Ditch Your Lists And Be A More Focused Freelancer

October 10, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

If you are a freelancer or blogger, you have a lot of tasks to juggle.

Chances are you use lists to inspire you and keep you on track. But how effective are your lists?

Do you make lists only to cross of a few items every day?
Do you transfer the rest of today’s list to tomorrow’s list?
Do you have a zillion ideas for new projects, blog posts, content, or activities, but you don’t know which one to start?
Do you have trouble finishing projects on deadline?
Do you have trouble keeping all your jobs organized?

I was guilty of all of these. While my clients’ jobs were and are, usually under control, that was about it. If I wanted to grow my business or focus on accomplishing some writing projects for myself, I always felt like a failure. I repeatedly wrote list after list, filling notebooks, and file cabinets with notes and links, resources, books, recipes, etc. that definitely had a purpose… just not right then… just not until I finished this other thing…

I even started to buy into that little voice telling myself that I’d never retrieve and act on even a small portion of my “good ideas.” I’d write things down knowing in my bones that I’d forget them as soon as they were filed.

Ugh! How demoralizing is that? I was literally becoming the crazy bat who wrote down every thought, and filed it away. Like the woman with the jar of strings “too short to save.”

Lists are great, but for a lot of us, they’re not effective.

Thanks to a friend of mine (who runs this school carnival supplies business) I discovered a new way to deal with all the things that need doing. Not just in my work, but in my family and personal life, too. The great thing about my new system is that I can keep as many ideas as I want, and store them within an organizational method that makes me feel like the type-A person I’m not. (You really can fake it till you make it.)

It’s called Kanban Flow, and it resembles a grid-like organizational chart where you move components from one section of the chart to another as you finish them. At least that’s the way this novice is using it. It’s not a bulletin board, though you could visualize it that way. It’s called a Trello board, an online chart where you can see your entire newly- categorized life laid out like the yellow brick road.

This Trello thing could make you crazy effective! The longer I use it, the better habits I have, so I just have to share it with you. This might change your life…

The Kanban system was created in Japanese manufacturing plants as a way to keep track of inventory. As it turns out, kanban (sounds like “bonbon”) is a great way to manage all your to-dos, brilliant ideas, shopping lists, team meeting agendas, car maintenance schedules, or family calendars as well!

Name your project or whatever you’re working on now; you can probably get it done better with a Kanban flow.

Although there are a few Kanban apps out there, I use Trello because it’s free and easy to learn. In fact, I’ve used if for a couple of years now, and I’m just beginning to really embrace how to integrate it into my daily routine and allow it to help me be more productive.

How Do Kanban Flows Work?

Here’s the idea. First you create a board and give it a title. This is your overarching category or theme. Say you are a content writer or copywriter. You might call your first board…

Blog Post Ideas
2017 Blog Content
Guest Blog Categories
Get More Instagram Followers…

Pick some goal or project you imagine conquering.

As you begin creating your first Trello dashboard, you’ll find there a learning curve regarding how you set up your boards.

First there’s the “problem” of being too general. You might start with boards titled, “Things I need to do in October” and then discover that it makes more sense to actually have two boards: “Personal Things I Need to Do” and “Professional Things I Need to Do.”

You may also realize that each project should have its own board. As soon as you begin adding lists to each board, you start seeing how simply and quickly a project that previously seemed out of hand could actually be accomplished.

On the other hand, you might realize that a project requires more steps than you originally thought.

Here’s where you learn to love lists again.

Every board consists of a panel of lists laid out from left to right. Lists consist of cards. Not mere jots and scribbles, but actual separate areas where you can place images, thoughts, get comments from team members, add articles and links found on the web, add checklists, and PDFs or Google docs, etc. from your computer

With the ability to add cards to a list, you are able to flesh out every item on your list with supporting material. It’s list-making for clean freaks. Everything looks tidy and your work is suddenly streamlined, but you still have everything you need. You don’t have to kiss goodbye all those tangential thoughts, and sparks of fancy. They all have a place where you can retrieve them if necessary, but they’re not yammering all over the place disturbing your concentration. (We creative types struggle with that.)

Lists might include background research, questions, hypotheses, history, etc. They could also include active working areas, like components of a project to which different team members are able to make contributions.

I personally like to add a “Done” list to just about every board I start so that I can swipe a task from a working area to that oh-so-satisfying “Done” column. Bliss.

The best way to start feeling that productivity mojo is to just go to Trello right now and start playing.

But if you still need some inspiration for how a freelance writer or blogger can use the Kanban flow, here are some ways to get started.

Here are eight ways I use Trello Boards:

1. Mind Map

Mind Maps! If you’ve ever used a mind map to develop an idea into a finished outline for an article or post, then you know you can either scribble a main idea in the center of a sheet of paper and draw arrows from there; OR you can jot all your ideas onto post-it notes and stick them on a large sheet of paper in some orderly fashion. Either way, mind maps are helpful, fun, and sometimes messy.

