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The Importance Of A Content Marketing Strategy

25th December
By Jason Daly

The Importance Of A Content Marketing Strategy

As a business owner, you know that content is important. But what you may not realize is just how important a content marketing strategy is to the success of your business.

Your content marketing strategy is the foundation of your content marketing efforts. It is the roadmap that will guide you in creating content that is relevant and interesting to your target audience.

Without a content marketing strategy, you will likely find yourself creating content that is not aligned with your business goals. This can lead to wasted time and resources and can even hurt your bottom line.

A content marketing strategy will help you to focus your content marketing efforts, and to create content that is both engaging and effective. If you're not sure where to start, there are plenty of resources available to help you get started.

But the bottom line is this: a content marketing strategy is essential to the success of your business. So if you don't have one, now is the time to create one.

What Is A Content Marketing Strategy?

When it comes to your business, there is no such thing as a one size fits all marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy should be as unique as your business, and it should be designed to help you achieve your specific business goals.

A content marketing strategy is a plan for how you will create and distribute content that will attract and engage your target audience. It should be aligned with your overall business goals and objectives, and it should be based on your audience's needs and wants.

Your content marketing strategy should be developed with your audience in mind. It should answer the question of "what's in it for them?" and it should be designed to meet their needs and desires.

Your content marketing strategy should be flexible and adaptable. As your business grows and changes, so should your content marketing strategy.

Your content marketing strategy should be measurable. You should be able to track and measure your results so that you can adjust and improve your strategy as needed.

A content marketing strategy is not a one-time effort. It should be an ongoing process that you continually refine and adjust.

Content marketing is a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Content marketing's purpose is to attract and retain customers by creating and curating relevant and valuable content. With content marketing, businesses aim to become publishers or broadcasters of timely, relevant, and engaging content in order to attract, nurture, and convert a clearly defined audience of buyers.

Content marketing differs from other marketing efforts in several key ways:

It's a long-term strategy: Unlike most other marketing initiatives, content marketing is not a campaign or a one-off effort. It's an ongoing process that requires continuous planning, execution, and optimization.
It's audience-centric: Content marketing is all about creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience of buyers.
It's an integrated approach: Content marketing should be integrated into all aspects of your marketing mix (e.g., PR, social media, email marketing, etc.), as well as into other parts of your business (e.g., product development, customer service, etc.).
It's a pull, not a push: Content marketing is a pull tactic, meaning that it's designed to attract customers to you, rather than you pushing your message out to them.

Some Considerations For Your Strategy

So, are you looking to create a content marketing strategy, but not sure where to start? Here are some things to consider that will help you create a successful strategy.

Who is your target audience?
This is perhaps the most important question to ask when creating any kind of marketing strategy. Who are you trying to reach with your content? Knowing your target audience will help you create content that is relevant and interesting to them.

What kind of content will interest your target audience?
Once you know who your target audience is, you need to figure out what kind of content will interest them. What topics are they interested in? What kind of content do they prefer? Do they prefer video, articles, infographics, or something else?

What are your goals for your content marketing strategy?
Before you start creating content, you need to know what your goals are. What do you want to achieve with your content marketing strategy? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads? Once you know your goals, you can create content that is designed to achieve those goals.

What kind of budget do you have for your content marketing strategy?
Creating quality content takes time and money. Before you start, you need to determine how much you are willing to spend on your content marketing strategy. Otherwise, you could end up overspending and not seeing the results you want.

How will you promote your content?
Once you create your content, you need to promote it to reach your target audience. There are a number of ways to promote your content, including social media, email marketing, and paid advertising.

How often will you create new content?
To keep your target audience engaged, you need to create new content on a regular basis. How often you create new content will depend on your resources and your goals. If you want to generate leads, you may need to create new content more frequently than if you're just trying to increase brand awareness.

How will you measure the success of your content marketing strategy?
It's important to measure the success of your content marketing strategy so you can make necessary adjustments. Otherwise, you won't know if your strategy is working or not. There are a number of metrics you can use to measure the success of your content marketing strategy, including website traffic, leads generated, and social media engagement.

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If you are serious and want to take your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. 


The Rapid Blogging Blueprint training combines manuals, checklists and over the shoulder video training to get your blog up and running, and into profit...quickly.

