January 2020 - Jenny Rose Spaudo - Freelance Copywriter and Content Marketer

Month: January 2020

Blogging
Blog vs. Podcast: Which Is Better for Your Business?
- January 29, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
Blog or podcast? When it comes to your content marketing strategy, it’s crucial that you have just that—a strategy.

Too often entrepreneurs who use content marketing to drive their business traffic aren’t clear enough on their strategy.

They might post a blog one week and a podcast the next and then two weeks later, a video.

Bottom line, they’re inconsistent.

This can be a huge problem that impacts their overall brand and, as a result, their sales.

After all, the goal of content marketing is that you build a loyal fan base that knows what to expect from you.

If you look at the biggest online entrepreneurs who use content marketing—think Amy Porterfield, Michael Hyatt, or Pat Flynn—they have a consistent strategy that allows their followers to know exactly what to expect from them.

Their followers expect a certain type of content from them each week, and they get it!

So my question to you today is: What’s your content strategy?

Not clear on it yet?

No worries! My goal is that by the time you’re done reading this blog post, you’ll feel 100% confident in your new content strategy.

So let’s dive in!

Blog or Podcast?

Basically, there are three different ways you can offer free weekly content on your site: a blog, a podcast, or a video.

Since most of my experience is with writing and podcasting, I don’t dive very deep into video. If you have a weekly video and want a good example of what that should look like, check out Marie Forleo.

But if weekly video is a bit too advanced for you right now and a blog or podcast is more your cup of tea, then stay with me, because I have SO MUCH for you to learn and apply.

First of all, what’s the difference between a blog and a podcast on a practical level?

Let’s compare.

1. Blogs have a lower start-up cost.

Whether you’re using a blog or podcast as your weekly content, you need to set up a website to host the content. And once you have your website set up, there’s virtually no extra cost to creating a blog on it.

Perhaps you could spend money on high-end SEO plugins or purchase a stock image subscription, but you could technically start a blog without those. (Especially if you use one of the nine sites I recommended for copyright-free photos.)

Podcasts, on the other hand, require a bit of money to get started. Here are some of the basic costs:

Microphone you can plug directly into the computer. (One of my friends has used the Blue Snowball iCE USB Mic for podcasts, and it has a decent sound. It costs $49.99 on Amazon.)

If you find the sound still isn’t high enough quality, Amy Porterfield recommends the Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Microphone for $329 and the Focusrite Scarlett Solo preamp for $109.

If you need some soundproofing for your microphone, the Pyle Sound Isolation Recording Booth Shield works pretty well and costs $60.99.

You also need a podcast host. One of the most popular hosts is Lybsyn, which offers plans starting $5/month. BuzzSprout has a free plan that allows you to upload two hours’ worth of audio per month. (I don’t recommend this if your episodes are longer than 30 minutes since you’ll want to upload a new episode each week.)

There’s also the potential cost of editing if you don’t already have someone on your team to do it for you. You could hire out the editing tasks on Fiverr if you need.

2. Blogs can more easily incorporate SEO.

Google search bots analyze the written content on your site for keywords. If you use a good amount of those keywords and offer quality content that people care about, you’ll typically rank higher on search engines.

This is obviously a lot easier to do with blogs.

You can also use more internal links (links to pages on your own site) and outbound links (links to pages outside your site). Both these help with your SEO.

If you do want to do a podcast, though, there are two things you can do to help with SEO: 1) Transcribe the episode and put it on its own separate page and 2) create a page for show notes that includes links to articles, products or freebies you mention in the show.

This is, of course, a lot more work. But it your heart is set on a podcast, I think these are two steps you really need.

You might think blogs are the easy winner in this debate. But that’s not the whole story.

3. Podcasts let your personality shine and build a more personal connection with your audience.

It’s much easier to have a conversational feel to your podcast and let your personality really show than it is with a blog.

It’s the same reason you want to have a tough conversation in person or over the phone rather than through email or texting.

There are some emotions that writing simply can’t convey as easily.

(How many fights have you gotten in with your husband because his text to you came across rude?)

With audio (and even more so with video), people can comprehend the inflection of your voice, the sarcastic comment that’s meant to be a joke, the cute laughter that your husband teases you about.

And as a result, your listeners feel more connected to you than they would if they simply read one of your blogs.

So if your personality is a big attractor to people who follow you, I would consider going with a podcast.

This doesn’t mean at all that your personality can’t shine through blogs! It’s just that it’s easier to make your audience feel that personal connection with you through a podcast.

(Plus, some people just find writing tedious. In that case, it’s podcasting all the way, my friend!)

4. Podcasting attracts a younger audience.

That’s why Millennials are more likely to use podcasting to build their personal brand rather than blogging.

