It happens to the best of us. It happens to the worst of us.

Burnout is something that you have to prepare for, be aware of, and know that no matter how much you’re aware; you will burn out if you’re not doing something about it. 

As a business owner, you’re faced with many more challenges than just an employee would be faced with. Whether you work on the site or from home; burnout can happen at any time. We’ve gathered the top tips to help you reduce stress, reduce burnout symptoms, and keep you productive and motivated as a business owner. 

Keep to a Schedule 

Be mindful of working hours. If you’re working excessive hours; this is not productive nor is it helpful. You’re working an excessive amount of hours to keep your business running, but even if you’re not doing this – it will still run! 

Keeping to a specific work schedule can help to reduce the chances of burnout. Consider which hours you’re the most productive and create a schedule around those hours. 

Take time for YOU

This should be number one and should go without saying. However, it is easier said than done for most. When it comes to carving out a piece of time during the day, take this time for yourself. Sit down and reflect on yourself, what you want, how you feel; really enjoy who you are and where you are in life. 

This bit of time for yourself during the day can make all the difference. Whether it is a short walk, nap, reading a book, working on a hobby or side project, or anything else you love; there is always time to take for you to slow down and enjoy.

This is different from being isolated away from everyone, too. You should always have ‘YOU’ time but make sure to spend time with others, as well.

Prioritize to Reduce the Chances of Burnout

If there is a lot to be done. No. There is always a lot to be done. This means you need to prioritize. You have to take those pressing tasks and put them at the top of your to-do list. 

Don’t have a to-do list? 

It’s about time that you make one. You don’t have to put everything that you need to do down on it. Starting with three top things is all that needs to be done. With these three things, you’re getting them done before moving on with another thing.

These three tasks will not overwhelm you. There are only three. Once these three are done, give yourself another three. The 3-task rule, which I found myself, has kept me on track each and every day. 

Organize 

Along with prioritizing, you will want to keep yourself, your work, and your space organized. This way, when you’re choosing your three, you can choose from the organized list of other tasks you have to do. This list, though, is one that is put out of sight. 

Because… out of sight is out of mind. 

Organize your workspace so that it is comfortable for you. You don’t want a lot of clutter or things that will easily distract you from the work you are supposed to be doing. By cleaning the space, you can keep distractions to a minimum. The more distracted you are, the more you could potentially burn yourself out.

Keeping yourself organized is not always easy for everyone. There are many tips and tricks you can use to do this, though. A little bit can go a long way. 

Delegate or Just Say NO

For those of us who are people-pleasers, this is something that can be tough to do. However, to avoid being burnt out, try asking someone else for some help or just saying no, you don’t have the time. This can help to reduce the amount of stress you’d feel if you were not to delegate or say no. 

Know Your Stressors 

You want to reduce the chances of becoming overwhelmed. Knowing your stressors and when you’re making mistakes can help. Be alert and realize that when the mistakes continue to happen – you’re just plain burnt out.

You want to step back and take the time to fix the issues before they become larger. The quicker you do this, the better your chances of stopping the burnout before it happens.

Consider what stresses you out when you’re working or trying to focus on something. Is it something you can avoid? Is there any way to make it better overall?

Use Your Burnout Support Group

Lean on those closest to you for support. When you need to relax, vent, unwind, or just plain give up – do it with someone you can trust. Turn to them for help. This group is here for you to gather resources from. These resources can help to fill your cup. You can’t pour from an empty cup – so this helps.

Be PROUD of your Successes

This should go without saying, but if you’re like me then having this confidence feels like arrogance. You might feel odd being proud and talking about your successes, but it is something that you should do. You should feel good about yourself and getting this far.

Stand tall and let others know what you’ve accomplished. Feel good because you did something that you should be proud of. You’ve come this far – now it’s time to go even further.

Even though these rules are laid out here, it doesn’t mean that you will never burn out if you follow them to a T. It just means you have less of a chance of burning out because of this.

Enjoy what you do. Love what you do. Just make sure to take care of yourself, too.

Hire Outside Help

When you need more out of your business and your life, it is always good to rely a bit on others. I provide marketing and content services, so you can rest easy knowing you have outside help. Contact me today to learn more about what I can do for you. 

The post The Secret to Avoiding Burnout in Your Business appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

Not only is communication vital to our personal lives, but also in the workplace. 

