October 26, 2015

4 of the Most Effective Ways to Repurpose Blog Content

October 26, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Hey, if recycling is important for the environment, it should be just as important for your old blog posts, right? Well, not so much, but you get the idea.

Simply put, there’s a better use for old blog content than to just sit in a dark, clammy corner of the World Wide Web.

Dust off those blog posts of yours and repurpose them. Seriously, it’s not a hard thing to do and the resurgence in driven traffic you’re certain to see will make the small sacrifice a worthwhile one.

Still a bit lost? The following four ways are some of the most efficient for reusing old blog material:

Transform Old Blog Posts Into Guides and E-Books

Any booming site worth its proverbial salt makes a point of selling something. That way, there’s yet another source of income for their owners, in addition to any offered professional services.

More often than not, digital guides and e-books are what they’re pushing.

If you don’t have the time to sit down and hammer out a 30-page e-book on something you’re passionate about, reorganize some of your old blog posts into something worth offering valued customers.

Charge a few bucks and—voila! You’ve got a bit of extra money for Disneyland in your pocket and an ever-expanding email list. Pretty sweet gig, if you ask me.

Internal Blog Data Can Make for a Nice Case Study

You can hop on SurveyMonkey and pay $100 to collect new data for a personalized case study, or you can revert back to data you’d collected a few months prior for a blog post.

Using the same data, produce an awesome case study with a new spin on things.

However, just a word to the wise—seeing as how the communicative fields of copywriting, content marketing, social media management and digital public relations are constantly changing, make certain your data is still relevant to what’s going on.

Otherwise, you might come off as a bit out of touch.

Whip Up a Slideshare Presentation From Old Entries

If you thought infographics were awesome, you’ve clearly never flipped through a slideshare presentation.

These days, most content comes in the form of some sort of quantitative list. Because of this, transferring a blog post to a sleek slideshare presentation is fairly easy.

Though you might need the help of a graphic designer to make this an aesthetically appealing project, if you can get one, it’ll be well worth the extra effort on your part.

Q&A Sites With Meaningful Backlinks

No, Yahoo Answers isn’t only the biggest trailer park [seriously, check this out if you haven’t already done so] on the Internet; it’s also a great place to push links.

The whole point of content marketing is to interact with the masses, all while providing valuable information, right? What better place to do just that than on a Q&A site.

Though Yahoo Answers has been around for quite some time, the best place to repurpose blog content on a Q&A site is currently Quora. Quora has an incredible community of users from all over the world who are passionate about everything you could ever imagine.

Obviously, this is by no means a comprehensive list of ways to repurpose content. In reality, these are just a few of the methods I’ve used throughout my career to squeeze as much life out of each and every blog post as is humanly possible.

Now the time is yours—what methods do you use to repurpose old blog content? If you’ve yet to have commented on a blog post of mine, take this opportunity to get involved for the first time. Rest assured, all comments will be met with a prompt response.

October 25, 2015

Why Copywriters Are Some of the Wealthiest People Out There

October 25, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Copywriters are filthy rich. They really are. I know what you’re thinking: “Lucas, how can you say such a thing when all I do is bid on mind-numbing projects on UpWork all day?”

Well, in response, you can actually make some pretty solid money on UpWork if you know what you’re doing. Secondly, monetary wealth isn’t the only kind of wealth out there.

No, I’m not trying to get all Buddhist monk on you or anything, it’s just that there’s more to life than money. Also, there’s a great deal to life that is money and, fortunately for the copywriting industry, there’s plenty of that to be had, as well.

Intrigued? That’s what I thought. Here’s all the glitz and glamour of copywriting has to offer its faithful participants:

Temporal Comfort

Copywriting is a lucrative industry, but nobody really believes it. It’s kind of like when someone says he’s a professional blogger. Admit it—the first thought that runs through your head is, “Gosh, this dude’s wife must love living off of Ramen noodles and Kool-Aid.”

Think about it—bloggers, journalists and novelists are all starving. Their writing is doing their bank accounts little good. Yet, copywriters are sitting pretty.

Sure, maybe it’s because they’ve “sold out” and use their editorial talents for product-and service-pushing endeavors, but I couldn’t care less. I get paid to write for living and live comfortably doing just that.

What more could a creative person want?

Incredible Relationships

Copywriters are professional networkers, practically. Sure, PR people [quite a bit of crossover between the two, honestly] are probably equipped with a bit more tact, but copywriters, especially freelance copywriters, depend on networking for their livelihood.

While it’s true that the occasional butt face [I’m not a profane man, so this’ll have to do] hires you for a project, many of the people with whom you’ll work are absolutely splendid.

Moreover, your relationship isn’t limited to a handful of emails. If you’re doing your job correctly and involve a client the way you should, a meaningful, long-lasting relationship can be developed.

