Long ago, when the marketing agency I was consulting with first began building websites for clients, blogging was still in its infancy (we’re talking zygote stage), and few people were using the Web in the way we do today.

Weblogs were definitely in my peripheral vision, and I am proud to have been one of Twitter and Blogger co-founder Evan Williams’ first groupies.

But “following” Evan was a fascination, not a concerted effort to improve my marketing savvy, and it took me a while to fully wrap my brain around the genius of what he was doing.

Talk about being a day late and a dollar short.

But I have learned a few lessons since then and have made a very good living helping others to jump onto the Internet bandwagon, build a profitable business, and have fun doing it.

This post explores a handful of those same strategies. But this isn’t going to be your run-of-the-mill, systematic approach to generating traffic, converting leads into sales, and creating a lasting presence online.

Because while those systems are an invaluable part of your online success, one thing has become very clear to me over the years: If you’re going to be profitable online, you have to do it from the inside, out.

Building a 6-Figure Blog: An Inside Job

If it sounds like I’m going to suggest that you and your team (if you have one) sit in a circle, sing “Kumbaya,” and wait for Spirit to make your SEO decisions for you, you’re off the hook.

What I am suggesting is that you become hyper aware of what it is that you and your customer are looking to accomplish online.

Because once you get clear on that distinction and are able to satisfy your needs and those of your customer, success naturally follows.

So what are the 5 Steps to 6-Figure Online Success?

Step 1: Ask Yourself, Who Am I?

This first step starts where all business endeavors should: with a question. Who are you? What best describes you and your style? Are you the social, chatty type that is attracted to bloggers who teach with stories (hi!), or are you a numbers and systems person who loves stats, charts, and infographics?

There is no wrong answer here. In fact, the only way you can get it wrong online is to not be yourself. That’s why it’s crucial that you pinpoint and own your unique style.

Step 2: Identify Your Ideal Client

Step two goes hand in hand with the first. Because once you know who you are online, it’s very easy to focus on the types of people you want to attract.

Here’s a tip: If you’d like to be fabulously successful online, you want to get really, really clear about who your ideal client is.

And here’s the fun part: You get to make this stuff up. You get to decide who that person is.

If you see your ideal client as a middle-aged female who earns $200,000 annually and knows when the next Jimmy Choo trunk sale is going to happen (and has instructed Siri on her iPhone to remind her days in advance), write that down.

If you’re feeling a male target demo, 18 to 24, who lives in his parents’ basement and considers beer pong and “Guy Code” the epitome of entertainment, write that down.

And have fun with it. Remember, the clearer you can get here, on paper, the more you’ll speak to your ideal customer through your blog, and the easier it will be to attract them to your site.

Step 3: Define Your Primary Call to Action

What is it you want people to do when they come to your site? Leave their name and email so that you can begin building a relationship and lead them through a sales process? Comment on a post so you can develop a dialogue? Like or +1 your post so that you can gain audience share and climb to the top of Google?

Ideally, you probably will want them to do all of the above, but in order to communicate a clear and concise message, you need to identify a primary call to action, and then structure the function of your site from there.

Step 4: Take Charge

Once you’ve defined your primary call to action, you want to make it clear and easy for your customer to do what you want.

Don’t assume that they know you’re looking for comments just because there’s a comment section on your blog.

Ask them to comment. Better yet — tell them to do so. “Do you like what you’ve read here? Leave a comment below” works like gangbusters.

Do you want them to leave a name and email to build your list? Place an opt-in box at the top right of your page where it can be seen, tell your visitors exactly what you want them to do, and where.

Step 5: Give Your Future Income a Purpose

Okay, this last step is, admittedly, a little on the woo-woo side.

But does it work?

You bet. So much so that my husband and I recently re-tooled our entire online presence around what it takes to make money from the inside, out.

Too many people jump online with little to no idea how they’re going to stand out, and an even vaguer idea of what that success means for them.

Don’t make that mistake. Give your money a purpose. Write out what you need to earn every month in order to meet your bills, then add in an amount on top of that that will go right into your rainy day fund.

Once your expenses are covered, figure out what you need to earn this month in order to save up for your vacation or Christmas, buy a new computer, or get that training you’ve had your eye on.

Whatever the amount is, write it down, keep it where you can see it, every day, and watch what happens.

Putting It All Together

I heard someone say recently that success in business is only five percent marketing. The other 95 percent is all about what you do on the inside.

If you’re ready for your blog to start pulling in six figures (or more), put these five steps to work and watch how things begin to come together for you when you do. The results can be nothing short of amazing when you make your success an inside job.

About the Author

For nearly twenty years, Pamela Schott has developed leading-edge marketing strategies for clients of all sizes. She is a contributing author to Speaking Your Truth, an Amazon.com bestseller for women entrepreneurs. Together with her husband, Pamela runs a small business success blog

More Reading

Blogging is a profession and a passion that has been transformational.

The feedback has changed and informed me. I have written, travelled, presented and networked.

It has allowed me to learn and to communicate with a global audience that has been enlightening, inspiring and empowering.

It asks questions of you. Will people appreciate your thoughts and views? Will I be seen as funny, clever or just an impostor and interloper?

It is a place for courageous people and those who have a thirst for learning.

The Naked Blogger

Blogging exposes you to a world wide audience that sees all your ideas, thoughts, spelling and grammar mistakes.

The term the “Naked Blogger” has a certain truth.

Brian Appleyard of the “London Times” says this about blogging.

“The blogscape is not for the faint-hearted….There’s a shocking disconnect between one fact — you sitting at your computer — and the next — what you just wrote being instantly visible to the entire world. Try to think of it as like stepping out of the toilet to find yourself standing on the centre spot at Wembley on cup-final day”.

But don’t let that image stop you blogging!

I have met the most awesome people that have reminded me of how connected we are and how lucky we are to live in a time of technology that provides us with boundless opportunities.

What have I Learned about Blogging in 2011?

It continues to surprise me as the social web continues to transform society and culture.

So what some key observations for me in 2011?

• People want more Infographics
• The continuing evolution of an increasingly “visual web” that communicates quickly and efficiently with images.(Pinterest and Tumblr)
• People “love” sharing
• Social media has supercharged blogging
• People’s continuing obsession with Facebook
• Twitter is still an enigma
• The contagious leverage  of “liquid content“
• People’s thirst for learning
• The power of a competitor to drive change as the success of Google+ has increased the speed of evolution at Facebook
• The mobile Internet cannot be ignored

What have you learned about blogging in 2011?

The Bible of Blogging Survey

Technorati is known within blogging circles as the “Bible of Blogging” and once a year it surveys the blogosphere to find out what directions and trends that are influencing bloggers and the state of blogging.

Here are some key findings that I thought were worth sharing.

1. Bloggers are Influenced by other Blogs

The blogosphere is influencing itself – respondents say that the number one influence on the topics they blog about are other blogs they read, a huge jump from 2010.

2.What Content when Blogging about a Brand Produce the Most Positive Response?

Among Hobbyists and Professionals working with brands, product reviews have elicited the most positive response. Among Corporate and Entrepreneur bloggers, the best response has come from advice or consultative content.

3. How Many Bloggers are Approached By Brands to Review Products

Bloggers are being actively courted. Nearly four out of 10 overall, 59% of Professional Part Timers, and 66% of Professional Full Timers have been approached to write about or review products. Pros are approached eight times per week on average. The most frequently approached Hobbyist, Professional Part Time, Professional Full Time, and Entrepreneur bloggers report being approached more than 200 times per week.

4. Is Blogging Being Taken More Seriously?

More than two thirds believe their blogs are getting taken more seriously as sources of information, with 76% of Professional Full Timers agreeing.

