When does an anecdote become a story of urban legend proportions?
When it’s about a brand, it’s almost never by accident. Brands use stories to paint a picture of themselves that stay with the consumer and gives clients something to talk …
The 5 Ws of Creating Your Blog Editorial Calendar
I never went to journalism school. I never really wanted to be a journalist, I just liked writing and telling stories. Lucky for me, a series of serendipitous circumstances led me to a pretty illustrious career as an award-winning journalist and, more importantly, led me to a pretty amazing editor. I knew how to write; she taught me how to be a journalist.
One of the basic lessons she taught me was to always ask the five Ws: who, what, when, where, why, and how. That’s like Journalism 101 for …
Imitation is the Highest Form of Flattery: Which Blogs do You Admire?
Think about blogs you visit over and over again. Think about brands you care enough about to be engaged with their social media. Think about other successful businesses reaching the audience you want to reach.
What do they have in common?
What do they do well with their blogs? What topics do they cover? How would you define their voice?
What do they do differently from other brands that may be less successful?
Studying what other people are doing successfully isn’t about …
Case Study: How to Tell Stories that Sell
“Facts tell; stories sell.” That’s from Marie Forleo, and she is SO right. Storytelling is the essence of all good writing, whether writing a novel or a business blog—and whether you’re selling widgets or doing deep, emotional personal coaching work.
But sometimes, figuring out which stories to tell can be challenging—especially if you’re not doing deep, emotional personal coaching-type work. How does a personal story relate to selling widgets, or accounting software, or interior decorating, as someone recently asked me:
I do interior design and home organizing … I don’t really understand what type …