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How to Write a Perfectly Fine Blog Post in an Hour!

August 2, 2018 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Actually, you can write a perfectly fine blog post in 20 minutes, but here we’ll talk about one that takes an hour. For the ones I’ve written in 20 minutes, those usually have no images, and they’re somewhat limited by the amount of research I do, too. If you’re feeling tired and uninspired, you might want to read this article first: Content Creation: How to Inspire Yourself When You’re Tired.

Start with the Headline

Getting the headline done is the hard part. Really. After that, it’s all downhill. Choosing the subject is what takes the most time. So don’t spend too much time. Use Coscheduler’s Headline tool to help you. I try to get a headline that’s in the “green.” You don’t want it too long or too short.

Done, Not Perfect

One thing that’s important to keep in mind if you’re writing quickly, is that it won’t be perfect! But it will get done. So if you’re planning to write something that’s fast, you can definitely do it. If you’re a perfectionist, this might be the most difficult part for you, not the headline. But keep the goal in mind of finishing, not writing and rewriting ten times. If you think you’re a perfectionist, you might want to read this short article on perfectionism by Psychology Today.

You’re Allowed to Repeat Topics

Yes, you are. For instance, I wrote about this very topic before here: How to Create a Wonderful Blog Post in One Hour. But you know what? What I write today and what I wrote then will be different. And your audience won’t be the same, either.

Add Outgoing and Incoming Links

Add a few links. I like to add two outgoing and two incoming links–two links to my own blog and two to outside blogs or articles. Of course, you’ll need to read or at least scan those other links for accuracy and to make sure they support your premise.

Add An Image and Some Tags

I like ImageInject for free images, which is a nifty plugin that also includes the attribution to the image for you. Or, if you have someone to help you, that’s also a wonderful option! Adding tags can be done in probably under a minute.

Done for You

If it’s still too much pressure, shoot me an email or connect with me on social media. I’d be glad to help!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blog post in an hour, done not perfect, marketing, writing, writing quickly

What Happens When You Write 25 Headlines Before Choosing One?

July 26, 2018 By Carol Stephen 4 Comments

What Happens When You Write 25 Headlines Before Choosing One?

Having patience is important when writing headlines. Like other tasks, if you set aside a block of time to write headlines, it will greatly help you to stay focused on your writing and producing blog posts regularly. My friend Randy Clark sets aside regular blocks of time to blog, and that includes writing headlines. In fact, he wrote a book about blogging that you might like: How to Stay Ahead of Your Business Blog Forever.

Writing 25 Headlines

First of all, how do you write so many headlines? When I write headlines, I write them very quickly, without a lot of deep thinking. That is, without overthinking. I run them through CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer and make sure they’re the right length. More importantly, they need a balance of emotional words, power words, common words, and uncommon words. And I want to get a high enough score. For instance, this particular headline got a 76, which isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty good.

Do You Need to Put So Much Effort into a Headline?

Well, yes, you do. Because a lot of people will read the headline without ever reading the article. The headline might get them to read the article. Maybe or maybe not. In any event, writing headlines is indeed a pain in the asterisk, as I’ve outlined before in Headline Writing: Ten Reasons It’s a Pain in the Asterisk!

Using Keywords

One thing about creating headlines is that it’s important to put your important keywords first. So in that last headline in the paragraph above, the words Headline Writing need to be first if those are the keywords.

Need Help with Your Blog Writing?

If you’ve fallen behind (and can’t get up!), I’d love to help you. Contact me and we’ll see what kinds of headlines we can create.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: headline creation, headline writing, headlines, writing headlines

This Is What Happens When You Experience Social Media Burnout

July 19, 2018 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

This Is What Happens When You Experience Social Media Burnout

Social media burnout is a real thing. If you have been checking Facebook while driving, at restaurants, or every time you wake up at night, then maybe it’s time to put the phone down. We’ve all been a little tired of social media at times. Other times the temptation to live in a cabin in the woods with no WiFi is real. And maybe you’ve wanted to go back to simpler times, when there were fewer choices, but more in-person experiences.