5. Media Habits of Bloggers

14% of bloggers spend at least 21 hours per week visiting social media sites. About two thirds spend less than an hour watching TV shows on their computer, tablet or smartphone or uploading photos to photo-sharing sites.

6. Blogs for Ideas, Inspiration and Entertainment

This is the second year we surveyed consumers on their trust of and attitudes toward the media they consume. Compared with other media, blogs continue to outpace other social media and many traditional media in terms of trust and generating consumer recommendations and purchases. Facebook remains somewhat influential, but less so than blogs, and Twitter has seen a drop in influence over the past year.

7. Why Do Bloggers Blog?

70% of all bloggers use their blog to share their expertise and experience with others. Professionals also use their blog as a way to make money or supplement their income. Corporate and Entrepreneur bloggers are looking to gain professional recognition, while also using their blog as a way to attract new clients to their business.

8.The Impact of Blogging on a Blogger’s Life

Overall, respondents seem to feel that blogging has had a positive impact on their personal life. 54% of respondents agree that they have made friends through their blog, and the same number agree that they have become more involved with their passion areas as a result of blogging. More than 60% of Corporate and Entrepreneur bloggers have gained greater visibility in their industry through blogging.

9. Bloggers and Twitter

82% of bloggers surveyed are using Twitter, with almost all Professional Full Timers (93%) and Professional Part Timers (91%) using Twitter and having on average over 1,000 followers. Those who use Twitter say they do so to promote their blog (77%), follow friends (60%), and bring interesting links to light (59%). Professional, Corporate, and Entrepreneur bloggers use Twitter to promote themselves professionally.

10. Bloggers and Facebook

Almost nine out of ten bloggers surveyed (89%) use Facebook. 50% of all bloggers have separate Facebook pages for their blog and for their personal account, a jump from only 34% last year.

Among respondents who have only a personal Facebook page, 60% are not linking their page to their blog in any way.

The Importance of a Facebook page for the Professional Blogger

Facebook the Marketing Network

Among Facebook users, the most common reason for using the social network is to promote one’s blog. 61% of Entrepreneur bloggers use Facebook to promote their business.

11. Bloggers and Google+

More than six out of ten respondents use Google+. Of those who use this service only 13% have a separate account for their blog and personal use.

11. The Most Effective Social Media Marketing Tools

Other than Facebook and Twitter, the most popular social networking platforms among respondents are LinkedIn and YouTube. Not surprisingly, respondents found Facebook and Twitter to be the most effective social networking tools to market their blogs and drive traffic.

12. What do the Marketers Say about Blogging?

Some quotes from the marketers.

“We usually have the option to share an article and/or an entire custom unit on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Additionally, we are running a blogging placement that allows bloggers to engage, then blog about it amongst their peers.”

“Social media is the glue to the mass messages. We attempt to integrate all of our campaigns so the paid, owned and earned are all working together. We do this for all of our clients.”

“I would have to say blogging and how it is being used has been the biggest development in social media. Individuals trust bloggers, especially those who are seen as influential. Blogging can either have a positive or negative effect on a campaign, brand or product. Individuals will make decisions based on comments made by their peers or by someone they feel confident in.”

13. The Top Blogging Platforms

WordPress is the most popular blog hosting service among all respondents, used by 51%. Blogger and Blogspot hosting services are also popular (21% and 14%).

14. The Top Blogging Tools

Particular blogging tools are very widespread among bloggers, especially built-in syndication (75%) and social sharing widgets (75%), as well as site search (58%). Among bloggers who use built-in syndication, the majority (76%) support full content.

15. Why Bloggers Don’t have Advertising

Among those who do not have advertising on their blogs, 52% say they do not have advertising because they don’t want their blogs to be cluttered with ads, while 38% said they don’t have enough visitors to make it worthwhile. Another 36% are not interested in making money on their blog.

16. How do Bloggers Manage Advertising

Among those with advertising on their blog, 60% use self-serve tools, while 50% have affiliate advertising links on their site.

17. How Do Bloggers make Their Money?

Most blog-related revenue is generated through giving speeches on blogging topics and advertising.

18. Professional Bloggers Get the Most Traffic

Professional bloggers receive the most views, with over half of the blogs viewed more than 10,000 times per month.

What do think about the survey? Does anything surprise you?

More Reading

Image by Mr. Pierpy

The death of blogging has been predicted for many years. Social networks such as Facebook and MySpace provide easy to use multimedia publishing platforms to share your life’s experiences and insights with the world, that at first glance seemed to offer an alternative to blogging that would lead to its demise.

As Mark Twain was famously quoted

“The news of my death is greatly exaggerated”

Blogging isn’t dying it is just “evolving“.

You only have to look at the success of platforms such as Tumblr over the last 2 years with traffic levels currently at 90 million visitors a month (12 months ago it was only 10 million) to realise that “self expression” has indeed become the “new entertainment”

Blogging is becoming much more social and visual and is indeed becoming a “publishing genre” in its own right.

Three Types of Bloggers

Bloggers come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Essentially there are three types

Personal Casual Blogger

Some will blog about their daily life and experiences – the casual personal blogger. Blogging platforms such as Tumblr.com or Blogger.com make it quick and easy for the personal blogger to get up and running.

Facebook or Google+ is also an option for this type of blogger. Creating a “page” on Google+ or Facebook (as opposed to just a personal profile) is maybe all they need.

“Serious” Professional Blogger

Others will blog to reach a global market and monetize their content and traffic, through speaking, strategic business partnerships and opportunities, selling eBooks and online webinars. Social Media Examiner is one great example of this type of blog that have a clear vision, focused and are marketing savvy. This really requires three core foundational elements

1. Blogging software such as WordPress (that gives you ultimate control for full customization)
2. Self hosted with an Internet service provider (ISP)
3. Your own domain name (eg Jeffbullas.com)

These 3 elements provide the solid foundation to scale

Business Blogger

Business blogging is about spreading the brands influence, creating leads and increasing sales. Hubspot provides a fine example of what can be done in this segment.

The benefits here also include improving search engine optimisation, positioning the company as a thought leader and expert in its market place and industry.

So how do you get started?

The fear of your thoughts and writing being exposed on a global scale on the web is daunting for many but there is just one solution to the “getting started” problem.

Just “Do It”

For me just starting the journey without overcomplicating it was the most important step, when I had an inkling of what I was passionate about.

We all have different goals and expectations and whatever blogging journey you are on or want to commence, you need to remind yourself thay the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.

If you are a bit unsure “just start” – the road will become clearer and the path brighter and you will discover more about yourself and others.

Some of us are afraid of revealing yourself to the world and an audience. Remember – “Fortune favours the brave”.

Once I started, I discovered what was important and what wasn’t.

14 Keys to Influential Global Blogging

1. Start with the Strong Foundation

You may think that not many people will show up once you start your blog and that no one will notice. It is better to be prepared for growth by having a platform that can scale and is easy to make changes to. A WordPress platform that is self hosted and has your own domain name that you “own” is a good place to start

2. Know “Who” You’re Talking To

You need to understand who your audience is. What are their problems, what words they use, what books and magazines do they read, what media do they prefer (videos, articles and images) so you can communicate.

3. Create Compelling Content

If you understand who you target market is for your blog then creating content that engages with your audience is that will bring your readers back and make them want to subscribe to your blog is easier to do

4. Create Content in a Variety of Media

We are all different and some people prefer to read an article.and others prefer to watch a video. To appeal to the widest possible audience be prepared to mix it up and create content in all the formats that your time and resources allow. It could be a YouTube video, a Slideshare presentation or a blog post, an ebook or a whitepaper. Infographics that present complex data are also attractive for your readers and viewers.

