The BIG List – Types of Content Every Writer Needs

As a follow up to my post, 31 Types of Blog Posts, here's another list that will give you more ideas about writing. Consider going to three or four websites/blogs and researching how they use some of these types of content. Write down those ideas on your editorial calendar now, instead of when you’re ready to write the post. Let me know how it goes!

1.  Animated gif

2.  Article

3.  Ask fans a question

4.  Behind-the-scenes

5.  Blog post

6.  Book review

7.  Case study

8.  Cheat sheet

9.  Checklist

10.  Client story or testimonial

11.  Comic or cartoon

12.  Company news

13.  Customer service questions

14.  eBook

15.  Exclusive content

16.  FAQs

17.  Guest post

18.  Guide

19.  History of company or industry

20.  How-to article

21.  Image

22.  Industry news update

23.  Infographic

24.  Interview

25.  Link or resource page

26.  List

27.  Movie review

28.  National holiday

29.  Opinion post

30.  Photo

31.  Podcast

32.  Podcast summary

33.  Presentation summary

34.  Press release

35.  Product review

36.  Reply to comments

37.  Research

38.  Research report

39.  Resources or link list

40.  Review of survey

41.  Review

42.  Share a blog post

43.  Share a fan’s photo

44.  Survey (ask)

45.  Survey (responses)

46.  To-Dos

47.  Tutorial

48.  Twitter chat summary

49.  Upcoming events (Pre- and Post- also)

50.  Vendor story or testimonial

51.  Video

52.  Video review

Are you on Twitter? Let’s follow each other! I’m at @LisaLFlowers. 

31 Types of Blog Posts

31 Types of Blog Posts

1. Case studies
2. Cheat lists
3. Checklists
4. Controversial posts
5. Critique
6. Curating or newsjacking
7. Current events
8. Debate
9. Difference of opinion
10. Hypothetical
11. Industry news or trends
12. Informative
13. Inspirational
14. Instructional (How-to’s, DIY)
15. Interviews
16. Jokes or funny posts
17. Link posts
18. Lists
19. Prediction
20. Presentations
21. Profiles
22. Questions & Answers
23. Quotes
24. Rant
25. Research
26. Reviews
27. Summary
28. Survey
29. Takeaways (from an event, a trip, a class)
30. To-dos
31. Videos

Which types of posts do you write most often? Consider switching it up to find new audiences and keep it interesting for your current readers.

Follow me on Twitter at @LisaLFlowers

4 Things To Do Before Hiring A Marketing Consultant

1. Be ready to listen. It is important your first phone call or meeting be a collaboration of your needs and goals, as well as how the marketing consultant's skills can meet your expectations. The consultant should have already done some research on your company as well as your competition. They should come to the meeting with ideas and discussion items.
2. Have your goals written down. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. goals. And they should be written down, in advance of the meeting. Be open to changing them, or at least adjusting them, a bit during your meeting with the marketing consultant.
3. Be willing to let them do their job. Like any professional, they should know what they are doing and don’t want to be micro-managed. If you have written down your goals, during your discussion with the marketing professional, there should be collaboration on a clear plan of action.
4. Be ready to compensate them. You get what you pay for. If you hired a plumber or electrician you would be prepared to pay them for their services from the moment they stepped foot on your property. Marketing consultants expect the same thing. You should have had a phone call (or series of emails) before your actual meeting. During those conversations, fees should have already been discussed.

Got any more tips? I would love to hear them. Write them here or send me at tweet at @LisaLFlowers.

10 Things Every Marketer Should Know

1. Know where you are now. Stop what you’re doing right now and do an assessment of your current marketing activities. Seriously. WRITE IT DOWN. Be sure to include on- and off-line marketing, even organic marketing.

2. Know your goals. They should be SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Your goals should be written down and reviewed often. And they should be given to every team member they affect.

3. Know the benefits of your product or service. You should be able to identify your customer’s needs and easily explain how your product or service solves them.

4. Know where you stand from the perspective of a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a summary of your company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. (This one step could be a game changer for y our company is done correctly and honestly.)

5. Know your competition. You should be monitoring them. Set up Google alerts. Track what they are posting and sharing. Don’t forget to do a SWOT analysis on your competition.

6. Know your priorities. You can’t do everything all at once. Some things will just have to wait until you get the most critical and urgent items out of the way.

7. Know when you’re going to do all these things. As you’re doing the steps above, be sure to include deadlines. These dates should include when to start and finish the campaign or marketing effort.

8. Know your team. When you’re up to your elbows in all this stuff, it’s important to get another set of eyes to look over your work. There is no shame in asking for help and collaboration. If you don’t have a buddy to bounce ideas off of, get one. Also, if you hired the right team, they probably know more than you do, so ask them. And don’t forget the folks in the trenches, like customer service people.

9. Know your plan. And work your plan. Now, here’s the best part. If you do all those things I mentioned above you have basically put together a marketing or strategic plan. All you have to do now is plug in the budget numbers. Okay, one more thing. It’s not a “know” thing, but a “do” thing.

10. Commit to a monthly review. Being able to see even the smallest increments of success will keep you (and your team) motivated. Your findings will also allow you to adjust your campaigns to help meet your goals.

What do you do to keep focused? I would love to hear from you. Comment below or tweet it to me at @LisaLFlowers.

What Happens On The Internet Every Second, Minute, Hour And Day?

[INFOGRAPHIC]

Report: Nearly 40 Percent Of Internet Time Now On Mobile Devices

Many marketers still treat mobile as a marginal or still-novel use case that they can afford to think about “later.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The device and Internet landscape have forever changed.... continue reading

Social Media Anxiety Disorder

Do you have “Social Media Anxiety Disorder”? Join the Twitter chat, Friday, 3/1, Noon (ET). Tweets from @HealthyLiving and @GPSforSoul w/hashtag #SMAD.