Sure, it sounds like a pretty silly thing to even need to talk about… after all, you could walk into any random room nowadays and find at least one person with their own blog—if not many, many more. It is important to realize that you have options with what blog platform  you pick, and it’s worth looking at them to determine what best suits your blog’s needs.

Free Blog Platforms

Let’s start off with the big two, because let’s be honest… you’re probably going to go with one of these, at least in the beginning. WordPress and Blogger are the two most popular blogging platforms out there.

(via http://www.davidgustav.com)

Blogger.com

Blogger.com Pros

• It is very easy to use, with its free templates and a Blogger Product Forum in case you need any help.
• It has the advantage of being connected with Google, meaning plenty of great things for your blog. For one thing, your blog will get indexed faster.
• It is also very hard to hack, so long as the email you used for your account remains secure. There is no need to worry about manual security updates!
• There are very few down times–Blogger tends to run quickly and smoothly, with very few hiccups.

Blogger.com Cons

• All of Blogger’s templates are fairly similar looking. You can make some modifications, but unless you’re well versed in html, you probably won’t be able to make any serious changes.

WordPress

WordPress Pros

• Like Blogger, WordPress is also free, easy to use, and comes with a variety of templates to choose from.
• It is much easier to make changes to the look of your blog.
• WordPress also allows for different types of posts thanks to free plugins and add-ons: text, video, audio… you name it, you can probably post it on WordPress.

WordPress Cons

• Plugins can also cause some problems if they aren’t updated in time with WordPress’ updates, and you may need to wait for an update or go on the hunt for new plugins instead.
• Security is also more of an issue with WordPress—if you don’t follow security updates regularly, you could put yourself at risk.

Weebly

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Weebly Pros

• Weebly is very easy to use, with a drag-and-drop design system that allows you to organize your content however you see fit.

Weebly Cons

• You get a lot more when you pay them.  You get access to many more customization tools, higher quality video options, and the ability to create multiple blogs under one account.

Paid Blog Platforms

So what happens when you do have money to spare, and you don’t feel like upgrading that free account with WordPress or Weebly?

TypePad

TypePad Pros

• TypePad will cost you a minimm of $8.95 per month.
• Easy to use and easy to customize.
• Excellent customer service. Apparently Typepad even keeps an eye out on social media for people complaining about problems.
• Extremely secure, and unlike with WordPress, you don’t have to worry about constantly updating, as Typepad will automatically do it for you.

TypePad Cons

• Spam is a bigger issue if you’re using Typepad.
• Your blog URL will still end in “.typepad.com.” This can be a turn off, especially if you’re going for a very professional look.

Squarespace

(via http://answers.squarespace.com)

Squarespace Pros

• Costs a minimum of $8 per month.
• Squarespace is an extremely secure blog platform, and very easy to customize.
• Squarespace is accommodating to all sorts of bloggers: if you want to make tons of intricate design changes, no problem! If you want to keep it very simplistic, that works too!

Squarespace Cons

• Images can be problematic, particularly if you want to tag them for SEO purposes. Unlike with WordPress, you can only add captions to images, with no additional tags or titles.
• There are far less plugins and add-ons to help improve your site, leaving you limited to the customization options Squarespace has provided for you.

Bloggers, what blog platforms do you use, and what are some of the benefits or drawbacks you’ve experienced? Put your recommendations (or warnings!) in the comments!

As content marketing is now imperative to marketing strategies, brands cannot ignore the value of a good editor. Editors have been trained to comb through countless masses of text to bring out the best content imaginable. Whether that be in copy, video or images, editors are vital for an effective content marketing plan, campaign or document.

On one of our #AtomicChat, we had the pleasure of interviewing C-M Editors (@c_m_eds) on the topic of content marketing and the significance of editors. The reoccurring theme throughout was that editors are necessary for content marketing.

“Content marketing often uses journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness,” Tom Managan of C-M Editors explains. “Credibility is key for brands, and editors are trained to sustain credibility.”

“Editors create consistent quality in the output,” Mark Hoffberg (@markhoffberg) comments.

