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October 28, 2015October 30, 2015

The Simple Publishing Hack That Gives Old Content New Life (Plus 3 More Tips)

Picture this. You have a publishing deadline looming. And you are fresh out of ideas. Your audience, one you’ve built on the back of a predictable publishing schedule, is expecting an article tomorrow morning. What will you do?

Fortunately, The Lede hosts Jerod Morris and Demian Farnworth have an answer for you. One that they regularly practice, and one that is explained in a recent Whiteboard Friday video by Rand Fishkin.

And you’ll be surprised how simple it is to implement, too.

Plus, they’ve got more content marketing news and advice to share in this episode of The Lede … an episode that begins a new era of The Lede.

Listen now to find out what Jerod and Demian mean.

Plus, in this 26-minute episode, you’ll discover:

What is republishing, and why does Google love it?
The exact steps Copyblogger takes to republish old articles
Why viral content is not a long-term strategy
How to handle a sudden and massive burst of attention
The podcast land grab is over — now what?
A classic example of digital sharecropping ruining your business plan
You are probably making this mistake when it comes to your social media plan (which plays right into these companies’ hands)

Click Here to Listen to

The Lede on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand digital business and marketing advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post The Simple Publishing Hack That Gives Old Content New Life (Plus 3 More Tips) appeared first on Copyblogger.

October 28, 2015October 30, 2015

How to Use ‘Butterfly Moments’ in Your Content to Captivate Customers

How do you write about what you do so that it: a) sells the value of what you do, b) doesn’t sound over the top, and c) doesn’t sound like everyone else?

Introducing the four-step copywriting technique known as: “Butterfly Moments” …

Writing powerful, evocative, and compelling copy doesn’t have to be an elusive skill known only to a select few.

In just a few simple steps, you can create content that describes what you do in a way that makes your customer say “tell me more!”

One of the techniques Hit Publish host Amy Harrison uses to teach people how to do this is something Amy calls “Butterfly Moments.”

You create a list of moments that illustrates how your product has changed your customer’s life for the better. What’s more, you can get there by combining four key elements to create a vivid image that doesn’t sound over-the-top.

It’s a great technique for writing distinct, noticeable copy that lets you and your product shine.

Tune in to Hit Publish to find out:

Why a big fear of business owners is writing copy that sounds too “salesy” (but the big challenge is that most people actually sell themselves short in their copy!)
The four key elements that create a powerful Butterfly Moment
How to identify these four elements for your customer and use them when writing content

Click Here to Listen to

Hit Publish on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand digital business and marketing advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post How to Use ‘Butterfly Moments’ in Your Content to Captivate Customers appeared first on Copyblogger.

October 28, 2015October 30, 2015

The 7-Minute Content Makeover

A few tweaks and checks can often boost a piece of written content about one “grade level.”

In other words, if it starts out “good,” this will take it to “very good.” Here’s the process Sonia Simone uses.

No, this isn’t a “write a blog post in seven minutes” podcast.

It’s the process Sonia goes through once she has written a piece, to add that final layer of polish. Once you have the habits in place, you should be able to make these changes in about five-to-seven minutes.

In this quick 11-minute episode of Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer, host Sonia Simone talks about:

The two most important actions that take content from “pretty good” to “very good”
Quick fixes to make written content easier to read
How to get rid of Fluff and Waffle
When to use that ten-dollar word

Click Here to Listen to

Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand digital business and marketing advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post The 7-Minute Content Makeover appeared first on Copyblogger.

October 28, 2015October 30, 2015

The Business Behind Writing and Selling with Mark Dawson

From selling ice cream on the streets of Chicago to becoming an international best-selling author of more than 20 books …

On Authorpreneur, Mark Dawson shares his journey to becoming a full-time, wildly successful, best-selling authorpreneur.

In this episode of Authorpreneur, host Jim Kukral and Mark Dawson discuss:

How to become a full-time author
Mark’s experiences writing more than 20 books
How to balance the writing and marketing of your books
What it takes to have success selling books in today’s marketplace

Click Here to Listen to

Authorpreneur on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand digital business and marketing advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post The Business Behind Writing and Selling with Mark Dawson appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 23, 2015October 30, 2015

How Bestselling Author Austin Kleon Writes, Part One

New York Times bestselling author Austin Kleon has been called “one of the most interesting people on the Internet” by The Atlantic magazine, and he stopped by The Writer Files to chat about creativity and the writing life.

Austin is the author of three illustrated books: Steal Like An Artist, Newspaper Blackout, and Show Your Work!. They’re guides The Writer Files host Kelton Reid recommends to all writers seeking insights for tapping into your endless reserves of creativity and innovation.

