{"id":2902,"date":"2012-01-11T20:09:06","date_gmt":"2012-01-11T20:09:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sanctuarymg.com\/academy\/?p=2902"},"modified":"2022-05-26T09:31:18","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T13:31:18","slug":"content-marketing-6-ideas-to-better-blogging-in-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sanctuarymg.com\/academy\/content\/content-marketing-6-ideas-to-better-blogging-in-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Marketing: 6 Ideas To Better Blogging in 2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a new year and you\u2019ve made a commitment to content marketing<\/em> because you know it works.<\/p>\n

After all, successful internet marketing is rooted in content marketing\u2026and Search Engine Optimization<\/a> efforts thrive<\/em> when a continuous stream of great content feeds the likes of Google, Bing, Yahoo and a myriad of 2nd tier search engine providers.<\/p>\n

But content marketing can be a pain in the\u2026.Ummm\u2026 let\u2019s go with \u2019neck\u2019.<\/p>\n

Just as we launch the new year with great intentions to lose weight, watch less television and spend more time with our family, it’s tempting to make bold resolutions when it comes to doing what\u2019s right to grow your business.<\/p>\n

Inevitably, we find ourselves overcommitted, under-resourced, and out of ideas.<\/p>\n

So what can we do to ensure your content marketing plan is successful?<\/p>\n

Here are 6 ideas to make content marketing more enjoyable and effective:<\/h2>\n

1. Avoid Overcommitting Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most SEO companies would tell you that you need at least three new articles a week to make a dent in the universe. This is the minimum to gain the notice of a loyal cadre of readers. This is a lie.<\/p>\n

Yes, frequency does play a huge part in the weight search engines assign to content from your website\u2019s blog. But it\u2019s just one measure. Given the choice between quality and quantity — shoot for quality.<\/p>\n

That may mean you can only do one article a week. Maybe even only one article every two weeks. But, if it’s an excellent article that readers link to, reference and share with their universe of contacts that one article can pay dividends for years (and years).<\/p>\n

One is better than none. And if you overcommit, you\u2019ll burn out and stop producing altogether.<\/p>\n

The key is to set a pace and frequency which is right for you<\/em> and to which you can COMMIT to executing.<\/p>\n

So instead of saying \u2018I\u2019m going to write X articles a week.\u2019 Try changing that to, \u2018I\u2019m going to form a habit<\/span> of writing X articles a week.\u2019<\/p>\n

Something which might help you get started is creating an editorial calendar<\/a> for yourself.<\/p>\n

2. Create an Endless Pool of Content Ideas
\n<\/strong> I hate a blank page. Every writer does. Coming up with creative ideas on command seems practically impossible.<\/p>\n

But the truth is we\u2019re inspired every day with new ideas, we just fail to capture them. The trick is to have a system for collecting these ideas. That way, when it comes time to pound out your next article you have an inventory of great ideas that will inspire you enough to write 400-1000 words.<\/p>\n

Some writers have a notepad handy to jot their ideas down and then when they get to their office they dump the new ideas into a file folder (or swipe file) for future reference. I use Evernote (http:\/\/www.evernote.com) because it\u2019s always available to me and is easily accessible from my phone, the web or my computer. I can even email these ideas to a specific folder I\u2019ve created called \u2018blog posting ideas.\u2019 That way, the ideas are always just there waiting for me when I\u2019m ready.<\/p>\n

I also like to use \u2018Google Alerts\u2019 (http:\/\/www.google.com\/alerts) keyed to key phrases in my industry that trigger messages to my \u2018idea file\u2019 each time a topic of interest is discovered by Google. This is really powerful if you want to focus on topical \/ trending content as the alerts come to you in real-time.<\/p>\n

3. Establish A Structure and Focus For Your Content<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rarely had the words flowed from my penny pencil with such feverish fluidity\u2026
\n–A Christmas Story<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Writing is painful and time-consuming because most of us are shooting for perfection with our first draft.<\/p>\n

We hit a phrase that doesn\u2019t quite scratch our itch so we work and re-work a 6 word phrase until it\u2019s \u2018just right.\u2019 In the end, we spend so much time focused on the phrasing of a single sentence we forget the key point we were trying to make with the article. So we write and write until we finally land on a point and we settle in on that point because we\u2019re just so tired.<\/p>\n

Establishing a structure and focus for your article can help streamline the writing process. Simply by blocking out the key questions you want to answer, the points you want to make, and the areas you need to research can make your life a lot easier.<\/p>\n

If you start with something akin to a form that you fill out, it may help get the creative juices flowing and allow you to stay on point.<\/p>\n

An Example:
\nTitle:________________________________________________
\nMain Takeaway:_______________________________________
\nPoint 1:_____________________________________________
\nPoint 2:_____________________________________________
\nPoint 3:_____________________________________________
\nCall to Action:________________________________________
\nReference Materials:____________________________________<\/p>\n

Once a loose structure is set you can free-form all you want.<\/p>\n

4. Divvy Up Your Roles and Responsibilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many hands make light work.<\/p>\n

If you can enlist a team of co-workers, colleagues, friends, family\u2026whoever\u2026to assist you through the writing process, you\u2019ll avoid feeling overburdened and get a better quality product.<\/p>\n

If you can identify the areas of interest and strength within your organization you can set up a mini production line that assigns responsibility and contribution from each of your team members to add value and depth to your blog post.<\/p>\n

Some areas of division of the duties beyond actually writing the whole article yourself can include:<\/p>\n