content marketing

  • Blogging

    5 Tactics to Make Your Blog Easy to Read

    Make Your Blog Easy to Read
    make your blog easy to read

    If you want your blog to attract new readers, maintain people’s attention until the end, and rank well on search engines … you need to make your blog easy to read.

    Maybe that’s hard for you. If so, you’re in good company, my friend.

    By the time I graduated college, I was pretty good at writing academic prose professors loved. I followed all the grammar rules, cited my sources meticulously, and explained my arguments and methods in excruciating detail.

    But when I got hired at a Christian magazine, I quickly realized online readers didn’t want to read my thesis—or anything that resembled it.

    They wanted to get to the good stuff. And they wanted it quickly.

    If you struggle with clunky writing, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. These have greatly helped me in learning how to write in a way that makes people want to keep reading.

    Make Your Blog Easy to Read

    1. Write your blog like you talk.

    “In conclusion, the writing method to which many of the most reputable online authors and content developers ascribe requires that one research how consumers of online publications verbalize their thoughts and emotions and subsequently write in a like manner.”

    Stop it. You don’t talk like that.

    Instead, try: “Many of the best bloggers write the way people talk.”

    Write your blog like you’re talking to a friend. Granted, your writing should be a little cleaner since we tend to get pretty lazy with our grammar when we’re speaking.

    But still. Make your blog easy to read by letting it feel like a genuine conversation.

    2. Use headings often.

    Headings (like the ones I’m using throughout this article) make the structure of your blog super easy to follow.

    People don’t have to expend as much energy trying to figure out where your article is going when you have huge signposts (headings) to guide them.

    They’re also helpful because people often skim an article before they actually read it word for word. If they like what they see in your headings, they are more likely to actually read your blog in its entirety.

    And lastly, headings break up the monotony of gray in your blog. They add much-needed white space, giving your readers a chance to process what they read.

    Here’s a great article about the importance of white space on your blog.

    3. Write in short sentences and short paragraphs.

    Speaking of white space, another way to get more of it is by keeping your sentences and paragraphs short. Sometimes that means your paragraphs are only one or two sentences long. Sometimes just a couple words.

    The horror.

    No, seriously. It was really hard for me to write short paragraphs at first because the grammar freak in me knew it broke the rules.

    But that’s OK. Do it anyway.

    4. Make it practical.

    One of the major reasons people read blogs or look up articles online is because they want a solution to their problem.

    Naturally, they’re looking for articles that can solve those problems with practical advice.

    An easy way to make your writing more practical is to write with the readers’ pain point in mind. Then offer your solution.

    Use examples while you’re teaching your solution. Help your readers visualize the step you’re telling them to take. Tell stories of people who did (or didn’t do) what you’re teaching.

    5. End with a call to action.

    You readers want to walk away from your blog with at least one thing they can do to improve their condition.

    Make that one thing super clear.

    You can also end with telling your reader to do something that will take them deeper into your brand. For instance, sometimes I end my blogs by asking readers to share the article. Or I direct them to my Facebook page and ask them to connect with me.

    Blogs are an excellent way to nurture your relationship with your readers. Use it!

    OK, now that you have five new steps to make your blogs easier to read, I want you to do something. 

    Go back to one of your blogs and check to make sure it follows the five steps I’ve outlined in this article. If it doesn’t, then revise it and read it out loud. 

    I guarantee it will be a great improvement. 

    Until next time!

    P.S. Here are a few other articles I’ve written that will help you craft a blog that people will love to read:

    Top 17 Grammar Errors Christian Writers Make

    How Long Should My Blog Post Be?

    3 Terrible Ways to Intro Your Blog

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  • Blogging

    Top 17 Grammar Errors Christian Writers Make

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    Top Christian Grammar Errors
    editing grammar errors

    If you’re prone to making grammar errors, I promise you’re not alone.