“Editing seems to be a lost art. I see lots of typos in newspapers these days,” adds Todd Burgess (@tburgess57)

How do editors contribute to content marketing?

Credibility

As noted by C-M Editors, editors bring credibility to a brand. Editors are trained to shift, move and fix texts to a recognized and journalistic style. Good editors have been working in their field for years, and the best editors are those who have experience in a specific industry: health, education, science, etc. Each topic has a different style and language they adhere to, and the right editor will bring out the best in a piece of content and direct it to right audience.

Language

Every brand has a different target market. It’s safe to say, then, that every content marketing strategy is geared towards a specific audience. Editors can pick up and distribute the right message to the right consumers, and fine tune the language to fit the brand’s personality (or what the market perceives to be the brand’s personality).

Vocabulary is very important to a brand’s image, in particular if the brand is global. The syntax and diction used in a content marketing plan may not resonate to all audiences around the world, in particular for non-native English speakers. Editors who are familiar with more than one language would be an asset to content marketing plans that are drafted to engage more than one community. Editors who are familiar with an industry, as mentioned above, would also be a great asset as they would be able to utilize the industry’s jargon (i.e. internet users would understand jargon such as SEO, trolling, etc.)

Forms

Content marketing is not just about articles, blogs, marketing copy, etc. Content marketing also consists of other forms of media such as video, images, games, etc. Editors are versatile and can work with different forms of media to ensure consistency throughout a brand’s content marketing plan.

There are quality assurance editors for apps who write and edit the text, and ensure quality for the overall feel of the app. There are editors who look through infographics multiple times. There are editors who fine tune scripts for videos. Editors safeguard the quality of a brand’s content marketing plan.

Editors are necessary in Content Marketing

For a brand to effectively communicate their message to a target audience, an editor is needed to ensure the quality, grammar and language in a piece of copy. Editors are about the finer details marketers may have overlooked – the last line of defense before a copy is published for all eyes to read. As content marketing is always evolving to encompass different media and evolve into different forms, an editor is vital to ensuring the consistency, message and personality in a brand’s content marketing.

For more information

For the inside scoop and more details about editors in content marketing, check out Tom Mangan’s blog.

Did we miss something?

Editors in content marketing are sometimes overlooked. What are other reasons why brands should invest in a good editor? What are your thoughts on editors and content marketing? Make your thoughts known below and add a little more value to our discussion.

As a book lover and blogger, I am always searching for the next best thing to read. In my experience, I rather read a friend’s or trusted book blogger’s website about books they’ve read and their opinions about it rather than have a bookstore or publisher tell me what my next must-read should be.

In Technorati’s 2013 Digital Influence Report, there are strong findings why your business should have a blog and/or even network with other bloggers to help spread your message. In the report, “According to consumers, blogs are more influential in shaping opinion than Twitter, and when it comes to affecting purchase decisions, more important than Facebook.”

Here are some powerful findings on why your business should have a blog or work with bloggers:

The Most Used Online Services

Blogs rank fifth as the most used online service.

Online Services Most Trusted

Blogs were found to be the fifth-most trustworthy source for information on the internet.

Online Services Shared From The Most

Blogs are ranked as one of the top three online services consumers share with people they know, only behind Facebook (57%) and YouTube (40%).

Online Services Most Likely To Influence A Purchase

Blogs were found to be the third-most influential digital resource (31%) when making overall purchasing decisions, only behind retail sites (56%) and brand sites (34%).

Creating Influence

In the report, findings show that influencers are most active on blogs.

• 86% of influencers have a blog

• 88% of influencers surveyed say they blog for themselves

Social Metrics Followed by Influencers

When influencers measure their success, blog/website page views rank highest (52%). Social following (ie. Facebook likes, Twitter followers) and user interactions (comments) also rate high among influencers.

Influencers & Revenue

• 64% of influencers make revenue from blogging

Conclusion

If you want to build trust, grow in popularity, and become an influencer among your consumer base, it is wise for your business to have a blog. Another option is working with bloggers to help spread your brand’s message and promote its lifestyle. Overtime, after building a strong foundation of trust with your readers, your brand will become an influential voice to customers and in your industry.