5. Learn the Art of the Headline

Some people say you have two seconds to capture someone’s attention with a catchy headline, others say half a second! Whatever the time, it is “short”, so learning to write headlines that tempt and tease readers to click to your blog article is vital in an increasingly time poor world is essential

6. Structure your Content for Skimming and Scanning

When your readers turn up to your post there is nothing more daunting than a huge unbroken block of text that hides the key points.

Provide

• Readable size text (12-14 point),
• Sub-titles,
• Bullet points
• Diagrams and screen shots that gets your message across fast in the simplest way possible.

Make it easy to consume and read.

7. Engage with other Bloggers and Influencers

Collaboration is vital in any endeavour and enlisting others is crucial. You can start by tweeting and sharing other peoples content and you will find in return they will share your posts to their networks. Ask experts to provide a guest post or ask to provide a guest post for them. Find experts who have a reader base that you want and offer to promote them. You need to give to receive!

8. Market your Blog

There is an ocean of content and a sea of blogs (over 150 million).

Just hitting “publish” on your blog post is just the start. It is absolutely vital to learn and implement effective email and social media marketing techniques. The 3 types of key marketing you need to learn are email, Facebook and Twitter marketing strategies and tactics

9. Optimise Your Blog and Social Networks

In all this mix we are still on a web that is driven not just by Facebook but by Google and other search engines. Optimize your blog so that Google can index your blog so that you rank higher in search engine results.

Social media channels that you own also need to have a title, description, categories and keyword tags.

10. Make it Easy to Subscribe

Don’t make it hard for people to subscribe to your blog either by email, RSS or any of your social media networks such as Facebook ,Twitter and Google+. Provide buttons or subscribe functions that make it easy for people to follow you in the format they prefer.

11. Make it Simple and Quick to Share

I see many blogs that do not have a retweet button or Facebook share or Like button. If that is the case on your blog then you are missing out on a lot of traffic and visibility. If you want your content and brand to spread make it easy for people to tweet to their networks and share to their Facebook friends.

12. Listen to your Audience

We live in a fast changing world and trends come and go. You will need to keep an eye on what is resonating with your readers and viewers. Try some different type of content and keep your ear to the ground. You will need to continue to modify your content to meet changing media and subject types in your industry and market.

13. Be Creative and Don’t be Afraid to Make Mistakes

Fail fast and often. In a world of print and high production costs it was expensive to fail and sometimes fatal to your bank account.

In a digital world with zero costs of distribution and low production costs, you can afford to experiment and fail fast and cheaply.

Try different ideas, features and functions so that you can see what works and doesn’t.

14. Persist and be Patient

As with any endeavour you will not build something of substance overnight. Social networks allow you to scale globally with speed, virality and reach that is unprecedented with traditional media.

Patience and persistence is still a trait that must be nourished. It may seem at times that nothing is happening but if you continue to learn and apply the basic principles you will be surprised by the results and opportunities that show up.

Blogging can be an adventure and opportunity to change your life and enhance your business.

It provides a forum and platform for you to build a global tribe that you can empower to share your ideas, personal brand and knowledge. It can position you as a thought leader and an expert in your niche.

The social web with its “many to many” networks has supercharged content production and its distribution and is the biggest change to magazines, books and publishing since the Gutenberg press over 500 years ago.

Are you ready to grab the opportunity and maybe change your life?

More Reading

Image by Jorge Quinteros

Why do you turn on the television? Why do you open a magazine? Why do you read the newspaper, whether it is online or folded and crumpled on your coffee table?

We want to be entertained, amused and educated and the reason you open the laptop, turn on the tablet or browse on the mobile, is that we are seeking information and it is called content.

Google earns $30 billion a year indexing and helping you find information and content.  In an information age, creating content should become the focus of your marketing, whether it is for the consumer or for business.

The Difference Between Success and Failure

Content comes in all types of formats, shapes and styles and often the creator has only a few brief seconds to entice you to go beyond the headline or the opening line.

Creating compelling contagious content can be the difference between success and failure of any media marketing venture whether it be social, mass media or traditional.

So where do you start?

Well for one it’s not about you, it’s about “them” your prospects,customers, viewers and readers.

Step 1: Find and Define your Target Audience

There are many questions to ask here and if you are a large organisation or brand then your advertising agency will certainly tell you who they are. They could be female and aged between 25 and 34 or they could be male and be in the 40-50 bracket.

But you need to know much more!

• What television shows do they watch?
• What magazines do they read?
• What words do they use?
• What events do they attend?
• What fashion do they like?
• What music do they listen to?

If you are creating content for a B2B market then you ned to consider 3 core topic categories

1. Solve their problems
2. Educate and inform them
3. Keep them updated with News

If you are marketing to a consumer then they will want to be entertained, informed of specials and up coming sales and also to be educated about the product.

Step 2: Identify Your Customers Social Networks

There are so many social networks and social media channels that it makes your eyes blur and your mind turn to mush. You need to ensure that you are publishing and placing your content where your customers hang out.

There are a few no brainers that should be in your mix.

• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter

Other channels such as Slideshare (the “YouTube for Power Point Presentations) and LinkedIn are important if you are communicating with the business crowd.

Step 3: Establish Their Media Preferences

In an information age of rich multimedia, just going with text or words is not enough any more. To reach the widest audience possible you need to publish the same core content on a variety of media formats and types such as:

• E-books
• Images (Flickr and Instagram)
• Video (YouTube, Vimeo and other online video networks)
• Audio (Podcasts)
• Presentations on Power point – Slideshare
• Infographics

Mixing these up into hybrid content formats as a package or selection can ensure that everyone receives their preferred media type.

Step 4: Find Ideas for Creating the Content

Writers block is real, it happens to everyone!

So how do you keep those ideas flowing to create that compelling content?

• Read other top blogs and develop content on industry Trends – where is the industry going, what are the emerging hot segments
• Write about customers successes – Write up a case study about a clients successful project.
• Publish content on what not to do! – highlighting where something hasn’t worked
• Create a video blog post by interviewing a successful client – this can a powerful providing authentic evidence of authority and credibility for both you and the client.
• Subscribe to the top industry blogs in your market, both company blogs and personal blogs for ideas and view them in one place with an RSS reader such as “Google Reader”
• Look through your latest news releases for ideas

Step 5: Create the Content

Creating content does take time and effort but you must remember that you are building up online assets that will continue to provide value well into the future. A “How to Video” that is published on the web will educate customers and prospects while you sleep.

Blog articles can be the outline for creating an online video or a PowerPoint presentation. So don’t forget that re purposing content is a very efficient way to build your media library.

If you are considering crowd sourcing content such as inviting guest authors for your blog then you may need to set some standards and writing guidelines.

• Length of article such as 1,000 words
• Images to be supplied
• Subtitles

Creating video content can be as easy as interviewing someone at a Cafe with an iPhone!

Step 6: Optimize the Content

So if you think that by just writing and hitting the publish button on your blog is enough then you need to take a deep breath… because your job has just begun!

You need to optimise your content. Some core elements are

• Headline – learn to write an enticing headline that will make people want to click on the link in Twitter
• Structure – Write sub titles that break your content up into bite sized chunks and draw your readers into the article. Write for skimming and scanning
• Search – Write articles using key words and phrases that customers would use to “Google” you. Also if you are publishing images on Flickr, Videos on YouTube and presentations on  Slideshare (or any other social media channel) then make sure that you optimise the content by writing a headline, including a description, enter tags (Keywords)
• Social – make sure you have social media sharing buttons wherever you have content. You want people to share. Don’t make it hard for customers to share and spread your great content!

Your challenge is to be everywhere! – Be ubiquitous.