    In fact, that’s the very reason copy editors have jobs! Five years ago, I started my work at a Christian magazine as a copy editor. It was tedious, for sure, but I learned tons of great lessons along the way.

    One of the perks of being a copy editor for a couple years was I had the privilege of seeing many of the grammar errors Christian writers tend to make.

    And yes, some of them are distinct to Christian writers.

    I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news, but I need to tell you something really important:

    The success of your business—or at least of your content marketing—hinges on the quality of your writing.

    One way to up the quality of your writing is to make your grammar as error-free as possible.

    With that in mind, here’s a list of the most common or unusual grammar errors I’ve seen over the years. Some of them make me laugh—others make me want to cry.

    I’ll let you choose how you want to respond (hopefully by avoiding them).

    ‘Welch Revival‘

    You may have already guessed that it should be the Welsh Revival, indicating the awakening that occurred in Wales between 1904 and 1905. 

    The first time I saw this mistake, I thought it was just a fluke. The second time, I thought it was a weird coincidence. The third time, I began to wonder if people viewed an abundance of grape juice as a genuine spiritual awakening.

    Thomas Bramwell Welch must be very pleased with himself from the grave. Or not.

    ‘The whole council of God‘

    The correct word here is “counsel.”

    A council is a group of people who help make decisions, often in the form of a legislative or advisory body.

    Counsel is the advice your pastor gives you. (Hence the word “counselor” as someone who offers counsel.)

    ‘The Holy Spirt’ or ‘the Holy Sprit‘

    Poor Holy Spirit—His name gets misspelled all the time.

    Oddly enough, I see this one a lot. It’s most likely just a slip of the finger on the keyboard.

    But every time it comes up in an article, I picture a stone fountain with a little cherub squirting water out of its mouth. I don’t know why.

    Its vs. it’s

    I know this one is confusing. That’s English for you. “Its” is possessive, as in “When Joe joined the company, he abided by its rules.” 

    “It’s,” on the other hand, is a contraction of “it is.” As in, “It’s cold outside.” Or “It’s time to stop using ‘it’s’ as possessive.”

    Your vs. you’re

    Another common one.

    “Your” is possessive. “Your shoes, your car, your clothes, your grammar error.”

    Meanwhile, “you’re” is a contraction of “you are.” “You’re not coming in your ugly old boots, are you?”

    Their, there, they’re

    Glory hallelujah amen. This. One.

    I can’t judge, though. I get it wrong sometimes, especially when I’m flying through a text.

    “Their” is possessive. “Their land, their hearts, their awkward smile.”

    “There” indicates position. “Put it over there.”

    And “they’re” is a contraction of “they are.” “They’re not coming over again, are they?”

    Em-dashes are not commas. Or periods. Or spaces. 

    Sorry, I just had to get that one off my chest. Em-dashes (this little guy: —) are very versatile and in some cases, they can take the place of commas, periods or spaces, but only for a very specific effect.

    I remember one writer who must have been obsessed with em-dashes. He used them at least five times per paragraph (and his paragraphs were short). I dreaded editing his stuff. 

    Two em-dashes within a sentence close off information that isn’t vital to the sentence, like this:

    “Jesus looked over at His disciples—who, despite hearing the same message three times, still didn’t get it—and smiled.”

    You can also use an em-dash to give an abrupt halt in your sentence. For example:

    “Stories like hers prove that Christ’s love truly is as strong as death, His jealousy unyielding as the grave—and not even addiction is strong enough to break it.”

    Capitalizing everything

    OK, why is this a Christian thing? I don’t understand.

    Is it because of certain capitalization in the New King James version of the Bible, and that’s just been culturally passed down through Christian culture?

    Or maybe we think we’re still in the 1700s.

    I’m not really sure, but I know that for some reason Christian writers love to Capitalize random Words in the Sentence in a Way that doesn’t seem to Make Sense.

    No shade here, though.

