Blog Like a Mag-2-0-Workbook - Get more of your time...

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LIKE A MAG

Grow your blog through 10 essential lessons from successful magazines.

BLOG

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Copyright © 2016 by Regina Anaejionu of byRegina.com. All rights reserved. You are welcome to print a copy of this document for your personal use. Other than that, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following email: [email protected]. Limitation of liability/disclaimer of warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this guide and workbook, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, promoters, or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, certain links and website information contained in this publication may have changed. The author and publisher make no representations to the current accuracy of the web information shared.

Design by Brittany Mays of BMays Design (BMays.com)

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FRESH START: Pre-Workshop HW pg. 5 THINK AGAIN: Pre-Workshop HW pg. 8

SECTION ONE: The Masthead Pg. 11

SECTION TWO: The Cover Photo Pg. 15

SECTION THREE: The Titles Pg. 20

SECTION FOUR: The Content Pg. 29

SECTION FIVE: The Graphics Pg. 44

SECTION SIX: The Epic Photography Pg. 47

SECTION SEVEN: The Format Pg. 54

SECTION EIGHT: The Edits Pg. 57

SECTION NINE: The Editorial Calendar Pg. 61

SECTION TEN: The Copy & Voice Pg. 67

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Workshop and Host Introductions.

Hi, I'm Regina. And I'll be your main tour guide through Blog Like a Mag. I've been blogging for several years on multiple blogs, so I've been through most of the trial and error imaginable.

But, I noticed something epic a couple years ago—the first blog I took incredibly seriously, and applied several concepts I learned as a magazine publisher to, was the first blog to get sponsorship offers, get over one million visitors, and employ other people full time. At byRegina.com, I create actionable content for creatives, sell courses and books, and am now partnering with a few key creative brands to bring in-person events to locations around the world.

All of the concepts I used to grow my blog stem from my time publishing a local Austin magazine, my time as a graphic designer and web person, and my time publishing an international print magazine for creative business owners. I have spent months and months making sure some of my most useful information, tips, examples, and activities went into #BlogLikeAMag. I hope you enjoy it.

Hey, I'm Verick, and I kind of hate bios but Regina says I need one so . . .

Like some of you, I am new to the world of blogging. I got an MBA and spent some time working for a large tech company before deciding to take the plunge and pursue my passions as an entrepreneur.

Now I am building a lifestyle brand focused on travel and creating location independent businesses. In the process of building my brand, I've gotten really excited about beautiful aesthetics and the power of Instagram. I've been practicing lifestyle photography, learning about user-generated content, and building my Instagram following to over 17,000 people (@BlackTieNomad) over the last few months. I'm here to share with you what I've learned and be one of your guides on epic photography (plus I’ll have some social media tips, too) during Blog Like a Mag.

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FRESH START

Adult Homework

If you are just starting your blog, this is the pre-workshop homework for you.

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Blog Planning: The Cheat Sheet.

Blog name:

Topics or niche:

Purpose:

Types (media/format) of posts:

Audience profile:

Why is this blog is a good fit for my audience?

What are my goals and desired outcomes of this blog for my life and my lifestyle?

What are my goals and desired outcomes of this blog for my readers?

If I were breaking down what I would blog about into 3-5 categories, what would they be?

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Blog Planning: The Cheat Sheet.

What are 5 example posts I might create? (Just the gist or title of the post will do.)

What is my ideal timeframe to launch my blog?

What does success look like to me with my blog?

I will feel like my blog is successful when . . .

Do I want to set my blog up so that I can make money from it? If so, how much do I ideally make per month from it in the future?

Is the idea “worth it” to me if it doesn’t make any “real” money for the first nine months to a year?

How often do I see myself posting?

What is the amount of time I can reasonably expect to commit to writing, promoting, tweaking, and improving my blog each week?

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THINK AGAIN

Adult Homework

If you’ve already started your blog, then this is your pre-workshop homework.

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Blog Auditing: The Questionnaire.

What parts do you absolutely want to keep?

What parts of your blog + brand no longer fit where you truly want to go with it?

Why do you feel like maintaining a blog is important for a brand like yours?

What are you primary frustrations with your blog?

With the answers to the previous questions in mind, what are 5 example posts you might create in the future?

Are you currently monetizing through your blog? If so, are you satisfied with the results. If you’re not making money, do you want to?

How often are you posting? Is that working for your brand?