Unless you’re really ready to work on an idea, you might not want to start all that brainstorming. You may not appreciate all those notes and sheets of paper cluttering up your workspace either. If you want to insert some order, just use a Kanban flow. (By the way, Kanban people use words like Lean and Agile to describe productive workflows…but Orderly won me over.)

2. Blog Content

This is why I started using Trello in the first place and where the bulk of my usage is still.

Every company or website I write for has its own board. Usually when I’m writing for a blog (or as a ghost blogger) a good part of the work is coming up with ideas. Sometimes the business owner has a monthly or quarterly theme in mind. Sometimes she’s gearing up for a product launch and so the content will lead up to that. And sometimes, it’s up to me to come up with some interesting content ideas.

I keep a board for each website where I’m a contributor. My first column is typically a smorgasbord of content ideas. I toss them up there in no particular order, using the Trello app on my cell phone whenever a good idea comes to me as I’m mobile. Once an idea is on that first column, and if it’s any good, usually I will start to add supporting ideas to it. It’s weird how easily this happens. As soon as I come up with a sticky idea, suddenly everything I see looks like a green light to write it. For example, I might read an article that supports the idea, or hear a podcast that has some relevance to the topic. I may run across a photo or a tweet that would be nice to include. The post practically writes itself if it’s right.

Once I have added a few notes to a possible idea, I take it as a sign that I should run with it. So I move it over to a list of posts I’m currently working on. From there, it will eventually find it’s way to the calendar, if it hasn’t already been assigned, and then to the “waiting for approval” column, then to “Done.”

At the GO phase, it’s just a matter of progression and time, not so much ideation.

Now another other cool thing about Trello is you can add a calendar to your boards — perfect for keeping tabs on publish dates — as well as invite others to your board so they can comment. While I’m pretty strict about tuning out contributing voices as I write, the overall content strategy definitely benefits from others’ opinions.

Again, for blog content, the arrangement of cards means nothing is ever really lost. I make a new card for every general topic I create for my own blog. Right now I have ideas for about 20 articles that are “simmering.” This means I am not exactly tackling these topics right now, but they are generally on my mind.

Unlike my filing system I mentioned at the beginning of this post, all of these blog topics and “great ideas” are accessible and viewable. When I see something that complements the topic, I simply click the chrome extension on my browser and the link is captured. A small Trello popup opens and I can simply add it to the appropriate board and list. It looks like this (right).

Why is this so effective? Because I can touch it once, and store it in the right place; but I don’t have to think about it again so it doesn’t occupy any more room in my mind.

The major benefit for me is, I’ve dealt with it as much as I’m going to until I’m ready to compile all the facts and ideas into an article. Then I’ll have everything on hand to outline and create a first draft… if the idea ever gets that far.

After that, I include checklists, another feature that I like. Now I can get the post ready with all the pertinent details: Whether it’s formatted for WordPress, the due date, images selected, title graphics, optimized headlines, keywords, tags and meta tags (SEO items), etc. You can see at a glance how close a blog post is to being ready to publish.

You may be wondering at this point, what can you add to a Trello card?

Here’s a list of some things I’ve uploaded: Images, links to articles, comments, PDFs, Google docs, things I’ve clipped to Evernote or Dropbox, quotes, tweets, and comments from clients. The software is set up to help you access and use a lot of the other apps and software in conjunction with Trello, and you can “power up” your boards with them. Yay!

But wait, there’s more…

Here are some other ways freelance writers can use a Kanban system like Trello to get and stay organized:

3. Job and Contact Management

How do you keep your job searches and contact communication organized? When I’m applying for a freelance job, or after I’ve talked with a prospect I want to work with, I start a card under the list “Jobs” under the Board “New Work.”

I keep list columns for jobs and projects I applied for or bid on, whether I sent a link to my portfolio, I post a link to my proposal and bid, along with a copy of the cover letter. And then I have a follow up list and/or signed contract list.

4. Long, Ongoing Projects

Ebooks, infographics, and longer projects I’m working on. Here again, regular practice and doing the same things over and over again, will help you make progress. If you’re just taking stabs at the thing whenever you “get a chance” you’re probably going to become frustrated that the project is not gaining traction. I include lists for research, various edited drafts, whether it’s formatted for CMS, milestones and deadlines, and graphic design components.

5. Guest Post Management

If you are a blogger, you probably already know about the value in guest posting to other blogs. Similar to the blog board is my guest blog board. In addition to content ideas, there are other things that are important to keep track of:

A spreadsheet of blogs accepting posts
Blogs I’m most likely to get accepted
Ideas for posts geared to specific blogs (sometimes outside my wheelhouse)
Drafts
Sent drafts
Drafts responded to (or neglected or declined)
Articles resent to an alternate blog (because why waste?)