It’s Addictive

You can’t really blame yourself too much. We all have that fear of missing out. And all the social media platforms are fun in their own right. Whether we’re sharing pretty pictures on Instagram, or pinning recipes for chocolate cake on Pinterest, it’s easy to let a few hours go by without a second thought. And then you look up and think, “where did the afternoon go?” or worse, “where did my day go?”

The Downside

There’s always a downside, isn’t there? Here’s what Mark D. Griffiths’ writes in his article Addicted to Social Media?

“Because social media is most frequently accessed via smartphones, their usage is intimately intertwined and their mobile nature contributes to excessive checking habits, which often derives from what is commonly labelled as the ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO).”

He goes on to say that the good news is that it’s not really an addiction (for most people), but a habit. And habits can be broken more easily than addictions.

Time Management

Limiting how much time you spend on social media is a goal many have, but few actually achieve. Because of its addictive nature, social media is like New York City, the city that never sleeps. But there is hope. First, have your mantra ready. At the moment, mine is “post and get out.” And yes, it’s possible to spend an hour or less per day on social media interacting and posting. Perhaps you might like this post: How to Face and Overcome “One More Thingitis” Six Ways.

Don’t Quit Altogether

Before you delete all your social media accounts, there are other things you can do instead. On Facebook, you know how if you unfollow someone, Facebook asks if you’d rather just take a break? This is kinda like that. Because if you quit, later you may wish you hadn’t!

Switch Platforms

Often, when I say I’m tired of social media, it means that I’m tired of one platform and the stuff people are posting there. Right now, for me, it’s Facebook. So I simply spend less time there, and move to another platform. If you like Instagram or Twitter more than Pinterest or Facebook, go to your favorite place.

Get Back to Nature

Have a Change of Scenery and get outside. This works well for quite a few people. In fact, forest bathing has become all the rage. Here’s an excellent article you might like: Forest Bathing is Good for Your Health: Here’s How to Do it. The upside is that forest bathing is the bridge between us and the natural world.

How Do You Overcome Burnout?

Leave me a comment and thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: don't quit social media, forest bathing, social media burnout, switch social media platforms, time management

How to Use Social Media for Content Creation

July 12, 2018 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Using Social Media for Content Creation

If you’ve been looking for content on social media, you’re not alone. There are several ways to speed up your searches if finding content or inspiration for blog posts is part of your job. Here’s how.

Saved Searches on Twitter

Saving searches on Twitter is my favorite way to look for content to retweet or post in other places. It’s fast and easy. Just do a regular search on Twitter and then save that search. You can search for a hashtag, single word, or phrase. For example, I often search for startups, so that’s one of mine. For more details, see this article: How to Use Twitter Saved Searches.

Guided Search on Pinterest

If you don’t know where to start searching on Pinterest, start with the general topic. Recipes, DIY, and inspiration are all popular topics on Pinterest. And you may not know exactly what you’re searching for until you see it. Follow the suggestions. Here’s an article about Guided Search on Pinterest.

Google Search Suggestions

When you do a search on Google, at the bottom of the first page results you’ll see a list of related searches. This can be very handy to search in a slightly different way if the original search doesn’t turn up what you want.

Google Scholar

If you need a scholarly article or study, go to Google Scholar. You’ll look like a superhero if you summarize the study for your audience, too. You can see case studies, citations, and patents.

Lists on Twitter

Twitter lists are a fabulous way to search. My favorite list is Science, Museums. And did you know you can subscribe to other’s lists? So if you see one you like, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Use That Search to Create a Blog Post

You’ll probably get some ideas for blog posts as you search for things your audience would like. You can comment on someone else’s post, too, and incorporate it into your own post.

Do You Use Any of These Ideas?

What other ideas do you have? Leave me a comment! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Google Scholar, Google search suggestions, Pinterest guided search, social media for content creation, Twitter lists, Twitter saved searches

How is Social Media Changing Us for the Better?