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Go through your last 100 posts (or all of them if you don’t have 100 yet) and determine whether they should be saved as a draft to update later, be removed, or kept live on your blog as is or with just a few changes. Use the sheet below (as many times as you need) to audit your current posts. You can also recreate this format in your spreadsheet software of choice.

Blog Post TitleSave as

draftDelete Keep

Blog Auditing: The Questionnaire.

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MAST HEAD

Section One

THE

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A masthead is the name of a magazine (in logo form) that you see on the front cover of each issue, and likely on the magazine’s website as well. In “zine” world, a masthead is important because it is the main way readers identify a magazine and differentiate it from others. A powerful masthead can indicate quality, niche, and much more about a magazine.

Applied to your blog, your masthead is not only your header/logo, but it is also any identifying marks you put on your content in other venues (such as your pins, Facebook photos, and other social media content), plus it’s the way you write out your blog or brand name in text. Your blog’s masthead is one of the ways people will identify and recognize your blog and it is how people will differentiate your content that has been pinned on Pinterest from the content of someone else.

Since your blog’s masthead will be the primary way people identify you online, it makes sense for a lot of thought to go into it and where you will need to use it.

The Masthead.

What do you need for your masthead to communicate to your audience?

Do you have a primary logo for your brand?

Primary Logo

YES NO

Where do you need to use your primary logo?

Do you feel your current logo reflects your brand well and communicates what you want it to for your audience?

If you don’t have a primary logo, or don’t like what you have, will you DIY a logo or hire someone?

Secondary Content Logo

Do you have a version of your masthead that you can put on your content as an identifying mark?

YES NO

Which types of content will it need to go on? Do you need more than one version?

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Do you feel the current version of your masthead that goes on your content communicates what you want it to for your audience? Do you like it yourself?

If you don’t have a secondary masthead to put on your content, or don’t like what you have, will you DIY it or hire someone to create it?

Written Brand Name

Do you have a specific style in which you always write or type your brand name?

Is there something specific that you can do each time you write your blog name (in terms of how you use capitalization, punctuation, etc.) that can help it stand out yet still remain on brand?

Once these things are created how can you protect them? Take notes from the workshop on how to protect your masthead:

The Masthead.

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Adult Homework

If you are unhappy with your current logo and sub mark, make a private Pinterest board and save inspiration regardless of whether you plan to DIY your design or hire a professional designer.

Also, use the space below to sketch out some ideas.

The Masthead.

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COVER PHOTO

Section Two

THE

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The Cover Photo.

What is the point of a magazine cover? Probably to make people open the magazine, right? Or to convince people that there’s enough goodness inside of the magazine that they should just buy it and open it later. Either way, the cover exists to convince people to take an action based on a feeling they get when viewing it.

On your blog, your “cover images” are the main images that go with each blog post. They can be with people or sans people. They can be photos or graphics. They can have 15 words or 5 words.

The key is to simply include enough attractive, consistent elements for others to notice a trend and for your brand identity to emerge clearly.

I feel that the #1 factor that initially got people on my blog, was my “cover photos.” And you too can legit plan each blog post image (and you can have more than one for each blog post) as a magazine cover.

Remember the feeling we’re trying to get people to. Each blog post image (just as each magazine cover image) has the potential to intrigue you, to delight you, to make you swoon, to make you laugh, to make you reminiscent, to make you think, or to repulse you, or not interest you in the least. Right?

Let’s talk about the factors that play into that.

Look at any of the magazines you love. Do the images grab you? Do the words draw you in?

How can we style blog post images that cause the same thing online (as in: getting people to click on the article and read)?

There are five key elements you can build into each blog post image you create that can give the same effect as a magazine cover:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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The next logical question might be, “What are the types of blog post images that you can build?” I feel there are five main types:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Out of the options presented, what appeals to you? What would work for your audience?

Here are some key tips that will help increase the clicks on your images and traffic to your blog:

• Create multiple images for each blog post. That way you can save them to multiple Pinterest boards at different times and increase your exposure.

• Make sure you have a square version of each blog post image. This will allow you to easily and attractively share to Instagram and Facebook.

• Make sure you have a horizontal version of each blog post image. This will allow you to share images optimized for Twitter, or add images to Facebook that can easily be converted into boosted posts or ads.

In magazine world, covers must be memorable. They last forever. So, we have an assignment for you. Look at the websites and blogs that attract you online. What is it that works for you?

The Cover Photo.

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Browse over any images you’ve already stored in Pinterest or any other account. What common elements keep popping up?