Step 7: Make it Mobile

Laptops and personal computers are not the only devices that your customer, prospects and readers are using today. So ensure where resources and budget allows that your content can be viewed on the various mobile platforms

• Android Smart phones
• Apple iPhones
• iPad’s or  Tablets

Step 8:  Monitor and Measure

This can be really simple to monitor, such as measuring how many hits the blog post receives or using Facebook Insights to measure its virality on Facebook. Other paid  tools such as Meltwater’s  Social Media monitoring tool “Meltwater Buzz” can provide in depth statistics on  your content’s performance and virality.

Step 9: Repeat What Works

This is not rocket science and if an article about a certain topic is shared many times or receives a lot of hits and traffic, then create more content for that topic.

Give them more of what they want, with the topic and media type that resonates.

What successes and challenges have you had with your social media content?

More Reading

• What are 10 Addictive Types of Content?
• How to Increase Your Blog Traffic by 55% with One Button
• 5 Motivations for Sharing Content
• 20 Ideas for Social Media Content that Engages
• Is it Better to Share on Google, Facebook or Twitter+
• 9 Questions to Ask your Customers When Creating Content

Image by Sanofi Pasteur

Are you having problems driving traffic to your blog? Are you finding that no one is retweeting your content or sharing it on Facebook?

When starting a blog the challenge for any blogger is providing content that will entice and delight your readers. You want them looking forward to your next article.

Developing an antenna for creative ideas for content is a skill that can be developed.

What I have found effective is to take notes when reading a book or after a meeting when customers provide insights into their business dilemmas. To capture these I sometimes enter it straight into my Apple iPhone with the “notes” feature or use Evernotes mobile app that saves the idea in  the  ”cloud” for future reference.

Everyone has Problems

One thing to keep in mind is that every business or reader has day to day challenges and problems that they want help solving. Helping customers find solutions and ideas for their pain points is an easy way to provide addictive content.

Ideally you want your blog to become the industry resource or Bible that becomes the “Go To Portal” for your subscribers.

Social Proof is Vital

Do you have clients saying to you “What are some of your customers finding what works for them?” or “Provide me with some case studies that verifies that strategy has worked in the past“.

Providing social proof and evidence is a very powerful content type that validates and confirms that they will not be reinventing the wheel or wasting time and money.

10 Addictive Content Types

These ten I have found to be very effective and will ensure that you are providing information that your readers will find worth sharing, “Tweetable” and Facebook “likeable”.

1. Reviews

Reviews of products , books or applications in your industry provide a shortcut that saves people and your subscribers time. Everyone has the problem of being “time poor“. The other advantage with this content is that the companies and people whose product or book you are reviewing will share your content with their networks accelerating its spread and improving its virality.

Example:

8 Great Twitter Tools That Will Get You Tweeting Like A Pro

This multiple review had the benefit of motivating the eight companies who developed them to tweet and share with their networks.

2. Mega Lists

A  long list of tips, tactics and answers that provide people with a resource that maps out many ideas that they can go back to as a reference have proven to work well. You can go a bit crazy here if you are not careful but give it a try .

Example

90 Tips to Make Your Blog Rock

3. How To’s

This content type maps out different solutions and answers to the everyday issues that your customers want answers to. This can be the simple basics of  ”How to get started” for the newbies to the industry or a more complex article that provides new insights to veterans.

Example

How To Write A Mind Blowing Headline For Twitter So People Will Read Your Blog

4. Experts and Thought Leader Interviews

Interviewing experts in your field will achieve two objectives.

1. Provide great content that will entice your readers with their insights
2. Promote and connect your blog to their networks.

You will not have to ask them to share it, they will “want” to share their interview with their followers and tribe whether it be a video or text in a Q&A format.

Examples

From Zero To 40,000 Facebook Fans: Interview With Mike Watkins

Social Media and The CEO – Video Interview With Greg Savage CEO of Firebrand Talent

5. Case Studies

Case studies provide the proof that a certain strategy will work if planned and applied correctly. Research and track down specific examples of how other companies have been successful.

Example

The 7 Secrets to Ford’s Social Media Marketing Success

How To Run A Successful Social Media Marketing Campaign: Case Study

6. Negative or Contratrian Stories

It never ceases to surprise me that a negative headline and position will drive more traffic than a positive slant on a story or article.

Example

30 Things You Should Not Share On Social Media

What is revealing is that the article 20 Things you should Share on Social Media only had half the traffic of the article with the negative headline!

7. Facts, Figures and Statistics

People love facts and figures and aggregating the latest data about your industry will provide a focus on your blog that will keep your readers coming back for more. Providing this regularly will assist you in positioning your blog and content as the hub to keep on top of the latest numbers. Statistics help businesses pick trends and opportunities in their sector.

Example

50 Fascinating Facebook Facts And Figures

This is in fact a hybrid content type that mixes the mega list format with the facts and figures

8. News Stories

Blogs are the digital worlds online magazines and newspapers and providing the latest news is always attractive and valuable content. Don’t hesitate to put your own slant on the news that displays your grasp of your industry.

Example

Apple makes Huge Announcement about Twitter

9. Research

The latest research provides signposts for future planning and validates and lends credibility to strategies. If managers can  provide proof of why something should be done then it helps them take action and obtain approval from their CEO. Research does need to be presented with well formatted articles that allow skimming and scanning for “time poor” excecutives! Bullet points, screen shots and subtitles are all important elements to provide easy reading.

Example

Harvard Study: 30 Key Findings on How The CEO Engages With Social Media

10. Infographics

Providing infographics that simplifies the presentation of complex data and facts and figures are proving to be extremely popular. This content type also lends itself to being embeded in other blogs and websites.

Example

20 Stunning Social Media Statistics Plus Infographic

Hybrids of these ten content types are also very effective and mixing these into mixed formats can provide creative variations that can drive traffic and sharing.

What content types have worked for you on your website and blog? Look forward to hearing your success stories!

Image by Thomas Hawk

College freshmen can’t help but feel a bit of trepidation when they follow their Twitter feed these days.

News of economic uncertainty and the attendant bleak jobs outlook are re-tweeted with ferocity across every networking site in existence. The irony accompanying this no-doubt troubling news is that the very modes of sharing bad news with students and others are experiencing their own period of unprecedented expansion. An embedded part of the online learning that makes up a huge part of today’s coursework, online social collaboration provides tomorrow’s executives with powerful marketing lessons. Played well, the very social media skills possessed by today’s university student, regardless if they are 18 or 35, might lead to that first good job even in tough times.

Linkedin

Moving beyond the ubiquitous advice for college students to open a LinkedIn account—advice that is not widely adopted—students with an eye beyond the graduation party simply need to start their career networking on this social media option long before they realize why it’s indispensable. Most useful are strategies for how to actually build relationships—and your reputation/brand—on LinkedIn. Here are several:

1. Give More than You Take

First, build from connections for which you’ve provided some value. If you’ve developed a good relationship with a professor, especially one in your chosen field in whose class you’ve performed well, start there. Club and organization sponsors who know you as a reliable member are good first choices as well. Not-for-profit service organizations are also good sources for adding to your network as they can vouch for your contributions, attitude and work ethic. Don’t simply ask for a connection because someone owns a business or has an “in” at a company you’re following. By building a network early on, you’ll likely have an earned contact that can refer you to an important connection.

2. Choose Wisely

Linkedin is not Facebook. Enough said.

3. Be a Gardener

Career networking on Linkedin is an iterative refining process. Your first year should include seeking career advice and information helpful for defining your search. Use this to weed out connections that take up time, but don’t add value to your ultimate goal.

Blog

While time is something (diligent) students have in short supply, maintaining a career-oriented blog can actually better utilize those brief shots of time among studying, sleeping and socializing. Promoted on other social networking activities, a blog that shows your growth in skill and knowledge pertinent to your career goals can provide a symbiotic boost in attracting the attention of helpful contacts.