I love this sort of thing. It’s awesome.

Widespread Knowledge

If you think about it, copywriters are modern-day renaissance men—and women, mind you. We learn by experience—the best kind of learning, as far as I’m concerned.

Moreover, we’re researchers. We produce invaluable copy for any and all industries. Be it a mammoth personal injury law firm or basic tech startup, we can handle anything.

As the months and years fall of the calendar, our craft is perfected—all while we take in more information. Simply put, there’s nothing like it.

Individual Freedom

Of all the benefits of working as a professional copywriter, this is by far my favorite. If I want to roll out of bed in the morning and work in my underwear, I totally can. I’m my own boss.

Obviously, this kind of work environment pertains primarily to freelance copywriters or those who run their own business, but it’s still a beautiful thing.

Imagine breaking free from the confines of the corporate environment to pursue only the work you’re actually passionate about.

Sounds like a pretty sweet gig, eh? Like anything else, it comes with its own series of stresses, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

See what I mean? If the aforementioned can’t be classified as wealth, then I don’t want to be wealthy.

Now, what do you consider wealth? If you’re a copywriter, do you see yourself a part of one of the wealthiest professional networks on the planet, or are you just as much a starving student now as you were a few years or decades back?

Hop on down to the comments section below to have your voice heard.

October 24, 2015

Why Being Obsessive-Compulsive Is a Blessing In Disguise for Copywriters

October 24, 2015/ Lucas Miller

So you like to organize the content of your desk by color and size—what’s the big deal, right? If this is a question you’ve asked yourself before, there’s a good chance that you’re one of those obsessive-compulsive types.

No worries—this is a judgement free zone. Honestly, I’m one of those OCD people. In fact, the aforementioned example is a question I ask myself every day at work as I pull all of my folders, spiral notebooks [yes, I still use these] and pens from my briefcase [backpack].

However, in spite of what my mother says, as a copywriter, I’m not fully convinced that being OCD is such a bad thing.

Granted, there’s plenty of downside with being a bit paranoid about tedious things, but when you spend the totality of just about each and every day writing on a laptop computer, being obsessive-compulsive could even potentially be seen as a benefit.

Think I’m crazy? Not as much as you’d think. Here’s why:

Ensuring Editorial Flow

This is probably one of my biggest nit-picks as a writer. I simply can’t accept writing that sounds choppy. Now this isn’t to say that I don’t believe in shorter sentences, because I totally do.

Heck, I like to tout myself as the guy who constantly preaches, “Write like you talk,” so I should be somewhat skilled in this.

Anyway, I’m getting away from what really matters here—obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD people refuse to leave a sentence alone until it sounds absolutely perfect.

Yes, speed is an important part of making real money as a copywriter, but if you can write quickly, succinctly and with that realistic style with which people speak, you’re sitting pretty.

OCD copywriters, though possibly not as talented as other professionals, will work until they get it right. Simply put, paying customers love this. Who can blame them?

Knocking Grammar Out of the Park

We all saw this one coming, didn’t we? Perfectionists are almost always grammar Nazis. Yup, in my opinion, that stereotype is spot-on.

Truthfully, while negative in certain circumstances, it’s also a very positive thing for a copywriter. Grammatical perfection leads to happy clients and reoccurring work.

How convenient is all of this for me? I mean seriously, I start off this piece by claiming to be OCD and then proceed to talk about how being OCD makes you a better, more detail-oriented writer.

Now, before you go back and start searching for all of this piece’s grammatical mistakes, please know that I’m by no means a perfect copywriter. Whether it be a blog post, web copy project or email marketing campaign, I’m no stranger to mistakes.

That said, generally speaking, OCD writers would rather part ways with a limb before submitting something with a single grammar mistake. While admirable, this is my personal blog and I don’t have the time or energy to stress about it.

I enjoy it too much. Go ahead and hunt for the misplaced comma or incorrectly used semicolon. I’m certain you’ll find it.

Coming Through In the Clutch for Clients

As a copywriter, the best way to win an ongoing relationship with a client is to come through in the clutch for him or her.

This might mean going above and beyond what was originally asked of you, doing a bit of extra editing to make certain a project exceeds expectations or staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish an assignment.

For OCD writers, this is never an issue, because they’re incapable of resting until everything is exactly how it should be. See what I mean? A true blessing in disguise.

Seeing as how there’s a good chance you’re either a full-time copywriter or spend a good portion of your day writing, what’s your take on the matter?

Could great copywriting really be the byproduct of obsessive-compulsive tendencies? Voice your opinion in the comments section below.

October 23, 2015

Put the Pen Down: a Copywriter’s 4 Biggest Beginner Mistakes

October 23, 2015/ Lucas Miller

It doesn’t matter if it’s sewing, croquet, Chinese checkers or lacrosse—when it comes time to learning a new skill, mistakes are going to be made.

