Four Ways to Discover Whether Your Audience is Bored With Your Content

Content marketing can get pretty challenging.

Anyone in link building services would tell you that. Regardless of how long you have been in the business, it remains as a fact that your audience is a diverse set of individuals who has a varied set of tastes. And no matter how experienced you are in this field of business, it is an uncontested reality that the audience of your content can be some of the most exacting people on the planet. Not exactly in the literal sense, but in a figurative one wherein if you no longer produce riveting content, you no longer have their complete apt attention.

And with the competition so rigid, you cannot afford to lose even just a handful of these audiences.  However, there are ways of telling whether or not your audience is getting bored with your content and when they are, it is high time you do something about it.

1.)  You get few comments to no comments at all 

Take a gander at the social media posts, guest posts, blog posts, etc. you have done over time, are you getting any reaction at all? Are these responses consistent? Seeing how many comments you get in a single post is a cardinal sign that your post is being read. If there is little to no signs of comments in your post, then that is a warning sign. The comments in your post would serve as the barometer of how much attention your posts are getting and if there are no comments at all, that might be a sign for you to change things up.

2.)  Your content is not getting socially shared 

One very informative metric in content marketing is social shares. One look at the number of likes, tweets, shares would serve as a test how your content was received by your audience (whether favorably or unfavorably). Realistically, though, each content you write would not exactly get impressive amounts of shares and likes, but if your content is not getting any sort of attention at all, it could be an indicator that your audience is bored of your content. Your readers are not captivated by your content, and if you want to hold their attention, you better figure out a good content strategy.

3.)  You have low Twitter engagement 

It is not exactly possible to gauge what your exact engagement level is on all social media platforms, but Twitter makes it exceptionally easy. For you to get an accurate grasp of your engagement levels, try Twitter Analytics and compare the number of impressions, your content has received with the number of engagements. This would invariably include link clicks, favorites, retweets, etc. In addition to that, it has a lot of features which are incredibly nifty such as telling you your top tweet, your profile visits, your top mentions and so on. This feature allows you to get a broader perspective of who is engaging with you which you can use to your advantage.  When you are provided this much data, it helps you appropriately create content for the audience who is engaging with you.

4.)  Your unfollow rate is increasing 

If you are noticing a rather steady decline in your followers or perhaps a steady incline of your unfollowing rate, then this is a sign that something is wrong. If you get more unfollows with each update rather than follows, then it is a clear indication that your audience no longer wants any updates from you. Social media savvy individuals are incredibly meticulous on what they see in their feeds, and if they have unfollowed you, it means that you no longer hold their interest. There are free tools which could assist you in finding out how many followers you used to have before they dropped out and who they are which can be used on a variety of social media platforms. Ufollowerstats will give you a detailed report on who is currently following you, who has unfollowed you, etc. on Twitter.


If your content is no longer engaging, perhaps it is high time to change something up in your content strategy. Remember, if you are not writing any stimulating content, you are not helping your brand grow.

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Tips for Guest Blogging

“With guest posting, you should absolutely try your hardest to write something where people demand you come back…” –Tommy Walker

If you are an online digital marketer that would specialize in link building services, then you should know by now that guest blogging is an important aspect in search engine optimization. This is just one of the many ways you can generate more traffic for your website. However, as this is a common way to increase traffic, many digital marketers are similarly exploiting it as this is the case, there is a stiff competition for having your guest blog post approved and posted online. So, to give you an edge over your competitors and to ensure that your guest blog post is considered, approved and posted, here are some of the tips you can utilize to get a much higher approval rate for your guest blog submissions.

1.)    Write original and fresh content 

Writing gripping and compelling content with novel ideas is a crucial element when it comes to writing blog posts. But it is even more imperative when you are pitching your content for someone else to publish. Blog sites may differ in terms and conditions, but they all have a common rule which is to submit original and fresh content. Write and submit content that is both gripping and relevant to your readers as this will heighten your chances of getting your guest post approved.

2.)    Communicate with the guest blog site moderator 

Your chances of getting your guest blog accepted are enhanced when you have communicated with the guest blog site moderator and suggest to them of what you are going to write. Give them an insight into your topic and provide a title in order to impress them. Letting them know what they can expect from your guest post as well as how relevant your post would be to their readers would definitely increase your chances of getting your proposal accepted.

3.)    Read and follow the guest blog site instructions strictly

These websites have set their own terms and conditions for a reason and if you want to have your guest blog post approved then it would do you well if you followed them. These are the guidelines you ought to follow when you are writing your blog so you have to make sure that you would ready and follow them as accurately as you can. Stick to their guidelines and your chances of having your guest blog post approved will be relatively higher.

4.)    Drop the sales talk 

Blatantly advertising your business on your guest post is disrespectful to the owner of the guest blog site. Guest blog sites are not avenues for direct advertising your business and doing so is a very big NO amongst these sites. However, this does not mean to say that you should drop off advertising altogether-- do it in such a way that is not so palpably obvious and direct. Be discreet and subtle about it by indirectly promoting your website through your author biography or using an anchor text in your content body if it is allowed. Practice good etiquette by dropping the sales talk in your content in order to boost your chances of getting your guest blog post approved.

5.)    Love what you do 

Perhaps the most straightforward tip you can do and probably the easiest tip to accomplish. It is no question that when you love what you do, you would generate better and stellar results. Similarly, with guest blog posting when your passion is shown through the way you write your content, you will be very pleasantly surprised at how well you have done and how spontaneous the flow of your content is which gives your content more value and an edge over your competitors. So, the next time you pitch in a guest blog post, do not write for the sake of writing but write from your heart—your submissions will readily be accepted and posted when you do so.