Do you think you’re good at communication? Could you and your team use more help clearing up those communication boundaries? Do you want to push the limits when it comes to sharing information back and forth? 

Communication is not just about giving information. It’s also about being able to receive it in the most useful, practical way. 

How are your communication skills?

By learning communication best practices, you can take advantage of a number of benefits you wouldn’t otherwise enjoy- even if you think you’re already really good at communicating. Life is always about improving, and communication is ever-changing. Its changing nature makes communication a valuable skill to work on regularly. 

Types of Workplace Communication

There are a number of workplace communication types. The method of communication that you rely on will determine how to deliver the message and how to phrase your information for the best result. 

The most common forms of workplace communication include, but are not limited to:

• Written
• Verbal
• Non-Verbal ie: gestures, head nods, etc. 

In the workplace, these three main forms of communication are generally used:

• In company emails, newsletters, announcements, etc. 
• Voicemails 
• Video conferencing 
• In-person meetings 
• Marketing [digital, in-person]

Every method of communication has a purpose, and each is equally important. Understanding the best way to provide feedback and offer information to colleagues is even vitally important because transferring information is how most business is conducted.

Communication Aligning with Company Values

Having clear communication, company communication channels, expectations and internal as well as external communications should all be aligned with the company’s values. Communicating these core values to employees so they’re able to act upon them in the clearest, truest form of communication will build a better company all around. 

Consider the values in your company. What do you hold close?

• Integrity
• Honesty
• Accountability 
• Fairness
• Teamwork 
• Customer Relations 

By communicating effectively, both with clients and customers, but also employees you’re expanding your business. 

Working Remotely Doesn’t Have to Hinder the Communication Channel

As times change and more and more businesses are turning to remote working models, this still does not have to hinder or dilute the communication channel. Opening up communication channels remotely and using what has been effective for previous companies in the past can greatly help your company excel. 

1. Use a project management tool that helps align teams and keep them better organized 
2. Build a strong, stable feedback culture for your team

1. Rethink employee performance metrics 
2. Always have time for small talk 
3. Gamify employee feedback
4. Set healthy norms for effective communication

1. Use purposes for each communication tool 
2. Cater to employees in different time zones 
3. Determine what types of communication are appropriate, and which are not
4. Provide encouragement 

Organizing and having clear expectations that align with your company’s values will help the communication not just do better, but excel. This, in turn, helps your team grow and provide value to the company.

The Best Method of Transferring Information in the Workplace

There are a number of methods of transferring information between the different levels of a workplace. Employees and employers must communicate regularly, and they’ll have to do so using different techniques.  The right method depends on your specific workplace, as well as the information being transferred. 

Depending on what information you’re sharing, there are positive ways to transfer information, and there are ways that should not be considered. For example, you wouldn’t let go of an employee over an email. That’s far too impersonal and uncaring for such an emotional task! Instead, you should bring them into the office and break the news to them as gently as possible.

There are many other best practices that should be followed for workplace communication. The tactic that you use should change for different situations and environments. 

Communication in the workplace should be face-to-face whenever possible. This creates lasting bonds that emails can’t replicate. 

During the communication process, provide clear, simple information that allows the listener to easily digest what information you’re giving. Remember to listen to what they have to say, as well and that their feelings matter too. However, they are just that… feelings. 

Hearing the individual is a good start, but you want to actually listen to what they are saying and engage them in the conversation by asking questions. This is the only way to effectively communicate. 

Any conflicts should be handled with professionalism and diplomacy. The relationship style that you choose to use is what will make or break your professionalism, track record, and relationships with your employees. 

It is important to note that there are communication styles that can kill any relationship – even well-maintained relationships are at risk.

1. Criticism – verbally attacking the personality or character of someone.
2. Contempt – attacking a sense of self with the intention to insult and psychology abuse the person. 
3. Defensiveness – playing the victim to ward off the perceived attach and reversing the blame from them to someone else. 
4. Stonewalling – withdrawing as a way to avoid conflict in an effort to convey disapproval, distance, and separation. 

These communication styles cause more harm than good, and they are not an effective way to communicate – both in and outside of the workplace. 

Let’s take a look at some examples of harder-to-manage conversations… 

What if the conversation is difficult, tense, or sensitive? 

• Ground yourself
• Take control of the situation 
• Stay calm, clear, and effective – know your end game
• Listen intently and focus on the employee’s emotions 
• Utilize your problem-solving skills to resolve any conflict effectively  

What if you, yourself become triggered or upset during a conversation? 