Random examples aside, the same applies to the art of copywriting. Believe it or not, you’re human, and when you’re producing copy, you’re going to make mistakes.

It just so happens that when you’re new to a specific content type or even to the industry as a whole, the mistakes you make are going to occur at a higher frequency.

The best way to overcome them? Identification.

If you’re new to copywriting, the following are four of the most common mistakes you’re probably going to make.

1) Atrocious Headlines

This is so basic, but so hard to do. That said, it’s a skill that needs to be learned because it’s one of a copywriters most important tools.

In fact, said David Ogilvy, The Father of Advertising, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”

Learn to write headlines that give people a reason to read the first sentence of the first paragraph. If you can do that on a regular basis, you’ll already be ahead of many experienced copywriters.

2) Bypassing On a Call-to-Action

What good is copy if it doesn’t bring about some sort of sales action? Now, that said, I’m not insisting that a CTA be overly aggressive or sales-driven, but it should at least be present within a piece.

Providing more information on the value of a CTA is Paul Cheney of Marketing Experiments, saying, “It’s not about the action itself, it’s about the value they’re going to get as a result of taking that action. Getting that right in your CTA can give you dramatic lifts with very little effort.”

Sound a bit tricky?

No need to worry. Understanding will come in time. For now, just know that it’s your job to always include some sort of CTA—no matter how big or small.

3) Saying Too Much or Too Little

Copywriters are either long-winded or too succinct. The goal is to find that ever-elusive balance.

As far as I’m concerned, I tend to say more than I should. That said, when I try and fix things, I often take it to the opposing extreme. Though I already have a couple of years of copywriting experience under my belt, I continue to struggle with this.

While you might be an outlier, chances are high that you’ll need some experience to understand where a reader is in the buying process.

Yes, piece type and industry play a part in this, but that’s where experience comes into play. When you’re just starting your copywriting career, you wont’ have much of it.

Hang in there. It’ll come.

4) Unfitting Tone

Depending on the setting, this can actually pretty funny, even if your client struggles to find humor in the situation.

Think about it—you wouldn’t speak to a full-grown adult like an infant, would you? Well, when a new copywriter is faced with writing for a client whose industry he or she knows very little about, oftentimes the subtle nuances of an audience’s preferred editorial tone are overlooked.

The result? Awkward reading.

To avoid this, take an extra half-hour or so to read up on other industry-specific publications. This will prevent you from sounding naive or ignorant.

Try as you might, at one point or another, you’re going to fall flat on your face. Copywriting isn’t for the faint of heart.

Because of this, when you make a mistake, it’s key that you dust yourself off and get back to work. Soon enough, you’ll have a firm grip on things.

Now, let’s see what you have to say about the life of a new copywriter. You seasoned copywriters, how were you able to deal with each of the aforementioned obstacles? What other challenges weren’t mentioned here that should’ve been?

For those who are currently just getting started, what have you noticed about the experience? Take to Twitter and tweet your thoughts and feelings at @EchelonCopy. In no time at all, you’ll get a response.

October 22, 2015

How to Successfully Network With Other Industry-Leading Copywriters

October 22, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Copywriters needn’t only network with potential clients. In fact, it’s in their best interest to interact with other copywriters.

Maybe I’m way out in left field with this one, but in my mind at least, copywriting is almost more of a trade than a field of academia. Hence, the importance of mingling with other copywriters.

Ya know, like a shoe cobbler or a blacksmith. I’m only 25 years old, but I imagine that back in the day, when a young man wanted to become a blacksmith, he spent some time learning about the trade from an older, more experienced blacksmith.

In my head, at least, copywriting is somewhat similar. It’s not a trade in the way that young people go to technical school to become welders or refrigerator repairmen, but the basic principles are the same.

Copywriting is a craft. Copywriting requires a certain set of skills. Copywriting is best learned through experience.

Isn’t that how trades work, kind of?

Heck, our bunch of professionals doesn’t even come from a single college major. If you can write, self-start, are generally likable and can research the heck out of just about any topic, you’ve got a career waiting for you as a copywriter.

However, as is the cased with just about anything in life, if there’s easy money to be made, there’s some sort of catch.

With copywriting, it’s the difficulty of creating powerful prose. This is where interacting with seasoned copywriters comes into play.

Simply put, if you want your copywriting career to become all that it can be, you need to be picking up as many tricks of the trade as possible from those who know more than you do.

How is this to be done? Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Develop a Relationship On Twitter

I’m a huge fan of Twitter. When I’m working, I’ve always got it open on my laptop.

Sure, this is probably a bit of a distraction, but I feel like having my Twitter feed open at all times keeps me informed as to what’s taking place in the world of advertising, public relations and social media marketing.

