Doing the hard work of content creation

Content creation is tough. It’s hard to consistently come up with valuable things to write about for your audience. But it’s important that you have a clear idea of how to generate content on a regular basis.

Consistent content helps your blog get found, gives your regular readers something to consume and helps you build a library of useful information.

Here’s a great tip to think about content topics right now.

• Take the top 15 problems your customers are having. List these out and describe them in detail with specific actionable solutions for each one.
• Write down the top 15 benefits a customer gets from doing business with you. Be specific.
• List the top 15 frequently asked questions.
• Write down the top 15 mistakes you see your customers making.

If you do this you’ll have 60 topics ready to go for your blog, videos, podcasts or email newsletters.

Today’s Action Step

Using the list above spend the next ten minutes writing out these lists and come up with your next 60 topics for content on your blog.

Now go take action.

.

Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media. He is a producer, author, speaker and social media marketing coach who consults with businesses on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter.

*Photo by JohnEdgarPark

If you notice, sites like Mashable and Lifehacker are using brackets to communicate meta-data quickly right in the post headlines.

Headlines

As an example here are two recent Mashable articles:

• Kanye West Raps at Twitter HQ, Tweets a Whole Lot [VIDEO]
• How Women Use the Web [REPORT]

So let’s say you are getting good at writing clear headlines. By adding in some meta-data you can make them even more understandable to your audience.

Simply put a label in all caps and surround it in brackets. This will clue your audience into what you have in store for them.

These bracket labels can be used for a lot more than just blog headlines.

Email

When sending an email to my team I use two versions of this. I try to help them know the priority I place on emails by labeling them with two distinct labels.

“[ACTION NEEDED] subject line”
“[REFERENCE] subject line”

I’ve been getting 400% better response from the action items since I started doing this.

Twitter

Here are some recent Twitter posts I’ve made using this technique. My notes are in brackets.

• [Are you publishing online yet?] Amazon: E-books Will Overtake Paperbacks by the End of 2011
• [Finally!!] YouTube Increases Video Time Limit to 15 Minutes

Today’s Action Steps

First, if you found this article helpful please share it on your favorite social network below.

Second, try using the bracket technique in your next blog post, email or tweet and then leave me some feedback in the comments below. Are there ways you think you could use this that I didn’t mention?

Now go take action.

.

Joel Mark Witt is the Publisher of Folk Media and author of 21 Days To Twitter Leadership. He is a producer, author, speaker and social media marketing coach who consults with businesses and nonprofits on how to use social media in marketing and communications. Get more from Joel on Twitter or Google Buzz.

It would be an understatement to say that social networking users spend a lot on time on Facebook.  In fact, it was recently estimated that over 8.3 billion hours are spent on Facebook each month.  That’s a lot of time!

What ways do you limit the time you waste on Facebook?  What advice would you give to others who have lost their Facebook freedom?

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by hisks

You should close this article and do something else with your day.

Yes, I said it.  I’m trying to convince you to stop reading this article.  Honestly, I don’t care about your retweets or comments.  If this post received no Twitter glory, I wouldn’t lose sleep.  Why is my behavior so odd and my attitude so negative?

It’s not.  You’re just not used to being productive.

It’s estimated that the average American worker wastes more than two hours a day on the Internet while on the job.  In a standard 40-hour work week, the average worker is productive for only 32 hours.  But, what does the average person read about?  It’s a tough call but I’d like to guess that most people are reading about things they can improve or things they’re interested in doing.  For example, Bob the new homeowner might waste his eight hours looking at home repair information.

We’re a curious breed and we’re always looking for something to occupy our time.  Why wouldn’t a majority of our Internet activity reflect that notion?

That brings us to you and this article.  Why are you reading this article?  Is it because the title caught you?  Are you on this site to learn more about social media?  It could be a number of things but you’re here.

It’s time to put down the instruction booklet and close the Internet browser.  It’s time to do something.

Yes, I said it.

1.  Learn

When you get out of the chair or the cubicle and start doing something, you begin to learn about numerous things.  Naturally, you learn about what you’re doing.  If you’ve decided to unfollow a few users on Twitter, you’re going to find out the method that works for you and is most efficient.  In the exampe of Bob the new homeowner, he might learn by fixing a few things around the house.

