Content marketing, branding, entrepreneurship and writing
Writing is tricky and delicate work. Sometimes all the ideas are there but the writing isn’t.
When this happens, I usually seek some unconventional solutions to give me a boost, but they don’t always work. That’s when I turn to coercion tactics.
You know—stuff that gets results but nobody really talks about how it’s done. Kind of like waterboarding, but for writers.
Here are a few not-so-gentle techniques that should do the trick: [Read more...]
Hi there, in case you haven’t heard, problogger John Chow and I will be hosting a free webinar next Tuesday at 4pm PDT called “How to Get Rich Famous with Your Blog.”
Unlike what you might be thinking, this webinar isn’t about some secret ninja guru technique that’s going to transform your blog into a virtual cash machine overnight. So all of you looking for the instant flashy Ferraris and beach-side mansions are going to have to look elsewhere.
What John and I are talking about is actually something far more interesting and realistic: How to create great content that builds your credibility, boosts your confidence and makes you more money. This has been the passion and focus of Wordful since day one.
What do you think: is the Internet more about content or more about technology?
So far, the answer is obvious. By taking a simplistic, macro view of the largest companies to dominate the computer and information age, you can easily conclude that it’s been about technology:
This isn’t a bad thing, of course. It’s a necessary thing. This conversation we’re having now, this blog, your email, our tweets—none of it would exist without technology.
But if so much time, money and energy has been put into building the ultimate content delivery platform, why is the web still a cesspool of content? [Read more...]
After blogging for the past two and a half years, I now know that if it’s not feeling natural to you then you’re pretty much killing yourself.
I speak from experience, of course.
I lately find myself trying a little too hard to conjure up that perfect post. It’s as if my mind refuses to cooperate with the powerful majority who insist on a catchy linkbait headline followed by a bunch of giddy, motivational advice, parables and clever analogy.
Most times I just want to sit at the keyboard and speak exactly what’s on my mind. No more, no less. Just the truth.
Do you ever feel this way? [Read more...]
The amount of content on the web is now so abundant that it’s begging everyday users to jump in and start curating what they consume.
One such service is paper.li, an online “newspaper” that anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account can plug in to. It gathers and sorts through the links shared in the past 24 hours and creates a webpage that looks like a WordPress news site with your chosen name across the top (like The Wordful Daily).
Across the top of your “newspaper” is a navigation bar with different categories, like Technology, Business, Travel, etc. —just like a real newspaper. Ads are served, as is a Google search box, social sharing and embed tools and an “editor’s note” area. [Read more...]