by Jennifer Kane | Featured Contributor

An editor once told me, “Jen, you gotta show more than you tell in your writing.”

It’s a tip I wish he’d share with content marketers, too.

A lot of the content marketing you read these days consists of companies telling and telling and telling… all about themselves, all in exactly the same way.

And, a lot of the posts you read about content marketing are the same way.

I aim to change that, right here and now.

First, I’m going to tell you that, in my opinion, exceptional content marketing does three things:

1.    It tells a cohesive story...
2.    With a collection of shareable assets…
3.    In a way that is surprising and memorable.

Now, I’m going to show you what that looks like…

1. Exceptional content marketing tells a cohesive story. Your company’s story is the thread that stitches together your content marketing into a cohesive brand experience.

For this post, my story is a simple one…

Most content marketing is bad because it tells instead of showing. So, I’m going to explain how to make your content marketing better (exceptional, actually) by teaching you how to “show” more. To give you a sense of what “showing” looks like, I’m going to give examples in the post you are reading right now.

2. Exceptional content marketing includes a collection of shareable assets. To extend the reach of a story, try to augment it with additional content assets that support it in different ways and in different mediums.

Ideally, each of these assets can also have a life of its own, separate from (but still connected to) its source material. (Kind of like when you blow a dandelion into the wind to spread its seeds and create new patches of dandelions somewhere else.)

For example, in addition to reading this post, you might also choose to explore (and share) other assets that support this topic, like…

…sharing the (pin-friendly) title image above on Pinterest…

…or watching this video with four tips for establishing a consistent voice for your content…

…or reading another post I’ve written on brand storytelling that explores systems for organizing additional content assets.

…or sharing this quote of mine from above…

These additional assets/resources don’t all simply repeat what I’ve already said.

They are a family of elements that support and tell my story in different ways, using different approaches, words and images.

Together, they tell a richer, more fully realized version of my story and give my audience more ways to engage with my content and share it with their communities.

3. Exceptional content marketing is surprising and memorable. Sure, for my final post in the content series I’ve written for She Owns It, I could have chosen something basic like, “Five Ways Content Marketing provides ROI.”

And maybe you would have even read that post. (Though, I seriously doubt it.) But you wouldn’t likely remember it the next day.

If you want to create exceptional content marketing, you need to set the bar higher.

You need to surprise people. (Heck, you need to surprise yourself.)

For example, in addition to taking an unconventional approach to this topic, I also wrote you a poem* about content marketing, using the dandelion metaphor I mentioned earlier.

(Yeah, I know. A poem! Crazy huh?)

Why? Because I’m pretty sure you’ve never seen a poem about content marketing before.

And, I want you to know that I care so much about you as a reader to have actually made you something, totally original, that no one else will give you.

You see, the “exceptional” thing about exceptional content marketing is how it makes your audience feel.

And that doesn’t require a degree in journalism or a huge budget or a giant pool of authors.

It requires thoughtfulness, effort and guts.

You take that thoughtfulness, effort and guts and infuse them…

•    …into your story
•    …into your supporting assets
•    …into your surprises.

…and you show your audience you care about them.

THAT is the biggest secret to exceptional content marketing.

*I am in no way a professional poet. That was just me being wacky, trying to make a point. So forgive me if it kinda sucks.

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Content and Communications Strategist – Jennifer Kane of Kane Consulting – Minneapolis, MN

Jennifer Kane is an entrepreneur and marketing/communications strategist with more than 15 years of experience working with B2B and B2C companies through her firm, Kane Consulting.

Jennifer conducts training sessions, teaches and speaks nationally on topics related to social media, content marketing, change management and digital communications. Combining humor, tough love and passion, she’s known for giving it to people straight — from the hip and from the heart.

In addition to writing for her own blog, The Social Cyborg, Jennifer is part of the author community at Steamfeed, has guest blogged for BlogWorld and Mark Schaefer’s blog, {GROW} and been syndicated on BlogHer. She is also frequent guest on the Next Stage Business Radio Network podcasts.

Jennifer is mom to one active eight-year-old and two lazy Basset Hounds and manages the “Spinal Fusions Suck” social community on Facebook. In her spare time, she thinks a lot about the zombie apocalypse and the awkwardness of writing about oneself in third person.

by Erica Wiley | Featured Contributor

Two days on the road and it still hadn’t sunk it. We’ve been working from home since 2010 and homeschooling since 2011; this wasn’t the first time we were breaking from a normal schedule.  But this was different- this was a whole new adventure with our business, 3 young sons and over 3000 miles of interstate.

We’d been talking about moving and doing a road trip to explore some options. We picked a tentative departure and than on a whim, with some supporting excuses, decided to leave 2 weeks early and in only 2 days time. It cut our preparation time short, to say the least. Yet, it was incredibility liberating.