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Guest Blogging 101: Seven Tips to Getting Proposals Accepted

“…the SEO benefit for guest blogging is not from the obvious bio links, it is from everything else that comes from being known…” –Craig Fifield

Guest blogging is one of the many aspects of driving additional traffic to your web pages. On a whole, when it comes to search engine optimization, guest blogging is still a paramount aspect as according to Neil Patel; this is a way to increase your overall branding, referral traffic and sales.  So, it is safe to assume that as a whole, guest blogging for SEO is not entirely dead. And if online marketing agencies would do well to exploit this. However, before getting all hyped up for guest posting, we are all aware that we need to pitch guest posting proposals and have them approved in order to secure a guest post.

Some of them get rejected or ignored while a few of them may get accepted. This is a focal point when it comes to guest posting as it ensures that your post will be featured and as a result more traffic would be directed to your website. So, just how do you come up with a proposal worthy enough to get accepted? Take a look down below for a few guidelines that may just help you.

1.)    Choose sites carefully

When it comes to selecting guest blogging sites for your guest post, you must exercise deliberate care in choosing only the best ones and of course ones that are aligned with what your guest post is all about. One aspect that should be in paramount consideration is your audience—you need to make sure that you are reaching the kind of audience that will drive real ROI into your website. Additionally, choose quality sites as failing to do so will damage your reputation and may devalue your own website with any backlinks that may potentially come your way.

2.)    Send an email

When it comes to pitching a guest post, your emails should be short, concise and straightforward as possible. The reader probably has a lot of emails to read which are of the same tone, so it would be nice if you cut through the chase and pitch your proposal. Send a message to the site owners or editors by using the submission form or any email address you can find on the website.

3.)    Use a professional subject line

Your subject lines are your tickets into getting your email proposals read, considered and possibly accepted. Come up with a straightforward subject that is honest, profession and clear. Anything less than professional is substandard and it would be the quickest way to have your pitch dismissed, ignored or rejected.

4.)    Sign it professionally

Your signature or your from line is just as significant as your subject line. This would also have an impact on the reader as well as their chances of accepting your pitch. Additionally, consider having an email that sounds professional and refrain from using emails that would make you seem like a nine-year-old in his initial discovery of the Internet.

5.)    Use the recipient’s name if it is available

When it comes to addressing them,  do not be cold and impersonal by saying “To Whom It May Concern” or too formal by stating “Dear Sir or Madam”. Keep things simple and polite but courteous and friendly by opening your email with “Hi (their name)”.

6.)    Introduce yourself

Remember, even if you are pitching a proposal, you would still be sending an email to a stranger so it is only polite and courteous to identify yourself in one line. Link any social media profile you have such as your Twitter account or LinkedIn profile as this will help them confirm that you are indeed a real person.

 7.)    Tell them why you matter

Of important consideration is to have your proposal approved and in order to do that, you need to validate yourself in the consideration of the site manager. Remember, they would probably be sorting through innumerable proposals and as this is the case, there would be an imperative need to convince them to approve your proposal. You can do this by telling them of other places where your work appears and provide them with links. Additionally, tell them about your current project. Let them know what it is about and how this is related to their niche.  

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Content Marketing Goals You Should Be Practicing

No matter what business you are in, content marketing is a paramount aspect when it comes to making it relevant—a fact which most online marketing agencies are aware of. In this fast paced world wherein competition remains stiffer than ever, utilizing poor content marketing strategies would render your business ideals ineffective or even cause it to be obsolete. However, as the logistics of content marketing remain vastly complex and diverse, we would see some other companies succeed where others had failed which would make one wonder: Is there a proper formula to having a content marketing scheme that would work?

The truth is there is not. It is relatively a hit or miss thing. Digital marketers may have heard the rather hackneyed phrase, “Content is King” when it comes to fashioning contents and although there is veracity in this clichéd notion, relying on content alone can only take you so far. However, what these successful businesses do have in common is a set of goal-oriented objectives that would make their content marketing strategies tick. Because content—no matter how innovative and terrific is just content and this would not make any radical changes to your business if it is not complemented with earnest business goals such as the ones listed below.

1.)    Attract new prospects to your marketing system 

No matter how great you think your current audience is, you need to branch out and attract more audience. Your content needs to be remarkable and compelling enough that it would attract shares in social media platforms, attract links and eventually generate conversation. Your content needs to engender a certain buzz around it enough for people to talk about as this is how you attract new people to your content. This is how your content gets immortalized over time and this is how your new prospects would discover your content.

2.)    Be Credible 

Content that is not supported and backed by thoroughly researched facts would not do you well. In fact, this is how you lose your audience. Before crafting your contents, make sure you have plied it with facts that it would be teeming with evidence as this is how you establish yourself as a pundit in a particular field. Build your credibility and your audience will thank you for it. Accurate information is paramount to creating top notch contents and it will certain strengthen your relationship with your readers making them refer back to you or your brand for answers from time to time.

3.)    Build trust and rapport with your audience

This has probably been entrenched in every content marketing goals article you will find online, but that would just highlight just how vital and imperative this is to content marketing. Remember, when you are composing content you are doing it for your audience, so they would always be at the forefront of your mind. Your content should be something that addresses their common issues and queries. It should also be equally interesting and valuable enough that your audience would trust you and get a sense of your personality. Failing to build rapport with your audience kills your conversion or conversion potential—that by itself should let you know just how imperative this goal should be.

4.)    Strengthen loyalty with existing customers 

Fresh and new customers are great for your business, but having a solid audience and an existing set of customers who deeply trust you is the hallmark of a good business. Building and having a tighter relationship with your current customers doubles the growth potential of your business and this is what would get you referrals and repeat business. Give the people who have already bought from you a better and richer experience and they will gladly reward you for it.

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Four Uncommon Types of Content That Attract Backlinks

Drafting a riveting and equally shareable piece of content is hard, yet for most digital marketing agencies that specialize in link building services, this is essential.  The modern search engine optimization (SEO for brevity world) is unyielding and unforgiving when it comes to backlinks for your content. If you would want these backlinks, then you would need to consistently engender great and extraordinary content.