In addition to being featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, PBS’s Newshour, and The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Kleon speaks about “creativity in the digital age” for organizations as varied as Pixar, Google, SXSW, TEDx, and The Economist.

In the first part of this two-part file, host Kelton Reid and Austin Kleon discuss:

Why you should read more than you write
How a paper dictionary can improve your writing
The difference between little writing and big writing
Why you should research out in the open
How your daily ritual can save you from failure
Three symptoms of writer’s block and how to cure them
Why you should print your work and read it aloud
How to harness the power of productive procrastination

Click Here to Listen to

The Writer Files on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post How Bestselling Author Austin Kleon Writes, Part One appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 22, 2015October 30, 2015

David Meerman Scott on the New Rules of Writing (and Profiting From) Great Books

David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed strategist whose books and blog are must-reads for professionals seeking to generate attention in ways that grow their business.

David’s advice and insights help people, products, and organizations stand out, get noticed, and capture hearts and minds. He is author or co-author of ten books — three of which are international bestsellers.

The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now in its fourth edition, has been translated into 26 languages and is used as a textbook in hundreds of universities and business schools worldwide.

It is a modern business classic, with more than 300,000 copies sold so far. Scott also authored Real-Time Marketing & PR, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Newsjacking, World Wide Rave, and his latest hit book The New Rules of Sales and Service.

He co-authored Marketing the Moon (now in pre-production as a feature-length film titled The Men Who Sold the Moon) and Marketing Lessons from The Grateful Dead.

In this episode of Authorpreneur, host Jim Kukral and David Meerman Scott discuss:

How David’s writing drives his speaking business
David’s business model of taking stock in businesses
How he actually makes money from his books
Why David doesn’t take book advances
How he ramped up his speaking fees over time through writing more books
How David comes up with new ideas for books
Why speaking is a skill that needs to be practiced and honed

Click Here to Listen to

Authorpreneur on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post David Meerman Scott on the New Rules of Writing (and Profiting From) Great Books appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 22, 2015October 30, 2015

Three Subscription Revenue Models for Digital Content and Services

Digital + Recurring Revenue = Win. Easier said than done, right?

As discussed last week on New Rainmaker with Brian Clark, digital products and services plus subscription revenue are The Two Components of The Perfect Online Business Model. Let’s talk a little more about the subscription side of things.

This week, author and entrepreneur John Warrillow joins Brian as co-host, and they’ve got three models for you to contemplate when piecing together your perfect business. John is the author of The Automatic Customer: Creating a Subscription Business in Any Industry and the founder of two recurring revenue businesses.

In this 32-minute episode of New Rainmaker with Brian Clark, John and Brian discuss:

The only business model investors want to talk about
How to start a bidding war for your business
The priceless value of online recurring revenue
How to make a membership subscription model work
What the “Netflix” model can do for your business
The growth power of the network subscription model
The psychology of selling a recurring subscription
How to overcome “subscription credit card fatigue”
Copywriting tips for selling recurring subscriptions

Click Here to Listen to

New Rainmaker with Brian Clark on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Three Subscription Revenue Models for Digital Content and Services appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 22, 2015October 30, 2015

Building a Business at the Intersection of Art and Commerce

Today’s guest on Hack the Entrepreneur is an artist, musician, and entrepreneur who made his first record when he was 12, began playing in clubs when he was 14, and started his own music publishing company at 18. Yeah.

His passion for music and technology led him to found the music licensing firm Rumblefish in his college dorm room. That company quickly achieved the industry’s first podcast license, a fully automated online music licensing store, and it inked a groundbreaking micro-licensing deal with YouTube.

Rumblefish became the largest music licensing company for independent music in the world and was acquired in 2014 by a private equity fund. Today’s guest was kept on as its President and CEO to lead it into its next phase of growth.

He is also a devoted member of the entrepreneurial and creative communities in the Pacific Northwest, as co-founder of popular guitar pedal company Spaceman, start-up accelerator Starve Ups, and TEDxPortland.

Now, let’s hack …

Paul Anthony Troiano.

In this 32-minute episode of Hack the Entrepreneur, host Jon Nastor and Paul Anthony Troiano discuss:

How perseverance became Paul’s greatest ally
Cultivating a constant process of letting go
Why building stuff is Paul’s perfect job
How Paul learned from the great people he surrounded himself with
Learning to fail fast and go faster

Click Here to Listen to

Hack the Entrepreneur on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Building a Business at the Intersection of Art and Commerce appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 22, 2015October 30, 2015

This Is the Most Fun You’ll Ever Have ‘Explaining the Mechanism’

Here’s yet another way to build credibility and trust when it comes to making a bold claim … which is simply this: explain the mechanism behind your claim.

