Did you know that you can break all content down into two categories - spiritual and material?

Sometimes it helps to start big and work your way down to the details.  This allows you to look at the bigger picture (and purpose) of your post, and work out the finer points later.  This also sets you up for a series of posts or a book.

TIP #12

Is your point helping people and society to improve, or helping people make money?   How about interviewing people on these subjects to create more content?

“There are many subjects to podcast about. They are mainly in two categories.

Spiritual i.e. ways and means of becoming a better person and helping to improve the society- virtues takes a big part of this section and our relationship to our Creator and those around us;

Material i.e. how to make money and help others to make money.

In both categories there are few good books that you can review and even Podcast about each chapter.

Perhaps you can also interview the people you admire and have recommended.”

–Vafa Motlagh Owner, Wellspring Sourcing

So include the bigger picture as a part of your posts to expand your topics and your audience reach.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Mental blocks are real and do happen.  Find out how to break through them and continue creating good content.

Some people say mental blocks are “all in your head”, and that actually is true.  But getting past a mental block is still a real challenge.   Below are some tips to break free.

TIP #11

Don’t be afraid to use outside tools when your inside thoughts aren’t enough.

“Honestly, sometimes there is that mental block! Don’t let everyone tell you differently!

I’ve found that checking my website’s statistics for popular search phrases gives me ideas for things to write about, which in turn gives me great content that people are obviously interested in.

I’ve also found that when I’m in the mood to write there’s no issue. When I’m not, it’s like torture. It’s those torturous times that I write about what’s happening around me - so the reading tips from these other experts are great - use them.”

– Linda Lullie, Inspired 2 Design, LLC, http://www.inspired2designllc.com

“New content is often awkward. I am having a bit of a slow period myself at the moment on my website, but that is due more to pressure of work than dreaming up new content. What I have done is a few things.

First, look at LinkedIn answers in the area and use it as research material - there is often something controversial commented on. Please give credits, where they are due.

Second, leverage the professional press in your area of expertise. Find an article to critique.

Third, expand a point in an earlier article (thanks to Darren Prowse for this one). http://problogger.net/ ”

-Peter B. Giblett CITP, LLB Volunteer at Happen
http://cio-perspectives.com ”

 All great techniques for moving past any barriers that get in your way!

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Every post doesn’t have to be a novel, and every podcast doesn’t have to be full-blown radio show.  Quick tips save you time, make your content go further, and make it more easily digestible.

Sometimes, less is definitely more.  Some people think they have to pack in a ton of content at one time to be “legitimate”, but that’s not true. 

TIP #10

Share short tidbits of information instead of volumes of knowledge.  Dave Jackson gives some great, practical advice below:

“While the average commute is 20 minutes this does NOT mean your podcast has to be 20 minutes. You can provide a quick tip in less than 5 minutes. Do this instead of cramming 5 tips into a 20 minute podcast.

You can use a tool like Google Alerts (http://www.google.com/alerts) to search the internet for topics of your choosing and report back what is being written about that subject. This goes the same by subscribing to RSS feeds of blogs about your subject. This will keep you up to date with the latest information. ”

– Dave Jackson Podcast Consultant, Web Designer, Adult Education Specialist, http://www.SchoolOfPodcasting.com

One to three minute “tips” are just as good, are easier for a listener/reader to consume, take very little time to create, and help your content go a lot further.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Everyone has something of value to share, and probably on more topics than we recognize.  Make it a point to add value to other people’s lives with every post.

Everyone is at a different level of knowledge, and in a different situation.  Therefore, information that may be “old news” to one person can still be revelational to another person who is not that advanced.  So make sure that every post, podcast and page offers something of value to the people that will consume your content. 

Tip #9

Make every word and post count.  Give people something of practical value to use immediately every time you share something.  And don’t assume that they already know what you know - they probably don’t!  Gary Susman shares the following:

“If you’re blogging or podcasting to promote a business or your own personal brand, the questions you should be asking yourself are:

What can I post that will add value for the reader?

What do my readers want to know that I am equipped to tell them?

Which ongoing discussions of issues would be enhanced by the addition of my 2 cents?

Blogging, like any other social-media activity, is really participating in a conversation; it requires listening as well as speaking. That said, the adding value part is pretty easy, even if it’s just a quickie post linking to something posted elsewhere that you think would interest your readers.

You don’t have to be eloquent or long-winded, just enthusiastic about your subject. Whatever is topical in your field will keep you supplied with subject matter. It’s not important to blog frequently, just often enough so that readers know you’re engaged in what’s happening in your field, and that you have something new to offer whenever they visit.”

- Gary Susman Arts and Entertainment Journalist/Social Media Consultant, http://popculturewarrior.wordpress.com

Remember that what you post today could change someone else’s life tomorrow.  It could provide their “aha” moment and alter their business or personal direction.  So make the most of your knowledge, and share it as often as possible.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Ever get a hunch that turned out to be correct?  Use that same intuition to target your topics.