With only 1 full day between us and the new departure date, we zeroed in on the key things we needed in order to work from the road, literally.

1. charger converter:  A converter car charger was the number 1 item we needed and used. If you need your laptop to work on the road for an extended amount of time and your tablet wont’ suffice, this is a must have.  For under $30, we were able to “stay open” meaning we could work with current and new clients, not having to delay projects at all. We used the BESTEK Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A
2. mobile hot spot: Paying for the add on service of mobile hot spot is totally worth it since it  puts you in control. No worrying if the hotel(or campground) has wifi or if you can find a coffee shop. With mobile hot spot service, if your phone has a signal, so does your tablet or laptop. Because this is an add on service, you may be able to add it temporarily for your trip and discontinue afterwards without any contract hassles. Check with your wireless provider for details.
3. extra chargers: Odds are you will lose a charger (especially if you’re traveling with kids and preoccupied with not losing them.)  Having an extra phone charger lowers your stress – really. No more code red, freaking out, searching for the nearest electronics store  or offline sticker shock (I continue to be amazed how expensive things are in stores compared to online.)
4. web & cloud access to data:  Before you leave, verify that you have access to everything you use on a daily and weekly basis. This includes everything from your CRM to your invoicing or merchant account.  It would not be cool to get 100 miles from  home and realize you can’t login to Mailchimp to send your newsletter because you don’t have your password saved. As an added precaution, I’d be prepared with key internal business info too.
5. Bonus Tip: Safety hound? Me too! That’s why I’d check out LastPass to streamline, simplify and protect your information, especially while accessing remotely or in new locations.
6. hard copy or local copy of info: Doesn’t sound as sexy as sleek apps, but it would be worthwhile to have a hard copy on hand for situations when despite all your efforts and mobile hot spot, you just don’t have internet access.

It’s the honest truth when I say there was nothing else we brought or needed to work from the road. We did ship the charger converter to one of our destinations since it wouldn’t arrive in time for our expedited adventure. Otherwise, while it does take preparation, it doesn’t take long to follow the call of adventure and take your business along, so you don’t have to take a financial hit.

What about about our 3  little guys you ask? We brought pillows, audio books and they each picked a stuffed animal; my 7 yr old packed a notebook for journaling. It also helped to make pit stops more exciting. On this trip, we included Gettysburg, Nashville, and The Boy Scout’s Museum (Texas.)

Have a traveling business story? Share it below, I’d love to hear it!

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Business + Tech Geek – Erica Wiley of PROFITGEEKS – New York

Erica Wiley is Co-Founder and President of PROFITGEEKS, a unique web development and marketing agency that uses technology, biz savvy and good clean fun to grow businesses.

Erica blends her 10 years in sales & marketing with the unique experiences learned from working from home, homeschooling and managing a blended family of 7! She knows first hand the challenges that entrepreneurs face and teaches her clients how to use technology to streamline business operations, create a profit-generating online presence and have time for their passion.

Her work is her joy as she helps you demystify marketing and technology and create a customized system that will keep you focused, motivated and in action!

An all around geek, Erica is passionate about personal development, LOTR, Star Wars, white boards, productivity & planning apps, software testing, volunteering, tree climbing and currently, indie folk music.

For simple, practical and immediately effective tips, Tweet with Erica or find her on Facebook.

by Michelle Nickolaisen | Featured Contributor

We’re halfway through 2013. Depending on how your year has gone so far, that sentence either sent a chill down your spine, sparked a feeling of triumph, or gave you a mixture of those two sensations. However, no matter how the first half of your year has gone, you can still take this opportunity to take stock and mindfully take action in deciding how the rest of 2013 will go. January planning gets all the hoopla, but this is just as (if not more!) important.

But where do you start?

Step one: Orientation

Before you make any more plans, you need to figure out where you’re at now, in relation to where you want to go and where you thought you were going to go. This doesn’t have to be depressing – sometimes things come up, whether it’s a life event or an unexpected joint venture partnership , that can throw off our plans.

Questions:

• Where did I think I was going to be in June, when I made my plans in January?
• How far off was I?
• How was I off? (Meaning: Did your business move in a different direction? Did unexpected opportunities come up that you hadn’t planned for?)
• How do I feel about now?
• Given all of these things, where do I think I want to be at the end of 2013?

Step two: Excavation & Examination

This part is about gathering as much data as you can that relates to your goals (that part is important, because if website visitors a month has nothing to do with your goals, then you don’t need to pay attention to it) and then examining the context around it. By “context” I mean background or environmental things that could have an effect on your results, that you might not have thought about before. You’ve probably realized, for example, that you usually have a boost in email list subscribers after you do a guest post, but do you have a boost in product sales as well? Or client inquiries?