Facebook

There’s no doubt that with 800 million users and counting, Facebook can’t be ignored as an important source for identifying resources that will help you find that first great job. It can also be a quick way to get doors permanently closed for you without you even knowing they existed. Focusing on the positive though, creating a professional-pursuits-only Facebook page, linked to your exclusively-career-oriented e-mail address, can augment your array of platform tools to get you noticed for the right reasons as you pull away from the pack looking for that one job you’re earning as you learn.

More Reading:

• Is Your Social Media Influence Important in Finding that Dream Job?
• 10 Steps To Promote Brand “You” With Social Media
• Blogging For Dummies – An Opportunity For Personal Branding
• 10 Secrets To Being Insanely Successful
• 11 Ways To Lose Your Job On Facebook

Guest Author: Lindsey Harper Mac is a professional writer living in the Midwest. Currently completing her graduate studies, Lindsey writes about social media, higher education and career management.

Image by comedy_nose

At first glance Twitter is like an adult’s version of teenage texting. The 140 characters offer the promise of much more behind its brevity and headline.

At its core there are two differences that distinguish it from  the humble “SMS”, that have given it traction in the public “mindspace”

1. It is public
2. It links to content

Experienced and expert tweeters know how to lead you to the promised land of rich and compelling content by teasing, enticing and tempting readers to click on the link with an inviting headline.

This promise of more is what drives the Twitter click and the initial engagement that pushes traffic to blogs and websites. On the web, people are constantly asking, will the link contain a video, image or article that will solve my problems, educate or even entertain me?

This micro blogging revolution called “Twitter” has to date captured more than 200 million users and attracted over $800 million in funding from private investors since its humble beginnings 5 years ago.

Many questions are asked about Twitter such as ..what motivates people to Tweet?

Why Do People Tweet?

This question can also be asked of other media and social networking platforms

• Why do you publish on Facebook?
• Why do you have a blog?
• Why do you publish your images on Flickr?
• Why do you record  and upload your videos to YouTube?

At a recent conference in San Diego, Arianna Huffington the founder of the world’s largest blog the  Huffington Post (that recently sold to AOL for $315 million) had this to say about why People “Tweet”, “Facebook” and “Blog”

“Self-expression has become the new entertainment.”

This difference between mainstream media and emerging social media is that the mainstream still does not get why people spend so much time expressing themselves online for free.

Beyond this self expression also lies questions of trust and credibility, as Twitter is sometimes used by spammers and hackers for their own devious purposes, along with other occasionally hijacked media such as email and Facebook.

People want trusted credible sources that provide content that keeps them coming back for more.

Trust is the New “Black”

Whether it is on Twitter, Facebook or your blog  the initial short content should create initial trust that leads to longer format content. As Arianna said  “Trust is the most important thing we can do in everything we want to sell or offer.”

So how can a micro blogger create more trust?

How to Create Credibility and Trust on Twitter

Beyond the initial short, shallow and frothy message that is Twitter, is the allure of something more substantial and credible.

Twitter is a world of tasty morsels that are the entrée to the real meal deal of something of substance and a hearty course of “meat and potatoes”.

The real Twitter power users in business don’t just tweet but blog.

To achieve real credibility your micro blogging has to go beyond the 140 characters and provide a home for your tweets to attract readers and viewers.

Twitter should not be replacement for having a blog.

Your Twitter account should lead readers and viewers to your cyber home.

Treat your Blog as Your Hub and Home

A blog says to your audience “there is much more substance to me than just 140 characters”

It also displays substance with style that can provide a home to your self expression whether it be  a video, or an article with images that may invite sharing and conversations.

A blog also states, “I have taken the time and effort to craft a corner in cyberspace that  will provide substantial, trusted and credible content that you can use as a resource and inspiration.”

This content does not have to be all original, it can also be compilations with your own slant.

Express yourself beyond the tweet and you may be surprised at the audience that will engage with you from all corners of the world!

Maybe if you don’t have the resources to design and develop a blog you could create a Facebook “page” (not another personal profile) that can be your “home base” for your public global self expression.

Does your Twitter account have a link to your blog or a Facebook page that hosts your content?

More Reading

• Do Shared Links Last Longer on Twitter or Facebook
• How to Increase Your Blog Traffic by 55% with One Button
• 5 Motivations for Sharing Content
• 20 Ideas for Social Media Content that Engages
• Is it Better to Share on Google, Facebook or Twitter?
• 9 Questions to Ask your Customers When Creating Content

Image by Matt Hamm

Have you ever visited a discount book store and looked at books sitting on shelves and trestle tables gathering dust, begging to be read.

These are books that languished in a proper book store only to be banished to a clearance outlet.

These lonely unread tomes are the work of writers that have poured their heart, soul and time into their writing, with the hope of it being read and maybe with the faint promise of it becoming a best seller.

Their is nothing more depressing for a blogger than to write an article and publish it and no one turns up to read it.

A book and a blog post needs readers and they require promotion, marketing and sharing.

Social media has provided digital publishers the means to promote and share their content with the world’s 2 billion internet users easily and instantly. Sharing the latest blog post on Facebook or Twitter is one of the quickest and easiest ways for bloggers to attract  readers to  their latest publication.

Should I Share on Twitter or Facebook?

The question often asked is which social media channels are the best for social sharing to drive traffic and page views for your posts.

Hubspot has just collected some data from 5,000 blogs that reveals the importance of Twitter and Facebook and discovered some facts that are maybe not expected for Facebook centric marketers.

Twitter Drives more Views than Facebook

Twitter is certainly revealed in this study as the prime driver of traffic and having a Retweet button on your blog makes it easy for people to share your content on Twitter.

The Numbers:

• Blog posts shared only on Twitter had 63% more page views than those shared on Facebook only
• Posts shared on Twitter only, had 117% more traffic than posts with no sharing
• Posts shared on Twitter and Facebook drove 160% more page views than a non-shared post

Sharing Increases Your Search Engine Optimization

How Google ranks the importance of a website or blog and how high it will appear in search results is based upon many factors.

One of the most important criteria is the number of other websites linking to your site. The more websites that link to your content and the more credible they are (a link from the New York Times will be more valuable than a link from a small company website)  gives Google a good idea how valuable your content is. This is called an inbound link (an example of this is the link to Hubspot that I have included in this blog post).

This study revealed that combined sharing on Twitter and Facebook increased inbound links by 149% more than a post not shared at all, so  therefore increasing the search engine ranking value to Google and other search engines such as Bing and Yahoo.

Facebook Shares Create more Comments

Bloggers love receiving comments as it indicates that someone cares enough about your content to actually take the time to write a response. Comments are also extremely valuable as it provides valuable feedback for bloggers as to whether their content is resonating with their readers.

Facebook sharing was shown to produce more comments than Twitter. Also posts received 55% more comments when shared on the Twitter and Facebook social platforms compared to no sharing at all.

What would have been interesting to see would have been the effects on page views with shares on Google+ and LinkedIn. These two social media channels with 50 million and  100 million plus users respectively also have significant impact on traffic.

I am finding that LinkedIn shares can often surpass my Facebook shares.

On my last post  ”6 Fantastic Facebook Marketing Infographics” the shares for my four social network share buttons were

• Twitter – 702 Retweets
• LinkedIn – 541 Shares
• Facebook – 136 Shares
• Google +1 Button – 19 Clicks

Now this doesn’t reveal the numbers of page views, but more sharing does drive more traffic.

So Twitter and Facebook are not the only channels you should be sharing on and LinkedIn is especially important if you are a B2B blogger.

Takeaways

• Sharing  is essential to increase views to a blog
• Multiple sharing to Twitter and Facebook is more effective than a single channel approach
• Include a LinkedIn Share Button especially if you are a B2B blogger
• Consider sharing on Google’s social channel Google+ as it now has 50 million users and continues to grow

If you have the time and resources consider sharing on other social media channels such as Digg, Stumbleupon and Reddit.