We are bombarded by tons of information every day, but sometimes something just sticks out and you suddenly pay attention to it.  Personally, I believe that our subconscious is always at work, seeing everything and filtering out the things we don’t want to pay attention to.  In the previous tips we talked about changing your mindset to see things you normally don’t see.  In this tip, we’re talking about following your instinct - and a topic - that just seems to come to you.

TIP # 8

Go with your gut (and interests) and start there.  Then cluster related words and expand your ideas.  Before you know it, you’ll have a series in the works!

“There’s never a lack of subjects to write about. Keep your eyes open and trust your instinct. If something interesting jumps out at you, take note. Literally.

Read the newspaper and circle “faits divers” noteworthy items that catch your eye. Ask yourself why it is those particularly snippets of news made you stop. See if there’s a link to an area of expertise you, or someone else has, take it from there.

“Clustering” helps. Circle a word and write as many associative words around the central one. Next do the same for each of those words. Go on until there’s a shift in your consciousness, the AHA! moment - the instance when you know what it is you want to say.

If you want to stay ahead of local reporters, read newspapers of countries in a different time zone. Always trust your guts and instinct and you’ll hook’em baby!”

– Judith Van Praag author/journalist, artist/designer, public speaker http://hopefilledjars.blogspot.com/

I like Find-A-Word puzzles - always have, since I was a kid.  I like to look at all of the words in the list and then look at the puzzle to see what “jumps” out at me.  I clear out as many words as possible that way. 

Then, I systematically look for each individual word, BUT I do it with the thought that my subconscious has already seen that word, and will show me approximately where it is. 

95% of the time, it works, so I know the subconscious is accumulating information that the conscious mind is not paying attention to.  So why not put that to work in your content creation?

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

People ask me how they can get more hits on their blogs, podcasts, videos and articles. I tell them that they have to write about what people are talking and searching about.

Sure, some topics are timeless, and people will always want to know “how to” do something. But other topics cause spikes in interest AND in search engine hits, and capitalizing on those areas of interest can help bring more traffic to your content.

TIP #7

So find out what people are talking about and searching for and try to incorporate that topic into your post.  Remember when Britney Spears shaved her head?  If you put “bald Britney” in your posts, you would have gotten hits you otherwise wouldn’t have had at that time.  Just make sure that the lesson you attach to the time-sensitive topic is NOT time-sensitive, and will make sense and be relevant when people find your post at a later date. 

But don’t take my word for it - listen to these experts:

“Topical and timely topics get a lot of reads, so before you blog, ‘cast or write, do some reading. Check out your Twitter feed to see what your community’s buzzing about. Read your local paper and a few industry rags. Then get to work with comments, observations, additional insight, etc.”

– Margot Carmichael Lester writer, consultant, activist, rabblerouser http://www.thewordfactory.com

“I use social media sites like Twitter to see what people are talking about. It usually sparks an idea for me, often several of them. I also subscribe to many RSS feeds, and they help me with research and idea generation.

Someone might post in their blog about how to find a good graphics designer. That might jog my memory, reminding me of how I shopped around to find a great PHP developer. That might prompt me to right about tips for finding a good web developer. It might also help me find a person to network with who might be willing to do a guest post on my blog.

Finally, I think the fear of running out of ideas is worse than the experience of it. So I keep a notebook where I jot down random ideas that occur to me, ones I don’t intend to act on right now. When I feel stuck, I turn to my notebook and find that an idea has been hiding in there, just waiting to be explored.”

–Monica Willyard Research Assistant at Veterans Administration  http://scannersguild.com/

So keeping abreast of timely topics can give you great content creation ideas.  And if you keep the lessons timeless, but the topics relevant, you can double your visibility and hits.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Once you have the mindset that you are going to write about something, you will find ideas everywhere you look.

Sure, there are particular ways to exercise your brain or fill your vision with subject matter, but I like Mike Klassen’s take on content creation. He talks about expecting to find content in all areas of your life, and actually finding what you need.

TIP #6

Always be ready to find new inspiration and ideas, no matter where you are or what you are doing.  I actually found a great business podcast idea from a trip to the amusement park 6 Flags.  Andrew Lock once did a podcast from Disney World, sharing business principles he thought would be profitable for every day entrepreneurs.  Here’s Mike Klaussen’s take on this idea:

“I suggest doing away with the myth that one can’t come up with enough content.   I had those same feelings before starting a newsletter, which then morphed into a blog. At least for me, once you’ve settled on the area that you’d like to cover (generally your career field or area of expertise), the ideas really do start flooding in.

Recall the example people give about thinking of buying a green car of some model. Suddenly, you start seeing those cars everywhere. It wasn’t that they weren’t there before, but you weren’t keyed into it.

Same with content… once you start thinking about it, suddenly just about everything looks like potential content. You begin filtering what you see and hear through the idea of “how does this apply to my field that I can use to help others?”  Then, somewhere down the road, all those posts/articles have the making of an eBook.