I mean, ours is an ever-changing industry, so it’s important to constantly be on the lookout for new information.

Additionally, through Twitter, I’ve been able to connect with numerous copywriters. These are men and women who have years of experience in the industry and are willing to share their knowledge with those who are going to listen intently and put it into practice.

Don’t believe me? Hop on Twitter and interact with the likes of Danny Margulies, Ray Edwards and Ryan Healy. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

LinkedIn’s Search Feature

LinkedIn is the Internet’s largest professional networking site. As such, you’ve got to be a part of it if you want to be networking.

Makes sense, right?

While it is important that you put your best foot forward with your LinkedIn profile, what’s quite possibly even more essential is that you focus on connecting with other copywriters using the site’s search feature.

Connect with them and reach out from time to time. Though somewhat uncomfortable initially, this isn’t a taboo practice on LinkedIn. Countless professionals do it. Well, at least the smart ones do.

Give the Warrior Forum a Try

Ever heard of the Warrior Forum? If you haven’t, it’s time to bust out the ol’ laptop and get cracking. The Warrior Forum is arguably the finest digital marketing forum on the World Wide Web.

There are gobs of copywriters hanging out on there.

Also, Digital Point forum is pretty solid. Either way, you’re going to want to bring your bring A-game. While most copywriters are more than willing to offer some help, others are intent on making newcomers to the community feel as awkward as possible.

That said, this shouldn’t stop you. A bit of digital hazing is well worth it when the light at the end of the tunnel has Bob Bly telling you about the ins and outs of how he quickly became one of the wealthiest copywriters to have ever lived.

Simply Reach Out and Ask

It’s so simple, yet nobody actually does it. If you happen to learn of a copywriter and you think to yourself, “This guy has something about him that I admire. I want to learn more,” reach out and introduce yourself.

These days, with everyone’s information being made public on the Internet, it’s easy to find an email address, Twitter handle or even a phone number. Be genuine, humble and flexible and do what few are brave enough to even consider—ask for help.

Worst case scenario, a copywriter refers you to his or her e-book and calls it a day. I’ve had this happen and, shockingly, the world didn’t end.

More often than not, however, I’ve been met with positive feedback.

Now, let’s turn the tables for a moment—what methods have you used to connect with top-tier copywriters? On the flip side of things, what impedes you from reaching out to learn more?

If you’ve got something to say, please take a moment or two to share it in the comments section below.

October 16, 2015

5 Lifelong Lessons Learned From Blogging

October 16, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Image - Man Meditating In the Wilderness (Echelon PR).jpeg

Blogging. It seems everyone is doing it these days. From stay-at-home soccer moms to college professors, anyone can hop online, build a site and blog until their hearts are fully content.

That said, blogging is much more than simply a way to put digital pen to paper. Moreover, it’s an outlet through which many of life’s greatest lessons can be learned. Here are a few of them:

1) It Requires a Self-Starter Mentality

Truthfully, blogs are pretty easy to create; however, they don’t start themselves. The self-starter mentality of everything comes into play once an account has been made and it’s time for actual content to be up and running.

If you lack the ability to motivate yourself, your blog is likely to crumble in a matter of weeks. The best bloggers realize this and continuously publish.

2) Work Is Never Finished

In high school or college, it’s possible to have finally checked everything off of an agenda’s daily to-do list. Blogging is different. There’s no end to production.

Even more intimidating, once you’ve finished a day’s work, the mental wheels must keep turning so as to keep an ideation bottleneck from occurring. Blogging, believe it or not, is more of job than anything else.

3) Practice Makes Perfect

This famous adage is said with such a frequency that its core truth is often weakened. It’s really quite simple—if you want to get good at something, you’ve got to stick with it. During a blog’s initial weeks and months, driven traffic can be fairly weak.

Also, if completely honest, you’re writing could probably be better. Give things time and keep working. The results will come.

4) Consistency Is Key

There’s a reason behind why there are so many abandoned blogs out in the darkest catacombs of the World Wide Web—their creators gave up. Sure, it’s easy to publish a post or two when blog motivation is fresh, but—in time—that will fade.

It’s at that point you’ve got to decide what you want to do. Regardless of inspiration level, keep publishing. There’s no excuse for not doing so.

5) Efficiency In All Things

If you’re going to brainstorm, write, publish, promote and engage, time will need to be properly managed. While taking things to the extreme is certainly frowned upon, if you don’t feel that you’re stretching your editorial capabilities, you’re going about blogging incorrectly.

Don’t enjoy that feeling? Minimize it through disciplined time management.

Blogging is an incredible pastime. It’s a great tool for building an identity, communicating with others and obtaining more knowledge on a regular basis. If you don’t have a blog, strongly consider making one. If you do, keep at it.

