The Science Behind a Publishing Schedule - DailyBlogTips

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The Science Behind a Publishing Schedule Posted: 27 Aug 2012 11:59 AM PDT Every serious blogger out there must have discipline and dedication. And when I say serious, that actually comprises many aspects of what it means to be good in blogging; in anything in life actually. And while being persistent, dedicated, professional, passionate about something, may only represent words that we use in order to describe what we want to be like, there is one thing that encapsulates all this elements, and acts like a proof that we are in fact headed in that direction. That is having a plan, a schedule, a routine. In blogging that will mean having a publishing schedule, a deadline, if you will. And this by itself screams professionalism, dedication, true passion for the things you write about. Progress is impossible without discipline You see, even in sports you have to be dedicated, to practice, to deliver. And this analogy only pushes forward what we already know – if you want progress you must not lack consistency. And discipline is what makes consistency in the first place. Forcing yourself at first may seem harsh, even exaggerating. But it will ensure improvement, progress. What are the benefits of having a publishing schedule? Without me being vague, and ranting without a concrete argument, I will try and familiarize you with all the benefits a publishing schedule may have in terms of building a brand, successful Internet Marketing approach, brand advocates, value in the eyes of the search engine, and higher position in the SERPs. You captivate visitors by offering them a promise that you are going to deliver new material on a given date. And they stick to that promise, likely to return. You see, no matter how good your writing is, you can never make a new visitor come back if he doesn't know when. Not everybody uses RSS feeds. You are showing professionalism, dedication, passion. It's nothing more amateurish than seeing someone posting once a month, and then two times per week. It's just not good to your brand, your readers. You are now somewhat of a public figure, so get used to deliver when it's expected by your readers. You are here for them, right? In terms of SEO it's now a widely spread idea that constant updating means more Search Engine love. The spiders or the bots (whatever you chose to call them) crawl your site more often if you have a disciplined, packed schedule. In a way you are giving the Search Engines a sign that you are updated consistently, and by that inviting them to come and take a look. This behavior also gets noticed in the eyes of Google (and co.) and it gives the algorithm a sign that you are more professional dedicated site- something that immediately gives you some distinction from all the others, and respect in the eyes of Google. Your progress is better off when you have something to compare it to. If you give yourself a deadline, a schedule, not completing it will always mean a failure. However, opposed to that, following your schedule will always assure you that you are in fact progressing. Not moving back, not retaining status quo, but going forward. And since you are planning to do this for a longer time (you are, right?) then organizing things upfront always makes the most of sense. Having a schedule also means not draining yourself at first in terms of niche related ideas, and giving yourself an opportunity to produce quality content accordingly to your capabilities. Similar to that, being a novice you may want to stick to less packed schedule in order to start producing those quality articles, or you will choose more packed schedule and practice in the lines of smaller articles that are only pitches and ideas, rather than elaborated in-depth analysis and covered subjects. Have in mind that whatever that you choose, you will notice improvement, since following the given schedule you will develop your skills with practice. In start it's all about how much you can invest, and what you have to invest already in terms of expertise. Having a schedule also means knowing your long term goals. You see, having in mind growing your site you may want to start with more articles in the beginning. On a different slant though, you may want to build credibility and authority at first by providing your best work in the form of longer more elaborated articles. Your schedule will take care of this, and reflect your intents in the very start. However, don't forget to take a closer look upon your present capabilities. The intent behind my schedule, and how you can learn from it In order to give you a better example, and cut through analogies and theories, I will familiarize you with the phase I laid for my blog and the schedule I followed at first and now. At the very start I took in consideration my knowledge in the niche that was not that impressive at the very start, and realized that a 5 times per week publicizing is not even an option. However, giving the fact that I knew some stuff in the frame of the niche, and giving the rate in which I was reading and learning new and new closely connected subjects, made me consider a schedule that will still be a lot for beginners. This fact combined with the need to rapidly grow my site both in terms of SEO and in terms of building an archive of posts fast, as well as acquiring more readers even at the very start, I made a compromise. I started with posting 3 