Types Of Content Marketing

Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

There are many different types of content marketing, but in general, it can be divided into two broad categories:

Informational content marketing is designed to educate your audience about your product or service, and to build trust and credibility.

Promotional content marketing is designed to directly promote your product or service, and to generate leads or sales.

Both types of content marketing can be highly effective, but it's important to understand the differences between them, and to choose the right approach for your business.

Informational Content Marketing

Informational content marketing is all about providing your audience with valuable, relevant information that will help them make better decisions, and that will build trust and confidence in your product or service.

It's important to note that informational content marketing is not the same as advertising. Your goal is not to sell your product or service, but to provide your audience with information that will help them make better decisions.

To be effective, your informational content must be:

Valuable: It must provide your audience with information that is truly useful, and that they can't find elsewhere. It must provide your audience with information that is truly useful, and that they can't find elsewhere.

Relevant: It must be relevant to your audience's needs and interests.

Consistent: It must be delivered on a regular basis, in a consistent format. It must be delivered on a regular basis, in a consistent format.

Engaging: It must be interesting and engaging, so that your audience will want to read it, share it, and come back for more.

Examples of informational content marketing include:

Blog posts are an excellent way to provide valuable information to your target audience. They can be used to promote your products or services, or simply to provide valuable information that your readers will find useful. By creating quality content, you can attract new readers and followers, and build a loyal following of customers and potential clients.
Social media posts are another way to reach out to your target audience and promote your products or services. Pick which sites work best for your audience and post regularly.
Videos are a great way to reach out to your target audience and promote your products or services. They can also be used to provide valuable information that your readers will find useful. By using videos, you can connect with your audience on a personal level and build trust.
Podcasts are an excellent way to connect with your target audience and promote your products or services. They can also be used to provide valuable information that your readers will appreciate. By creating and distributing high-quality podcasts, you can reach a wide audience and build your brand awareness.
Ebooks are a fantastic way to reach your target audience and promote your products or services. They can also be used to provide valuable information that your readers will find useful. By creating an ebook, you can offer your readers valuable content that they can use to improve their lives or businesses.
Case studies are an excellent way to reach out to your target audience and promote your products or services. They can also be used to provide valuable information that your readers will find useful. By writing and distributing case studies, you can reach a large number of potential customers and clients, and build trust and credibility with them.
White papers are a powerful content marketing tool that can help you reach your target audience and build you up as an authority in your niche. They can be used to provide more detailed information that your readers may require.
Infographics are a really powerful piece of content. They're a great way to grab attention, communicate complex information, and promote your products or services. Whether you're looking to educate your audience, entertain them, or simply give them something to think about, infographics are a versatile tool that can help them to achieve them their goals, and to get your message across.

Promotional Content Marketing

Promotional content marketing is designed to promote your product or service, and to generate leads or sales.

To be effective, your promotional content must be:

Relevant: It must be relevant to your audience's needs and interests.

Targeted: It must be targeted to a specific audience, so that you can focus your message and maximize your results.

Compelling: It must be compelling enough to persuade your audience to take action.

Call to action: It must include a strong call to action, so that your audience knows what to do next.

Examples of promotional content marketing include:

Sales letters
Landing pages
Email marketing
Paid ads
Coupons
Free trials
Contests

Which Type of Content Marketing Is Right for You?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The best approach for your business will depend on your goals, your target audience, and your budget.

If you're not sure which type of content marketing is right for you, start by experimenting with both types, and see which one generates the best results.

Tips To Creating An Effective Content Marketing Strategy

Creating an effective content marketing strategy can be a daunting task. But with a little planning and forethought, it doesn't have to be. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Use a content calendar
Saying that content will be released at a later date is insufficient and will more than likely lead to delays in the project. By having a shared content calendar, it will help keep everyone on the same page with the project. This way, people will be aware of when different parts of the project need to be completed and can update each other on the status of the project. It is important to do this early on in the planning process so that everyone knows their responsibilities.

Set goals and expectations
Setting goals and expectations for your content marketing strategy can help increase your chances of success by 30%. A clear business plan with objectives for your content marketing will help ensure that your strategy meets your business requirements.

Determine what resources you will need
Content creation is expensive. Blogging, making infographics, and editing videos all take time, talent, and money. In fact, content marketing is a $300 billion industry, and businesses spend an average of 25% of their marketing budget on it.