Before long, as production continues, you’ll most assuredly start to notice that blogging has become more than a journal of sorts; rather, a great channel for constant learning.

Now, let’s hear from you—what do you think? As a blogger, what sort of struggles do you frequently encounter? More importantly, how have you managed to learn from them? Tweet to @EchelonCopy to share your opinions. Also, while here, share a few words with everyone in the comments section below.

October 15, 2015

4 Bloggers Who’ve Proven Real Money Can Be Made Through Blogging

October 15, 2015/ Lucas Miller

These days, especially with the advent of the Internet, money can be made doing just about anything. In recent years, blogging has become yet another outlet through which cold, hard cash can be acquired.

No, I’m not talking about the kind of money that’ll have you and your parents splurging on pizza in the basement every other weekend, but the stuff that can provide you with a comfortable lifestyle.

You know, the kind of money traditional journalists will never see. Pretty crazy stuff, huh?

Obviously, this isn’t a reality for most blogger, yet to deny that its’ a real possibility would be completely false. Looking for a bit of inspiration? The following bloggers are a few of the wealthiest in the world:

1) Vitaly Friedman, $150,000 - $190,000 per month

Ever heard of SmashingMagazine? If you have, you have Vitaly Friedman to thank.

Largely built to provide website designers with the the latest of industry trends, groundbreaking news and helpful tips, SmashingMagazine has made Friedman an extremely wealthy man.

Reportedly, the majority of Friedman’s money comes from banner ads and has little to do with affiliate revenues. In its own right, that’s an impressive feat.

2) Mario Lavanderia, $200,000 - $400,000 per month

More commonly known as “Perez Hilton,” Mario quickly managed to become one of the Internet’s most powerful bloggers since launching PerezHilton in 2005.

Though many respected writers absolutely loathe Lavanderia’s loose journalistic tactics, there’s no denying the fact that it’s brought him some serious coin.

From Kim Kardashian to the actual Paris Hilton, if your guilty pleasure involves knowing far too much about the lives of Hollywood’s rich and famous, PerezHilton might be just for you.

3) Pete Cashmore, $560,000 - $600,000 per month

Not only does Pete Cashmore have a great beard, but he’s the sole founder of one of the world’s most famous blogs: Mashable. Seriously, what more could a guy ask for?

Mashable’s a bit of a hybrid blog of sorts. Covering anything from tech and social media to lifestyle and entertainment, Mashable’s network of readers is a fairly extensive one.

If you hope to make Mashable-esque money through your blog, Cashmore’s story should serve as a point of inspiration. Basically, he started Mashable as a 19-year-old punk in his bedroom in Scotland. Currently, he’s one of the richest bloggers in the world.

4) Michael Arrington, $500,000 - $800,000 per month

Generally speaking, if you work in PR, you’re more than familiar with Arrington’s blog. Yup, he’s the guy who started Tech Crunch.

So in-tune with the tech industry is TechCrunch that the site publishes minute-by-minute updates on what’s taking place in the global tech industry.

Simply put, there’s a reason he’s widely known as the “Prophet of Silicon Valley.” It’s a fitting title.

Needless to say, keep writing. Whatever your blogging goals may be, with the help of a wide variety of digital marketing tactics, you too can make a name for yourself out on the World Wide Web. Oh, and there’s also that whole money thing. That’s an added bonus.

The time is now yours to pipe up and have your thoughts and feelings heard by an ever-expanding body of readers. Is there a deserving blogger who’s wrongfully been left off of the aforementioned list? If so, drop a name or two in the comments section below.

October 14, 2015

Is Syndication a Good or Bad Thing for Your Blog?

October 14, 2015/ Lucas Miller

“To syndicate, or not to syndicate? That is the question.” Sure, Bill Shakespeare didn’t ever ask anything similar, but countless bloggers have done just that while attempting to drive more traffic back to their respective sites.

Depending on the content marketer with whom you speak, you’re bound to get a wide variety of differing responses. Some feel strongly about the promotional powers of blog syndication, while others insist that the practice is doomed to fail.

I’m not one of the latter. I believe in blog syndication and feel it’s a worthwhile means by which a blog can grow and experience a heavy bump in traffic.

However, as far as the naysayers are concerned, generally speaking, at least one of the following is cited as a reason for why syndication should be avoided at all costs:

Google is incredibly opposed to the publication of duplicate content.
Instead of dragging readers back to your site, they’ll remain on a host site.
Author authority is weakened due to content being published on many networks.

Needless to say, let the cross-examination begin:

Dealing With Duplicate Content

Any reputable syndication network will include a link at the bottom of the post to the very page on which an article was originally published.

Fortunately, in today’s day and age, Google’s ever-evolving algorithm is sophisticated enough to know where a piece was originally published. Ranking authority is awarded accordingly.