Adult HomeworkMake a private Pinterest board and save inspiration for your cover photos regardless of whether you plan to DIY your design or hire a professional designer.

Also, use the space below to sketch out some ideas.

The Cover Photo.

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Adult Homework Continued

Sketch out some more ideas below.

The Cover Photo.

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TITLES

Section Three

THE

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The Titles.

What is the purpose in magazine world of trying to create engaging titles? Publishers want people to truly desire to read the content by picturing how it will apply to their lives.

So, how do magazines make this happen?

Very carefully my friend.

And those same careful steps can help you take the time to create appealing titles for your posts. I’m going to show you examples over the next few pages, but let’s get into the five styles or categories of what you can choose to highlight with effective title names.

1. The essential approach.

2. The popular-with-a-twist approach.

3. The novel approach.

4. The complete approach.

5. The experience approach.

One key to all of this—make it believable. Base your title on what people need (and what they think they need) when it comes to a brand like yours, and then present a believable solution through a non-outlandish article title.

Examples: Title 1: Insight on How to Get Your Gluteus in Better Shape {Boring. I just fell asleep.} Title 2: 10 Quick Tips for Better Buns—That You Can Do Every Morning {Believable. I like it.} Title 3: Super Sexy Now!!! The Secret That Will Change Your Entire Life {Really? Whatever, dude.}

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Check out the 63 title formulas and examples below and on the next few pages. Use the last column to create a title that’s applicable to your brand using each row’s formula.

The Titles.

Formula: Example: Plug it in for your brand:

Confessions of a {insert the title of what you do here}

Confessions of a Personal Trainer or Confessions of a Personal Trainer Who Loves Cookies

How I Started {desirable industry action} Without {undesirable personal outcome}

How I Started Monetizing My Blog Without Losing My Soul

X Rules for {doing something epic or foundational in your industry}

10 Rules for Becoming a Highly Sought After Yoga Teacher

How the Unlikely {good word here} {rise/fame/stats} of {industry thing here} Actually Make(s) Sense

How the Unlikely Popularity of Emojis Actually Makes Sense and Can Help You Plan a Killer App

The New {insert industry word here} Revolution

The New Blogging Revolution--And How You Can Get in On It

How to Hack {insert industry word here}

How to Hack Luxury Travel

Why I {unexpected industry action} and How It {desirable outcome}

Why I Stopped Weighing In After Workouts and How It Helped Me Get Healthy

The New Wave of {industry word or trend} and What It Means for You

The New Wave of Niche Virtual Assistants and What It Means for You

How to {insert industry verb of importance to your audience} Like a {insert industry word/position of importance to your audience}

How to Invert Like a Yogi Boss

X Steps to Your {industry word} Breakthrough

5 Steps to Your Chakra Breakthrough

The X {industry word} Secrets that Will Change the Way You {industry verb}

The 10 Web Developer Secrets That Will Change the Way You Present Yourself to Employers

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Continue checking out all the formulas and examples below. Use the last column to create a title that’s applicable to your brand using each row’s formula.

The Titles.


How to Become {cool adverb} {desirable industry characteristic} as a/an {industry label}

How to Become Insanely Efficient as an Online Coach

X Skills You Need for {desirable industry characteristic or outcome}

5 Skills You Need for Baking the Perfect Cake Every Time

How I {desirable industry result} How I Went Full Time with My Vegan Coaching Business

Why Every {industry label} Needs to {industry action}

Why Every Yoga Teacher Needs to Learn Another Language

X Underutilized/Uncommon/etc. Ways to {achieve a desired industry result}

10 Uncommon Ways to Grow Your Accounting Business

Why Every {industry label} Needs a/an {industry tool or process}

Why Every Freelancer Needs an Internal and External Project Checklist for Clients

Inside the {industry process of interest to your audience}

An Inside Look at the Creation of a Feature Film

X Essential {industry tools} to/for {desirable industry outcome}

3 Irreplaceable Apps for Photo Editing

The X Essential {industry tools} You Need for Your {industry situation your audience wants or has}

The 5 Essential Kitchen Tools You Need for Your Raw Vegan Food Prep Business

X Quick and Simple Tips for {an industry process}

5 Quick and Simple Tips for Ending an Argument with Your Spouse Peacefully

Super Charge Your {situation or process} in X {time unit}

Super Charge Your Morning Routine in 10 Minutes

Power Up Your {situation or process} by {action(s) people can take}

Tighten Up Your Client Calls by Creating Epic Agendas

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The Titles.