These links are essential as they would drastically improve your ranking in search engines and would send you scores and multitudes of referral traffic—something every content marketer aspires for.  But in order to attract backlinks, you would need to fashion contents in such a way that they are not only substantially great and informative, but you need to know how to promote them as well. So, if you want to be equally successful in your promotional efforts just as you are in your writing, then make something that is worth promoting.

This would largely mean content that is truly uncommon, unique, valuable and distinctive. And if your content would be the pioneer among topics similar to it, then it would give you bonus and kudos points.  With a multitude of topics already being currently covered and discussed online, it could be rather hard to find a particular topic that would be inimitable at best and subtly unique at worst, yet this is your goal. If you truly want to succeed in the area of blogging, you should venture out from the typical and create other forms of content that would truly stand out.
To help you get started, this article provides you with four uncommon types of content that are particularly effective. However, consider yourself forewarned as these types of content are rather difficult to make than your standard blog posts.

1.)    LISTS 

Say what you may about lists, but people actually love them. They are easy to read and would offer you quick solutions to a current dilemma or predicament. This type of content remains to be popular as they make a specific promise wherein a reader would know how much time and attention they would have to spend reading your article. Not only this, but they are relatively easy to read as they are scannable, offering your readers quick and easy solutions immediately. Lastly, they invoke a sense of curiosity in your audience as these articles are almost always crafted under the guise of “Guess the X ways to do something” queries.

2.)    EXPANSIVE GUIDES 

If you are creating a guide, go against the mold by giving an in-depth solution to what it is you are discussing about. Elaborate on certain steps and give extensive descriptions of what your topic is about. From your point of view, you may think that the plethoric information you added to your article would cause it to sound monotonous, but to readers who would really want to know about your topic, this is a unique treasure among many guides that they have already skimmed through. Do not gloss over a topic, discuss it substantially and your readers will thank you.

3.)    UTILIZE WEB ART THROUGH INFOGRAPHICS 

This may come as a surprise to you, but infographics are currently the most viral type of content you can produce. They are such a novelty as people are fascinated by it and you can exploit this and have your blogs gain traction. To achieve a shareable blog content that would attract a lot of backlinks utilizing infographics, it is key to pick the right topic wherein you are equipped with substantial data. This works best if you broke down a topic step by step or offer statistics to your audience. Promote it to the right kind of audience and the rest will fall into place.

4.)    SHOW YOUR COMMUNITY THAT YOU CARE

Your community is teeming with bloggers, readers and influencers that all have one thing in common: they are interested in your niche. If you truly want to get attention and links, then write about something that these people care about. For starters, you can find a rather complex and multifaceted dilemma that is begging for a solution. For an instance, if you have found an aspect in your niche wherein statistics are particularly lacking, take the initiative of creating that and you would see just how many of these readers will link back to you. Present this data in a creative way and you will keep your readers interested.

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Cheat Sheet: Six Catchy Headlines That Would Guarantee You Clicks

More often than not, headlines are the first thing that would pique the interest of your readers much more so than the article itself. This is what would greet them much more than your designated article photo and in an allegorical sense, this serves as an open invitation to read your entire article. And if you are a company specializing in link building services, this is all the more important. However, this begs the question: How would you craft a headline cogent enough to sway readers to click through and finish your entire article?

We have all read articles detailing how we would get click-throughs to our articles by crafting a catchy and attention-grabbing headline. We have seen them gives us comprehensive guidelines that would more or less throw in a bit of psychology and a dash of something that would potentially interest your would-be readers into the mix. In essence, these headlines should entice those who would come upon it to read the entire article—it should contain sufficient persuasive value if you may. However, most of these articles would not give us the concrete examples that we would want to draft into our next article.  This is why this article has collated a list of catchy headlines you may want to employ on your next article.

1.)    THE SECRET OF (BLANK) 

In a sense, it bears no elaboration how this would attract readers. Human beings are curious creatures by nature and the allure of disclosing an insider’s secret and knowledge is something that would very much entice them. In fact, this has been quite exploited by successful bloggers out there because hey, it works! Share some insider information and translate it in such a way that it would put your article at an advantage and benefit your readers.

2.)    WHO ELSE WANTS (BLANKS)? 

The headline itself already conveys that what it contains is something your potential reader might want or need. It is a classic social proof strategy that would insinuate an existing collective desire among your readers and your article would offer them specifically and exactly that in the contents of your article.  Though a tad bit overused, it is still very much effective.

3.)    HERE IS A METHOD THAT IS HELPING (BLANK) TO (BLANK) 

In essence, an article taking a methodical approach towards solving a consensus dilemma, and predicament or as a development scheme towards achieving the desired result is something that would attract readers as it would connote a step by step process to which they can find solutions to their problems.  Identify your target audience and determine what benefits you can provide them and the rest will follow through.

4.)     LITTLE KNOWN WAYS TO (BLANK) 

Fairly uncommon but incredibly effective, titling your articles with this headline would imply an uncommon way to address a dilemma or a less known way to solve an existing problem. In a way, this is similar to how using “the secret to” headline would work but this headline is far more intriguing and engaging.

5.)    HERE’S A QUICK WAY TO (SOLVE A PROBLEM) 

People want everything fast and easy. This is why an article that promises them just that would garner a lot of attention and shares even. Offering your readers a quick and easy way to solve a problem would guarantee that your article would not only get a lot of click-throughs but readership and shares as well.

6.)    WHAT EVERYBODY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT (BLANK)

This headline works as it leaves the implication that the reader is missing out should he or she fail to click through the article and read it in its entirety. People’s propensity for curiosity would be the main cause for drawing them into the article, your topic would be the overall allure while the content of what you are offering is what would make them stay and read the whole article.