    Ellipses after every other word 

    For a blog or email, ellipses (…) are OK every once in a while. But if you’re writing for a publication, ellipses aren’t the best way to try to get the feel of your content across.

    The reason for that is ellipses aren’t a professional way to indicate a pause. Again, if you’re using them in your blog, go for it. But if you’re submitting an article to a magazine or online news medium, skip them. Let your words speak for themselves.

    I will say this, though: Ellipses are the proper way to indicate that content has been removed from a quote. So in the following sentence, the ellipses indicates that I took part of the guy’s quote out because it wasn’t relevant or vital to get the point across.

    “I wasn’t sure why he was so angry at me,” Charles said. “He didn’t seem like he was stressed or anything. … I guess I should’ve seen the signs.”

    Changing tense in the middle of a sentence or paragraph 

    We all know that doing this is bad for your writing. 😉

    But seriously, if you start out a paragraph addressing “you,” then keep using the second person. Don’t switch to we or they.

    Stay consistent.

    Not citing direct quotes or Bible verses

    Y’all, this is a big no-no.

    Cite your sources, and if possible, link directly to them (especially if it’s another person’s blog or a news article that you’re referencing for info).

    Than vs. then

    Again, another sneaky one. Tricksy hobbitses.

    “Than” indicates a comparison. For instance: “She was taller than he was.” “I’m more of an extravert than an introvert.”

    “Then” points to a moment in time. Example: “I gobbled my cereal, then ran upstairs to play video games.” “Then I heard a knock at the door.”

    ‘Publically’

    The correct spelling is “publicly.” Full disclosure, I mess this one up every once in a while.

    Prophecy vs prophesy

    Prophecy is a noun. “Isaiah gave a stern prophecy to the people of Israel.”

    Prophesy is a verb. “Isaiah prophesied judgment on God’s people if they didn’t repent.”

    Run-on sentences

    It’s one thing to have a super long sentence. It’s another thing to confuse commas with periods for four sentences in a row.

    Angel vs. angle

    This is an easy one to make. Again, it’s usually because your finger slips on the keyboard.

    But, I have to warn you—people will get pretty confused if you try to talk about guardian angles. 

    Public

    The king of all grammar errors.

    I wrestled with whether or not to include this one because my heart is not to be inappropriate at all! 

    But since I see so many authors misspell this and forget the L, I thought it was important to remind you: Please spell this right. Please. 

    Again, I promise I’m not trying to be crude. Every time I catch this error while editing someone’s work, I breathe a prayer of gratitude to God that it didn’t slip past me.

    I hope this list helps you next time you sit down to write your faith-based article. If you have seen any other common grammar errors we Christian writers make, share them in the comments below!

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  • Blogging

    How Long Should My Blog Post Be?

    how long should my blog post be?
    How long should my blog post be?

    “So … how long should my blog post be?”

    That was my primary question when I sat down to write my first blog for my new content marketing business.

    In my time as an online editor and news director, I’ve written articles as short as 150 words and as long as 5,000. But what is the ideal length for a blog post?

    Well, the answer is multifaceted depending on what your goal is. But with all the factors combined, I would say the length of your average blog post should be about 700 to 1,000 words long.

    Why do I say that? Let’s dive in.

    1. Shorter is usually better.

    The trend is clear: People’s attention spans, especially online, are getting shorter. 

    We simply don’t have the patience to scroll through an endless sea of words on the screen. Even those who love their lengthy books will find they don’t have the same giddiness reading a blog post that has thousands and thousands of words.

    I’ve seen this time and again in my job as a news director. People often don’t reach the end of articles before forming their opinions and moving on—gracious, they sometimes only read the headline before sharing it on their social media.

    Because of this, when receiving submissions as a news director, I always encourage writers to try to keep their articles to 1,000 words or less. 

    Doing so increases the likelihood of readers actually consuming the bulk of the article.

