The Brown Bag Blogging Compromise

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Sack LunchShould employees be required to write blog posts? is the question posed by Marcus Sheridon of SalesLion.com.

After all, Sheridan points out, one goal of content marketing is to produce as much content as possible, so the more hands are put to the task, the better. And, since content that answers consumers’ questions is the most valuable, and since those employees are typically the ones dealing with the consumers every day, stands to reason they should be committing that experience to print. Insourcing works, he says, but if it’s not required, they won’t do it – Dah!

Stan Smith of pushingsocial.com isn’t buying. “Blogging is writing,” he says, “and writing for most people has a fear factor right up there with public speaking.  You can coach, bribe, threaten all you want but in the end, you’ll be writing most of your blog posts.”

After eight solid years of providing blog content writing services to hundreds of different businesses and professional practices, I know exactly where Smith is coming from. So does Mikeachim, who points out that the 2009 New York Times statistic about 95% of blogs being abandoned hasn’t really changed.

Sheridan’s answer to the should-employees-be-required-to-blog question is still yes, but he offers three possible methods for using employees to populate a blog with content, suggesting that employees having a choice will increase the chance they’ll participate:.

  • The employee writes the post.
  • The employee creates a video post.
  • The employee is interviewed by someone who then turns the information into a
    blog post.

Stan Smith suggests a compromise plan, as well.  His is a monthly brown-bag lunch session, where everyone contributes ideas for the blogging editorial calendar. The transcript then becomes fodder for the blog. (In fact, for at least some of our clients, we at Say It For You serve as blog editors, rather than as blog writers.)

“In an age where content is the new gold standard of web-related and social media marketing; it’s time to start producing great content or find someone who can,” says Chris Warden of Jeffbullas.com, who’s clearly in the camp that advocates outsourcing of content writing.

Anyone can write, he points out. “The real feat comes not from putting words on paper, but from producing artistically crafted and genuinely interesting pieces of content that evoke a desired emotion from your readers.”

 

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Filling Your Trivia Basket for Business Blogging – Part D

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No question about it – trivia can be useful triggers for business blog content ideas, making the piece of a grilled steak on a forkchallenge of continually coming up with fresh content to inform, educate, and entertain readers a little bit easier on busy business owners and employees and on freelance content writers like us.

This week, I’ve devoted my  Say It For You blog posts to trivia found in Albert Jack’s book, Red Herrings & White Elephants, which traces the origins of phrases we use every day.

I’ve been suggesting types of businesses that might use each piece of trivia, but now that you’ve gotten into the trivia-mining swing, I challenge you to come with your own ideas for turning each piece of trivia into a  writing “hook”.

  • Let the cat out of the bag – Apparently there was a lot of cheating going on in the medieval marketplace. Having been shown a pig, a purchaser would be distracted by haggling with the vendor over price. When the buyer opened his bag at home, he’d find a cat had been substituted for the pig.
    This tidbit of information about dishonest dealing could be used by any business to emphasize its own merchandise return policy. A diamond merchant might cite its price protection guarantee, while a property appraisal website would discuss the importance of relying on a legally assigned value during a real estate transaction.

  • Bite off more than you can chew – We use this expression to indicate someone has taken on more than they can manage.  This phrase comes from the 1800s, when chewing tobacco was popular. The greedy would take such a large bite of tobacco, they were unable to chew it properly.
    The metaphor of unmanageable tasks applies to just about any business, and any blog content creator can discuss the wisdom of a business owner outsourcing certain tasks, from talent recruitment agencies to building cleaning services.Back when I was just beginning my work as a professional blog writer in Indianapolis, debates on the ethics of blogging for others often raged at networking meetings and seminars.  Meanwhile, of course, more and more companies were venturing into online marketing campaigns, viewing blog content writing as just another advertising and marketing function to be outsourced. Today, outsourcing the blog marketing function is common practice.

Be an ant. Begin stocking up on provisions for the business blog writing season ahead!

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Filling Your Trivia Basket for Business Blogging – Part B

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morning routineThis week, I’m devoting my Say It For You blog posts to trivia mentioned in Albert Jack’s book, Red Herrings & White Elephants, which traces the origins of phrases we use every day. With the fall season setting in, it’s a good time to stock up provisions for the winter business blogging ahead.

Trivia of all types, I remind newbie freelance content writers, make for good “foodstuff”, and can be used in business blogs for defining basic terminology, sparking curiosity about the subject, putting modern-day practices and beliefs into perspective, and for explaining why the business owner or practitioner chooses to operate in a certain way.

Here are three more interesting “red herrings” that might come in handy for days when content writers find themselves running out of ideas for blog posts:

  • A plum job – In the 1600s, the slang term for £1,000 was “plum”.  Back then, of course, that was a serious amount of money and happened also to be the fixed amount of payment for certain government jobs. The average layman considered that to be a huge pay for doing very little.
    What kind of business might make use of this tidbit of information?  How about an employment agency?  Clients of a financial advisor or of a bank might also find that piece of trivia interesting.