The Ultimate Guide to {industry process}

The Ultimate Guide to Using Google Analytics or The Ultimate Guide to Your Photography Editing Flow After Shooting a Wedding

The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a/an {industry word}

The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Invitation Designer

The Unofficial Textbook on {industry action} {desirable word to modify the action}

The Unofficial Textbook on Marketing Your Food Brand Epically

How to {achieve a desirable industry outcome}: The Beginner’s Guide

How to Develop a Home Yoga Practice: The Beginner’s Guide

How to Avoid the X Common {undesirable word} of {insert industry action/result}

How to Avoid the 3 Common Pitfalls of Monetizing Your Blog

Why It’s Important to {action or mindset} and How to Start Doing It

Why It’s Important to Track Your Instagram Analytics and How to Get Started

Is {industry word} a Good Fit for You? Here’s How to Tell

Is CrossFit a Good Option for Your Fitness Goals? Here’s How to Tell

X Signs You’re Actually a {industry word}

12 Signs You’re Actually a Life Coach in Disguise

X Things You Should Know About Being a/an {industry position}

4 Things You Should Know About Being a Professional Freelance Writer

X Things No One Tells You About {desirable industry outcome}

3 Things No One Tells You About Going Fully Vegan

How to Use {industry tool or process} to {achieve a desired result}

How to Use Smart Sequencing to Create a Memorable Yoga Class

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The Titles.


The Behind-the-Scenes of How I {achieved a desired industry result}

The Behind-the-Scenes of How I Got My Family to Go Trash-Free for 90 Days

The True Story of How {industry person} {achieves desired industry results}

The True Story of How Instagrammers Build a Following and Make Money

X Ways that {industry tool} Can Revolutionize the Way You {industry action}

5 Ways that Later (an App) Can Revolutionize the Way You Publish Visual Content

The {industry label or word} Glossary for Newbies

The Photography Glossary for Newbies

{Industry} Demystified: The Tips, Tricks, and Secrets

Meal Prepping Demystified: The Tips, Tricks, and Secrets

How to Really {industry action} and X Things You Can Stop Doing

How to Really Gain Email Subscribers (and 3 Things You Can Stop Doing, Like Now)

How Not to {undesirable industry result}: X Things to Look Out For

How to Avoid Weightlifting Injuries: 5 Things to Look Out For

How to {achieve desirable industry outcome} in {timeframe}

How to Get Ready for a 10K Run in 60 Days or How to Prepare a 5-Course Meal in Only One Hour

Why {being in a/an industry title or position} is {opposite of a common thought}

Why Suffering from Writer’s Block is the Best Thing for Your New Novel

What {something unexpected/humorous} Can Teach Us About {industry action or process}

What Kanye’s Run for President Can Teach Us About Goal Setting

How {industry title or position} are Like {something unexpected}

How Creative Entrepreneurs are Like Small Children in Need of Adult Supervision

How {industry action} is Basically Like {unexpected or humorous action}

How Starting a Business with a Partner is Basically Like Getting Married to a Stranger

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The Titles.


The X Types of {industry features} You Can {industry verb}

The 12 Types of Food Blog Posts You Can Publish

What to Do When You {undesirable industry situation}

What to Do When You Burn Out from Client Work or What to Do When You Can’t Get to Sleep

How to Transition from {a state of being in the industry} to {a new state of being}

How to Transition from a Single Woman to a Wife and Step Mother or How to Transition from a Hobby Crafter to an Etsy Store Owner

X Tips to Help You Move from {a state of being} to {a new state of being}

10 Tips to Help You Move from a Poverty Mentality to a Healthy Money Mindset

How to {something cool in the industry} with/in Only {something unexpected}

How to Cook an Epic Dinner for Your Wife with Only 5 Ingredients or How to Start a Popular Podcast in 90 Days or Less

How to Decide Which {type of industry tool or path} is Right for You

How to Decide Which Fitness Certification is Right for You or How to Decide Which MBA Program Fits Your Career Goals

X Reasons to {do something unexpected in the industry}

5 Reasons to Stop Using Cookbooks or Why You Might Want to Delete Your Current Email List and Start Over

Getting Started with {industry word} the Right Way

Getting Started with Yoga Inversions the Right Way or Bringing Up Relationship Counseling with Your Spouse the Right Way

X Ways to Help Your {industry goal or outcome/plan} Not Fail

20 Ways to Help Your Business Model Not Fail or 5 Key Ways to Make Sure Your New Diet is a Success

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The Titles.