times per week, and this was showing the results as soon as in two months from launching the site. The epilog was a huge archive even after five months, subscribers in a greater number than I anticipated, and SEO benefits more than I hoped for. But this made something even more important than any of this. It forced me to write even on days when I didn't felt like it, made me keep the blog professional right on the line where it could have turned into more of a hobby. Another thing that is important and that I tried to hint earlier is your strategy for growth. If you are even a little bit into SEO you probably know by now that this also includes the link building strategy. And the most promising and most popular asset of the link building strategy nowadays is guest posting. Having my schedule forcing me to stay true to the 3 times per week posting, I was almost unable to produce other more high quality articles in the beginning. Things then slightly changed as my expertise and writing skills started to grow, but the appetites of the link building strategy also developed more, so I decided another compromise should be made. Here is what it included – I was going to produce more and better articles that were going to be published on other sites, something that will strengthen the brand awareness, grant me more readers, allow me to make invaluable connections. On the other hand I was going to reduce my posting schedule and go to 2 times per week. This on the other hand will still keep the readers interested, while giving me a chance to improve myself in writing those articles, and make them better, more in-depth, more appealing. So I wrote a post explaining the change and what it will bring to the readers in terms of information and better quality posts. Then I switched. Now I'm writing better posts, and stacking piles of articles ready to be published on other sites. This in a way lifts of the pressure and the deadline, but it is only possible because I planned such a thing even from the beginning, and made my archive as well as my site very nicely connected and cross-referenced inside. In some time as my writing skills and knowledge inside the niche develop even more, and link building strategy is put almost on autopilot, I will be able to return to the 3 times per week schedule, or even add even more to that. The thing is that then, the articles will be even better, and the blog, I hope, will going to see the biggest progress so far. My advice for beginners as well as more advanced bloggers That's why my advice for beginners is to push yourself more on the very start, but still have a firm perception on what are you capable off. Take everything in consideration – the rate in which you learn new things, your passion, your dedication at the start, your sources of information, your SEO aspirations, is there anyone to help you with all of that. You are the one making the decision, so you are the one who must be comfortable with it. However, having a consistent schedule only assures that all of this is checked and allows you to move forward building your blog and your brand, while making a great connection and establishing trust with your readers. Slavko Desik is editor and writer at Lifestyle Updated where he comprises his passion for blogging and writing along with his passion for healthy life through constant personal growth. Original Post: The Science Behind a Publishing Schedule

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“10 Steps to a Sales Page That Doesn’t Suck” plus 1 more

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10 Steps to a Sales Page That Doesn’t Suck Posted: 27 Aug 2012 01:03 PM PDT This guest post is by Jessica Albon of ThriveYourTribe.com, In general, writing comes pretty easily to me. When I’m in the flow (which is relatively often), I can write about 2000 words in an hour. And yet when it comes time to write a sales page for myself, my writing flow and speed used to ground to a halt. I’d spend hours on a single paragraph feeling frustrated that I wasn’t making any progress at all. What was especially frustrating was that when I’d write a sales page for a client it didn’t take nearly so long—it was only when I sat down to write sales copy for myself that I couldn’t seem to get the words out. Looking back now, I see the reason I struggled was entirely my own fault—which is a good thing because it means I could fix it. If this is something you’ve noticed with your own writing—blog posts flow but when you try to write sales copy that writing flow deserts you—you can fix it too. In the past, when I’d write my own sales letter, I’d try to do everything at once—a little research, a little figuring out my goal as I went, a little getting to know my audience better, a little writing. I did everything all at once in a mish-mash. And that may work when writing blog posts, but it’s a painful way to write a sales page. What’s more, when you write your sales page in dribs and drabs like this, it either takes a ton of editing to polish it up, or the reader will notice those starts and stops (which means they’re unlikely to make it all the way to the end). So, not only is writing this way making the writing more difficult, but the sales letter that results isn’t nearly as good as it would be if you tackled each task, one at a time. We’ve heard a lot about how multitasking can hamper efficiency. But usually multitasking is seen as performing several very different activities at once (like watching TV, answering