Let’s say you’re a fitness trainer who makes the claim that in just 14 minutes a day customers can add muscle to every inch of their bodies — including their calves.

But notice what is not suggested: that these will be particularly big muscles. The implication is, at the very least, customers can achieve a toned body.

That’s still a big claim, but the trainer can bring it into the realm of believability by explaining how this can happen.

In this 8-minute episode of Rough Draft with Demian Farnworth you’ll discover:

Demian’s strong feelings about a book called How Nobody Understands You
How you can learn what your fascination archetype is
Three examples of claims that are validated by explaining the mechanism
Demian’s obligatory embarrassing admission to increase his Warmth Quotient for this episode

Click Here to Listen to

Rough Draft on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post This Is the Most Fun You’ll Ever Have ‘Explaining the Mechanism’ appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 18, 2015October 30, 2015

Introducing Technology Translated: A Tech Podcast for Non-Techies

Welcome to “Episode Zero” of Technology Translated. You’ll learn what this podcast is about, who this show is for, and what you can expect.

Scott Ellis has been in the technology trenches since 1996. In that time, he’s watched trends ebb and flow, and taken an active roll in using technology to transform the way businesses operate.

In 2008, Scott decided it was time to hang out his own shingle. He left corporate America and started a consulting business to help small and medium-sized businesses tackle the web.

Since then, Scott’s guiding mantra has been to always be learning and to be generous with his knowledge.

In this 6-minute episode of Technology Translated, host Scott Ellis discusses:

What Technology Translated is going to be
Who this podcast is for
The show format
How to get your technology questions answered
What you’ll learn in the first three episodes

Click Here to Listen to

Technology Translated on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Introducing Technology Translated: A Tech Podcast for Non-Techies appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 18, 2015October 30, 2015

Marketing Automation: How to Do (Much) More With Less

What is marketing automation?

And how can you use it to grow both your profitability and customer satisfaction?

In this episode of The Mainframe, Chris Garrett and Tony Clark reveal:

Why marketing automation does not have to be evil, difficult, or clumsy
The key ways that automation can help you build a better customer experience
How marketing automation tools can vastly improve your business life
How to stop annoying your prospects by delivering the right message, at the right time
Why you might be wasting 95 percent of the attention you are attracting

Click Here to Listen to

The Mainframe on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Marketing Automation: How to Do (Much) More With Less appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 18, 2015October 30, 2015

The Intersection of Minimalism and Running a Successful Online Business

Years ago, Courtney Carver was working a day job where she felt unsatisfied and was putting in too many hours.

It was affecting her life at home, as well as her health.

She decided to make some intentional decisions with her life — she turned to the fundamentals of minimalism, removed the unnecessary, and got down to business.

In this 21-minute episode of No Sidebar, host Brian Gardner and Courtney Carver discuss:

The story behind Courtney’s popular website Be More With Less
How authenticity in business helps you connect quickly to the right people
The evolution of the Project 333 movement
How Courtney built a business around a passion play
Minimalism and how it’s really just a personal mindset

Click Here to Listen to

No Sidebar on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post The Intersection of Minimalism and Running a Successful Online Business appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 17, 2015October 30, 2015

Q&A: Duplicate Content Worries, and Other Questions from the Audience

What’s the best thing to do about Google’s “duplicate content” penalty on our sites, especially for sales pages?

How do you stand out with a general advice site?

And where should we start with a brand-new content site, when we’re not sure what kind of authoritative content to create?

These were three great questions from our wonderful audience — answered in today’s podcast.

In this 19-minute episode of Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer, host Sonia Simone takes questions about:

What to do about duplicate content, especially for sales pages
What to do about (ugh) scrapers
How to stand out and get traffic for a brand-new advice/tips website
Figuring out what kind of content to create for a brand-new site

Click Here to Listen to

Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Q&A: Duplicate Content Worries, and Other Questions from the Audience appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 16, 2015October 30, 2015

How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Empathy

Have you ever wondered why great writing creates an emotional response in readers? Welcome to another guest segment where The Writer Files host Kelton Reid picks the brain of a neuroscientist.

Research scientist Michael Grybko — of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington — returned to the show to help Kelton define empathy from a scientific standpoint.

Mr. Grybko sheds some light into the darker corners of our understanding of how to tap into the hopes, dreams, and fears of your readers.

If you missed the first installment of The Writer’s Brain, you can find it here:

How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Creativity

In this file, host Kelton Reid and Michael Grybko discuss:

How science is changing our definition of empathy
Why pathos is a good jumping off place for writers
What actors and doctors have in common with writers
Are mirror systems the key to human empathy?
How to resist the dark side of empathy
The difference between good storytelling and great storytelling
Why writers need to crawl inside the heads of their audiences
How marketers tap into well-worn paths in our brains
The key to empathizing with your readers
Why great marketing starts with the desire to help people

Click Here to Listen to

The Writer Files on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Empathy appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 10, 2015October 30, 2015

How to Grow an Audience on LinkedIn by Repurposing Content

Job one for any business, entrepreneur, or marketer is to grow an audience. Content syndication is one such approach to doing just that. But it’s not entirely understood.

