Hi there, and welcome to another blog post by yours truly. So the question we’re discussing today does providing FREE Content work in 2019?
A few years ago the answer was a definitive YES.
I’ve been in this freelance/copywriting/content writing space now for almost 18 years. Eighteen years ago in 2001, I could take any piece of content, provide it with the relevant meaningful (no keyword stuffing seriously it doesn’t work) content and Google would promote me to the upper echelons of Page 1.
Today, in 2019, I would say it’s a definitive MAYBE. Why? Maybe? [READ MORE]
Nowadays, that isn’t enough though. It’s no longer enough to sit down and batter out (this is an Irish expression) reams and reams of short trivial blog posts on whatever today’s hot trending topic is.
Today, good blog content has to be CRAFTED. That’s right I said crafted. It’s a skill and you have to acquire it. There are lots of great copywriters out there and they’re doing a fantastic job of providing great content.
Then once you’ve written a few good blog posts – some of these INFLUENCERS estimate that you’ve got to do this about 6 times. Fair enough, number might be important. I reckon these days though in 2019 it’s all about writing
AT LEAST EIGHT GOOD QUALITY PIECES OF CONTENT. It’s all in the quality.
Now, please note I’ve highlighted and emboldened GOOD QUALITY PIECES cos this is important.
And backing them up with things like (full thanks go to Marcin here)
- Explainer video (I’ve even made my video about what an explainer video is – NB this will eventually be another blog post all on it’s own)
- Blog (Good quality post, and most importantly UPDATE it, review it from time to time, when I look back at some of my posts I cringe… but then I remember my philosophy in GETTING THINGS DONE and I section of specific blocks of time to making sure that I make and achieve my objectives)…
- Graphics – With the relevant ALT TEXT…
- Infographics
- Charts
- FACEBOOK LIVE – yes this is the dreaded hurdle that we all have to cross. Getting our content out there on FACEBOOK LIVE (why? Mainly cos it’s free… and connects you to so many people, people who can ask you questions about what you want to know)
If we look at this guy, his name is Brian Dean. He focuses on ONE GREAT BLOG POST PER MONTH. His blog posts though are fantastic… well-thought out, well planned, well structured, great content (lengthy too I can only imagine how long they took him to come up with)
If you’re interested in becoming one of my private clients, then why not check out my book (shameless plug here folks, but hey I’m a content marketeer right?)
[BUY BOOK LINK HERE]Full Disclosure: I do admit to reading articles by the following great people, who have INFLUENCED me greatly. So I provide full credit and thanks where it’s due plus a tremendous amount of GRATITUDE to
- Dean Graziosi (ITALY/USA)
- Omar Zendhom (EGYPT)
- James Martell (Australia, RIP 2018, sadly missed)
- Frank Kern (USA)
- Will Barron (UK)
- NEW ENTRY Paul Mc Keown (IRL, well who knows one day maybe J )
- Dean Graziosi (he was the one that got me first) – I purchased Dean’s book – Millionaire Success Habits… I took away a few things from that. These are the top 5 in a nutshell.
– GRATITUDE – Practice gratitude everyday (every day while I’m brushing my teeth in the mornings and afternoons, kids especially those called PA and EmSi please be sure to brush your teeth AT LEAST THREE TIMES a day, looking into the mirror I say thanks for three things from that day and from the previous day that I’m grateful for)
– ROUTINE – I’m very blessed to have a routine in the morning. Every day I set my alarm for 0530-0546 and I wake up, go downstairs, make a simple breakfast (green drinks more about that shortly) and start easing my way into the day (the old me would have opened my MacBook and started typing away in earnest)
– TWO GREEN DRINKS – every day (I do have a really expensive coffee machine with fair trade beans from Ethiopia, that’s for my guests though, I make it a rule of only drinking one cup of coffee PER MONTH. On a daily basis, I drink religiously green tea plus one green drink made up of kale, spinach, lime juice, pineapple and something called jarmus – I live in Poland so this is a Polish name, it’s something like kale/cabbage but not quite what we’re used to from Western European countries) I start off with one pot of green tea, boiled to 90 degrees, left to sit for 3 minutes and infuse… I also scald the teapot and the cup (I pour boiling water onto both of them) somehow I don’t know how but it TASTES MUCH BETTER.
– YOGA – Been through a lot of these, the one I’m most fond of is a series on YouTube called Yoga With Tim – YOGA DOSE Channel. Check it out and if you like it give him a donation. (Full disclosure – Not an affiliate, just like his channel)
– MEDITATION – (child permitting – I have a young daughter, EmSi, and let’s say I have to do the school run in the mornings. So it depends what time she wakes up at). I like to meditate for 15-20 minutes. I use Andy Pebbles’ Headspace for my meditation. I lived in India though for a long time so I have learned the benefits of meditation for just over 20 years now.
Full Disclosure – I have a ‘sometimes mild, sometimes not’ condition which I call my ‘BFN’ (best friend NOT!!) from the rather unusual and sometimes comical (it even makes me laugh) and downright weird combination of Parkinson’s and Tourette’s Syndrome. I suppose the funny way to look at it is – when this condition kicks in – it can have hilarious results. My partner, refers to it as the best Martini shaker in the business, with a mouth that can work as if it were on high scale LSD. Full full disclosure here – I took LSD once to see what it would work like with this BFN combo and the results were I fell asleep and had one of the best nights of sleep ever inside a crowded pub in Berlin, Germany during a live mic night!
Q: Do you have your phone switched on during your morning routine?
A: My phones (because I do have a few see my feature about INBOUND TEXTING) which we use for TEXTING (i.e. you can’t phone them) are permanently switched on, plugged in and monitored by my staff from 0900 – 1730 Monday to Friday. My private and work phone remains strictly switched off until after I’ve completed the school run. Only then do I switch it on and listen to one of my favourite podcasts from the INFLUENCER list shown above.
If we look at what these things all have in common, they’re the habits instilled into them by successful people out there who inspire me on a day to day basis. These are people whom I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and to say thanks to.
Those I didn’t mention and why
Tony Robbins – I admit to watching ‘I am your guru’ on Netflix and I love his audience participation. I’ve listened to his podcasts but so far not impressed, it’s mostly hosted by his editorial director Annie Ork (at least that’s what it sounds like is she an extra from Lord of the Rings – I don’t know) but the one thing that struck me is why isn’t it called ‘The Annie Ork Podcast’ rather than ‘The Tony Robbins Podcast’. Don’t get me wrong, the man, a former janitor, a victim of parental abuse, seems to be incredibly successful. I would just like to hear more about him though than his editorial director.
Tim Ferris – I have actually his book, Tribe of Mentors. Main reason being some of my family members were taken ill by cancer. Being honest though, I found it and incredibly hard read which focused mostly on the use of opiates and their amounts. I will still try to get round to purchasing his book ‘The 4 hour work week’ but being honest I know in my heart of hearts that I’m not there yet. It takes an incredible system of processes, playbooks, and other things before that plan can be put into place.
Summary
Over the coming weeks, I’m going to be walking you through what I believe are the foundations for success in any EU funding project. I’m going to be teaching you what tools you need for success. What I tried to convey here was the tools that you can start by arming yourself with for 2019.
Homework
Create one explainer video (on paper, download this template here and print it out, take a few pens – we recommend sharpies on a special thicker paper so that we can get the colours in properly). We’ve got a link to an explainer video template here.