- Susan Weiner Investment Writing

Blogging lessons from the New York Times’ public editor

February 12, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

When she started her job, Margaret Sullivan, public editor of The New York Times, set herself three goals that can also apply to advisors who blog for their firms:

Put readers first.
Encourage conversation.
Promote transparency and understanding.

The goals need some tweaking for advisors because, as Sullivan explains in “My Turn in Between the Readers and the Writers,” “…the public editor’s job is to serve as an in-house critic as well as the readers’ advocate in matters of journalistic integrity.” To make her goals relevant to advisors, I put my own spin on each of her three rules below.

1. Put readers first.

A blog that focuses only on boosting your firm and its ranking in Google and other search engines won’t do you much good. Readers who aren’t engaged by your content won’t stick around. They’re not likely to become clients either.

Your blog should focus on providing useful information on topics that your clients and prospects care about. Write in plain English so they can understand you.

2. Encourage conversation.

Sullivan starts her section on conversation by saying, “Journalism, these days, is no longer a one-way proposition, with celebrated news organizations handing down the news like Moses with his stone tablets.” Advisors aren’t Moses either. Plus, they can gain from listening to their readers.

Encouraging conversation is a tough one for many advisors. Concerns about compliance spur many advisors to turn off the comment feature on their blogs. But even without allowing comments, you can pose questions that invite people to contact you.

If your blog allows comments, that’s even better. Try to get a conversation going. It’s not just a matter of posing questions. When readers comment, you should show your respect for them by responding. At a minimum, say “Thank you.” It’s even better if you react to some aspect of what each person says.

3. Promote transparency and understanding.

Advisors are used to the idea of transparency of fees and the like. Transparency in a blog might mean taking a more personal approach to some topics. Perhaps you can reveal something about your life that makes your blog post topics important to you.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Guest post: Do longer articles really get shared more often?

February 8, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Which blog posts get shared the most? Everyone wants to know. So when I read that “longer articles tend to be shared far more often,” according to an article cited by “Content Marketing: Dance Like Nobody’s Looking,” I shared that quote on Facebook. I was delighted when Angelique Geehan responded with the thoughtful reply you’ll find below.

By the way, I think of this post as an example of the serendipity of Facebook. I would never have met Angelique without Facebook, where she followed her boss in becoming a fan of the Investment Writing Facebook page. We’ve had some great online exchanges since then.

Do longer articles really get shared more often?

by Angelique Geehan

I saw “longer articles tend to be shared far more often” and my immediate inner “Huh?!?” made it clear I had better stop and reconsider what I’ve been harping on my coworkers about.

I’ve been telling them to write shorter articles and posts. I’ve told them people don’t have time for long pieces regularly (which may still be true). I’ve forwarded them links to articles about getting mileage out of topics that require longer explanations by using the blog equivalent of chapters.

So the question you posed, Susan, about whether that takeaway agreed with my experience, was a reality check.

It didn’t take long for me to reflect and realize that I do tend to both “like” and share more longer articles than shorter ones. I do so when they are particularly meaningful on a personal level — when I perceive they might add to the discourse on their topic, either in ways I have not encountered before or in ways I think are so fundamental that (1) I would like my friends to read it so they can understand me better, or (2) we can continue the discussions in person when we do meet.

That said, it can take me a very long time to get to these longer articles. Some of them I open in a tab or send to myself in an email to read when I can spare the time. In contrast, I read and possibly “like” shorter pieces right away. And I know I read more short pieces than long ones, mostly through my RSS feed, Facebook shares, and email subscriptions. Often, the short pieces are what I’ll email to friends who are not active on social media or post links to directly into Facebook groups where the topic comes up. I’m also more likely to comment on a shorter post, because I might have a few thoughts or contributions in response, instead of a zillion to mull over and take with me for a week and into conversations. And I will have had time to comment before other tasks call.

For me, it isn’t as much about pure length as it is about how complete a piece is. Posts that are topic-based “101s” or introductions to something must usually be longer than newsy or single-point posts, but they can be the most useful to me for sharing. If I do manage to read a longer, atmospheric piece, one that has snared me from the beginning and kept me hooked … well … it has obviously made an impact and earned some of my loyalty. From there, the “share” is a natural consequence: something meaningful has an impact on me, and I want my friends to experience it, too.

Besides, using that button’s faster than taking scissors to newspaper, addressing and stamping an envelope, and waiting for delivery. And it goes to a few hundred folks without my ever having to go near a copy machine.