Because of the high costs, it's important to plan ahead when creating content.

Content Marketing Challenges

Content marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and promote your product or service. However, it can be difficult to create content that is both interesting and informative. Here are some tips to help you overcome some common content marketing challenges:

Getting Started
If you are new to content marketing, it can be difficult to get started. However, there are a number of resources available to help you get started, including books, online courses, and tutorials.

Creating Engaging Content
One of the biggest challenges in content marketing is creating content that is both engaging and informative. It can be difficult to find the right balance between the two. However, it is important to remember that your content should be focused on providing value to your target audience.

Staying Up-To-Date
One of the challenges of content marketing is staying up-to-date with the latest trends. With the ever-changing landscape of the internet, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends. However, there are a number of ways to stay up-to-date, such as subscribing to industry newsletters and following thought leaders on social media.

Managing a Team
If you have a team of people working on your content marketing, it can be difficult to manage everyone. However, there are a number of tools and resources available to help you manage your team, such as project management software and collaboration tools.

Content marketing can be a great way to reach your target audience and promote your product or service. However, it can be challenging to create content that is both engaging and informative. By following these tips, you can overcome some of the most common content marketing challenges.

Conclusion

A content marketing strategy is a key element to any successful marketing campaign. It allows you to create valuable, relevant, and engaging content that will reach your target audience.

When creating your content marketing strategy, consider your goals, your audience, and the types of content that will be most effective. Keep in mind that your content marketing strategy should be flexible and able to adjust to the ever-changing landscape of the internet.

With a little planning and effort, you can create a content marketing strategy that will help you reach your goals and engage your audience.

If you really want to know more about the power of content marketing and blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a  free blogging report; download, read it and take action 

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How To Use Content Curation On Your Blog

9th October 2023
By Jason Daly

How To Use Content Curation On Your Blog

If you're looking for ways to make your blog more engaging and informative, content curation is a great option. 

But what is content curation, and how can you use it on your blog? 

Here's a quick guide to help you get started.

What Is Content Curation?

Content curation is the process of sorting through and sharing online content that is relevant to your audience. 

When done well, content curation can help you become a trusted source of information and make your blog more engaging. 

Content curation can be used to build a resource of information on a particular topic, to create a news feed of relevant content, or simply to surface the best content on a given subject.

Why Curate Content?

There are several reasons to curate content. One reason is to provide your audience with a one-stop shop for information on a particular topic. This saves your audience time by not having to search for information from multiple sources. 

Another reason to curate content is to establish yourself as an expert on a particular topic. By curating the best content from around the web, you are showing your audience that you are knowledgeable about the subject matter. 

You can also add your own commentary and analysis to the content you share; after all people are visiting your blog or website to hear from you and your views.

Content curation helps you to save time by sharing content that's already been created, rather than creating everything yourself.

Lastly, curating content can help to build relationships with other bloggers and website owners. When you share their content, they are likely to return the favor. 

This can help to grow your audience and expand your reach. Always give attribution to anything you share or comment on, and if you can, let the original source know that you have cited them.

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If you are serious and want to take your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. 


The Rapid Blogging Blueprint training combines manuals, checklists and over the shoulder video training to get your blog up and running, and into profit...quickly.

How To Curate Content

Now that you know why you might want to curate content, let's take a look at how to do it.

When curating content for your blog, it is important to consider your audience and what type of content they would be interested in. It is also important to ensure that the content you are curating is high quality and adds value to your readers.

Find Relevant Content

The first step is to find content that is relevant to your audience. 

You can do this by using Google Alerts, subscribing to relevant RSS feeds, or following relevant hashtags on social media.

Sort And Select

Once you've found some content, it's time to sort and select the best pieces to share on your blog. 

When you're making your selections, keep your audience in mind and try to share a mix of content types (e.g., articles, videos, infographics).

Add Your Own Commentary

When you come across something you think is particularly interesting, thoughtful, or provocative, share it with your audience along with your own commentary. 

This is a great way to add your own voice to the larger discussion and start a meaningful dialogue with your followers. This is also where you can really add value for your readers by sharing your insights and analysis.

For example, if you come across an article about the latest industry news, share it with your followers along with your own thoughts and observations. If you see a funny meme that you think will make your followers laugh, share it with them and add your own caption.

The possibilities are endless, so get creative and have fun with it!