Action steps:

• Decide what metrics you want to collect (profit, mailing list subscribers, how certain promotions went, number of clients, etc.)
• Gather that data!
• Go over it and see if there’s any interesting correlations – did you have a launch that flopped during a specific time period? Is that relevant to the clientele you tend to serve?

Step three: Concluding & Planning

Now you’ve got all this information, but you need to actually use it – you need to figure out what it means and then create a plan from it.

Action steps:

• Looking at the information you gathered and the context of that information, see what interesting conclusions you can draw – there might be two or three possible conclusions, so this would be a great activity to pair up with a business friend and do together. You can also talk to previous clients and customers. (Don’t have a client follow up system? That’s something you should work on in the second half of 2013!) 
  
• Decide what you’re going to do differently as a result of the conclusions you drew. For example: I now realize that my clients tend to be moms, so I won’t debut time-intensive courses during periods when they won’t have as much free time (school breaks or summer), because they won’t buy – not because they don’t want it, but because they won’t have the time to work on it.
•  Use your conclusions & those decisions to map out your plan for the rest of 2013!

Ta da. Now, going through what you’ve learned from the first half of the year, you’ve got a solid plan for the second half of the year, that is thatmuch more likely to actually get the results you want. And if you want to go into these steps in more details, check out the Rock the Rest of 2013 free call I’m hosting!

Photo Credit: Mike Rohde via Compfight cc

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Get it Together Guru for Creative Entrepreneurs – Michelle Nickolaisen of Bombchelle Austin, TX

Michelle is a project + operations wrangler for creative businesses, who also writes & teaches about productivity, organization, & systems (that don’t suck) for creatives. She lives in Austin, TX with her Shiba Inu & loves Buffy, dark chocolate, and tacos. Find her on the web at Bombchelle, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

From Michelle’s site: “My name is Michelle, and I’m an expert at finding out how + why something works (and then putting that knowledge to usually-good use), being grade-A curious, & getting things Done with a capital-D. I work with with creatives who have an established business, who are ready to launch something new or who want to go in a new path, who tend to get stuck going from innovation into action. If you’re working with me, you can expect sass + laughter, fun surprises, and lots of action.”

by Melissa Stewart

We are looking for a few amazing women to share their inspiration and expertise with the She Owns It community. We will be selecting women based on their level of expertise in their particular fields and we will only have one woman per industry/niche. Featured contributors must be able to commit to partnering with She Owns It from July through December 2013.

Here are some subjects we are interested in:

• Marketing & Advertising
• Public Relations
• Social Media
• Product Development
• Success
• Inspiration
• Professional Dress & Image
• Graphic Design & Branding
• Online Strategies – Website and Email
• Legal
• Accounting
• Human Resources
• Operations and Business Strategy
• Customer Service Programs
• Startups
• Entrepreneur Success Stories & Inspiration
• Product Development

…or tell us your expertise & we can create a category just for you!

Here’s how it works:

Featured Contributors will commit to six months with She Owns It.  Each Featured Contributor will provide six unique posts during their six month commitment.  They can be written articles or video posts.

Our Featured Contributors will receive:

•     Listing under Featured Contributors on the She Owns It site
•     Bios and pictures on every post submitted.
•     Exposure through our social media networks on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

•     A woman entrepreneur that has seen success in business.
•     A woman who is an expert in her industry or field.  Or has excelled in a specific area in business.
•     A woman who is committed to helping other women entrepreneurs.

If  this sounds like you, we encourage you to apply (or nominate someone you know that would be a good fit!).

Have questions? Reach out to Melissa Stewart, at melissa (at) sheownsit (dot) com

Click here to APPLY Application deadline is Friday, June 21, 2013.

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Melissa Stewart is a serial entrepreneur who has had a “home office” since age 5. She is passionate about entrepreneurship, addicted to coffee and eternally optimistic. Her latest project http://sheownsit.com/ is a site committed to empowering women entrepreneurs by offering resources, support and inspiration. @melissaonline

The editors at Human Resources MBA Degree Guide decided to research the topic of:

The editors at Human Resources MBA Degree Guide decided to research the topic of:

Work After Baby

62% of American women are employed after childbirth

- 65.9% of women report working through their pregnancy
- 70.6% take maternity leave
- 29.4% of women do not take any maternity leave at all.

Employers are not required to pay women on maternity leave

- This is 100% up to the employer and not mandated by the US government
- 33.1% do not have any portion of their leave paid
- only 24.9% report being paid for 2+ months

The US is one of three countries that does not offer paid maternity leave benefits.

- The other two countries are Papua New Guinea and Swaziland paid/compensated leave:
- Pakistan- up to 12 weeks
- France- up to 16 weeks
- Norway- up to 44 weeks
- Canada- up to 50 weeks
- US- 0 weeks

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, American mothers are offered 12 weeks of unpaid leave and only for companies with over 50 employees.