July 5, 2018 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

How is Social Media Changing Us for the Better?

We are continually hearing about all the negative ways that social media has changed us. How about the positive side of social media, though?

Photo by Wonderlane

Finding Organ Donors

Organ donors have been able to find donors more easily through social media. Social media does save lives! For instance, my friend Amy Donohue donated her kidney because of a tweet! See her story at Social Media Stole My Kidney.

Getting Connected Socially

For me, knowing that I can log onto Twitter nearly any time and get on a chat is tremendously positive. And I run #DigiBlogChat on Twitter every Tuesday at 1 p.m. PDT, so that is a tremendous way to stay connected, too.

Photo by PebblePicJay

Sharing Family News and Photos

Didn’t everyone get on Facebook to share news and photos? It’s the fastest way to update an entire group of people when you have personal news.

Finding Work, Especially Remote Work

Lots of companies now use social media to post their jobs. You can also use social media to check out what a company’s policies are, to look at complaints lodged against them, etc. Before you join a new firm, why not check out their reviews on Google and Facebook?

Reconnecting with Old Friends

We’ve all found people on Facebook whom we haven’t seen in years. Whether those people want to be found is another story.

Photo by brunkfordbraun

Promoting Your Business

Advertising on social media is a huge deal now. Do you use social media for advertising? And what is your favorite platform for doing that? Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram are my favorites.

Getting Petitions Signed and Laws Changed

I love that petitions can now be signed so quickly and change laws. This is another way that social media can save lives. It used to take weeks or months to get enough signatures on a petition. With social media, the whole process can take days or hours.

Sharing News about Disasters

Whenever there’s an earthquake, I jump on Twitter to see where it was, how big it was, and who is affected. And you can check on Facebook to see if people have marked themselves ‘safe.’

Discovering Weather and Traffic

Want to know what the weather is for the upcoming week or that camping trip? Jump on social media to see! Your local weatherperson probably has their own social media accounts where you can get very personalized weather reports.

Photo by geckzilla

Helping Those Who Are Isolated

If you’re in the middle of the desert somewhere, as long as you have a connection, you can get updates from friends. You can also make friends, find a partner, and become less isolated.

How Has Social Media Changed Your Life for the Better?

This is my list. Maybe you have other ways that social media has helped you connect, reconnect, find the news you want, or…? Please let me know in the comments! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: changing laws with social media, discover weather with social media, finding work with social media, getting connected with social media, helping with isolation with social media, promoting business with social media, reconnecting with old friends, sharing news and photos on social media, sharing news with social media, signing petitions, social media and organ donation

Content Creation: How to Inspire Yourself When You’re Tired

June 28, 2018 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Content Creation: How to Inspire Yourself When You’re Tired

This tired feeling has been stealing all my creativity lately, and maybe it has been stealing yours, too. Writing sometimes feels like an obligation. Even though we know that blogging is good for our websites, sometimes our personal lives take precedence. Things like napping suddenly seem so much more important. Ever since I returned from a trip overseas, I’ve been wanting more and more naps. Darn that jet lag!

I’ll tell you what has worked for me to help with the tiredness.

Write a Bunch of Headlines

I spent four hours creating headlines, so that when I go into my blog now, there are 26 topics (one for each remaining week of the year). That way, I don’t have to rack my brains trying to figure out what to write. And if you don’t think writing headlines is a lot of hard work, you haven’t read Headline Writing: Ten Reasons It’s a Pain in the Asterisk. Yes, it’s from 2015, but it’s still a pain in the asterisk in 2018.

Think Like Your Customer

Find four topics that your potential customer might like to hear about. Write those down on an index card. Now write about those things. Chris Lema suggested that at a WordCamp Orange County conference, and it was very helpful. By the way, if you don’t know Chris Lema, go and read his blog for some wonderful ideas.