Share Your Curated Content

Once you've curated content, you can share it on social media, your blog, or in an email campaign. 

When you share your curated content on social media, be sure to include a link back to the original source. This will give credit to the original author and help you build relationships with other thought leaders in your industry.

If you have a blog, you can share your curated content there. Be sure to include a link back to the original source and give credit to the original author.

If you have an email list, you can share your curated content in your newsletter or in a dedicated email campaign. Be sure to include a link back to the original source and give credit to the original author.

Promote Your Curated Content

Once you've shared your content, don't forget to promote it! Make sure your social media followers and email subscribers know about your latest post and consider using paid advertising to reach a wider audience.

Content curation can be a great way to add value for your readers and make your blog more engaging. By following the steps above, you can get started with content curation and start reaping the benefits.

The best way to get more eyeballs on your content is to start promoting it more. But how do you go about promoting your content? By using a little bit of creativity and elbow grease, you can get your content in front of more people than you ever thought possible. 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Use SEO To Promote Your Content

SEO is a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

By optimizing your content for the search engines, you can increase your chances of people finding it when they search for relevant keywords.

Use Content Syndication To Promote Your Content

Content syndication is a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

There are a number of sites that allow you to syndicate your content, such as HubPages and eHow.

Use Social Bookmarking To Promote Your Content

Social bookmarking is a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

Sites like Digg and Reddit allow you to submit your content for others to bookmark.

Use Forums To Promote Your Content

Forums are a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

Look for forums that are relevant to your niche and post links to your content. Be sure to add value to the discussion and don’t spam the forums.

Use Guest Blogging To Promote Your Content

Guest blogging is a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

Find blogs in your niche that accept guest posts and submit your content. Be sure to write quality content that will add value to the blog.

Use Paid Advertising To Promote Your Content

Paid advertising is a great way to get your content in front of more people. 

You can use Google AdWords to run ads for your content. Facebook and Twitter also offer paid advertising options.

By using these ideas, you can get your content in front of more people than you ever thought possible. So, what are you waiting for? Start promoting your content today!

Conclusion

Content curation is a great way to find and share high-quality content with your audience. If you curate content regularly, you can build a strong reputation as a source of great content. 

And, if you promote your curated content properly, you can get more exposure for the content creators you’re featuring. 

What are your thoughts on content curation? Do you curate content on your blog or website? If not, why not?

If you really want to know more about the power of content marketing and blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a  free blogging report; download, read it and take action 

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How To Create Compelling Content That Captivates Your Audience

What do you need to create content that engages your audience? The answer is simple: You need to focus on what matters to them. In order to do that, you need to understand your audience and what matters to them.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create content that captivates your audience and helps you achieve your business goals.

If you follow the 6 simple steps below, your content creation will be far more engaging and useful to your readers and this will boost your credibility and authority with them and will hopefully result in more leads and sales for your business.


By the way, if you are serious and want to take your content marketing and your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. You can check it out here.


Ok, let’s jump in…

Understand Your Audience

Who are you writing for? This is a question that all content creators must answer before starting to write. By understanding your audience, you can create content that is relevant and engaging for them.

The first thing to mention is how highly valuable it is to have a general understanding of human nature. An authentic and personable message that can easily establish rapport and trust tends to resonate well with people.

Along with a unique perspective on subjects that may be a little challenging or at least thought-provoking, some passion and humour are some other features that connect with people.

However, it’s also crucial to have a thorough understanding of the specific niche you’re aiming for. The question “What’s in it for them?” must be asked frequently. You must be aware of their needs and wants. How will you meet their needs and fulfil their desires?

Identify What Engages Your Audience

Playing “question and answer” is one of the easiest ways to involve and engage with your audience. Ask thought-provoking questions that really get people thinking or provide answers to recurring queries and objections. Simply structuring your content as a dialogue rather than a monologue enhances the sense of interaction.

Some fundamental elements of interacting with your audience include trying to present yourself as a distinct and fascinating individual with genuine value and a powerful message.

Additionally, you are more likely to maintain your audience’s attention and keep them coming back for more if you add dialogue into your story that imparts useful information in a fun way.

Create Content That Is Genuinely Interesting To Your Audience

If you try and sell right away without first establishing trust, the cynics will leave your website quickly.