To find out more interesting statistics about blogging and social media influence, read Technorati’s 2013 Digital Influence Report.

Leave a comment about the ways you engage with your audience and consumers.

Know your Audience: Who are they?

Understanding the demographics of your audience is essential for your business. It allows you to zero in on the social networks they are active on, which ensures that your content will be seen by the right people and your audience will grow by attracting the right kind of people.

Check out this infographic on the gender and age demographics paired with social networks they love.

Are you using the right social networks to reach your target audience?

Your Audience’s Needs

Depending what your goals are it is wise to have different social media strategies to accomplish them. Twitter and Facebook will help you generate sales. Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn will help you drive traffic to your website or blog. And Twitter and Facebook are great means to customer service, building and strengthening relationships. Ultimately, every business is different, so be open to testing out different social networks to see what works best for you. Using the right social media networks will allow you to achieve those goals.

Are you using the right social media strategies to give your audience the best experience with your business and allowing your business to achieve its sales and marketing goals?

Their Habits: Devices and Social Networks

Knowing the strengths and weakness of each of the major social networks and your audience’s habits can help you determine which social networks you should heavily contribute to or be present on.

Also, being aware of the types of devices they use is helpful. With mobiles and tablets growing in popularity, it is important that your business’ website is compatible.

Take a look at these infographics different demographics, the major social networks they use and devices they use the most.

From these infographics, is there a social network you will start using? Have you made your site compatible with mobiles or other devices, or considering it?

Leave a comment below, based on the infographics above, which infographics can best improve re-engaging with your existing audience?

No, I don’t like that either.  How about… “How To Create the Best Blog Post Titles Ever”? Maybe? No.

Okay, so I have to admit, coming up with blog posts titles has never really been my strong suit. Actually, it’s probably one of the most difficult things to do as a blog editor (other than issues with guest bloggers, but you already knew that). I have spent ages emailing back and forth with contributors with just one question in mind: what the heck are we going to call this thing?

So I did what anyone else in my situation would do–I Googled it. There’s actually quite a bit out there, but I’ve narrowed it down to three basic dos and don’ts:

DO

Do put keywords in your blog post titles

This is probably the most important aspect to your title: what are your keywords?  What do you want readers to type into Google to get to your post. Whatever those words are, the main ones should be in your blog post titles, preferably right at the beginning. While your regular readers may get a chuckle out of a cute or humorous blog post title that doesn’t convey the point, the presence of a keyword is what will bring in new readers since that’s what search engines pick up on.

Do offer assistance

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Why should a reader care about your post? What can you offer them that others can’t? Make sure your blog post titles are useful to your readers, be it a review, news updates, or even an opinion piece. For example:

How [KEYWORD] Is Easier Than You Think

Your Cheat Sheet to [KEYWORD]

What Are The Best [KEYWORD] of All Time?

This page has some really good outlines of post titles that specifically offer something to their readers.

Do use power words

Just like there are specific ways to structure your blog post titles, there are some key power words you should be using to draw people in as well. These words are typically pretty simple, but also tell the reader that you have an easy solution to their problems. Some words to consider include “easy,” “worst,” and “free.”

Just make sure you don’t come off sounding like some sort of scam–you don’t want readers to be skeptical of what you have to say!

DON’T

Don’t make it too long

I find this is a problem with news-related blog posts: there’s so much going on, and you desperately want people to see it, so you cram it all into the title thinking it will attract people. It won’t, as search engine titles are generally around 60 characters long, so any information into your blog post title will wind up unnoticed. You should also keep in mind how people share posts on social media… you don’t want your long blog post title to prevent anyone from tweeting about it!

Don’t rush

You’ve spent hours on your perfect blog post, and you want nothing more than to post it for the world to see. I get that. The thing is, if your title isn’t very good, it doesn’t really matter what the content of your post is, because no one is going to click on it. Take your time in crafting the perfect title to draw readers in. The effort you put into your titles is just as important as the effort into the actual body of the post.

