Monday Content Copywriting – Article Piggybacking

Mmmm. It’s that time again when you have to come up with more content for your blog, and nothing is coming to you. Instead of staring at the blank screen and being a frustrated content copywriter, how about surfing the web to read articles about your industry.

That’s right; I’m encouraging you to procrastinate.

You can find articles in the trade press, from bloggers who cover your industry, mainstream and alternative media, or by checking out what your social media connections are discussing. When you find an article that interests you, think about how you could comment on it in a way that moves the conversation forward.

​For example, if you’re in eCommerce, you probably read articles about the record breaking billion dollar Cyber Monday. For your blog post you can:

• Start by repeating the facts. Give a condensed version so you give your readers some context (be sure to give credit to your source).
• Give an opinion as to why you think it was a record breaking day. Try to add insight that demonstrates your expertise (this is what’s called moving the conversation forward).
• Tell your readers if your company also experienced record sales and highlight your biggest sellers (thus giving some “non-promotional” promotion to these products).
• Thank your customers.

That’s step one. For step two, go to the original source and if there is a place to comment on it, do so. Offer a bit of the insight you wrote about in your blog, and, if you can, insert a link back to your post. If anyone reading that original story likes your comment, they might click on your link and read your article.

For step three, post on your Facebook company page and tweet about both the original article and your post. This way you share with your social network the information that you originally thought was interesting, and you position yourself as a bit of a thought leader as well.

Next Week: Controversy
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(Photo Credit - TheYoungOnes1994)

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