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3 Psychological Principles for Better Social Media Engagement

"Social Media is about Sociology and Psychology More Than Technology"

No quote rings truer when it comes to engagement in social media and if you are a wise digital marketer, you would exploit this knowledge to its full advantage and capacity. Though not obvious at first glance, marketing is heavily laced with psychology. You may think that the art and science behind enticing customers to buy what you are currently selling or to lure potential customers in with creative advertising would be heavily involved with business precepts and ideals. Though you are not wrong in this aspect, your vision of what marketing entails remains glaringly limited. The truth is marketing is heavily laden psychology and the logistics in luring your customers in is peppered with a deep understanding of your consumer's behavior.

In the same vein, if you are currently employed or are running a digital marketing agency yourself, you would have to ask if the social media aspect of your marketing campaign is getting enough traction on its engagement with your target audience.  You would need to determine whether your posts on social media are getting the engagement you have envisioned it to get? And if they are not, is there anything you can do to connect with your audience in a better way?

It should be noted that social media engagement is determined largely by how well your posts are getting received by your target audience, and how well those particular posts can trigger a response or an action from them. This is where we introduce the psychological aspect of things into the mix and discover how would benefit you and your social media engagement. In this article, we would endeavor to discuss three guiding psychological principles that would assist you in having better social media engagement.  

1.)  FOCUS ON A DESIRE

It is human nature to be desirous of something and your target audience is just as equally susceptible to these desires just as you are. To illustrate how you can achieve this in your social media posts, make your target audience believe that for a particular problem or dilemma they are experiencing, they can easily find a solution to implement in order t remedy such dilemma.  Do not give them your solutions right away as it will render your posts ineffective, instead walk them through your answers creatively and show them how they can overcome the same. This gives your brand an advantage above others as you act as the mediator between your target audience and their problems--what sets you apart from the rest is your ability to give them the easiest and most creative solution which will effectively boost your engagement as well as conversions.

2.) APPEAL TO THE KNOWLEDGE SEEKERS

People love explanations and when they are shown how a particular thing works or why it is the way it is.  To illustrate, social media posts containing the word "why" as a trigger would gain so much engagement from readers and would stimulate them to search for a particular answer t a question. In the same manner,  when you are drafting your social media posts, explain to your target audience why they need something in particular and how they would be able to get the same by reading more of your content or by using your product.

3.) TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FEAR OF MISSING OUT

Humans all inherently dislike being left out and feeling irrelevant. This is especially true where important events and happenings are concerned. We would want to stay on top of things and be properly apprised of the developments that are currently occurring. In a sense, we want to be included and saying no to an opportunity causes as to be apprehensive that we may have missed what could have been a great opportunity for us. In a like manner, this should be implemented into your social strategy as well because involving your audience in whatever you are doing and whatever developments you are making would give it a personal feel. Give them a hint of what they may miss if they do not subscribe to your list or by not trying a cterian product and see for yourself how your engagement will be so much better.    

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The Ideal Length of Blog Posts

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“How long should an ideal blog post be?” 

Bloggers, content writers, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists alike have all ask themselves this proverbial question.  This pressing question becomes a lot more imperative when these writers are under the employ of an SEO company as this company would utilize their posts in building links.
Though there is no precise approximation as to how many words you should put into a post, to obtain a successful amount of readership, shares, and comments, writers must have at least have an idea as to how to make their blog posts long enough to be comprehensive yet short enough to maintain their readers’ attentions.  

So, how do writers hit that particular sweet spot wherein a blog is long enough to cover all salient points yet concise enough as so not to bore the reader? Well, there is a multitude of techniques but the first thing writers must take into consideration is to dispel of the myth that their readers would prefer to peruse posts that are shorter. While this may be true for readers who are looking to pass the time, the same cannot be said for readers genuinely gathering as much information as they can garner. These readers are the ones who want a comprehensive view regarding a particular topic you may have the opportune avenue for writing. And nothing disappoints them more than an insubstantial piece they will come across online that barely scratches the surface. If these readers see that reading your entire article does not take more than at least two scrolls, they will dismiss your entire article and look for something more favorable. Needless to say, your post would not get that much-needed shares and readership either.

So, if it is a fallacy that post should be short, what then is the ideal length? 

Well, when it comes to hitting the perfect word count and length of a post, it all boils down to the type of entry or post you are writing. This means that the length of your post largely depends on what advantages you want to get out of your blog or post and what you want to accomplish. If you are looking to have more comments on your blog, then you will fare better if you have shorter posts (this is especially true if you are focused on asking your readers some questions in order to generate a discussion). Ideally, these posts should be no more than 275 words and your main focus should be a writing prompt that sparks a discussion.

A disadvantage of short posts is that they rarely get shared on social media and is not exactly the best thing for SEO, but if you are trying to build an audience,  try this tack.  However, if your goal is to have more social media shares then you must appropriately choose a topic that is incredibly relevant to your audience. Additionally, the quality must be excellent as articles that are sub-par or are written substandardly would only succeed in getting ridiculed online. For social media shares, the average length of your post should be between 600 to 1250 words. To really get your post noticed and shared, write a catchy headline with a compelling premise—steer clear from writing articles that bait your reader into reading your post though as they would not take this too kindly.

And lastly, if you are looking to drive more traffic from Google to your blog, this largely means you are writing basically for search engine optimization (SEO). Writing for SEO remains to be the trickiest among all others, but the incentives are beyond great as when done right. Should you want more traffic from Google, write better-researched posts with at least 2450 words. This may sound a tad bit too demanding but long authoritative posts are the search engines’ friends—most especially if they are focused on solving a problem for the reader. This is the ideal number of words to get more traffic to your blog.

Concisely put, shorter posts are better for generating comments while longer posts are ideal for SEO and generating traffic.  However, do not limit yourself. Do not be afraid to write extensive posts that are over 2000 words or incredibly short posts that are less than 600 words. Do consider that there are topics you can cover as comprehensively as you can without sounding monotonous while there are topics you can sum up in a short post. The key is to vary your style and see what works best to your advantage. Do this and you may just come up with an ideal length for yourself.