X Ways to Get {desirable industry feature}

5 Ways to Get Your Boss to Notice Your Quality of Work (Without Being Annoying)

How {a feature or situation} Could Be Messing with Your {desired industry outcome or feature}

How Reading Blogs in Your Industry Could Be Messing with Your Creativity

X Things to Try to Revive Your {industry feature or plan}

2 Things to Try that Will Help Revive Your Marketing Strategy

The X Best Quotes About {desirable industry outcome or position}

The 10 Best Quotes About Getting Fit

What {popular culture reference} is Trying to Tell Us About {industry feature or word}

What Dabbing is Trying to Tell Us About What It Means to Stay “On Brand”

The Hidden Benefits of {industry action or word}

The Hidden Benefits of Adding Group Coaching to Your Business Model

{industry goal or word} 101: What to Expect and How to Attack/Approach It

Family Blending 101: What to Expect and How to Approach It Delicately

How to Game the {industry word here} System and Win

How to Game the 9 - 5 System and Win

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Think of the next several blog posts you want to create and try to plug them into some of the formulas discussed in class.

Brainstorm/Notes

The Titles.

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CONTENT

Section Four

THE

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The Content.

Okay, my friend. Let’s talk about an amazing, 5-step process for creating a valuable, profitable, and amazing content strategy.

1. Decide your “blogger career path.”

2. Choose your platforms.

3. Start your content and product planning.

4. Pick your profit centers.

5. Build your content paths.

Let’s use the next few pages to go into the best types of content for freelancers, coaches, online store and boutique owners, and infopreneurs.

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Freelancers

PORTFOLIO

STUDENT BECOMES THE

MASTER

MASTER BECOMES THE

STUDENT

The Content.

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Freelancers

The Content.

SHARE- WORTHY CONTENT

ACTIONABLE CONTENT

LIKEABLE PERSON

CONTENT

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I encourage you to think of 15 content ideas for each of the categories in the content plan on these workbook pages. Brainstorm for 7 minutes per category and just dump all your ideas down. You can sort, eliminate, and improve them later—just create a working list.

After you're done with your content plan, figure out how many times you want to post per week in each of your major platforms (blog, podcast, Periscope, Instagram, etc.) and fill in your actual editorial calendar (whether digital or physical) with your ideas.

Brainstorm/Notes

The Content.

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Coaches

The Content.

MINDSET AND EXPANSION

PIECES

BABY STEP AND ACTION PIECES

TEACHING PIECES

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Coaches

The Content.

PORTFOLIO SUPPORTIVE

GUIDE CONTENTSHARE-WORTHY

CONTENT

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Brainstorm/Notes

The Content.

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Boutiques and Online Stores

The Content.

PORTFOLIO CONTENT

COMPLEMENTARY CONTENT

FULL USE PIECES

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Boutiques and Online Stores

The Content.

SHARE-WORTHY CONTENT

ACTIONABLE CONTENT

TEACHING CONTENT

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Brainstorm/Notes

The Content.

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Infopreneurs

The Content.

TEACHING CONTENT

PORTFOLIO AND CASE STUDY

CONTENTSHARE-WORTHY

CONTENT

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Infopreneurs

The Content.

ADULT HW OR ACTIONABLE

CONTENT

FOUNDATIONAL RESOURCES CONTENT

EXPERIMENT IN PROGRESS CONTENT

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Brainstorm/Notes

The Content.

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The reality is, all those other people (not you, of course) will fool readers into clicking on their articles once or twice just because of the great cover photo designs, but it’s hard to make a case for the value of a publication without truly amazing content to back up the good design.

And you can’t only have a little bit of great content either, your material has to be both high-value and readily available.

Which brings me to a question I hear so, so often in blogging.

How much content should I start with? What content should I start with?

The three most amazing content rules that come from magazine publishing (that I used with my blog) that will get your readers addicted:

1. Use your own content to draw people into more of your content.

2. When in doubt, make it more epic.

3. Pay attention to user experience and make your best content easy to find.

The Content.

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GRAPHICS

Section Five

THE

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Imagine if you opened a magazine and there was nothing but text inside, even if it was formatted relatively well. The good formatting might help you keep reading, but wouldn’t a well-placed graphic, quote, or photo enhance the message or help put you in the right mindframe or dreamspace?

