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22Sep 2019 by Colleen Casey

Quick Writing Tip: That Vs. Which

Beginner, Grower, Quick Writing Tips, Writing Skills

Common writing question: when should I use that vs. which? The answer is easier than you think. Believe it or not, that and which aren’t used interchangeably in a sentence, although you use them similarly. This quick writing tip will teach you exactly when to use which word in your writing. (See? I already used one of ‘em!) What's a quick writing tip, you ask? Quick writing tips are simple lessons for you to keep in mind as you write your web copy, sales pages, email marketing, social media, blog content, and everything else you have on your plate. So, how are that and which different? It’s All About the Subject The rule is that you should use which with nonrestrictive clauses and that with restrictive clauses. A restrictive clause…

15Sep 2019 by Colleen Casey

5 Ways to Boost Views on Your Videos

Creator-ship, Grower, How-Tos, Video Content

Ditch the idea that clickbait and trends are the only ways to get more views on your videos. Get your focus back to creating valuable videos that fulfill your creative drive. Creators are constantly faced with conflicting advice: keep on being the unique, creative mind that you are, and follow all the rules to appease The Algorithm. I’m talking rules like: post at least once per week, create clickable titles (even if it’s clickbait), encourage likes and comments to keep your content seen, and add all the right keywords to your video descriptions. It’s hard to stay creative in an environment that’s all about getting results and monetizing every moment of your life. When you’re on a platform like YouTube, you’re also reminded just how much content is out there,…

06Sep 2019 by Colleen Casey

How to Write an Amazing Blog Post: A Hands-On Guide

Beginner, Blogging, Grower, How-Tos

This post won’t just tell you what goes into a valuable blog post for your audience—I’m going to unravel this very post step by step so you can see how a post is built from zero words to a thousand-plus. Blogging Isn’t Easy You’re a blogger, or you want to be. You might even have some regular readers (nice work!). But maybe your views and interactions aren’t where you hope for them to be. It’s not enough to write something good enough, click Publish, and wait for the traffic to come flowing in. You have to add value that no one else can, and you have to make sure that your readers know exactly what that value is. So how does a simple idea become a beautifully-crafted blog post that…

31Mar 2019 by Colleen Casey

How to Make and Use a Content Plan

Blogging, Content Planning, Grower, Podcasting, Video Content

Last time, we talked about content plans and why you’d want to go through the trouble of making one for your content. Today, I’m going to share with you my best tips for how to make and use a content plan. Before you start, think about how far into the future you want to plan. Do you want to plan the next month, two months, six months, or more? Consider what you hope to achieve with your content plan and what works for your content type. For example, for a personal vlog channel, video plans might change constantly as your life influences your videos, but for a podcast, you can plan subject matter ahead of time (and you should, especially if you’re conducting interviews). When you’ve got an idea of…

04Mar 2019 by Colleen Casey

5 Reasons Why You Need a Content Plan

Beginner, Blogging, Content Planning, Podcasting, Video Content

Content plans are a vital tool for entrepreneurs and content creators who want to make and share content regularly but don’t want their lives to center around the question: What should I post next? Whether you’re an entrepreneur, blogger, vlogger, podcaster, or another kind of online creator, you’ve likely faced this question. Along with it comes the stress of feeling left behind because someone else is always making something better, faster. You know that the way to stand out is to be yourself and create content that you’re passionate about, but you can’t be yourself when you’re overwhelmed by the never-ending cycle of coming up with original ideas and producing great content. This constant state of stress is often called the content treadmill. You’re always running, but you’re getting nowhere.…

30Jan 2019 by Colleen Casey

How to Look Natural on Camera: Advice from a YouTuber

Beginner, How-Tos, Video Content

Countless new creators face this moment: They’re sitting alone in a quiet room. Their brand new camera is balanced atop a tripod or stack of books, red light blinking anxiously. They felt so confident before this moment—they’ve seen thousands of videos online before and have maybe even found a handful of other creators who inspire them. They were exhilarated by a flood of ideas and giddily set everything up. And now, they’re wondering how they’re supposed to look natural when they’re basically talking to themselves. I know this because I’ve been there. I’ve been making videos on YouTube since 2014, and I’m still learning better ways that I can be more myself when I’m filming. In this post, I’ll offer my best tips to getting past the hurdle of trying…

21Jan 2019 by Colleen Casey

The Top 4 Ways to Make Money Online

Beginner, Blogging, Creator-ship, Email Marketing, Grower, Podcasting, Video Content

Lots of people want to make money online as a content creator, influencer, or entrepreneur. But how do people make money online? Can a blog make money? How much money can someone make on YouTube? It can be tough to figure out what’s possible when you’re starting out. It’s even tougher when you’ve been creating content and have started to grow a following, but you’re not making money consistently, or at all. In this post, I’ll show you the four main ways that you can make money online and earn a real (and honest) living. Ads The first money-making strategy that comes to mind for many people is, of course, ads. You can place ads on your website or blog through services like Google Adsense or Amazon Affiliates and make…

13Nov 2018 by Colleen Casey

5 Planning Strategies That Will Make Your Content Better

Blogging, Content Planning, Grower, Podcasting, Video Content, Wordsmith

Some people are natural-born planners, while others prefer to take it moment by moment. I happen to be a planner, so I want to share with you five strategies that I use to plan my content. Whether you like to plan ahead or not, read through these planning strategies and try them out. Content planning doesn’t look the same for everyone, but it can save you tons of time writing and editing later on. 1. The Brain Dump Often, the first step in planning is to get everything that’s floating in your head down on paper (or typed neatly). This strategy involves taking a blank page and jotting down everything that comes to mind about your content idea, whether it’s a video, blog post, series, podcast, or something else. This…

30Oct 2018 by Colleen Casey

6 Signs That You Should Commit to Your Side Project

Beginner, Creator-ship

Should I commit to my side project? This is the starting place for countless budding entrepreneurs around the world. How do you know if your side project is worth pursuing? How do you know if your project is worth your time and effort? Is it possible to live a balanced life with a job, side project, family, and social life, and still take care of your basic needs to survive? Your side project might be only an idea right now, or maybe you’ve been working on it and you’re not sure if you should dive in. Either way, we’ll explore six signs that you should commit to your side project. 1. It Excites You If you feel a rush of excitement every time you think about your project, you know…

03Oct 2018 by Colleen Casey

Why Content Creators are Writers First

Beginner, Creator-ship

You’re making great content as a blogger, vlogger, podcaster, and whatever kind of internet maker you might be. You know how to capture great ideas, plan and execute content, and generally give the people what they want. You may not realize this, but you’re probably a writer, too. Even if you don’t create detailed proposals or write out a word-for-word script, you’re using some vital writing concepts in your work. If you do some form of brainstorming, scheduling, outlining, creating blurbs, marketing, or blogging, yeah… you’re a writer. So what are those concepts that keep the gears turning behind your content? In this post, we’ll talk about: Planning and organizing your content Communicating your vision to your collaborators and audience Creating experiences with your content Infusing your content with the…