Take a Walk

This wakes up the little gray cells. And you could even take up the tradition that Aristotle began of taking a walking meeting, rather than sitting. After all, sitting is supposed to be as bad as smoking these days. Here’s an article and Ted Talk about walking meetings: Walking meetings? 5 surprising thinkers who swore by them. There are lots of ways that walking can boost your creativity, and I talked about those ways here: How to Unleash Your Creativity with One Simple Trick.

Journaling

If you’ve never tried journaling, I highly recommend it. Now you might think that journaling is something that you’d only try for personal reasons, but it can be highly effective for business reasons as well. Free writing, doodling, and drawing are three ways that you can gain access to your creative side. For more about journaling, see: 7 Ways to Use Journaling for Creativity.

How Do You Get Into a Creative Zone?

Do you have a secret for getting into a creative spirit? Let me know in the comments! And thank you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Blog, blogging, creativity, exhaustion, walking meetings, write headlines

How to Save Money By Outsourcing Your Social Media

June 21, 2018 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

If you’re busy running your own business, then you probably are running short on time. You’re expected to be the banker, create a business plan, and do things like run to the store for printer ink. Oh, wait! That’s me! But I’ll bet it applies to a lot of others, too. If that is you, then you definitely need to outsource your social media.

Photo by christopher.durant

You Look up and You Have No Social Media

What happens, or so I’ve been told, is people forget that they need social media. They’re off developing a new widget or amazing software, or an entire company, and suddenly they realize it’s time to launch and they have no social media.

What to Do?

At this point, most people panic. There’s some wringing of the hands and maybe a shot of tequila (or something else stronger), and then a sudden idea born of desperation and too much drinking appears. To avoid panic, take deep breaths! And here are some other ideas from Psychology Today: 22 Quick Tips to Change Your Anxiety Forever.

The Desperate Plan

The desperate plan usually involves some hurried notes written on a napkin and a niece or nephew who have been on social media, but not really seeped in it. Kissmetrics has a nifty article on How to Successfully Outsource Social Media for Your Business. You may want to choose a smaller project first so you can get to know the consultant, for example.

Don’t Do That

The person you choose needs to really be soaking in the stuff. And by soaking in it, I mean they need to have used it for business purposes for a while. And maybe you need someone who can do other things as well, such as blogging.

Save Yourself Some Money

You don’t buy your best outfit at the Dollar Store, do you? (No offense to the Dollar Store.) If you want someone who’ll be the face of your company or brand, you want someone who can easily adopt your voice. That would be a professional social media manager or blogger.

Outsource for Savings

Rather than hiring someone to work in-house, why not outsource your social media? Here are a few articles that might help you:

If you’ve been looking for a while, send me an email or contact me on Twitter! Or leave me a message here. That works, too! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: how to save money, outsource social media, outsourcing, social media outsourcing

WordCamp Orange County 2018: Awesome Moments

June 14, 2018 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

WordCamp Orange County 2018: Awesome Moments

This year, once again, I traveled to Orange County for WordCamp for the sixth time. In case you’ve never heard of Wordcamp, it’s a conference that focuses on all things WordPress. It’s run by volunteers and has the friendliest and most generous people of any conference I’ve ever attended. If you haven’t gone, you simply must go! And if you’d like to read some past posts about WordCamp, here are the ones about Orange County:

The People Are Key

Some of my very favorite people are at WordCamp, such as Pam Ann Aungst of Pam Ann Marketing, and Bridget Willard, my besties for years and years. This year, the three of us met after not having seen each other for five years.

People at WordCamp Orange County

Being Surrounded by Smart, Enthusiastic People

What I’ve found at Orange County Wordcamp in particular is there are so many people having cool conversations. You could talk about nearly any topic with anyone here. If you work alone, like many of us do, then having meaningful conversations is doubly important. I look forward to seeing so many people every year.

