Even though I’ve spent years writing online, I woke up this morning and couldn’t think of anything to bash into my MacBook after the kids went to school. And I’d only have half an hour to write this email as I’ve got a call with a client later today. I’ve a near-mortal fear of the flashing cursor or a blank screen. So, I avoided this problem with the Post-It note strategy for a few years. Here’s how it works. Before bed, I write down a single idea on a Post-It like “write 300 words about...
2 days ago • 2 min read
I tested Google Gemini’s content creation capabilities. I wanted to see how it stacks up against ChatGPT and Claude for creating business copy. Google Gemini offers two interesting “gems” (think custom GPTs) for content creators: Copy Creator and Writing Editor. Copy Creator helps write taglines, mission statements, and social media posts. Writing Editor focuses on fixing grammar and improving content structure. I put both through their paces using content from my daily newsletter. When I fed...
3 days ago • 2 min read
Your existing content is like an untapped gold mine - most creators keep digging new holes instead of mining what they already have. I’ve spent years writing online, It can easily become a full-time, low-paying job if you keep digging. One method for getting around this problem is building a content library of your greatest hits. It’s easier to repurpose content if you have a library that you can draw from. Another method is tracking a few key weekly stats across each channel so you can see...
4 days ago • 1 min read
I spent years obsessing over niche selection. When I was a Forbes columnist, branding myself as “the productivity and leadership guy” seemed like a safe bet. I covered topics like time management, leadership, and getting sh*t done at work.I mapped dozens of hot niche-specific topics in a spreadsheet and published articles like: The Fastest Way To Accomplish More This Week How To Use The 4 Ds Of Time Management 4 Common Mistakes New Home Workers Make I wrote about these topics not because they...
5 days ago • 1 min read
A reader said she’s started writing online. Her main challenge is seeing what content works without getting caught up in the numbers. At first glance, the numbers show creating shallow clickbait content is the way to go. On LinkedIn, round-ups of Harvard Business courses go viral every other week. On Insta, my feed is stuffed with jacked guys and gals running in the snow while wearing headphones and listening to dramatic music. On X, it’s threads starting with lines like, “You won’t believe...
5 days ago • 2 min read
I’m working on three new programs right now. I’ll only go with one, though. Which one interests you the most? Mastering Prompt Engineering: A private daily newsletter offering AI-powered content ideas and prompts. Scalable Content Accelerator: A capped program for content creators serious about scaling their income. The Daily Content Engine: A private Telegram community where I’ll share one actionable idea for a piece of content per day and give you feedback on what you create.
7 days ago • 1 min read
I use Trello for all sorts of content creation projects, including my YouTube channel. My Trello board has several key columns: To-Do, Next Up, Doing, Ready, and Done. I move my videos from left to right through these stages. The To-Do column contains 10–15 video ideas I want to create. I get these ideas from different places - sometimes, it’s from content I’ve published elsewhere, like an email I want to turn into a video. Other times, I see an interesting video and think I could create...
8 days ago • 2 min read
When I started using AI, I wasted hours trying to get Claude and ChatGPT to generate a copy. My prompts were all over the place: “Write me compelling sales copy for a coaching program for content creators.”“Make my sales copy more persuasive.”“Improve my copy so it sounds better” The outputs? Generic, bland, and useless. I wanted to set AI aside and write all my content without help, but AI isn’t going anywhere. It is better to learn how to use it or get left behind. So, one morning, I waded...
9 days ago • 2 min read
A TikTok ban will hit the US within days. Oh, TikTok, what a trail of woe you are leading. The app is already banned in India and it’s in dispute with lawmakers in many more countries. Fear not for our brave army of content-creating TikTokkers. Rumor has it that parent company ByteDance is mulling a TikTok sale to the darling of the right, Elon Musk. TikTok is already rife with bots and misinformation, so it should be perfect for a free-speech absolutist like Musk. I’ve no idea if the sale...
10 days ago • 2 min read