Margie Dana

The Power of 3’s*

You’ve seen this little writing “power tool” time and time – and time – again.

These examples will make it clear:

Wynken, Blynken and Nod
Moe, Larry and Curly
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Tall, dark and handsome
No ifs, ands, or buts

Grouping things in 3’s is a handy writing tool you should use. Why? A list of 3 rolls off the tongue. It’ll make your writing more engaging.

*Note that it’s OK to use an apostrophe here, because it’s easier on the eyes…and less awkward looking, though “3s” is totally acceptable.

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No ifs, ands, or buts about it, if you’re in a pinch for a good writer. And thanks for reading.

Until the next time,

Margie Dana

Don’t Forget to Share

As good as your content needs to be, if it’s not seen by anyone, it won’t help you much.

When you’re writing a blog or a newsletter, always think about The Share.

Blogs typically live on your site. But if that’s the only place, you’re missing great opportunities. Have clickable social icons to your social on blog pages (and elsewhere). Invite readers to like and share your posts. That’s easy…and passive. You need to be active. Share new blog posts in your social channels. Apps like Hootsuite make this easy (more on my favorite tools later).

Enewsletters are similar. Many newsletters address one topic and are emailed to customers. These should live on your site, too, complete with social chiclets. Don’t stop there. Actively share them in your social channels. Think of it this way: if what you’ve published is valuable to your market, let more of your market know about it.

So when you’re writing a blog or newsletter, ask yourself, “Who else in our network would be interested in or gain value from this?”

A key objective to publishing great content that highlights you and your company is to broaden your reach. The more you share it, the bigger your reach. If your content’s that good, people with whom you’ve shared it, will pay it – or share it – forward.

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If you need help developing your content, . And thanks for reading.

Margie Dana

Don’t Misuse LinkedIn Publishing

For over a year I’ve used the LinkedIn Publishing function. The only content I publish here is my own content. That’s what it is intended for – it’s a publishing platform, not another place to share links to articles you’ve read or to promote your services.

But I’ve watched this platform get abused lately. It’s happening more often, and I’m waiting for the day when LinkedIn abandons it, or readers (including my community) stop reading any content shared via this publishing function.

This platform is different from a LinkedIn update you might share. It is not a place to shout how great you are or your company is. When I read such stuff, I make a mental note of the author and vow to avoid him or her.

Use this publishing platform for original content.

Use LinkedIn’s everyday “Share an Update” function to do just that or even to announce a new service, new book, or an upcoming speaking gig. Reserve the “Publish a Post” function to publish original content.

You’ll do your reputation harm by using this publishing platform for promotional content.

I’ll share my personal guidelines for LinkedIn Publishing in future issues.

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Thanks for reading! topic requests or if I can help shape your content.

Margie Dana

How to Generate Blog Topics

BLOG letters colorful Choosing blog topics is the #1 issue people have with blogging. Even I get blocked sometimes.

First, jot down all of your ideas and then decide which will work. I have a Word doc for this purpose. I also dictate ideas into my iPhone and send myself emails as well. I get inspired at all hours of the day, which is why you have to document ideas.

Here are 4 ways to generate blog topics:

Listen to customers’ questions. Often, many customers have the same issues or challenges – for which you have the solution. If you see a pattern or a trend, well, there’s a blog topic ready and waiting.
Use the “if they only knew” approach. What practical tips/tricks would “wow” your customers? What insights can you share in a blog that will help a large number of people save time, money or effort?
Start with a Who, What, When, Where, Why or How. These basic elements of journalism will inspire new blog ideas. They remind you how much of an expert you are.
Poll your team. If you work with people who deal directly with customers and prospects, ask them what they’re hearing and what questions they get asked. Tap into this group regularly to uncover topics you can develop.

I’ve written blogs and newsletters for nearly 20 years. New topics aren’t always a breeze, but I’ve learned to be on the alert for potential ideas everywhere I go. Train yourself to think like this, and presto, you’ll get into a rhythm that makes blogging easier.

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If you need help developing blog topics, – and thanks for reading.

Margie Dana

Write Like You Speak

Good content needs to be genuine. People can tell when it’s not, because clumsy copy sounds stilted to readers.

Here’s the real test: read it out loud.

This is especially true for blogs, articles, and speeches (duh). Not so much for direct mail copy, social shares or slide presentations. (Those take different skills and involve what I call “space restraints.”)