Driven Site Traffic

Studies have shown that blog syndication does in fact lead to higher traffic. As long as there’s a link at the foot of a republished post pointing readers in the right direction, there’s nothing to worry about.

Additionally, assuming that what you’ve written is both informative and engaging, through the aforementioned link, readers are immediately provided with a channel through which more of your editorial work can be consumed.

That alone is reason enough to strongly think about blog syndication as a viable digital marketing practice.

Hindered Expert Reputation

If your blog is just getting started, there’s no real reputation that’s taking a hit. More often than not, this is why bloggers choose to syndicate their content.

However, even if you’ve already built a name for yourself and are worried about what syndication might do to the expert status you’ve worked so hard to achieve as a digital publisher, consider Buffer’s take on the matter:

“We feel that the benefits of syndication outweigh the downsides … It should also be mentioned that part of our joy with syndication is in getting to share our content with anyone who might find value in it. In some ways, we feel that keeping content only at Buffer is a rather selfish act. If others can use it, then we don't want to stand in the way.”

Simply put, few are the content creators who don’t stand to benefit from blog syndication.

From Business2Community and Social Media Today to BizSugar and AllBusiness, make it a priority to syndicate your blog. By so doing, your content will be seen by more eyes than ever before. In the end, that’s what’s most important.

After all, it’s the quality of your content that will drive permanent, long-lasting traffic. Success or failure is yours and yours alone

Convinced yet? If not, I’d love to hear why. Agree with me or take me to the proverbial cleaners in the comments section below. Or, if you’d rather share your thoughts through a different medium, take to Twitter and tweet at @EchelonCopy to make your reaction to this piece public.

October 08, 2015

3 Reasons for Why Human Restraint Is Powerless Against the ‘Listicle’

October 08, 2015/ Lucas Miller

There’s a certain sadness in knowing that BuzzFeed has become the preferred “news network” of America’s Millennial generation. Generally speaking, what’s being reported by the aforementioned site isn’t even newsworthy; however, it’s too sticky for readers to not become instantly hooked.

What’s the secret behind BuzzFeed’s success, you ask? The “listicle.” Using a couple of brain cells, it’s easy to deduce that a listicle is little more than the metaphoric love child of both an article and a list.

Incredibly, ever since BuzzFeed first made the listicle popular a few years back, digital consumers looking for editorial entertainment haven’t been able to get enough of the piece type.

Sure, it might be a bit of a guilty pleasure, but seeing as how listicles have a number of influential factors working on their behalf, it’s unlikely that the trend subside any time soon. The following are the three most prominent of those factors:

1) Inescapable Intrigue

Think you’re immune to catchy headlines? You try passing on a piece entitled, “23 Inconsolable Death Row Murderers and Their Shocking Final Statements.” Needless to say, it’s much easier said than done.

Let’s face it—as humans, we’re a curious bunch. The more shocking, scandalous, sensual or petrifying something is, the more we can’t help but peel back the proverbial covers and take a peek at what’s lurking just beyond our reach.

2) Quantifiable Solutions

We want answers, but we don’t want them to be too complicated. Most of us have already had a bad experience or two with entry-level chemistry courses in high school or college to know that nothing is really quite as simple as it seems on the surface.

For example, if you were looking to break into patent law, you might be attracted to a listicle providing “6 Simple Steps for Becoming a Powerful Patent Lawyer.” Listicles are calming in that, supposedly, they provide us with anything and everything we need to know. They almost become a check list of sorts, if you think about it. Sadly, this is rarely the case.

3) Short-Hand Totality

There’s an odd paradox involving today’s readers. They want the whole story, but they don’t have the patience to sit still and take all of it in if it requires more than five minutes of their time. Lists, regardless of whether they’re pushing seven or 101 points of interest, present the whole picture. Even better, skimming is highly facilitated by this medium’s structure.

In fact, says Maria Konnikova of The New Yorker, “Once we click, lists tap into our preferred way of receiving and organizing information at a subconscious level; from an information-processing standpoint, they often hit our attentional sweet spot.”

So, do listicles hit your “attentional sweet spot”? Why or why not? In the comments section below, take a moment to share your opinions with Echelon’s devoted body of readers. I’ll be routinely checking back to interact and engage, as well.

October 05, 2015

The Beauty of Imperfect Grammar Within Blog Posts

October 05, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Regardless of what your mother, grandmother or girlfriend says, you’re not perfect. Sure, you might’ve rocked your second grade spelling bee or even taken the prettiest girl in school to the senior prom, but if we really do a bit of digging, we’ll find that you’re just another imperfect person like the rest of us.

However, seeing as how real writing excellence is often closely linked with the complete and total absence of error, those who put pen to paper for a living often insist upon celestial quality with anything they’ve produced. This isn’t a good thing, especially when blogs are the medium through which content is being pushed.