Also, many of my blog articles started from questions that I saw here on LinkedIn Q&A. They weren’t always directly related to my field, but I was able to address the topic and spin in such a way that it was relevant for my audience. Same thing with articles I read in my field.

It’s somewhat of a leap of faith… you just jump in and trust that the ideas will be there. If you really have a mission about providing people with useful info, the ideas will come.”

–Mike Klassen Direct Market Layout & Graphic Design Professional http://www.mikeklassen.com/

So start looking freshly at tv commercials and shows, a trip to the supermarket or gas station, what your spouse or kids say or do, etc., to spur you onto new and fresh ideas for your content.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

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Thanks again for being a member of the RSSzine community. I hope you have been enjoying the Content Creation tips as well.  If you have some ideas to share with the rest of the community, please feel free to submit it to me, so everyone can benefit from your experience.  Of course, I’ll include the link to your business with your post!

Until next time, have a great and prosperous month!

Penny Haynes, http://RSSzine.com

Many people are worried about starting a blog or podcast, or writing a book, because they think they will run out of content ideas.

So I asked the kind and smart people on LinkedIn to share their ideas on content creation.  I’m going to start with this response, because it deals with a priority issue, which I call “psyching yourself out before you even begin”.   Many people let their fear of failure, or fear of being less than perfect, paralyze them into not doing anything. 

TIP #5

“If you think you can’t, you’re right.  If you think you can, you’re right.”  Pithy, but so true.    Your negativity can kill your projects before you even begin.  Here’s what Sid Smith shares:

“I’ve found that the problem isn’t that there isn’t enough content, but that they think THEY can’t continuously write killer content.  In other words, they don’t want to be embarrassed by what they write.

It’s a very similar experience as stage fright or fear of public speaking. The fear is that their blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, or whatever

• won’t be read;
• will receive negative comments;
• will make them look stupid or illiterate;
• will be taken the wrong way; or
• any one of a hundred different fears.

The key to success is this: simplicity.  The best approach is to simply brainstorm a long list of topics related to their niche market. The easiest way to do this is

• to do a search and find other blogs in that niche.
• Make a note of all the CATEGORIES.
• Then, for each category, note 5 to 10 questions people are asking related to that category.
• For example, take the category “Homemade Dog Treats” for a dog or pet owner niche. What are recipes you can cite or questions people are asking?
• Then, and here comes the hard part, just make ONE major point or statement that summarizes what you want to say to answer the question.
• Make it simple.  Example: Homemade dog treats are less expensive than store-bought treats.
• Next, just write about 400-600 words expanding on that one statement.
• Forget about grammar and spelling (use Word). Write like you’re having a conversation with the person. Don’t worry about how it sounds. You’re not writing a novel. Just write. Writers know that the first draft will be garbage. That’s OK.
• Do a second pass at it, then post. Get it done.

The ONLY way to get past the fear is to dive into the fear. You and I know that once they get past the fear of putting themselves out there - virtually naked for all the world to see - and that they don’t die or get hung by their thumbs, the writing will come much easier. So, address the fear of public exposure first. The rest of it is easy.”

– Sid Smith Web Copywriting, B2B and B2C internet marketing, social media and SEO strategist

So start with a positive, can-do attitude.  Once you remove that obstacle, you will be surprised how much you can think of.  Stay tuned to the next tips in this series for even more ideas on how to create a continual stream of content for your blog, podcast, magazine or ebook series.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com

Many people are better speakers than they are writers.  If you are one of them, then talk away - just get your audio or video transcribed for people who like to read.

Just because I am an audio lover doesn’t mean other people are.  I admit that I have been lax in getting transcriptions done, and now I am regretting it.  I’ve had some fabulous Marketing With Audio And Video shows, with tons of great insights and tips, but you have to listen to the entire show to get them.  I will end up having someone go back and at least get all of the tips and information out so I can use it elsewhere.

TIP #4

If you are a podcaster or speaker, then I bet you have an archive of content that has not been transcribed, and therefore the content has never been searched by a search engine.   It has also never been read by ebook fanatics.  How about people who don’t have an MP3 player and still listen to CDs? You get my drift?

 “You can have your podcasts transcribed and turned into articles. Some people have turned the transcriptions into ebooks. Some people sell their old episodes on CDs or DVDS. Some people take their old content and take it offline and make it available for “members only” and set up a member site. You can do this last one with One To One Podcasting (http://www.121podcasting.com).”

–Dave Jackson Podcast Consultant, Web Designer, Adult Education Specialist, http://www.SchoolOfPodcasting.com

Expand your mind to the many possibilities of taking your multimedia and transferring it into searchable written word.  Also consider re-packaging your audio and video in other formats like CD and DVD.  The possibilities are limitless.

Penny Haynes, http://www.RSSzine.com