Your readers will be interested in learning more if your idea or product excites them, or if you offer practical solutions to their problems.

This is why it is important to really understand your audience and to only write to a specific type of reader; a narrow niche may be smaller, but it will be more targeted, and your readers will more likely be interested in what you have to say, which will hopefully result in more leads and sales for you.

Write in a conversational way and don’t be too stuffy (unless your niche expects this). Always try to add your character to the text and inject humour if you know your readers will respond to it.

It goes without saying that you should know your stuff. Please don’t try to fake your expertise as you will be found out and your audience will not forgive you for deceiving them.

Ask questions, don’t use jargon and offer a unique perspective to your content.

There is a lot of content out there ready to be consumed, so you need to try and stand out from the rest.

Use Multimedia

Video is already a significant component of content marketing and will remain so.

Think of yourself as a customer for a moment. There are two ways to decide how to learn something:

Would you rather watch a three-minute video or spend fifteen minutes reading website content?

It’s likely that you chose the video. Why? Probably because it is shorter, simpler to understand, and hopefully a little engaging, plus it may also be entertaining.

Video is becoming even more crucial as social media platforms today focus more on content sharing and discovery. Additionally, video marketing can humanise your company, which will increase brand recognition, lead generation, and sales.

And don’t forget audio content! Just look at the popularity of platforms like Audible. Creating audio content and using platforms like Soundcloud is a good way to diversify.

If you are creating longform, or detailed content, think about starting a podcast as these are incredibly popular.

And don’t forget good old photos and infographics. Ideally you’d use your own unique photos, but stock photo will still work. And if you can condense all the main points of your content into a handy infographic, great. These are highly valued and readily shared.

Keep It Fresh

Ideally the vast majority of content you produce will be evergreen. That doesn’t mean to say that tactics don’t change, but the underlying strategies and principles remain the same.

You can keep things fresh by updating your evergreen content with new tactics as and when they appear. This way you will also show that you are keeping your finger on the pulse on the niche you serve.

So, you can either update older content with new tactics, or write new content and link to it from the older posts, the decision is yours.

Promote Your Content

Now you have written your content, it’s time to put it to work for you.

The first thing to do is to share it on all of your social media channels.

Create pdf’s or slideshows of your content and share on sites such as Slideshare.

If you have a budget, consider using paid ads to drive traffic to your content. If you do this, ensure that your content is monetised with affiliate links and a clear call-to-action to try to get a return on investment.

Conclusion

In order to create compelling content that will captivate your audience, you need to first understand what makes them tick. You need to know what they care about, what motivates them, and what interests them.

Once you have a good understanding of your audience, you can then begin to create content that speaks to them on a personal level and that provides value.

Your content should also be visually appealing and easy to read. Use short paragraphs, catchy headlines, and eye-catching images. And, most importantly, make sure your content is engaging and interesting.

If it is not, people will not stick around to read it. So, take the time to craft a well-written, well-designed, and well-targeted piece of content, and you will be well on your way to capturing your audience’s attention.

Content publishing is an integral part of any online business and is a great way to get traffic to your offers and to position yourself as an authority, so start publishing useful, high quality content today.

If you really want to know more about the power of content marketing and blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a  free detailed blogging report; download, read it and take action 🙂

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15 Types Of Content Your Audience Wants To Read

As a marketer you know the power of a good blog with powerful content but what do you create? Articles, videos, audios, flipbooks, the list of possibilities for content publishing is endless…

There are times you may well get stuck when creating content.  It could be for a variety of reasons such as…

  • You have already created a lot of content on the subject.
  • You have not had time to do a lot of brainstorming.
  • You have only a small amount of time for the project.
  • You have trouble coming up with a variety of ideas.

And so forth.  It doesn’t really matter what the reason is, the fact remains that you’re going to get stuck.

Stuck in a writer’s block. Stuck in a time crunch.  Stuck in a rut.

That’s what this resource is here for:  to help you get un-stuck.  It will serve as a handy tool for generating ideas anytime you wonder…

  1. How do I choose a topic?
  2. What points of discussion should I bring up?
  3. What information do I need to include in this content?

You’ll learn just that in this article, where we’ll talk about 15 talking points that will work for just about any kind of content creation.

NOTE: Although some of these ideas are presented as single items, you can build content around multiples.