So what drives the most traffic to your blog? Look forward to hearing your story!

More Reading

• Do Shared Links Last Longer on Twitter or Facebook
• How to Increase Your Blog Traffic by 55% with One Button
• 5 Motivations for Sharing Content
• 20 Ideas for Social Media Content that Engages
• Is it Better to Share on Google, Facebook or Twitter?
• 9 Questions to Ask your Customers When Creating Content

Image by Telstar Logistics

I recently watched the final of the US Open women’s tennis and it was inspiring to see the endeavour, effort and expertise of each of the contestants. They slugged it out on center court with biceps bulging and lungs screaming as they battled to find an edge on their opponent.

The shots seem effortless and automatic and the speed and the strength of the athletes was on display for all to see and admire. The final prize… $1.8 million for the winner!

Optimizing for Peak Performance

But behind that seemingly natural easy athleticism and skill lies discipline and application to years of practice and training. Thousands of hours on the court practising, hours in the gym each day lifting small cars or any heavy object they can find at hand. Sports psychologists are engaged to build emotional and mental muscles so that the athlete can with one single stare bring their opponent to their knees. Optimizing performance and skill as a sports person requires focus and application and it not just about showing up on the day with tennis racquet in one hand and balls in another.

Behind the Scenes It’s Hard Work

Some writers and bloggers commit the cardinal sin of just turning up and hitting the publish button after throwing a block of text at a page and hope that Google will find you and your subscribers will read to the end of your article. There are some key tasks and elements that need attention before hitting that publish button.

Writing something interesting is just the start of the blogger and digital writer’s skill set that are essential to be successful on a crowded web. Top bloggers perfect the art of optimizing their blogs for readers and search and also learn the magic of marketing their content online.

10 Key Mistakes to Avoid

These are 10 key mistakes many writers and bloggers make.

1. Not Asking the Right Questions

There are some questions you should ask yourself before even punching those words into your keyboard and starting your article.

• Who is my audience?
• What are the problems my readers want me to provide solutions for?
• What topics or news will they find interesting

This where you need to start before you even write. Understand  your audience first and continue to watch what sort of articles resonate and receive the most retweets and comments and write more of that content type.

2. Poor Headline

Headlines are vital to attract readers to your article. The headline will appear on Twitter and Facebook and you have a few seconds to tempt them to click on the link that follows your headline. Learn to write a good headline, make it great and if you don’t know how to do that… read this article

3. No Introduction

A good introduction leads the reader into the article it could be an interesting story, analogy or even some attention grabbing facts and figures.

4. Include an Image that Only your Mother Would Love

Quite often an image is included that detracts rather than optimises the attractiveness of the post. An image at the top right or left of the post that adds to the professional nature of the article is essential and lends authority and credibility to the writing. Sourcing iconic images that can add an air of mystique or interest to your content can really provide a beneficial boost to your post. Choose your images with care and they can be sourced for free with a creative commons licence from Flickr.com

5. Forget to Include Multi Media

Adding multi media whether that be images, screen shots, infographics or video provides curiosity capturing  elements that readers love. It is worth using some screen shot software that offers additional features. The software that I cannot do without that I find extremely useful and use all the time is SnagIt. It is not essential for every article but always ask yourself the question… would an image, graph or screen shot tell the story better?

6. Use Big Boring Blocks of Text

This makes readers click away so fast that that you can only see their dust. Write sub-titles that keep drawing readers into your article.

Bullet points also make it easy for your audience to capture the important elements of the post. Remember we live in a digital age of skimming and scanning and time poor readers. Make it easy for them to read and don’t make them think or squint.

7. Use Text so Small You Need Binoculars

Have you ever picked up a magazine and the font is so small it almost hurts your eyes. A lot of top bloggers are now using 14 point font sizes and often in an “Arial” font as it is easy for most readers to view without pain and squinting!

8. Forget Addtional Reading Links

While you have them on blog, don’t forget to remind them about some of your other top posts on the topic by including a short list at the bottom of the article which are hyper linked.

9. Not Optimizing for Search Engines

Search engines can drive a lot of traffic your way. To ensure that you are optimizing your blog for Google and Bing so people can find you for those all important key words and phrases install a plugin for your WordPress Blog such as “All In One SEO Pack” downloadable from the plugin section of your blog. Also learn the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and apply it to your blog.

10. Don’t Promote or Market the Article

After hitting publish it is then time to market your blog on your social media channels. Tweet it, post it to your Facebook page. share it on Google+ and publish it on LinkedIn. By the way you are allowed to tweet your article more than once. I promise you that you will not be struck by lightning if you tweet it three or four times in one day!

So what mistakes do you need to correct!

Note: By the way, I am looking for guest authors and writers who might like to reach a monthly audience of nearly 200,000 readers, 70,000 plus Twitter followers and over 3,000 Facebook fans.

If  you would like some attention and have something to say about social media and blogging or have a slant on a topic that you think my readers might like, I look forward to hearing from you!

If you are interested you can contact me on my contact tab on this blog.

More Reading

• How To Write A Mind Blowing Headline For Twitter So People Will Read Your Blog
• 50 Ways To Optimize Your Blog
• 20 Simple Tips for Writing a Blog Post that Begs to Be Read
• 50 Social Media marketing Tips and Tactics

Image by Leo Reynolds

The blogger’s biggest challenge is to initially discover what will motivate them to get him up early or stay up late to create and market their ideas to a global audience.

Once you have discovered that “secret sauce” that provides you with the fuel and horsepower necessary to provide that energy, it becomes easier to then create the plans and then continue to build and maintain the blogging momentum, which we covered in part one and included the three initial steps that you need to take to build a strong foundation.

Step One: Identify your Passion and Innate Abilities

Step Two: Creating a Plan and Marketing Strategy

Step Three: Building the Blog and Blogging Basics

So passion, a plan and learning the blogging basics is just the start of the journey, you then need to come up with the ideas and then create the content that engages your audience.

Ideas or content can lie undiscovered for years in the vain hope that some one will stumble across them with a Google search. The most vital step after content creation in the blogger’s journey is to then learn the art of marketing.

The new social web provides that all important leverage  of “world of mouth”  to  reach and engage with a global audience.

In this article we will look at

Step 4: Creating content that engages your audience

Step 5: How to market to a global audience with social media

Step 6: Maintaining momentum

These final three steps will assist you in building a global and engaged audience for your blog.

Step Four: Creating Content that Engages Your Audience

The foundation for any long lasting engagement on the web that will keep people coming back is content that educates, inspires and solves problems.

Essentially there are 3 steps you need to consider in the process.

1. Come up with ideas for content consistently

2. Write headlines that will compel the reader to read

3. Structure the article so that they will keep on reading

1. Ideas for Content

Coming up with ideas  for content is a challenge for most bloggers.

