How to Curate a Killer Blog with Evergreen Content | Marina Khonaisser

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So, you started a blog for your business!

That’s a great and exciting step. Now, your next one will be what to actually put on said blog.

What kind of blogs are essential for you to be writing? What kind of topics should you touch on? These are all questions that are no doubt circling your brain, so I’m going to introduce you to the concept of evergreen blog topics.

Before we get into what the exactly means, the first key step is identifying and getting to know your audience:

• Who are they?

• Are they men, women, or both? How old are they?

• What are they interested in?

• What are their behaviours?

Once you have that nailed down, you can really start creating appropriate, evergreen blog topics.

Wait...what is evergreen blog content?

Glad you asked!

Evergreen content is content that is always going to be relevant to your audience. This type of content essentially never gets old, because it consistently delivers value to your audience no matter the time of year. It lasts through the seasons - just like a evergreen tree.

Once you create a piece of content that is relevant and interesting, it won’t ever go out of style.

Here is a quick example:

For a Canadian company that sells RV accessories, a blog post titled “The Top 5 Best Canadian Road Trips” will always be relevant and interesting to their audience.

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How do I make evergreen blog content?

There are a number of different ways you can start getting evergreen content up on your blog. Here are a few tactics you can utilize:

• Answer frequently asked questions that pop up on your social media channels

Example: You are a retail store that constantly posts daily outfit inspiration. You notice that a number of people have been asking how they can best pair patterns together in an outfit - bust out your laptop and write a blog post that answers this question!

• Provide industry-related tips, insights and explanations relevant to your audience

Example: You are an architect that specializes in commercial designs. What’s happening in the architecture and design industry? What tips can you offer other architects and designers? What insights do you have? Share them with your audience!

• Explain insights that might not be clear to your audience

Example: You are a healthcare clinic. Use your blog as an educational tool to explain pressing topics related to self-care, and other concepts that might be confusing to your audience.

• By researching your industry!

Of course you’re going to get the best results by indulging in some of your own research that is specific to your industry. What are people talking about? How can you establish yourself as an authority in your space?

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My favourite tool for this is called Answer the Public. In the search bar you can type in keywords related to your industry, and it spits out frequently searched questions and inquiries that can all be turned into blog posts! Buzzsumo is also a great resource for finding top trending blog posts that you can get inspiration from.

The best part about evergreen blog content is that you can always mix it back into your social media schedules, because the topics will always be relevant. This will cut down time on you constantly having to find external content to post on your platforms.

Check me at marinakhon.wordpress.com!

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TIPSY TUESDAY – How To Be Successful In The Flexible Workforce

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Are you thinking about working flexibly? On this addition of Tipsy Tuesday Tara Dragon from Work Evolution shares her 10 best tips.

1. Know what you mean by “flexible”. At Work Evolution, we define flexibility based on any combination of time (part time, flexible schedule, set your own hours, etc.), location (100% remote or a combination of home and office), and duration (seasonal, temporary, contract). In this way, both a full time 12-month contract and part time permanent role would be considered flexible.

2. Communicate your plans with everyone who needs to know. This includes your manager, your coworkers, the people who work for you, your clients, your customers, your family, your childcare providers, etc. etc. If you have a structured schedule, you may want to include it in your email signature. If it varies, communicate regularly (E.g., set and share your schedule for the upcoming week on Friday afternoons).

3. Set your boundaries and stick to them. Have a plan in place for things that come up when you aren’t working. Are you going to check your email from your phone and reply only to emergencies? Are you completely offline when you’re not working? Who will cover for you if a client/customer needs something urgently? Will you triage activities while you’re not working? Will you change your schedule/location to accommodate a client request or other meeting? Share your plans and be consistent in your follow-through.

4. If you have the option to work remotely, know what type of social interaction you need and plan for it. Some professionals are fine working from home all the time and others get lonely and miss the interactions of an office. If you are the latter, you may choose to set up a schedule that balances your time between an office and home. If working in an office isn’t an option, explore working in locations such as coffee shops, the public library, or a co-work space.

5. If you work from home, have a dedicated space. This is listed on every list of “how to work from home” and we can’t emphasize it enough. You need a space that you can walk away from when you aren’t working that is also separate from the other goings-on in your home.

