Each month we wade through the ‘noise’ of all the content out there, so you don’t have to do it, and bring you five pieces of content we think are worth checking out!
Here are this month’s picks:
1. Renee Shupe reminds us that website maintenance doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming.
Renee has this to say about why you should care about maintaining your website:
You wouldn’t buy a car and then never take it in for an oil change, would you? Eventually, your vehicle will run out of oil and will stop working. Owning a website is similar.
Read the article here: WordPress Website Maintenance Tips for DIY Website Owners.
2. Kelly McCausey encourages us to find unique points of connection.
A great website won’t do much if you don’t have content that connects with your audience. Kelly says:
As Content Creators we’re connecting to our communities around the topics we publish. If you write about parenting, you attract parents. If you write about baking, you attract bakers. Easy, right?
Well, yes and no!
Listen to Unique Points of Connection, a short 12- minute episode, to find out how Kelly says we can find points of connection.
3. Connie Ragen Green shares the benefits and dangers of using AI in our online marketing.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a huge topic being talked about by everyone these days and just like other tools, it can be used for good or bad. Here’s what Connie has to say about it:
Some see it as something to fear or something that lacks benefits, while others want to use it as a full replacement of any effort they might have to put into their business. This all boils down to a lack of knowledge about how AI works, how it fails, what it can do for you, and how it can damage your business. Once you’re educated about it, it can be something you welcome into your business without fear and without risk.
Ready to learn more about the good and bad of AI in online marketing? Take a few minutes to read Connie’s meaty post here: Using AI in Your Online Marketing.
4. Darren Rowse shares what he (and others) wishes he knew about making money when he first started blogging.
In his post, Darren shared:
I sometimes look back on my blogging with a twinge of regret that I didn’t get into blogging earlier and establish myself in my niches before ‘competitors’ did. I dabbled in making websites about 25 years ago (5 years before I started my first blog in 2002) and blogged for a full year on a personal blog before even considering that I could make money from blogging or starting blogs on any focused topic.
He goes on to explain that he learned a lot in that first year, though. He decided to ask others what they wished they had known when they first started blogging too.
If you’re looking to make money from a blog, be sure to head on over and read the post here: How to Make Money Blogging – What We Wish We Knew.
5. Paul Taubman shares 7 ways our websites are costing us customers (and how to fix it).
Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking they’ll just throw a website up and it’ll be good. Sure, it can be that simple but Paul reminds us:
In today’s digital age, your website is often the first point of contact for potential customers, and a poorly designed or optimized website can cost you new business.
Is your website costing you customers? Find out here: 7 Ways Your Website Is Costing You Customers.
(Note: Paul refers to local business owners in his article but the content applies to online businesses as well.)
6. Anna over at Social Media Examiner reminds us to make sure our social media content is more accessible.
This post has some excellent advice about ways we can ensure our social media content is accessible for all because like Anna states:
According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 6 people around the world live with a disability. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control estimate that 1 in 4 people have some kind of disability. Some of the most common disabilities relate to cognition and vision, both of which affect how people perceive and process digital content—including social media.
Make sure your social media content isn’t excluding part of your target – head on over and read How to Make Your Social Media Content More Accessible now.
That’s it for this time around and now it’s your turn! Leave a comment below and let us know what great content you’ve come across.