But, most importantly, you learn about yourself.  You learn about the areas where you excel and the areas that might require a little extra effort to get things done.  Case in point, I’ve learned that blogging takes a little extra time for me.  I need to allot a portion of my morning to blogging and if I don’t, I’ll get distracted and I’ll never get my post finished.  I learned this because I tried it.  You can’t learn about yourself if you don’t do something.

2.  Produce

It’s pretty obvious but I need to say it: you can’t produce unless you start doing.  It’s a simple fact.  If you don’t put what you have learned into action, you’re never going to be productive.  For example, over the past two or three years, I have learned that I am the beginning part of my day.  I have the most energy, the best creative thoughts, and the most concentration.  If I refused to acknowledge this fact, I wouldn’t have the chance to produce blog posts, email responses, school term papers, and anything else I accomplish on a daily basis.

In order to produce, you need to start doing.  Get out of your seat and move.  Log into Twitter create a profile for your business.  You’ve read about how to do it but you’ve been putting it off.  You won’t produce if you don’t start somewhere.

3.  Teach

This is the best part about getting something accomplished.  Now that you’ve mastered the art of doing, you can share your knowledge and experience with others.  In essence, you’re paying it forward.

Going from unproductive to productive is one of the biggest shifts a person can make in their life.  Believe it or not, a lot of things revolve around your productivity and willingness to do.  For example; if you don’t pay your bills, your credit will be bad.  If you aren’t productive at work, you won’t get a raise.  If you don’t clean the basement, your house will be full of junk.  Productivity leads to effective living.  It’s one of the best gifts you can share with someone.

If all went according to plan, no one should be reading this right now.  If you are, I’ll leave you with a final thought.  Doing something is a critical part of your success, both at home and on the job.  From a social media standpoint, if you don’t do anything, you won’t be able to keep up with the changing world of Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.  You need to go out and get your hands dirty; stay in the trenches.  But, on a personal note, getting things accomplished is a great motivator for a better life.  Once you feel the rush of completing a task, even a small one, you’ll be hooked and you won’t want to stop.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by Behance

Lists – we’ve all used them at some point in our papers, plans, and other documents.  Lists are a great way to easily organize a multitude of information and can be a great relief to the eyes after reading paragraphs of small text.  However, most people don’t use lists effectively.

You probably don’t think lists can be super effective but I’d like for you to consider this:

You’re up for a promotion and the success of your latest report could give you edge over other candidates.  There is a part in the document where you note five key areas of improvement.  How do you want the information displayed?  Which would be more effective?  Which list would give you that edge?

Unfortunately, most people don’t know which list would be more effective.  Some would argue that the list on the left would give a more fancy and professional feel to the project, while others would say the list on the right is crisp, clean, and effective.

Although it might seem like a nuance or an insignificant part of your writing, effective lists can change a document and the perception it gives, thus impacting your customers and the choices they make.  It’s a series of chain reactions.  Here’s how it goes:

Effective lists = perceived experience = better reputation = more customers = more money

So, now that you understand how effective lists can work in your favor, what do you need to do in order to create them?

1.  Pick a readable font and an appropriate size.

The first step to creating an effective list is picking a readable font and a good size.  Choosing a readable font is critical because without an understandable font selection, your readers won’t know what you’ve written.  You can’t go wrong with standard fonts, such as Arial or Times New Roman.  Nothing fancy, though.  Go for readability over elegance.

As far as size is concerned, you want to stick to what you’re using already.  If your document is in 12 point font, keep that size.  Shifting sizes will cause the reader to be confused.  They won’t know which text is more important, your list or your paragraph.

2.  95% of the time, align to the left.

Most of the time, you’re going to want to align your list to the left.  Basically, it should look like this:

• One
• Two
• Three

Not this…

3.  Don’t mix-and-match font styles.

When you’re formatting the text of your list, don’t mix-and-match styles.  So, don’t make every other item bold so it can stand out.  If you’re going to bold text, make it all of the text.  Also, remember that applying different formatting options doesn’t always make your list more effective.  In fact, most style take away from the effectiveness of your list.  But, as I said before, if you’re like to add a little bit of emphasis here and there, create a bolded list.