6. Digital Hoarding Collections of Things

As a writer, of course I’m a content consumer, too. I keep a board of books I want to read, courses I want to take, movies I want to see, etc.

7. Personal / Household / Family

My personal projects and goals are perfectly fair game for a healthy Kanban flow, and I’m beginning to use it more for that.

For example, my son is at the age where it’s time to teach him to drive. In Texas, there is a convoluted path to teenage driving. It starts with ordering a parent instruction packet from the DMV. After that, there’s online tests, application for underage permit, logging of driving hours under certain conditions, etc. I will be using my Trello to get us through this.

Another issue that seems clearer thanks to Trello is a household IT problem we’re grappling with these days. Every technician, cable guy, and “geek” has a secondary troubleshooting idea for us. I started a list on my household board dedicated to solving this. I’m keeping the names of specific routers and other products I can try. I’m noting actions we’ve taken to fix the intermittent Internet outages, and network password reminders. Rather than jot notes on paper to transfer later, I just upload the idea or note to a card with my phone. Trello’s mobile app is great!

I’m sure there are other personal and professional goals and projects I could be hacking with a Kanban flow method. Now that I’m beginning to get cozy with Trello, I’ve stopped just throwing things together.

8. Recurring Tasks

Finally, there are those pesky recurring tasks that must be done. Unless you’re a robot or your have extra help with certain tasks, and have your routine so perfectly ingrained in your programming, a Kanban flow could help you with this, as it helped me.

While you can power up a board with Trello’s “Card Repeater,” another alternative is using a Zap or the handy Echo app built by Dennis Martinez. I’ve set this up and it works quite nicely.

I use my recurring tasks board more as a reminder that I have to do these things than as an organizational tool. Just set Trello to automatically open upon login, and you’ll know first thing every morning. Some of my recurring tasks include posting to social media sites, bookkeeping, payments, taxes, filing tasks, etc. I sort them by weeks, months, and quarters.

Are you ready to add an element of organization to your life that you simply can’t touch with lists?

The Kanban method will change your life because it guides you toward changing your habits.

If you want to become a focused freelancer who is ridiculously in charge of your day, you still have to open up your dashboard and take action. Discipline is so important. What Trello does so well is allow you to see the forest of your freelancing business, so you don’t get lost in the trees.

If you’re feeling scattered or unable to keep up with your job searches, invoicing, research, or even your writing, try Trello and begin to know your business — and DO your business — like the true, productive professional you are.

Trello is simple and sleek for easy use. If you have any questions about it, and how to use it in your freelancing business, I’m happy to share more. Just drop me a comment on Facebook.

[NOTE: I am not a Kanban expert (they are out there!) and I don’t make a cent from Trello, by the way. I just like their product. I’m on the free plan now, and when someone I refer signs up (again, for free), then my account is temporarily upgraded to “Gold,” which has a few more perks. When my team gets a little bigger, I’ll be upgrading to the next paid tier for a reasonable monthly fee. This would allow for larger uploaded files, unlimited Power-Ups, the ability to organize boards into Collections, and more control over team members use abilities, privacy, etc.. ]

I wrote down my top seven ways to get more done, have more fun, and make more money freelancing. That ebook is included in the free content library and it’s my treat… Get it here!

Four Free Tools For “Type A” Blogging Consistency

September 16, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan 1 Comment

You’re working hard to get your business off the ground, and you know you need to put “something” online about who you are, how you do what you do differently, and why someone should care.

A blog is the way to go for getting your marketing message out there, but for it to stick, you must blog consistently.

Regular, consistent posts on your blog or social media pages, are necessary to keep readers interested and engaged. They also ensure that the search engines naturally push your content toward the top. Aim for twice per week at the beginning. This will solidify your status as an expert and get Google recognizing your keywords and content.

You may see this regular care and feeding of your blog as a necessary evil of you’re not into marketing or creating content. (I get it; you just want to do your work!) But the fact is, you can’t live in the past and hope to send a postcard to your neighbors every few weeks, or post a tweet once a day, and call it good.

Instead, people are looking for social proof, why they should do business with you, and what you’ve done for them (or someone like them) lately. Furthermore, you need to be in front of your online audience on a regular basis so they remember you amidst all the other marketing noise…

How do you stay consistent?

A few online tools keep my team and me on task. These tools are all free until you decide you need an upgrade, and I recommend them to help you stay on track. These are the ones I really couldn’t live without. If you’re getting started managing your content in house, check out these tools today:

Feedly

…for regular story ideas and curation. Not sure if you remember Google Reader, but I’d been saving blog posts and online articles from newsites for years when Google stopped this service. Almost immediately, Feedly burst on the scene to replace it. And wow, what an improvement! Add the feeds you like to categories you define and you’ve got your content creation made in the shade. I check in daily and hit the categories I like to tweet about and share.