emails, and playing the kazoo). “Writing a sales page” on the other hand seems like just one activity. But it’s not. “Writing a sales page” actually requires a number of distinct processes. When we separate out these distinct processes, we write more efficient, more effective copy. The next time you have a sales page to write, try out this sequence of tasks and see if it helps make you a more efficient writer. Brainstorm: Spend ten minutes generating as many ideas as possible about the sales page, your hook, your audience, your product. Get them all down on paper. Distill: Go over your notes and determine the bones of your letter. What key thing do you want people to know after reading your sales page? Who are you talking to? How will you talk to them? Research: Learn your market inside and out. Research your competition, competitive advantage, and where your product or service fits. What’s the latest research that supports your product? What’s the evidence that your product or service is necessary? Write a project brief: Write everything out as if you were hiring a professional copywriter. Include everything about your product or service—all the nitty-gritty details—as if the person reading it knew nothing about you, your blog, your audience, or your offer. Brainstorm again: Now that you’ve done your research and written the project brief, you probably have some new ideas popping up. Get those down on paper. Winnow: When you were in school, you might have used index cards to collect notes for reports. This can be a really effective way to comb through your research, brainstorming, and brief. But even if you don’t get out the index cards, go back through everything you’ve done so far and review the essentials. Write your first draft: I highly recommend setting a timer for this step—don’t choose a crazy limit, but do choose a limit that’s a bit of a stretch. Write as quickly as you can without stopping from beginning to end of your sales page. Take a break: If possible, set your writing aside for a day or two. If you need to make more progress, going for a walk or run can help clear your head before you move to the next steps. Write a new first draft: Don’t throw out the first first draft, but do set it aside. Writing a second first draft from scratch tends to result in a smoother draft because you already know what you’re going to say. It’s usually easier to write a new draft  than to revise the original first draft. (Plus, this method often results in new insights that make for a more effective letter.) Revise, revise, revise: Finally, it’s time to polish your sales page until it’s compelling from start to finish. As you revise, add your headline and subheadings. It sounds like a lot of steps, but except for that break in the middle, these are the steps your brain already takes when you write a sales page. It’s just that up to now you’ve been mashing them all together. By separating out each task and performing them one at a time, you’ll gain focus, the writing will be easier, and the finished letter will be much more effective. You might even find you actually enjoy writing sales copy! Jessica Albon is the creator of the upcoming Sales Copy Play Dates and ThriveYourTribe.com, a digital branding, design, and copywriting agency. Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger 10 Steps to a Sales Page That Doesn’t Suck

Sharing One Journey: New Ways to Continually Engage Your Users Posted: 27 Aug 2012 01:01 PM PDT This guest post is by Rob Summerfield of Newsgrape. Kicking off and running a blog can be quite a challenge. Strong bloggers have to be adept at tweaking their SEO, covering performance-related issues, and constantly supplying a reliable stream of quality content. Many bloggers that I encounter feel very strongly about these topics, discussing new ways of improving their blogs via technical aspects, design, and more. But they neglect a core factor in their site’s success—the dear readers. So, in this article I'm going to explain some easy ways of developing and maintaining close user relationships. The goal? To generate a flock of quality followers that engage in and appreciate your efforts. The warm welcome Here at Newsgrape, a team member of mine once said something like this: "I try to welcome new users the way I would welcome friends visiting my place for the first time—with a great big smile and some friendly words." What he basically meant was, it's important to go the extra mile and not rely on automatic emails and messages to do the job. Of course, they can come in handy—especially if you are busy providing cool, informative Twitter updates while receiving loads of new followers each day. But they're used mostly on a descriptive level, to say, "It's great you're here? Why not check out the site?" What I am talking about is a really warm welcome. Show each user who demonstrates some genuine interest in your blog—via comment, reply, retweet, or something else—that you appreciate it and that you're not taking them for granted. Using slow channels (e.g. email) Some channels allow you to act in a more personal way, and you should grasp this potential by coming up with unique ways of introducing yourself. Making a first impression—on an eye-to-eye basis—can be a powerful way of expressing your mindset as a dedicated blogger. As an example, here is the little gesture my team member was talking about. It ultimately produced some great results and tons of happy faces! Using fast channels (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) The more followers you tend to receive on a regular basis, the harder it can be to individualize your welcome message. With great quantities of users, you have to get even more creative to come up with something really special. Celebrate certain achievements: If you are working within a fast channel that has a rapid movement of users, you can celebrate special achievements. Pick the 500th reader, Facebook fan, or Twitter follower and post a great big "thank you" to them, conveying your gratitude for this group effort. Think outside the box: With our startup, we wanted to come up with a way of thanking all of our Kickstarter supporters at once. So, we filmed a thank you song incorporating their names into the lyrics and basing it on a cool guitar groove. Obviously, our little movie delivered the message quite well—soon we were receiving pledges by people excited about our platform and the possibility of being mentioned in the next "thank you song"! User maintenance: keep the love coming Equally as important as your unique welcome message is the effort you put into keeping your users happy and interested in what's happening on your blog. Here are some ideas on how to achieve exactly that: Go marketing on this one: Keep an excel file where you list important power-users and others who are active on your blog. Write a sentence to every person, trying to pin down their interests and where they came from before they landed on your blog. Remember: interest creates interest! Live the connected web: When you're contacting users and engaging in conversation, encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter and befriend you on Facebook. Put them onto a special email list so you can manage them and send out messages that are as well-targeted as possible. Broaden your circle of acquaintances to people who share your passion for writing and online publication. Also, use social monitoring tools like TweetDeck, to see if somebody mentions your blog or retweets your posts. If so, add them to your smart Excel list and show some love for their social spreading! Be omnipresent: Check out which users on your site have blogs of their own. If they do, subscribe to their RSS feeds via GoogleReader. Then: comment, comment, comment. Why not ask publicly on your blog which of your users currently run their own blog? This way, you can connect over blogging tips and information, while creating a list of blogs that you can regularly visit and comment or guest post on. The goodbye It will happen that certain users decide to jump away from your blog. Here are three ways to make the best of this situation: 1. Input is learning, is better blogging, is more happy users Even though it might be tough to read, ask for input about why your user decided to un-subscribe from your newsletter or stop visiting your site. You can write a personal message—or maybe even use an email template—to ask what that user's experiences on the site were, what they feel other blogs are doing better, what worked for them, and what didn’t. 2. Don’t be passive: act! Even with professional blogs, important users or numerous readers may decide at some point to distance themselves from the site by making comments on social media, in blog posts, and so on. Of course it would be easy to just sit back and concentrate on more important stuff like writing, but again, why not use this as an opportunity to show some face and a strong presence within your niche? A while ago, the popular blogging platform WPBeginner publicly announced its break from the Livefyre Commenting System in the feature article 6 reasons why we switched away from Livefyre. An extensive discussion started in the post's comments, with users asking follow-up questions and sharing their insights on the subject. As a consequence, a Livefyre employee got into the discussion and posted a statement which conveyed compassion, appreciation for the input, and strong optimism that their product was going to come around to meet users' needs. 3. Accept it—but be awesome about it I think Groupon is the best example of how to resubscribe people who are thinking of unsubscribing, or at least how to say a classy "goodbye". Check it out here. Sometimes the best way to get people back into your boat—or at least to leave a good impression—is to invest some energy in a quality farewell. If you're all needy about trying to convince them to resubscribe, your chances of changing their mind are close to zero. So think of something cool. Share your journey This article intended to show you some ways of building and maintaining a strong user base, while being creative about coming up with some unique, interesting ideas. I've realized that if I go the extra mile at an early stage of my blog, I end up saving a lot of time and energy promoting my material afterwards. So, try cultivating your readership by finding new, out-of-the-box measures that create a personal, intimate user experience. The reactions you’ll receive will definitely be worth it the effort! Rob Summerfield is copywriter and community manager at the social text platform Newsgrape. Having worked with different agencies and at Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Rob is an award-winning writer focused on creative solutions for blogging and online content management. Originally at: Blog Tips at ProBlogger Sharing One Journey: New Ways to Continually Engage Your Users

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