’ll get that blog back to full health.

August 7, 2017 by LJ Sedgwick Leave a Comment

What is it actually like to work with a content writer?

You don’t have time to write your own blog posts. It might pain you because you feel you should write them yourself. But there aren’t enough hours in the day. So you’ve accepted you need a content writer.

Finding one can be pretty daunting. After all, you’re a specialist in your field. You know your work inside and out. Handing over the reins to someone else might feel alien. Or like you’re cheating in some way.

Or you worry that a content writer won’t be able to capture your voice or appeal to your target customer.

Don’t worry. I’m here to provide your blog with the content that you’d love to produce yourself. But by letting me write it for you, you can spend that time working on your tech, winning new customers, and running your startup.

This post will walk you through what it’s like to work with a content writer. Specifically me.

First of all, we’ll decide what your project actually is.

Does your website even have a blog? If not, then you’ll need one.

Most bloggers won’t be in the business of setting them up. I can. And I’m more than happy to provide an audit of your existing blog too. With any luck, I can spruce up your posts and get you new traffic with those.

Ultimately you’re going to need more than one post. You won’t see enough results from a single post and that’s not how content marketing works.

But you might not want to commit to a year’s worth of posts until you’ve seen results. So will you only want a month’s worth of posts? Two? Three? I work on retainer so you’ll have weekly blog posts from me for as long as you want to work with me.

You’ve already read my samples so you know you like my style.

Once you’ve returned the contract, we’ll hop on a discovery call. We’ll work out what type of content you want and we can even discuss where you want it to be shared based on where your customers hang out online.

You know you want to hire a blogger but you can't help wondering what it's like to work with a content writer. Click here to find out more. — Which of these suits your target customer?

Decide on a metric that you’ll follow to see if blogging improves your business

Traffic is a good one. Make sure you set up Google Analytics on your website before we get started.

You could also use social shares. If you use functions like CoSchedule or SumoMe, this is easier to track.

One way or another, you’ll need to measure the success of the blogging. It’s difficult to gauge on the back of a month’s worth of content. But if you can see even a 50% increase in traffic then you know you’re onto something.

Then it’s onto topics – the bread and butter of a content writer.

You may already have ideas for topics. If so, then send them over. This will be helpful in the early days while we get to know each other.

But you might not have a clue what to write about. And that’s fine because topic generation is what you’re paying for with my Tremendous Time Saver Package. Give me an idea of what you’re looking for and I’ll do the rest.

I’ll brainstorm topic ideas around your niche and your needs. And I’ll do keyword research to make sure there’s an actual need for that kind of content. We’ll discuss whatever I come up with, and if you’re happy, I’ll drop them into an editorial calendar.

Don’t worry if you feel you’ve lost control at this point in the process. You haven’t. You still have final say over what I write.

We’ll decide on the first post. Then sit back and relax! Your first post will be on its way shortly.

Review the first post

Does it fit what you want? I’m happy to make any amendments, and you get up to two rounds of edits per post as part of the package. If you have a house style, let me know before I start work and I’ll incorporate it into the post.

You’ll need to get any changes back to me within the week so I have time to make edits.

You can decide if you want me to have access to your blog to upload the content directly. Or you may prefer to do it yourself.

Publish the post. Make sure you share it on your own social channels. If you have an email list (and if you don’t, you really should), send it out to your existing audience.

Then I’ll get started on the next post in the bundle. Rinse and repeat!

Remember to share posts periodically throughout the week. At the end of the month, review the metric you chose to measure the success of your new posts.

That way, you’ll be able to decide if you want to keep working with me.

Why do you need a content writer that specialises in your area?

Why your area? You’re a startup. You want someone who knows tech – and they really need to understand marketing.

As luck would have it, I’ve spent the last 14 years using Adobe products like Photoshop and InDesign. For the last six of those, I’ve broken it down and taught it to students from 16 to 60.

Believe me, that experience is invaluable when it comes to talking about software.

On top of that, I’m an Evernote Community Leader. It’s my pleasure, as well as my duty, to educate potential users on the best way to use a tech solution.

And why do I work this way? Because it works. I want you to have content that you’re proud to share. I also want you to enjoy the process of outsourcing your blog to a content writer to free up your time to work on your business.

Like the sound of this and wondering if we’d be a good fit?

Then it sounds like you need my Tremendous Time Saver package. Click here to find out more and secure your spot.

I’m standing by!

July 27, 2017 by LJ Sedgwick 2 Comments

Do you believe these 5 myths about blogging?

All forms of marketing seem to generate their own urban legends. And myths about blogging have persisted ever since marketers realised blogs were a great way to connect with audiences.

You’ve probably heard a lot of them before. And you’ve probably even believed a lot of them.