• Check-in with yourself 
• Pause before speaking to maintain clarity and poise 
• Walk away if you have to 
• Keep yourself under control during this time, remain level-headed, and know that your feelings are validated (so are those of the other person)

Releasing these negative feelings on your own time is healthy, but unraveling and unleashing them on someone else is not. 

They are just feelings, not facts. Don’t allow your feelings to derail a conversation or injure your workplace relationships. Having your feelings under control during a tense conversation is the only way to resolve conflicts and come to a mutual understanding with your colleagues and employees. 

Listening generously is one of the best ways to create more meaningful communication. Listen completely, with empathy and understanding. Listen for what the person really wants and needs. 

Consider This…

What opportunities are generated from this conversation? What steps should you take next after carefully listening to the other person? 

Use this information while listening to lead the individual and help resolve the problem that you and the other person are facing.  There are several techniques available that you can use to have a strong conversation. These will be discussed below in practical strategies for technical communication. 

There are also many positive communication tools that you can use to boost your team’s morale, while also making you into a stronger leader overall. 

Resolving Conflicts in the Most Professional Manner

Any conflicts should be handled with professionalism and diplomacy. The relationship style that you choose to use is what will make or break your professionalism, track record, and relationships with your employees. 

It is important to note that there are communication styles that can kill any relationship – even well-maintained relationships are at risk. Dr. John Gottman shows us the following…

1. Criticism – verbally attacking the personality or character of someone.
2. Contempt – attacking a sense of self with the intention to insult and psychologically abuse the person. 
3. Defensiveness – playing the victim to ward off the perceived attach and reversing the blame from them to someone else. 
4. Stonewalling – withdrawing as a way to avoid conflict in an effort to convey disapproval, distance, and separation. 

These communication styles cause more harm than good, and they are not an effective way to communicate – both in and outside of the workplace. 

Benefits of Great Communication Practices in the Workplace 

There are numerous benefits of great communication in the workplace. To be considered as a diverse space, it is imperative that you know how to communicate with everyone in the workplace, especially if you hold an important position in the company. 

Even if you don’t think you’re clearly, accurately, and helpfully communicating; this is a skill that can be cultivated. 

The benefits of enhancing communication in your office include, but are not limited to:

• Powering productivity throughout the workplace
• Mitigating conflict early on
• Increasing overall loyalty and job satisfaction among employees
• Improving overall public relations
• Fueling creativity and performance 
• Building on existing skills 
• Encouraging teamwork and trust between all collaborators 

Practical Strategies for Workplace Communication

There are a number of practical strategies for communication that should be considered. By harnessing the power of both listening and positive communication practices; you’re building your team up for success. You’re giving them the power they need to excel in the company and elevating your team. 

Start with Powerful Questions That Reframe Your Game

Start off on the right foot by showing that you’re an effective leader. Asking strong questions is the best way to show that you’re capable and to keep your business running efficiently. Good questions show that you were listening intently while showing your stance on important subjects. When asked well, high-quality questions are the most efficient way to resolve issues in your business and to keep your employees and colleagues moving forward with what needs to be done.  

Some strong questions include, but are not limited to:

Problem-focused: What is the problem?

Solutions focused: What would you like to do about this? What can I do about this? 

Problem-focused: Why do you do that?

Solutions Focused:  What made you decide this was the right step?

Problem-focused: Why is this an issue for you?

Solutions focused: What do you suggest we do differently? 

Problem-focused: Why didn’t you do this? 

Solutions focused: What additional information can I provide to complete this task?  

Problem-focused: Who is to blame?

Solutions focused: How can help?

High-quality questions validate the other person’s feelings while maintaining a positive solution-focused mindset. 

Good questions ensure that everyone is effectively communicating while leaving you in complete control of the situation. 

Listening to what they say and then validating (not just agreeing) their feelings and empathizing with them is the most effective form of communication in the business world and in everyday life in most situations. 

Making an effort to relate with the individual is another useful way to build trust and understanding.

Tip: Use stories explaining similar situations that you’ve been through to relate and to show that their current feelings are valid and you’ll create a bond with the person at the same time. 

Be careful to avoid spending too much time on stories about your past experiences though. While it’s good to relate with the individual, the conversation should still focus on their problems the majority of the time. 

Maintain a solution-focused dialogue with the other person, and spend most of the time addressing their feelings and the current situation. This is all a part of effective communication in the workplace.