Five Inspirational Quotes to Get You Writing and Blogging

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Literary art in whatever form is beautiful but quite complicated and arduous to make.

Though passionate writers and bloggers have an endless stream of ideas and seem like they never run out of things to say, the reality is there are days wherein writing becomes more of a chore than a cherished hobby and activity. And when this occurs, inspiration can be rather hard to come by. However, for those who are employed in perhaps a digital marketing agency and are paid to do write-ups every single day, merely calling a day off and taking a break for a day is not exactly feasible—especially when you have a weekly (or even worse, daily) quota to meet. So, how do you get the inner cogs of your brain working? Well, this article does not have a step by step guide for that. But, it does offer you a five diverse quotes and adages from various authors, bloggers, and writers alike to inspire you to get started with your writing.

So while you are here (and are probably looking for something to distract you or inspire you to do some writing), let this article fuel your mind and give you some of the wisest aphorisms from the well-known pundits as regards writing.

“I think the word blog is an ugly word. I just don’t know why people can’t use the word journal” –Moby

Moby may be a songwriter and a musician, but he does have interesting thoughts regarding writing. In a way, his statement does make a lot of sense considering that some blogs are written in the manner of which personal journals are written. However, this is a rather limited view of a bigger picture as blogs nowadays cover an array of topics that range from advice columns to technical guides. The blogging sphere has expanded to be more inclusive of aa muopics rather than the ones we used to see before which chronicles a certain individual’s personal experiences and trials.

“Only on the Internet can a person be lonely and popular at the same time” –Allison Burnett 

In an age where your value as an individual is misguidedly measured by the number of likes you get on social media, truer words have never been spoken. Allison Burnett has pegged our society right as being popular on the web does not always equate to your real life popularity. If you are using your blog as an avenue for popularity, then you may be in for a disappointment. I am not saying it is not possible, but if this is the sole reason you are blogging, then you may want to consider a better way of going about it.

“I don’t want to go viral. I want to set hearts on fire”  - Coco J. Ginger 

Recognition is a great thing, but knowing you have helped someone through your work and through the articles you have crafted is, even more, rewarding. This is why when you are writing articles because you want to help genuinely, you will garner a lot more readership than you would be when you are just trying to get more shares and likes and have it go viral.

“Put your blog out into the world and hope that your talent will speak for itself” - Diablo Cody

Do not be stingy with your talent. Let your voice be heard and start blogging and writing about anything that appeals to you. This is one of the ways you can express yourself and may be your stepping stone towards an even bigger venture, such as writing a book perhaps. Do not let the small things hamper you from doing what you are most passionate about.

“If you want to continually grow your blog, you need to learn to blog on a consistent basis” – Neil Patel 

Practice makes perfect and the more you write, the better your articles will become. Just think about it, your favorite bloggers, authors, and writers started somewhere too and through their perseverance and continuous efforts, they became so much better in their designated craft. During the incipiency of your blogging venture, specific niche topics may be hard to write about and creating an entirely new content is a skill that must be acquired and learned. Through practice, this is achievable and will largely contribute to the success and growth of your blog.

Four Small Steps to Start Improving Your Writing Today

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“Content is King.” 

Bloggers, content writers employed in a digital marketing agency are all too well versed with this maxim. In fact, as a content writer or blogger, this is ingrained in them the moment they took the job. It is basically what they do and is essentially the driving point of their jobs.   However, this aphorism is all for naught if the writers themselves cannot deliver efficient and compelling content that would motivate readers to keep coming back for more. True enough, content writing is not only about meeting your weekly quota—it is about publishing online articles that writers themselves feel are worthy of reading.

But crafting articles worth reading and sharing does not happen overnight, it takes years of grueling experience, dedication, and hard work. Although, that may be true, it does not necessarily mean that you cannot incorporate small changes today that would aid you in your endeavor in becoming a better writer. After all, that is why you are here—this article has somehow piqued your interest, and you want to craft and write better articles. Well, for any writer out there, there is no hard and fast rule and the logistics towards bettering your craft are not ineludibly the same for everyone but undoubtedly, you can start today with these small steps.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WRITING AND BLOGGING 

A lot of people are under the misguided notion that there is no real difference between writing and blogging and that in essence, they are one and the same. This is a novice misconception for non-writers, and those who do write should know better. The stark difference between writing and blogging lies in what an individual does with his or her craft—a blogger casually writes, would add links various photos and videos that they would incorporate into their content. The words they utilize are mildly important and are just a small aspect of their show.

Writers, however, have a more in-depth understanding of what they are writing about. They endlessly do research, have their notes handy, open up a blank document and zero their focus on the words and just the words. Writers would only edit after they have made sure they have reached the end of their piece; they do not edit it as they go. And they definitely do not break their mental flow just to embed a video into their content. This is because writers need to operate on an uninterrupted wave of initial thought and inspiration and when it is gone; it can be hard to begin that sort of rhythm again.

Now that you have an idea what the difference is remember that it is much better to write than to blog if your endeavor is to become a better writer.

USE YOUR ADVERBS JUDICIOUSLY

Adverbs are hardly your friend when it comes to writing better and effective articles. However, this is better said than done considering that most writers have a minimum word count to meet. If such is the case, then do make sure that when you utilize adverbs, use them sparingly and sensibly and do not just lump them anywhere and everywhere you think appropriate. A well-known writer so vehemently dislikes the usage of adverbs that he has concluded that they were “created with the timid writer in mind” and would tell us that the writer “is afraid he or she is not expressing himself or herself clearly.”

In any case, the overuse of adverbs makes for a lazy writer and would produce lethargic writing. Express yourselves better, vocalize your thoughts, paint a clearer picture with your words and do not simply resort to adverbs when you are falling short of your needed word count.

