The task of selecting the top Copyblogger posts from 2017 is a bit like asking me to choose my favorite child.
Each post is crafted with care, and I value all of them.
But I rolled up my sleeves and devised a strategy.
In fact, this year was all about the power of the individual voice expressed through a winning combination of strategy and creativity.
That pairing is like love and marriage — you can’t have one without the other.
Well, you can. You just wouldn’t be a successful content marketer and copywriter, or supportive partner for your spouse. But I digress.
The creativity portion includes the innovative approach to your topic that helps you attract and grow an audience of interested prospects. The strategy portion includes the techniques that help you turn those prospects into customers.
If we were to ménage à trois this situation, I’d call the third portion digital business smarts.
So this year’s top Copyblogger picks are sharp lessons about strategy, creativity, and digital business to review as you prepare for 2018.
Additional specific exercises for getting more creative and productive can be found in all of our 2017 Content Excellence Challenge prompts. (I know I’m cheating by mentioning them too, but they’re too good to leave out.)
It’s time to grab a fresh Moleskine and start taking notes …
This post is a five-for-one deal.
Brian Clark outlines the three critical steps to a winning content marketing strategy and then links to four in-depth tutorials on each.
If you know how to create an effective content marketing strategy — but don’t ever implement it — you’ll never get to reap the rewards.
Jerod Morris helps you focus on getting more meaningful work done.
What makes an artist’s life so interesting and rewarding?
Sonia Simone shares the benefits of adopting a more artistic mindset.
A content series is a straightforward way to communicate your expertise in a format that is easy for your audience to consume and share.
Follow this simple guide to prepare multiple pieces of content in advance and meet your publishing deadlines — without getting overwhelmed.
Discover what you must do in order for your call to action to work.
Your goal is not necessarily to get someone to feel, but rather to want — and to act on that want. Brian reveals five ways to accomplish that.
Ready to grow your audience?
Sonia explains nine powerful optimization techniques that content marketers can get really good at, without tech skills. Plus, the great rule of SEO.
How to Optimize Content for Both Search and Social (Plus, a Headline Hack that Strikes the Balance)
Andy Crestodina shows how to prepare your content for both search engines and social media platforms.
His techniques are powerful ways to attract more readers.
In today’s high-speed, meme-obsessed world, it’s easy to forget that there are learned mentors and teachers we can turn to for advice on how to beat entropy and regain our productive flow.
Over the last four years, Kelton Reid has interviewed more than 70 prolific, renowned, and bestselling authors. How do they stay focused and productive?
Rather than a figure of speech, an analogy is more of a logical argument. The structure of the argument leads to a new understanding for your audience.
Persuasion comes from understanding.
When you approach someone without doing your homework, you send a clear message:…
