In this new and improved primer you'll learn how to strike a chord with your content. There are 16 lessons for creating all kinds of content that shall rock the web.
3. WEâVE PICKED A HANDFUL OF OUR HITS TO SHOW YOU
HOW TO STRIKE A CHORD WITH CONTENT
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4. 44
A REAL LIFE LESSON... 5
A MIGHTY METAPHOR... 7
NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW... 9
CHALLENGE CONVENTION... 11
HUMAN NATURE... 13
DROP A BIG BOMB... 15
DELIVER SERIOUS VALUE... 17
SIMPLIFY STUFF... 19
EXPLAIN WHAT WORKS... 21
SERIOUS FUN... 23
UNLOCK A SECRET... 25
SMART STRATEGIES... 27
EXPRESS APPRECIATION... 29
HOLIDAY WISHES... 31
HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE... 33
PLAY A GAME... 35
LEAD THE WAY... 37
CONTACT... 39
CONTENTS
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6. A REAL LIFE LESSON
Take the reader on a journey
with you. Use basic storytelling
elements: a place, a time,
characters, conflict and
resolution. The main character
overcomes an obstacle.
A lesson is learned.
Read âThe Most Valuable âHow toâ
Lesson of My Copywriting Careerâ
on Business2Community.
Guest blog post
Tell a good story.
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8. A MIGHTY METAPHOR
Metaphors are fascinating.
Especially when theyâre a bit
unusual. Metaphors make it easy
to understand a concept. Set it
up and drive it home. Have fun
with it and your readers will too.
Read âYour Website is a Mousetrap and
Your Content is the Cheeseâ
on Social Media Today.
Kill it with curiosity.
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Guest blog post
10. You might have been told itâs best
to stay positive. Wrong. Itâs
positively boring, actually. Break
free from the predictable âhow toâ
now and then. Be a contrarian.
Amplify a painful problem. Use
the magnetic pull of the no-no and
the power of the unknown.
NEGATIVE POINT OF VIEW
Read â11 Reasons Why Prospects
Donât Convert into Customersâ
on Convince and Convert.
Have no fear.
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Guest blog post
12. CHALLENGE CONVENTION
Speak your mind.
Your unpopular opinion might
make your content popular.
When I told thought leaders what
I thought of their ridiculous self-
appointed title, I ruffled some
feathers. But I donât apologize for
having an opinion. I strongly
suggest you have a strong
point of view and put it out there.
Read âDonât Tell Me Youâre a
Thought Leader: Just Be Oneâ
on Social Media Today.
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Guest blog post
14. HUMAN NATURE
Basic needs.
Take a cue from the covers of
Cosmopolitan and the other popular
magazines that fly off displays at the
checkout counter. Headlines that
speak to our basic desires such as
sex, love, comfort, and happiness
will generate supreme curiosity. Of
course, it doesnât hurt to get a little
frisky now and then either.
Read âIf You Donât Treat Social Media
Like Sex, Youâre Doing It Wrongâ
on Social Media Explorer.
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Guest blog post
16. DROP A BIG BOMB
You canât top this.
In this, my most read article to
date, I held nothing back. When
you use superlatives like âthe
mostâ or âthe ultimate,â be
careful not to write checks you
canât cash. But if you can make
a big promise and deliver,
do it.
Read âThe Most Effective
SEO Strategy of All Timeâ
on Social Media Today.
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Guest blog post
18. DELIVER SERIOUS VALUE
Show and tell.
Social Media Examiner has
established a large and loyal
audience by delivering a steady
stream of detailed âhow toâ
tutorials. Choose a topic you
know inside and out and teach
a lesson your audience will value.
This is your ticket to building
authority and establishing trust.
Read âHow to Generate Leads with
SlideShareâ on Social Media Examiner.
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Guest blog post
20. SIMPLIFY STUFF
Be the lens.
New information, ideas and
challenges are coming at your
prospects and customers
relentlessly. They crave clarity.
