The main character of HBO’s Silicon Valley, thinking he’s dying in face of interest in his product. Finding out why his product transforms him into a man on a mission. Simon Sinek’s theory on starting with why is important for marketing, but it might be just as important for the entrepreneur or content creator as it is to whoever they are selling to.
The Expertise Trap!!!!
The point of your blog should be to establish yourself as an expert in whatever field you want to sell yourself in. But what if expertise is over rated?
The Suspension Of Disbelief!!!!
I’ve taken a little break from my content strategies for success series lately. I would have loved to have a better excuse than I’ve been busy and a little unsure of what the hell I was doing, even though both are true. What snapped me out of it was having two patches to WordPress itself merged into the next version of the software I use everyday.
The feeling that I still wasn’t good enough was keeping me from blogging, but the sense of accomplishment that came from becoming a WordPress core contributor has helped me get over my temporary crisis of confidence, but I never would have gotten to this point, if I hadn’t suspended my disbelief in myself along time ago. Remembering that I don’t have to know everything about what I do and blog about helped get me through my most recent crisis of confidence, more than any accomplishment.
Evaluating Unset Goals!!!!
When I started this series, I said that I had originally intended to set some goals but then I read an awesome blog post about creating systems instead of setting goals. Thing is, in my mind there are still some goals there, whether I like it or not.
Of course, I will never be happy about not reaching some nebulous, undefined goal about how much I should be posting. So instead, I’m refocusing on systems. Letting the analytics guide my strategy, instead of guilt over goals I never actually set, is a smart system for success.
What’s Your Blog’s Story?!!!!
You may not think of your blog as communicating a narrative, but it is essential to think of it as something that tells a story. Creating a compelling narrative is the only way to create an emotional connection to your readers and that’s the only type of connection that matters. We may like to think of ourselves as rational decision makers, because that supports the narrative that our conscious self is in control of our actions, but a brief study of the modern science of decision making, or a simple observation of the world around shows the falsity of that idea.
We make decisions based largely based on a subconscious thought process that is largely emotional and if your blog doesn’t make an emotional connection with your readers you will never influence their decisions.
Thank You For Pointing Out My Failures!!!!
Recently, for the first time, I had a decent number of people using some of the themes I wrote. The best part about this experience was the people using my themes found the bugs I missed when I tested them.
I know that sounds sarcastic but it’s true, I really am grateful.
When we think about content strategy we often only think about in terms of a blog and marketing copy, but every interaction with user is an opportunity to bring them into the community or push them away. Not only that, how we shape our content can help make users feel a part of the community which can have a radical effect on how they deal with the bugs they will inevitably find.
Welcome To WordPress, Here Is Your Reading List!!!!
My list of must read blogs for anyone new to WordPress.
I May Be A Giver, But I’m Not Exactly Altruistic!!!!
The WordPress community is woven from gifts–gifts of code, support, Meetups and WordCamps–gifts that people have given because they need them to exist.
Recently someone posted to a Facebook group I frequent an article that was wholesale copied from one I wrote. I was flattered. I know that sounds sarcastic, but it’s true. Really, it doesn’t bother me. I’m used to giving freely. Am I getting screwed a little on this one? Sure, but I don’t focus on every little exchange. Overall I’ve benefited more than I can possibly calculate by what I have taken from the WordPress ecosystem. Keeping score would be pointless.
Getting Started With WordPress!!!!
I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned about getting started with WordPress. Sharing, after all, is at the heart of what WordPress is about.
If it seems like everyone is using WordPress for their websites these days that’s because WordPress is no powering more than 20% of the internet. There is no better time to get started with WordPress to share your story and opinions as well to grow your business or start a new one. I can say from personal experience that learning these skills and getting involved in the WordPress community has been one of the more rewarding and transformational experiences of my life.
Building An Email List From A WordPress Site!!!!
So far, the focus in my series on content strategy has been on attracting the right audience to your site, but maintaining your audience is just as important. So, today I will be showing you how I set up the optin slide-ins and pop-over optin forms for subscribing to this series. I will also be […]
Marketing Your Authentic Self!!!!
If you were creating a content strategy for a magazine, it would be driven by what sells the magazine’s product, which is advertisements or subscriptions. On your personal blog, your product is your authentic self.
Content Strategies As A System For Success in 2014!!!!
A content strategy is a system to keep the focus on what those the author wants to reach need and therefore contributes to the success of the site’s author.
What Is The Real Conversion Rate?!!!!
Mailing lists are a great resource, but they can be more than just a way to get people to keep coming back to your site–they can be a way to start a conversation. Building an email list is what I’m personally focusing on right now, but it’s important to not loose site of the real goal–new clients and new ways to serve the community. I’m not in the business of sending emails. I’m in the business of creating WordPress support systems and educational materials as well as building and nurturing user communities If I had 1000 page views in a month and two sign-ups for my email list, and my only goal was to build a mailing list, I’d be disappointed by that miserable conversion rate. But, if 2 of those 1000 page views turned into leads for new clients, I’d be a very happy boy.