So here are 17 Tips to help you assist you in coming up with ideas to create and develop content for your blog

17 Tips for Creating Content

1. Read other top blogs and develop content on industry Trends – where is the industry going, what are the emerging hot segments
2. Find out who your customers are and where they hang out and write and develop content that is then written in their language and publish it to those platforms. If you are writing for Gen Y then you will need to write in their language and publish to platforms like YouTube and Facebook. For more on this read  ”9 Questions To Ask Your Customers When Creating Content“
3. Write about customers successes – Write up a case study about a clients successful project, they will often let you publish their name
4. Publish content on what not to do! – highlighting where something hasn’t worked (the names shall remain anonymous of course)
5. Create a video blog post by interviewing a successful client – this can a powerful providing authentic evidence of authority and credibility for both you and the client. On how to do this check out “How To Create And Promote Your YouTube Video In 8 Simple Steps“
6. Write articles for the different types of customers that are relevant for each of  your vertical markets
7. Brainstorm blog post topics with colleagues and management and create a list for future reference and planning
8. Subscribe to the top industry blogs in your market, both company blogs and personal blogs for ideas
9. Look through your latest news releases for ideas
10. Sign up other staff to write on topics in your industry or market that they are passionate about
11. Video interview successful people in your industry. Check out  ”Social Media and The CEO: Video Interview With Greg Savage Of Aquent“
12. Turn the “how to” blog posts into short videos
13. When you have a great idea, go straight to your “add new” button on your post section of your WordPress blog and write the headline and save it as a draft or write it down before you forget it. ( I also use my notes feature on my iPhone to catch those moments of inspired thought)
14. Include a great iconic image at the start of the blog that catches the eye
15. Case Studies are always popular to write about and not just your own
16. Upload your Powerpoint presentations to Slideshare and then embed them in your Blog post this will allow people to view your PowerPoint presentations on the web anytime and anywhere
17. Run polls and surveys on your blog

2. Headlines

You have the ideas for creating the content but how do you get them to read it? The short answer ….”write a great headline”!

So what are the important elements in creating and writing a “great headline” and why is it so important?

Why is a headline important?

• Tests have shown that you can increase your conversion rate on a website or a link by 73% by the use of a compelling headline.
• Did you know that on average, 8 out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only 2 out of 10 will go on to read the rest of the copy. This is the secret to the power of the headline, and why it so highly determines the effectiveness of the entire piece
• Another test revealed that a good headline performed 259% better than the worst headline.

This means that up to nearly 3 times as many people would read your web page or view your video just through having spent some time ensuring that the headline is optimized.

So what are the basic requirements for writing that headline that will get people clicking and reading, viewing your content and copy whether that be video, presentation or text.

6 Headline Formulas

One way to start is to use a formula, so here are 6 headline types and examples  from Authority Blogger to get you started:

1. Get What You Want (In Health, Wealth, Relationships, Time and Lifestyle)

Example: “The Secret To Getting More Money For Your Property!”

2. Crystal Ball and History

Example: “10 Predictions on the Future of Social Media”

3. Problems and Fears

Example “Get Rid of Your Debt Once and For All”

4. Fact, Fiction, Truth and Lies

Example: “Little Known Ways To Make Money On The Stock Exchange”

5. How To, Tricks Of The Trade

Example: “How To Plan The Ultimate Holiday”

6. Best and Worst

Example: “The 10 Worst Mistakes Made by Bloggers

For more from the Authority Blogger blog here are 102 Proven Headline Formulas

Another very effective headline strategy is to use is ‘list’ headlines and these are some examples that I have used.

• 50 Ways To Optimize Your Blog
• 30 Things You Should Not Share On Social Media
• The 7 Secrets to Ford’s Social Media Marketing Success

You will notice that it is a ‘list’ format and includes numbers. A mega list headline  is a large list such as the  50 Ways To Optimize Your Blog or the 102 Proven Headline Formulas and can be very effective. I have experimented with these types of headlines and they have produced some of my best blog traffic results.

Learning to get the basics of  headline writing will make a big difference to your website and blog traffic especially when used in your online marketing such as email and Twitter.

So how are your headline copywriting skills?

3. Structuring Your Content so it Begs to be Read

The reality though is that the headline is just the start!… you want your visitor to stay and  read the whole article rather than bounce out to another website in an era of ‘click and go’.

We live in the era of ever decreasing attention and the art of keeping the reader engaged has now become an ongoing creative and scientific experiment of verbal and visual seduction.

The Age of Skimming

So writing that awesome headline has made the reader turn up but then you have to continue to entice, tease and intrigue the reader with the promise of more information, possible entertainment or a solution to the problem so that they will read on.

Skimming the article is the norm and with so much information competing for everyone’s attention, honing those writing skills is required to ensure that the information your post promised in the headline is transparently and readily available as your readers eyes scan the page.

People are Seeking Answers

Readers are seeking solutions and answers to their problems. They are asking questions.

• Will this video embedded in the article deliver the information I crave?
• Will the embedded slideshare presentation provide content that will help me with my next corporate boardroom meeting that will impress my customer and my boss?
• Will the rest of the article enlighten me or bore me?

The headline is important whether it is a Facebook news update and especially if it is on Twitter. Twitter has made the art of the headline more important than ever before because you only have 140 characters to tempt the potential reader to take action and click on the link that is embedded in your Tweet.

The Headline is the Start of the Seduction

What you need to realize is that the headline is the start of the seduction and your reader needs to be continually visually arrested to keep them on your page.

Here are a variety of tips and tactics to continue to lure the reader deeper into your article beyond the headline so that they will not just click away to somewhere else.

The Intro

The introduction is maybe the next most important element after the headline. This is an art rather than a science but there are some good tactics to ensure that you don’t lose them in the first sentence or paragraph. Mastering the art of copywriting can be arduous and the master copywriter Eugene Schartwz often spent days crafting the first 50 words of the sales copy and as a blogger you are in the business of selling your article one post at a time.

When writing the introduction these are some ideas to keep in mind.

1. Pose a Question

Challenging the reader to think engages their mind and makes them want to find out the answer.

2. Open with a Quote

This may inspire the reader to continue to read in the hope of finding out what lies beyond the next paragraph

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever” - Mohandas K . Gandhi

3. Provide a Personal and Powerful Story

The story teller has captivated people since fire was created and a personal or powerful story can be the honey to keep the reader and listener engaged whether that be around the campfire or within an article.

4. Quote an Enticing Fact or Statistic

If you are writing about Facebook it could be the fact that ”One in every eight minutes spent on the internet is on Facebook”  to draw the reader in.

5. Create Context

Lead into the main part of the article by creating the context for the rest of the story. Provide some background to the argument or solution you are about to put forward. It could be the condensed history of the topic or the facts and figures or the stating of the problem that needs solving.

6. Create a Mental Image

It could be a sentence opening with phrases such as  ’imagine this’  or ‘do you remember when’.

7. Analogies and Other Tricks

It could be a phrase such as “A writer without a blog is like a salesman without a telephone” that tempts and captures the readers attention.

Include  Key Words

This is one thing you should not ignore. What are the key words people will be looking for when they turn up. You also need to remember you are writing for two readers your audience and for the 1 million Google computer servers that are crawling and indexing your words, headlines and keywords. The challenge is to still write naturally but you need to be mindful of ‘Lord Google’.

Write Sub-Titles

Subtitles are your mini headlines that entice your reader to continue reading, they are teasers that may offer questions that promise more intriguing and inspiring content to follow.

Include Images

Images with screen shots with arrows and circles showing key points can be worth a thousand words and make learning clear and easy to follow through on. Make the solution a ‘no-brainer’.

Consider A Video

Sometimes a short 2 minute video can offer the reader a quick way to explain a concept or idea or solution that 500 words cannot convey. This could be embedded half way through the story. Remember you are writing for the web and rich interactive media is expected and demanded.

The Hyperlink

This is quite often overlooked and in a digital interconnected age the article that has hyperlinks promises a depth and a breadth of information that makes the reader want to explore. Links or additional resources at the end of an article that list valuable posts from your blog that are relevant are also valuable and encourage the reader to read more of your valuable blog content. I also recommend setting up the the links so they open up in a new browser window ensuring that the original page is still open and visible and waiting on their return.

Format For Scanning and Skimming

There is nothing more confronting than a wall of text that says to the reader..”If you want the information… good luck in finding it, because it may be buried here somewhere!”

So break it up into chunk sizes that is easy to digest and doesn’t create visual constipation.

