How to Write Captivating Blog Posts

February 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Blogging is an increasingly popular way for people to express themselves. However, some blogs gather massive audiences while others remain stagnant. What is it that separates an A-list blog from all the others? Here are a few things that you can do to make your blog more interesting:

Tell stories

Stories are interesting to people. Whatever message you are trying to convey in your blog post, try to find a story to tell that goes along with it. It can be something that happened to you or someone else. Using stories can be a powerful way to convey your message while keeping your audience engaged at the same time.

Express Opinions

Sharing your personal thoughts and opinions is another way to stand out from the crowd. A lot of bloggers just state facts and although these facts may be useful and interesting to people, sharing your thoughts, ideas, and opinions can make things even more interesting. Try to create a personal connection with your reader.

Master Copywriting

Although copywriting is commonly used for marketing and advertising, it can also be useful for every day blogging. Spend a significant amount of time crafting a good title to your article. Also, spend some time looking over all the sub-titles within the article as well. If you devote some time to studying copywriting, you will probably find that your writing and your ability to captivate your audience will improve over time.

Try and Experience Things

One key difference between an A-list blogger and everyone else is that they actually take the time to try out different things related to their niche. There’s a big difference in learning about something and actually going out and doing it. When you try things, you learn little details that you wouldn’t otherwise have learned just from reading about it.

Sometimes these experiences can become interesting stories for your blog. Share things that invoke or involve emotion. Sometimes it can be hard to share personal experiences with the world, but many of the most successful bloggers are not afraid to do this. Sharing experiences creates a personal connection that is commonly absent on the web.

Pay Attention to What Your Readers are Interested In (Hint: Check Your Blog Comments)

Figure out what your readers are interested in and try to give them more of what they want. The blog commenting system gives you a chance to interact with your readers and see what kinds of questions and concerns they have.

Some people turn off blog comments because they don’t want to deal with spam or because they don’t have time to answer everyone’s comments. Turning off comments entirely is a mistake. Blog comments can give you tons of ideas on what to write on or do next, not to mention building connections with other people that are interested in the same things you are.

Stay Heavily Informed on Your Topic

One of the most important things to do, if you want to become a top blogger in your niche, is to stay informed on your topic of choice. Follow the top bloggers on your topic, news in your niche, video bloggers, and anyone else who puts our regular content. Reading and learning about your topic will give you ideas for future blog posts and keep your posts interesting for your audience.

Consider Using Images, Video, Audio and Other Media

But only if it is relevant to your blog post. Clip art can be used to make your blog look nicer and there is nothing wrong with that. However, relevant images and media can make it easier to convey your message to your readers.

 

The Don’ts of Blogging

Asides from doing all the right things, there are also a few things you may want to avoid when blogging. This list could be way longer than it is, but here are just a few things to avoid when blogging:

Don’t Just Create Lists

Creating lists is a popular way of creating blog content, guest posts, and article marketing. Lists are easy to follow and are an organized way of presenting information. It’s perfectly okay to create lists every now and then, but don’t overdo it. A blog that is only lists can become boring.

Instead, add stories and personal experiences as well. Even business blogs can benefit from this. Creating personal connection with your audience can create more interest in your blog and increase your following.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute to Post

Have posts scheduled in advance and don’t wait until the last minute to write your post. If you wait until the last minute, you won’t have time to revise and improve your message. Of course if an event occurs and you feel the need to write about it immediately, then you can do so. But try not to put yourself into a situation when you need to write to meet your weekly deadline and don’t have any good ideas.

Blog for People, not Search Engines

Some people use keyword research to find topics to blog about. While it is a good idea to be aware of what people are searching for and to take a little time to optimize your posts for the search engines, remember that ultimately you should be writing for your human visitors.

It is people that will actually link to your content and share it with others. The top bloggers always write for their audiences and worry about SEO as an afterthought.

Other Tips

Here are a few other writing and blogging tips.

Create Outlines of Ideas in Advance and Schedule Posts

Creating posts and writing ideas in advance can help you write better posts. It gives you time to think about what you wrote and go back and add things later. Also, if you have posts scheduled weeks in advance, it takes the pressure off when you have those periods when you feel like you just don’t have anything to write about.