_________

Angelique Geehan is a Managing Director for Index Strategy Advisors, Inc. (ISA), a Houston-based Registered Investment Advisor that specializes in optimizing a range of investors’ portfolios using exchange-traded funds. She hopes one day to slay an elusive but persistent writer’s block that has been her poor excuse for not posting for ISA’s blog for a few (erm, ahem) weeks.

Turn questions into blog posts

February 5, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Tired of writing explanations for an audience of one?

Your clients, prospects, or even folks doing Google searches, may contact you with questions. Depending on your relationship and availability, you may respond at some length. This takes time.

Your blog makes it possible for you to get more mileage out of these inquiries. If the question fits your blog’s theme and has reasonably broad appeal, consider turning it into a blog post. You can write it as a simple Q&A, as I did in “Reader question: How can communicators manage difficult portfolio managers?” or a plain blog post.

Should you mention that your new blog post originated in a question from a client, prospect, or reader? Yes, if you want to seem approachable and interested in your blog’s audience.

Another alternative: Add to FAQ

If the question isn’t right for your blog, it may still be worth sharing. Consider adding the question and answer to the frequently asked questions (FAQ) section of your website.

Image courtesy of xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

POLL: What are your blog’s goals?

January 20, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Why do you blog? I’d like to get a better sense of why my readers blog and the obstacles they face. That’s the focus of this month’s two-question survey.

Talking with students in my blogging class for financial advisors, I often hear that they’d like to attract more clients. In fact, some of them take the class because they’ve seen a drop in new business when they’ve stopped blogging regularly. Those folks seek a way to rediscover their energy for blogging.

Educating people also typically ranks high. Advisors would like to prevent their readers from making mistakes and put them on a path toward better financial futures.

When I recently asked on Facebook and Twitter about goals, some additional goals surfaced. I’ve included these as options in Question 1. Please check all the goals that apply for you.

I will report on the results of this survey in a future issue of my e-newsletter.

By the way, I’d like to thank blogger Chuck Rylant for inspiring this poll with a series of exchanges on the Investment Writing Facebook page.

Blog “out of season” for better value

January 7, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Bicycling along the Cape Cod Rail Trail on a Veteran’s Day weekend reminded me of the
benefits of traveling in the off-season. Similarly, a blogger who posts about topics when they’re “out of season” can reap benefits.

Rail trails can be uncomfortably crowded during the summer. If I pass pedestrians, I must move quickly so I don’t run into cyclists or other folks coming from the opposite direction. The unpredictable behavior of little kids and dogs is a constant challenge. Contrast this with the serenity of riding off-season with my husband. The path was empty most of the time during our November outing

A blogger’s “out of season” ride

For a financial blogger, the equivalent of the tourist season is writing about taxes in April, college graduations in May, and holiday gifts in December. Sure, those topics are in the news then, but you’ve got lots of competition from other writers, just as I ran into lots of traffic on a popular rail trail on a summer Sunday afternoon.

It’s better to blog about seasonal topics well ahead of time. There are several benefits.

Your readers need to plan ahead to implement your suggestions for April 15 and other important dates.
Reporters seeking story ideas are more likely to use you if they find you early. Print publications have especially long lead times. A monthly magazine may plan its January edition three to six months ahead, with its writers working with a lag.
You can recycle a seasonal blog post as the relevant event approaches. For example, if you publish a Thanksgiving-themed post in September, you can email it to clients in October and pump it out via social media in early November. By the time of Thanksgiving, your blog post will have permeated your target markets.

Have you tried this?

If you’ve tried this, please report on the results you’ve achieved. I’m also interested in your tips on this topic.

Focus your blog post or lose your readers

January 3, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

“I’m trying to frame the hawk,” said my husband pointing

My husband’s best shot of the hawk

our camera at a spot high above the Cape Cod Rail Trail. He didn’t want a teeny-tiny bird image to get lost in a big landscape. His comment made me think about how bloggers need to do something similar.

A photo in which a hawk is a tiny speck won’t draw the viewer’s eye. Similarly, a blog post that deals in generalities, and fails to get specific, will lose readers.

Hawks and financial bloggers

What might this mean for a financial blogger?

For example, you can’t cover all of international investing—the entire “sky”—in a single blog post. Instead, focus on one “hawk,” such as the role of non-US stocks in a portfolio or how developed-market stocks differ from emerging-market stocks.