Don’t sound like a robot

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I think this is the hardest part, because it’s so easy to focus on keywords and search engines that you can forget that you, the blogger, actually have your own unique voice that needs to shine through. A post that looks like it was written by a machine sounds boring, and people won’t want to read it. Do your best to keep your titles interesting and engaging for your potential readers.

I admitted above that coming up with blog post titles is one of my blogging weaknesses that I’m trying to fix… so what’s yours? Let me know in the comments what blogging skills you’d like to improve! Who knows… maybe we can help!

Here are some of my top tips on how I’ve successfully increased social engagement on each of these popular social networks.

Facebook

Love it or hate it, it’s still the #1 social network and connects well over 1 billion users including my own grandmother!

So how does one gain a share of voice when everyone else on Facebook wants to be heard? Well, Marketingland did a recent study and found that photo posts received 4x the amount of engaged users per post compared to a text post. It also received 4x the amount of shares and twice as many likes. So whenever you post a link, make sure you include a photo (there is also the option to highlight the post by clicking on the little star on the top-right corner of the post to enlarge your photo). Bottom line: be seen, it’s the ultimate way to engage!

Polling your readers is super simple to set-up on Facebook and you can instantly collect lots of data.

While most ads drive to a brand’s website, use Facebook as your campaign’s landing page instead.

Not everyone will like everything you post and customer complaints are inevitable. Take this opportunity to turn negative comments around by being responsive and show a willingness to resolve issues promptly.

Twitter

Twitter is a whole other beast with an endless feed of information, but it’s a great place to build your reputation.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed FAST. With a 140-character limit, it can be a challenge to create compelling rich content on Twitter. This is where Vine comes in. Record 6-second clips to generate and share highly engaging content.

Tweet out time-sensitive promotions or limited quantity offers. Get Tweeps to take action ASAP.

Host a Tweet chat to get discovered and gather feedback in a short amount of time. It works especially well if you recently launched a new product and want to get some free user feedback or extra buzz!

Alternatively, host a Tweet-up. Get some face-time with your community and interact with them offline.

Participate by following trends and creating your own. Some trends have existed for ages, like #FF (Follow Friday), which is a great way to connect with followers and recommend them to other like-minded Tweeps.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to double dip and stream your Twitter Feed on Facebook.  

Google+

Forbes ranks Google+ at #2 after Facebook. Users tend to be younger, more tech savvy, and male.

Lead a Hangout.  It adds trust and a personal touch when you can’t meet someone in real life.  It’s also the perfect way to demo your product!  Hangouts are a unique feature that Facebook and Twitter don’t have.

Set-up communities. Create a community about a niche topic that will excite individuals to join the group and create a lively discussion within it.

Circles are awesome! Organize your connections into different circles. You talk to your friends differently than you talk to your customers, so circles are an excellent way to stay organized and send out the appropriate content to relevant groups (rather than just blast it out to everyone).

Any interaction on Google+ appears in search engines. Meanwhile on Facebook, if you post something, it’ll only appear on Facebook.

Pinterest

It’s perfect if your business has a lot of visual products.

Join an established Community Board, or better yet create a branded one and invite influencers to pin. This will raise your profile, give you exposure, and increase your reach dramatically. This is also a brilliant way to let others curate content for you! Don’t forget to give your board a catchy and creative name (for example, a board call “Yummy Foods” will not get the same attention and interest as “Foods That Make You Go Mmm”).

Contests are low hanging fruit. A fun contest (such as a photo scavenger hunt or Repin to Win) paired with a cool prize can go viral very quickly. The downside of contests is that it can attract pinners who like to enter everything! In that case, while it may seem like you are growing your followers, they may not necessarily be your target nor convert.

To further boost repins, likes, and comments, use images that revolve around your brand and its lifestyle.

LinkedIn

Unlike the other four platforms, LinkedIn is used more for professional networking.

The easiest way to increase social engagement is to participate in groups. People in groups already share a common interest. Be a thought leader and provide value by sharing your blog, asking questions, liking, and commenting. The more likes a post gets the more exposure you will get as it shows up in the newsfeed.

Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn allows you to tag others in a conversation and they will receive a notification that you tagged them.

When you add someone new, write them a personal message rather than use the default “I’d like to add you to my network” message. Follow this same rule when someone adds you. Thank them for the add, check out what they do, see if you can help them out, point out common interests or if there are mutual business opportunities.

Set-up a LinkedIn company page and use keywords so people can easily find you.

Social media can get overwhelming with all the distractions and noise online. The key is to have a focused strategy and set measurable goals (ie. Are you looking for referral traffic, social shares, or more followers?).

Remember, savvy consumers are plugged in 24/7 so become customer-centric and leverage social media as a primary channel to engage with them. Hopefully you find these tips helpful and I’d love to hear what works for you!

Don’t submit a bad proposal

(via http://www.worthofweb.com)

There is nothing more annoying than opening my inbox and seeing a really generic proposal for a post. Research the blog you’re sending your proposal to, even if it’s only reading a few recent posts. Get a sense of what the blog is about and send a proposal related to those topics. Don’t send something totally unrelated. I once got a proposal for an article on plastic surgery and celebrities… and I’m in charge of the entertainment section of a primarily science fiction and fantasy-related website. Do you see where this could be a problem?

If you’re having trouble writing a guest blogging proposal, check out these tips here to learn how to properly structure your ideas before you send them out.

And please, please read through everything at least once for typos. I figure this is sort of obvious, but you’d be surprised how many silly spelling mistakes can slip through without you even noticing.

Don’t ignore the blog’s rules

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Everyone has their own writing style, and sometimes those styles don’t mesh with certain blogs. I know I’ve had guest bloggers in the past who insisted on putting in as many wisecracks and sarcastic comments as possible, and on the other end of the spectrum, bloggers who were so serious they were downright mechanical. Every blog will have its own way of doing things, it’s own rules for tone, acceptable language, even what kind of English they prefer. Many blogs will have guest blogging guidelines or a style guide that they can send you to help you out.
Don’t get me wrong, your own voice should always show through, and if the editor is erasing that, you need to speak up. Just remember that every blog is looking for something different and be respectful of that.

Don’t plagiarize!

Source everything

…And I mean everything.

I think when people hear plagiarism, they automatically assume that it means deliberately passing off someone else’s work as you own. That’s not the case at all, and it’s really easy to steal someone’s work by accident, especially online (and especially with images!). Quoting something incorrectly or too much paraphrasing can still get you in a lot of trouble. Provide sources for anything you’re unsure of, and maybe even some of the things you are sure of. Even if it winds up being unnecessary—better safe than sorry!

If you want to be really sure, look up a good plagiarism checker. It won’t be 100% accurate, but it will give you a good idea if anything in your blog post needs to be looked over.

Don’t disappear

If you have any problems, any at all, tell someone.

This is a problem that can come up when email is your primary form of communication: if a guest blogger doesn’t respond to emails, there’s very little the the editor or blog admin can do about it. Nothing stops me from going back to a blogger writer quite like having them drop off the face of the earth for weeks at a time with no explanation.

Deadlines don’t go away just by ignoring them and hoping for the best, and in most situations, the editor or admin will understand that sometimes life gets in the way of guest blogging. If you can’t make a post on time or are having any other problems, let your contact know. Trust me, it’s better for everyone involved.

Don’t act like a child

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I realize this pretty much ties in to all of my other points, but behave like a rational adult. Even if you’re volunteering and not getting paid for guest blogging, even if you’re having disagreements with the editors who run the blog… try to behave like a professional. For example, I cannot stress enough how much you shouldn’t complain about the blog or editors on social media if you’re having a disagreement. Trust me, it will be found, and it will make you look bad. It’s a cliché thing to say, but it’s a small world, and I’m always surprised by how my bloggers and fellow editors are connected to other blogs. You just never know who will hear about your childish behaviour.

Blog admins, do you have any tips on how to be awesome at guest blogging? How about any horror stories? Feel free to share them in the comments below!