6. Get your technology and communication devices in order. Will you use your own computer or a company-issued one? Depending on your location, how do you connect to the network? Do people need to reach you by phone? Do you use other technology to communicate with a team (e.g., Slack, Jira, Trello, Skype, etc.)?

7. Have a plan for document and records management. Many organizations have policies about how corporate information needs to be stored and used, particularly if you are working off-site and/or using your own computer. Can you take printed materials home with you? Can it be stored on your own computer? What about information sent to your personal email address?

8. Be proactive about everything. Do you have a question? Ask it. Do you anticipate an issue? Resolve it. Do you have an idea? Share it. Do you need support? Request it. Engaging in communication first sends a signal to those that you work with that you are contributing and will help build trust. It will also help to ease any reservations that others might have about your arrangements.

9. Plan financially for your flexible work. Depending on the circumstances of your flexible work, you may want to consult a financial advisor or seek the services of an accountant to make sure that you have a strong personal budget and/or are taking advantage of tax-savings opportunities. The financial impacts will differ between circumstances – a part time permanent worker is different from a self-employed consultant so advice cannot be one-size-fits-all.

10. Communicate your plans with everyone who needs to know. Yes, this is a repeat of #2, but it is worth mentioning again. Communicate, communicate, communicate. You do not want to catch others by surprise or be a victim of their assumptions. Communicate.

At Work Evolution, we are connecting the best organizations with professionals seeking flexible employment.

Interested in being featured? email us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com 

TIPSY TUESDAY – Finding Balance with Laura Poburan | L2 Fitness

As a fellow female entrepreneur, I understand how it sometimes feels to put yourself last in order to one day hopefully be able to put yourself…not last. How many times in a week do you say: “sure, what’s one more thing, I’d love to…” or “of course I can do that for you…” or “I’d love to help…”

Something I have learned (the hard way) is that in order to make a powerful impact, you have to first be powerful. And nothing sucks your power cup dry faster than over stretching and remaining naïve to your boundaries. You feel this unavoidable urge to take it all on, “give me more, I can handle anything!” you think to yourself. While this is noble, and badass, do you know what is even MORE badass?

Learning when it’s okay to say no.

Knowing that by valuing your health, your sanity and your instincts this doesn’t mean by default you are devaluing those of others.

You have a lot to give to the world, but what good is that gift if at the end of the day you are left a puddle on the floor completely drained of your passion, energy, and resilience?

Something I learned the hard way is to be ruthless with your time. What are the projects that you are passionate about? What are the ones that serve your bigger vision and align you with those people who lift you up and drive your momentum? Those are the ones to give energy to.

There will always be commitments you make to others that don’t exactly float your boat, but at some level they need to serve a higher purpose or else these are going to become your downfall.

Saying “yes” to things that slow your momentum and don’t serve your goals can be draining as an entrepreneur. You have BIG goals – I know you do, because we’re the same, you and I. If you’re too busy making the goals of others happen, when are you going to have the time and energy to give to your own future?

This may sound selfish, but the truth is that it’s really not. If you’re in the business of people (and I would argue no matter what business you’re in, you’re in the business of people) your entire day revolves around working to help others within the realm of what you love to do. The more “yes’” you say to tasks that don’t move you forward, the further you move away from the focus you need to reach your lofty, meaningful goals.

In our world, achieving balance is a whole other job - just like managing our social media accounts, am I right, or am I right? So how do we do this?

1. Planning the week out is key for me. I block out chunks of time for designated tasks every day, I plan my weeks ahead of time so I always know what is coming up, but most importantly this allows me to see if I realistically can take more onto my plate or not, when asked. This keeps me from over-extending, setting boundaries, and managing my time the most effectively.

2. I then take this one step further and plan my “weekends” (aka the 6 hours on Sunday that I’m currently not working ha!) as well. What key relationships do I want to work on this weekend? Who do I want to connect with and how? What will I do to fill up MY cup and rest so I can continue in ruthless pursuit of my dreams? These are all just as important as being productive day after day. After-all, if these fall by the wayside, what is it you’re working so hard for?

Interested in being featured? email us at yegbossbabes@gmail.com