4.  Keep each item short and to the point.

If you need to say a lot, a list isn’t the way to do it.  Lists are intended to be short and concise.  Typically, each item on a bulleted list should only have a maximum of four or five words.  If you can’t say it in a few words, don’t create a list.

5.  Don’t create more than five or six rows.

One of the biggest mistakes writers make when creating lists is that they include too many vertical items, or rows.  A reader doesn’t want to linger their eyes for a long period of time and, if your content is being viewed online, they don’t want to scroll up and down a page to read listed content.  If your list includes more than five or six items, extend your list horizontally instead of vertically.  Go across the page instead of down the page.  This will keep the reader’s eyes in one area but will clearly separate your items.

6.  Use a consistent structure.

When you are writing your list, use consistent word structure.  Don’t do this:

• Cats
• The dogs
• The loud geese
• The soft, yet dangerous, bears

Keep a specific word structure.  If you’re going to use only nouns, use solely nouns for each of your items.  If you’re going to be a little more detailed and add in adjectives and adverbs, do it for every item.  This will keep the reader on track and will not cause them to feel overwhelmed.

7.  Choose professional, not fancy, bullets or numbers.

Bullet selection is critical, mainly because it’s the first thing a reader sees when scanning your list.  They don’t read your content first and then look at the bullet.  They see the bullet first and they immediately form a perception about your list and your credibility.  Stick with professional bullets and shy away from using playful or fancy bullets.  It really can make a difference in your list.

Lists are an efficient way to organize content for easy readability and reference.  However, if your list does not facilitate effectiveness, it might cost your company in the end.  Keep your lists professional and succinct.  If you do, you’ll be sure to make an impact no matter what type of document you are creating.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by bizior

We’ve all been there.  You know, the day you return from your awesome hiking experience in the mountains and your email inbox has over 100 new messages.  You knew it was coming.  The cabin in the mountains didn’t have Internet access and your messages were piling up.  What do you do?  How can you make sure this problem doesn’t arise in the future?

It’s easy to get a cluttered inbox.  I should know.  For three or four years, my inbox had over 1,000 items in it.  I simply disregarded organization and let the emails sit, searching for important data when I absolutely needed.  But, I recently cleaned up my act (and my inbox) and now I live a clutter-free life in my inbox.  How did I do it?

Tip 1: Make folders.

I can’t stress this tip enough.  Inbox folders make your life much easier.  They allow for you to file emails away that you need to keep, giving you an organizational structure.  Once you read a message, move it to the inbox and, on occasion, go through and purge unwanted messages from each folder.

It would be good to start with a few folders and expand as necessary.  For example, folders for client information, orders, and employee communications would be a good start.

Tip 2: Use the “delete, move, keep” system.

When you have thousands of messages, it can be tough to figure out where to start the cleaning process.  The good news is that you can start anywhere and with any message.  The easiest way to reduce your inbox size is to use the “delete, move, keep” system.  When you come across a message, decide if the message should be deleted, moved to a different folder, or kept in the inbox.  To avoid unnecessary inbox clutter, make sure that only current action items stay in your inbox.  So, the email from a client two years ago needs to be deleted or moved.  Once you have completed the required action on the email, delete it move it to a new folder.

Tip 3: Don’t bend the rules – ever.

I have found it very tempting to bend the inbox rules every now and then.  I tell myself, “Oh, it’s OK to leave this old message in your inbox.  It’s only one message…”  No, that isn’t going to work.  In order for the system to be effective, you must avoid bending the rules or making exceptions.  Every message in your inbox can be deleted, moved, or kept.  Don’t move items that should be deleted and don’t keep items in your inbox that should be moved.  If you do, you’ll have another mess of clutter.

Tip 4: Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe.

Want to know the biggest cause of inbox clutter?  Useless messages.  No matter who you are, you probably have messages from blogs, online stores, or marketing agencies, in your inbox.  Take note right now that these messages can quickly ruin inbox cleanliness.  If you don’t or rarely read the messages, unsubscribe to the email alerts.  What’s the point of cluttering your inbox with messages you aren’t reading?  There is none.

Tip 5: Be proactive.