If you’re thinking about writing your own blogs, do this: Write a blog post. Go away for a good while, even overnight. Come back and read it out loud. Prune as needed. Read it out loud again.

How does it sound to you? Does your copy roll naturally off the tongue?

If you’re going to tackle your own blogs and newsletters, make sure the writing sounds like it came from you (you the person and you the company). The copy needs to be crisp and compelling, of course, and well written. But it’s just as important that you get the tone right. As much as the content matters, the tone and rhythm of your words matter just as much.

If it’s not a natural talent, you’ll know it’s something you should outsource.

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If you need help developing great content, g, and thanks for reading.

Margie Dana

If I Hired a Blogger

If I hired a blogger…

I’ve been a blogger-for-hire for two years already, so I thought I’d hop on over to the other side of the table for this post.

Here’s the skinny on what I’d do if I wanted to hire a blogger.

I’d jump online to sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to see who’s writing about my industry. If I were in the print industry, I’d search by hash tags, including #printmedia. I’d look under Posts on LinkedIn to see who’s writing in my field. I’d conduct a Google search on “bloggers in the print industry” to see what pops up. I’d visit the sites of trade associations to see if they have bloggers. Remember, not every blogger offers blogging as a service. Many blog to keep their names out there. Above all else, I’d want a writer who has experience in my industry and a style I like.

I’d pay attention to top bloggers for several weeks to get a sense of writing style and content quality. These are different. I’d look for consistent quality. And the writing style would be important – that doesn’t change, BTW. I’d do a Google search on the bloggers I really like, to see what else I could find out about them. I’d view their LinkedIn profiles.

After being satisfied I’d found the blogger (or two) that most interests me, and checking out their site/s to see if they offer blogging as a service, I’d get in touch to start the conversation.

In a phone call, I’d find out the blogger’s interest and availability and have an initial discussion about my needs (weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.). I’d ask for pricing and want to get a sense of how the blogger works. I’d expect this information by email within the week, and I’d pay close attention to the quality of this communication (grammar, spelling, format, etc.). It reflects on the writer. I have high standards and am sensitive to errors.

If everything looks good (price, availability, writing style), I’d let the blogger know the good news, and get an NDA signed. A simple Letter of Agreement also makes sense. Because the blogger is unknown (to me, anyway), I’d want a three-month trial to start, so that I could experience the blogger’s writing style, accountability, and evaluate the content itself (naturally).

I’d have a liaison assigned to work with my blogger (presuming it’s not me). This conduit is important. Most of the work will be done by email or phone calls.

I’d be flexible. It could take a few assignments to get into the groove with a new writer. Communication with my blogger (and vice versa) is critical. I’d try to be fair about what I expect and give as much information about each blogging topic as I have available.

Whenever possible, I’d line up blog topics in advance with my blogger and make sure she/he has everything needed to jump in.

I’d give feedback to help the relationship grow stronger, and I’d ask my blogger for feedback as well. If the fit just doesn’t feel right after a few posts (I’d know), I’d summon up the nerve to say as much to the blogger in a phone call and in a professional way.
I’d pay my blogger’s invoices promptly. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s much appreciated.

Have I left off anything important? Would you also have a Plan B ready in case your blogger stops delivering? Do let me know.

Through Pith & Skin

There’s a delicious grilled chicken marinade recipe my neighbor Sue gave me, which we really love. It involves crushed garlic and brown sugar, oil and cider vinegar, salt and grainy mustard, and the juice and zest of two limes.

Those limes are the kicker. They brighten the flavor and add a true layer of freshness to the marinade.

But it’s in the zesting of those limes that I prove my love for this recipe. No matter how carefully I go at it, I always grate a knuckle or two. And still, I make this dish about once a month in the summer, willing to shed a little blood in the process.

If we want something badly enough, and we know from experience there’s some risk involved – be it physical, professional, financial, or psychological – we steel ourselves and just go for it.

Taking risks in our personal and professional lives can be empowering and quite often, exhilarating. You’ll kick yourself for not trying something new, or doing something you’ve done before even though it didn’t go perfectly well the last time.

Don’t let small risks rob you of your zest for what you’re trying to accomplish. Push ahead. Experience that sense of accomplishment.

Nothing tastes so sweet.

Margie Dana is a ghostwriter and blogger-for-hire. Her specialty is printing & the graphic arts. She writes marketing content that attracts and engages clients’ customers and prospects. She also likes writing case studies – and occasionally posts musings about life in general. Learn more at Margiedana.com.