Why Blogs Work

To more fully understand why this is, let’s take a closer look at what’s made blogs so popular in recent years. For starters, they’re great because of how approachable they are. There’s a stark contrast between the content found within a blog post and that of an academic paper. One sounds like an actual human wrote it, and the other as if the author spent half of his or her time on Thesaurus.com trying to make things sound as complex as possible.

Also, blogs are much more communal than other writing types. In my opinion, blogs are the Irish football pub of editorial endeavors. Oddly enough, I’ve never been to one, but I imagine that everyone knowns everyone, there’s little judgement and plenty of great conversation. When done correctly, minus the foul language and public inebriation, blogs take on a similar form.

Grammar Should Never Be a Blogger’s Biggest Concern

Now, with all of the aforementioned in mind, how important do you seriously think grammar is within blog posts? Truthfully, it’s not the most pressing of issues. This isn’t me saying that grammar can be completely tossed out the proverbial window. I’m just making a point as to where energy should be allocated.

For example, as far as I’m concerned, the following are much more important for a successful blog than flawless grammar:

Memorable Storytelling
Central, Well-Developed Theme
Unique Tone
Calls to Action
Passionate User Engagement

Don’t kill yourself over grammar. Far too many bloggers allow their fingers to hover over the publish button out of a genuine fear of what their readers will think if a grammatical mistake or two are found. My take on the matter? The occasional misspelt word does wonders for proving just who’s behind the creation of a blog: a human being.

Beauty In Error

I’m not going to get on a soap box with this one, but this kind of fallacy almost makes the whole blogging experience all the more beautiful, if you think about it. There’s no hiding behind anything. What you see is what you get and audiences of all kinds appreciate this.

So, the next time you finish a well-crafted blog post, read through things a time or two and then share them with everyone. Don’t hesitate. If sincere, your post—mistakes and all—will be enjoyed by many.

You guys know the routine—what are your thoughts on grammar and blogging? Have I taken things a step too far here, or is there really something to be said for worrying more about quality content than perfect grammar? Can both be present 100 percent of the time? Follow Echelon on Twitter at @EchelonCopy and share your honest comments. In no time at all, you’ll receive a response. Sound too good to be true? Try it out and see what happens.

October 01, 2015

How to Compose an Awesome Blog Post In Under 60 Minutes

October 01, 2015/ Lucas Miller

Blogging isn’t easy to do. It requires a great deal of patience, determination, relentlessness and, more than just about anything, editorial prowess. That being said, just about anybody can blog. Once a topic has been chosen and a blog created, all that’s left to do is produce awesome content, right? Well, not so much.

Yes, in the end, stellar posts are going to make or break your blog, but there’s yet another aspect which is ofter overlooked: posting consistency. Yup, this is the not-so-sexy side of things which new bloggers often forget about. If you’re not posting with any sort of regularity, your blog is destined to fail with both readers and search engines.

However, regular piece production and publishing doesn’t have to be a trying matter. Truthfully, when done correctly, it shouldn’t take any longer than an hour to produce something worthy of your readers’ time and attention. Here’s how:

Brainstorm Long Before Writing

The only hiccup in this 60-minutes-or-less process is having great ideas on hand. Everyone’s brains work differently, but as far as mine is concerned, the best of post ideas come at the most random of times.

I might be in the shower, playing pickup basketball, watching a movie or doing some reading when, low and behold, something exciting pops into my head. Then, I’ll either jot it down on a spare napkin, scratch piece of paper or my phone for safekeeping.

As soon as I come within reach of my laptop computer, any and all ideas are immediately funneled into a neatly organized spreadsheet. Later on, when I’m pressed for time, there’s no need to hunt for things to write about, because I’ve already created a lengthy list.

The real trick with this one is to constantly be adding to this spreadsheet. The last thing you want to do is run out of ideas when you need them the most.

Research Using No More Than Three Solid Sources

People often erroneously think that you need a minimum of 10 sources when composing a blog post. Honestly, that’s ridiculous. Listen, this isn’t me saying that you shouldn’t be investigating your topics as thoroughly as possible.

All I’m getting at is that you don’t need to take this to an extreme. Find two or three strong, reputable sources, do your reading and get to writing. What’s great about blogging is that the more you write, the more you learn.

The more you learn, the more knowledge your able to impart. Read until your eyeballs turn to mush, but there’s no better substitute for learning how to blog quickly than simply blogging.

Include Plenty of Your Own Commentary

This tip meshes nicely with the one that precedes it. More than just about anything, what I love most about blogging is the readability of the medium’s content. Sure, you could hop online and find a multitude of great academic entries, white papers and case studies on PR, but will you really enjoy reading them?

