Copyblogger Fm: Content Marketing, Copywriting, Freelance Writing, And Social Media Marketing

January is the traditional month to work on goals for the new year, but there’s a lot to be said for starting in December. Today, in the middle of a month that can often be hectic and chaotic, I thought I’d talk about three things to noodle on for the upcoming work. Nothing you have... Listen to episode

Why do some of the most talented people see the least success? Sometimes they’re held back by misconceptions about marketing and sales. Some of the most talented people out there don’t get the recognition they deserve because they’re apprehensive about marketing themselves — or they’re apprehensive about marketing in general. I’ll do what I can... Listen to episode

It’s hard enough to come up with ideas — but when we do, how do we know they’re any good? How can we evaluate our ideas and make sure we’re choosing the ones that will create the best content? Shannon left us a great comment on the blog with exactly this question, so I thought... Listen to episode

Do the usual “gratitude practices” ever feel formulaic or simplistic to you? Here are some that I’ve found can go a little deeper. This week as we head toward U.S. Thanksgiving, you’ll see a lot about gratitude around the web. But sometimes gratitude practices can feel like just another obligation. And on those days when... Listen to episode

William Maynard of the Bates agency once wrote that “… most good copywriters fall into two categories. Poets. And killers. Poets see an ad as an end. Killers as a means to an end.” And David Ogilvy famously added,”If you are both killer and poet, you get rich.” We’ve talked before about the Killer and... Listen to episode

Happy Halloween week! Today we’re talking with Rebecca Tracey about entrepreneurial fear — how it holds us back and what we can do about it. I’ve been talking this month about entrepreneurial fear — on the blog, in our private content marketing community, and today on this podcast. Today, I invited Becca Tracey to talk... Listen to episode

Neuroscience tells us that making decisions for our content strategy or our websites is “cognitively expensive.” In simpler terms — it’s exhausting. Here are a few “back of the envelope” factors that can help you zero in on the right choice. The internet is an endless parade of exciting shiny things we could be doing... Listen to episode

5 painful mistakes I’ve seen writers, marketers, and business owners make … and how you can avoid them We all make mistakes — but it sucks a lot less to learn from someone else’s. In this 18-minute episode, I talk about five painful mistakes that I’ve made (some of them more than once), and how... Listen to episode

How one freelance copywriter found his groove, and how you can find yours, too. Lots of our listeners are freelance copywriters — and many more would like to do some writing as a “side hustle,” whether or not you ever want to go full-time. In this 31-minute episode, I chat with freelance writer and content... Listen to episode

Think marketing is evil? Only if you’re doing it right … Every once in awhile, I run across someone who hates me, my job, my website, and my company, because after all, marketing is intrinsically interesting. In this 9-minute episode, I share my favorite techniques for enslaving the wills of others to sell your products... Listen to episode

A collection of great questions from our smart audience! I love audience questions! Thanks to four thoughtful folks this week for asking questions (or leaving their thoughts) to spark this week’s responses. In this 26-minute episode, I talk about: Whether the flood of crummy ebooks is damaging the market The four points that I believe... Listen to episode

A comment from one of our blog readers sparked some thoughts… A reader left a great question as a blog post comment, and the answer took us to some fundamentals about the role of content on our sites. In this 17-minute episode, I talk about: Why I’m not a fan of “monetizing” your site Why... Listen to episode

Seems simple enough, right? Then how come so many people are terrible at it? In principle, leaving a comment on someone’s blog, podcast, or social media account doesn’t seem too tricky. Enter your name and other info, write down your thought, and click Post Comment. In practice, too many folks leave comments that are weak,... Listen to episode

Which works better in content marketing — positive messages or negative ones? Well … it depends. On the one hand, as content marketers, we want to associate ourselves and our content with lots of great feelings — that’s what makes our audience want to spend more time with us. On the other hand, negativity bias... Listen to episode

Being able to visualize a specific and vivid “who” is one of the most important things you’ll ever figure out in your marketing or your business. Digital marketing always offers fun and shiny new tools to tempt us — but it’s wise to keep your eye on the fundamentals. And there’s nothing more fundamental to... Listen to episode

We all know the cliche of the starving artist — but how about the thriving artist? Jeff Goins has some advice on how to “build a bridge in the direction of your dream.” Today we invited our friend Jeff Goins to talk about his new book, Real Artists Don’t Starve. In this 33-minute episode, Jeff... Listen to episode

Can we change who we are? Are we stuck with the aptitudes and habits we have today, or can we make fundamental changes? And if change is possible … are we up to the challenge? It’s funny when you think about it — virtually everyone wants to change. They want to be smarter or richer... Listen to episode

Are you a “training addict”? Wondering how to handle all of the marketing and business information you’re taking in? Allow me to suggest a plan. It’s easy to say, “Just don’t read or listen to any more marketing advice until you implement what you already have.” But digital marketing and business do change. Besides, learning... Listen to episode

Want to be more persuasive? You need to start with a great idea. Here’s how to develop one. We think of ideas as coming in a flash of inspiration … but when you’re talking about the “big idea” that informs persuasive communication, it pays to actually develop your idea systematically. Brian Clark thinks a lot... Listen to episode

Is your fear of selling keeping you from where you want to go? Selling is part of business — but it makes a lot of us nervous (especially writers, I’ve noticed). I think that’s because we have skewed “Glengarry Glen Ross” ideas about what effective selling truly looks like, and we don’t understand the structures... Listen to episode