Successful Blog

In a content slump? Try these Twitter features!

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By Dorien Morin-van Dam

As bloggers, business owners, social media managers we know it’s just not OK to only share your own content.

I personally try to adhere to the 80%-20% rule for myself and my social media clientele, meaning 80% of the time I share other people’s content vs. 20% of the time, I share mine or the content of my clients. And on certain platforms, it quickly turns into 90%-10%.

Sometimes, however, it’s hard to find good content to share across your platforms, and it’s easy to get discouraged. Twitter has always been my back up plan and I’d like to share three ways I use Twitter to curate content to share.

figurine with bluebirds

3 Twitter Features To Curate New Content With Right Now!

1. Twitter Lists

Use your own lists or lists others have created. Here are the sequences I use to curate content Twitter lists.

a) From my own lists: I go to a list and click on ‘Tweets’. For example, I might go to a list called ‘Steamfeed Authors’. I know that every single author on that list talks about social media.

First, I might scan to see if I can find links to the same blog posts in my feed. If I do, I will go check it out. Usually, when multiple people Tweet the same content, it’s relevant to me as well.

Second, I look for patterns and trending topics. They are usually fairly easy to spot. It could be a new feature on a platform, or breaking news. I will RT if I spot a pattern.

Last, if I can not find anything right away in the feed of those authors, I can easily identify just one author by clicking on their name and then find their own latest blog post.

b) From others’ lists: To find new lists, I will find those who influence me (or my client) on Twitter and check out their Twitter lists. If it looks to be a great list, I will subscribe (that means that next time I will not have to go find it; it will now be shown underneath my own lists!). Then I might follow some of the people on this new list and take the steps outlined above.

2. Twitter Search

You can search anything and everything on Twitter. Just drop a topic in the Twitter search bar and go!

You can also use a hashtag in front of keywords. If that’s not enough, try advanced search on Twitter. Read more on how to search and what to search in these articles. Once I find something that I know my audience will love, I use the RT option, or I might go the article itself and share it on a different platform.

3. Trending Topics

Have you used it yet? In case you didn’t know, Twitter Trends are tailored just for you! Trends offer a unique way to get closer to what you care about. They are tailored for you based on your location and who you follow. I also noticed that what’s trending for me is different on my desktop vs. my iPhone, and that has to do with my location. So when in a content slump, check out trending on ‘Twitter’ and join the on-going conversations!

Now that you know more about Twitter and how to use it for content curation, I hope your content slump is over and you will start sharing awesome content once more!

Author’s Bio: Dorien Morin-van Dam is owner and social media marketer at More In Media, a social media consultancy in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dorien provides social media consulting, management, training and education; she is passionate about teaching social media to small business owners. She services clients all over the USA and has worked in many different industries as well as with several NPO’s. In her spare time, Dorien manages four kids, three dogs and a husband. She runs marathons and loves to bake, travel and read.

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Stop Calling it Content

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It’s official. The push for “content” has pervaded society so completely that I had this actual conversation with my 10 year old the other day:

10 Yr Old: “Mom, no-one is visiting my website.”
Me: “I visited it just yesterday.”
10 Yr Old: “I think I need to make more content.”

Boom. Throw down the microphone and walk off stage.

assembly line

There has been a robust conversation surrounding the sheer amount of “content” debris (go read Mark Schaefer’s original Content Shock post), but I think the larger issue has to do with the attitude of the “content” creator.

I propose that we just stop calling it “content,” and whip out some Barron’s vocabulary words to describe what we’re doing instead.

  • Research paper
  • Investigative journalism
  • Marketing video
  • Customer photos
  • Online brochure or catalog
  • Case studies
  • Interviews
  • Company news item

See where I’m going with this?

One result will be that we ourselves recognize when we’re writing sales copy vs telling a story. If you call it “content,” it could be anything.

If you call it what it is, maybe it shifts your point of view as a creator. You are no longer a robot on the assembly line, you are an artist, a designer, a writer.

It’s the difference between mass-produced frozen fish sticks and fresh-caught grilled trout.

Your homework today, should you choose to accept it, is to go through your marketing plan, campaign strategy, and/or social media plan and highlight everywhere it says “content.” Replace that word with phrases and words that mean something to your customers.

Are you content with “content?”