This is likely because podcasting can have a more authentic feel to it (for the exact reason I mentioned above). Plus, it’s a lot easier to collaborate and invite leaders in your niche onto your podcast.

With a blog, you can still have someone write a guest post, but it’s not the same. Listeners love hearing the rapport of conversation around their favorite topics.

But what if, after reading these four points, you’re still undecided?

Can You Use a Blog AND a Podcast?

The short answer is yes.

But it’s really not that simple.

There are several entrepreneurs who do both regularly and it works well for them.

You have to know your audience really well and what they expect with each medium. Plus you have to know how to integrate the two.

That can be a bit tricky.

For that reason, I would encourage you to start with one.

Get really consistent with your one medium and then, if your audience seems to want more, add another!

Two entrepreneurs who do this well are Jenna Kutcher and Michael Hyatt.

I find Michael’s content strategy especially interesting because he has a blog for every single podcast episode. The blogs, in those cases, serve as show notes.

But he also publishes extra blogs that are definitely for the readers among his tribe.

I can’t help but wonder if it’s because his audience contains both types of people: Some who listen and some who read.

In fact, that’s the main question that should drive the decision you make about whether to do a blog or a podcast.

What do your readers prefer?

Are they hungry for podcasts and the authentic communication it offers? Or are they avid readers who love to deep dive into your blogs?

Here’s the first step to finding out: Ask!

Speaking of which, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Which do you prefer to consume? Blogs or podcasts?

Tell me in the comments below!
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Blogging
3 Terrible Ways to Intro Your Blog
- January 22, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
As an online magazine editor, there is one massive mistake I see writers make with their blog over and over.

Sadly, this mistake often costs them. A lot.

That terrible mistake is called, simply put, “writing bad intros.”

People might click on their blogs because of crazy amazing headlines, but if what they read next doesn’t pull them in … see ya later.

And as you know, the quicker your reader leaves your site after clicking, the higher your bounce rate. (That’s not good!)

And still, for some reason, many of us love to write intros that dance around the topic for a long time before jumping in to the meat of the story. This might mean telling an unrelated personal tale, writing about how bad your day was yesterday to get it off your chest, or simply rambling.

If that’s you, don’t feel bad. We’ve all done it!

Instead of beating yourself up, though, let’s talk through this.

Why do we write bad intros? Maybe it’s because we’re trying to figure out how to word our main point.

Maybe we’re trying to “set the stage.” Instead, we lead our readers down a rabbit trail that even Alice can’t find her way out of.

You see, blog intros have a specific purpose: Hook the reader.

This is especially true of online articles, where you don’t have much time to grab people’s attention.

A bad intro completely defeats the purpose of an irresistible headline. When you start your article with something that’s not actually relevant to your main point, you lose the reader.

Let me show you what I mean.

3 Downright Awful Blog Intros

These are NOT good opening strategies:

1. Spend 6 paragraphs telling a personal story that has little connection to your main point.

No lie, I one time edited an article in which the author spent three pages talking about the death of his family pet rodent.

His main point (which I don’t even remember anymore but had a spiritual tone to it) didn’t come up until the final two paragraphs of the article.

After first reading that article, I stared at it with my mouth hanging open for a good two minutes. I was a wee bit horrified.

I cannot emphasize this enough: Blogs for other people are not an opportunity for you to indulge yourself.

If you’re using a blog to build a loyal following for your business, your writing has to be about your readers.

(Unless the reason people are following you is because they deeply relate to your personal stories. And in that case your personal story should be the main point.)

If you’re writing for others, then do exactly that. Write for them.

2. Open with irrelevant pleasantries and dance around your topic until you finally hit it five paragraphs later.

I’m not trying to be mean with this one, I promise. People do want to feel connected with you. It’s a great idea to write a blog like you’re having a conversation with a friend.

But keep in mind that a blog are still a form of writing.

When you’re sitting down to coffee with a friend, you expect pleasantries in the beginning. They build the rapport so you can feel more comfortable to talk about what’s really going on in your life.

But with writing, people want to know immediately what they’re reading about and what they’re about to learn.

Maybe not everyone feels this way. But if I’m reading a blog with a headline that promises to teach me how to make a healthy version of fettuccine alfredo pizza, I don’t want to spend the first third just reading pleasantries. (Chances are, I’m scrolling straight down to the recipe anyway.)

Again, a little is OK if it’s intentional and in your voice, but don’t make it too long. Get to the point quickly.

3. Open with a well-known fact that adds little value to your main point.

Surprising statistics can make good openers. Stating facts that we all know do not.

This one is certainly not as bad as the first two.