    2. Blogs should be at least 300 words long for SEO.

    If you want your blog to be easy to find online, SEO is crucial to keep in mind when writing blog posts. Yoast recommends blogs being at least 300 words in order to rank better on search engines.

    One of the first things I did when I started my blog was install the Yoast SEO plugin for my website. The basic plugin is free, although they do have a premium version you could purchase if you feel you need to. The free plugin allows you to optimize pages and blog posts for a single keyword and for readability. It also alerts you when there’s a major SEO error on your site.

    Hint: Don’t forget to fill out your meta description at the bottom of the blog post. I’m not even going to say how long it took me to figure that one out. Embarrassing.

    3. Have a few extra-long posts on your site to help with your organic traffic.

    So… remember how I just told you that people’s attention spans won’t tolerate articles longer than 1,000 words? 

    Well, forget I said that. At least sometimes.

    Although I’ve seen people overall have a shorter attention span when it comes to online articles, I’ve been shocked every once in a while when an extra-long article does fantastic numbers-wise.

    I remember one instance in particular when a cultural commentator submitted an article for publication that was at least 4,000 words long. It was a bear to edit. The content was a good fit for our audience, but I thought the length would keep the article from really going anywhere.

    I was dead wrong. It got tens of thousands of page views.

    Did every one of those viewers read until the very end? Probably not. But I’ve seen this happen enough to form my own theory: Long posts build credibility with readers.

    Someone may not read every single word of your super long blog post, but they will be able to tell if it’s packed with meaty insights and quality research.

    On top of that, longer posts tend to rank better for SEO. By “long,” I mean about 2,000 words or more.

    As long as they’re easy to read and broken up with enough white space and clear headings, long blog posts can provide a lot of rich content to make the search engine bots happy. 

    If you’re still not convinced, check out this Forbes article to learn how long posts can dramatically affect your blog’s SEO and validity online.

    Do What Works for YOU

    Every blog is different. Maybe your topic or audience lends itself to short and sweet blog posts. They want the info, they digest it easily and quickly, and they’re out. 

    Perfect. Do it.

    Or maybe your niche requires a lot more explanation and research. Maybe people come to you because they want deep, meaty content they won’t find elsewhere.

    Again, perfect. Go for it.

    The real answer to “How long should my blog post be?” is simply to allow your blog—and its length—to be as unique as your business is. 

    And, for the record, this blog post is 810 words long. 😉

    Hey real quick before you leave … have we connected on Facebook yet? If not, take just two seconds to like and follow my Facebook page!

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  • Marketing

    What Is a Content Marketing Strategy and Do You Even Need One?

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    Content Marketing Strategy

    Content marketing

    For many Christian entrepreneurs with at-home businesses, you say the phrase “content marketing” and their eyes glaze over.

    After all, let’s be honest, marketing yourself is probably NOT the most exciting task you have as a business owner.

    In fact, I know a lot of entrepreneurs (including my own mother!) who absolutely hate the sales and marketing parts of their businesses.

    In my mom’s words, “It just feels … weird.”

    I get it. I really do.

    (This is why I was hired as an editor at my 9-5 job and not a sales rep…)

    But if you’ve been in business for any amount of time, you know that sales and marketing are absolutely vital to the health of your business!

    So what do you do?

    Well, the good news is that content marketing is not the creepy-car-salesman kind of marketing you’re used to seeing on TV.

    In fact, once you actually understand what content marketing is and how to apply it to your business, it easily becomes the most exciting part of your job—and the most profitable!

    Content Marketing Strategy

    What Is Content Marketing?

    But first … what is content marketing?

    Well, according to the Content Marketing Institute: “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.”

    If I lost you there for a second, it’s totally OK.

    Basically, it’s when you provide free and value-packed content to your ideal audience so that they trust you and eventually buy from you.

    The free content you consistently give them signals that you actually care about them. As your audience feels cared for, they begin to trust you. As they trust you, they begin to trust your solution to the specific problem your product or service solves.

