In the Court of the
Content King II How to Write Content like a POPSTAR
Introduction
Hi! My name is Mike Darnell. I was born in 1974 My 1st job was modeling underwear & Roman toys
My partner is Virode Imtarnasan Thai, 38 years old, married, studied law Career: EA, Sega, IRM‌ Web: Cnngo, Vertu, Playboy‌
Is your website targeting and engaging prospects?
Where we do business
The Fun Bit
Last session we discussed the WHY and WHAT of great content
We learned there’s Nothing New Under the Sun because…
Marketers have always known the key to success is providing useful information about their products‌
…Especially
AT THE POINT/TIME OF SALE
Be it in person‌
…in print…
…or online
We learned about the importance of INBOUND LINKS‌
Site 1
Site 2
Your great content
Site 3
Site 4 Etc.
…and helped each other brainstorm content ideas for our websites
We understood that our challenge is finding the sweet spot: Content that is no only popular, but also has marketing value for our company
And we learned that with a little effort and creativity even “boring” businesses can crack it…
We touched on the types of content we can create:
Topics
Mediums
Products/services Company info News Events Tips/how-tos Faqs Lists Case studies Testimonials/clients Articles Etc‌
Texts (HTML/PDF) Images Presentations Audio Podcasts VIDEO Forms/Quizzes Etc.
The reality is that the EASIEST content we can create, that’s still likely to gain our audience’s appreciation, is probably:
Topics
Mediums
Products/services Company info News Events Tips/how-tos Faqs Lists Case studies Testimonials/clients Articles Etc‌
Texts (HTML/PDF) Images Presentations Audio Podcasts VIDEO Forms/Quizzes Etc.
The web is still* for the most part a text based medium
* But the future is video‌
To rule the web you need to write like a ROCKSTAR
But HOW?
Getting started:
Read Share Comment Write
1) Read
What to Read
Learn from the best
Technorati is probably the best place to find blogs you’ll enjoy
Use Klout to find the Top Influencers relevant to you
Another useful tool is
Google Alerts
Google Alerts are an excellent way to regularly search and stay on top of topics and key-phrases relevant to you and your business
Setting up a dedicated iGoogle page is an easy way to categorize, organize, share, and collaborate your Google Alerts with others
Take a minute to list 10 key-phrases you should have alerts for
How to Read
AVOID reading on your PC Use your phone to take advantage of time travelling, waiting, etc.
Using a reader will remind you more and more people are accessing the web on the move -
Is your content optimized for them?
2) Share
What to Share
We all hate SPAMMERS
This probably belongs on Facebook, unless you’re a vet‌
Add value
Be relevant to your audience
1. Share good people & useful content 2. Show gratitude 3. Promote people you’d like to befriend
How to Share
Start simple
By clicking buttons‌
…and pasting links
Then take it to the next level‌
Tools like the Bit.ly browser plugin make sharing to multiple platforms easy & fun
Aggregators like Scoop.it take your shared links and automatically turn them into blog-like websites
Don’t abuse the tools
The easiest thing to ruin online is your OWN REPUTATION
3) Comment
Commenting is a great way to engage
A good comment is a first step in establishing a relationship
IT HELPS GET YOU
NOTICED …by the author, and everyone who visits their post. Ever.
Commenting drives traffic and builds links
Commenting sparks creativity A good comment is easily remade into content for your own site
4) Write
Once you feel you’re ready to take the plunge…
‌it’s time to write your first content
Here are a few hints and tips to get you started:
What NOT to write
About us Features We’re great
NOBODY CARES
“…The most frequent reason for unsuccessful advertising is advertisers who are so full of their own accomplishments (the world’s best seed!) they forget to tell us why we should buy (the world’s best lawn!)…” [John Caples 1926-1990 - The man who wrote the book on copywriting]
Focus on
what’s in it for
THEM
Respect George Carlin: Keep it simple and avoid jargon and adjectives
How to write
Never forget that reading online is
HARD
72 DPI Screen flicker Distractions etc., etc., etc‌
Regardless of the reasons the result is‌
Nobody really READS online… …instead we SCAN
So be sure to follow these 7 basic tips‌
Put your most important information in the first two paragraphs
Learn from professional Journalists and Editors‌
Look at the next slide for
NO MORE THAN 5 SECONDS
What do you remember?
Use LEADS
Short paragraphs make for easy reading Usability experts are confirming what has long been known to newspaper editors and journalists. When writing news short paragraphs that handle one idea or concept are far more likely to be read and remembered.
9 out of 10 people only read headers The statistic above is entirely made up however I have little doubt that although the numbers may be off, the principle is valid. This is why it’s most likely the vast majority of people seeing this slide will never realize they’ve been taken for a little ride…
White spaces and margins are important Making text easy to read isn’t dependent solely on how the words and paragraphs are laid out. No less important are the surrounding and dividing spaces that allow the reader’s eyes and brain to rest, digest, and organize the content absorbed.
Know your keywords and USE THEM
Never forget the Meta URL, <title>, “description”, <h1>
Questions?
Workshop time!
A typical blog post is anywhere between 150-400 words long - approximately the length of two full screens You have 10 minutes to write 150 words about your main product or service, while adhering to the 7 rules listed above. Swap your text with a class-mate and edit their text to make it more appealing. Leave notes explaining your edits.
Present your work to the group for more feedback
Thanks! â&#x20AC;ŚIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m at mi@vimi.co Mike