Other Phrases That Help with Effective Communication

Choosing the right phrases or how to say something is important. We will go over some examples of positive communication and the phrases you could use in your everyday dialogue with your team. 

Picking the right moment phrases: 

• You asked me to look at ____, is now a good moment to talk about it?
• Are you interested in some feedback on …?
• Would you like a few pointers on your … ?
• Are you open to talking about this right now? 
• Are you available for a conversation about….? 
• Are you up for a chat about…..? 

Talking about improvements

After you’ve delivered your feedback the question is: Where does it go from here? Here are some phrases that you can use to ask for ideas or make suggestions: “Powerful Questions will get you there!!!”

• Have you got any ideas on how could you do this differently in future?
• How do you suggest improving on this next time?
• What could you do to … ?
• How else could you … ?
• Can you think of any alternatives … ? 
• Have you considered…?
• What do you think about…?

5 powerful phrases for work

“I see where you’re going with this … “

“Here’s what I need you to improve.”

“We are off to a great start.”

“This is really creative. Let’s look if we can fine tune your approach.”

Helpful Examples how to communicate feelings: A productive way to use “I” statements

“I” feel [emotion] when [situation/context/challenge]  ” 

For example: 

Situation

 “You always make me late because you never tell me our plans in advance”

 “I” Statement

 “I feel stressed out when you don’t update me about our plans.” 

Situation

 “You always talk about your amazing weekend when you know I have no days off.” 

“I” Statement

 “I feel left out when I can’t join in your weekend plans.”

By utilizing these statements and reframing the way you communicate, everyone will be in a healthier workplace because of it. 

Feedback is a Powerful Tool in Itself

Remember, do not use negativity during any conversations, as this hinders open communication between you and your employees. 

Always provide positive feedback during the conversation when possible. By focusing on the positive you’ll make your employees feel more confident and improve productivity. Here are some positive examples that can really help you grow as a team…

• It feels like you are being very generous with your time
• It seems like you are very happy about this
• It sounds like this makes you feel very seen

Always provide positive feedback, which is the next step to effective communication. You need to offer something beneficial or uplifting to the communicator that is relevant to what you’re talking about. 

If you can make the individual feel good, your interaction will be significantly more productive.

 Here is the best way to provide positive affirmation while having a conversation and providing feedback to the person.

1. Positives –  Start the conversation by focusing on any positives you notice for a given situation. Try and explain that you see their overall contribution and that you value them as a person. 
2. Situation – When delivering feedback, outline the situation you are referring to clearly. Offer specific details so that the other person understands what you’re explaining and ask questions that verify that your information makes sense to them.
3. Behavior – Then, you must be specific about the behavior you are addressing. Again, be very specific. Do not make assumptions about a person’s behavior and only remark about specific observations that you’ve made yourself. 
4. Impact – To sum up your feedback, carefully explain how the behavior in the situation is affecting you as a person, the people around you, or your team. (It’s often helpful to acknowledge intention even if the unintended consequences or impact was possibly different and potentially negative. Someone can have good intentions and still cause issues, and it’s important to acknowledge those intentions before addressing the problem.) 
5. Solution – Give possible solutions, At the end of giving feedback, it’s important to offer a clear way forward to resolve the issue. Teach, don’t criticize. Make it into a teachable moment. It’s important to suggest improvements for the future in a motivating, respectful, and positive way.

Examples of providing positive feedback, even in situations where it might not be as positive as you’d like:

Start by mentioning the positives

You can use phrases such as the following to introduce praise, to talk about strong points and aspects which you feel the recipient handled well.

• I thought … was very effective.
• I really like the way you …
• I appreciate it when you….
• I can see you’ve put a lot of work into …
• What I liked most about …

Describing negative points you observed when you describe the situation and behavior

To avoid sounding reproachful, accusatory, or even aggressive use neutral language and describe what you observed as specifically as possible.

• When you did X…., I noticed that …
• At several points during the conversation, I noticed that you …
• When I read your email, I didn’t quite understand …
• It seems to me that …
• It seems you feel  …

Explaining the (possible) impact

You can use the following phrases to explain what effect the behavior mentioned had on you or what effect you fear it may have had or will have on others.

