1. Consistency. This is why most people jump off the blogging bandwagon. Before you start a blog, commit to a regular posting schedule. Even great content delivered irregularly will not help you get the results you deserve.
2. A great title. In the digital world, titles should be driven by keywords. Don’t be afraid to use popular words and numerals. Strange enough, negative expressions of an idea seem to draw broader attention on a whole than positive ones. (Not sure what that says about us as a culture.)
3. Appropriate length. My recommendation is that your blog posts be between 200-400 words. People don’t read with the same commitment online as they do in print. As more and more content is consumed via smartphones, the pressure to reduce the length of your post will continue to weigh heavy on those of us responsible for creating content.
4. Actionable content. Use bullets, numbering systems, and styling (bold or italics) to help guide the reader to the most significant ideas and phrases in your post. Make sure your reader walks away with something they can put into action immediately. This will keep them coming back.
5. Avoid perfection. A former journalism professor once told me, “What is on the front page today, ends up on the bottom of a bird cage tomorrow.” Perfection is not something you should reach for in your posts. Search and archiving helps keeps digital content alive longer than printed content, but don’t overthink your blog post. Just do write, review it, and publish it. There will be another post to write tomorrow or the next day.

What would you add?

When asked what I would recommend leaders stop doing in 2012, my response was to stop being efficient. The larger the organization, the more tempting it becomes to focus on process rather than outcomes. Leadership has very little to do with efficiency, yet that’s how we try to operate the organizations we lead and accomplish the work that we do. Here are some suggested next steps:

1. Reacquaint yourself with the phone. Email is great, but it isn’t real time. It doesn’t always make sense to make a phone call, but when it does there is no substitute.
2. Focus on excellence. The pursuit of excellence is an inefficient one. It means you’ll have to say no to more things and become even more vigilant about how you use your time. People won’t remember how much you did, they will remember your style and impact.
3. Learn something new at least once a month. Learning is a great way to stay connected to the awkwardness of life. Learning puts us in a position to ask a lot of questions, find new voices to pay attention to, and expand our perspective or point of view.

When asked what I would recommend leaders start doing in 2012, my response was to get comfortable with chaos. Technology is accelerating the rate of cultural change. Sometimes–even for those of us immersed in the middle of it–it can be overwhelming. Remember these things as you navigate your own chaos:

1. You won’t be doing what you’re doing today in five years. You may transfer your skills, but your role and function will be different.
2. Your next opportunity probably hasn’t been invented yet. Much of what I do–and use to accomplish my work–didn’t exist ten years ago. Why do we think the pace of invention will slow down?
3. What doesn’t change will become even more important. When so many things are changing, we begin to gravitate toward things that don’t change. Relationships will continue to be the primary means by which we accomplish our work, build our business, and make a difference in the world. Invest in people, and you will survive the chaos.

If someone asked you what leaders should start and stop in 2012, what would you say?

• Call to tell someone they did a great job when it can wait.
• Schedule a lunch or coffee when you can SKYPE.
• Send a gift to a great client when it’s not the holidays.
• Pay more than market value for work people do for you on behalf of your clients.
• Write a handwritten note and put a stamp on it when you can email.

This is part of what makes you memorable.

If you do everything because you have to, you will lose all opportunity to do anything.

Generosity plants seeds that will multiply every area of your life.

When was the last time you did something for someone when you didn’t have to?

Here is a peak at the list. Read the entire article here.

1. Encourage user-generated content.
2. Make it shareable.
3. Keep relationships the primary focus.
4. Provide value.
5. Create excellent content.
6. Use social media strategically, not casually.
7. Keep it short and simple.
8. Measure–and measure again.
9. Market your social media presence.
10. Be patient.

What words of wisdom would you add to the list?

If blogging is so important, why do 95 percent of people abandon their blogs? Simple. It’s hard work. It’s tough to stay on top of it, do the research necessary to understand what your audience is talking about it, and put something of value in 200-400 words on a regular basis. Even though it is hard, I can say with certainty that it has been the single more important tool I use to sharpen me personally and professionally.

It’s not easy. People think that blogging is free, so it’s not that valuable. Not true. Because blogging is free and accessible to anyone with an internet connection, a ton of people start blogging. But again, the statistics tell a bigger truth. Discipline defines those who benefit from blogging and those who just give up.

Commitment separates those who have enough conviction about what they want to say to do it consistently. Commitment also disqualify those who aren’t deeply committed to the conversation.

Is what you want to say worth the effort of blogging? If you’re answer is no, then you also haven’t earned my attention either.

1. Revisit the initial project expectations. My recommendation is that you get these in writing at the very beginning of a relationship. This documentation is sometimes referred to as deliverables, creative briefs, concept papers, etc. If nothing else, write something down somewhere and send it to the client to make sure you completely understand their expectations. Failing to fully understand the client’s expectations is often the source of most difficult situations.
   