Fun and Interesting Topics

Some of my favorite topics included Intermediate Google Analytics by Pam Ann Aungst, Ransomware: Don’t Pay That Toll! with Yvonne Conway-Williams, and 90 Days: Finding Your Place in the WordPress Community by Joe A. Simpson. The image above is Joe Simpson speaking about the health scare that caused him to change the course of his life.

Joe Simpson at WordCamp

The Venue

For the past three years, Wordcamp Orange County has been held at University California at Irvine. It’s so comfy that we tend to take it for granted. There’s plenty of parking, electrical outlets all over the place, and good WiFi, too. And air conditioning.

Bridget Willard with a Big Hello

Photo by mjhbower

The Awesome Swag

There were many fun pieces of swag, but my favorite was the Lego person you could build yourself. GoDaddy had the best swag this year, in my opinion.

DIY LEGO Figure from GoDaddy

The Food Trucks

Who doesn’t love food trucks? This year, there were more food trucks and the lines didn’t seem bad at all. I suspect this had to do with the wonderful volunteers.

Lunchtime with Food Trucks

Have You Ever Been to a WordCamp?

If you have, let me know in the comments! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: WordCamp, WordCamp Orange County, Wordpress

How to Excel as a Twitter Chat Guest: 10 Best Ways

June 7, 2018 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

How to Excel as a Twitter Chat Guest: 10 Best Ways

There are a number of things a person can do to be a better Twitter chat guest. Having been on both sides of that digital divide, here are my favorites. If you’re new to tweetchats, here’s an article that could be interesting: TweetChats: How to Participate.

Introduce Yourself

People often forget that others may not know them in the chat. So introducing yourself is a good way to make yourself known. And you may need to say your name at the end of the chat, too, for those late joiners.

Get There Early

Often, regulars to a chat like to show up early to say hello. If you’d like to e-meet more people, show up early and see what’s happening.

Use the Hashtag

People often forget to use the hashtag. They don’t do it intentionally, of course. If you use an app, such as tchat.io, it can automatically add the hashtag for you, so you don’t have to think about it. Want to learn more about hashtags? Check out Hubspot’s The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Hashtags for 2018.

Retweet Others

A great way to get more reach is to retweet the questions. Sometimes in a fast-moving chat, people miss the questions, so this is really helpful. You can also retweet some of your favorite replies to questions. By the way, using Twitter on your desktop is the best way to engage in a tweetchat. Being on a tweetchat with a mobile phone isn’t nearly as fun.

Watch the Chat Before You Join

If you can be on a chat the week or two before you join one, you’ll get a feel for who the regulars are. And you’ll see how formal or informal the chat is, too. The chat I run with partner Larry Mount (@Lazblazter) weekly, #DigiBlogChat, has quite a few regulars, and those who drop in from time to time, too. If you’d like to join us, we’re there every Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. pdt.

Squelch Trolls

Occasionally, there will be a troll. Not very often, but it does happen. Although the chat moderator may be the one to block the troll, your blocking the troll can be very helpful, too.

Hang out Afterwards

Stay on for a few minutes after the chat if there is more to discuss. Sometimes discussions will go on for hours after a chat has ended.

Photo by Landre Photography

Connect with Everyone

People on chats are the most engaged people on Twitter. Follow as many as you can! Go back through the tweets and follow those you might have missed.

Photo by Horasis

List People on the Chat

Create your own list, or subscribe to a list, if you feel like it. This way you can easily access those you’ve met on the chat. If you’re unfamiliar with lists, you might like Twitter Lists for the Power User.

What Constitutes a Good Twitter Chat Guest?

What constitutes a good Twitter chat guest for you? Let me know in the comments! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: how to be a good tweetchat guest, Tweetchat, Twitter Chat, Twitter chat guest best practices

How to Discover a Wealth of Friends with Social Media Hashtags

May 31, 2018 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

How to Discover a Wealth of Friends with Social Media Hashtags

Connect, Don’t Disconnect, on Social Media

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about loneliness and isolation. And I got to thinking about social media. We’re all on at least one or more platforms, right? But how often do you hear about people connecting through social media, even though it’s supposed to be social? More often, you hear about how everyone is becoming more isolated.

