Content marketing tools and training.
Ever had a great idea, and then started to doubt yourself?
Or maybe you’ve already executed on that great idea, but you’re hesitating to launch. Maybe it’s an article, or an ebook, or a completely new site concept.
How can you be sure it will work? Should you ask for feedback?
I’ll answer both of those questions in this article, but first I need to tell you a couple of stories from the nutty worlds of music and film.
The good folks over at Problogger have released another excellent blogging manual, this time focused specifically on business blogging.
It’s written by Mark Hayward, a very cool guy who I’ve followed for years.
Mark caught my attention four years ago after he purchased a small business on a Caribbean island that had no customers, no cash flow, and very little hope. With a hefty monthly mortgage payment to meet, he did what any sensible island business owner does.
He started to blog.
You might have already bought it.
Maybe you loved it. Maybe you hated it. Maybe you listened to the great Copyblogger radio show about it.
What is it? Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. It’s Guy Kawasaki’s most recent book, and it was a smash hit.
But this post is not about that book. Sorry, Guy.
It’s just about the least fun part of being a writer, and one of the big stumbling blocks a lot of businesses face with content marketing.
You never seem to have enough ideas.
Or you have a bunch of ideas, but you don’t quite get around to writing them.
Or you start a dozen different projects, and manage to finish half a page on each one.
It’s maddening, and it’s got to stop.
Email marketing works.
In fact, it’s still the best online method for converting prospects into customers or clients.
A critical part of the process begins, however, before a single email is sent. You’ve got to get people on your list in the first place.
This happens most effectively at a landing page specifically designed to convince the right people to sign up.
Some people call these opt-in landing pages “squeeze” pages, which, in addition to being a derogatory way to think about the process, is also technically incorrect.
No one loves blogs more than I do. They’re a great way to build your authority, attract an engaged audience, develop trust and rapport, attract links, and stake your claim in search engines.
I love blogs. But like babies and kittens, two other things I love, they’re also a lot of responsibility.
Blogs take time. You’ve got to write terrific content that stands out from the general noise, promote it intelligently, and cultivate reader relationships. And that’s in addition to everything else you do in your business, from producing your product to getting your taxes filed.