- 11% of private sector workers and
- 17% of public workers reported that they had access to paid maternity
- 42% of the population is not eligible for leave under FMLA
- http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/24/489973/paid-maternity-leave-us/?mobile=nc

A 2011 study published by the Journal of Family Psychology looked at 1300 mothers in the US. Of the working moms

- fewer reported symptoms of depression
- working moms were more likely to rate their overall health “excellent”
- working mothers also reported being just as involved in their child’s schooling and development

Many stay-at-home moms who have left the workplace to care for their child report feeling

- trapped
- guilty or selfish for wanting to get back to work
- not cut out for motherhood
- resentment for spouse and/or baby for “taking their work from them”
- “I blamed myself for not instantly loving all the parts of motherhood.” -New stay-at-home mom after her first childThe choice for mothers to work or not should be up to the individual.

Onsite daycares
- Works like any other daycare, but on the office’s campus. During breaks, parents may come down and spend time with their children
- improves employee morale
- lowers absenteeism
- decreases turnover
- improves productivity and focus for parents, knowing their children are closeby
- women who take shorter maternity leaves can still breastfeed their babiesMore than 80 companies across the US now allow babies in their offices.

The T3 advertising firm in Austin actually allows new moms and dads to bring their babies to work.

- 50 babies have spent their infancy beside mom or dad in the office in 2008
- new parents are offered private offices
- allowed to bring them every day until the child is mobileThe number of companies allowing babies in the office has jumped from 22% to 29% between 2006 and 2009
- http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2008-03-30-babies-at-work_N.htm

However, many people are skeptical for obvious reasons

- for parents who just want to spend time with their baby rather than work
- for coworkers who would do the same
- and especially coworkers who are unhappy because of a gurgling baby in the background
- meetings and business trips can be compromised
- some people have no heart and don’t like babies

END FLOW

- http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/05/24/489973/paid-maternity-leave-us/?mobile=nc
- http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2008-03-30-babies-at-work_N.htm
- http://www.workingmother.com/best-companies/patagonia
- http://smallbusiness.chron.com/day-care-workplace-11095.html
- http://www.whattoexpect.com/first-year/week-11/back-to-work-questions.aspx
- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peggy-drexler/why-go-back-to-work-after_b_3259258.html

By: Deborah Sweeney, CEO of MyCorporation.com

Back in 2010, Assistant Professor of Law Rodney D. Chrisman published ‘LLCs are the New King of the Hill,’ a groundbreaking study on the popularity and growth of the limited liability company, in the Fordham Journal of Corporate and Financial Law. The LLC structure is relatively novel in the world of business law and, as is pointed in the article, was a bit obscure in the nineties. However, Professor Chrisman’s research showed that, by 2007, LLCs were being formed at a much faster rate than any other business structure, outpacing corporations by a margin of nearly two-to-one. What fueled this meteoric rise? And why, of the various business structures available, are limited liability companies preferred by so many new businesses?

Protection

Many small businesses start out as sole proprietorships or, in some cases, partnerships. Once you file for a doing business as name, an EIN, and all of necessary licenses and permits, you’re pretty much ready to do business. The trouble is the business is then inextricably tied to you, or you and your partner if you have one. You are the business, and though you may be selling services or products under a different name, the business, its debts, its profits, and its liabilities are all yours. Traditionally, you would separate the business from yourself by forming a corporation. This turned the business into its own legal entity, which you then helped run. The business held its own debts, was paid a wage, and was taxed separately. In return, the business owner was afforded some protection in case the company went under or was sued. The LLC structure was not widely recognized until the late 1980’s, but once states began adopting LLC-related legislation, many business owners saw a golden opportunity. Forming an LLC afforded the owner, or owners, legal and fiscal protection without being as complicated or as expensive as a corporation.

Taxes

Corporations often fall victim to ‘double taxation’ – most states have a corporate tax rate that is levied against a corporation’s profits, and then shareholders have to pay personal taxes on whatever income they derived from the corporation. There is, however, something called an S-Corporation, which allows for the flow of profits through the business directly to the shareholders, thus avoiding the corporate tax. Unfortunately, an S-Corporation requires that you form a C-Corporation first. They can also be difficult to maintain and are subject to a litany of laws and regulations. An LLC, on the other hand, has a pass-through structure by default – and if, for whatever reason, the members don’t like that structure, they can also choose a different way to be taxed.

Simplicity

As was mentioned above, running a limited liability company is much simpler than running a corporation. There are no annual shareholder or member meetings, unless an operating says otherwise, and some states even allow LLCs to be set up with only one member. Regulations vary from state to state, but for the most part all you need is a well-kept record of major business decisions and a spreadsheet laying out the company’s finances. Most states also require LLCs to send in an annual report with updated information on the names and addresses of an LLC’s members and to pay a fee. Compared to the records you have to maintain in order to properly run a corporation, an LLC is a much, much simpler structure.

