Author Archives: Kristen Hicks

What Popular Podcasts Can Teach Us About Content Marketing

A little over a year ago when I purchased Carbonite, a program that creates an automatic, online backup of your computer, I made sure to use the Nerdist promo code. Not only did it earn me some kind of discount (I don’t remember the particulars), but I knew it was a way for a free podcast I like to get a little extra monetary support.

People appreciate free content. That’s not exactly a controversial statement. In fact, many have determined that members of my generation, and especially those a few years younger than me, don’t appreciate the value of content and just won’t pay for it. Period.

I don’t think that’s true. I know I’m not the only who’s made a point of thinking of a piece of free content I like when making an associated purchase. Popular podcasts like the Nerdist, WTF with Marc Maron, and Doug Loves Movies all thrive in part due to sponsors, and their listeners’ willingness to support those sponsors – with a nod to the podcast’s help in sending them there.

Notably, the comedians at the center of each of the podcasts mentioned have also seen their careers blow up due to the popularity of their free podcasts.

What still sounds counter-intuitive to some now feels like old news to many: providing something people value for free can be a good way to make money.

That’s pretty much the definition of content marketing, and there are a number of wildly popular podcasts out there that do a good job of demonstrating just how well content marketing can work.

I wrote this post not as a way to encourage businesses to make podcasts as a form of content marketing, although that may be a good move for your business, but rather to point out these two notable lessons that businesses can learn from popular podcasts:

1) People appreciate free content and, by extension, the businesses and brands that help make it free.

If you’re in the camp that thinks young people won’t pay for content they like – just look at the Veronica Mars kickstarter campaign. I’m betting the popular show about high schoolers didn’t raise all that dough exclusively from people in their 30’s and up. I don’t think people have lost their understanding that it takes money to produce the content they like. I think instead, they’ve become pickier about what content they feel is worth paying for and have different ideas of what paying for content looks like.

Many people, myself amongst them, have “cut the cord” when it comes to cable, and trust the internet to bring us all the tv that we think is worth our time. Most cord cutters are tolerant, perhaps more so than our cable-subscribing brethren, of the commercials that play during shows made available online. We recognize that this is the cost of free content – a few minutes of ads per episode. On the other hand, the cost of a monthly cable subscription, which would buy us more shows and channels than we care to watch, seems wasteful.

What does this have to do with your business and content marketing?

It speaks to the psychology behind how people view the things they liked. Not too many people will go out of their way to buy something just because they see it in association with content they find valuable — but if it’s something they already need (or might need sometime down the line), that product gains a serious edge against competitors. By associating your business with a brand they already like, or becoming that brand via quality content that you develop, you become the Carbonite that someone is happy to choose because it not only gains them a good product, but helps fuel the content they value.

2) Good, free content is a powerful tool to build up your reputation.

As previously mentioned, most of the comics behind popular podcasts have credited the podcast with career resurgences – from more people at their live shows to tv hosting gigs to sitcom and movie offers – much of which likely would have never happened without investing time in offering something entertaining for free. The podcasts made them more recognizable and built up a fan base that has ensured them revenue from a number of other means, besides the podcast sponsorships themselves.

By the same token, Copyblogger‘s extremely successful business model was to become the leading authority on creating valuable content…as a way to sell software.  The connection between point A and point B isn’t a simple, direct line, and building a reputation like the one they have takes a lot of time and a large investment in good writers. Nonetheless, they’ve built a fabulously successful business off a foundation of content that people love.

The moral of these various stories is: don’t be stingy! It can be hard to wrap your head around profiting off of giving something valuable away for free, but there are plenty of models out there that show, if done well, it works.

How to Make Your Procrastination Productive

Productive procrastination might sound like an oxymoron, but with the right approach you can make those unfocused hours work for you.

We all have off days. There are times when our minds are intent on focusing on just about anything that’s not the main item on our to do list. If you’re stuck in one of those periods where your brain just will not listen to reason and face the task you need to tackle, think strategically about how you can still get something accomplished during your distracted state.

1. Switch to one of the lower energy items on your to do list.

It’s rare that everything you need to get done requires the same amount of mental energy. Maybe you have some accounting you’ve been neglecting, or a spreadsheet of contacts you’ve been working on filling in. If there’s something you can work on that requires less active thought than the main work you have to do that day, focus on it first. Once you’ve actually gotten something else done, you might find that your mind is more prepared for the larger tasks you weren’t previously up for.