  • As fit as a fiddle – That expression indicates a person or animal who is in good physical condition. Back in the days of medieval court, it seems, the people considered most energetic and fit were the fiddlers, who would scamper about playing their music throughout the crowds.
    For what types of business might this piece of trivia add interest to the blog? A fitness facility comes to mind, as does any health-related professional practice.

  • The information about the origin of “as fit as a fiddle” makes for the perfect   jumping-off point for a discussion about the role physical activity plays in our health.
    To sleep tight – We use this expression to connote a good night’s rest. The first beds to be mass-produced in England had straw mattresses held by criss-crossed ropes attached to the bed frames.  As the ropes slackened with use, they needed to be tightened in order for the bed to remain comfortable. “Sleep tight”, therefore, meant “sleep comfortably”.
    This story could make for good blog fodder for a mattress store, a bedding company, or even a sleep clinic.

Stocking up on blog triggers like these can really help blog content writers get through the winter season!

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Filling Your Trivia Basket for Business Blogging – Part A

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Now that fall has officially set in, I’m reminded of Aesop’s Ant and the Grasshopper fable, cautioning us to beginThe Ant and the Grasshopper stocking up provisions for the winter ahead. I like the concept, especially when it comes to stocking up materials for business blogging. Continually coming up with fresh content to inform, educate, and entertain readers – well, that’s a pretty tall order for busy business owners and employees. (Face it, that’s a tall order even for us professional content writers.)  And without a system for stocking up ideas, content creation can quickly get to the overwhelming stage.

That’s exactly why I’m constantly on the prowl for blogging “foodstuff” that we content writers can “store up” in preparation for those “winter of our discontent” days when ideas just won’t seem to present themselves. One “provisioning” tactic involves trivia.  

Trivia can be used in business blogs for defining basic terminology, sparking curiosity about the subject, putting modern-day practices and beliefs into perspective, and for explaining why the business owner or practitioner chooses to operate in a certain way.

This week, I’m devoting my Say It For You blog posts to trivia mentioned in Albert Jack’s book,  Red Herrings & White Elephants, which traces the origins of phrases we use every day.
In each case, I’m going to suggest types of businesses that might use that piece of trivia, but I challenge content writers to come up with their own ideas for turning trivia into writing “hooks”.

  • Piping hot – The old church pipe organs would hiss in the same way water does when it steamed, so, ever since the 1300’s, when something was boiling, it was  described as “pipe hot”.
    What kind of business  might make use of this tidbit of information?  How about a heating and air conditioning firm? A company that insulates pipes for residential or commercial buildings? A professional carpet cleaner? An aesthetitician who uses steam to clean out facial pores?
  • To thread your way through a crowd – Back in the 1500’s, mazes were a popular form of entertainment, and some people would take a clew (yarn or thread) and fix one end of it to the beginning of the maze, enabling them to find their way back out again. (The word “clue” derives from this as well!)
    To what kinds of business blog might this piece of trivia add special interest?  How about a tailoring establishment? A sewing or knitting supply shop? A surgeon??

Of course, stocking up on ideas for future blog posts isn’t all about trivia, as I explain to newbie blog content writers. Remember, the trivia tidbit is just the jumping off point for the message.

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Questions to Kickstart Your Blog Writing

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Young man start running #2Often, writers will do interviews to gain background information for an article or a novel, and WritersDigest.com offers a great list of questions to get those interviewees talking. The answers to those questions, I think, make for exactly the kind of content most likely to humanize business blog posts, revealing the real people behind the pages of a business’ or a practice’s website.

As a content writer, you’re after the story behind the page, I teach in corporate blogging training sessions:

  • What were your goals when you began your business/practice/organization?
  • What helped you make up your mind to do it?
  • What obstacles did you face?
  • How did you find solutions to those obstacles?

Skillful business blog writing reveals the person behind the page:

  • Why is your work important?
  • What have you accomplished that makes you most proud?
  • What mistakes did you make and what did you learn from those mistakes?

Two of the “Four P’s of Businss Blogging”, after all, are passion and personality. In business blog posts, as compared to brochures, ads, or even the website, it’s easier to communicate the unique personality and core beliefs of the business owners.  Over time, in fact a business blog becomes the “voice” of the corporate culture, whether the “corporation” (or partnership or LLC) consists of one person or many.

It’s important for readers to understand the opinion behind the page:

  • How do you see the future bringing changes in your industry or profession?
  • What are the biggest concerns you and your competitors must deal with now?

Prospective clients and customers want to sense leadership, to “meet” business owners and professionals who have strong opinions about important issues in their field.

As blog content writer interviewers, we really asking all those questions on behalf of online readers, helping them feel good about making the decision to deal with our clients.

Interview questions are a great way to kickstart blog writing!

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