Buffer

…is the next step for social sharing. This SaaS was made for social sharing of your content or others’ content. Add the Buffer extension to your browser of choice and simply click it every time you find an article you want to share. (You can even add stories to your Buffer right from within Feedly.) The idea behind Buffer is you set up your social profiles and the times you want to share content. Then, all you do is click your Buffer icon extension and add text to go with the link. You can use the title, which automatically populates, or you can delete that and add your own words. In the paid version of Buffer, you can even queue up your best-performing social shares (analytics provided) in a library for easy, one-click re-use.

Coschedule

…for free and paid content calendars. OK, these worksheets are sweet. CoSchedule is a SaaS we use here at Content Boomer and My Team Connects, and we’re big fans. They’ve created free content calendars to help you get some direction regarding your website posts. If you’re at a loss as to what to post; what subjects you need to cover for your ideal audience; and how to schedule your content throughout the coming months and year… these help you think it through. Download these helpful content calendars and get to work. (By the way, as an affiliate, I get a tiny compensation when someone purchases a paid calendar that links to your WordPress site, and enables you to share your blog content to your social sites. But you can use the downloadable calendars for free.)

Trello

… for organizing your thoughts and managing projects. Organizing your ideas, sources you need to cite, images you’d like to include in your next blog post, and random thoughts you may or may not use in the article you’re writing… can be a big, hairy deal! Trello helps you get all your ducks in a row by allowing you to create separate boards for each blog post on your content calendar. You can add cards (like notes) to each list you create. Here’s an example (below) of a typical board. This one is titled Content Boomer Posts and each list includes links to articles and ideas I want to explore. Some lists include book links, pictures, etc.

Trello is great because it has tons of features like folder colors, the ability to add team members to a list or a card within a list, and assign due dates to cards. You can organize your boards in any way you like. I’ve shown you how I use Trello to collect content ideas, but I also use Trello to manage projects. I can easily move tasks from one list to another (I particularly love to move cards to a “Completed” list) and even assign them to members of the team. You have to try Trello if you do not yet have a project management system in place. It’s a great option for basic project management — and it’s free.

How about you? What tools have you found that you couldn’t live without?

P.S. Some links in this article are referral links, and I may receive payment if you click on them. Just so you know!

The Secret Your Copywriter Is Hiding From You

August 4, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

The best copywriter for your business IS YOU.

If you’re thinking about hiring a copywriter, you probably think, “Like everything else, you get what you pay for.”

What you may not know that the most inexpensive copywriter is the one who will do the best writing for your business. Yep, you read that right. Inexpensive copywriting may be your best bet…

Why am I telling you this? You’d think as a freelance copywriter I’d be making the claim for exclusive, experienced, and pricey copywriting services. Well, above selling you on my services, my job is to tell you the truth.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret your copywriter is hiding from you because she likes getting paid big bucks for her writing. (Even as I write this, I’m wondering if I’m going to regret it.) This might surprise you, but I hope you take it to heart…

The person most qualified to write copy for your small business –emails, blog posts, web pages and even Tweets and Facebook updates – is already working for you.

If you’re someone who doesn’t want to write your own stuff it’s usually for one of these three reasons:

You loathe writing.
You’re busy doing other important things like running your business.
You don’t have confidence in your own writing ability.

Now the first two reasons are perfectly understandable (and I’m happy to pick up the slack in that area because I both ENJOY writing AND, coincidentally, I get paid to do it.)

But that third reason…the ability thing; I just don’t buy it.

You probably have more natural ability than you think.

In fact I know it you have the ability to write. There’s a damaging myth pervading writing that is preventing you from doing it, if you really want to. It’s time to dispel that myth and replace it with truth.

Hang on to this truth: “If you can speak you can write.”

The Myth of Perfection

Many entrepreneurs who aspire to write their own stuff freeze when they write.

I’m sure this “page fright” has noble beginnings. Several years ago a book by Don Miguel Ruiz called The Four Agreements was popular. His explanation of Ancient Toltec spiritual knowledge was inspirational for many people in contemporary American culture.

I too liked the last three agreements a lot (look into it, if you’re curious), but that first one – “Be impeccable with your word” – not so much.

In fact, as a copywriter who studies what people say and how they say it… being impeccable with my words scared the crap out of me.

“Be impeccable with my word.” Well, WHICH word exactly? Which of the 20,000 words I speak today should be “impeccable?” All of them?

Did the ancient Toltecs believe it’s “the message” that should be impeccable? The general meaning? Your intentions behind your words?

Maybe the Toltecs just did not say very much.

The average person who goes online in 2012 is deluged with more words in 48 hours than the entire lexicon of human knowledge from the beginning of time to 2003! The would-be copywriter contributes but a few snowflakes to that avalanche of daily information.

