{"id":219,"date":"2017-06-09T17:36:08","date_gmt":"2017-06-09T17:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dickinsonent.com\/cortex\/?p=219"},"modified":"2018-01-13T04:43:19","modified_gmt":"2018-01-13T12:43:19","slug":"message-from-the-president-june-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dickinsonent.com\/cortex\/message-from-the-president-june-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Message From The President \u2014 June 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Month’s Topic: “What is the #1 plan to create content?”<\/h4>\n

President’s Message for June 2017<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Make<\/a>I cannot remember ever being a fan of doing anything that does not have a clearly defined methodology and plan \u2014 it is just my nature.<\/p>\n

It is my belief that without a plan, not only will your execution be scattered, so will your results.<\/p>\n

This is not to\u00a0say that I was not horrifyingly bad at writing content, I just did not understand how important the nuances of the plan are.<\/p>\n

\"KittyDON’T GET STUCK IN ONE MODE<\/strong>
\nThe plan to do something \u2014 anything \u2014 is a double-edged sword. You ultimately get driven by your successes and pushed down by your failures. This psychosis is a uniquely human paradigm as if an animal in nature hesitates or worries too much that its methodology is wrong, it goes hungry \u2014 at its core, survival is a matter of trial and error.<\/p>\n

That said, the other side of that sword is, without the patience &\u00a0due-diligence needed to\u00a0create your overall\u00a0plan, rushing through something without a plan can often be [its] undoing.<\/p>\n

OH YEAH, THERE IS A PLAN \u2014 HAVE PATIENCE
\n<\/strong>So why am I talking about animals, isn’t this blog post supposed to be about having a content plan?<\/em> It is, however, I propose that the more we can be in tune with the natural instincts contained within our human DNA, the better we can define and identify the methodologies that work best for each individual.<\/p>\n

As such, it is well known that successful people make lists and within the bigger picture\u00a0\u2014 and truth of the matter \u2014 is these\u00a0lists are mini-plans.<\/p>\n

Planning works in many ways, accurately presented in this quote from\u00a0<\/span>time-management-guide.com<\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

“Planning<\/b> is one of the most important project management and time management techniques. Planning<\/b> is preparing a sequence of action steps to achieve some specific goal. If you do<\/b> it effectively, you can<\/b> reduce much the necessary time and effort of achieving the goal. A plan<\/b> is like a map.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Okay, that’s nice, but what is the #1 way to create content?<\/p>\n

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Be the resource your customers really need!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

8 Tips to help plan and make your copy easy to read:<\/h4>\n
    \n
  1. Use short paragraphs \u2013 four sentences max;<\/li>\n
  2. Use short sentences \u2013 twelve words on average;<\/li>\n
  3. Skip unnecessary words;<\/li>\n
  4. Avoid professional jargon and use common\/layman language;<\/li>\n
  5. Avoid the passive tense<\/li>\n
  6. Avoid needless repetition;<\/li>\n
  7. Address your web visitors directly. Use the word “you”;<\/li>\n
  8. Shorten your overall post-length \u2014 keep it 300 – 1000 words.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    Here are a few links to get you started if you are stuck:
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n