The problem, though, is that it’s often the low-hanging fruit we reach for when we can’t come up with something more powerful.

Here’s one of the biggest offenders: Dictionary definitions.

I’m sure you’ve read a blog or article that started immediately with a word definition.

Maybe an article on humility started out like this:

Humility: freedom from pride or arrogance : the quality or state of being humble

But we all already know what humility means. And even if you’re introducing a word that your readers may not actually know the definition of, it’s better to save it for after your intro when you’ve already hooked them.

Just saying. You can make your intros stronger.

So let me show you how!

4 Ways to Hook Your Reader With Your Intro

Intros can hook the reader through a couple of strategies (or a combination):

1. Touch on the reader’s pain point.

If you hear me say this all the time, it’s because it’s just that important! Talk to your readers and find out what pain point your service or product directly helps fix.

2. Open with a short, relevant story that is either shocking or makes the reader see themselves.

This is like the flipped version of mistake #2.

Stories can actually be a good thing … when used strategically.

Use your introductory story to relate to your reader by sharing something personal you’ve been through. Or open with a relevant story they’ll still relate to and that leads you to the solution for their problem.

3. Introduce a controversial opinion. Then explain.

This one is so good for hooking readers.

My time working as a news director taught me that people love controversy. And as a content creator and curator, I could either use that knowledge responsibly or irresponsibly.

My opinion?

Rule #1: DON’T be salacious. Just don’t.

Don’t be that person who loves to stir up controversy just for the fun of it because you know it will get you more traffic.

I have received article submissions from writers who love to use this tactic. In the long run, I think it affects your brand and your image.

Always take the higher road.

Rule #2: DO open with controversy when you can genuinely offer a different way of thinking that actually benefits your readers.

For example, while many others on the internet may be promoting a certain method of disciplining children, you have a wildly different approach that you’ve seen work.

So say that in the beginning. Tell the world how you’re different. And why it works.

4. Open with mystery.

With this kind of intro, you want to tease the reader a little bit (not in a mean way!).

You might open by saying how one simple trick revolutionized your relationship with your child.

Or maybe share how nothing seemed to be working to lose weight. And then you discovered your mistake …

These kinds of intros make the reader want to know what the secret is.

And I’m sure it’s a juicy one!

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Blogging
Top 9 Places to Find Copyright-Free Photos
- January 15, 2020
- 0 comments
- by Jenny Rose Spaudo
Need to know where to find stunning free photos?

You’ve come to the right place.

If you’ve been blogging for a while, you know just how crucial good photos are to the success of your blog.

And if you’re just starting out, allow me to be the first to tell you this: You need good photos for your blog!

I’ve already written about why good blog photos are so important. In that post, I also share how to avoid the three biggest mistakes I see people make with their photos.

One of those huge mistakes is that some entrepreneur bloggers are actually using photos illegally.

And yes, this is a big deal.

OK So What Photos Can I Use?

Just in case you don’t know, the vast majority of photos you see online are copyrighted, meaning you can’t legally use them on your site or your products.

Some photos lie under what’s called Creative Commons, which is a U.S.-based nonprofit that offers copyright licenses free of charge.

These licenses allow creators to publish their work under a copyright while still allowing others to use and distribute them to varying degrees.

The copyrights range from CC0 to CC4.0.

CC0 is public domain. This means anyone can use the work, even commercially, modify it, and can do so without crediting the creator.

Other licenses depend on whether the creator wants people to cite them as the source, link to the copyright license, use the image or video for commercial reasons, or modify it in any way.

A lot of Creative Commons photos on Flickr fall under the CC2.0 license, which requires you to cite the creator, link to the license and indicate if any changes were made to the original work.

I think it’s fair to say you DON’T want to have to do that with photos you use on your blog or social media.

Plus, the scary part about that is creators can change the license on their photos.

And even though they’re not supposed to restrict the rights of the original copyright, they may send you a lovely email demanding you pay them money for using their photo.

If that happens, chances are, you don’t have evidence of the original license.

That’s why I strongly believe you should stay away from any photos other than public domain.

Where to Find Copyright-Free Photos for Your Blog

Thankfully, there are actually a ton of websites out there that offer copyright-free photos at no cost.

However—and this is a big however—not all these free-photo sites are great for business bloggers like you to use.

Some of them say they’re public domain but request that you don’t use the photos commercially.

Is using these photos on your blog or social media for your business technically a commercial purpose?

I wouldn’t risk it. Enough said.

That’s why I created a list of free-photo sites that are great for business bloggers.

For each site on this selective list, I’ve either used them myself or researched them enough to feel confident in their safety.

I also pared my list down to sites that have search bars and are easy to navigate.