Admittedly lot of that content is junk, just words for content’s sake. But even great writers don’t stretch to be impeccable. They try for “good enough.” And usually succeed.

The Fallacy of the Impeccable Message

Yes, everyone wants to write — and read — accurate, interesting, compelling, even entertaining copy… but “impeccable?” Whew.

I can see why anyone holding themselves (or their copywriter) to that standard would think they’re out of their league when it comes to producing great content for their business! Perfection is a tall order to fill.

So don’t! I’m going to show you a better way to look at this copywriting thing, and to actually forge ahead and tackle it yourself.

The Blogging Solution

Think it’s difficult to write a blog? Au contraire. Here’s why it’s easier than you’d expect, even if you’re not a writer.

Many aspiring copywriters/businesspeople converse naturally and enthusiastically about their products and services. When they’re telling their friends, family or colleagues about something related to their expertise, business owners don’t struggle to find the perfect word. They just explain things:

“This is how it worked out.”
“I can help with that.”
“The function is simple; it works like this…”
“You won’t believe what happened today.”

Hopefully, also, they seldom rewind their customer conversations from memory and parse every word. They don’t can’t go back and edit everything they say. (Don’t worry; we can talk about editing another day.)

So neither should you be so hard on yourself in your writing. Instead, just chill.

When you attempt to write that first page, think about the big picture. Toss out the notion that your copy has to include everything, for everybody, in one complete and perfect page.

It doesn’t. It can’t. It won’t.

Think about your favorite websites. Each page has a unique purpose and message. Blogs allow you to frame one idea per post and organize how and when you share those ideas. Yes, sometimes there’s some overlap of information, certain strong themes emerge over time. The writing is personable, understandable, and specific to that brand (even if the brand is just one person).

You can do that, too, without any copywriting or content writing experience. Blogging is an excellent way to hone your writing skills.

If you’re still with me, and you want to hire yourself as your copywriter, then try this…

Start with a short blog post every other week. Don’t worry if you leave out details. Try to get 400 words down on there on the screen. A good plug in to your content management system should even keep count for you.

Gradually build up to regular communication with your readers. Consistency is the key ingredient, not perfection.

Maybe you didn’t catch this, but this post is actually a rewritten post from way back in 2012! I build on the original content because I’m still writing about the same things and sharing information about content, writing, solopreneur-ing, working from home, etc.

Furthermore, I still believe that hiring yourself to be your copywriter is a great idea, especially if you’re just starting out and you have more time than money. Search this blog for posts under the “copywriting” category, and you should have more than enough free information to study!

Want more copywriting tips? Grab the free video series of my 21 best copywriting tips. It’ll take you less than 25 minutes to consume all 21 short videos, so you don’t even have to sacrifice tons of time!

One thing you must remember is that no single drop of insight will win over a new customer, or persuade someone to come over to your side… it’s the ongoing engagement you’re working toward. If you stop after one attempt, then yes, this one piece of writing will be your only dismal contribution to your company’s portfolio of copywriting.

But if you keep at it, over time you will paint a cohesive picture that will compel the right customer to read your articles, notice your work, visit your shop, or do business with you.

You’ll stop being that wavering, lone voice in the wind, and become that person who just always shows up and contributes. That, to me, is the hallmark of a great blogger, content maker, and businessperson.

You know your company’s story and the ins and outs of your business better than anyone else on the planet. That’s what truly makes you qualified to by your own in-house copywriter.

Use that edge and you may discover that YOU are best copywriter than your business can afford to hire!

Five Reasons Your Article Doesn’t Work, And How To Fix It

November 16, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Can you write your way out of a lost cause?

How long do you stay stuck before abandoning your work?

Many writers or content creators ask themselves these questions sooner or later. Do you try to salvage a project gone bad? Or should you drop it and work on something “more productive?”

Picture this: you start writing something, an ebook, a blog post, or story. You believe you have a great idea. You dive in, maybe even devote a week or two to the project before it begins to dawn on you… It’s not working.

Very soon, the curtain of gloom falls over the whole thing. You start thinking, “This is never going to work.”

Then self doubt sets in. You begin to wonder what made you think it was a good idea in the first place…

You can’t get the thing to stick together. No matter how many angles you approach it from, it just won’t gel! You even have an outline or a mind map guiding your creative process, but when you put the words down, it falls short. Either it feels hollow, like something’s missing; or your draft is uncontrolled, as if you have a tiger by the tail.

The Problem: Three Common Reasons Writers Want to Quit

Where did the love go? Let me count the ways. These are the most common situations in which I second-guess the quality of my article, and my ability and desire to finish it. Can you relate to any of these?