Content syndication is an age-old idea of taking an original piece of work and then trying to get it published in other places.

By “other places,” we mean: you look for bigger sites to publish your work. In other words, effective content syndication occurs when you go up the food chain — not down.

But some social sites are now allowing you to republish old articles on their platforms. Medium and LinkedIn are two such places.

The reward? Getting exposed to a new audience.

A few episodes ago on The Lede, Demian Farnworth and Jerod Morris looked at Medium. On this episode, they’ll explore LinkedIn.

In this 26-minute episode of The Lede, you’ll discover:

Who can actually publish on LinkedIn
What type of content works really well on LinkedIn
The proper way to republish on LinkedIn (includes advice about the headline and image)
The two best times to publish on LinkedIn
The love song Demian wrote for Jerod and his fiancé

Click Here to Listen to

The Lede on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post How to Grow an Audience on LinkedIn by Repurposing Content appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 10, 2015October 30, 2015

Business and Marketing for Artists and Creative Workers, Part Two

John T. Unger is one of the few — an artist who makes a living from his work, without the traditional gallery system.

He also didn’t win a fat grant or find a rich benefactor. Instead, over years of disciplined work, he found a way to create art that satisfied him creatively while also finding a home with happy buyers. And he’s creatively used the web as a way to find more of those buyers and get his work into more homes and businesses.

John hasn’t done a podcast interview in quite some time, preferring to spend his time on his work (both the creative and business sides), so Sonia Simone is really pleased he was willing to join us for this one.

One word of warning: Sonia and John conducted this interview by phone, so the sound quality is workable but not studio-quality.

In this 33-minute episode of Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer, host Sonia Simone and John T. Unger talk about:

How to deal with the problem that the world doesn’t “need” your art
The ever-evolving nature of John’s business
The benefits of seeing the business side of art as your “day job”
The eternal question for artists: selling out vs. making a living
When and why to actively seek out boredom
The advice he gives to younger artists and musicians who are just starting out

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. – Gustave Flaubert

Click Here to Listen to

Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Business and Marketing for Artists and Creative Workers, Part Two appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 9, 2015October 30, 2015

Want Copy That Actually Works? Start with Mass Desire

We all long for something. Love that will last. The ability to influence people. Scenic vacations. Financial independence. Less anxiety. Copywriters call these “mass desires.”

And copywriting that actually works connects your product to one of these mass desires.

When that is done — when you’ve convinced your prospects that you can satisfy their desires — then people will not only fall in love with and buy your products, they will become unstoppable evangelists as well.

But that all depends on whether or not you choose the strongest desire.

In this 10-minute episode of Rough Draft with Demian Farnworth, you’ll discover:

Why Demian would tap into the migraine sufferer’s desire for a cure before the hangover sufferer’s
A common pitfall copywriters fall into when it comes to desire
Why you want to avoid writing for products with low degrees of duration
Why you don’t need the general population to love your product (just this one particular group)
The “mass desire” problem with a product like the Segway PT
What mass desire Olive & Cocoa tapped into with their leather tire gauge (it’s not what you think)

Click Here to Listen to

Rough Draft on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Want Copy That Actually Works? Start with Mass Desire appeared first on Copyblogger.

June 9, 2015October 30, 2015

Website Colors: How to Choose and Use Them

Let’s face it: if you’re not a trained artist or designer, color can be a tricky thing to use correctly.

When you’ve got your website colors working right, your brand will look polished, professional, and cohesive.

But if you don’t get your colors right — or you simply use too much color, your website can end up looking like a carnival.

Which is perfect … if you sell carnival supplies. But not for the rest of us!

This week on Hit Publish, you’ll hear from three Copyblogger experts who share their thoughts on using color on the web.

Tune in to hear from host Pamela Wilson, Brian Gardner, Rafal Tomal, and Brian Clark as they discuss:

How to approach your color choices with your audience in mind
The super simple approach Rafal Tomal uses when choosing colors that works every single time
How to handle color like a professional, even if you aren’t artistic at all

Click Here to Listen to

Hit Publish on iTunes

Click Here to Listen on Rainmaker.FM

About the author

Rainmaker.FM

Rainmaker.FM is the premier digital marketing and sales podcast network. Get on-demand business advice from experts, whenever and wherever you want it.

The post Website Colors: How to Choose and Use Them appeared first on Copyblogger.