The HeyCreator Show

So much bad advice … Funny thing — you can ask for people’s favorite words of advice, and you’ll get a decent number of answers. But ask for their favorite piece of bad advice, and you’ll really get a response. I did exactly that on Twitter, and the podcast and post this week are all... Listen to episode

See ya, 2016! We’re starting 2017 early this year. This year has been a rollercoaster … so I’m proposing we kick 2017 off early. To get where you want to go professionally, you’ll need to create excellent content, and to create enough of it to make an impact. We want to support your efforts in... Listen to episode

Ever thought about launching an online course … or some other digital product or service? Here are the four most important elements you need to put into play. Whether you’re starting out or a you’re digital commerce veteran, there are some fundamental pieces that need to be in play before you can profitably launch a... Listen to episode

It’s time again for Andy Crestodina’s annual survey of 1000(+) bloggers. Take a listen and see how your site measures against the trends … For the third year running, Andy Crestodina over at Orbit Media has run his Survey of 1000 Bloggers. We had a chance to chat about the most interesting findings … and... Listen to episode

Is it too late to start a podcast? Should we all just shut up and listen quietly, rather than launching something that isn’t great? So, Ryan Holiday published a post, and it got a lot of attention. Ryan is excellent at getting attention, and he details some of his most effective techniques in his book,... Listen to episode

“Help! No one is reading my content!” We have some thoughts … Whether your site is big or small, we all want more engaged visitors who are reading, watching, and listening to our content. In this 23-minute episode, Sonia talks about: The smartest place (usually) to send paid traffic How to generate the “signals of... Listen to episode

Content marketing is a long game … but that doesn’t mean we can’t create some quick wins. Strategic content marketing is all about long-term results — but there’s actually a lot you can do to create some momentum right away. In this 19-minute episode, Sonia talks about: The fastest way I know to create lots... Listen to episode

Smart content producers know that we can produce a lot more (and better) content when we collaborate. But collaboration brings its own set of headaches and complexities. Today we talk about a nifty new tool to make it simpler. Joanna Wiebe, conversion expert extraordinaire, two-time speaker at our live event in Denver, and creator of... Listen to episode

There’s a word that comes up a lot when we talk about content marketing: Intimidating. It’s easy to get intimidated at the prospect of creating a high volume of really good content. And even more so if you don’t completely think of yourself as a writer. Guess who wrote a book to help? It’s Copyblogger’s... Listen to episode

Here’s a great problem to have: Producing so much high-quality content that your audience gets overwhelmed. But the thing is … it’s still a problem. Today, Sonia Simone and Pamela Wilson take you behind the scenes to look at the development of our new weekly email roundup — Copyblogger Weekly. We’re putting this new approach... Listen to episode

Fiction needs what editor Shawn Coyne calls “obligatory scenes” — the elements that satisfy audience expectations and make the book a must-read. Do those elements exist for content? And if so … what are they? Today, Sonia Simone gives her thoughts on the “must-include” elements of a solid content marketing program. In this 28-minute episode,... Listen to episode

The Copyblogger blog was founded on a simple but powerful idea — that our content (blogs, podcasts, video) can be strengthened by adapting techniques from the world of direct response copywriting. Today, Sonia drills into some specific techniques and approaches that we can profitably swipe from our direct response brothers and sisters. In this 24-minute... Listen to episode

A common newbie marketing mistake is trying to talk to everyone. There are all kinds of buzzwords around speaking to a specific audience — segmentation, demographics, psychographics, generational marketing. Today Sonia talks about a few pitfalls and best practices. Last week the New York Times ran a funny little piece about the Baby Boomers being... Listen to episode

There’s a lot of great content out there … and then there’s the topic of today’s podcast. Sonia looks at the good, the bad, and the ugly. There are two kinds of people. Some folks do the right thing for its own sake, and some because the other option has negative consequences. This one’s for... Listen to episode

Sonia’s back on the podcast this week with suggestions on how to address three challenges that pop up often in our communities. When we’re talking with creative professionals, and content marketers in particular, we’ve noticed certain challenges that come up again and again. In this 22-minute episode, Sonia Simone is back on Copyblogger FM to... Listen to episode

Did you realize that making it a habit to give testimonials regularly can pay off in some powerful ways? Giving a testimonial is a service to others, but it serves you, too. In the previous episode, Pamela Wilson shared the six “magical” questions you can ask to get convincing testimonials. She concludes the testimonials series... Listen to episode

In an age where we’re faced with too many choices, testimonials help us trust enough to make a decision to buy. Are you using this powerful tool in your business? Testimonials work because you’re not tooting your own horn — others are doing it for you. In this episode, Pamela Wilson sits in for Sonia... Listen to episode

Your headline is the epic gateway to your content. Are you doing everything you can to pull your readers across the threshold? Tune in to hear from two Copyblogger heavy hitters (and serious headline nerds) Pamela Wilson, Executive Vice President of Educational Content, and Stefanie Flaxman, Editor-in-Chief. They bring along a satchel full of... Listen to episode

Are the rules of content marketing different for nonprofits? We talk with Help One Now founder Chris Marlow to find out. Content marketing has exploded in traditional for-profit companies, but nonprofits have different needs and agendas. In this 29-minute episode, Chris Marlow and I talk about: The #1 mistake most nonprofits make with their content... Listen to episode

In the copywriting world, some of us are poets and some of us are killers. The really great ones are a blend of both. William Maynard once said, Most good copywriters fall into two categories. Poets. And killers. Poets see an ad as an end, killers as a means to an end. And advertising legend... Listen to episode

Whether you love it or hate it — Pokémon Go is the biggest global hit in a long time. Is it worthwhile to try and find a Poké-marketing angle? We’ve been waiting for a truly mainstream augmented reality app to come along — and has it ever. Within a week of launch, Pokémon Go had... Listen to episode

Expressing deeply­ held values in your content can have powerful results. But what happens when the conversation becomes controversial? There’s no shortage of sensitive, controversial topics in the public conversation today. Some of them are handled skillfully … and some aren’t. In this 21 ­minute episode, I talk about: Why you may want to consider... Listen to episode