You decided the project wasn’t needed anymore. You started researching, and discovered that the topic had been covered thoroughly. You can’t see the value in adding your voice to the lexicon of knowledge already out there, and you lost confidence in your ability to add newness or charisma to the subject. Maybe you realize the project is similar to another completed piece of content you already have. Why bother?

You got totally embroiled in it. At the onset, you believed it was an interesting topic you could write about, but then discovered it was a little too personally demanding. Your involvement pulled your life off course, as if you had embarked on a journey that was too long and required more commitment than you were able to give. Maybe your topic was too large; you had trouble breaking it down into do-able chunks, and couldn’t see the finished project in a completed form. No amount of editing could streamline this hot mess. It simply got away from you and you’re ready to cut the cord.

You had a fast start but you lost interest. You’re so bored, you can’t even stand to work on the project. You wonder how you can expect your readers and viewers or listeners to stay with you. Your distaste for the project rears up every time you sit down to your computer. Bleh.

The terrible truth: You’ve already invested a ton of time…

If only it were easier to walk away! The thing that always gets me when I’m feeling any of the above, is the time I’ve invested. Even when you know a blog post (or a scene, or ebook, or an entire chapter of a book) is a lost cause, it’s natural to want to save at least some of your hard work. The words “Kill your darlings!” chants loudly in your mind, but dang, it’s difficult!

Five Questions to Ask Yourself Before Throwing In the Towel

What you may want to ask is “Should I cut my losses now and start something new, or am I just quitting?” Neither of those extremes is usually the reality, and neither of those questions is productive! Don’t go there yet.

Before you delete the whole shebang and walk away, or file it under “Ideas” somewhere deep on your hard drive, you need to get some perspective. Here’s my thought process when I get lost in the woods with my writing. Instead of feeling like a loser, and cowering to that voice saying you were never meant to write anything more involved than a grocery list, you need to ask yourself a few specific and constructive questions about your project. (Key word is “constructive!”)

Most of all, beware self sabotage that comes from a) abandoning a perfectly good concept before it’s complete, or b) wasting any more time on a pice of content that’s doomed to fail if you’re not objective.

Putting these ideas down on paper helped me get my arms around what feels like a desperate situation when I’m in it. I ask myself these five questions when I’m stuck in the muck. Maybe they will help you, too.

1. First, ask yourself if the “Good Idea” was legitimately good.

What was it at the outset that made you think so, and what changed?
What was the purpose of the piece in the first place?
Was it a problem you identified that needed solving?
Was it a story you wanted to share about an experience you had, or that your company or customers had?
Was it an enlightening or heartwarming tale, or groundbreaking expose?
What was it about the project that had you excited about it when you started?
Do you still believe in these kernels of inspiration?

Get back to that place where it all began and ask yourself if you still feel it.

2. Whom does it serve? You, or your readers?

Has this ever happened to you? You want to solve a problem, so you assume it’s a problem others need solving, too. (I’d say about half of my good ideas start from problems I’m having in business or in life.) The investigator in you wants to get to the bottom of the issue, so you dig in to find the answers. This, you think, is something you should write about. As long as you’re discovering the truth about fill-in-the-blank, you will share the wealth of information with your readers.

Not so fast! If a topic has easy answers, then you may not be adding to the common good by writing about it. Instead of writing, perhaps you should simply read about it, take stock of the solutions for your own personal use, and then get back to the business of adding value for your readers and clients. Regurgitating information from dozens of well-read articles doesn’t help anyone. There’s no harm in linking to these articles, however, as you write content that includes your personal viewpoint on the issue.

Also, save the more introspective pieces for your journal, or at least until you have enough distance to provide wisdom and perspective. To write about problems too soon just takes you swirling down to that icky place. You need to resolve certain issues before you can be any help to someone else. You’re probably not ready for publication when your feelings are too raw, or if you are currently in the heat of the battle.

3. Do you know enough about the topic to write about it?

If you answer NO to this question, don’t worry, it’s not a deal breaker. Sometimes the best articles come about because you’re curious about a subject and decide to learn about it. (See above.) The question that matters is, are you willing to do the research?

Furthermore, how does your knowledge or interest affect the tone you want to convey? If you know a lot about a subject firsthand, you can write without doing much research. It comes from the heart, like this article did for me, in fact. Sure, you might have to find supporting articles to link to, but the original idea rolls out easily for you.

But if you need to go looking for answers from other experts, then you’re in for a double whammy. Not only must you find resources, but make sense of them, and compile facts and ideas into a cohesive piece of writing. It takes more work and time, but I’ve found so often it’s worth it. If you’re naturally curious by nature, as most writers are, it’s a good fit.

Other times, when you find you’re having trouble writing about something, you need to assess whether your curiosity is enough to keep the fire lit until the very last word. When a project isn’t working, it could be because you just don’t know or care enough about it. Sad but true.

