Screw Resolutions. Take Action Instead!

Lately, I’ve been seeing quite a few posts discussing how SEO content marketing should be on the top of every businesses’ resolution list.

These are all great posts. But here’s the thing…

…I’ve read these “write more quality content” resolutions before. For about 21 years now.

And you know what? Very, very few companies follow through. They want to. They mean to. But then, content marketing gets pushed to the back burner. Or, even worse – someone does a half-assed job just to get it off their plate – and the results (and writing) shows it.

To me, putting something on a “resolutions” list is the same as saying, “Here’s what I’d like to have happen. But I don’t have a plan to get there.” It’s a fuzzy goal – and I can’t get invested in a fuzzy goal. As soon as the next shiny thing comes along, I’m more apt to focus on that and ignore whatever resolution I created.

But here’s what does work: Taking action. Don’t just say, “I’m going to write more content in 2019.” Get off your butt and do something.

You’ve probably heard of creating S.M.A.R.T goals:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Realistic

• Timely

The S.M.A.R.T framework gives you an easy way to bring your resolutions into reality. The next step is breaking down the goal into action steps.

For instance, maybe you want to revamp your site’s copy. You know that sales have been slow for awhile, and you suspect that the writing may not “hit the mark” anymore. Action steps could be:

• Reviewing your analytics – what pages are doing well? Where are you losing your readers?
• Contemplate your customer persona – is your target market the same as when the content was last written? Are the benefits still relevant?
• Review your SEO effectiveness – are the search engines driving qualified traffic? Are you positioning for your main keyphrases?
• Review your sales copy – does it match your customer persona? Does the copy pop, or is it flat?
• Consider your resources – who would rewrite your content? Do you have the resources to do it in-house, or would you need to outsource?
• Do you need to find qualified vendors? If so, how would you find them?
• What’s your drop-dead, deadline for all content to be on the site? Make sure you give your team plenty of time to complete everything necessary. My recommendation: Figure out how many months you’d need to finish the job, and then double that amount.

See? That’s much more specific than “I resolve to revamp my site’s sales copy.”

If you’re a freelance copywriter, one of the most popular resolutions is to “make more money.” Unfortunately, that won’t magically happen without you making some business changes. For instance, some action steps could be:

• Contact old clients and see if there’s anything that you can help with.
• Research a new marketing technique (such as Twitter) to help get the word out.
• Go to a local business networking meeting.
• Expand your skills and specialize in a new niche (for instance, going through the SEO Copywriting Certification training.)
• Raise your prices (I know it’s scary. But you need to do it.)
• Find a mentor and get expert guidance.

The key is: all of these action steps will move you forward rather than leaving you stuck. Instead of “resolving” to do something, you’re actually doing it and making progress.  Before you know it, you’ll have a SEO content marketing plan that rocks – or a freelance career that gives you the lifestyle you want.

It’s all about taking action.

Now, what are you going to do right now to improve your business and personal life? Leave a comment and let me know! :)

Photo thanks to Acererak