2. Spend that time on research and social networking.

You can always be learning more, regardless of what kind of work you do. If you spend a little time on your favorite business blogs, or interacting with professional contacts on your social networks, you can do something useful that actually feels a little like procrastination. Just don’t let yourself get stuck on Twitter or Facebook focusing on things that don’t relate to your work. Set a timer to let you know when it’s time to switch back over to other forms of work.

3. Find a way to get started on that intimidating, looming task without diving right in.

Maybe you’re trying to write an article and instead are stuck staring at a blank page. Stop unsuccessfully trying to get that intro paragraph down and focus instead on working up an outline, or just writing down some sloppy, brainstormed ideas to get the juices flowing. Often the biggest barrier to getting started is the sense of just how much you have to do. If you can find a way to ease into starting, you can overcome the main psychological barrier keeping that page blank.

4. Plan your days to get the most out of your active hours.

Sometimes we have off days, but most people also have certain times in each day that they’re less mentally alert. For me, it’s usually the hour or so after I eat lunch. Maybe for you, it’s the beginning of the day when you’re still waking up, or late afternoon when you’re just itching to be done. Pay attention to your work habits and, once you’ve identified your weak period, leave some of those lower-energy work items to focus on at that time.

5. Take a break to let yourself think.

If I’m overwhelmed by a project, facing it directly doesn’t necessarily work. To think more clearly about it and how to best approach it, I need to walk away for a little while. Whether that’s a literal walk, a long bath, or spending a little time cooking or cleaning, I’ll often find that by spending my time doing something that leaves room to think, I’ll come back to work with a better plan for accomplishing what I need to.

7 Reasons Business Blogging is Worth It

business blogging

Updated August 2019

You can’t afford to hop on every trend you hear about. You have a limited budget for promoting your business, and only so many hours in the day. But for years you’ve been hearing the same tactic suggested continually: business blogging.

Maybe 5 years ago you could shrug and assume it was more buzzword than essential tactic, but it’s harder to write off business blogging now. The trend has not only had real staying power, it’s grown in popularity. And the businesses doing it well get results.

The Case for Business Blogging

To be fair, blogging isn’t something a company should dabble in. If you’re going to start a business blog, you have to do it right. And that means making a real investment in time, money, and effort. 

But even acknowledging that there’s a cost, business blogging is absolutely worth it. Here are 7 compelling reasons why. 

1. Business blogging is essential for search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO is the collection of techniques you can use to improve your rankings in the search engines. While Google is tight-lipped about how their algorithms determine which websites deserve top rankings, they’ve been straightforward about some of the ranking factors they value. Two of the top ones: links and content. 

Business blogging is good for building both. Maintaining a blog means publishing new content regularly, that:

  • Keeps your website fresh, which signals to Google that it’s current
  • Gives you lots of opportunities to target keywords your audience is searching for—each new post can focus on a new keyword you could potentially rank for
  • Gives other websites more reasons to link back to you. A useful blog post is more likely to earn a link than a home or product page. 

HubSpot data showed businesses with blogs earned 97% more links, and had 434% more indexed pages. 

Any good SEO expert you talk to will advise starting a blog as one of the first steps in improving your website’s rankings. And once it starts paying off and your webpages creep up on the SERPs (search engine results page) for relevant terms, it gives your website a big boost in visibility. 

2. Business blog posts drive traffic. 

Your website can’t do its job if people can’t find it. Traffic is one of the most important metrics to determine if your marketing is working and your audience knows how to find you. 

Business blogging gives people more pages to consider clicking on. Blog promotion, along with improved SEO, gives people more opportunities to find your website. The natural result of that is higher traffic. That HubSpot data also showed business blogging leads to 55% more visitors.

3. A blog is the cornerstone of a good content marketing strategy.

The best reason to start a business blog is because you’ve committed to doing content marketing. Blogs work best when they’re one part of an overall strategy to provide value to your audience, and gain more attention and followers in the process. 

While content marketing can include any number of other tactics—video, podcasts, and email, just to name a few—a blog is the best starting point to get your content marketing efforts off the ground. And it’s a good foundation to build your other efforts from—blog posts can be repurposed into other content formats, and used to promote gated content like ebooks.