For example, The first is to respond to a frequently asked question, though you can also respond to a series of questions. Or use #2 as an illustration; you may either insert one tip or several tips.

The point is that depending on your needs, you may execute singles or multiples of several of these.

Now that the disclaimer has been made, let’s begin…


By the way, if you are serious and want to take your content marketing and your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. You can check it out here.


Ok, let’s jump in…

Answer A Frequently Asked Question

By looking at your email, social media, blog comments, and other sources, you can get a feel for the questions your audience is asking.

Checking sites like Quora and JustAnswer, as well as observing the questions your audience asks on other people’s blogs and social media, will help you collect more questions.

For example, if you’re writing content about weight loss, you may provide the response to the question, “How many calories should I eat each day?”

Tip: For further ideas, try searching Google for phrases like “commonly asked questions about [your topic]” or “most often asked questions about [your topic]”.

Add A Useful Tip

One of the most useful elements of a piece of material is frequently a good tip. Because of this, you should aim to include useful and preferably new tips in any relevant piece of content you produce.

Share hints that make a task clearer, quicker, cheaper, easier, or in some other manner better, to make your content even more beneficial.

For example, if you’re writing content about dog training, you can offer advice on how to interpret a dog’s body language so that you can correct him before he does something wrong (like barking or attacking other dogs).

Give Appropriate Warnings

Giving a warning helps your readers to avoid an issue or mistake, possibly even one that is harmful.

For example, if you’re instructing folks on how to restore a classic car, you could mention the possibility that lead paint was once used to paint older vehicles. Then you can give instructions on how to remove this paint safely.

Every issue has possible risks attached to it, and you can help your audience by alerting them to them.

How To Avoid A Common Mistake

What error (or errors) does your target market frequently make? You can discuss this common error, instruct readers on how to prevent it, and instruct them on how to change their course of action in the event that they have already committed the error.

For example, if you’re giving advice on how to get a new job, you might mention a typical interview error that most people make.

Tip: A personal account of how you made the error will help you connect with your audience.

Show Them Relevant Examples

An excellent example makes a step or suggestion clearer and makes it simpler for the person to apply the knowledge you’re showing them.

For example… consider this very article!  To help you better understand each topic we’ve discussed, I’ve given you an example after each entry.:)

Seriously. There’s nothing like sharing an example to “demonstrate” what a point may look like in a real-world scenario to better explain it.

Make A List Of Dos And Don’ts

A list of do’s and don’ts can be thought of as a collection of suggestions (do’s) and errors to avoid (don’ts).

For example, you might give a list of do’s and don’ts while instructing folks on how to replace a kitchen faucet.  E.g.  “Do make certain that you have the proper tools before you start the job” and “Don’t forget to turn the water off first.”

NOTE: When people are sharing this kind of list, they frequently have an unbalanced list with many more do’s or don’ts. This issue can be avoided by changing some of your dos into don’ts or vice versa.

Consider the statement “Don’t forget to turn the water off first” from the previous example. You can reword the point as follows: “Do turn off the water before you start” if your list of dos and don’ts is nearly all don’ts and you wish to add a few do’s to the list.

Share Relevant Quotes

Share a meaningful quote from someone, especially someone who is (or was) notable, , here. If you’re looking for a specific kind of quote, try searching Google or quotes websites like BrainyQuotes.

For example, if you write about motivation in your area of expertise (like fitness), you may share Eleanor Roosevelt’s maxim, “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.”

Quotes can help your audience remember important details and give them well-needed motivation.

Discuss Hot News Relevant To Your Niche

In your niche, news is constantly happening, yet frequently your audience is unaware of how it affects them. You can share the news with your audience (ideally before anyone else) and describe why it is important to them.

For example:

  • If you’re publishing content for readers who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and a new medication enters the market, you can inform readers about the drug trials to help them in deciding whether or not to consult their doctors.
  • If you’re writing content for American entrepreneurs and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopts new advertising restrictions, you can communicate this information to your audience and advise them on how to comply with the rules.

Make sure to stay up to date on developments in your niche by routinely reading articles from key academic journals and industry news media.

Show The Steps For A Particular Process

It goes without saying that you will list the steps of a procedure if you are writing a tutorial. You could do the same thing, though, even within other content.

If you give a tip, for instance, you can then outline the actions that people should follow to put the tip into practice.