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

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Proven Ways to Make People Read Your Content

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By Katherine Crayon

You have created the blog of your dreams. You regularly update it with valuable content. Everything is perfect. Except…

Except the readers don’t come.

Cat typing on laptop

No comments, only a handful of shares and tweets — and that’s all. What went wrong? Think you need to perfect your writing skills? Actually, it’s not about the way you write. It’s all about the way you promote your content.

The web is flooded with thousands of recommendations on how to attract users to your website.

It’s important.
It matters.

The Internet was created to let you share your thoughts with millions of other people — it’s meaningless if they don’t read them. That’s why today we’ll concentrate on the ways to get people to actually read your content.

If you think that stuffing your posts with keywords and optimizing them for search engines will draw armies of followers to your resource, you are mistaken. Your blog will undoubtedly rank higher in search results, but will people come back?

The way people perceive your blog posts should be your highest concern. Combine catchy writing, impressive design and some basic ways of promoting content (described in this article).

Success will follow.

Written vs Visual Content

There is a general misconception that people ignore online content. They do read it. However, the way they perceive online data has changed a lot. Content marketing has generally revolved around written data, though more recently, visual content has greater appeal.

Modern users prefer skimming to reading. In order to make them actually read your post, you have to grab their attention (with a relevant image, video, infographic, etc.).

Statistics show that blog posts featuring at least one image are more popular among web users, which results in more shares.

Relevance

Will you read a post on a topic you’re not interested in? Most likely, you will scan the article and leave. As a rule, people surf the web searching for content that meets the basic criteria of relevance:

  • Publish content that coincides with the current time and season. For instance, will you read about Christmas on July 4th? Do you find it relevant posting about winter vacations in summer? Relevance has its own chronological order.
  • Consider your readers. You will hardly be able to attract artistic people to a chemistry blog. Each web resource has its own audience. Working on your blog, think about the target user who will most likely enjoy your content. Specializing on something particular will help you look like a pro and build trust with ease.

Skimming

Users will scan your posts first to decide whether the content before them is relevant. If they come up with some points that look relevant, people will likely stay and read the entire post word-by-word. How to organize content in such a way that users will easily find exactly what they need?

Here are several points to consider:

  • Headlines are the first thing people will pay attention to. The more relevant and to the point they sound, the more likely it is that readers will come — and stay.
  • Subheads help give users a quick overview of the things you discuss in the post. Once again, if they find these relevant, chances are they will read till the end.
  • Text formatting helps to highlight the content you want to draw skimmers’ eye to. Remember that highlighting too much content in bold or italics will equal highlighting nothing. Put emphasis on the key points so that users will quickly pick them out.
  • If skimmers find your headlines and subheads relevant, they will move to bullet points and numbered lists that will help them with decision-making.

Let People Choose

Readers’ tastes differ, so if you want them to keep returning to your blog, you should provide them with several forms of content to choose from.

We have already found out that people are more attracted by visual rather than written data. However, there are many web users who prefer reading detailed posts word-by-word, without missing a single thought.

Try to publish different forms of content through multiple channels and see what works best. Diversify your content marketing with images, videos, and infographics to let people choose what they want. And don’t forget to make all of your content look good no matter what device is used.

Post Regularly

Publishing content on a regular basis will make people come back. Though it requires significant and sustained effort, this is a proven way to build up a following. Whether you are posting 10 articles a day, three posts a week or simply update your blog with something new once a month, doing this consistently will increase traffic to your blog.

Leverage Social Media

With so many users learning about the latest news and valuable information in social media, including ‘Share on Facebook’ and ‘Tweet This’ buttons will make it much easier for your readers to spread posts online and draw new visitors to your blog. The easier you make sharing data, the more likely people are to do so.

It doesn’t require much time and effort to add social share buttons to your site. Make this one-time investment and you will reap great rewards.

Communication

Communication always matters. Make sure you respond to all of the comments left on your blog. Your readers put an effort into leaving their feedback under your post, so don’t miss an opportunity to show how much you value this. Communicating with people on your blog, leaving comments on other web resources, as well as participating in discussions on social media platforms – all this combined will show how much you care.

Final Words

When it comes to content marketing, always write with personality.