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE 

Sometimes the most difficult part in writing is trying to begin. Every writer is familiar with the feeling of having a daunting blank white page stare at you—the sheer white expanse is enough to make some writers quail, and the thought of filling that up with words is, even more, formidable. True enough, writing needs the necessary inspiration for one to begin and more often than not, that may be rather hard to come by. After all, there are certain times of the week wherein you do not feel like writing at all. When this occurs, simply take some time off the computer or from your desk then breathe and relax. Then have a change of perspective.

As an example, you can envision someone, think of a friend or a family member. As your words begin to glide on paper, imagine them reading as you go or better yet think of them as being the solitary audience of your article—that you are writing for them. In this way, you are writing to one person instead of writing to no one or everyone all at once. Additionally, it would be easier to put your ideas into words as your goal would be to explain your idea only to one person.

OBSERVE OTHER SUCCESSFUL WRITERS 

This one bears no further elaboration.

Observer how your favorite writer's do their craft online and take a leaf or two out of their books and incorporate their practices into your style of writing as well. Learn from them and utilize their best techniques and maybe one day, you will end up being just like them.



Becoming a better writer does not require you to make any bold and sweeping changes for you to become one. Just try to incorporate the three small changes above and never underestimate the power of practicing your craft. After all, the adage “practice makes perfect” never failed anyone. And it certainly would not fail you or hurt to start becoming a better writer today.

Five Ways to Find More Blog/Content Ideas

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Content creation is undeniably difficult: whether you are writing for a major newspaper, crafting content for social media or simply creating posts for your designated online marketing agency.

Creating fresh and riveting content is not as easy as some people make it to be and does not exactly have a straightforward formula for success. With the Internet teeming with so much blog posts and ideas similar to your own, it can be rather taxing and challenging to come up with innovative and though-provoking novel posts. Sure, it may seem like a great idea to find a trending topic online, exploit it by writing something similar to it on your own. Well, this might come as a disappointment but using that recipe for content creation is going to guarantee you disastrous results—not because you have written something analogous but more on the fact that you will have a lot of difficulties generating viewership and readership as your page will be buried beneath posts similar to yours.

So, with this pressing dilemma at hand, just how do you find more content or blogging ideas for your posts?

1.)    MAKE A MENTAL INVENTORY OF CLIENTS’ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Clients are inevitably going to ask you more and more questions as you continue to produce and generate more posts covering a wide array of topics. Some of their questions have a similar tone and in essence, share the same nature in the query. Once you have generated enough questions that are of the same trend, then capitalize on it by writing a blog post about it. If there is one way to guarantee you readership, this is it as your clients would want to be apprised of the answers to their queries. Start collating your clients’ frequently asked questions today and have an inventory of them so that when your idea well runs dry, you can pick it out from this hub of questions.

2.)    DO RANDOM GOOGLE SEARCHES 

You can never go wrong with randomly searching for topics on the world’s largest search engine. Suppose you are given a set of keywords to produce content for, do no simply write those keywords in the search bar and expect stellar results. Brainstorm on the topics surrounding a given keyword and contemplate about the interesting posts you can potentially write. When you are done, do some random Google searches regarding the idea formulated in your head but do not just stop there, loiter on social media platforms and sniff around for trending topics that might relate to yours.

3.)    WRITE A SERIES 

Take advantage of your past successful posts by creating a series that speaks of only one theme. In this way, you can guarantee that readers will always come back for more content from you and would gladly anticipate the next post of your series. Piggyback subsequent posts on past successful posts and expand on your success.

4.)    INSERT INFOGRAPHICS IN CREATING YOUR POST 

This has been trending recently, and more and more blog posts have been utilizing this novel technique. Insert infographic into your posts instead of telling your readers about the information you have gathered. They are as equally informative as a blog enriched with verbal explanations, but the bonus is that it is easier to comprehend read and has visual aesthetic value.

5.)    TRY LISTING "ABC" PROMPTS 

Craft an expansive list that covers a multitude of topics utilizing all the letters of the alphabet as first letters to your topic prompt. This is extremely valuable as it allows you to have at least twenty-six posts you can work with. Commence your list with the letter “A” and proceed down the alphabet. It may be harder to look for topics for some of the letters but with a little creativity, it is possible. Do this for any subject, and then once you are done, simply repeat the process.

 

Four Essential Skills a Content Writer Must Possess

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People seemed to be under the misguided belief that all it takes to be a brilliantly skilled content writer is to possess an excellent command of the English language, a notable flair for writing with just the right touch of passion to top it off. Well, being a content writer takes a lot more than those three combined it seems.

Not that any of those three attributes are not exactly as imperative as they were before or that they are of diminutive value--it is just that it takes more than just decent composition skills and a passion for writing to be a successful content writer nowadays. The true nature of content writing has evolved over the years, and this is especially true for content writers who specialize in link building services.

It seems that writing decent posts alone is a skill that barely scratches the surface of what it takes to be successful in content marketing. Succinctly put, a concrete definition of content marketing is the strategic marketing approach that is mainly focused on creating and distributing content for the end-goal of marketing that is to drive profitable customer action.

Now, you might think that generating content may be relatively easy. However, the creation of compelling content is much more difficult than it was before owing to the fact of content explosion online. Now more than ever, there has been a vast proliferation of content that for a single post you make there are about a hundred more so posts similar to it. So with the genesis of content superfluity, what kind of skills should a content writer possess in order to compete?

IMPECCABLE WRITING SKILLS 

This much is obvious.

After all, you are not only representing your brand through your posts but you are also working for an industry where the advertisements of your product are conveyed through your writing.  Decent writing skills will not get you very far; you are writing to drive profitable customer action into your designated websites—not your everyday English assignment or term paper. Impeccable writing skills would include a vast array of skills such as unimpeachable grammatical, spelling and spelling skills. Complement these skills with advanced skills such as the ability to create easy-to-read contents, the capacity to make seamless writing transitions, etc.