• This meant that I …
• For me, this came across as being …
• This annoyed/surprised / confused me, because …
• I’m worried that this will lead to /result in …
• I think there’s a risk that …

Talking about improvements

After you’ve delivered your feedback the question is: Where does it go from here? Here are some phrases that you can use to ask for ideas or make suggestions: “Powerful Questions will get you there!!!”

• Have you got any ideas on how could you do this differently in the future?
• How do you suggest improving on this next time?
• What could you do to … ?
• How else could you … ?
• Can you think of any alternatives … ? 
• Have you considered…?
• What do you think about…?

Remember, in most situations, the other person has nothing wrong with them and that most problems arise from poor communication, not from poor intentions. 

Improving the communication channels throughout your workplace will alleviate most issues you’re experiencing and should bolster productivity. 

The Art of Positive Communication

Communication best practices aren’t just simple actions or things you’re supposed to be doing. Effective communication is an art. There is a specific way that things should be said or conveyed to others, both in and out of the workplace. 

It is important that positive communication is always used, even when giving negative information. The way you say things determines whether you’re an effective leader or not. Your communication skills impact how productive and profitable your team is too. 

Do you know how to lead a difficult conversation during tense or sensitive situations? 

You have to ground yourself and take control of the situation. No matter how tough the topic is, you must be calm, clear, and effective. Listen intently, focus on your colleague’s emotions and utilize your problem-solving skills to resolve conflicts effectively.   

What if you’re triggered or upset during a conversation? 

Conflicts will arise at work, and it’s common to be confronted by upsetting situations during some of your conversations. When this happens, check in with yourself and pause before speaking to maintain clarity and poise. Walk away if you have to. Keep yourself under control during this time, remain level-headed, and know that your feelings are validated (so are those of the other person).

Effective communication really comes down to delivering a clear, concise message in a positive way and being able to really listen when a person is speaking with you. As a leader, it is up to you to do this. Allow yourself the time to take a breath and to get a clear understanding of each new situation. From there, increase productivity in your team with open, honest, and trusting communication between everyone. 

The post Giving and Receiving Information in the Workplace for Better Employee Retention appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

One of the benefits of keyword research is, you can learn plenty about the phrases and words people actually use while searching online. In fact, your keyword assumption may be quite different. You may also believe that search engines no longer place importance on keywords. However, this is not the case. The reality is, keyword research is still vital for SEO. Here are some reasons why keyword research is still important:

Keywords You Choose May Be Wrong

One of the first steps in SEO is keyword research. If you decide to skip this step or get this wrong, you are setting yourself up for a letdown. Keyword research ensures the right keywords for your business are used.  A few examples of using the wrong keywords include:

1. Incorrect usage

2. Low search volume

If you choose keywords with no significance to your web content, visitors who click through search results are likely to leave your page. The bounce rate for your web page will increase, negatively impacting SEO.

Keywords with low search volume have almost no individuals searching for them. Web content related to these forms of keywords will likely not be seen. The reason being, nobody is searching for those types of keywords.

Keywords Provide Information about Your Webpage

After you’ve finished keyword research, you’ll start assigning the best keywords for each page of your site. Keep in mind, you must ensure the keywords are relevant to your webpage. You’ll also want to ensure that the chosen keywords are used properly.

Keywords help to communicate with search engines making them a necessity for SEO. However, for your webpage to tell a story to various search engines, there must be a foundation that you’ll do with keyword research.

Keyword Clustering Requires Keyword Research

Keyword clustering helps with optimizing a single webpage for several keywords. It also helps to improve ranking. Still, keyword research is needed before you can begin clustering.

Keyword Research is Still Vital for SEO

Keyword research is still vital for both your search engine rankings and SEO. If you don’t do keyword research, the chances of choosing the wrong words are increased. This results in little to no traffic to your webpage. However, with keyword research, you can start to drive more traffic to your site, engage more individuals, secure conversion as well as revenue.

The post Keyword Research is Still Vital for SEO appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

Qualifications of Corporate Event Planner

Normally, employers want a bachelor’s degree in subjects related to marketing, hospitality management, or public relations. Many corporate event planners begin their careers in hotels. They are often hosts for their events. The event planners’ career progress into corporate event planning. In addition to related experience and a bachelor’s degree, employment opportunities can increase by having certifications. The Convention Industry Council offers credentials like Certified Meeting Professional. Numerous corporate event planners also have membership in the Meeting Professionals International.