A Stranger is a Friend You Haven’t Met

Recently, I traveled to Japan, and met a couple of people that I knew only through our social media connections. I knew a few people in Japan–mostly relatives–and have been tweeting or posting along with others. So I thought “why not try to meet some people in real life?”

Shinjuku and Flowers

The first person I met was Chiaki F, who I’ve known since forever on Twitter. We met for coffee in Shinjuku. Since we ended up hitting it off, we went shopping together, and ended up talking for hours! It was such fun to meet her, even though we’d already done some of the work on Twitter and Instagram. And now, when I see her flower posts on Instagram or Twitter, I really understand where she’s coming from. Flowers are a big deal in Japan. So when the cherry blossoms bloom, for instance, everyone gets involved and goes to where the blossoms are. I can’t imagine people here in the United States having the same reaction to beautiful trees–although I wish they would! There are also wisterias, azaleas, and autumn leaves which are also a huge deal.

Kimonos and Tea

The next person I met was Mizuho. We crossed paths in a more roundabout way. I’m part of a Facebook group, and a friend of hers had posted about the beautiful kimonos her mother had left her. I took my mother to meet her at her studio, and we had tea and osembe (Japanese crackers), which is always a winning combination. And I purchased an antique kimono from her. I really loved hearing her stories about her life in the U.S. It turns out that Mizuho had been to Santa Cruz, and had also studied in Colorado. Such a small world! We have been connected on Instagram, and sometimes use the same hashtags there.

Follow the Hashtags!

If you’re traveling, and have the opportunity to meet someone in real life that you’ve only known through social media, I strongly recommend connecting with them. And although you may be following local hashtags, you might want to begin following the hashtags of the places you are going to visit before you get there. So for me, those might be #Tokyo, #Japan, and so on. Where do you plan to visit? Leave me a comment, please!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: friendship, Social Media, Using Hashtags to find friends

Start with the Headline

Done, Not Perfect

You’re Allowed to Repeat Topics

Add Outgoing and Incoming Links

Add An Image and Some Tags

Done for You

Writing 25 Headlines

Do You Need to Put So Much Effort into a Headline?

Using Keywords

Need Help with Your Blog Writing?

It’s Addictive

The Downside

Time Management

Don’t Quit Altogether

Switch Platforms

Get Back to Nature

How Do You Overcome Burnout?

Saved Searches on Twitter

Guided Search on Pinterest

Google Search Suggestions

Google Scholar

Lists on Twitter

Use That Search to Create a Blog Post

Do You Use Any of These Ideas?

Finding Organ Donors

Getting Connected Socially

Sharing Family News and Photos

Finding Work, Especially Remote Work

Reconnecting with Old Friends

Promoting Your Business

Getting Petitions Signed and Laws Changed

Sharing News about Disasters

Discovering Weather and Traffic

Helping Those Who Are Isolated

How Has Social Media Changed Your Life for the Better?

Write a Bunch of Headlines

Think Like Your Customer

Take a Walk

Journaling

How Do You Get Into a Creative Zone?

You Look up and You Have No Social Media

What to Do?

The Desperate Plan

Don’t Do That

Save Yourself Some Money

Outsource for Savings

The People Are Key

Being Surrounded by Smart, Enthusiastic People

Fun and Interesting Topics

The Venue

The Awesome Swag

The Food Trucks

Have You Ever Been to a WordCamp?

Introduce Yourself

Get There Early

Use the Hashtag

Retweet Others

Watch the Chat Before You Join

Squelch Trolls

Hang out Afterwards

Connect with Everyone

List People on the Chat

What Constitutes a Good Twitter Chat Guest?

Connect, Don’t Disconnect, on Social Media

A Stranger is a Friend You Haven’t Met

Shinjuku and Flowers

Kimonos and Tea

Follow the Hashtags!

Follow Carol!

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