Let Good News Travel Faster

car on the road with motion blur background

Let good news travel faster.

As a self-employed copywriter who serves a lot of different clients, I’ll tell you what really moves me:

An email acknowledgement from a client that they liked what I wrote. (Good)
An email acknowledgement from a client that they liked what I wrote on the same day I sent it. (Better)
An actual phone call from a client (remember those?) to say they liked what I wrote on the same day I sent it. (Best)
An unsolicited testimonial from a client on LinkedIn or shared with me in an email to someone else about how much they like my work. (How cool!)

These are the little things that are big boosts for service providers, and while I may not get them all the time, when I do, I absolutely remember that client. It makes a lasting impression, and I find myself working harder on future assignments for that client.

A few months back, I had to write a web site landing page for a new client, a printer here in New England, and I labored hard over that copy. Getting the tone and the words just right matter to me. Good writing takes time and research, rounds of drafts, reading aloud, and more editing.

Once I was satisfied (I’m my toughest critic), I sent it off to him in an email. Inside of two hours I got a voice message from him while I was out.

Being a typical neurotic copywriter, I thought, “Dear God, he hates it. He wants it redone.”

So I called him back, fingers poised over the keyboard as I stared at the copy I wrote for him, prepared to listen to his comments and start chipping away at the copy.

“I just had to tell you what you wrote is absolutely perfect. I couldn’t find one word that I wanted to change. That’s all.”

He made my day. It cost him nothing but a minute to dial my number. I was elated and honored, determined to pay it forward and to serve him the best I could muster every time he needed my help.

We’re often too quick to criticize (I know I am), particularly our suppliers. It’s so much nicer to share good news with someone who’s working on our behalf. I carry that thought with me every day.

An email, a phone call, a written note. Spirit lifters, one and all.

Thanks for the lesson, Dana.*

*Yes, it happens to be my client’s name.

Why It’s Really OK to Reuse Your Blog Content

As a business blogger, you may occasionally panic as you look ahead and see nothing but deadlines staring back at you, day after day, week after week, or month after month.

Calm down. I’m here to share a trade secret: it’s really OK to reuse your blog posts. I have many reasons why.

Before I do, let me remind you that I blog weekly for myself (since 1999) and for other clients. Never do I share blog posts between clients, nor do I use a client’s blog on my site or vice versa. Every blog is, and should be, original content.

While I sometimes reuse my own blogs on my site, or update them to be published under my name elsewhere, I never use a client’s blog (or newsletter, case study, web site copy, email content, etc.) anywhere else.

Does this mean that once a blog is done and published, it remains frozen in time like a figure in a Madame Tussauds exhibit? Not at all.

Good blog posts cast long shadows. In the content marketing world, this means a blog post can influence future blogs.

If you’re writing an informational blog post, even a “how-to” post, you can extract sections or a single idea from a post – or approach it from a whole other viewpoint – and write a new post later on.

Say I write a blog post for a printer client about digital printing, focusing on what it is, in what situations it makes sense to go digital (instead of offset), and the types of applications it’s perfect for.

This would be a great basic post for people who have no knowledge of printing processes and would also educate them on what digital printing means.

Right away I can think of several follow-up posts that I could tackle in the months ahead, with hypothetical headlines like these: How to Know When a Job’s Best Suited for Digital Printing, What Can Digital Printing Do for Me that Offset Can’t, 10 Things to Know about Specifying Paper for Digital Printing, Preparing Decent Files for a Digital Printer, Digital Printing in the Packaging World, and so on.

Here’s another example. Let’s say your original post describes digital printing for corporate print buyers new to the field. For a new post, think like a marketer and rewrite this piece from a marketer’s perspective. Revisit it later on and rewrite it for an audience of consumers. Don’t forget new graphic designers – yet another target audience for this topic.

Taking a different perspective (i.e., writing for another audience) is a legitimate reason why a blog can be reused. Sure, you may have to tweak it, even rewrite sections of it. But the core concept is there. You aren’t starting from scratch.