Keep Writing – It Will Only Get Better

The more you practice writing, the better your writing will get. Practicing and persistence will improve just about any skill. Keep writing and reading about how to be an effective blogger.

Focus on Quality over Quantity

Writing more often will get you more search engine traffic, but some of the most followed blogs are only updated a few times a month. With blogging, it is more about quality than quantity. Pay attention to things like user engagement, Facebook likes, Re-tweets, user comments, and other related metrics. Remember that sometimes less is more.

It’s Not All About the Numbers

Some niches are bigger than others, so if your subscriber count is way lower than another blogger in another niche, then that might not necessarily be a bad sign. If you have an active readership and your readers are commenting on your blog, then keep going. It’s easier to blog about topics that you have a strong interest in, so even if it’s a smaller niche, then it might still be worth doing.

Link to Other Interesting Content on the Web

If you find other interesting things on the web that your audience might be interested in, then link to them. Sometimes there are lots of other articles that are related to yours that can be helpful to your audience. Sharing these resources with your readership can further improve your credibility as well.

Filed Under: Writing and Blogging Tagged With: , ,

My First BNI Referral Group Meeting

February 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I recently read Marketing for Solos by Jeanna Pool and one of the things I learned about that I didn’t see in other freelance books is the existence of referral groups like BNI (Business Networking International). Business referral groups get together on a regular basis and refer business to each other. And BNI is the largest organization of this type.

One of the reasons I wanted to start my own web design business was to get into a business that involved finding clients. Most of my friends and some family members have businesses that rely on this form of marketing. If I get good at it, then I can help a lot of people I know.

When I read about referral groups, I knew I had to check it out. So I went to the BNI website (www.bni.com), located some local chapters that had an opening for a web designer, and sent an email to the president of one of the lunch groups. She let me join them for lunch as a visitor.

A Little Background

Basically BNI groups meet either in the morning or afternoon for breakfast or lunch for an hour and a half. They meet once a week and attendance is required. This policy weeds out people who are not serious and gives the members a good chance to get to know each other.

Each group is run differently, but they all have the same purpose – to exchange business referrals with each other. The cost is a little under $500 for a whole year plus the expenses of dining out every week.

Only one person from each profession is allowed per group. For example, if you are a wedding planner, then no other wedding planners are allowed in your group. This policy is to prevent competition among members.

The Lunch

Here is a summary of what they did in this particular chapter.

1. I went in and selected my meal from the menu and was seated.

2. The tables were shaped in a U, so I got to mostly talk to the people that were sitting next to me, a member and another guest.

3. Everyone went around the table and introduced themselves and what they do.

4. One of the members, an insurance salesperson, gave a speech about insurance. It appears that each week, a different member gets to give a presentation to the group.

5. Everyone ate their lunch.

6. They passed around a box for members to put their business cards into (so that other members can give them out). They also exchanged referrals with each other, which were written down on a referral slip.

7. To conclude, they asked the guests what they liked and learned from the meeting.

8. After lunch, everyone left promptly. I guess since it was a weekday, everyone had to run back to work.

What I Liked

There were some things I liked and didn’t like. Here are some of the things I liked:

1. It is more organized than casual networking events. As a result, it is likely more effective for most people.

2. Regular attendance policy allows people to get to know each other, which is a critical aspect of REAL networking. At casual networking events, you meet a lot of people and quickly forget who they are.

3. They take it seriously – Having a group of like-minded professionals who are serious about generating leads for each other can no doubt be a powerful source of business success. There is no doubt in my mind that members in this group generate far more leads for each other than people at casual networking events.

4. Camaraderie – This setting allowed freelancers to make friends with others. It’s good to be part of a group that wants to help you succeed.

5. High Standard of Service – Members must agree to provide a high standard of service and integrity in their business dealings. This ensures that you as the referrer will look good to the person you are giving the referral to.