The same is true for other kinds of content, such describing the steps necessary to use a piece of equipment that is listed in a gear list.

For example, if you recently gave your audience advice about how a strong email subject line may significantly increase open rates, you can now provide the steps to write this kind of subject line.

Expand On A Particular Idea

You might occasionally express ideas that don’t require further explanation. In other circumstances, you’ll want to provide more detail. This improves the content’s worth and usefulness.

For example, if you mentioned cultivating relationships as a way to convince a possible joint venture partner to accept your plan, you might wish to expand on that suggestion. In other words, you would discuss strategies for establishing these connections.

TIP: You can also expand on someone else’s thoughts. For example, you could cite a Facebook post and then elaborate on it, if they haven’t done so already.

Suggest An Alternative

The idea here is that if someone lacks the funds, software, equipment, or any other tools or resources required to complete a project or achieve a goal, you can recommend a substitute.

For example, assume you’re conducting a class on photo editing, but you are aware that not everyone in your class can afford Photoshop. You can recommend that they get a free software application like GIMP to do their editing.

Compare And Contrast Ideas/Strategies

Which strategy will be most effective for someone? That is a question your readers will frequently be asking themselves. By helping your audience to find the answer to that question, you are giving them a lot of value.

For example, if you are in the fitness niche, you can assist them in determining which sort of cardio is best suited to their demands (high intensity interval training (HIIT), moderate intensity, or low steady-state cardio).

TIP: Be sure to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option you propose.

Compare And Contrast Products/Services

A comparison and contrast of two products is another way to add value. You should compare and contrast the two items that the majority of individuals in your niche buy.

Sometimes, a first-time buyer may be undecided about which product is best for them, and your comparison/contrast can help them make that choice (and if you are an affiliate even better).

For example, if you’re writing for ultra-marathon runners, you could compare and contrast two major brands of running/trail shoes.

Write A Product Review

People enjoy and search out product reviews regardless of the niche. That is why your audience will really value a product review, whether as a standalone piece of content or as a discussion point within a larger piece of content.

For example, if you’re writing a lesson on how to build a mailing list, you could review and recommend a certain autoresponder.

Ask And Answer Readers’ Questions

Here, the goal is to collect questions from readers and then respond to one or more of them. This could be compared to a group coaching session. You can either do this in real time (like during a webinar) or in advance and respond to inquiries on a regular basis, as in a weekly blog post. These questions and answers can be inserted into any kind of content.

For example, if you help folks with do-it-yourself remodelling tasks, you can respond to questions from your audience every Friday.

NOTE: You can use these questions to revise earlier works of content to keep them updated and current.

For example, if a blog post receives questions from readers in the comments section, you could now include a “Group Coaching Q&A” segment at the end of this article where you address these questions.

OK, so there are 15 pieces of content that your readers will want to read, so go ahead and pick one today.

If you really want to know more about the power of content marketing and blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a  free detailed blogging report; download, read it and take action 🙂

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3 Ways To Find Content Idea Starters

3 Ways To Find Content Idea Starters

3 Ways To Find Content Idea Starters

Some days you may need to create a blog post, a newsletter article, or even a short social media post, and you come up empty.

Maybe you’re not sure what topic to write about. Or maybe you know the topic, but you’re not sure about how to approach the topic (what angle/perspective/slant).

That’s where this article comes in, as it serves as an “idea starter” to help you brainstorm and research fresh topics and angles for your next piece of content.


By the way, if you are serious and want to take your content marketing and your blogging to the next level, check out the Rapid Blogging Blueprint. This is a premium level training that takes you through each and every step of setting up your own highly profitable blog and profiting from it. You can check it out here.


Ok, let’s jump in…

Step 1: Brainstorm Using Prompts

Defined: Idea starters are basically prompts to help you think about ideas and angles of what to write about.

To that end, go through the following idea starters and write down as many ideas as you can think of for your niche.

TIP: You can go through this list and write down ideas for your niche without having a specific topic in mind.  Starting with only your niche will help you generate ideas for dozens of topics within the niche.

However, this list also works well when you do have a specific topic (such as “getting rid of aphids” or “replacing a classic car’s upholstery”), as then you’ll get dozens of ideas for ways to approach these specific topics.