Engage your readers by sharing interesting posts on a regular basis and starting a debate online. Keep the writing short and sweet, and never forget to refresh it with some relevant photo or video content.

Are you an experienced blogger or just plan to start your web resource? Which of the aforementioned techniques do your find effective? Maybe you know some other proven ways of how to blog effectively. Share with us in the comments below.

Author’s Bio:Katherine Crayon is a copywriter with a fresh voice, reporting on tech news and all aspects of the web design industry. Meet her in person on Google+.

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3 Tips for Gathering User-Generated Content To Write A Blog Post

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By Dorien Morin-van Dam

Creating content is a tough task, especially since everything you want to write about has already been written about. It’s tough to be original, isn’t it? In recent months I’ve seen a surge in articles being written about user-generated content and how to create it. I have also spotted more and more articles written with user-generated content.

river flowing through farmland aerial shot

There are many social media platforms that lend themselves perfectly for sharing user-generated content; two very well known visual platforms come to mind first. The first one is Pinterest and the second platform is Instagram.

On Pinterest, people re-pin pretty pictures other people pinned before them – 80% of pins are re-pins. On Instagram, using re-post apps, people can easily find and share other peoples pictures, too!

But what about written content? Can we use text-based user-generated content?

A perfect example of written user-generated content is, of course, quotes! Who hasn’t seen and shared quotes on social media? I know I have. It would be a stretch to write a whole blog post just with quotes (it has been done), but I am here to suggest several other techniques that may help you seek out user-generated content.

Here are my 3 tips for writing a blog post simply by asking the right people!

1. Ask your fans.

One way I use my Facebook audience, for example, is to give them two or three words and let them free-associate with those. I often get great ideas for blog posts based on their answers. It shows what is foremost on their minds. I also ask questions on Twitter, but since my audience is greater and more diverse, it has not been as effective for me as asking my Facebook fans.

2. Ask the experts in your circles of influence.

You can do this via email or dedicated Facebook group. Those would be my first choices as I recommend you reach out to each individual privately, and of course, offer to link to them once your write your blog post. Here are some ideas on how to crowdsource content from the experts:

  • You can give each of them the same question (or hypothetical) situation to answer in their own way.
  • You can ask them to give you real life questions (sourced from their audience) about a specific topic you provide i.e Pinterest, LinkedIn profile, Twitter Cards.
  • You can ask them for a solution to a problem you are having. If you ask five experts you will be sure to get five different solutions.
  • You can ask for an interview from an expert. Whether you have created a set series of questions, or you make it up as you go, interviewing someone in your industry, a leader, is a great way to get user-generated content. You will be using their words, their thoughts, to write your blog.

3. Ask your peers.

Your peers are the people in your industry, your co-workers, your fellow bloggers and entrepreneurs. I love involving them and asking them questions or get input from them on a certain topic. People also love to be quoted.

If you go to your peers for a quote, at least they will be aware your are writing something that mentions them and will look for your article to be published.

Alternatively, you could read a series of articles written by your peers and take quotes, and link back of course, highlighting their take on issues.

Your Turn:

• Have you used any of these techniques to get content for your blog?

• Do you enjoy reading these types of blog posts?

• Can you think of other ways to gather user-generated content?

Author’s Bio: Dorien Morin-van Dam is owner and social media marketer at More In Media, a social media consultancy in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dorien provides social media consulting, management, training and education; she is passionate about teaching social media to small business owners. She services clients all over the USA and has worked in many different industries as well as with several NPO’s. In her spare time, Dorien manages four kids, three dogs and a husband. She runs marathons and loves to bake, travel and read.

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I Am Not A Blogger

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By Lisa D. Jenkins

I believe in blogging. Just not for me.

Female silhouette

Every 7 days I sit down to write a post here. Against almost every bit of social media/blogging advice to the contrary, my own blog – for years aptly titled The Occasional and Erratic Blog – has sat sparse and neglected. But I’m just now understanding why.

Self-employment wasn’t so much a carefully considered selection for me as it was a response to circumstances that required immediate action.

My two kids and I had decided to leave everything and start a new life together. I’d held a job I loved at a state college for almost 10 years. With benefits the job paid enough to cover a fairly modest life for a family of three. As my son said at the time, “We might eat hot dogs and ramen forever, but they’ll be our hot dogs and ramen.”