4. Business blogging gives you a way to connect with your audience.

This is what content marketing is all about. People are more likely to buy from a brand they feel a connection with. Blogging gives you the opportunity to show helpfulness to your audience and build trust in the process. 

People who have read your blog posts will associate you with the topics you cover. That puts you top of mind when they’re thinking about your industry and, by extension, the type of products you offer. That’s good for your brand reputation, and can help you earn customer loyalty. 

5.  A business blog is a showcase for your expertise. 

You know more about what you do and the industry you’re in than most people. A blog allows you to demonstrate that. By sharing what you know, you show people you’re qualified. Customers know they’ll be in better hands buying from someone that knows the industry and understands their problems. Your blog is where you prove to them you do.

That’s not just important for companies that sell services, it matters if you sell products as well. A company that sells accounting software should understand the ins and outs of accounting laws and processes, or how could they create a product that genuinely provides the features its customers need?

6.  Business blogging gives your other online marketing a boost. 

If you do social media marketing, you need something to put in your social updates. Blog posts give you regular content to share with your followers. If you do email marketing, you need something in your emails to keep subscribers engaged. Blog posts provide regular value and give them more reason to click to your site.

And it works both ways. Someone who likes a blog post on your website is more likely to follow you on social media or sign up for your email list to see more of your content. Business blogging is an important component in a holistic online marketing strategy. Do it well, and it can help make your other tactics stronger. 

7. Business blogging keeps you learning.

You’re an expert in your industry. Everyone on your team is. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have more to learn. A business blog requires continually researching what’s going on in your industry. You need to stay on top of trends so you know how to cover and respond to them on your blog.

That not only makes for a better blog, it’s also good for your business. When consistent research becomes a part of the job, it means you become better and smarter at it every day. 

Start Your Business Blog

If you’re sold on the benefits of a business blog, then get started. To do it right, here are a few important tips:

Blogging is a lot of work, so you want to get as much out of the time you put in as possible. That means thinking strategically. Do your research to make sure the topics you cover make sense for your audience and your SEO goals. Figure out how to connect your blogging efforts with your other online marketing campaigns. Create a plan and stick with it. 

  • Set realistic goals. 

A common early mistake in business blogging is to get too ambitious. If you decide to publish multiple blog posts a day with a small team that’s already overworked, you’ll be on the path to content writing burnout. Make sure your strategy leaves room for the time and work involved in doing this well. Blogging isn’t something to be rushed. 

  • Aim for consistency.

Blogs set an expectation of regularity. If a blog publishes two posts in a week, then nothing for a couple of months, that’s confusing for your audience. Visitors may assume the blog is defunct and not bother checking back or signing up, even if they like your stuff. And you’ll have a harder time seeing any real results. 

Figure out a consistent schedule you can keep up with. It’s better to aim for weekly posts and hit that goal every time, then plan for daily posts and fail to keep up.

  • Have a promotion plan. 

Creating outstanding blog posts is important to success, but even the best blog post won’t be worth anything if no one reads it. The internet has billions of websites, and your industry likely has hundreds. You’re competing against all of them for the attention of your audience. Publishing a post on your blog isn’t good enough on its own.

Create a plan for promoting your blog posts so people can find them. That could include social media, PPC (pay-per-click) ads, email marketing, or guest posting around the web. Whatever tactics you try, make sure you do something so your hard work pays off.  

  • Outsource as needed. 

If it’s not clear yet at this point, business blogging is hard. Worth it, but hard. Part of doing it well is recognizing how much work it requires, so you can set realistic expectations and create a plan your team can manage. 

In many cases though, to start really seeing the results you want, you’ll need to go beyond the team you already have. Finding a good freelance blog writer that understands content marketing will take some of the work off your shoulders, help you keep up with the ongoing demands of blog publishing, and increase the odds of meeting your goals. 

Any company that hasn’t yet gotten on board with business blogging is falling behind. Every day you wait, the harder it will be to compete against businesses that got there first and built their foundation. That doesn’t mean there’s no point in trying, it means the day to get started is here. 

On Writing and Getting Paid

writing and getting paidThere’s been a lot of conversation online recently about the typical practices surrounding how for-profit publications pay writers, or whether they do at all. Prompted by the correspondence Nate Thayer published between him and an Atlantic editor, after he was asked to let them publish his work for free, many writers and editors have spoken up to weigh in on the subject, including Ta-Nehisi Coates over at the Atlantic, and a large group of writers and editors at the Awl.