I like reading books as much as anyone I know, but sometimes I love to watch the movie version and see all the scenery and characters and dialogue “come to life.”

On your blog, don’t be afraid to use photos and graphics (wisely) within your posts. They can help illustrate your points, teach people how to do something, or keep people engaged.

Let’s talk about all the different types of underutilized graphics that can enhance your blog brand, such as:

• infographics

• mockups

• quotes

• “click to tweets”

• horizontal images for Twitter

• cover images for social media

• sidebar graphics

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

The Graphics.

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Graphics make your content more enjoyable for people and easier to understand. Think of how infographics and callouts can appeal to different types of learners.

What types of graphics appeal to you when you see them online?

What types of graphics would appeal to your audience?

Which graphics out of the list in this section will you develop for your blog posts and brand?

The Graphics.

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EPIC

Section Six

PHOTOGRAPHY

THE

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The Epic Photography.

To properly explore epic photography as it relates to magazine publishing and blogging, let’s explore the Why, the How, and the What.

The Why Let’s talk about why we use photography to grow our brands.

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The How Let’s talk about how acquiring photography works in magazine publishing and blog world.


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The What Let’s talk about what magazines and bloggers do with photography.


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To give you some help with inspiration we’ve come up with an extensive “shot list” filled with examples. We grouped the shot list into 3 categories:

I. Product photography with the product displayed in use

II. Product photography with the product displayed decoratively

III. Lifestyle photography

Product photography with the product displayed in use:

This category includes displaying your products in their natural context. For instance, you might display your book or workbook on a table or a bookshelf or your knit scarves on a model standing in snow. Although the scenes you might set up in this category may be natural sometimes they can be hard to think of.

Books, workbooks, and other printed materials— • Bookshelf: This shot works great when you have multiple printed materials to display.

• Table arrangement: This is a very popular way to display products on social media. It’s also great for events and conferences.

• Person shown reading materials: This is one of the most personable and natural ways to shows printed materials. It’s also a great way to put your face and personality into the photographs if you choose to.

• Beach read: This is another popular display on social media and very natural for printed materials especially magazines.

• With/on Computer or Tablet: This would be a natural way to show an eBook or digital information product.III. Lifestyle photography.

Food products— • On a kitchen table: This is the most natural place to display food but not all “food on a table”

pictures are created equally. The details are what make the differ

• Fresh out of the oven: Great for baked goods and desserts.

• Fresh of of the stove: Great for things you cook on the stovetop... • Ingredient spread: People love seeing the process of putting meals together.

• Picnic spread: Everyone loves picnics. This scene might not be appropriate for every dish but if you can make it work it can be epic.


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Food products continued— • Person shown eating: This is one of the most personable and natural ways to shows printed

materials. It’s also a great way to put your face and personality into the photographs if you choose to.

• With complementary foods/drinks: This helps paint a mental picture of what it would be like to be with your food. If you’re selling cupcakes hopefully I don’t just sit down and eat a dozen of them. It’s more likely that I’ll have a cupcake and coffee, or cake and ice cream.

• On an outdoor table: Natural light is one of the things that can make your photos amazing. Taking pictures of your food on an outdoor table is a great way to leverage natural light and also add some interesting elements like wood and grass into the picture.

Product photography with the product displayed decoratively:

Webinar, consulting, non-physical product— • Pen and notebook outlay • Luggage outlay • Outside for no particular reason • Opulence shot

Lifestyle photography:

• Landscape

• Food Products

• Water

• Workstation

• Street

• Monuments

• Architecture: house, hotel, church

• Bedroom

• Special Event

• Life event

• Exercise

• Coffee shop

• Food & Beverage

• Transportation: plane, train, car, bus

• Sky: sunrise, sunset, stars


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Brainstorm/Notes


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FORMAT

Section Seven

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The Format.

Successful and beautiful magazines have a way of taking content and presenting it in a visually appealing way. Whether it’s a photo collage, well-formatted essay, or DIY/instructional piece, adding headings, graphic elements, appropriate fonts and font styles, bulleted lists, columns, etc., can make a piece much more consumable.

Think about how text on text on text makes you feel when you see it. Let’s be honest, it’s borrring. And it’s difficult to imagine reading pages and pages of it. We gotta make it look interesting to hold the attention of our (sometimes fickle) human brains.

With your blog you have a variety of options available for formatting your content for the web.