Maybe that’s why you don’t have a blog. Or maybe that’s why you started one – full of good intentions – and then fell by the wayside.

So if your company blog hasn’t been updated since January 2013, or if it’s still displaying a ‘Page not found’ error, then maybe you need to challenge your belief in these 5 myths about blogging.

Content marketing has finally come of age, but that just means many people still believe these myths about blogging. Click here to explore the reality. — Do you believe these 5 myths about blogging?

1. Blogging is just a fad

This is probably one of the biggest myths about blogging.

And it’s an enduring one. People have been claiming that blogging is a fad for a few years now. They’re probably the same people who claim email is dead.

So if blogging has been called a fad for a few years, how long is that fad expected to last?

True, the number of active blogs has grown exponentially in the last few years. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to join the party.

HubSpot carried out a study and found that B2B companies that blog only 1-2X per month generate 70% more leads than those who don’t blog at all.

That doesn’t even take into account the success of B2C companies. Their blogs speak directly to their consumers.

So even if blogging is a fad, it’s worth getting involved because you’ll still get the benefit while it lasts. Find out why you absolutely need a blog in 2017.

2. Your blog posts should be between 300-700 words

There has been a lot of debate about word counts lately. Should your posts be short? Long? Extra-long? Now that Google is prioritising pages that offer a good user experience, some have started to claim that means posts need to be over 2000 words.

SerpIQ looked at the relationship between the position of a page in the Google search results and the content length of the page.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that the higher ranked pages have longer content.

BUT.

There’s no point writing a post of 2000 words when you can make your point in 800.

According to Darren Rowse, only 16% of people actually read online content word for word. And they only comprehend about 60% of what you write. So in a 2000 word post, that’s around 800 words going unread.

Yes, Google does reward longer content. But it also rewards quality content. So worry about the quality of your blog posts more than the word counts.

If you’re not sure how to ensure that kind of quality, then consider hiring an awesome blogger to do it for you.

3. You must update your blog daily

Hubspot proves to be handy with the stats again. They reckon that companies that post on their blog 15 times (or more) a month get 5x more traffic than other blogs.

That works out at 3-4 posts a week. You don’t need to be a maths genius to realise that’s not a daily posting schedule.

Posting daily is, quite frankly, pointless. Only your most diehard fans will want to consume content that frequently. And you should be sending their content to your email list.

And yes, daily posts give you more chances to be found on Google. They give more opportunities for new visitors to click your headlines on Twitter. But you also run the risk of running out of content more quickly and reaching ‘burnout’.

Once you hit that stage, you’ll stop wanting to blog at all. All of your hard work will have been for nothing.

So space your posts out across a period of weeks, not days. That daily schedule could provide you with seven weeks of content if you post once a week.

Having content spaced out more evenly also gives you the space to insert time-sensitive content. That’s helpful if you want to talk about a big event – like my post on the DDoS attack last year.

4. Share your blog posts on as many social media platforms as possible

Promotion often provokes other myths about blogging. Should you syndicate content across LinkedIn and Medium as well? Should you Pin your content on Pinterest? Do you need to turn it into an Instagram Story?

It’s a good idea to put your content in front of as many people as possible. But it’s an even better idea to put your content in front of as many of the right people as possible.

You’re a tech startup so Pinterest might be less useful to you – unless your tech solution benefits the Pinterest population. And Instagram Stories might not be the right platform either.

But re-posting your articles on LinkedIn or Medium would be a great idea (and you don’t need to generate new content from scratch).

Sharing your content is easier when you’re putting it on the platform your target audience uses. I write for tech startups, so I don’t promote my posts on Snapchat.

Remember that to use these platforms properly, you need to maintain a presence there too. You don’t want to only turn up when you have a post to share.

So ask yourself – do you have time to maintain a presence on every single platform if your audience only uses three of them?

Don’t waste time you could be spending on your blog in cultivating a presence on the wrong platform.

5. You don’t need to pay someone to create your blog posts

It’s easy to believe myths about blogging when you’re trying to save money. And the idea that anyone can do it is one of the biggest.

After all, it’s just a question of talking about your product or service, isn’t it?

No. Your blog shouldn’t just be a collection of press releases or product data. Your blog is your conversation with potential buyers or users. Your posts should snag their attention and leave them keen to find out more about your solution.

If you’re a natural writer, then this shouldn’t be a problem. But think about it this way.

Is blogging really the best use of your time?

Your time is valuable. The cost of hiring a blogger to create your posts for you is likely less than the money you could earn in the time it takes to write a post.

Hiring a blogger isn’t just another expense. It’s a way to buy yourself more time.

And isn’t that worth it in the long run?

So ask yourself, do you still believe these myths about blogging?