4. Does it fit with your goals?

You get to choose what to write about! That’s the good news. Assuming that you’re not freelancing for businesses and industries you hate; or only writing on assignment for a job, then you do have some leeway on your topics. If you’re writing for your own business or pleasure, or if you’re involved in the content editorial process in any way, then you definitely need to evaluate the purpose of your content piece before you start writing. Your time and resources are an investment, so spend them wisely!

Every business owner has pet projects they want to finish, but the content you are creating for your own business really needs to achieve some end. Either it must draw new readers; teach or entertain your current readers; or it must move your business forward in some way. If your work does none of the above, and you begin to sense that it’s wasting your time, then you’ll find it difficult to stick with it when the going gets rough.

You want to see that your work meets your goals, either professionally or personally. If not, then it’s easy to become resentful of the time and effort it’s taking to finish it.

You’re far more likely to abandon work if you can’t see the point of it. Now that I’m working on a novel (my first attempt after decades of writing nonfiction), I ask myself all the time if the scene helps a character achieve his or her goals or if it has any purpose to move the story forward.

This is the question every business blogger or content creator should ask, too.

In a business, each piece of content should have a distinct purpose. Does this ebook or blog post further your business goals? Does it contribute to the “plot,” or story of your business in any way? If the answer is no, you should probably ditch it. If yes, then find the first thing about it that has meaning. You might even write that down and keep it front and center while you’re writing.

What is the end goal? Don’t lose sight of it. If you have to put a sticky note at the top of your screen to remember it, then do that. Some examples of content goals you might write:

This article, (Title), will attract the ideal client to my website because it solves this initial problem and helps them see that I am the obvious solution to their woes. An appended web form will invite them to learn more.
This ebook will convince a reader that my method of doing (whatever you do) is clearly the way to be successful. They will naturally want to attend my next class or read my next book, and these links will be included in the ebook.

A content calendar or roadmap clarifies topic ideas. If you’re stuck, your mind should be clear on one overarching thing … the health and growth of your business. Every choice you make, including how you spend your writing time, contributes or detracts from your success. If your writing time is wasted, then your business is probably not going to do very well.

When you stumble, stop and ask yourself, if I had to feed this baby (this blog, this business, my readers) one more day to keep it alive and help it thrive, what one thing would I do, write, or post? What is the goal?

Is your article time sensitive? — Hands hold clock with gears. Blue background

5. Is your project time sensitive?

Time is the great equalizer; everyone is working with the same 24 hours. When you’re stressed about time constraints, your heart palpitates every time you look over the cliff of your failing project. Ask yourself these questions to help you decide whether to continue working on that difficult project. Trendy topics can be the most interesting to your readers, so add some weight to your consideration if the content is trending. (In other words, don’t miss out on a hot topic!) If you’ve already put in some good energy on a topic people are currently talking and reading about, then consider giving that last push to the finish.

Ask yourself:

Are you on a deadline?
Is someone else depending on you to finish?
Does completion of this project impede the progress of the next one?
Does your project cover a topic that is trending now, or does it have sticking power for the long term?

Shoot your sights far ahead of where you are today, this week or this month. If you can let the project simmer, even for a few sleeps, then do so!

But if you are on a deadline, or if the topic has a definite shelf life, then you have a decision to make; whether it is better to start over, or if you can work with any original kernels of greatness and restart your engine.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice but to pour it on. It’s the old college effort… just write something you can turn in.

Ok, so your content idea may not seem to be working now. Step back and ask yourself these five questions I shared with you, and don’t lose hope… That great idea you were so gung ho to work on, may only need some tweaking.

The next blog post addresses how to mentally regroup and rewrite your content – if necessary. It’s all part of the content writing process. Don’t give up!

Ever notice how some people always seem to crank out interesting content that appeals to their readers and customers? If you want to write content more easily, head over to the Content Quiz and find out how you can streamline the whole content creation thing. Click the image below to get started.

take the content quiz — Take the content quiz, where bloggers and solopreneurs get insight into their content strategy.

How To Curate Content For Fun and Profit

June 29, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Content curation is the collecting and sharing of relevant content from around the web. That’s right, you don’t have to create everything yourself! How cool is that? It’s already there, it’s perfect for your audience, and you get to show how smart you are by sharing it.

The first rule of content curation is to actually read and have an opinion on the content your sharing with your audience. While there’s more content than ever to choose from, that makes your job as a curator both easier and more difficult. Easier, because you have a never-ending stream of good pickings, and difficult because there’s so much adequate content that in order to share it, you must maintain some sense of focus. With a focused lens on well-chosen sources and keywords, your readers will learn to expect only the best of the best as it relates to your subject. If it struck a cord in you, then you simply need to express what that cord is as you share it.