Preparation of the Event

Prior to an event, the clients sponsoring the function and the corporate event planners work together to understand the client’s financial budget and needs for the event. The planner suggests timelines, dates, and plans the extent of the event. Corporate planners pick several locations, coordinate travel arrangements, receive bids from vendors, overnight accommodations, and more. Upon the client’s approval, the corporate event planner begins to plan all the accommodations and activities for the event.

The Event

Corporate event planners attend the events they organize. Prior to the start of the event, the planner makes sure space is properly prepared, scheduled vendors arrive, and equipment is tested. The corporate event planner works with the on-site staff to manage how the actual event will run and more details. They also greet attendees, ensure that clients are satisfied with the event, and monitor the scheduled activities. The event planner obtains bills from vendors for space, equipment, food, and other services and then approve payment.

It is important to reach out to someone who can provide these services, so your business doesn’t have to. If you don’t have a committed event planner, choosing a freelance one is ideal. You can use them as you see fit, or whenever necessary and ensure that your work’s events run as smoothly as they possibly can.

I can provide these specific services, as I am experienced in this particular corporate area. Please reach out with questions or comments regarding the work you’d like to have done, so you can get events set up and ready to go.

The post Corporate Event Planner: What is it? appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

1. They establish working hours

2. When they are not working, they unplug

3. One admin day each week should be scheduled

4. Always be sure to take at least one day off each week

5. Mealtimes are scheduled

6. Have a dedicated workspace

7. Adjust and readjust

8. Schedule family and social time

9. Without doing it, cross off one item from your to-do list

10. Schedule “Me” time each week

Why are good habits important to entrepreneurs’ success?

If you have productive and good habits, you can easily gain success. Habits such as these will lead you to a better life.

Why is it important to relax as an entrepreneur?  

Everyone needs to relax now and again. Relaxing your mind and body allows it to de-stress, enabling good thinking and improving focus.

Why would you need to set the working hours?

By setting working hours, you are also allowed to set each day’s goal. This is vital so you can monitor your productivity throughout each day.

Why would admin time need to be scheduled?

Scheduling one admin day each week is essential so you can focus on things that require your attention first and those that are highly needed.

What are the benefits of taking at least one day off per week?

By taking at least one day off per week you can spend some quality time with your family and unwind. The best way to boost your energy and focus for another week is still relaxing.

What are the benefits of scheduling family and social time?

Whenever possible, regardless of how busy you are, you should have some time for your social life and your family. The advantages of family time include better communication and the creation of a stronger emotional bond between parents and their children. Social time improves overall growth, helps in creating positive relationships, and enhances mental functioning.

Why should you schedule “me” time?

Alone or “me” time allows you to recharge from the chaotic schedule you deal with all week. It is vital to have this time alone, whether from your work, friends, or family.

How does “me” time benefit you?

There are several advantages from “me” time, including:

• Boosts your energy
• Gives you clarity
• Makes you do what you want to do
• Makes you more productive
• Helps you become independent
• Makes you become a better problem solver
• Improves your memory

Why is it important to have a dedicated workspace?

Having a dedicated workspace helps to reduce distractions. You can do things that help you achieve success and focus on work.

Why do you need to cross off one item on your To-Do list without completing it?

By crossing off one item on your To-Do list without completing it, it frees you from the stress of fulfilling it.

If you’re a busy entrepreneur, it is crucial to always make sure to focus on other things in your life. You don’t want those things to pass you by while you’re building a business.

The post 10 Work/Life Habits of a Successful Entrepreneur appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

But also, almost every business owner and marketer have found themselves in a rut attempting to create enough content, find interesting ways to innovate and get the desired engagement.

There is a difference between B2C and B2B marketing and both come with their own unique challenges. Even so, you can still benefit from these top tips and churn out something exciting.

Here are some top tips for content marketing you need to know to be successful in this industry:

1. Guide your customers through your buying cycle with your content. Do not treat it like a full-throttle, speedboat.  

2. As often as possible, promote your content through a .com domain. In fact, 84 percent of top-ranking pages utilize the .com as their top-level domain.

Never write short posts as a way to “just get the job over with”. To help improve your search rank, value to the reader, and traffic write long-form content of 1000 plus words.

3. It is important to guest post on popular industry websites. Also, be sure to put a backlink back to your website within your bio or byline. By doing so, this builds personal brand authority and increases traffic.

4. Blog consistently, not sporadically. According to a survey with Hubspot, 82 percent of marketers acquired at least one customer when they blogged daily. This is compared to 57 percent when they blogged only monthly.

