Eureka! Could I Have Created The Ultimate Blog Post?

This is a post I wrote back in 2014, but it seems to be still quite relevant in the Big Giant Content Is King universe we, voluntarily or otherwise, inhabit.

We all seek perfection or whatever gets into its ballpark, and every once in a while, some of us actually achieve it. Like today, with this blog post. You can thank me later.

Part 1: The Hard Hitting & Engaging Controversial Editorial Section

The concept of content marketing and its relevance in the realm of communications is being debated pretty hotly these days. A lot of people think that all this activity the so-called social and business media gurus promote has done very little other than to create a glut of mediocre content out there that hardly anybody has the time, and now the inclination, to wade through.
This glut makes it difficult for the good writers to be seen because their work has become something akin to needles in a haystack.
This glut is made even more gooey by the fact that many people have been counseled by their gurus to beat around the bush: showcase their expertise, enough to engage, but not enough to give away any of the real trade secrets that would actually convince people they would be a worthy supplier to help them build their dreams.
This makes total sense when you figure that keeping you on a long and winding road is more profitable for them, but not necessarily you.
Because the less you incorporate some sort of ‘selling’ into your posts, the less likely you will be to see any ‘buying’.
There are still others who have bought into the notion that slow and steady wins the race. These people will plod along feeding tidbits of wisdom into the Great Machine and hoping that something substantial comes out the other end. And so it goes and goes and goes….Hmmm.
Decidedly your content needs to be engaging and show real wisdom. But at the same time, you also need to remember that this is part of what you do to promote your business.
One could argue that if you don’t keep this in mind, people will start to wonder just what the hell you are doing and quickly lose interest in your mutterings and you will revert to being a strand of hay.
As you can see, I have split this blog post into three parts. The first, which you have just read, and hopefully were suitably engaged by. The upcoming parts, that will make it very clear that I’m not just doing this because I like the sound my computer keys make when my fingers hit them.
In a way, you can consider this the flip side to the been-there-tried-that tip laden and cliché ridden posts that are pretty much a dime a dozen and always have been.
The two parts which follow will round out the formula, and leave with you with…well you decide, because isn’t that what engaging with content is all about?

Part 2: The Concrete Advantages & General Wonderfulness Of Me Section

When I created my company, Onwords & Upwords, and decided that I wanted to service the SME sector, I took a look around at the competition, (because it would have been dumb not to).
This allowed my astute strategic brain to derive 4 points of difference which have become a key part of my marketing program and create a true distinction between me and a good number of ‘small business’ agencies.
Here are the insights that form the basis of my points of difference.
1. One person who can develop a strategic focus and conceptualize, write, art direct and produce this strategically focused communication is going to be much more cost effective for small businesses to work with than 3 or 4 people doing the same stuff.
2. If you don’t ‘broker’ or mark up services outside your skill sets, (web site creation, internet marketing, printing, media planning and buying, public relations, photography etc), your small business clients will pay less and appreciate the way you do business.
3. As a client, the convenience of having only one person to deal directly with makes for shorter meetings that are easier to schedule, and fewer people calling or emailing you with questions. This leaves you with more time to do other stuff, like getting new business or whatever, making sure the business you do have is well taken care of or finding new employees as your business grows.
4. Being ready, willing and able to give a fair bit of time to providing informed answers to questions, dispensing advice and yes, even doing unpaid favours are not only valuable perks, but an important part of keeping a client relationship strong.
If this has made you think twice about anything regarding the communications challenges you are facing, why not give me a call and let’s have a real or virtual coffee or tea or whatever. I’m buying.

Part 3: The Inevitable Fabulous Ebook Promotion.

What self-respecting communicator doesn’t have an ebook? Probably a lot of them, but that’s an issue for another time.
My own fabulous ebook is called “Small Business Communications For The Real World”, and is designed to give businesses emerging into the true small business category a good idea of what they should be looking for and can expect when it comes to putting branding and communication programs together.
If you would like to have a free copy of this eBook, just email me at onandup3@gmail.com and I will be happy to send you PDF of it that looks better and is easier to follow than the crappy Kindle ebooks.

Alrighty Then
Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

So there you have it. The ultimate blog post in three wonderful parts. Four if you count this one.
Obviously not every blog post could or should be structured in this way. But if they were, there would certainly be a lot less beating around the bush, and who knows, maybe a lot more business from your blogging. Just sayin'.

PS: Please note that while the execution of this post is a little tongue in cheek, the actual points I am making here are things I really believe in, and that have worked for me as I roll down the seemingly endless highway of content marketing.

If your business has reached the point where talking to an experienced  communication professional would be the preferred option to banging your head against the wall or whatever, lets talk.
Download my free ebook Small Business Communication For The Real World here:
 https://onwordsandupwords.wordpress.com/2013/11/24/small-business-communications-for-the-real-world/
All my profile and contact information can be accessed here:

https://www.bebee.com/producer/@jim-murray/this-post-is-my-about-page



All content Copyright  2017 Jim Murray. Haystack image courtesy of Monet.

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