The Hierarchy of Audiences in Content Marketing

I used to be bothered by the fact that the number of followers I have on social media and the number of subscribers I have to my email list weren’t the same.

Now it doesn’t bother me at all, because I’ve realized they’re two entirely different audiences, engaging with me at two entirely different levels.

Last week on the New Rainmaker podcast, Brian Clark was talking about “Circles of Belief;” he said that the metaphor of a sales funnel is no longer really apt to new media producers and content marketers, and that he’s …

Read More

Stop Blogging! And the Supremacy of Story

Nobody cares about your business.

Wow, that came out kinda harsh.  But it’s the truth. Nobody cares about your business except you.  And maybe your husband/wife/partner/child/cat who depends on that business to keep them in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed.

Nobody cares about your business, so stop blogging about it already!

“But Lacy,” I hear you whinging through the chambers of the interwebs, “Jenny Shih blogs about her business. And Danielle LaPorte! She talks all the time about what she’s doing with her business. And [insert name of your business superhero …

Read More

What is your writing “VOICE”?

“I don’t know how to find my voice…”

No, it’s not Little Mermaid syndrome, it’s something I hear from bloggers pretty regularly.

Writers of all stripes are often advised to “develop their voice,” but it’s a lot easier said than done.

So what is this elusive “voice” everyone wants to find so badly?  Here’s how literary agent Donald Masse describes it in his book, Writing the Breakout Novel:

What the heck is “voice”? By this, do editors mean “style”? I do not think so. By voice, I think they mean not only a unique way …

Read More

Why Asking “How do I Do SEO for My Blog?” Is Asking the Wrong Question

Lately, I’ve gotten a few email inquiries and even people who sign up for a phone consultation with me who tell me that they are mostly interested in “doing some SEO with their blog.”

And my stomach clenches as soon as those three little letters come out of their mouths.

S. E. O. (O… O… echo… echo… echo…)

I think Search Engine Optimization is one of the least-understood terms that’s thrown around in Internet marketing. Here’s how Moz.com defines it:

SEO is the practice of improving and promoting a web site in order to …

Read More