Blogging

  • Blog, Blogging, Marketing, Personal Branding

    How to Write Engaging Content that Makes Your Brand Unforgettable

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    Whenever you sit down to start writing a blog post, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind? Hopefully, it’s not, ugh, I have to write another blog post (but if it is, get in touch with me – my writing services may be just what you need). In the sea of content that’s available on the web today, a top objective should be to write engaging content that is unforgettable.

    How to Write Engaging Content

    Today’s readers are inundated by online content. Brands must be creating memorable material that helps the brand to not only stand out but also to connect with your reader and make them want to return to your website.

    [bctt tweet=”Publishing unforgettable #content leads to a memorable brand.” username=”@meaghanmae”]

    Here are five aspects of a memorable blog post to help your brand connect with prospects, i.e., your readers. Include a mix of these in your content.

    1. Tell a story.
    2. Teach the reader something new.
    3. Present a thought-provoking idea.
    4. Agree with the reader.
    5. Make them laugh.

    [bctt tweet=”What should you include in your #content to make it memorable? Find out in this blog post by @meaghanmae. #branding” via=”no”]

    Tell a Story

    As Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” If you can make the reader feel an emotion, you’re golden. They may not remember each of the five statistics you included, but they’ll remember the story and the emotions they felt.

    “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

    Incorporating storytelling into your content will have the most impact.

    In the book The Storytelling Edge, the content strategy masterminds behind Contently.com point out, “When we hear a story, the neural activity increases fivefold.” It’s easier to remember data points when they’re tied to a narrative, so try to weave a personal experience or fictional tale into your content.

    Teach

    Educate your reader. If your business has employees, involve them in creating content. If they’re not interested in writing or recording a video, you can always interview them and share their expertise that way.

    Position your brand as a knowledgeable resource by sharing helpful, expert level advice around your target customers’ pain points. You might even earn your website a few bookmarks from readers.

    Shock

    A quick way to be memorable is to do something crazy! Think about all of the viral videos you see. You remember and maybe even share them because they’re out of the norm. Apply this same principle to your content and present a new way of thinking for your reader to consider.

    Agree

    Share something that gets the reader nodding in agreement. Everything that you share doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. Agreeing with your reader allows them to relate to you and your personal brand. It builds a sense of connection. You want them to think, “This is my kind of person!”

    Make Them Laugh

    Comedian Mike Albanese says, “Funny content is more likely to be recalled than content that has no humor, and that is the point of most marketing and content!” 

    Write engaging content by infusing humor into your writing – if you’re funny! Comedy is not something that you can force, and readers will be able to tell if you’re faking it.

    If your content is usually pretty dry, try self-deprecating humor. It allows people to relate to you and see a human side that they may not recognize in clear-cut content.

    Amplifying Your Engaging Content

    Creating your unforgettable content isn’t the end of the line. It needs to be shareable too. Your amplification strategy should include paid advertising, especially if you’re not a well-known company that people are searching out for information.

    What do you include in your content to help build your brand and add a sense of community? Let me know in the comments below.

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    If you’re sharing your content on a Facebook Page, are you getting the number of views that you want? If not, download my free eBook to ensure you’re doing everything you can to get more organic engagement.

     

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  • Blog, Blogging

    No Time to Blog? Hire a Ghostwriter

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    You know you need a blog, but you don’t have the time to write regularly. Does this sound like you? Then maybe it’s time to hire a ghostwriter.

    One of the top reasons people don’t blog is due to a lack of time. Sales representatives, business owners, virtually any business professional can benefit from hiring a ghostwriter.

    Do you need help creating quality content? Click here to contact me.ghost-pumpkin

    Ghostwriters don’t just write novels. Today they write blog posts, eBooks, white papers, social media posts, emails, video scripts, and other content to fill out your marketing strategy and build your position as a thought leader.

    But don’t worry, working with a ghostwriter doesn’t have to be difficult or break the bank. If you know how to collaborate with a ghostwriter, you can get the most out of your investment.

    [bctt tweet=”Working with a ghostwriter doesn’t have to be difficult or break the bank. #contentmarketing” username=”@meaghanmae”]

    Ways to Collaborate with a Ghostwriter

    As a ghostwriter, I’ve written for clients in fields varying from social business, inside sales, insurance, marketing, artificial intelligence, even some content for the food and beverage industry. There are writers out there who are knowledgeable in your industry and open to ghostwriting.

    Collaborating with a ghostwriter shouldn’t be hard. Here are a few ways you can seamlessly work with a ghostwriter to get your content created.

    1. Have the writer come up with questions to interview your team and create a blog post from their replies.
    2. Deliver them a list of ideas.
    3. Provide a theme and leave it up to the writer on the particular topic—just make sure they clear it with you before starting on a 1,000-word blog post.
    4. Turn a podcast into an article. If you’re more of a talker than a writer this is an excellent option. Not only does it give you the material for the writer to go off of, but it gives you another outlet to share your message.
    5. Write the majority of your blog post and hire a ghostwriter to copy edit—refining your writing and filling out the content.