Some states are still trying to fully grasp what an LLC is, and what kind of protection it affords its members. But, for the most part, the LLC has become an accepted, respected, regulated legal structure, and small businesses all across the United States have chosen to form an LLC to take full advantage of the protection it affords them. LLCs will, undoubtedly, continue to be one of the most popular business structures barring a serious reform of corporate law thanks to the structure’s simplicity, its ability to shield its members, and its tax structure.

Photo Credit: Cavan Images via Compfight cc

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About the Author:

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Google+ and on Twitter @deborahsweeney and @mycorporation.

Sponsored Post by Antoinette Sykes, MBA

Networking. Connecting. Schmoozing. All of those words lead to some level of building relationships. Unfortunately, it also a tad intimidating for some business owners; although necessary. How well do you network?

Consider networking your “social capital” for business increase. Networking is a part of your marketing plan and all pieces of your plan makes for a well oiled machine that produces exposure and income. As we dive into are art of networking, specifically we’ll talk about including networking in your marketing efforts consistently for connected increase.

First, it’s called NET-WORK for a reason. It implies action. It implies movement continuously. It is proactive in fact. It is NOT passive and you cannot just let it happen. If the latter is you, it’s time to set yourself apart from others immediately.

Definition: Networking is a process where you develop contacts and relationships to increase your business, accentuate your knowledge, expand your circle of influence or to serve the community. In essence, it’s leveraging both your personal and business connections/relationships to bring you new (and consistent) business.

Here are four ways to develop your Networking Success for Income Increase.

When you implement these four strategies, your circle of influence will expand and so will our chances of increase. Action: Take out your calendar and determine two or more events you will attend for the month of June. How often do they meet? What’s the fee? Is it your best place to strategically mingle? Do you know your ideal client profile? Get clear on the latter BEFORE you arrive at the event.

Report back to me and let me know how it turns out for you. Diversify your network! **remember** when you’re networking, you never know who people know!

Photo Credit: adt610 via Compfight cc

Antoinette Sykes, StandingTall Mentor, Success & Business Coach, Author, Speaker, and Creator of Mindset & M.O.N.E.Y.™ system that offers step by step approach to help you “get more clients authentically and with ease”. Understanding that living a life in today’s economy has changed for a lot of business owners. No matter what, Antoinette holds strong to her faith and believes in the freedom of entrepreneurship; and has a passion for showing other women how to do the same. Antoinette infuses practical and tactical steps to making your business GROW Girl! StandingTall to Grow Your Business Girl is a movement in business, abundance, empowerment and life. It grew out of a need to continue moving forward as “life happens”; finding the strength to dig deep, find a new resolve, and to StandTall and fearlessly CREATE a new sunny day through the rain; for a lifetime! It’s time to Grow YOUR Business GIRL!

A sponsored post from Personnel Concepts

Labor law in the US (and elsewhere) has had to adapt to huge changes in working practices over recent years. The advance of globalization and of digital communications has fundamentally altered where, how and when people work. At the same time, many of the concerns held by employers and employees are much the same as they have been for generations.

Payment of wages

This is possibly the most fundamental labor law issue of all. Employers and employees make an agreement that the former will pay the latter for work undertaken. Nevertheless, a look through labor-related case filings reveals dispute after dispute in this area. While many of these cases may well relate to disagreements over the specific interpretation of a contract and others to straightforward malpractice on either side, some are clearly the product of ignorance. Take the example of Amy’s Baking Company in Scottsdale AZ, which recently featured in an episode of Kitchen Nightmares in which one of the owners admitted keeping tips and paying their staff a flat hourly rate. They clearly did not know that this was illegal as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that all tips are the property of the relevant employee(s). Without more detailed figures, it is impossible to know if staff were actually disadvantaged by this, but it has prompted a lively debate about wages and tips, including the potential implications with regards to IRS involvement.

Overtime v extra hours

If an employee works more than 40 hours in a work week the FLSA mandates that they be paid overtime unless they are in a form of employment which is explicitly exempt from this requirement. Exempted occupations are typically salaried positions, but not all salaried positions are exempted occupations. In fact very few are as exempted occupations are essentially either managerial or other professional roles. There is a growing trend in employees making claims for unpaid overtime. Some of these claims relate to being forced to work off-the-clock (such as the case of the warehouse staff in Illinois), but many others relate to claims of being wrongly classified as exempt from overtime (such as Lady Gaga aka Stefani Germanotta who is being sued by her former assistant Jennifer O’Neill on the grounds that O’Neill believes that she was entitled to overtime).