As a freelance writer, I’ve followed the conversation with fascination. Sometimes to the slight detriment of my own productivity (did you see the length of that Awl discussion?). It’s not a new discussion, but as with many heated topics, all that was required was the catalyst of one angry writer making a stink, and many others followed to weigh in with their opinion.

So, because I’m sure the internet is clamoring for one more voice on the subject, here’s mine.

Whether or not writers should be paid for their work depends on the intent of the work.

Work

Obviously I need to get paid for my time and work, or I can’t make a living and would need to go back to working for someone else. I very much prefer freelance work to the alternative, so this is an important consideration. If I’m writing for a business or a for-profit publication, there shouldn’t be a question of payment. The content provided is valuable and serves a profitable purpose.

Almost any work I do that will help to promote another company or publication, I expect to get paid for.

Marketing

Here’s where the almost comes in: in order to be successful as a freelance writer, marketing myself plays an important role in the equation. Many freelance writers produce content for self-promotion for free, whether that content is published on a personal blog, their own website, or as a guest post or article in an industry publication that will bring it to a larger audience.

This is the tricky line of exposure. How do you measure whether the publication of your work is doing more to promote the publication in question (in which case you should be paid) and when it does more to promote your own brand (in which case it serves as marketing and might be worth doing for free, or a lower rate than usual).

Love

There’s an amazing series on the Hairpin called Scandals of Classic Hollywood. As I understand it, these stories, which are often lengthy and always include a number of photographs that surely take some time to gather, are written for free. They are also wildly popular on the site.

Why would someone put that much time into something without the promise of a profit? It’s clear that the writer, Anne Helen Peterson, loves the subject matter she writers about. It’s worth noting, she also recently published a book on the subject that many of her Hairpin readers rushed to buy, but my hunch is that she didn’t start the series a couple of years ago as a long-term marketing project for a book that hadn’t been written yet (although if she did, that’s brilliant marketing).

If a writer chooses to do some writing to help a non-profit she cares about with fundraising, or to raise awareness of an issue that’s of special importance to her, or for the fun of analyzing a good tv show – then there’s a drive to do the work that has little to do with profit.

 

So, that’s it. If you ask a professional writer to write for free, unless doing so achieves them a specific marketing goal, or it’s a piece about something they love and would likely write about anyways, don’t be surprised if you get an offended response like Thayer’s.

Unless you’re quick to offer whatever you do for a living for free to any asker, you should be sympathetic to their position.

In Praise of Humility in Business

This might sound like a strange case for a marketer to make, humility is not a trait commonly associate with Humility in Businessmarketing. Nonetheless, I think there’s something to be said for knowing your weaknesses and not being ashamed to admit them.

Groupon’s former CEO Andrew Mason made headlines by using his departure from the company as an opportunity to admit his mistakes. While Groupon’s got its share of critics, the response to Mason’s letter was primarily positive.

In the same way, a business who’s quick to admit a mistake (and assure customers you’re working on it), and be upfront about a product’s limitations, is as likely to earn points with customers as it is to disappoint them. An attempt to hide or justify flaws could easily backfire and make you looks far worse than going the honest route from the get go.

Just look at how offended people get when companies try to hide negative social media feedback.

What does practicing humility in business mean in practice?

  • Don’t oversell. Make sure your marketing makes clear what your goods or services can do, and doesn’t make it sound like they do more.  This will only lead to unhappy customers and the weakening of your brand.
  • Don’t be afraid of apologies. If your product has a glitch, you let something stupid slip through in your marketing, or a customer complains of a negative customer service experience — be willing to own up and do what it takes to make it right.
  • Be willing to turn down business if it’s not the right fit. Leads and sales are exciting and we all want as many of them as possible, right? Only if the transaction is good for everybody.  If someone comes to you describing needs that won’t actually be met by what you have to offer, don’t force it. Recommend them to someone who can help them (if you know somebody), and let them know you’d be happy to help them if they find they need your services down the line.
  • Don’t make your marketing all about you. Make your primary goal providing something valuable to your audience, and they’ll know to come to you and trust you when they need what you have to offer.

Many of these points boil down to: just be honest. If you know what you’re good at and how what you offer provides value, there’s never any need to mislead people in order to do good business.