    I’ve heard content marketing defined as “pull-down” marketing, where potential clients come searching for your content. This is way different than “push” marketing, which advertises to the masses, whether or not they even want what you’re offering.

    As Neil Patel points out, there are hundreds of different ways to do content marketing—from cartoons to movies to infographics to e-books to giveaways.

    But for the sake of your business’ needs, I’m going to narrow down my definition of content marketing.

    After all, you’re not a huge company that’s marketing to the masses. Your business might still be on the small side right now, and you’re probably running it out of your own home. Your strategy will be much more personal and nuanced.

    So from now on, whenever I talk about content marketing in this article, I’m talking about using your blog or podcast to deliver free, value-packed content on a weekly basis so you can build a loyal following of people who need exactly what you’re offering and trust you enough to buy it from you.

    Now, there is more to it than this. For you, content marketing will also likely include social media, your emails to subscribers and so forth.

    But it all hangs on your weekly content, whether that’s a blog or podcast.

    Do you have a set method of delivering free weekly content? 

    If not, check out my blog on “Blog vs. Podcast: Which One Is Better for Your Business?”

    Already decided? Great! Then the next question is …

    How Do I Create a Content-Marketing Strategy?

    Your strategy begins with figuring out a three-step plan that will lead bystanders who consume your content on a journey to becoming loyal followers.

    This does not have to be as scary as it sounds. 

    Creating the first part of your content-marketing strategy simply means:

    1. Deliver free weekly content that solves your audience’s problem, answers their burning questions, or satisfies a deep interest.

    2. Promote your content online where your audience spends time.

    3. Create a freebie (also known as lead magnet or opt-in) specifically designed for your ideal audience. You will use this freebie as an incentive for people to sign up for your email list.

    This three-step process doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a journey of building trust with your audience, which leads me to my next point.

    You Need to Be Trustworthy

    In my opinion, it’s crucial that you approach your content-marketing strategy with the mindset of “How can I serve?” instead of “What can I get out of this?”

    Believe me, if you approach your audience with the latter attitude, they will sense it and they will distrust you.

    I mean, come on. Give human beings at least a little credit. We can typically tell when someone is trying to take advantage of us, right? (OK, maybe not always. Unfortunately. Thanks, Eve.)

    This attitude of giving is one of the reasons I get so excited about content marketing.

    It’s all about giving before you take. 

    It’s about serving before being served.

    It’s about honoring others before yourself.

    The apostle Paul credits Jesus as saying it’s better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

    And in Matthew 20:28, Jesus says that He “did not come to be served, but to serve and to give [His] life as a ransom for many.”

    Now, I know I’m not Jesus. And neither are you. But we are called to abide in Him, walk as He did, and clothe ourselves in Him and not in the flesh (see Romans 13:14).

    I think content marketing is a great opportunity for you to exercise that command.

    Now that you have the right mindset about content marketing, let’s flesh out your strategy.

    1. How to Be Strategic With Your Weekly Content

    Your weekly content should always, always, always revolve around your audience’s needs.

    Your content should answer their questions, entertain them, solve their problems, or shed light on something they’re confused about or doing wrong.

    And it should also always revolve around your solutions to those needs.

    If you’re a legal contractor and your audience has questions about how to interpret LLC laws, how to word a client contract, and how to help their kid sleep at night, which topic do you think you should NOT write about?

    (Hint: It’s the third one.)

    My example was overly simplistic, but the point is still valid.

    I’ve seen entrepreneurs stray out of their niche with their weekly content, and the results often damage their brand. People get confused and wonder, Wait, what do you actually do again?

    Stay laser-focused on what needs you meet and your audience’s concerns and questions within those needs.

    The reason for this is that by focusing on your niche, you position yourself as an “expert” in that area.

    Don’t let yourself freak out at the word “expert”!

