Congratulations! You’ve been invited to write as a guest author on someone else’s blog. But easy there, tiger! Before you start typing up that perfect guest post, there are a few things you will certainly want to learn first.
Hopefully, this Mother’s Day will be a celebration of mom because she’s a great parent, and not because she’s your only blog reader. While it’s great if your mom loves what you’re writing, here’s hoping she’s not your only reader. And if she seems to be?
Why is it that only mom is a loyal reader? Where are the rest of the readers?
For a blogger, defining the competition isn’t always an easy thing to do. At first glance, it would seem we’re competing against other bloggers. More often than not, that isn’t the case. That would be far too simple. Our real competition is all of the other things that our readers could be doing. Playing games on their iPhone, watching television, or heck, even sleeping.
How do we outshine such a massive field of competition? One of the most reliable methods is to develop a sprit of learning.
Yes, learning. A spirit of learning is one of the most important tools that a blogger needs for success, and it comes in two very different froms.
You can’t rely on luck to get your blog posts read.
We’ve talked about having a good mix on your blog, and how you should create a regular blog schedule that takes into account different types of content. This time, we’re not talking about types of content, but the way in which you write the actual post.
There are four methods of approach for any topic or content piece, and understanding how best to use these four methods can make or break your blogging (and guest blogging) career. Readers will read your blogs based on your ability to use these four methods, not on luck.
I’ve probably watch the video of Steve Jobs unveiling the original Macintosh a dozen times. Every time, I am still in awe of what it says about products, and the people who sell them.
The best part is almost certainly the wide grin that Steve Jobs displays at the 4:18 mark. He was busting with pride. He loved the Mac, like a father loves a son.
Isn’t this how it should be for all of us? Shouldn’t we love the things that we are selling? Shouldn’t we love our content?
A style guide is meant to keep multiple authors on the same page, which could be a complicated thing.
It could have every last bit of information your blog writers need to know, answering every question they might ever have. It could be complex and complete and, unfortunately, a reason for your team to blog terribly.
Why would blogging suffer because of a comprehensive style guide?
In business, the goal is has always been to outdo the competition. It may be through a better price, better customer service, or a better product. Every business has to find its secret weapon in order to succeed.
Is a blog really any different?
Nope. Every blog is in competition for readers, even your’s. So, how do you compare to your competition? Do you stand out?
Are you blogging for your reader’s benefit, or are you just wanting to use them for your benefit?
This is not a post about writing tips.
It is not a post about making your writing last. It is not going to tell you how to refresh a stagnant blog. I’m not going to tell you about social media, or marketing, for your blog. It is not a post about creativity, or writer’s block, or using your blog to change the world. I’m not here to give you a kick in the pants to get you writing, or tell you how to shape up your writing habits.
That stuff has already been covered.
This is a post about three things you must understand before you begin to blog. Three things that, if ignored, will find you squirming uncomfortably in your blogging chair.
Google+ has a huge user base. Wouldn’t it be perfect for blogging?
Lately, I have been hearing a lot of noise about using Google+ for blogging. I love Google+. It’s big, and it’s growing rapidly. It’s shaping up to be a serious online contender that moves beyond just another social network, but blogging? Is this really a good idea?
Probably not.
Do you think about your content in blobs, or in chunks?
We’ve started a subtle series here on the this blog about something called adaptive content. Adaptive content has a relatively simple goal: put great content in as many places as possible. In part, this is a definition for the future of content creation tools. In reality, it is also a workflow mentality that all content creators must adopt.
TV Guide created chunks, and they are glad they did.
To start, we content creators need to start thinking about our content in ways that go beyond the typical article or blog post. We need to think about where it is going, and where it will be used in the future. The premise is simple. Ten years ago could you have imagined how content would be consumed today. On smartphones? From tablets? Through a 140 character tweet?
At this point, we have no idea where, when, or how our content will appear in another decade. The publishing tools, readers and devices will all change. The big question is, how should responsible content creators prepare? How do we keep it from taking us by surprise?
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