What I Wasn’t Too Crazy About

There are a few things that I wasn’t crazy about and a lot of these things are debatable. I’m sure some people will disagree, but here are my opinions:

1. Strict Attendance policy – You are required to attend every meeting and if you cannot, then you must get someone else to go in your place. I see the logic in requiring attendance, but I would allow some flexibility. Perhaps a few weeks off for the whole year along with sick days. Sometimes I like to travel and go away for weeks at a time, so this would be a hard option for me unless I had a readily available substitute. As long as people attend often enough, I think the effect will still be the same.

2. Meeting Times – All the BNI groups in the area meet either at 7:30am (zzz) or lunch time during the week. These times are probably inconvenient for a lot of people as this is when people would normally be working.

3. Time Commitment – By joining BNI, you are committing to 2 hours per week of your time (if your chapter meets weekly, which most do). Not to mention the time it takes to travel to the meeting location. Another thing to consider is the shift in energy that occurs when you disrupt your normal routine.

4. Only One Member Allowed from Each Profession – Some people might see this as a positive, but there are many negatives as well. Sometimes the best referrers can be someone in your own profession that is too busy to handle all their leads.

Also, your “competitors” aren’t necessarily competitors. For example, two people that make websites: one might be a WordPress specialist and another might be a Flash programmer. These two people might actually be a good fit for each other in terms of cross referring business.

Also, imagine that there are 3 referral groups in your area, but you are only allowed to go to one of them. Wouldn’t you rather be able to go to all three and have 3x as many potential lead generators? Even if it meant a little potential competition?

5. Not Much Time to Connect with Other Members – The entire meeting was planned out, so there wasn’t time to freely mingle with other members. Everyone left right after too because it was a work day.

6. Felt a little “exclusive” – A few of the group members introduced themselves to me, but not most. I felt like until you join the group, you are sort of an outsider. Smart networkers try to connect with everyone, but then again, maybe it was due to the meeting structure and time.

7. People are suppose to recommend other members of the group to friends, family, and clients. But what if I know someone else that is a better caterer or real estate agent for example? This could result in a conflict of interest. Essentially, I would like the freedom to recommend the best person because who I refer reflects on me and my reputation.

Some Tips

1. If you join BNI, pick your group carefully. Once you are in a group, you can’t leave and join another BNI group. It’s all about the people in the group, so be sure you connect with them well and that they seem like people who you can exchange leads with. I recommend you check out multiple groups before signing up, because each group will be different depending on who is running it.

2. Pay attention to the people and how the group is run. Some groups are more laid back and some are more structured. Also, be sure you can connect with the people there. People are more likely to refer people that they know, like and trust.

3. If you don’t join a referral group, then consider forming your own. Think about some of the things you like and don’t like about BNI. I would suggest making your own group free.

To sum it up, I think BNI and other referral groups are definitely worth checking out if you are a freelancer. There were a lot of open groups in my area. However, visit different groups to see how they are run and think carefully about the time commitment.

Filed Under: Freelance Ideas

Freelancing: Short Term Clients vs Long Term Clients

February 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Many people start their own businesses by freelancing. Once you become good at a certain skill, it is often the easiest way to get started. Also, there are many things you can do without having to go back to college and get a degree.

One important thing to think about before pursuing a freelance career is the client life cycle. In other words, will your customer use your services just once or on an ongoing basis. Most freelancers don’t enjoy sales and marketing and if the idea of continually promoting yourself to get work drains you of energy, then consider some of these freelance professions:

1. Admins / Data Entry – Administrative professionals can do a lot of different things for a business and any business will eventually need admins. There is a ton of competition for admin positions, but there are a few things you can do to stand out and command a reasonable salary rate.

Firstly, attention to details and being organized is very important. Finding someone with sharp attention to details is actually quite difficult and sometimes I have to sift through close to 100 applicants to find one that even qualifies. Check over your work carefully before submitting it.

Communicate well and be reliable with your employer and anyone else you might come into contact with. Communication can prevent misunderstandings.

Admins do often get hired for one time gigs, but keep an eye out for ongoing positions. Another key is to specialize in an area to stand out from other admins. An example would be specializing in accurate e-commerce data entry and catering to e-commerce businesses.