Wrongful termination

Termination is always an emotive issue and has become increasingly so over recent years. First of all, times of economic difficulty, such as those of the present, inevitably result in an increasing number of people losing their jobs. Sheer weight of numbers means that more dismissals is likely to result in more claims for wrongful termination. Secondly, the continual rise of the internet means that it’s much easier for employees to find out about their rights and to contact a lawyer. Thirdly, many employers leave themselves open to wrongful termination claims by failing to follow correct process when dismissing an employee. Common mistakes include: failing to document procedures for termination; being ambiguous about whether or not an employee actually has been dismissed; failing to document the background to the dismissal; including comments of a personal nature in documentation related to the dismissal and failing to conduct the termination in an appropriate manner.

In short, managers need to make sure that they are well educated regarding important labour laws. One was of doing this is through investing in the educational materials at www.personnelconcepts.com. They are far more affordable and convenient than a lawsuit.

This helpful business information was provided by Personnel Concepts.

by Jennifer Kane | Featured Contributor

A diva knows that it’s not enough just to sing a song. You need to sell a song — transform it, work it, glue it to the back of your open-mouthed audience’s brain.

Creating good content to market or sell your business is no different.

It’s noisy out there – both online and off. You can’t just push out nice, safe information and education and hope someone notices you.

You need to take your brand over the top and be amazing, irrepressible and powerful.

You need to be a content diva.

Now, to paraphrase the immortal words of Sweet Brown, you may be thinking, “Be a Content Diva? Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Oh, but you do, my friend.

Being a content diva isn’t about doing more work, it’s about bringing a different attitude — a diva attitude — to the work you already do.

1. Divas make a statement.

A true diva makes an impact because she tries harder, aims higher and reaches farther. She always takes the gamble, even when the gamble means she might lose.

Try to emulate that moxie in your content.

Anyone can barf out a blog post on “the top five reasons why blah de blah is super important to your business.”

You can do better.

•    Shake up topics like a snow globe and find a new perspective to discuss.

•    Peer deep within the cracks in your industry and tell us what you find there.

•    Ask the provocative questions your competitors are too afraid to ask.

2. Divas work it.

Divas are all about verbs — bringing a sense of action, life and energy to everything they say and do.

You don’t describe a diva by saying she “sings wonderfully,” “dances with great skill” and “vividly expresses her perspective.”

No, a diva preaches. She commands. She transforms. She dazzles. She conquers.

This is how you should talk about your brand, too.

•    Eliminate superfluous and fussy words and corporate buzz speak.

•    Layer in meaty adjectives that roll like thunder from the tongue.

•    Wrap messages within the comforting and secure arms of a story.

•    And never release any content into the wild that does not have a specific goal and purpose.

3. Divas look fierce.

What is the hallmark of a diva?

The look, baby — the clothes, the hair, the shoes, the style.

Do not underestimate the importance of appearance for your content, too.

•    Choose powerful images to go along with your writing. (Or maybe skip text all-together, and let video or audio assets do the talking for you.)

•    Make sure that the media or medium that holds your content is well designed and creates a fluid and intuitive user experience.

•    Make sure your content is well optimized for search and can be easily viewed on multiple devices.

4. Divas make their mark.

You remember a diva after she walks out of the room.

That’s by design.

Everything a diva does is carefully calculated to create the biggest splash and leave a longest lasting impression.

You need to be similarly strategic with your content.

•    Carefully and methodically research your audience to get a better understanding of what they want and need.

•    Design an immersive experience around your content to highlight your audience’s senses, tantalize their imaginations and leave them hungry for more.

•    Connect all the dots between your content to create a digital breadcrumb trail that ensures you get a return on your investment of time and effort.

5. Divas dream big.

Divas aren’t satisfied being the biggest fish in the pond. They want to be the biggest fish in the ocean.

In fact, many of the biggest divas are hyphenates, (they sing, act, dance, write, produce, etc.) They want to conquer all the oceans.

You need to think that big with your content, too.

•    Reach further in where you publish and distribute your content (Explore guest posting, content syndication or joining content communities.)

•    Try something new to expand your content repertoire (Write a whole lot? Give podcasting or video a try.)

•    Stop talking about yourself all the time and start interviewing your customers and telling their stories.

The world is your oyster, content diva. So, go out there and crack it open!

Turn to your favorite diva — whether that’s Barbra, Cher, Madonna, Mariah, Gaga, Beyonce or someone new — for inspiration and a well-heeled kick in the pants if you get stuck while you’re crackin.

Here’s a song from new favorite inspiration, Janelle Monae, to get you started…

•    Memorable look? Check.

•    Funky dance moves in killer stilettos? Check.

•    Thoughtful lyrics with a hot hook? Check.

Sounds like a diva in the making to me.

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Content and Communications Strategist – Jennifer Kane of Kane Consulting – Minneapolis, MN

Jennifer Kane is an entrepreneur and marketing/communications strategist with more than 15 years of experience working with B2B and B2C companies through her firm, Kane Consulting.