Here are your idea starters – list as many ideas as you can think of for each one:

  • X Common Myths You’ve Heard About _______
  • For People Who Want to ______ But Can’t Get Started
  • How to Prevent ___________
  • How to Get Rid of _____________
  • Fast Relief of ______________
  • Five Hacks for ______________
  • How to Save Time When ___________
  • How to Save Money When ____________
  • How to Stay Safe When _______________
  • The Fastest Way to ________________
  • The Best Way to _________________
  • The Cheapest Way to _____________
  • The X Stages of ________________
  • The Pros and Cons of _____________
  • What To Do When You’re Worried About _____________
  • How to _____ Like ______ (How to do something like a famous person)
  • X _______ Ideas That Don’t Require ____________
  • How to ______ Even if You Don’t _______________
  • The #1 __________ Mistake You Don’t Want to Make
  • How I Turned __________ Into ________________
  • What I Learned From _________________
  • What __________ Taught Me About _____________
  • Why You Should Never ____________
  • Why I Do __________ Differently Than Everyone Else

Next…

Step 2: Do Some Research

Your next step is to do some research to help generate even more ideas. The strategy here is to look at existing content and ideas and then reflect back on the idea-starter questions above to generate additional ideas.

I’ll first give you a list of existing content to review, and then I’ll provide you with examples of how to implement this strategy:

  • Check your competitors’ blogs.
  • Read your competitors’ newsletters.
  • Browse social media pages in your niche.
  • Search for niche information in academic journals (use Google Scholar).
  • Browse YouTube videos and YouTube channels in your niche.
  • Review PLR (private label rights) content in your niche for ideas.
  • Check paid products in your niche.
  • Browse slide shares in your niche on SlideShare.net.
  • Look at your own existing content.

Let’s work through an example…

Let’s suppose you go to your competitor’s blog, and you find an article with 10 tips for losing weight. You can look at the article as a whole, as well as each individual tip, and run through your idea starters.

 “X Commons Myths You’ve Heard About _______” becomes “Top Five Common Myths You’ve Heard About Losing Weight.” You can then turn a positive tip on the list into a negative myth (that you debunk).

 Let me give you a specific example…

 Let’s suppose one of the tips is on the topic of eating multiple smaller meals per day to boost metabolism and provide the body with a steady supply of food to fuel one’s activities.

 You can turn this idea around to become a myth. E.G., “Eat Two or Three Big Meals Per Day” is the myth, and then you can share what to do instead (eat six small meals per day).

Step 3: Use A Tool

Need more ideas? Then your next step is to use a tool to generate additional ideas.

One of the best tools to use is BuzzSumo.com. Not only does this tool give you topic and angle ideas, it also presents ideas for content that’s already popular in your niche.

Start by entering your broad keywords into BuzzSumo, such as “gardening” or “dog training.” Then write down any ideas that spark your interest.

Then…

Enter broad keywords from OTHER niches.

For example, if your market is dog training, then enter completely different market and niche searches such as:

  • Weight loss
  • Traveling (or even more specific, such as “RV traveling” or “overseas traveling”)
  • Camping
  • Gardening
  • Marriage/wedding
  • Relationships
  • Conception/infertility
  • Adoption
  • Anti-aging
  • Bodybuilding
  • Self-defense
  • Home security
  • Computer security
  • Running
  • Hiking

And similar big, evergreen markets and topics. For each market or topic you feed into the tool, you’ll get dozens of ideas. In turn, you can take these ideas and apply them to your own niche.

For example, let’s suppose you feed the keywords “weight loss” into the tool, and you get a result such as “It’s Never Too Late to Start Losing Weight.”

 You can then take this topic and bring it to your niche (dog training). E.G., “It’s Never Too Late to Start Training Your German Shepherd.”

 Or let’s suppose you enter “gardening” and get the result: “10 Gardening Ideas that Work Even If You Don’t Have a Green Thumb.”

 You can brainstorm and apply that to your niche, like this: “10 Dog Training Ideas That Work Even If You’re a Complete Dog-Training Newbie.”

Let’s wrap this up…

Conclusion

Now that you have a list of idea starters and access to research and tools that can help you generate even more ideas, your next step is simple: start brainstorming 😊

By the way, if you really want to know more about the power of content marketing and blogging, you can take a look at the Rapid Blogging Blueprint training course or if you just want a few pointers for now you can grab the featured resource below for a  free detailed blogging report; download, read it and take action 😊

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