Let’s say you decided an infographic or podcast was perfectly suitable for your audience. It’s exactly the kind of thing your readers would like to know. You even want to contribute your ideas to the discussion, and get your readers’ opinions on it. It’s the kind of information that, if you were having lunch with one of your blog readers, you’d probably mention this topic.

If you can imagine sharing this information in a real conversation at a social event with your friends, followers and colleagues, then chances are the post is a great piece of qualified, curate-able content.

Keep your content radar on all the time.

Bloggers should always be thinking about the right mix of owned, earned and paid media, but as you’re doing research for your own content, don’t forget to also keep your eyes out for excellent curated content. Everyone has their own criteria about what that looks like for them.

Searching for content others create is something you probably already do, either for your own education in your development as a professional, or for pure pleasure and entertainment. Peppering your content with these curated bits is an easy and fun way to spice up your own stuff and keep you and your readers interested.

If you’re like most bloggers, you read a lot of blogs yourself. I use Feedly to keep an eye on my favorite blogs and websites. I regularly peruse my Feedly for the best of the best and decide which posts are most notable and share-worthy. A lot of posts are skimmable, somewhat interesting, but not necessarily relevant to your readers. Others are absolutely riveting from a personal point of view and you’d like to express that diversification into your own content (i.e it’s funny, cute, interesting, inspirational, etc.). Still other articles cover excellent points about a subject related to your own content, show your readers how to do something better, or help them with a problem they may be facing.

The best, most sharable posts do their jobs so well, that there’s no point in repeating the topic.

Don’t bother writing a post on the same topic when someone else’s post pretty much nails it. In many cases, the only thing you might want to add is a short editorial on why you recommend it, or some detail that came to mind as you read the post you want to share. You do that in two ways.

First, leave a comment below the post. Make sure it’s thoughtful and adds to the discussion. Keep comments on other people’s blogs short, relevant and concise.

Then, share the content on your social sites with a link back to the article and the name of the author. For example…

I tend to like to quote an intriguing phrase from the article itself, or paraphrase what the article is about. I might even insert a thought or opinion of my own as I share the updates.

You can share curated content on social sites very easily using an app like Buffer (my favorite) or you could even pull together a short weekly newsletter — “The Best From Around The Web” kind of thing – and send it through your email service. Mari Smith’s weekly newsletter is great for this. Even though she’s a trusted expert on Facebook marketing, she’s always sharing other, lesser-known bloggers’ stuff. The content is always related to blogging, search, or online marketing; and it always pairs nicely with the expertise she provides.

When you curate content you discover on the web and then share it on social media or via email, you accomplish several things, and provide your blog with added benefits than if you only created and shared your own content:

You’re audience will gain a broader perspective on the topics they’re interested in; the same topics you blog about, perhaps, but from another’s viewpoint. Make sure you also provide some commentary on why you think it’s noteworthy. For example, maybe you hold an additional viewpoint related to your industry or professional experience, and you are using this piece the build on the topic. If you share a story along with an explanation about why you’re sharing it, you double down on its value.

“Hat-tipping” is the nice, social thing to do. Your share lends support the voice of your colleagues and fellow bloggers in your field. You also get to add your voice to the discussion related to the interests of your audience, illustrating useful tips or trends without stealing another blogger’s thunder. [Just a quick acknowledgement that occasionally you may see a post eerily similar to one you wrote in the past. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve been copied, even though it may feel as though that’s the case. Great minds often think alike. At least that’s what I tell myself.]

By sharing others’ content within your industry, you draw attention from other people and bloggers in your field. Sharing is a great way to build your network, and get to know others. Content curation is noticeable, and may even get you a few links back to your blog.

Finally, there’s one major fringe benefit of searching for and sharing others’ content. You learn and grow as you read, watch and listen to what other experts are talking about. If you find yourself with more than a few lines to say about a post, then you probably have the makings of a completely new blog post of your own.

You’ll know for sure if you find yourself beginning to fill a comment box with hundreds of words. At that point, stop commenting! Shorten your comment and thank the blogger. Save your comments for your own blog post. Sometimes, if I recognize that an article is triggering a lot of new ideas, I just cut and paste my comments into a file of blog ideas with the link of the post that inspired it. That way I always have plenty of blog topics to write about.

Give good credit to the source.

If you make a habit of sharing great content you find, you’ll become a go-to curator for people interested in your topics.

However you choose to share content, make sure you give the original author credit by linking to the article that inspired you. It’s a great practice to also contact the blogger and tell them you shared their post.

You may not think of yourself as a curator, but your unique perspective is what makes you perk up when you discover something cool on the web. If you don’t already enjoy searching out great content to share, try doing it for a while and see how it opens doors and makes your blogging like easier, more social, and more fun. Soon content curation will become one of your favorite jobs as a blogger, and you’ll start to love your role as content curator!

Your turn… what’s your angle on content curation?