Everyone's making content. Not everyone is making good content. In fact, so few people are producing really good content that most of what's getting produced is never being read.
Often lost in all the noise, a vocal minority of content producers is doing the opposite. They're putting time and energy into their content...with lots of TLC.
Good Reads is a new category for this blog, where I'll compile the best of the best of the dozens of articles, videos, podcasts, etc I consume each day into lists by related topics; and share the results.
The topic of this inaugural episode is blogging better, faster. Each of these articles provide insights, tactics, or tools that will help you produce better content; and more of it.
To blog more frequently, we need lots of creative ideas. Original ideas, even.
So how do we come up with brilliant ideas over and over again?
Good brainstorming techniques are the answer. Learn to create your own inspiration. Salesflare has some great tips content ideation...
All the ideas on content ideas you’ll ever need 💡 #meta It's part 3 in our #contentmarketing Masterclass! #Marketing #blogging #B2B https://t.co/7rG0b0SZZj— salesflare (@salesflare) August 29, 2019
"8 Proven Ways To Generate Infinite Content Ideas For Your Blog" by Anouck Meier (@nouckie)
Use good brainstorming strategies to provide focus and produce results (have a plan). Jay Baer, who has been doing this successfully for years, has some recommendations on this topic...
Is your content calendar simply a schedule of blog posts in a Google Sheet? If you want your content marketing to have a meaningful impact on your organization’s bottom line, it’s time to catapult your #content calendar. Read/watch more: https://t.co/0Fzl9nuK1Y@airtable pic.twitter.com/Sm0wXwjwl2— Jay Baer (@jaybaer) August 1, 2019
"4 Ways to Catapult Your Content Calendar" by Jay Baer (@jaybaer)
Look at your content stategy critically...
Does it align with your goals? No filler allowed! Every word needs to count for something.
Are your topics ambitious enough? Are your posts specific enough...and are they full of data and detail? Jawad Khan recommends you check yourself on these 7 key components of content strategy before launching your next campaign...
Great ways to make your posts engaging:
âś…Match the user intent
âś…Focus on a specific topic
âś…Offer actionable advice
âś…Rely on data
âś…Use real-world examples
âś…Share resources & tools
âś…Write as you speak
âś…Use good formatting
✅Add visuals & videoshttps://t.co/MkGMF7zT63— SEMrush (@semrush) September 1, 2019
"7 Key Components of Useful and High-Quality Blog Content" by Jawad Khan (@jawadalikhn)
Consider, at least for a moment, what it would take to make your content go viral. As yourself how you can growth-hack this content and make it more engaging, more compelling...more shareable.
When it comes to creating content people want to engage with, making it visually engaging is nearly as important as making it readable and accessible.
But good design typically isn't cheap and definitely isn't easy...right?
Good, original design isn't cheap. That's true.
But we're in a time where software can do an awful lot to assist the savvy marketer to achieve great results in the time they have to invest.
Tools like Canva, Adobe Bridge, Remove.bg and others streamline and simplify design tasks that were labor intensive only a few short years ago.
Kate Rooney, whose article taught me to my new favorite buzzword..."design automation", shares her experiences...
You can't automate creativity, but there are a ton of other ways designers can make the most of automation in 2020! via @designpicklehttps://t.co/Ebs4yyXgi5— IMPACT (@Impactbnd) August 29, 2019
"Design Automation: 5 Ways to Automate Your Design in 2020" by Kate Rooney (@The_Kate_Rooney)
When it comes down to producing and publishing your blog post, there's no one better to turn to for step-by-step instructions than Brian Dean...
How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive Guide [New Post]
-5 proven blog post templates
-Data-driven headline formulas
-Content promotion strategies
-Lots morehttps://t.co/3qWT6jnu7n— Brian Dean (@Backlinko) June 18, 2019
"How To Write A Blog Post: The Definitive Guide (2019)" by Brian Dean / Backlinko (@backlinko)
And before you publish, don't forget to check your grammar, readability, and optimize your content with these 10 SEO copywriting tools recommended by Kristi Kellog...
10 Best Readability Tools to Check Your SEO Content via @KristiKellogg: https://t.co/9GUr2DN4RF#contentmarketing #contentstrategy #SEO #SearchEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing pic.twitter.com/9eSL1OJAWx— SearchEngineJournal® (@sejournal) August 7, 2019
"10 Best Readability Tools to Check Your SEO Content" by Kristi Kellog (@KristiKellogg)
Follow these tips and tools to leverage your full creative power, maximize your productivity, and optimize for greatest return on investment as a blogger.
Now get back to work!