2. Bookkeeper – For people with good attention to details, bookkeeping is a good field to consider. Once you find your clients, they will need you to update their records regularly.

3. SEO / Social Media Marketer – Although many people will hire internet marketers only for a little while, smarter businesses know that marketing needs to be done on an ongoing basis. If you are good at marketing, sustaining work for a long duration will not be difficult.

4. Ghost Blogger – Writing can be a spotty gig as people might just need a few articles or an e-book. However, if you find a blogger that is tired of updating their content or is running out of ideas on what to write about, then ghost blogging can be a good field to get into. A good idea is to approach bloggers to offer your services to them, particularly blogs that are generating income.

5. Customer Service – There are many companies that need customer service support and some will even allow you to work at home. Make sure your customer service philosophy is in line with the company’s policy. For example, some companies will want the customer to be satisfied at any cost while other companies will want you to adhere to policy. Sometimes familiarity with certain industries, like IT support, can allow you to specialize in a field and make more money than general customer service.

6. Coaching and Consulting – Coaching has risen in popularity over recent years. Life coaches can make $100/hr easily and business coaches and consultants can make even more. To become a coach, you need to be self driven to learn about the field that you are interested in. Once you get to the point where you know more than your target prospects and can help them with their problems, finding long-term clients should be no problem.

Of course there are plenty of other professions where you will have ongoing clients, but these are some of the ones where you don’t need an advanced degree or years of schooling.

Other Popular Freelance fields

Here are some other fields where people sometimes need to market themselves on an ongoing basis. It is possible to find long-term clients in these fields as well, but you have to look in the right places:

1. Graphic Designer – A lot of people will hire graphic designers to do logos, banner ads, and graphics for their website. Graphic designers also get hired for a variety of other short term projects. For longer term projects and ongoing clients, look for businesses that need regular advertisements, like nightclubs and local businesses that distribute flyers. Also, consider targeting or partnering with web design companies and other website developers.

2. Programmer – On freelance sites like Elance, programmers and developers are often called on to fix problems or create solutions. Some of these projects can be short and some of them can last longer. A good programmer should always develop their skills and stay up to date with the latest trends.

After building up a portfolio and reputation, it becomes easier to find longer term projects and clients. Bigger companies are also worth approaching because they often have ongoing needs and bigger budgets. Programming is also a higher paying profession than some other freelance gigs.

3. Writing – People that write articles, do press releases, and do copy writing can also find themselves looking for work regularly. Good marketing and word of mouth can be helpful in finding more work. For longer term clients, target companies with ongoing marketing needs.

Looking for work and new clients is very time consuming and it’s work that you have to do that you don’t get paid for. So before you decide on a freelance profession, take this factor into account.

A few tips for getting more regular work

In the world of freelancing, it’s not always possible to avoid losing clients or having contracts end. Sometimes these things are sudden and out of your control. Here are a few ways to make sure you have enough to sustain yourself:

1. Take a Close Look at Your Rates – Consider raising your rates if your work is truly excellent. If not, then do what it takes to develop excellence in what you do. There are always clients that are willing to pay well for good quality work. Seek out those clients first and make sure you can deliver to their standards. Save some money so that you won’t have to panic when slower times arrive.

2. Develop an ongoing process for marketing your services – Create a systematic process to market yourself, even when you still have work. Don’t wait until you run out of work. Dedicate a certain amount of time each day or week to do these activities. Write down your step by step process so that you know exactly what to do.

3. Always be on the lookout for ongoing long-term clients – You don’t need to apply for every job that comes by, but if you spot a potential customer that might provide ongoing work, then try to connect with them at the very least, even if you are busy at the moment.

4. Gather testimonials and strengthen your portfolio – Get testimonials from previous satisfied clients and gather them in one place. You can place these on your own website or create a testimonial page. See if some of your best customers will allow you to list them as references with their contact information.

Create a portfolio of your best work. Anything else that you can think of that might cause someone to hire you, be sure to include it.

Filed Under: Freelance Ideas Tagged With: , , ,