I don’t get much time to write these days. I’m always writing, yes. But it’s usually for someone else’s website, their promotional materials. It’s my business after all, but I rarely get to sit down to think through a great short story or to create a compelling piece for my own blog. When I do get that time, well, Orange is the New Black needed to be mainlined that one weekend. Then the Game of Thrones episode with the Viper and the Mountain needed to be watched a minimum of three times. Oh, the library e-mailed and told me that The Luminaries was ready for pick-up; it’s only 2,000 pages. Writing can wait. |
Myth: Writing is something you will do more of when you decide to become a writer. A blog seemed like the perfect outlet to talk about some of my business challenges and to provide tips and advice to those looking to learn about content marketing. Turns out, I spend as much time writing blog posts as I do short stories and fascinating allegories of life and toast. |
But blogs are hugely valuable tools to tell stories, to entertain people, to impart knowledge. So I started this one and managed a three meagre posts in the first three months I was a so-called writer.
Today though, while writing for someone else, I was looking for local blogs to follow and partner with. The Newfoundland Blogroll used to be my go to place to check out the newbies and to have a gander at a few long-time favourite bloggers.
It’s a great piece of content marketing advice from Copyblogger I picked up, to create a pack/cluster/sounding of bloggers to comment on and support one another’s work; basically creating an online support system of people you want to work or partner with.
But after a bit of time on the blog roll site – which hasn’t been updated since fall 2013, I realized, neither had most of the blogs I visited. These virtual diaries, these stunning examples of online tribes; are all effectively abandoned.
There were knitting blogs, baking blogs, punk music blogs – all left to waste away in the Internet universe since 2013. Apparently, it was a good year to start - and give up - blogging.
I was saddened to wander this tech cemetery. Because for me; a blog post of between 100 and 500 words is the perfect way to waste that first morning coffee break.
A short read offering some entertainment, information, or comfort, makes you realize there are others out there who care about the same dumb crap you do. More importantly, blogging is a great way to promote your business, even when you’re not pushing a product.
Here’s where it gets technical. Business owners who blog, do better. Know why? ’Cause it’s an outlet. With a pretty short investment in time (about the equivalent of one episode of Game of Thrones), you can share a bit of yourself and what you’re all about online. People are searching for authenticity in all their interactions. It’s why Facebook, and LinkedIn, and all the other social avenues have been the place for marketers to converge since their inception.
Why offer little more than a glimpse into a business on Twitter, when you can complain in a finely crafted blog post about taking your kids to another darn birthday party? Well, if you’re a party planner, that’s content. And content sells because it’s relatable.
We no longer want to see supermodels eating a burger, while wearing a bikini, while on the hood of a car when we’re being advertised at (OK everyone loves supermodels and I should just shut up about it). But really, an ad that’s not an ad; one that’s honest and relatable, like the party planner example, that’s content that will get visited again and again and again. It’s content that gets talked about; especially if you’re sharing something authentic, relatable, and even a tiny bit entertaining.
Go content market people! Tell me who you are. Win my loyalty and woo me into a sale.
OK, tonight is the season finale of Game of Thrones. I’m going to watch TV, but this means there will be more time to write. Right?
Today though, while writing for someone else, I was looking for local blogs to follow and partner with. The Newfoundland Blogroll used to be my go to place to check out the newbies and to have a gander at a few long-time favourite bloggers.
It’s a great piece of content marketing advice from Copyblogger I picked up, to create a pack/cluster/sounding of bloggers to comment on and support one another’s work; basically creating an online support system of people you want to work or partner with.
But after a bit of time on the blog roll site – which hasn’t been updated since fall 2013, I realized, neither had most of the blogs I visited. These virtual diaries, these stunning examples of online tribes; are all effectively abandoned.
There were knitting blogs, baking blogs, punk music blogs – all left to waste away in the Internet universe since 2013. Apparently, it was a good year to start - and give up - blogging.
I was saddened to wander this tech cemetery. Because for me; a blog post of between 100 and 500 words is the perfect way to waste that first morning coffee break.
A short read offering some entertainment, information, or comfort, makes you realize there are others out there who care about the same dumb crap you do. More importantly, blogging is a great way to promote your business, even when you’re not pushing a product.
Here’s where it gets technical. Business owners who blog, do better. Know why? ’Cause it’s an outlet. With a pretty short investment in time (about the equivalent of one episode of Game of Thrones), you can share a bit of yourself and what you’re all about online. People are searching for authenticity in all their interactions. It’s why Facebook, and LinkedIn, and all the other social avenues have been the place for marketers to converge since their inception.
Why offer little more than a glimpse into a business on Twitter, when you can complain in a finely crafted blog post about taking your kids to another darn birthday party? Well, if you’re a party planner, that’s content. And content sells because it’s relatable.
We no longer want to see supermodels eating a burger, while wearing a bikini, while on the hood of a car when we’re being advertised at (OK everyone loves supermodels and I should just shut up about it). But really, an ad that’s not an ad; one that’s honest and relatable, like the party planner example, that’s content that will get visited again and again and again. It’s content that gets talked about; especially if you’re sharing something authentic, relatable, and even a tiny bit entertaining.
Go content market people! Tell me who you are. Win my loyalty and woo me into a sale.
OK, tonight is the season finale of Game of Thrones. I’m going to watch TV, but this means there will be more time to write. Right?