Find an area of confusion. Zoom
in on the issues, help readers
understand them and focus on
what matters most.
Read âMaking Your Online Marketing Work:
Sharpen Your Focus on This One Thingâ
on Copyblogger.
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Guest blog post
22. EXPLAIN WHAT WORKS
Success is seductive.
Tales of triumph are compelling.
You can focus on your
customerâs accomplishment,
your own (as I did here)
or anyone you know readers
can relate to. Give it a story
treatment. Color it with details
about the challenge and dig
into exactly what works.
Read âInbound Marketing Works:
A Copywriterâs Success Storyâ
on Social Media Today.
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Guest blog post
24. RIDICULOUS FUN
Get theatrical.
Why not take chances with some
unconventional storytelling styles?
This oneâs a comedy sketch. Itâs a
parody actually. I had a blast writing
it and the readers got a kick out of
it too. Keep your eyes open for
some day-to-day drama, give it a
twist and surprise your audience
now and then.
Read âIs Social Media as Worthless
as the Telephoneâ on The Point, the
Feldman Creative blog.
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Blog post
26. SLIDE PRESENTATION
Tricks of the trade.
You should share your secrets,
your shortcuts, and the tricks
you know will benefit potential
customers. This presentation
delivers a lesson on repurposing
content to extract more value
out of it. The reaction was
overwhelming. Try it.
See âThe eBook is the Stud
in Your Content Marketing Stableâ
on SlideShare.
28. SMART STRATEGIES
Be a teacher.
Conducting webinars is a
wonderful way to present a
detailed lesson. Resist the
temptation to pitch products.
Teach, donât preach. Youâll
come across as an authority.
Watch âMagnetic Content: Strategies to
Transform Your Website Into a Customer
Attraction Force Fieldâon YouTube.
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Webinar
30. EXPRESS APPRECIATION
Give thanks.
A mentor of mine wrote about how
meaningful it is to recognize others.
Heâs one of the many people who
influenced my approach to marketing
and is thanked in this infographic.
Not surprisingly, the people and
organizations recognized here
appreciated my gestureâand
shared the content.
Check out âFeeling the Vibe of the Tribeâ
a âThankYouGraphic on
Social Media Today
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Infographic
32. HOLIDAY WISHES
From the heart.
Holidays present special occasions
for doing something thematic.
Strong marketers seldom miss the
opportunity to take advantage of
timely and topical content. In this
infographic, I cited a great report I
came upon and gave it a Valentineâs
Day treatment. Do you love it?
Check out âEngagement:
The DNA of Relationshipsâ
an infographic on SlideShare.
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Infographic
34. HAND OVER THE MICROPHONE
Now hear this.
With the mass adoption of
smart phones, podcasts have
only grown in popularity.
Youâll strike a chord with those
that like to listen by producing
podcasts. Hosting a show not
only extends your reach, it
gives you a great opportunity
to invite influential guests to
join the program.
Listen to âContent Marketing Mindsâ and
âThe Point - In Your Earâ by searching
iTunes for âBarry Feldman.â
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Podcasts
36. PLAY A GAME
Gamification?
You might have come across
this funny word. People love
to play games and learn by
doing so. Make what might
have been a mundane
experience fun and unforget-
table. âWTFâ was a game
show created to kick off a
marketing conference.
Play the game, âWTF: Words, Things,
Facesâ (New mediaâs favorite game showâ
on SlideShare.
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Event keynote
38. LEAD THE WAY
The name of the game is
publishing. Consider how
you can collect your best
advice and create a helpful
guide. âThe Planâ is an
example, as is this eBook.
I hope you learned a lot.
Read âThe Plan to Grow Your Business
with Effective Online Marketingâ available
on the Feldman Creative website.
eBook
Lay out a plan.
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39. Photo by Martin Fisch/Flickr
STRIKE
CHORD
A
Visit www.feldmancreative.com
Call 916.984.9988
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