    Positioning yourself as an expert in your niche to your audience doesn’t mean that you have to know everything about that topic. It means you know enough to guide your followers to their next step.

    I am certainly not the world’s foremost expert on all things marketing. For example, even though I’m doing a lot of research on social-media advertising, I don’t have a ton of first-hand experience with it.

    But that’s OK because I’m not teaching you about Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram ads! 

    What I DO have is several years of experience creating and posting content that captivates an audience and using it to drive organic traffic to an intended site.

    That is the key element to your content-marketing strategy, and that’s what I’m teaching you how to do.

    For your weekly content strategy, I want you to answer the following questions:

    WHO exactly is my audience?

    What are their fears and concerns? What do they want to learn from me? What is their main pain point?

    WHAT is my solution?

    What answers can my products offer to their questions? How can my services assuage their pain point?

    HOW can I write about those solutions in a way that adds value to my readers’/listeners’ lives?

    What topics can I write about that will position me as an expert in my niche to my specific audience? How can I add solutions, ideas or strategies that will make them feel seen, heard, and satisfied?

    Once you’ve answered these questions, you need to make a promise to yourself to follow this one rule:

    Post. Every. Week.

    The point of valuable, consistent content is that it’s … consistent.

    Consistency is important because it tells your audience that you’re here for them long-term. (After all, content marketing is a long-term strategy, not a short-term one.)

    No one wants to follow a flash-in-the-pan. (No offense to the followers of Korah and Absalom.) 

    The once-a-week rule isn’t necessarily a gold standard. But you should avoid the temptation of posting five or six blogs in one week and then nothing for a month or so.

    You may find that you want to post twice or three times a week. Just choose a consistency and stick with it.

    If once a week is too much for you, start with twice a month. (I would be careful of only posting once a month because it can be very hard to build organic traction with fewer fresh posts.)

    So proud of you, friend! You’ve completed step one of your content-marketing strategy!

    Ready for step two?

    2. How to Promote Your Weekly Content Online

    Promoting your content online can be really easy—provided you know where your audience is hanging out online.

    So before you create your detailed plan for how many times you’re going to post on social media, ask yourself this question:

    Where does my audience spend time online?

    Is it Facebook? Instagram? Pinterest? Twitter? LinkedIn? A combination?

    Do a little digging and find out which social media are their favorites and what they do on there.

    For instance, my mom (who also happens to be my ideal customer—I just really like her a lot) spends time on Instagram for entertainment, Facebook for her work and personal connections, and Pinterest for work and learning.

    This is valuable information for me to know. If the rest of my ideal audience is like my mom, then this impacts what kind of content I post on these media.

    I may hammer my blog posts on Pinterest with “how-to” language, post engaging and inspiring content on Instagram, and work on networking within Facebook groups.

    Researching your audience may take a little time, so give yourself some breathing room here!

    I would recommend starting with just two or three social media and being really strategic about it. As you finesse your strategies with these and you feel you can start experimenting with other social media, try it out. But first, just start with a couple.

    As you learn more about your audience’s habits, take notes and adjust your posting strategy as necessary.

    You can also work on playing around with how often you post.

    For right now, since this blog is still new, I’m experimenting with the following social-media schedule:

    Pinterest: 5 to 10 pins a day, the first 5 being my own content. (Everyone seems to be saying 30-50 pins, which just seems crazy at the moment.)

    Instagram: 3 times a week

    Facebook: 3 times a week

    LinkedIn: 2-3 times a week (Posts include article links to my site as well as articles created within the LinkedIn platform.)

    I will likely adjust as I analyze the response to my social media posts, and I encourage you to do the same!

    The algorithms and rules for engagement are ALWAYS changing on social media, so it’s crucial that you stay flexible and keep alert regarding how people are responding to your posts.

    3. How to Be Strategic With Your Free Lead Magnet

    The next step in your content-marketing strategy is creating a free lead magnet that’s valuable enough that people want to subscribe to your newsletter in order to receive it.

