QRCA Views

of a few key sentences or perhaps the draft of the introductory or concluding para- graph. Sometimes they include excerpts from books or blogs, collections of related links, notes to yourself, or related ideas. The great thing about your list of ideas and proto-posts is that they often suggest juxtapositions. You realize that bad expe- rience you had with Siri is a good meta- phor for an emerging industry trend you've been thinking about. Or the two unrelated ideas you picked up from con- versations with prospects actually share a common theme. You'll find that blog posts themselves become a source of ideas for spin-off posts; phrases you used in one post might prompt another post to which readers can link. Or you'll realize a post you've written really needs a better introduction and that will trigger a separate post. Sometimes reader comments to past posts will inspire you. Don't fall into the trap of turning a blog post into a series. Nothing causes readers to skip a post like seeing "Part 2 of 3." The same concept applies if you have a white paper you would divide into blog posts. Make every post stand alone, but link liberally to past posts. And wrap up with an overview article, such as an executive summary, that links to each individual post. You can reverse the pro- cess as well and assemble a white paper out of past blog posts you've written on a particular theme. Set a blogging schedule and stick to it. You can start out slow, e.g., once a month, but you will need to blog weekly or multiple times a week to build out a content library. Blog even when you aren't in the mood to blog. Sometimes those dashed-off posts become some of your most popular ones. STORING IDEAS You will also need a raw materials ware- house for your blog content factory, an "idea management system" for storing ideas. If you're old school, you might use notecards. If you're new school, you can use the note app on your smartphone, a Word document, email folder, task-management system, Google Doc or SharePoint. The key is speed – you want a system that easily lets you add a new idea, from wherever you are, as soon as it comes to you. If you are building your blog factory for the first time, you have a lot of choices when it comes to a blogging platform. Take a look at WordPress, TypePad, HubSpot, and SiteCatalyst. For A/B testing of offers, check out HubSpot and Optimizely. For email gathering, consider HubSpot, Constant Contact, Eloqua, Marketo, and the Devereux Group. Some blogging platforms will provide guidance on fine-tuning a blog post for SEO. For instance, SEO add-ins on HubSpot and Wordpress will tell if you haven't used a search keyword enough or if you have omitted it from the title or meta-description. Some tools provide even more nuanced tips for maximizing the search appeal of your posts. Properly done, a blog becomes a fantas- tic tool for lead generation. People who encounter the blog have multiple ways to become connected to you: they can sub- scribe to the blog by its RSS syndication feed, or by email, or follow you on social media. Make sure to offer content for which they will surrender their email address, such as notice of upcoming webi- nars, recorded webinars, ebooks to down- load, and white papers. For viewers who show more interest, you can offer custom- er case studies and a request option for instant contact through web chats, call requests, or phone calls. A systematic, put-your-hard-hat-on men- tality will help you start a blog and stick with it, which is much more rewarding than cold calling prospects. With a blog you are building a wonderful asset to showcase your craft and talents. And hopefully you'll have some fun in the process. 14 QRCA VIEWS SPRING 2 0 15 www.qrca.org Build a Blog Content Factory to Drive Leads C O N T I N U E D "Properly done, a blog becomes a fantastic tool for lead generation."

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