This can be done in a variety of ways through

• Italics
• Call out box or block quote
• Short paragraphs
• Bullet points
• A short numbered list

Don’t Forget the Call to Act

This might be a phrase such as

“What is one thing that you can do do today that you have learnt from this post?”

The Closing

Closing is important and the main thing to remember is to close the loop by tying it back to the beginning. It could be a statement or a question.

Step Five: How to Market to a Global Audience with Social Media

Social media marketing has at  its core the foundation of valuable, shareable content in all the various forms of rich media whether that be text, video or images.

People watch YouTube videos because they are entertaining, educational or just plain funny. Viewers turn up to your Slideshare account and take the time to view a PowerPoint presentation because the content is compelling. LinkedIn works well for personal branding because you are providing answers to your peers to questions in the Q&A section and providing updates that answers problems, informs and educates.

Twitter teases you to click on links that are engaging blog posts or news that is topical and timely. The knowledge economy is all about the content. Facebook is where most of your audience is online so content needs to be posted and updated to the social giants ecosystem.

Social media marketing is the most efficient way to spread your content and ideas to a global audience. The secret sauce is to allow you to create a ‘social media synergy’ that totals a sum far greater than the individual parts. Most people think that Facebook “is” social media but I would encourage you to use a multi-channel social media marketing approach.

This approach is to guide you to go beyond being just ‘Facebook Centric’ and provide substance, endurance and longevity to your on-line presence and digital assets. This will assist you in optimizing and integrating the multiple social media platforms listed below

Some of these tips are basic for some but this is a checklist that may assist you in synergizing your online presence and bring traffic and viewers to your global digital properties.

50 Social Media Marketing Tips and Tactics

Blog

1. Produce inspiring, educational and awesome content that is so compelling that people want to share it, this is the foundation of your marketing. All media is about good content and social media is no different
2. Write regularly and consistently, people will then come and visit regularly and keep coming back because they know it will be new and topical (that is why magazines have regular publishing time frames)
3. Learn to write a headlines that make people want to read the rest of your article
4. Use ‘list’ posts (eg 50 Fascinating Facebook Facts and Figures) regularly. They may be a bit passe for some, but they work and tend to get passed around online
5. Place a Retweet button on your blog at the top of the posts (WordPress plugins make this really easy to do)
6. Place a Facebook share  button at the top of all posts
7. Include a Facebook ‘like box’ near the top right side of the blog so people can ‘like’ your Facebook page even while they are on your blog
8. Place a LinkedIn share button on your blog (LinkedIn has over 100 million users and they are typically high earners and influential)
9. Comment regularly on other bloggers in your niche
10. As you grow your traffic and followers, highlight this on your blog and demonstrate some ‘social proof’. This could even include the number of Twitter followers you have or awards you have won or your website grade or even your Twitter grade
11. Make it easy for people to subscribe via email (email marketing may be perceived as old school but it works big time!)
12. Offer to guest post on a another influential bloggers blogs and provide a link back to your blog as part of the agreement
13. Provide subscribe buttons so people can follow you on your other web properties (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc)
14. Provide a subscription button via RSS so people can have your posts pushed to them in their  ’Google Reader’ account after they are published

More reading

• 105 Tips to Make Your Blog Rock

Facebook

The blogger should think of Facebook as an extension of their blog. It is a another distribution point to place your content that makes it easy for people to share. Facebook provides bloggers with an audience of over 750 million people and this is equivalent to one in every 13 people on the planet.

So publishing to Facebook and engaging with your audience there is vital in your social media marketing plans. So  here are 8 tips to market your blog on Facebook

1. Update your Facebook ‘Page’ with your blog posts straight after publishing
2. Provide content and links on your Facebook page that will make them want to share and like your updates
3. Include Twitter in your menu (This is available as a standard setting on your Facebook fan page)
4. Run polls using the standard Facebook ‘Question’ feature (above the ‘Write something’ box) to engage your audience and involve them
5. Link to your Facebook page in your email newsletter
6. Run a competition on Facebook
7. Use a reveal tab that is set up as your landing page that provides access to unique content, this could be a video a content or even a voucher
8. Respond to all comments on your Facebook page in a timely fashion

More reading

• How To Take Your Company Facebook Page From Zero To 40,000 Fans

Twitter

1. Acquire  Twitter followers – quantity is important
2. Engage and develop Twitter followers within your niche using Tweepi (Tweepi.com makes it easy to follow followers of influential bloggers on Twitter) or Twellow.com (Twellow provides a tool that enables you to find powerful Twitter follower lists in your niche) – this is the quality part of the Twitter equation
3. Share the content of  influential Twitter people and let them know by including their Twitter name eg @Jeffbullas
4. Automate the tweeting of other bloggers content that you trust and add value to your followers with other peoples articles and content
5. Tweet regularly and consistently the posts of other influential bloggers in your topic category
6. Automate the retweeting of your great content so it is not forgotten and buried in the archives (SocialOomph professional can be setup to do this)
7. When tweeting your posts include # tags that deliver the Tweet to # groups/lists eg #SocialMedia

More reading

• How to Write a Mind Blowing Headline for Twitter so People will Read Your Blog

YouTube

1. Interview influential people in your topic category on video and post them to YouTube
2. Include your website/blog link in your profile
3. Automate sharing after posting (available under ‘Account settings” then ‘Activity Sharing’ , then choose the social accounts and as a minimum select Facebook and Twitter (Reader, Orkut and MySpace are also able to be enabled)
4. Write a headline that is ‘keyword’ rich for your industry and niche
5. Write a tempting and teasing headline that makes the potential viewer want to ‘hit’ the play button
6. Place a link to your blog at the beginning of each description for each video and make sure you write a description that includes keywords and inviting description
7. Include keyword tags for each video

More reading

• 9 Secrets of an Online Video Marketing Strategy

LinkedIn

1. Use all three website or links that LinkedIn allows in your profile (these can point to your website, blog and Facebook)
2. Make your LinkedIn profile ‘Public’ in your settings
3. Pose questions in the Q&A section of LinkedIn with links to your possible answer as a post link
4. Setup a LinkedIn profile for your blog (not just your personal profile)
5. Integrate your Slideshare into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application’ button at the bottom right of your home page
6. Integrate your Blog post feed into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application’ button at the bottom right of your home page
7. Add your Twitter feed into your LinkedIn account using the ‘Add an Application’

Slideshare

1. Turn your posts into PowerPoint presentations and post them to Slideshare
2. Write a good headline both on the presentation itself and the Title area
3. Include keyword tags that would be used to find the presentation
4. Promote your presentations on Twitter
5. Allow viewers to download your presentation to assist in making it easy for people to share
6. Post them to your Facebook page
7. In choose a license make it  CC (Creative Commons) License so people can use your content and then attribute and link to your blog

Apply some of these tips and you maybe surprised in the journey that unfolds as you and your company are discovered and shared and your goods and services are purchased because you were ‘found’.

Step Six: Maintaining the Momentum

Maintaining momentum in any sphere of your life is a challenge whether it is a business, a relationship or as a blogger and there are no easy answers.

What I have discovered is that  if the combination of innate ability and passion that you discovered and drove you from day one are true to your purpose then maintaining momentum will not be difficult.

What I have also found helpful are 3 key activities to maintain the energy and the forward motion

Reading – It doesn’t matter if it is offline or online reading this provides new ideas that will keep the inspiration flowing

Sharing – Talking to your tribe of like minded people whether it is on Twitter or over a coffee or lunch will provide you with new insights and fuel to maintain the blogging momentum

Disrupting – Push your self into new areas that will challenge you and will keep you learning and motivated

Starting the journey is the easy part but true success is the found in persistence that will bring true self discovery and maybe a life that becomes a masterpiece.

For those of you which want to read the first in this two part series:  How a Blogger can Build a Global Audience from Zero: Part One

Image by Jorge Quinteros