If you’ve changed your mind, great! And if you want to hand the blog to someone else, that’s even better. Sign up for my Tremendous Time Saver Package and watch your blog grow. Click here to grab your spot.

July 24, 2017 by LJ Sedgwick Leave a Comment

Introducing the Tremendous Time Saver Package and how it’ll change your blog for the better

It’s 4 pm on Friday. You’re skimming your week’s to do list, pleased to see most tasks checked off or moved to the following week. You’ve nailed some sales calls with prospective customers. There are no outstanding support tickets. Life is good. But then…

Dammit all.

You forgot to write your blog post for the week. Only it’s not just this week’s post. This post was due three weeks ago. Between working with developers, fixing support requests from users, and speaking at a networking event for startups, you just haven’t had the time.

Tired of running out of time to write posts for your tech startup's blog? Find out here how the Tremendous Time Saver Package can help. — Tired of time running out?

You need to send something to your email list but without a new blog post, you’ll just have to make do with industry news from other blogs. Such a pity you can’t direct that traffic to your own site.

Let me introduce the Tremendous Time Saver Package.

In essence, it provides fully researched content, with accompanying keywords and optimised images, in your niche. Your blog can be a useful resource, packed to the rafters with entertaining content, valuable tips to help your existing users get the most out of your software, and eye-catching content to snag newbies.

That’s instead of keeping a dead end list of achievements that hasn’t been updated in 18 months. You know the content I mean – the posts that should go under ‘news’, but the only people who care are the people who work for you.

Your content needs to speak to potential users who will say ‘So What?’ to posts about new hires or moves to new premises. Your blog needs to speak to them and give them something for their time.

Remember that 47% of buyers view between 3 and 5 pieces of content before they speak to a sales rep. Teach them something new, make them laugh, or pass on interesting facts. It all helps build you positive karma when you go in for the conversion.

You’ve spent all that time making your amazing tech solution – people need it in their lives.

And technology is amazing.

The Internet of Things is giving us wearable patches that can detect changes in breast tissue without women needing to attend uncomfortable and distressing scans.

We’ve got devices that turn boring lower back therapy into fun exercises through the power of gamification.

Or how about creative software that lets stay-at-home moms run a business empire from their dining room table?

Your tech or software deserves to be more widely known. And blogging can be a far cheaper marketing method than paid advertising. Not to mention the fact that Google really likes regularly updated websites.

I made the Tremendous Time Saver Package because I know your biggest barrier to blogging isn’t that you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s that you don’t have the time to blog. You’re smart enough to do it yourself but your time is spent on your fantastic tech/software (as it should be).

So I’ll do it for you, meaning;

you get to keep spending time on your tech
Google is pleased with your regularly updated blog
you have more opportunities to get eyeballs on your site (more potential users)
you can build up a good relationship with your existing users or customers
no more worrying about what to write, or that you’re blogging ‘properly’

How does it work?

We’ll have a chat once a month to stay on the same page. You’ll get to fully approve the list of topics I produce, based on research into your industry. Then you’ll get four 1000-word posts a month. Plenty of stuff to send to your email list and share on social media.

Websites with a blog can have 434% more indexed pages. That just means there’s more for Google to notice. But if it sees your site as a valuable resource for users, then it sends more traffic your way. More traffic means more people seeing your brand name and your solution. When they’re ready to buy, who will they come to? You, of course!

So give the Tremendous Time Saver Package a try. I have 4 spots available for the retainer package.

Click here to secure your spot and get more eyeballs on your website.

July 19, 2017 by LJ Sedgwick 1 Comment

How can these 5 simple posts improve your startup’s blog?

It’s late in the day and you’ve just read another marketing post about the value of blogging.

So you’ve opened your post editor and your fingers are poised over the keys.

But you have no clue what to write. The cursor blinks at you, taunting you to write something, anything.

The ideas won’t come. So you grab a photo from your Instagram feed. Someone brought cake into the office – that’ll do as a post. It shows you as a fun-loving startup. And everyone likes cake.

You paste a few images into the post, and hit ‘Publish’. Phew!

Er, no. You check your Analytics the next week. Nothing. Nada. Crickets…

You’re not alone. When startups start to blog, they often ask what kinds of posts they need to include.

A lot of companies use their blog as a ‘news’ resource. They share photos of their launches or announce new team members. Which is fine – but it means absolutely nothing to new visitors to your site.

They don’t know who you are or what you do – so why do they care that you sponsored a talk near your office?

Don’t get me wrong, those posts can be a great way to supplement your blog – but they shouldn’t be all of your blog posts.

Instead, you can use these 5 simple posts to generate content, get attention from your target audience, and build your authority.

If you've been stuck on what to include on your startup's blog, try these 5 simple posts to make your blog a lead magnet, instead of a dead weight. — Blogging doesn’t have to be painful.