    Your free lead magnet could be practically anything! Just make sure it’s something your audience would find truly valuable, something that would make them say, “I can’t believe she’s just giving this away!”

    For right now, my main lead magnet is “19 Irresistible Headlines” that you can customize and make work for your blog or podcast titles. 

    In my freebie, I provide some of the top-performing headlines I’ve written or seen over the years and then provided the formulas behind why they work.

    I find that sometimes freebies that give away 100 or so headlines have a lot of unnecessary overlap in their list. And they often don’t explain why the headlines work.

    So then when bloggers go to use the headlines, they may choose words that don’t actually resonate with their audience and, again, no clicks for their blogs.

    Will people respond to my freebie and sign up for my list? I think so!

    In listening to my ideal customers talk about their frustrations with not knowing how to craft compelling headlines, I found that this list of headlines is probably something that can add a lot of value to their businesses!

    But here’s the beauty of freebies.

    If you don’t get a great response with your lead magnet, you can ALWAYS adjust!

    If I find that I read my audience wrong and they don’t actually want a free cheat sheet to improve their headlines, then I simply analyze, ask questions, listen, and pivot.

    Don’t overcomplicate this part of the process. You can always change your freebie later on if you want to.

    For now, settle on something you strongly believe your audience will want and make it the best you possibly can!

    How to Create a Freebie

    There are probably thousands of different things you could offer as a freebie. Here are just a few basic examples:

    • Checklist
    • Workbook
    • Journal
    • Planner
    • Recipes
    • Unit Studies
    • E-books
    • Business Plan
    • Quiz
    • Reading List
    • List of Tips
    • How-To Manual
    • Video
    • Podcast/Audio
    • Educational PowerPoint

    Once you’ve chosen what type of lead magnet you will create, it’s time to design it!

    Thankfully, there are free services like Canva where you can create awesome freebies that look professionally designed. The free version of Canva offers a wide variety of templates you can work with to get started.

    And if you want to upgrade to the paid version, they have even more.

    I personally decided to purchase a template for my lead magnet. I figured that between my full-time job, ministry responsibilities and duties as a wife and homeowner, I didn’t really have a ton of time to design my freebie from scratch. (Nor do I have the creative talent to do so.)

    Maybe you don’t either! If so, no shame in your game. There are plenty of places to buy lead magnet templates. (Tip: CreativeMarket.com has several templates for lead magnets that look professional and are simple to edit in Canva.)

    Using Your Lead Magnet to Gain Subscribers

    Remember that the whole point of your freebie is to add to your email list.

    For that reason, make sure that you create an opt-in page for your freebie with a sign-up form that’s connected to your email service provider (ESP).

    You can check out my opt-in page here.

    Once people sign up for your lead magnet, you can send them the link to your freebie in your welcome email.

    Amy Porterfield suggests housing your freebies on Amazon S3 so that the PDFs don’t take up a lot of space on your website. There’s a lot of wisdom in that.

    Since I’m focusing on only one freebie at the moment, I personally use Dropbox to house it. (You can’t beat free!)

    Once I uploaded my freebie PDF, I created a sharing link where people can view the freebie but not edit it. I then embedded that link into the automatic email that people receive after signing up for my email list.

    (Confused about this part? Shoot me an email and I’ll walk you through it!)

    The Next Step of Content Marketing

    If you think this is the end of your content-marketing strategy, you’re totally wrong!

    The incredible thing about content marketing is that is that it builds up the trust between you and your ideal client so that you CAN sell to them.

    If you’re struggling with writing sales copy, check out my blog on “How to Write Sales Copy That Doesn’t Sound Sleezy.” And check out my other blogs for more insights into how to strengthen your content-marketing game!

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  • Blogging

    Blog vs. Podcast: Which Is Better for Your Business?

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    Blog or Podcast for Business

    Host a podcast for your business

    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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