Whether you’re a superstar writer or just starting out, there is always room for improvement. Here are 7 tips and tricks to help you become a better writer:

1. Spelling & Grammatical Errors

One of my biggest pet peeves is reading an article and stumbling across spelling and grammatical errors. Imagine walking through a beautiful field. The terrain is smooth and the temperature is just right, but then you step into a mud puddle, then another, and then along the way you wonder “How did this rock end up in my shoe?” These obstructions on your path is the same thing as having a misspelled word or missing grammar. Having too many errors in your writing leaves the reader just annoyed.

Some people have confessed online that one or two errors in an article is no big deal, but since when did we stop expecting extraordinary things from ourselves and other people?

2. Be Quotable and Shareable

If you have amazing ideas you want to share with the rest of the world, people need to understand what you mean. Also, they should love your content so much that after they read it they’ll want to share it.

In my experience writing blog posts for work or essays for school, I always needed sources to quote from. If your writing isn’t seemingly flawless, I will leave your website. If you have amazing material, not only will I quote you but I will link back to your website. And isn’t that what most people want for their website: growing its audience?

3. Spell Check Can’t Always Save You

Some people think putting a document through spell check will automatically give you a gold star, but it can’t account for flow, interest, and different spellings of words.

For example:

there/their/they’re
Pore/pour
Sight/site
Principle/principal
For/Four/Fore

4. Toss out the Jargon

No one likes to feel stupid, feel alienated, or have to stare blankly at the screen just trying to decipher what you’re trying to get across. Toss out the jargon and use language your audience can easily understand.

5. Record your Analytics

Check and keep track of your blog analytics. It’ll help you determine if the kind of content you’re publishing is successful or not. When you figure out what your audience wants, then you can continue to make them happy and grow your readership.

6. Be a Giver, Not a Comment Horder

Having comments on your blog posts validates if people are responsive or even reading your content. You may get bored sitting around waiting for someone to leave you a comment. Instead be proactive! Start visiting other people’s blogs and leave them a comment. Share the blog comment love!

7. Wait! Before you hit publish:

Put your writing aside for a few hours. Come back to it with a fresh mind and to be ready to go into editor mode.
Read your content out loud. Do you pause anywhere? Does any words or phrases sound awkward? If yes, it’s a sign you should edit it.
Have someone proofread your writing. Having someone aside from you read something you wrote can do wonders.

The secret to being a great writer is being or having a spectacular editor!

If you start using these tips and tricks, you’ll be well on your way onto writing better!

Leave a comment below letting me know what writing and editing tips and tricks have worked for you!

In their study: Gartner’s 2013 Social Marketing Survey Finding: Content Creation Fuels Social Marketing, they interviewed over 200 marketers from U.S.-based companies with more than $500 million in annual revenue, across six industries, to understand how they are allocating their budgets and which activities are contributing to their success.

They share very telling stats of where the marketing industry is headed.

Did you know…

• Social marketing and content creation are considered two of the top four digital marketing activities that are important to marketing’s success.
• 70% of companies have a Chief Marketing Technologist.
• Investments in content creation and social marketing totaled 21% of digital marketing budgets.
• Over 40% of digital marketers reinvest savings from using digital marketing.

The possibilities are endless with the types of content you can create to market your brand to your audience. Some of them include:

• Blog posts
• Images (infographics, photography, drawings, cartoons and line art)
• Videos
• Slideshows
• Podcasts

Gartner also clearly defines what content marketing and content curation is, helping individuals who may not be familiar with this strategy that continue to rise in popularity among marketers.

Interviewing marketing professionals, Gartner uncovered the challenges they face and presented
solutions to overcome them.

Do you face any of these problems below?

• Are pressured to constantly create relevant and compelling original content?
• Are deadlines hard to meet?
• Is your department understaffed?
• Are you having trouble finding a tone that resonates with our audience and is consistent with our brand?

If you answered “yes” to one or more of these questions or need to convince non-believers that content marketing is here to stay, read more about Gartner’s 2013 Social Marketing Survey Finding: Content Creation Fuels Social Marketing to find out the suggested solutions to fix these marketing challenges.