Writing for a different audience is one good example of why blogs should be reused, but here are 8 more. See how many you identify with, as a consumer of content:

Our memories are shot. Do you honestly remember every blog post you’ve read? I know I don’t. If you blog often and have done so for many years, don’t assume your readers recognize an old post that’s been recirculated. It’s not something you want to do regularly, but even re-publishing an old, popular post is fine every now and then.
We don’t read everything that’s put in front of our face. I apologize to those among you who send me your posts regularly. Even with my very favorite bloggers, there are days when I just don’t have the time to read everything.
Your audience changes, so your old posts can reach new people. If your stuff’s good enough and it’s relevant to a large market, you’re attracting new readers/subscribers all the time. Likewise, if you’re publishing your posts in new channels, your followers may be totally different in, say, LinkedIn, than the group on your email list. It’s OK to publish an older post in a new channel.
Much of the time, good blog content is updatable. Posts written to share insights about an industry trend or to reflect on current news fall in this category. For example, if I were writing a post about the lasting value of printed materials, I might add links to online articles that support my position. Maybe they have to do with a renaissance in catalogs or letterpress, or the proven popularity of printed books with young readers. News articles like these show up regularly, with new evidence supporting my original position. So I would revise an original post with new facts, new data, and new research findings included via links.
You can usually “slice and dice” sections of a blog post to narrow your focus. Many blog posts don’t have a laser focus. Go back to posts like these and see if you can extract one specific point that in itself is interesting and relevant. For example, if I write a general blog post on the value of a marketing portal, and I list the top 7 benefits from a marketer’s standpoint, I guarantee you that in the future I could write separate posts about each of those 7 benefits. Expand. Enlighten. Be more specific.
You’re swamped. If you’re a weekly blogger or a daily one (God bless you), and you have clients to tend to, you get a pass. Go back through your blog library. Read through the headlines. Which ones still make you proud? Are they still relevant? Dust them off. Read them through and update as necessary. Publish them in a pinch.
You’re entitled to a vacation. The more often you blog, the more likely you’ll need to take an occasional break. I used to forbid myself from missing a weekly post. Not today. If I’m going away on vacation or for business, and I cannot write a new post for that time period, I either rerun an older post or take a week off.

Squeeze new life out of old posts.
Occasionally, even the best bloggers run out of gas. Don’t assume that everyone who blogs a lot has an endless supply of energy and great topics to write about. Now and then, the tank’s on “empty” and you need to pull an older post from your archive. Give yourself permission. I have.

I wrote this post to assure you it’s OK to republish a post more than once. Blogging should be fun and fluid, purposeful and painless.

If every now and then you need to enter your “blog closet” and show off something you’ve already made public, do it. Use good judgment. Update as necessary. Refresh it with new links and a snappier headline, and off you go.

7 Tips for Promoting Your Brand-New Blog

There. You’ve gone and done it. You finally launched a new blog for your business, and though you can’t see us, bloggers everywhere are sitting in front of our computers, high-fiving you.

Now what? How are you getting word out that you’ve launched a new blog? Who needs to know about it? Start by answering this question: who are you writing it for and therefore SHOULD know?

Here are my top 7 suggestions for how to promote a new blog:

Post your blog in a prominent spot on your web site. I know, you’re thinking, “Well, duh!,” but trust me when I say that many companies fail to feature their blogs on their own site. This is where it lives. Make sure the blog is easy to spot on your site. Add a form for visitors to sign up and receive notices of new posts.
Share the news with your immediate network. Let’s say you’re a business owner. Tell your customers, your warm prospects, your colleagues, and your suppliers that you’ve launched a new blog. (Of course, all of your employees and sales reps know, right?) Send them an email announcing it with a healthy dollop of hullabaloo. Include a link to your blog, but also copy/paste the blog into the body of this introductory email. Explain what the purpose of the blog is, what you’ll be writing about, and by all means invite them to sign up to get new blog posts.
Let your social media communities know. Are you active in LinkedIn? Twitter? Do you have a company Facebook page? All social channels you use regularly should be the next stop when announcing your new blog.
Publish your blog on LinkedIn. Post your blog on LinkedIn using its publishing function (go to your own profile and look for that little grey pencil icon over on the right). Make sure you add a visual image (every post needs an image), a short bio, and voila! Your blog’s ready to publish once you preview and proof it carefully.
Reach out to key industry influencers. Hopefully, you know people in your industry who are major influencers. Get in touch with them when you launch your blog.
Add it to your business card. It’s one way to make sure you’re committed to this blog for the long term. Go ahead. Do it.
Bonus tip. Add a link to your blog on your email signature. If it’s a company blog, ask every employee to do the same. In this way, you get a little blog promotion with every email sent.

Over time, as you build your own library of blog posts (on your site) and share all new posts in your communications channels, you’ll grow your community, enhance your reputation, and build your business. Not too shabby.

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Category Archives: Blogging