REASONABLE AWARENESS OF USER EXPERIENCE 

Content writers should be empathetic towards their readers by considering how their posts are perceived through their end. These posts are not only conveyed through a computer screen— but they are also translated through a mobile device, within a blog template, Twitter, etc. Although, many might insist that content writers should know everything there is about SEO and optimization, this is not necessarily what it means to be aware of user experience. In essence, having an awareness of user experience means that a writer should have a reasonable knowledge of how the users interact with their websites. With this in mind, writers should craft their posts by using their designated keywords in a way that it would make sense based on the user, topic, the main focus of the blog and other relevant features.

CATCHY HEADLINE CREATIONS 

This bears no explanation as it seems rather apparent as to why catchy headline creations are necessary. However, to elaborate and drive the point home it is important to realize just how much competition you have online that having your posts read by users may seem like an impossibility if they have to sift through hundreds of posts similar to it. So with that in mind, just how are you going to herd potential readers into your post? To illustrate, say you have a post regarding interior decorating; if you title this as “Ways to Decorate Your Living Room,” you are sure to find a dozen or more so posts similar to it that yours will be buried under several pages in the search pages. Instead, think of a creative way to make your headlines—make it catchy, play with words, be creative.

MARKETING AWARENESS 

The writer should be aware of his or her unique and strategic position in writing posts for marketing. They should be aware of how to gauge their audience and base their writings from their respective receptions to their posts. This is because content writers are not just simply writers with the creative freedom to write as they please but rather they are constrained to the position wherein they write about topics that would sell their products the most. This compounded with excellent writing skills would make for compelling content.


The bar is not set impossibly high for content writers that it would seem unrealistic to be a successful one. However, it is a reality that content writing is now immensely different than what it was before, and content writers need to realize that and make the necessary changes, acquire the necessary skills and polish their existing one in order to make it in this industry. Keep polishing your skills and never stop improving and you will get far.

Blogging 101: Design Ideas to Make Your Blog Stand Out

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The Internet is teeming with blogs and for every topic you can think of, you can be assured that there are dozens if not hundreds alike to yours. So when competition is this stuff and with the online community inundated with millions of content each day, how does one compete? True enough, bloggers have all sung praises and lived by the proverbial adage of “content is king” and while having epic content is the crux of every blogger’s designated website, it is not necessarily sufficient.

The bitter truth is:  great content may give your blog that much needed meat that it needs, but it would fail to garner notice amidst the deluge of other blogs and write-ups similar to it. And if you want your blog to grab that much-needed attention from the online community, you are going to have to look a lot further than providing great content—you would also need to call their attention.

So how is this achievable? Well, a few tweaks and design innovations are essential to draw attention, and when you have adequately done this, you need to find a way to maintain it. Your online followers, fickle as they are, can get easily sidetracked, distracted and bored so if you have a tedious design, chances are they would not be sticking around. If you are looking for ideas on how to go about this, read on as this article provides you with different design tips you can utilize on your blog website.

ALLURING AND ATTRACTIVE WEBSITE NAVIGATION

Having great website navigation, one that is equally alluring and user-friendly plays a pivotal role in making online readers stay on your blog. Blogs that have clunky navigation often confuse potential readers and turn off visitors making them less likely ever to visit your blog again. So tweak your navigation design, a great way to start is to base this on the overall theme of your blog. In this way, it will feel more personalized and will make more of an impact on your audience.

INCORPORATE ATTENTION GRABBING FOOTERS 

Most bloggers make the vast oversight of neglecting to spruce up their footers with the mistaken notion that readers hardly ever notice it. But the reality is, many people actually do take a look at footers. Find a fantastic way to end your blog and spice it up to give it a nice touch.

DEDICATE A SPACE THAT TALKS ABOUT YOU 

People who would be reading your blogs would most likely want to get to know the author behind those posts. Essentially, having an “about the author” section in your blog gives them an insider view of the purveyor of the interesting posts they have read. After all, it is comparatively more practical to tell them about the author than just having your name written at the end of your post. Add a small avatar as well to make things look personal.

DESIGNATE A BREAKING NEWS FEATURE 

Designating space for a breaking news feature allows your readers to direct their attention to the current events, issues and things that are happening which are in relation to the theme of your blog.  It gives your content a certain urgency and importance that would update your readers regarding current developments.

A SEARCH BAR 

Most blogs typically do not incorporate this feature to their blogs but what they have failed to factor in is the fact that recurring readers would not want to be encumbered with scouring through all your content just to find a particular post. Integrate this feature into your blog and give your returning readers an ease of access to the previous posts they want to read.

UTILIZE A COLLAGE FOR YOUR BACKGROUND 

Collage style backgrounds are trendy and are pleasing to the eyes. Additionally, this is a surefire way to make your website stand out and will give your blog that much needed visual aesthetics. Realistically, your audience is there for your content but it helps if you provide them with great imagery. So with that in mind, use a collage as a backdrop but do not go overboard lest it detracts your readers attention away from your content.


Keeping your blog interesting, up to date and relevant does not have to be hard as shown above. However, a word of caution: Although, blog customization allows for a more personal feel and would make a more striking and impacting impression on your audience, make sure you customize with moderation. Do not go too overboard and introduce all of the customizations you can think of into your blog as it will leave it looking unprofessional and clunky. Strike a balance and your blog should definitely stand out.

What Top Bloggers Do Differently to Succeed

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You stare in frustration and mild consternation at your screen as you watch your blog linger away in insignificance.  How is it that some blogs gain so much readership and success while yours is rotting in some obscure part of the net? What are these writers and bloggers doing differently that you have failed to pick up on?

Is there a secret technique to have your blog read more widely?

Bloggers who do it for fun do not seem to care so much. But if you are doing this because you are associated with link building services or are perhaps garnering pecuniary support from advertisers, then you need to switch it up.  Success in blogging is converted to a loyal following and higher readership rate.  The crucial things to think about is not to think whether or not your blog stands a chance of being read or being ranked; you should believe your blog to be already that instead.

So what sets these top bloggers and writers apart? What makes their blogs truly successful? Read on and find out.