Decide how you want each of the following to look: Major headings

Sub-headings

Sub-sub-headings

Text before a bulleted list

Bulleted list

Regular text

Callout style

Quote style

Divider line

Special content (homework, action items, “good to know”)

Click to tweets

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Also decide when and how you will use the following elements for consistency:

Bold

Italics

Underlining

All caps

Arrows (>>), pipes (|), slashes (//), or other characters

Adult HomeworkBrowse around the websites and blogs you enjoy viewing the most. If you don’t have any, then find some that are appealing to you. Do they use dividing lines that you like? Bold text in certain places? Do you like the cute stars/arrows/hearts/light bulbs they use as bullet points? How often do they present information in list format?

>> Note 5 elements that you want to use, repeatedly, in your blog posts. Make them specific to your brand. They should be distinct and they should complement your masthead, cover photos, and overall brand identity.

The Format.

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EDITS

Section Eight

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The Edits.

How many spelling errors, grammar goofs, and factual problems can you spot in a professional publication? I’d bet most well-produced magazine have very few relative to the size of the entire publication. Why? Magazines hire skilled writers and several editors who polish and perfect each piece.

How many errors can you spot on the average web page or blog post? I’d imagine there are tons more errors online. Some of it is acceptable. People generally acknowledge that blogging is not magazining. However, error after error after error will begin to distract your readers (the ones that care anyways).

The key word here is professional. The Internet is somewhat forgiving for blogs; errors happen, but magazine publishers have to be more careful—and it’s good to get in the habit. For a magazine, once it’s in print it’s in print.

Let’s talk about the types of editing, what you can do for yourself, plus what you can hire others for, and when it makes sense to hire others.

1. Self Edit Don’t do this as you’re going. Write, and write, and write some more without going back to edit yourself. Except when you’re at a major roadblock. When you’re unable to write the interesting sections, unable to write the boring but necessary stuff, unable to work on your design or promotion plans, just generally unable to move on, either take a serious break and attack it with fresh eyes and mind, or start editing.

Edit the previous section, the section you’re on now, whatever. It will help remind you of all the work you’ve done, it will help you reconnect with the flow of your work, and it will help you polish your work.

2. Copy Edit This is what most people think about when they think of editing.

Move that period inside the quotation. Here's a misspelling. You used the serial comma here, but not here. This is the wrong kind of "compliment," it should be "complement."

Whereas substantive edits (explained on the next page) are your deep issues (foundational issues) that greatly affect your audience's understanding of your work, copy edits are the ones that affect people’s enjoyment and flow within your wok and are not as deep as substantive edits.

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3. Substantive Edit A substantive edit is more structural in nature. There are actually people who specialize in these types of edits and these edits will seriously help your longer pieces or eBooks out.

Substantive editors will tell you things such as:

Hmm. This doesn't make a ton of sense in this order. Hey, there's a slight gap in logic here. You explained ____ and then explained ____ as a result, but didn’t take the audience with you on the trip. I don't think they'll see the connection.

These edits are substantial, structural, and necessary. They help get your information in the best order and best shape for your audience. Your substantive editor should be someone who understands your industry. If the person has no clue what you’re talking about and have never heard of Pinterest, they shouldn’t edit your major guide to Pinterest—they’ll miss the gaps and inconsistencies without being negligent, they just wouldn't know the difference.

4. Proofread Finally. Take your post or resource through a proofread. You can let someone else do one for you, then do one yourself, or just do this yourself. Go through the post in order, read it out loud, and check for any last errors. This is when you get those last little things. This is when you polish the heck out of your post or resource and make it even more epic.

Do you think you might hire someone for some of your editing? Here are some tips for finding a person:

• Ask any friends or peers who are bloggers or who have published books who they used. They will have real feedback on their experience and will likely be recommending people who are familiar with your industry.

• Do a search on Google or ask communities you're a part of. • Try to hire a professional; someone who does freelance editing as a career. Someone

who knows the rules. Someone who pays attention to details. Someone with a portfolio of work.

Even though I think hiring and paying a freelance pro is best, you can also consider:

• Bartering with an editor or peer • Using Upwork or a similar service to find someone (some freelance pros actually have

profiles here) • Finding a reputable person on Fiverr

The Edits.

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Adult HomeworkWhat measures can you put in place to make sure your posts go up as error free as possible? What do you need to do to edit your own work effectively? Do you have someone who can help you with this task? Especially for super important pieces?

Brainstorm/Notes

The Edits.