Don’t Forget These Other Content Marketing Tips!

5. Before you begin producing or planning content, create a buyer persona. This gives you a better understanding of who it is reading your content and what answers they are searching for.

6. Go with optimized, short and simple titles to get the point across rather than a verbose headline. Your audience will become wary of the more click-bait looking you get.

7. To drive referral back to your site and to reach a new audience, it is a must to syndicate your content.

8. For building your audience, you must always have a plan. Content marketing tools such as Narrow.io can be used to save time by working with you to help your following grow.

If you are looking for even more tips for engaging your audience and getting the word of your business out there, speak with me today. You can easily contact me through my webform!

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1. Quickly Make Your Point

The most essential aspect of your content should always be at the very top. Never make your visitor guess what the point of your content is.

Let them skim through the content and get a sense of what you’re trying to say without having to write a novel.

2. Utilize Short Sentences in Content Writing

It is a lot more strenuous to read anything online than reading an actual book. Do not over-complicate the structure of your content. Make the reading process as easy as possible for your visitors.

3. Facts, Facts, Facts

If you are referring to something (a story on the news or an article) or are quoting someone in your content, it is important to always cite your source. Link to the original author and/or original article. This allows your readers to do their own research.

4. Utilize White Space

A sure way to lose (and annoy) readers are long text without any line breaks. Let your visitors breath between paragraphs.

5.Utilize Images or Other Visuals

Strategically positioned images or other visuals placed inside longer articles break up the text and add value and credibility. Other visuals may include videos, pie (and other) charts, or tables.

6. Sound Like a Human While Content Writing

Nobody enjoys content writing that sound like it was narrated by a robot or copied from a dictionary. Be friendly and down-to-earth, as much as your personal style allows. Your visitors will be more likely to engage with your call-to-action and appreciate the personal connection.

7. Dictionary.com is Your Friend – Be Sure to Visit Often

You would be surprised at the number of words people regularly misuse. Unless you are absolutely sure of the meaning of the word, do not use the word.

8. Site Visitor First, SEO Second

Search engines do not read your content. Search engines only index your content. Your site’s visitors are the ones who do the reading. And, if the content on your site is over-optimize, you will lose visitors.

9. Spell-Check, Proof-Read

When it comes to publishing offline or online, correct grammar and proper spelling are still the most important factors to consider. While chatting and texting have introduced abbreviations and shortcodes into our everyday language, there is nothing worse than grammatical and spelling errors in every other sentence.

10. Utilize Call-To-Action (CTA)

A call to action is an inviting link, button, image, or another graphic that encourages a visitor to become a customer or participant. Your website content will be far less effective at converting visitors if you do not have a call-to-action.

If you want to learn more about the writing you can do, or if you need someone to create clear, concise content for your website, blog, or other needs; contact me today. We can discuss the writing needs you have.

The post 10 Web Content Writing Rules appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

Visuals are stimulating and entertaining to the mind. More than anything, people enjoy sharing content that is unique and provides a solution to their questions.

You have likely heard about the need for a brand to present valuable and unique content for its readers. Eye-catching elements that catch the audience such as images, videos, and infographics. They work to project your message that ties directly to the scheme of things.

What Makes Visual Content that Catches Your Audience

Visual marketing is incorporated into a brands content mix for numerous reasons, including building the brands social media network and increasing leads.

When creating visual website content consider these tips to catch your audience:

• Share what the audience wants: Right at this moment, what is on everyone’s mind? When sitting down to create your videos and images, that is the very first question you should ask yourself.
• Deliver what you promise: Create visual content that is extremely relevant to your core brand community. It is important to share the information which your targeted audience will always need, does not change over times, and provides them with helpful information as well as solutions.
• Go further than only images: When creating web content include short video or infographics that can be shared on places such as Facebook and Instagram and ties back to your YouTube channel and website.
• Give the content a new twist: Make sure your visual content is relevant to your intended audience that is unique to your brand. Of course, just as long as you provide your own fresh “twist”, a topic that is on everyone’s mind is terrific.
• Make the visual content “shareable”: Share your tweets and posts specifically with important individuals in your niche that are inside of your network stating how that particular tweet or post could be beneficial their audience base, also. Ensure your website is responsive and includes social sharing icons as well.

Begin your visual marketing campaign by creating visual content and improving them as you go along. So, be sure to pay attention to user feedback and do not be afraid to change your graphics along the way to ensure you reach your targeted audience.