Jennifer conducts training sessions, teaches and speaks nationally on topics related to social media, content marketing, change management and digital communications. Combining humor, tough love and passion, she’s known for giving it to people straight — from the hip and from the heart.

In addition to writing for her own blog, The Social Cyborg, Jennifer is part of the author community at Steamfeed, has guest blogged for BlogWorld and Mark Schaefer’s blog, {GROW} and been syndicated on BlogHer. She is also frequent guest on the Next Stage Business Radio Network podcasts.

Jennifer is mom to one active eight-year-old and two lazy Basset Hounds and manages the “Spinal Fusions Suck” social community on Facebook. In her spare time, she thinks a lot about the zombie apocalypse and the awkwardness of writing about oneself in third person.

You can connect with Jennifer on…

Twitter: @JenKaneCo

Facebook: kaneconsulting

LinkedIn: JenKaneCo

Pinterest: JenKaneCo

Google Plus: Jennifer Kane

by Marlee Ward | Featured Contributor

Let me start by admitting that none of these marketing tactics are actually free.

Each one with cost you a considerable amount of time to be truly effective, but when you don’t have a lot of money, you usually have more time, so invest your time in these free marketing tactics and watch the money roll in.

1.    Attend one networking event per week. Networking is one of the best ways to generate clients for your business. The thing with networking, however, is that it takes time. Most people give up on networking too quickly. On average networking can generate paying clients for your business in 5-7 months (or sooner), but it requires consistent interaction over an extended period of time.

2.    Host your own Meetup group. Meetup is a great vehicle for getting in front of your target audience. Just create a meetup group that caters to their interests, and voila, you have a captive audience to build relationships with. Notice I didn’t say sell to. If you try to sell to your meetup group people won’t come. Focus on relationships first and the rest will follow.

3.    Develop a list of referral partners, and ask them to coffee or lunch. If networking isn’t your thing, but you do well one-on-one, reach out with a personal invitation to coffee or lunch with people who serve the same target market you do. LinkedIn is a great place to start looking for these types of connections and build a relationship that can be taken offline.

4.    Send items of interest to referral partners to stay top of mind. Once you develop relationships with referral partners, don’t let them go cold. One way to stay in front of them is by forwarding an article, event invite, or industry update to them on a regular basis.  You should also try to have lunch quarterly.

5.    Post ads using the free classified sections on sites like eBay ads, craigslist, and StartupNation.
This one is pretty straightforward. Just post a well-written ad and drive the traffic to a specific landing page on your site (preferably with an opt-in). I got tremendous amounts of traffic doing this at StartupNation.

6.    Register your company with all free online directory sites. Use a service like Get Listed  to do it in one fell swoop.  Get listed is a free online service that you helps you sign up with local directory sites in a snap. Need some back links and SEO power? If you’re local, you’ll find it there.

7.    Write personalized letters to highly targeted prospects. Taking the time to personally address a prospect can be very powerful for your business. It takes finesse, guts, and a $.46 stamp, but it’s a surefire way to get the attention of a prospect who wants what you have to offer.

8.    Write for a popular industry publication. Industry publications are gems for free marketing. If your target market belongs to a particular industry, volunteer an article for publication. Publishers are always eager for new perspectives and great content. Plus, you’ll get instant recognition as an expert in your field.

9.    Become an expert for press. Much like the industry publications, the local press always needs fresh experts for news stories. Three ways to gain experts status with the press for free include joining networks like ExpertClick, ProfNet, and HARO.

10.    Give back to your community and pitch the press on it. PR for the sake of PR doesn’t work anymore (not that it did), so if you really want to get on the radar of your local media volunteer your time (with your team if you have one), and serve your local community because you care. These are human interest stories that local news loves.

11.    Send hand written thank you notes to your current customers with a coupon for them and a friend. Your current clients can be the best source of future clients. All you have to do is ask. Take time out to appreciate their business and give them a gift card or coupon they can pay forward to a friend. You give them the opportunity to do something nice, you look nice in the process, and you may get a new prospect.

12.    Speak at group meetings that are made up of your target audience. If you have a fear of public speaking now would be a good time to get over it. Speaking is an incredible vehicle for getting your message and offer in front of the people who need it most. Simply use public event calendars like Eventbrite, local chamber meetings, your local library, and search Google to find out about upcoming events you might be able to speak at.

13.    Host workshops for your target market. In addition to finding groups to speak in front of, you should also host your own event and bring your ideal clients to you. Oftentimes, if you can get enough people to commit to ordering a meal, restaurants will let you use their meeting space for free. Host a lunch and learn on your topic of expertise, so you can increase your credibility and visibility in your market.