You’ll need a mixture of evergreen posts and ‘regular’ posts in your editorial calendar.

By evergreen, I mean those posts that people keep coming back to, even 6 months to a year after you posted them. The content is so fundamental that it’s always relevant.

But don’t discount those time-sensitive posts that respond to news in your industry.

So let’s see what 5 simple posts you can use to improve your blog.

1. Resource roundup/curated post

Really strapped for time and can’t pull a blog post out of thin air? Do a content roundup instead!

There’s so much content online now. Possibly too much content. So instead of adding to it, you can help a prospective client or customer to make sense of it.

Use a service like Feedly to subscribe to other blogs and news sites in your industry. Make a point of scanning new headlines. Then you can pull together relevant links into one post.

It’ll help to demonstrate how well you know your industry. And it’s always a good way to generate good link karma by linking to other people. (That makes them more likely to link to you)

Problogger do really helpful content curation posts, like this one.

Don’t create them too often or people will think you have nothing useful to say yourself.

But they are a great way to build links and generate inbound traffic. Or you can send a curated email to your list. Austin Kleon is an excellent example of a writer who sends valuable curated list-based emails.

2. How-to guides

Think about why you founded a startup. You thought of an amazing product or service. And you want to improve lives with that product or service, right?

So why not use that principle on your blog as well?

Your posts can be mini tutorials on topics in your industry. And sure, you can teach people how to use your particular product or service. I even wrote a how-to guide for hiring a blogger if you’re a startup.

So I can help startups find bloggers if they don’t have the time or inclination to create their own content.

And it doesn’t even need to be specific to your own product. Maybe your service is an email marketing platform. Teach people how to use email marketing on your blog.

You can always recommend they do their email marketing using your platform in your call-to-action.

Of all of these 5 simple posts, how-to guides are the easiest way to build evergreen content.

3. Thought leader posts

These are much more in-depth posts. They’ll need some research and stats to back up your points. But they let you establish yourself as an authority.

You can make predictions about your industry based on your own experience. Or you can discuss a news story in your trade press, and explain what effect a new piece of technology or even legislation will have on everyone else.

Whatever you choose to do, it’s a way to stake your flag in the ground and say “This is what I know about.”

There is the potential to post the occasional controversial post. Maybe you really disagree with the direction your industry is taking. Or perhaps you want to correct a common misconception.

Stirring the pot by openly posting dissent can be a good way to grab some attention, as well as some shares. Just be prepared for a negative reaction.

Don’t post controversial posts too often or visitors will think you just like being contrary.

Thought leader posts can take much more time to write precisely because they’re in-depth. But it’s always a good idea to have a few 1500-2000 words on your post for your SEO value.

And if you don’t have time? Send me the research and some thoughts, and I’ll turn it into a post for you.

4. Fun posts

I know what you’re thinking. How do fun posts fit into your content marketing strategy?

Simple. They grab attention. Remember, most people won’t yet know who you are or what you do.

Attention posts also form the start of an AIDA sequence – something we’ll go into at another time.

And by ‘fun’, I don’t necessarily mean ‘silly’. It’s just more accessible content. So videos, images, or infographics can all be really helpful.

They’re easier to share and quicker to digest. Plus you can always tie them into the time of year. So if your startup runs a new mobile dating app, then you could post something cute like ‘7 Films You Have To Watch On Valentine’s Day.

Then ask visitors to share the post and suggest any films you’ve forgotten. Remember, sharing is caring.

5. List based post

These are probably the most common of these 5 simple posts. Why? Lists are easy to scan and digest. They often get a lot of backlinks and they’re easy to share.

But ever since the likes of Buzzfeed jumped on the list post, some bloggers have been wary of them. Writers on Medium have openly condemned the so-called ‘listicle’ (an article broken into a list – much like this post).

Bloggers sometimes think they’re lazy, and they don’t contain enough substance. Maybe that’s true. But if you’re stuck for content every couple of months? A list makes a nice change.

And if you want to avoid the listicle format, you could also post a list that’s more of a checklist. That way, your list post is both a list and a how-to guide. Use the list to teach your reader how to do something.

Or you could be really clever and make the how-to guide that goes with the checklist a content upgrade. Why not gather more leads for your email list while you’re at it?

But whichever of these 5 simple posts you do, do them well.

These 5 simple posts will improve your startup’s blog. Your content can be more than just a collection of news posts about what you’re doing.

And your content should be more than that.

But make sure you don’t rely on just 1 or 2 of these post types. Cycle through all 5 across a few months. Readers like variety.

If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, get in touch. I’ll help you devise an editorial calendar. We’ll turn your blog into a lead magnet, not a time suck.