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EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Section Nine

THE

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The Editorial Calendar.

Every magazine has a set schedule. Whether they publish quarterly, monthly, or weekly, there’s a system in place that lets readers know how often they can pick up their favorite publications. This builds anticipation, trust, and desire in readers for the magazine and its parent brand. Consistency breeds credibility.

Your blog should have a similar schedule (though you’ll probably want to publish more often than once per month if you hope to grow a readership).

What type of schedule would you be comfortable with? How can you add in extra time to your day/week to get this done? Can you wake up earlier, can you give up a TV show or two, can you stop going to events that are really just a timesuck?

Create time. BE CONSISTENT.

There isn’t a magic number of times per week/month to post. There isn’t a magic number of total posts. There’s no real secret formula. The biggest difference you can make when you first start blogging for your creative brand is to be consistent.

You will learn how to use your voice when you write consistently. You will learn how to build reader trust. You will learn how to create epic content. You will learn how to serve and delight your readers. You will also eventually have enough content to start rolling it into manuals, books, courses, and other helpful items.

For magazine publishers, a schedule sets anticipation, establishes trust, and increases credibility. As a blogger, a schedule can do the same for you.

For magazines and bloggers both, creating an editorial calendar casts a vision, helps with content planning, figuring out what personnel is necessary, where to spend your time, how to build up to a launch, and more.

With consistent content, magazines come to be known for specific columns or topics.

You can do the same for your brand.

Let’s go through the process of getting 12 months of themes, then going hard with the planning of 2 of those months.

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Monthly Themes

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Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat


Month:

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Month:

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Month:

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COPY +

VOICE

Section Ten

THE

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Publications and blogs can both come to be known for voice. Readers are drawn in on a personal level.

Most people like to feel as if they are in the middle of a great conversation with a friend. Most people want to feel comfortable as they read—or perhaps they want to feel the slight discomfort of being called to action—called to do something epic. Either way, it’s about knowing your audience.

Knowing what they need and when they need it.

Here are our top tips for keying in on your audience’s needs and refining your voice to speak to them:

•

•

•

•

•

Now, let’s do some voice exercises.

The Copy + Voice.

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1. The BFF Exercise

For your [upcoming chapter of your book, next blog post, next piece of social media content, or next general writing item that you have to do], sit down and write it to your best friend.

Legit. And super awkwardly. Pull up a picture of your best friend (on your phone, you know you have like 1,100—Facebook works as well) and then sit down and type your next blog post or chapter or tweet.

Another method that works is to actually talk your best friend through your materials. How do you actually word things as you explain the concept or share the information with them?

2. The Narration Exercise

Record yourself talking it out first for your next piece of content. You can either use an app on your phone where you can just talk endlessly then play your words back (like the built-in one on your iPhone) or you can use speech-to-text on your computer (if you have software for your PC or Mac)—but you can also use the FREE feature in Google Docs that lets you talk your content out— (just hit Tools –> Voice typing).

The reason that this voice typing or narration-style writing is so effective is that we are naturally more conversational when we don’t have as much time to process our words as we do when we are typing every single letter.

The Copy + Voice.

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3. The Running Doc Exercise

Which I’m sure you can tell is . . . keeping a document of funny, inner-dialogue-y stuff you say in your head.

Yes, I’m serious. In your phone, in the cloud, wherever. Record the things you say that make you laugh. Still unsure what I’m talking about? No worries. I’ll explain.

You know those times when someone hilarious or ridiculous gets on the elevator with you and you so badly wish your BFF was there to say something to? Or those times you’re in the grocery store check out line behind the most bachelorish bachelor to ever exist and his grocery lineup is killing you on the inside? Write it down. Write down the shade we all know you threw in your head.

I have a running doc like this. Mine mainly consists of scenarios that I imagine from some random starting point. I overhear 1% of a conversation and I make up the other 99% and imagine people’s whole life stories and whatnot.

Totes magotes normal. Don’t judge me. It can help keep you in a place of creativity and creation.

4. The Future Exercise

For 7 days in a row, use a site such as FutureMe.org to write your future self emails. If you want to get used to the voice in your head, then talking things out to yourself is one of the best ways to do so.

The Copy + Voice.

http://FutureMe.org

http://FutureMe.org

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Brainstorm/Notes

The Copy + Voice.

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NOTES SECTION

Record Your Ideas

THE

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Brainstorm/Notes

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Brainstorm/Notes

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Brainstorm/Notes

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