Need help finding the hawk in your blog post?

If you have a hard time finding the focus of your blog posts, you’ll benefit from my blogging class for financial advisors, investment and wealth managers, and the professionals who support them. Check out “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Lesson Class for Financial Advisors.”

3 posts that can improve your blogging in 2013

January 2, 2013/in blog/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Looking over my 2012 posts about blogging, I see three tips that could change the way you blog in 2013.

1. Stay on the right side of the law!

The experts who write about compliance have overlooked a vulnerable spot for bloggers. That’s fair use of other people’s copyrighted words. You can do the right thing with the helpful resources I identify in “Legal danger for financial bloggers: Two misconceptions, three resources, one suggestion.”

2. Think creatively

Are you at a loss for topics to blog about? Pick a photo and use it to brainstorm ideas using the method I describe in “Photo + Mind Map = Blog Inspiration.”

3. Add personality

Your personality can be a powerful marketing tool. Use it to your advantage with the tips in “How to add personality and warmth to your financial writing—Part one” and “Part two.”

What about YOU?

How do you plan to improve your blogging in 2013? Are there blog posts from other bloggers that inspire your 2013 plans? Please share. Also, if you’d like to boost the effectiveness of your writing, consider taking “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Lesson Class for Financial Advisors.”

Image courtesy of Vlado / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How to succeed with your New Year’s resolution to blog more

December 31, 2012/in blog, writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Blogging more frequently is high on my friends’ lists of writing-related New Year’s resolutions. This spurred me to wonder how you can use a great free class, “3 Tiny Habits,” to form new habits that will boost your blogging throughout the year. I am a recent fan of this class offered by BJ Fogg of Stanford University.

The thrust of Fogg’s week-long class is to get you to commit to three small behavior changes that are triggered by something you do everyday. For example, one of my recent changes is to put baking soda on my toothbrush the first time I go into the bathroom every morning. Having done that, I almost effortlessly flow into brushing and flossing my teeth. For more details on the class, you can sign up online. Fogg explains his class better than I can.

Daily habits that can help you blog

There should be a way to use Fogg’s class to help you blog more regularly. You’ll need to identify two things: 1) A tiny habit that will encourage writing and 2) a good trigger.

Where do you typically get stuck in your blogging? This is where you should look for your tiny habit.

If you’re short on ideas, your tiny habit could be to get out a piece of paper or open your mind-mapping software. Either quickly completed habit could lead to brainstorming ideas by creating a mind map.

If you have plenty of ideas that you’re not typing up, you could open a new post in WordPress, write a title down on a steno pad, or open dictation software.

If you have lots of incomplete drafts, then plan to type one word into one draft every day.

The triggers for these tiny habits could be something as simple as starting up your computer or opening your web browser.

What will YOU do?

How are you going to boost your blogging in the New Year? I’d like to hear from you, especially if you find Fogg’s techniques helpful or if you have suggestions that may help others succeed.

Different techniques work for different people. I rely heavily on the approach I describe in “No batteries required: My favorite blogging technique.” It has helped me to schedule at least one post per week from now through early April. If you’re a person who takes schoolwork seriously, you may find it helpful to sign up for my writing class, “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Lesson Class for Financial Advisors.” The class will show you you a step-by-step process for producing blog posts on a regular schedule.

Image courtesy of 89studio / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Get a break now, do the work in 2013

December 30, 2012/in blog, writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

I have a solution if you

Face a “use it or lose it” dilemma with your 2011 training budget
Wish to boost your 2011 tax deductions for business or educational expenses
Would enjoy buying a present now to unwrap in 2012–a present that will jump-start progress on 2012 New Year’s resolutions

Sign up now for the next session of “How to Write Blog Posts People Will Read: A 5-Lesson Class for Financial Advisors.” You’ll pay the discounted Early Bird Rate for the class starting on January 23, 2013.

You will learn how to

Generate and refine ideas for blog posts that will engage your readers
Organize your thoughts before you write, so you can write more quickly and effectively
Edit your writing, so it’s reader-friendly and appealing

When you participate fully in this class, you’ll end up with one polished blog post–and a process you can follow to generate many more. Click here to learn more!

Most popular blog posts of 2012

December 20, 2012/in blog/by Correna Wood

My readers have visited some of my posts more than others. Here are my top 10 blog posts based on reader traffic so far in 2012.