The post Catching Your Audience Creating Visual Content appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

Generally, creating additional content is a good thing; however, as any successful marketer knows, it takes more than just creating content to gain results. It takes great content. Great content requires careful planning to deliver the variety and value your audience craves.

The following tips can help you plan for better content for your audience:

Begin with Goals

Compelling your audience to take action is the goal of content marketing. You miss the “marketing” part of the equation when there is no action. So, do not begin with what you want your audience to know. Begin with what you want your audience to do.

The wanted action may be attending a webinar, signing up for your blog, scheduling a demo, etc. Whatever you decide, each piece must be connected to a desirable result.

Allow Your Audience to Lead the Topic Selection

Listen to your audience through their questions they are asking through emails to your sales department, forums such as Quora, search engine queries, and tools like Bloomberry and BuzzSumo then continue the conversation as your topic selection.

Change Up Your Content

Fill holes in your editorial calendar and ensure your content is fresh by changing up your content type. Sure, save room for sharable listicles, however, balance those with thought-provoking pieces that establish the point of view of your brand. Include how-to articles that are 100 percent utility.

Have a plan, write it out, and make it actionable.

Include Interactive Content

Other content is not your main competitor for your audience’s attention. Your main competitor is everything else in the world. With our content, we are asking that people stop what they were doing, ignore any distraction that may come their way, and engage. Earning that level of attention is far easier with interactive content.

Have Some Fun

It is okay to let loose once in a while when you have plenty of useful and practical content. In general, people enjoy being entertained and enjoy laughing. Provided that you stay consistent with your brand voice, there is nothing wrong with experimenting with a little comedy.

Start a Dialog

Does your calendar still have a few blank spaces? If so, allow your audience to fill them in. User-generated content builds enthusiasm, helps foster community, allows your customers to view real-world examples of what your brand can do, and much more.

The ideal way to promote user-generated content is to ask for it. Ask your customers for product photos, reviews, customer stories. Manage a contest and recognize the top submissions.

Better yet, ask your most valued client if you could feature them. They get extra visibility while you receive a compelling testimony. Make sure you know what content planning to do for your unique situation.

The post Tips for Better Content Planning appeared first on Samantha M. Skinner.

The life of a freelancer does have its advantages such as being able to work from the comforts of home and getting some alone time.

While working from home can be beneficial, it also comes with some hazards such as depression, loneliness, and isolation. How can we overcome these feelings we face as a freelancer?

1. Coworking Spaces

Coworking spaces provide the best of two worlds. It provides an environment of work without being tied to someone else’s meetings and schedule. These spaces are designed for productivity and typically offers a limitless supply of caffeinated beverages.

2. Networking

Networking provides countless benefits with ones of them helping with isolation. There are a whole host of ways to network. One way is to network locally through tech groups, meetings, your chamber of commerce, Business Networking International, as well as other freelancer groups. A great place to meet other WordPress professional would be by joining a WordPress Meetup.

3. Get a Pet

Many animal-lovers long to own a pet but are unable to because of their restrictions working 9 to 5. Animals can be wonderful companions and can be helpful in fighting loneliness with their constant presence.

Furthermore, when it comes to battling depression, cats and dogs have a therapeutic contribution. With a cat or dog around, you are sure to feel more secure and loved.

4. Build Your Community

To fight isolation, you may need to build your professional and personal community. Building and connecting with a community is not often a natural task but will take initiative. Your bouts of isolation can be helped by regularly connecting to your community.

5. Engage in a Hobby

As a freelancer, you are likely in control of your schedule. This means you can manipulate your work hours to give you time for your hobby. What was that one thing you always wanted to do but seemed to never have time for when you were younger? Did you enjoy writing or painting maybe? Regardless of what it is, utilize the free time to nurture your hobby again.

Save an hour every day to do what you have always wanted to do. By doing so it helps to engage your mind elsewhere, therefore, you will feel less isolated.

6. Enroll in a Course

Many individuals wish to pursue further education but are unable to due to their employment commitments. If you have time, take up a course. There are numerous colleges that offer distant learning programs.

7. Disconnect and Connect

Overworking can lead to both isolations and burn out. Another ideal way to overcome isolation is to disconnect from technology and your work and connect with those you love.

There are numerous ways to help overcome isolation as a freelancer. To help decrease isolation, be sure to become part of a community.

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