No one else is going to manage your inbox for you.  If you don’t clean it up or keep it clean, who will?  Be sure to stay proactive with cleaning your inbox.  If you have an action item to be completed, do it.  If you need to delete or move a message, do it.  When you stop being proactive with your inbox, you lose control.  Stay in control and you’ll find that having a clean inbox is the way to go.

.

Eric Alpin is the Associate Editor of Folk Media and works for a telecommunications company in Baltimore, Md. He is a social media enthusiast, blogger, writer, and student with a passion for leadership and self-development strategies and techniques. Find out more about Eric on Twitter.

*Photo by lusi

Here are the tips that we posted this week on Twitter about using social media for your business. You can use Twitter Search to look these up. We used the hashtag #business and #socialmedia to track the conversations. For the future – follow @FolkMedia to stay up to date with online Twitter discussions and tips.

1. What is something your business can do this week to educate you prospects using Twitter? Do it.
2. Twitter Business Tip: Every company that is on Twitter should tweet a “”tip of the day.” It is easy and helpful to your followers.
3. Twitter Business Tip: Make a list of your social media time drains. Cut the bottom 80% that do not produce results.
4. How much time each week do you spend on social media marketing & PR for your business?
5. Twitter Business Tip: How can you think beyond Twitter and online social media when connecting with your audience online?
6. Twitter Business Tip: Use twitter to listen to conversations.
7. Never never ever underestimate the current and growing power of email. ALL of your business prospects have email accounts.
8. Imagine having the superpower of being able to listen to peoples’ conversations around the world in real time. It’s called Twitter Search. Use it to see what’s happening — right now.
9. Check out what #journchat is doing on Twitter and how they are using it to host discussions. What could your business host?
10. Twitter Business Tip: Think of your business Twitter account as a connector. You don’t need to have all the answers – just link to them.
11. Twitter Business Tip: Remember – wealthy people invest in relationships. Wealthy businesses are NO exception.
12. Twitter Business Tip: What can you do online to help further the career of a colleague or staff member today? Do it.
13. Has your business considered holding a press conference only for Twitter users in your industry? Treat them like NYT reporters. You’ll be surprised at the results.
14. TIP: Send one email per week to your VP or CEO with a summary of Twitter activity and stats. It will keep it top of mind for them.
15. Business Twitter Tip: If you are a CEO – be human. You need to protect your time – but it helps to converse with Twitter @ replies
16. Your @ reply area on Twitter misses a lot of @ mentions. Use Tweetbeep to catch all @ mentions for your business.
17. @joelcomm wrote a good book on getting started with Twitter called “Twitter Power”  http://ow.ly/6haU
18. Social Media Business Tip: Metrics are everything. Check out @ImpactWatch for social media monitoring http://ow.ly/6h4o
19. Twitter Business Tip: Your business needs a reason to use social media. Without a reason/plan your wasting your time.
    
20. What is it about Twitter that screams “broadcast” in the ears of business professionals? It is broadcast AND a conversation.
    
21. Twitter Business Tip: Twitter is a platform. Your business needs to brainstorm come and revenue models to build on top of it.
    
22. Twitter Business Tip: Use Tweeteck (http://ow.ly/6fGu) to have keyword alerts pop up on your desktop during the day.
    
23. Twitter Business Tip: Each company brand can have it’s own twitter profile.
    
24. If you are an Internet company – don’t loss sight of the value of a good old fashioned sales letter. Aka – snail mail.

What  social media business tips would you add to this list? You can post them below in the comments or join the discussion in real time on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It’s a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.

.

Here are five social media strategies recorded last week during my daily update segment on Utterli. (Utterli is a free voice recording service that allows you to record a message using your cell phone and then post that message to the web).

.

Monday: Breaking your social media tasks down into a system

.

Tuesday: Using tools to measure and monitor social media activity

.

Wednesday: Lessen your workload by “batching” work together

.

Thursday:  Creating a social media plan for your non-profit

.

Friday: Don’t stress. Think of social media as a river. Dip in – dip out.

.

.

Joel Mark Witt is a producer, speaker, and new media leader who writes about social media and its impact in the business world. He is also the Founding Director of Folk Media. Send him an eMail: joelmarkwitt (at) folkmedia.org or follow him on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It’s a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.