14.    Reach out to other businesses that serve your target audience and partner with them to increase your marketing reach. This works a lot like developing referral relationships, but it takes things one step further. In this instance, you can reach out to other business that are doing paid advertising and offer your services or expertise in exchange for access to their paid advertising efforts. This one is tough. You really have to foster relationships first.

15.    Make direct contact with prospects using social media. Much like sending a personal letter, sending a personal note through social media can also be a great tool for lead generation. Whatever you do, don’t make offers or sound spammy when you reach out to people directly using social media. Instead, take some time to read their profiles, find some common interests and start a conversation. Social media is social…not sales-y. Don’t try and sell.

16.    Write a free book, report, or white paper and encourage others to share it freely. Years ago Brian Clark wrote a report called Viral Copy, and without much effort that’s what happened to the report. It went viral. These days it’s much harder to do, but if you’ve got a powerful message, a compelling story, and a few influencers who will share it you could have a viral impact too. The key with this one is being remarkable. Average won’t cut the mustard.

17.    Learn to talk about your business in a way that starts a conversation – not a sales pitch.
This has to be one of the most difficult things entrepreneurs face in networking and talking about their business. Many of us have been trained to create an elevator pitch, and most of the time it sounds canned, corny, and kills conversation. Instead of giving your “pitch” when you talk about your business start a conversation using the Do Do Dialogue method. This is hands down of the best ways I’ve ever heard someone teach how to talk about your business. It’s easy and fun. Try it!

18.    Offer testimonials to vendors you use and like for use in their marketing, advertising, and website materials. This is one of my super secret tactics for sniping lots of web traffic. All you have to do is give an honest and rave review to a high profile vendor that serves your target audience (like Dropbox, or Basecamp, or Freshbooks), and let them publish on their site. Curious folks will follow links they post and find their way back to you.

19.    Write guest articles for websites that serve your target audience (like I’m doing for this one). Guest posting is time intensive, but if you do it well it’s a fantastic way to generate leads for your business. In fact, if you want to move your business towards the six figure mark and beyond using the Web, building your list through guest posting should be a top priority.

20.    Join civic organizations or volunteer as an organization instead of as an individual. This is both an opportunity to build relationships and gain visibility for your business. You can even tag team this with no. 10 and see if the press picks up on it.

21.    Give away a free trial of your product or service to the customers of businesses that serve the same target market. This is similar to tactic no.14, and is truly win-win for everyone involved. In this case you want to give your “partner business” permission to give away your product or service to their audience. This allows you to gain exposure to their customer base while making the “partner business” look uber-caring for providing a give-away.

22.    Start a YouTube Television show. There are more than 1 billion unique users visiting YouTube each month, over 4 billion hours of video are watched each month, and 72 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Need I say more? If you’re selling to humans, they are probably on YouTube. It may serve you well to be there too.

23.    Start an iTunes podcast. If you have a computer and a microphone you can start a podcast. Podcasting via iTunes is a fantastic way to target segments of your market that you might not otherwise be able to access. ITunes serves as a channel for those prospects to find you. Plus, when you have listeners engaged in great content on your podcast, you have a captive audience that you can address anyway you like.

24.    Publish articles to your website weekly. You don’t have to blog weekly to grow a loyal audience for your online presence, but if you want to capitalize on as much organic SEO power as possible, weekly publishing is the fastest way to make that happen. If you are targeting the right keywords, dominating your niche in organic search can happen much faster than you think.

25.    Answer questions in online forums with a branded signature. This isn’t the fastest way to bring visitors to your website or attract new clients, but the back links can help improve your site ranking and your insight can demonstrate your authority in your niche. Never participate in a forum with the intention of selling. It won’t work. Instead, focus on providing value and making connections. The rest flows naturally from there.

These marketing tactics may not be sexy, but they work. I know because I’ve used every one of them to build my business or help my clients build theirs.

If you’re marketing on a shoestring these are activities that can take you a long way. Just pick some diverse options and commit to executing on them consistently. With the right message, and the right market, you’ll be making money in no time.

Photo Credit: Victor1558 via Compfight cc

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Marlee Ward empowers solo entrepreneurs make more money and serve more people by teaching them how to leverage high-level marketing principles, online tools, multiple income streams, and a success mindset, through personalized coaching programs, online training workshops, and live training seminars.

After practicing law for nearly five years, Marlee left her career as a lawyer to pursue her passion – seeing individuals succeed as entrepreneurs.

With over 10 years experience in marketing, public relations, and new media technologies, Marlee speaks to a variety of industry specific small business in the US.

She’s served as Business Editor of the popular woman’s blog BizChickBlog.com, co-authored Engagement from Scratch! How super-community builders create a loyal audience, and how you can do the same, and was voted “Top 40 under 40” by a Central Florida Magazine

To receive your FREE weekly marketing and mindset training, plus a free copy of the mp3 training audio “6 Ways to Increase Your Income”, visit http://marleeward.com.