PICK A BLOG TOPIC CAREFULLY 

There is an endless stream of content on the net and every single day, it gets inundate with an avalanche of more blogs and write-ups. So how do you compete? Well, your initial course of action is to meticulously pick a topic—one you think is of high caliber. Additionally, you should consider that for every topic you select and write about, a hundred—if not a thousand more similar to yours already exist. A great tip would be to scour the net for top blogs and content sources, weight them and assess them for you to determine whether or not there is an applicable gap where you could fill in. Take advantage of that and exploit that and utilize that in your blog.

HAVE OBJECTIVES

Like any undertaking, you should set long-term, and short-term goals as these will help you track your overall progress.  This is all the more imperative if you are working for a company and as it is, your goals should be parallel to the voice or the message your company wants to convey. Create, define and employ specific goals for your blog and align them with your objectives.

COME UP WITH A DEFINITIVE PLAN FOR CONTENT CREATION

Blogging does not only require you to get behind a computer and start typing away whenever the urge to write consumes you. It requires you to create a plan for your blog—one that will make your readers more receptive to reading from you again and again. Develop a calendar where you can cover core and key topics weekly that would meet the needs of your readers and followers adequately. Publish them regularly as well to make sure you stay relevant.

HAVE A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR READERS AND THEIR NEEDS

Who is the primary audience of your blog? Who makes it relevant? What are their needs? These are key questions you must answer before you can truly comprehend what your readers want you to write about. Consider that your blog is for your audience’s benefit and consumption. It should encompass more than your primary market and extend itself beyond prospects and customers. Semantics aside, your blog should be inclusive of the needs of your prospective readers which may differ from what you occasionally write about. Appreciate comments and feedbacks, apart from it being free market research, it propels you to the right path in your content creation.

QUALITY CONTENT, NOT QUANTITY IS KEY 

A significant aphorism that most bloggers are acquainted with is “Content is King”. The truth in this statement still resonates until today. There is no better way to build a good following and a loyal base of readership than creating quality content—ones that make an impact and are relevant. Do not write content for the sake of writing content and meeting up a weekly quota lest you sound like a redundant content provider. Instead, provide the actionable information that you audience actively seeks—product information, customer FAQs, how-to lists, reviews—the list is endless. Take note, a top blogger consciously creates better information, not more information.

The logistics of being a top blogger may not always be straightforward, and the reality is, other blogs—especially ones written by seasoned bloggers get to read more than the obscure ones written by writers new to the industry. But taking these tips is a start, and it might just be the five failsafe ways to get your blog out there and read.

6 Techniques to Blog When You Don't Have Time

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It is a fact that not all bloggers have their luxury of time to do blogging. Some of us here are freelancers who depend on their spare time to update and promote their latest posts while others are full timers who are working in an internet marketing agency. Well, it's a good thing if you are a full-time blogger since you can devote your focus on your work. However, for some, blogging during their free time might not even be enough to create a good blog post.

When you are a blogger, there will always be a time to spare. But how are you going to manage it for you to have a great blog post, considering the fact that there are also so many things for you to attend to? And how sure are you that you can pull that off? This might be an easy task for some bloggers, but if you are one of those bloggers who are still struggling, then this post is definitely for you.
At the end of the day, you will eventually realize that it will all start on how you manage your time. But the real question is – HOW?

1. Schedule your time

Yes, this might sound cliché but it is definitely helpful for freelancers. Scheduling is also a form of managing your time. For instance, if you are morning writer who tends to write with a cup of coffee, then you might want to use that particular time. Instead of drinking your coffee alone, why not pair it with writing your first draft? With that, you are maximizing your time.

Aside from optimizing your free time, you can also make a post calendar. This will help you guide on what and when you are going to do the writing, editing, posting and marketing.

2. Reduce how often you post – or reduce your post lengths

Blogging must be timely. And having a daily blog post is definitely a good way to stay visible on social media, but it doesn't mean that is a compulsory for you to do such. Most bloggers, especially freelancers, do their publishing twice or thrice a week. It is not a bad thing at all. In fact, this helps them have an ample time to think of another interesting and engaging topic for their audience. With this method, you can create posts that are both concise and search engine friendly.

Moreover, if you are too concern of your word count, then you better stop worrying about it! When you do, you will be more focused on how many words have you made already than on the topic and/or content that you are writing. And sometimes, this will lead you to a messy and crappy content.

3. Don't ignore your ideas

Have you ever notice or experience that whatever we do, and wherever we go, there will always be an idea that will suddenly pop up on our mind? Or even reading some interesting posts online, then suddenly you came up with an interesting topic? Jot it down immediately – that for you not to forget. Of course, every idea that you have is important. Well, just make sure that you know which of your ideas are worth writing and posting. And if you don't want to waste your effort in blogging, then make sure to have a quality and engaging topic for your audience.

4. Maintain your momentum

When you are in the mood to write, you definitely got to stay away from the temptations and distractions. Diverting your attention to any other things is definitely easy, but going back to your writings again, focusing might be hard on your end. And I'll tell you, you definitely don't want to mess your mind up. Keep the momentum. With that, it will be easier for you to focus on your content and the things that need to be done.

5. Understand your audience

Have you ever experience that you have a hard time thinking on what to write for you audience? Perhaps, it is because you don't know your audience at all. Who are they? Are they kids, teenagers, young adults, adults? When you know who your audience are, you will also know what kind of topic you are going to have. Knowing them will help you focus on a specific topic for a specific group of target audience. With that, you are not wasting your time thinking about the things that you are not sure of.

6. Set social media to auto-post

One of the convenient ways to promote your blog post, especially when you don't have a spare time, is to incorporate media plugins and tools to automatically update your social media. There are actually a lot of tools that you can use. If you are using Facebook, then you can use the Networked Blogs application. Or you can also use TwitterFeed.com to feed you blog's RSS to Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Using this kind of method help keep you be more productive.