*Photo by chrisdlugosz

Here are the tips that we posted this week on Twitter about using social media for your non-profit. You can use Twitter Search to look these up. We used the hashtag #nonprofit to track the conversations. For the future – follow @FolkMedia to stay up to date with online Twitter discussions and tips.

1. How recent is your online #nonprofit content? Be sure to keep your blogs – Facebook pages and Twitter updates current.
2. A good rule of thumb for #nonprofits is to post about 1-3 tweets per day.
3. Take some time today to write about the importance of your #nonprofit social media plan. It will remind you and your team why you are here.
4. Measurement is the key to showing #nonprofit executives & higher ups the value of social media. Measure everything.
5. If it can’t be measured it doesn’t exist. This goes for all social media in your #nonprofit.
6. Have you signed up for the free Folk Media Insider Newsletter? It’s full of business & nonprofit social media strategy http://ow.ly/53k1
7. The power of twitter for your #nonprofit is listening and searching. Use Twitter search. See our FM sample here http://ow.ly/52JP
8. Try an online social media press release for your #nonprofit. Check out @PitchEngine: http://ow.ly/52Kv
9. Social media allows #nonprofits cheap & free ways to spread the word – gain donors – and get feedback. Remember – “free” does cost.
10. Just like a good PR campaign – it makes sense to have a well crafted twitter plan for your #nonprofit.
11. What is one thing your staff could do to hit home the need for funds when talking with your #nonprofit constituents? Use SM to talk about it.
12. Question: What is one thing you could be doing for your #nonprofit to raise more funds online?
13. Use social media to showcase you #nonprofit staff. Most of them are not at your organization for money. They crave kudos instead.
14. Think about a spot in your #nonprofit office for a small studio. You can use the space to shoot update videos & interviews.
15. Think of your #nonprofit as a media channel. Don’t rely on traditional media – make your own.
16. Use the web to get out the word about your #nonprofit. Use video – audio – photos. Think beyond the press release.
17. Don’t lose sight of using Twitter to build good relations in your community as a #nonprofit.
18. Social media lends itself to be used by #nonprofits more than any other business or organization.
19. Use Twitter to publicly recognize volunteers in your #nonprofit. People love acknowledgment.
20. #Nonprofit is your legal tax status – not your business plan. Donors are key & social media can help you reach them.
21. For your #nonprofit “dinner video” for this year – What are you doing to be creative?
22. Have you considered skipping this year’s #nonprofit “dinner video” and instead create a series for YouTube videos over time?
23. Twitter isn’t for every #nonprofit. Be wise when using social media. It’s not for every organization.
24. What are you doing this week for your #nonprofit that is different from similar or competing organizations?
25. #Nonprofit volunteers: be sure that your personal tweets & profiles don’t embarrass or cast your organization in negative light.
26. Does your #nonprofit take donations online? If not – why? You can start right now with PayPal. http://ow.ly/534T
27. One of the biggest obstacles #nonprofits face is showing the Executive Director the value of social media.
28. #Nonprofit directors want proof that social media works. Give them proof and stats.
29. Also – be helpful with your #nonprofit Twitter posts. Don’t just tweet out events and news.
30. What is the one thing you can do right now to spread the word about your #nonprofit? Do it.
31. Social media can seem daunting – it’s one more hat to wear at your #nonprofit. Spread the work.
32. Would you like your organization featured on our @FolkMedia list of social media #nonprofits? Let us know.
33. Consider building a lens for your #nonprofit over at Squidoo. http://ow.ly/53dm
34. Spend the time to practice social media and learn the language and methods. You #nonprofit will thank you.
35. Be human. #Nonprofits are made up of people – not robots. Remember people give to people not organizations.
36. #Nonprofit Tip – segment nonprofit social media tasks to staff – volunteers – and interns. The goal is to free up your time.

What non-profit social media tips would you add to this list? You can post them below in the comments or join the discussion in real time on Twitter.

Subscribe to the Folk Media Insider eNewsletter. It’s a free monthly newsletter packed with tips, tools, strategies and resources to take your business to the next level online.