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It is Monday! Time to get back to work...
I am a fan of all technology.But I am mostly inspired by Mr. Steve Jobs (1955-2011).Though his products have revolutionized the entire world, it is what he accomplished and how he persevered that is most inspiring to me.Who got fired from their own company? Steve Jobs.Who went back with an even better idea than before? Steve Jobs.Who continued to push forward with his idea AFTER it was mocked and labeled 'impossible?'Who pushed on even after seeing Bill Gates' make his first billion in the same industry he was in? Steve Jobs.And, who can we credit for the iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and all things Apple? That's right - Steve Jobs.Of course, he had a team, supporters, and people to push him into what he was destined to do. I do not discount their role in anyway!But, ultimately when there were no fans and no support, he continued on.I find it rather ironic that His name was Jobs and his products and genius have created many jobs. January 24, 1984 - 21 years ago today - Steve Jobs' company Apple launched their first Macintosh computer at the annual shareholders' meeting. And the rest is well, history.
It is amazing how fear can be a real obstacle for people to face. There are so many business owners and non profits that are actually doing many great things, yet hesitate to move their stories to the web. Why is that? It could be a few issues, but here are the most common I notice:
Not Enough Time
So much of content marketing is writing and finding information to write about. While we all have a niche where we direct our focus, it can also be time consuming to continue finding new inspiration. I can empathize with this, however, there is a solution. The very content that may seem to overhelm our inboxes is also the same resource we can use to produce more quality content.
Overwhelmed By The Demands of Content Marketing
It is true that there are hundreds of websites coming online everyday, but that should not discourage you from keeping yours well and maintained with quality content that will increase your organic website traffic. Just because there are houses built daily, should we stop keeping up the appearance of our homes? Do real estate agents give up on selling older homes because of newer ones? Of course not.
Focus on Quality not Quantity
At the end of the day, we all have the basic need to solve problems in our lives and reduce pain. These are very powrful driving forces that can help any business in inspire, inform, and help their target market. In order to win the battle, you must first get started!
If you need helpful hints for your content and facts, sign up for the ChrissyBiz newsletter here. No spam ever. We also help small businesses and non profits write quality content for their websites , blog, and articles. We would love to hear from you and how we can be of service.
Not Enough Time
So much of content marketing is writing and finding information to write about. While we all have a niche where we direct our focus, it can also be time consuming to continue finding new inspiration. I can empathize with this, however, there is a solution. The very content that may seem to overhelm our inboxes is also the same resource we can use to produce more quality content.
- Read printed publications in your niche to gather inspiration and information about current needs and concerns in your field. It is good to get away from the computer and read the newspaper or a magazine. They can offer a fresh perspective about your topic. You can then take the news, information, and content you've consumed and start to write down what you walked away with. If you have a question regarding what you read, it is likely someone else does too. Use that as inspiration for a new blog post or article.
- Use the search functions of Twitter and Facebook to find out trending stories. There is almost always an angle you can take that is unique and relative to your target market. A quick long tail keywords search on Google will show you how differently people think when it comes to searching for information online. Don't think all the bases have been covered because it's not likely they have.
Overwhelmed By The Demands of Content Marketing
It is true that there are hundreds of websites coming online everyday, but that should not discourage you from keeping yours well and maintained with quality content that will increase your organic website traffic. Just because there are houses built daily, should we stop keeping up the appearance of our homes? Do real estate agents give up on selling older homes because of newer ones? Of course not.
- Focus on what you are doing. Write down what you hope to accomplish in the next month, six months or year. Your content marketing is not like advertising where your ads run for a limited amount of time unless you add more money. What you write today can be seen on the internet as long as there is an internet, if done properly. Don't allow the size of the web to intimidate you! Someone, somewhere wants and needs to read about what you are writing about. Keep writing!
- Remember the passion that you have for your product or service. Forget about trying to write something per se, and focus more on conveying your passion in your blogs and articles. I can guarantee you that your knowledge is far greater than you know. Just talking to friends or colleagues can be a good reminder of how much you actually do know. Write down notes about common questions you come across for future reference. Record yourself speaking about your product or service. Sometimes you get new ideas by simply hearing yourself talk about it.
Focus on Quality not Quantity
How many times have you read a great headline, clicked through to the website, only to find that the content was repetitive or poorly put together? While we want to be consistent with our content, it is more important to produce quality pieces that people will actually find useful, bookmark, and share.
- Plan your content and how often you will publish it. If you are just starting out, do not be discouraged because someone else's blog is updated daily. By writing out your topics in bulk, when you do read new material and find new inspiration, it only adds to what you've already planned to write. The key is to produce content that will be useful for your readers. Here's a simple planning tool that will help you accomplish this.
- Use your keyword research and discussions on Linkedin to help you stay abreast of what professionals need. I use Facebook, but it is not always the best resource when it comes to serious matters or finding quality information. StumbleUpon, Google News, Hubspot Blog (may absolute favorite), and a host of others really dig deep in their content and help get the creative juices flowing to inspire new content. You're not going to re-write what you read, rather use what you read as a seed for new ideas.
At the end of the day, we all have the basic need to solve problems in our lives and reduce pain. These are very powrful driving forces that can help any business in inspire, inform, and help their target market. In order to win the battle, you must first get started!
If you need helpful hints for your content and facts, sign up for the ChrissyBiz newsletter here. No spam ever. We also help small businesses and non profits write quality content for their websites , blog, and articles. We would love to hear from you and how we can be of service.