A month after the divorce was final, I lost the job I’d held and loved for 10 years – statewide budget cuts were deep that year. There I was with custody of my 13 year old son, a 21 year old in college, a mortgage and no income to cover any of it.

It was at that moment I decided to truly support myself rather than once more place myself in a position of counting on something else that might dissolve.

I’d been watching social media evolve and participating for a while – hoping my Director would let me integrate it into our marketing – and I knew beyond a doubt that I could make this work for me and for others. So I took the leap and dove head first into finding my way as a social media professional.

I was extremely vocal on Twitter and Facebook, learned WordPress and taught myself the coding skills we needed back in the day. Because: no plugins. I spent every single day learning and building connections by being helpful wherever I could. I offered advice, pointed people to resources, donated my time and writing to non-profits and I went to conferences. Nothing has been as keenly painful to my introverted self as that seemingly endless cycle of self-promotion but I did it. The one thing I never settled into was blogging.

Disclosure: Random exaggeration ahead.

“But you MUST blog,” says everyone always.

Yes, well, five years later and I’m still here – and barely blogging.

Inconceivable? Oh, it’s conceivable, I assure you.

But how to explain that to people and prospective clients became the issue at hand. Two weeks ago, on the Main Salmon River in the middle of Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, it crystalized for me.

I don’t want to be an A-List blogger. I’ve no aspirations to write a social media or marketing book. I don’t wish to be recognized as a media personality. I’ve never pursued those things.

I define and execute strategy. I measure and analyze metrics. I engage on social media. I curate content. I design campaigns. I build relationships. And, I blog … for my clients.

I do the job I love in the best way possible for the clients I partner with. If my work isn’t the best example of my worth to a new or existing client, no amount of blogging on my own site will help.

Hi. I’m Lisa. I’m a social media practitioner and that’s all I want to be.

How does what you’re doing fit with what you want to be?

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+

The Context of Content

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By Lisa D. Jenkins

It’s not the story, it’s the telling of the story.

Last week, I was in the wilds of Idaho, rafting the Main Salmon River of No Return. I left the online world and was completely disconnected from technology; no smartphone, no laptop. I did allow myself to bring a camera and Flip.

I took images and footage sparingly because a couple of years ago I realized I was losing memories because I was too busy trying to capture them digitally. But I do have a few incredible reminders that will help me remember all the amazing things I saw and experienced.

When The Husband picked me up from my trip, I couldn’t wait to get home and show and tell him everything.

The memories were easy for him to consume: the big bright trout I caught at the mouth of Sheep Creek, the massive bald eagle that flew just over my head,

Oddly, the images and video were more difficult. He looked through them and wasn’t nearly as exuberant as I thought he’d be. Take this image for instance, what do you see?

rushing river

You see a burned out forest. Wildland fire is not uncommon in Idaho and we often see sections of landscape marred like this. While mildly interesting, it’s not uniquely remarkable. Until you know that as we were rowing by, our guide Matt explained that he was rowing through this fire last year – at this very spot.

In the same way that story provides context that informs my image, you need to inform the content you share with context for your readers.

It’s not just the pieces of your story that make it remarkable, it’s how you thread those pieces together that tell a remarkable story.

What does this look like?

Do you have a new product? Outline the real-world problems your product solves to inform a simple demo video. This makes it easy for people to know who the product will help. If it’s not them, they might recognize the struggles of someone they know.

Are you adding a new service? Let your audience in on how you detected a gap in the services you provide, to inform the launch for your latest offering. This builds on established trust and gives your audience a behind the scenes view of how your company works to stay current with their needs.

Have you reached a goal? Use a timeline or infographic to inform a milestone your business is celebrating. This help others understand where you started and how exciting it is for you to mark the occasion. People who’ve been with you from the beginning will appreciate the walk down memory lane and newer readers will appreciate not feeling left out.

Telling your story.

As you execute your content strategy, include contextual elements that weave your disparate content into a cohesive story. Each point of reference you provide helps your readers feel included and invites them to go deeper into the story with you.

Author’s Bio: Lisa D. Jenkins is a Public Relations professional specializing in Social and Digital Communications for businesses. She has over a decade of experience and work most often with destination organizations or businesses in the travel and tourism industry in the Pacific Northwest. Connect with her on Google+