The luxury of reading blog material is that it’s easy to digest and implement. In order to make a post happen in under and hour, you’ve got to write as if you were speaking. When you engage in conversation with another human being, rarely do you have to think much about what you’re going to say.

Look at blogging the exact same way. With this mentality present, you’re not only bound to write quicker, but it’s sure-fire that you’ll see more of yourself in your writing. At the end of the day, that’s a very cool thing.

Don’t Stress Over Perfect Grammar

I grew up in one of those homes where mom and dad were always calling their kids out for their grammar mistakes. Because of such an environment, to this day, I’m a bit of a grammar Nazi and, quite frankly, a bit obsessive compulsive, also. Trust me, this isn’t something I’m proud of.

As such, when I first started blogging, I had to read over my posts multiple times before blasting them out for all of the Internet to both see and criticize. After a few months of doing this, I had a mental breakthrough.

I was reading over something that I’d published a few months prior and found a couple of basic, editorial mistakes. Instead of letting this eat at me, I decided to just let it be. That’s right, following in the footsteps of The Beatles, I just “Let It Be.”

In that moment, I realized that—no matter how hard I sought perfection—I wasn’t going to find it. So, once you’re done writing, read through your piece one or two times. After that, it’s time to move on.

Hit the ‘Publish’ Button

You’ve successfully completed each of the aforementioned steps. Things are finally done. Now what? It’s time to hit the “publish” button—confidently, mind you. Ya know that mini thrill you get when you hop on Facebook or any other social media network and see that you’ve got a few notifications? I’m ashamed to admit that I get that feeling when I publish a new post, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Simply put, for a blogger, there’s no better feeling.

The entirety of this post was written without a single source [gasps]. I know—crazy, right? I do enough blogging to know what works and what doesn’t, though by no means have I perfected the process or even come close to it. I’ve also spoken with enough people about blogging to know what to say.

I’ve simply taken that and converted it into written text. This post, though approaching 950 words, took me just under 40 minutes to write. As previously made mention, I’m no expert, but there’s no reason an awesome blog post should take any longer than an hour to write. The evidence? The very thing you just read.

Yeah, it’s true that I tooted my own horn there a little bit at the end. If it bothered you, let me have it in the comments section. Seriously, don’t hold back with the words of praise or criticism. I welcome anything and everything. Needless to say, I look forward to interacting with each and every one of you.

September 26, 2015

Move Over Medium: Why Blogging Is Best Done On Independent Websites

September 26, 2015/ Lucas Miller

In recent years, more than ever before, blogging has taken off. Because of this, a number of companies of risen up from the ashes of traditional journalism and transformed themselves into kings of the blogging industry. Think about it: Medium, Tumblr, HubPages, Quora and LiveJournal have all, in addition to other things, become extremely well-known for the blogging platforms they provide. Heck, even the atrocity that is Blogspot sees a great deal of user engagement.

The Easy Way Out

Simply put, if you’re serious about blogging, do yourself a favor and create your own website with its very own web domain. Blogging, wrongfully associated with only stay-at-home and soccer moms, isn’t for the faint of heart. If you’re going to put the necessary time and effort into growing a blog, don’t do it on the backs of some corporate entity; moreover, develop your own plot of metaphoric land out on the World Wide Web through WordPress, SquareSpace, Weebly or Wix.

The argument for using blog-specific sites is that they’re innately built for audience growth and consumption. Truthfully, it’s a strong argument. When people create a Medium account and use it, they’re not hopping online to shop or use social media; instead, they’re fully intent on reading. Ultimately, this is what bloggers want: people to read their posts.

Complete and Total Control

Sure, initially, Tumblr or HubPages might be better for widespread readership, but there’s a definite ceiling on what can come about in the ways of success. Should a booming blogger on Quora or LiveJournal ever hope to build more than editorial credibility or individual brand, he or she will need to venture out into choppier waters.

When a site is individually owned and operated, not only is a hefty reader base still possible, but it’s substantially easier to branch out and truly own the project. Writing is one thing, but there’s so much more to blogging than run-of-the-mill, rudimentary posts. Additionally, endeavors involving web development, graphic design, search engine optimization, video production, social media marketing, advertising and e-commerce are made possible.

This is why innumerable bloggers from each of the world’s four corners make money as professional bloggers. It’s not easy, but it’s better than cutting corners and taking the easy way out. Right from the get-go, know that taking on a blog of your own is going to be difficult. That being said, if you plan on wholeheartedly embracing the grind mentality and tremendous effort associated with the practice, there’s no reason to blog through an overly intrusive, controlling publication.

As is customary in our industry, most PR pros have a digital portfolio, website or personal blog. More than likely, many of you are actively engaged in an editorial project, such as a blog, outside of your workplace duties. If so, what’s your hot take? With respect to blogging, is it better to embrace a reputable host site or go out on your own? Voice your opinion in the comments section below.

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