    3 Tips for Working with a Ghostwriter

    Share Feedback – This could likely go unsaid, but once you have the copy from your writer, go through it and tweak it to make it your own. To build a long-lasting relationship with writers, send them your final edits, so they have a better idea of how to write for you in the future. Sharing feedback will make your and their job easier going forward.

    Clarify Goals – Be clear in your goals and every detail of what you want and don’t want. There is no magical mind reader tool available, yet anyway. Consider preparing an outline to organize your thoughts. If there are any sources you don’t want to include in the content, be sure to note them. An outline depicting your core objectives will help to secure a quality product faster.

    Encourage Creativity – Give the writer some creative leeway. Many of the best articles I’ve written as a ghostwriter has stemmed from when I’m given only a title and a keyword. Once the writer has an understanding of your objectives and voice, let them run with the project. The details should come together nicely.

    Remember that the experts may be more expensive. Sometimes a general writer is your best option. A good ghostwriter will conduct comprehensive research into the topic they’re writing about and can save you money.

    [bctt tweet=”How can a ghostwriter help you to build your #brand? #contentmarketing” username=”meaghanmae”]

    The majority of my monthly revenue as a writer comes from ghostwriting for busy professionals. If you’re ready to get your time back and still have articles with your byline, then email me to discuss a plan for building up your thought leadership position with a blog.

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  • Blogging

    How to Generate New Content Ideas When You’re Stuck

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    Are you having trouble coming up with content ideas for your website? New blog post ideas always seem to strike me at the most inopportune times. They’ll hit me when I’m driving, in the middle of the night, or when I’m in the shower. And what happens once I get to my destination, wake up, or hop out of the shower? The idea is forgotten. Does this sound familiar? Here are a few ideas that work for me to combat forgetting my best ideas.

    If you wake up in the middle of the night with a good blog topic, turn on the light and write it down. Chances are you will not remember it otherwise. Keep a notebook and writing utensil by your bedside for this. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; a simple pocket-size steno pad will do the trick.

    If you’re driving, safely use your phone recorder. On iPhones, you’ll want to launch “Voice Memos.” I can’t even count how many blog ideas have come to me while driving and this little trick has saved me. This blog post is one example of that. With the assistance of Siri, you won’t even need to take your eyes off of the road.

    Regarding the shower, I don’t have very much advice for you. A dry erase board could help. Or just try really hard to remember your ideas. I’ve found that if I repeat something to myself seven times, I’m more likely to retain it. For those times when the ideas don’t just come to you out of the blue, check out these eight ways to generate new content ideas for your business.

    8 Ways to Coax the Muse

    You know you need a blog for your business but if your content muse takes a little more encouragement than having a clear mind, consider a brain dump of possible blog posts. Quickly write everything down that comes to your mind, even if you think it’s not the best idea. Seeing it written out can trigger your brain to generate another topic. Once you’ve got a page full of ideas in front of you, go through them at a slower pace and select the best ones to add to your editorial calendar.

    Another way to come up with new post ideas is to look for inspiration around the web. Search hashtags on social media channels to see what other people are covering. You don’t have to stick to your industry either. In fact, looking at others may be better. You’ll discover new ideas that aren’t being applied yet in your field. Another source of inspiration is your competitors. What are they doing that your brand could do better? Take some time to familiarize yourself with their content topics.

    What are people asking? The frequently asked questions that your industry receives can lead you to some really helpful blog posts. These can be questions posed verbally or through searches on your website. If one person has the question, there are likely others out there wondering about the same thing. Create a blog post to be a source for their answers.

    Interviews add a human element and are a great source of information in any industry. You could interview employees about specific aspects of their jobs, executives about their life before starting the brand, or customers about a problem that your product/service addresses. These are just a few ideas. Your interviews can be about anything industry related that will be interesting for your prospective buyers or current customers.

    Conduct a search on Google Trends. You can find related topics to your industry and go deeper into your search to find more specific ideas. Be cautious, though; Google Trends can quickly become a time sucker. There’s just so much that you can do with the tool so limit your time there.

    Look to old content that has performed well and repurpose it. Take your most popular blog post and turn it into an infographic or expand on it further and create a white paper. The idea obviously resonated with your audience, so don’t reinvent the wheel.

    If you’re still stuck check out HubSpot’s Blog Topic Generator. You simply enter three nouns, and it generates five blog topics. You’ll get a few oddball ideas, but you’re bound to find at least one that will work for you.

    My last piece of advice would be to take a walk, step away from the computer, and maybe exercise a bit. When you stop dwelling on something the answer often shows itself.

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    This article was originally published to rabidofficemonkey.com in March 2017.

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