infographic: a history of social media

I don't claim to be a social media expert by any means, but since it's a way of marketing a business (which is part of what I help my clients do) and since it also involves content development, I think this infographic will be perfectly at home here.

Plus, it's interesting as heck--at least it is if you use email, participate on Facebook, post on Twitter, look up stuff on Wikipedia, etc.

And sorry that this takes up a majority of the right-hand column...I'm not sure how to fix that yet!




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5 ways to heat up your blog content

We're nearing the end of October, but today felt a bit like summer at 80ish degrees. (?!) Did I mention that it's October?

I live in the Midwest, so this shouldn't be surprising. They say around these parts if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it'll change. (It's practically true...this weekend it's supposed to be in the 40s!)

So anyway, thoughts of warmth have been running through my head all day, and of course I try to relate it to workstuff. Today's (semi) related thought can be applied to blogs, specifically: how might you turn up the heat on your copy and really get folks talking?

Discuss a controversial issue.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and when you publish your own stuff you've got a platform to easily share your views. So go ahead and stir up a little commotion. If the comments you receive disagree with your point of view, that's ok. Just remember that when people comment on your blog, it's proof that your words are being read! Respond to in a respectful, polite manner and you may even make some friends along the way (even if your viewpoints differ).

Solicit responses.
Asking readers to share their opinions and experiences is a great way to initiate discussion on your blog. You can ask questions throughout the text, but it's best if your question comes at the end of the post. If it's the last thing your readers see, they're more likely to respond (and less likely to forget that you asked them a question in the first place). 

Use humor. 
Who doesn't like to laugh? Even folks seeking professional, insightful advice appreciate funny stuff here and there. A clever anecdote may also help keep your readers' interest. Here's a post I read today that had me laughing...I enjoyed it so much I'd like to share it here. 

Write a great title. 
 Do you write posts with ease, but get stuck on the title? A great title (or headline when talking about articles published in other formats) is key to drawing in readers. Check out these tips for creating great titles/headlines.

Add a super image.
All that text--no matter how well it's written--is not the first thing people see when they come to your blog. Images are a powerful way to introduce your story, so take time to find a great one each time you post! Images don't have to cost an arm and a leg, either. In fact, you can obtain many for free, or very cheaply. Here's a piece that expands on this topic, plus includes links to some images sites.

So tell us...how do you keep your blog hot, hot, hot?

infographic: how to repurpose your content

A few people shared this infographic last week, and I believe it's too good to let lie low just yet. I'd like to share it as well. Anyone who creates content will benefit from reading this. Thanks, Ellen Britt, for creating such a useful, practical, informative infographic!



View full image Content Repurposing Strategies

do you know which words to capitalize in a title?

Great, you may be thinking. Another article about rules! When does it end?

I have to say, though, that these posts are wonderful to share, because you know what they say about rules: eventually they’re meant to be broken. (Or at least challenged.) And who doesn’t love breaking the rules every now and then?

So today’s topic is about which words should be capitalized in a title. First, let’s look briefly at the “traditional” rules. In general, the following should be capitalized in titles:

First words

Last words

Nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, pronouns

These types of words usually remain in lower case:

Prepositions (of, by, for)

Articles (a, an) - unless it’s the first word in the title

Conjunctions (but, and)

A fairly universal exception would be if any of these words mentioned above appear first in the title (or last, although that’s not too common).

E.g., A Guide to Getting Ahead in the Workplace

So what other exceptions might arise? First, discrepancies between style guides (Associated Press vs. Chicago Manual of Style) sometimes occur. Or a company may implement its own style guide to dictate how words should be treated within a title. So how important is it to follow the rules? And how do you know which rules to follow?

Consider how your writing will be published. If you’re writing as a journalist or penning news pieces, Associated Press (AP) is the way to go. Chicago Manual of Style is the standard for publishing (fiction, non-fiction), Modern Language Association (MLA) is for academics, and the American Psychological Association (APA) is honored by social science networks (psychology, education, politics).

What about if you’re writing for your company or organization and there is no style guide? And what if you are an entrepreneur, composing posts for your own blog?

Then you’ve got quite a bit of freedom! If there are no rules set in stone, the main thing to remember is to keep things consistent. For example, you might capitalize only the first word in every title. That’s ok—but remember to do this every time so your titles are uniform. (And yes, I realize I haven’t capitalized any words in my blog titles. I kinda like it that way—like I’m breaking all the rules!)

How about you? What rules do you follow when writing titles? Why?