2. Pick up the phone or schedule an in person meeting. Don’t try to settle things via email. My experience has taught me that human interaction solves most problems. Name it. Say it. Deal with it. And move on. (The only exception to this is when the conversation becomes hostile or legal matters are involved. At that point, it is a good idea to get as much in writing or email as possible.)
3. If you are at fault (e.g. missing deadlines, quality of work, etc.), then admit it verbally and quickly. Don’t make excuses. Life happens to everyone. The client hired you to do a specific task not so they could hear about all the drama in your life. Most people appreciate honesty.
4. Send a summary of any and all substantive conversations back to the client for review. This is as much a preventative measure as it is one that helps resolve a difficult situation. Your notes document what you discussed and provide the opportunity for the client to clarify if necessary.
5. Establish a revised set of expectations and timelines. Send this to the client for review and confirmation. This new set of expectations should replace the initial one and provide detailed steps (with dates) to completing the task or project in a way that satisfies the client’s expectations. Make sure those dates are reasonable and provide some measure of margin for the unexpected. You want to get it right on the second try.
6. Do what’s best for the client. Sometimes that means incurring expenses you don’t have to or taking steps that are above and beyond “the contract.” People know when you are working for their best interest…or yours. Don’t take the cheap or easy way out.
7. Walk away with integrity. If you are in business long enough, you will eventually have to let a client go. After you’ve exhausted every avenue to make the situation right, it may be time to recognize that you may never be able to please a particular client. I have strong termination clauses in my agreements, but I have waived those on rare occasion when it provided a path out of a toxic situation. Try to operate with as much integrity as possible. Don’t leave room for someone to say negative things about your character. People forget project details; they remember how they were treated.
8. Go find another client. There is plenty of business and opportunity out there. When one project fails, go find another one.

Difficult situations are part of being in business. Learning how to navigate through these experiences will give you confidence as you move forward and will sharpen your ability to discern client needs and your capacity to meet those expectations.

How have you handled difficult situations in your line of work?

Why? Because, your brand is the gut feeling a person feels when hearing the name of your church. Either way people hold feelings and emotions in their heart and mind about your church. The feelings will fall in one or two categories – negative or positive.

That feeling which they hold; is your brand. Marty Neumier states, “Your brand is not what you say it is. It’s what they say it is.” So, how will people know what to say about your brand? Easy. Through interactions and experiences. People experience your brand in one of three ways – in person, online or through shared conversations with others who have experiences with your brand.

The idea alone that your church is brand should be enough to give attention to the experiences that shape your brand.

The word “branding” began simply as a way to tell one person’s cattle from another by means of a hot iron stamp. Your church is uniquely “branded” by God to fulfill the Great Commission in a culturally relevant way within your community.

As no hot iron stamp is the exact same, nor is any church.

Why Does It Matter?

• A Brand Clearly Communicates Who You Are, What You Do and Why It Matters
• A Brand Builds Trusting Relationships
• A Brand Creates Intentional and Meaningful Audience Experiences
• A Brand Fosters Enthusiasm Around A Vision
• A Brand Guides Effective Decision Making

Tim Peters helps churches grow by resolving challenges with branding, marketing and technology solutions. He loves seeing churches of all sizes come alive when they identify the best solutions to advance their cause. With 10+ years of branding, marketing, and strategy experience, he has consulted small businesses, mega churches and multi-million dollar for-profit corporations. With a spontaneously creative brand and a systematic personality, Tim is seen by many as one of the best idea generators and executors in the field. He is the CEO and Co-Founder of Resolute Creative.

• 10 things you should never do on Twitter, Facebook, or Google Plus
• What hashtag will people use at your funeral?
• 5 new realities of marketing you can’t ignore
• Social media should lead to personal interaction
• A new approach to church budget communication

If you’re a regular reader and have a favorite not mentioned above, I’d love to know which post was your favorite in 2011.

1. Let go of people who are difficult to work with. It’s not worth the time and energy. Whenever possible, walk away from projects or opportunities with people you know are difficult to work with and for. Sometimes you don’t know this until you’re in the middle of a project. That’s OK. Just make a note when it comes time for the next project to pass it along to someone else. The more energy and emotion you waste on difficult people, the less valuable you will be to those clients you really like and want to work with.
2. People will take as much of your time as you give them. This is where I get into trouble. I’m extremely efficient and productive. That is good and bad. If I’m not careful, I will leave behind the people and things that really matter. More is not always better. We all get the same number of hours every day. It’s what we do with them that makes the difference between a life lived and a life worth living.
3. Relationships are the key to surviving in any economy. Every client I sign is a referral, be it direct or indirect. There is always work that requires outside help and perspective. Relationships helps mitigate some of the risk that comes with hiring someone to do something for you. Consistently expand your network, and you’ll always have a steady flow of work.
4. Do excellent work. In the creative business, you are measured by what you’ve done. That’s why it’s important to be careful about the projects you invest in and the people you work with. That doesn’t mean that you don’t take on projects or clients if they aren’t in your “sweet spot.” But that means when it’s a decision between this project or that one, choose the one that best represents who you are and who you want to be.
5. Feed your soul. My clients rely on me to bring my best ideas to the table. When I can’t do that, it becomes difficult to live up to their expectations. I must spend time doing things that I enjoy. (I’m really not good at relaxing, though.) The life of a freelancer is hectic and chaotic most of the time. My goal is to make time each day to feed my soul, be quiet, and listen to make sure my head is not leaving my heart behind. A life out of sync is not sustainable.

If someone just starting their professional career were to come to you for advice, what would you tell them?

My dream of how eBooks might provide an easily sharable way to spread a very specific message started with Push the Limits of Church Funding. It has developed into a powerful tool that is helping people expand their platform and easily distribute their message to an even wider audience. One of those “success experiences” has been publishing with Tony Morgan.

Here are the top 5 eBooks I launched with Tony Morgan in 2011.

1. Developing a Theology of Leadership
2. The Leisure Suit Trap: 8 Reasons Your Church Is Stuck
3. The New Traditional Church
4. Big Churches Getting Bigger
5. Hanging Up The Leisure Suit: How To Get Unstuck

What would you like to see Tony write about next?