Finding your corporate voice begins by asking why your company blogs. While secondary purposes of customer service and feedback, employee engagement, and community involvement are important, the primary purpose of most business blogs is to bring leads to the top of the funnel. So, with that in mind, a corporate blog's voice should appeal to [...]
So, how can you stay ahead of your blog? If you're reading this, I'm guessing you're behind on your blog. We've all clicked the blog tab on a website to find the last post was published three months ago or longer. It may have happened to you. First, you're not alone. Second, you can get [...]
A compelling blog layout attracts and engages visitors. The key to creating a successful blog layout is twofold: understanding the medium and how readers consume blog posts. A Blog Isn't a Book Reading content on a screen, whether on a PC, laptop, or mobile device, is different from reading a printed page. We scroll, swipe, [...]
I use a 6-step blog writing system to keep me on track. I’ve written a lot about blogging, even a book, How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever. However, the other day my best friend asked me how to write an article for an online publication. I asked what her topic was. She [...]
Should you update old blog posts? How many blog posts have you published, 50, 100, 1,000, or more? I've published more than 5,000 on several sites. That's a lot of content, more than two million words. Repurposed or not, the content helps with SEO (Search Engine Optimization), but why leave it at that? Why not [...]
A few years ago, I attended a class on writing skills taught by John A. Wieland (Business/Professional Writing Skills). Mr. Wieland, the IUPUI Outstanding Distinguished Associate Faculty Member in 2010, shared a wealth of tips and ideas. One stood out for me — use smaller words. Short is often better. He discussed how conquerors of Britain changed the [...]
How important is proper grammar for a blog? My friend, Eric Deckers, a great writer I respect, who (or is it "whom?") has written for newspapers for more than 20 years, said he never learned when to use "who" or "whom," and didn't care. Another writer/editor friend, whose work I thoroughly enjoy, was uncertain about [...]
The other day someone asked me why I write books. I answered to help people. The person looked at me and said, “Of course but you want to make money, gain exposure, and find new clients don’t you?” That’s all good, but it’s not the reason I write books. Let me explain. My first book [...]
Someone's creating the content people are searching for, is it you? If you're creating content regularly, if you post new content on your blog (minimum once a week, but two to five is better, much better), if you share checklists, case studies, guidebooks, and video—then this post isn't for you. But if you think content [...]
How to drastically improve your blog in 24 hours may be easier than you think. There's so much to consider when creating a blog, layout, typography, topics, platforms, plugins, photos, promotion, and content. All are essential. The adage, "content is king," is more important than ever, as search engine algorithms separate "human" content from bots, [...]