Some high-quality photo sites are not created for browsing, which can make it hard to quickly find a photo that matches your article.

I wanted to give you the kind of list that I would use for my own blog.

WARNING: Before you start browsing these sites, you should know that, depending on what you look up, some of these sites might have several photos that you and I find inappropriate.

By that, I mean images that are sexually suggestive or include people dressed immodestly.

A couple of them (like Pixabay) have a “Safe Search” setting you can turn on, which will take out most, if not all, inappropriate photos. But others don’t, so just beware.

And now, the list!

9 Sites That Offer Gorgeous, Copyright-Free Photos

1. Unsplash

Unsplash might be the most popular public domain stock image site right now. I remember trying to use this site a few years ago, and they just didn’t have enough images to meet my needs.

But now, the site is chock-full of copyright-free photos that are truly gorgeous. I’m always impressed with the quality of their images.

They also have a lot of business-focused stock imagery, so you will likely find a lot of what you need here.

(This is one of the sites I have seen inappropriate photos on, though, so I encourage you to use caution!)

Be sure to read their license page before using!

2. Pexels

Pexels is a definite runner-up to Unsplash in the quality department. Their photos are crisp and clean and rarely have that cheesy stock-image look to them.

Just like Unsplash, though, I will warn you that this site also contains some suggestive photos, so just be wary of what you type in the search bar!

Check out their license here.

3. Pixabay

Pixabay is great because of its massive amount of photos. I’m not kidding, I can find photos on almost every topic on this site.

But unfortunately, its quality also tends to be lower than Unsplash’s and Pexels’. Because of that, if you type “laptop” into the search bar, you will find LOTS of related photos, but not all of them will actually look good. Some of them might even be clipart.

This may be because Pixabay also includes a lot of modified photos, making some of them look a bit cheesy.

Another word of caution: this site might also bring up inappropriate photos depending on what you search for.

Because of that, I recommend turning on the “Safe Search” setting.

To do this, first type something into the search bar. Then simply check the box labeled “Safe Search” in the upper-right corner.

And of course, check their license page before you start browsing!

4. PublicDomainPictures.net

Quality-wise, I would rank Public Domain Pictures at around the same level as Pixabay. But they have fewer photos than Pixabay does, I would say.

They also offer a paid membership, which gives you access to more photos.

They’re still a great place to look for photos, though, and I definitely use them from time to time.

The one weird thing I don’t like about it is they don’t have a license page. So keep this in mind and be a little extra careful with what you use from this site.

5. Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons is a great place to find historic photos that are public domain.

Blogging about Martin Luther King Jr.? Wikimedia Commons has a CC0 photo for that. Writing about the founding of the United States? Wikimedia has photos for that too.

Just make sure you check every single image’s copyright info before using it.

Sometimes CC2.0, CC3.0 or CC4.0 images (Flickr!) are uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, and I would steer clear of those.

6. Negative Space

I love the sleek feel of this site. They offer a wide variety of photos, though perhaps not as many as Unsplash, Pexels, or Pixabay.

Also, be careful not to click on the Related Photos via Shutterstock on the right of the photo you’re looking at.

Unless, of course, you want to throw a massive wad of cash at a single photo.

Read their license page for more info.

7. Foodiesfeed

I haven’t used this particular site much myself since food and cooking are not my niche.

But if yours is, then this is a great site to use!

If you check their license page, you will see confirmation that all their photos are CC0 (public domain).

8. BarnImages

BarnImages has some stellar photos.

Every photo on this site was either taken by the founders or by their colleagues. As a result, the images have a consistent, artistic feel.

The free photos on this site are allowed for commercial and non-commercial use, like the other sites on this list.

Also like the rest of this list, you may not sell the photos as prints or photo stock or say they are your own.

For you, this means not including these photos in digital or physical products you sell. But feel free to use them for your blog.

They also request you do not use their images for “pornography, hate speech or other illicit content.”

I don’t see this being a problem for you, though.

Right?

9. StockSnap

StockSnap is another site with a beautiful layout and gorgeous photos to match. I would actually rank it up there pretty closely with Unsplash. You’ll have fun with this one.

Read their license before getting started.

Should You Use Government Photos?

If you’re looking for a picture of a particular national site or government official, sometimes government photos are helpful.

I will say, there is some nuance to this. Read this page to get a stronger understanding of which government photos are public domain and how you are and are not allowed to use them.

(For instance, you can’t have a photo of a government employee holding your product as if endorsing it.)

There you have it, my friend!

Nine stellar photo sites for your stellar blog.

As always, email me at jennyrosespaudo@gmail.com if you have questions about how to choose photos for your blog.

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