Dan Fredinburg knew all about the power of time and place. His goal as a mountaineer was to put Google Maps everywhere. And, he meant everywhere. In a series of adventures away from the office, he put his own name and Google’s in some of the most prominent maps imaginable. He took online publishers to an entirely new altitude.
Fredinburg’s achievements and his tragic death in April on Mount Everest after a deadly earthquake in Nepal teach us two things about online publishing: one, there is nothing like an adventure for grabbing your readers; and two, that you must have a backup plan while you are on the road. With this combination, you can keep your readers interested, without having to sacrifice all of your leisure time.
Take Readers Along For the Ride
Anyone who has been working with social media for more than a week or two can tell you that readers want a good story. Of course, they enjoy hearing about sales and new products or services with your business. But, they are also eager to click. They want something cool and surprising that they can share with their friends. If that cannot be what you are doing with your business, then it might just have to be what you are up to when you are not doing business.
Whether your adventure is to climb a mountain or simply to attend to a business call 50 miles out of town, provide a hook for your readers. Give them a delightful incentive to keep going to your page. Fredinburg was a master of this, hooking followers with a simple picture of hiking gear. When he returned from his past trips, he took the opportunity to seal the deal with readers. ‘You’ve followed me all this way,’ his behavior showed. ‘Now, I will show you what is in it for you.’ With blog posts and regular content posted across social media, his believers were able to see how his work improved their Google Maps experience–something that might seem so mundane otherwise.
Plan Ahead
Of course, you may not have the ability to post regular updates from Everest. But that does not mean that you have to bail on your readers when you head out of the office. Hubspot suggests that you create a template for posting content to your website and various social media outlets. Hubspot even provides a free template for you to use. That way, you can plan out posts you would like to make in your absence. Some online publishers allow you to pre-post content that will then be made available to readers at a later time. Or, you can simply ask someone else to publish it for you at the appropriate time.
You have some great content you would like to share, but you will not be around to share it. Take a page from Dan Fredinburg’s book and do not be afraid to step outside of your office comfort zone. Your readers will probably enjoy the fresh air you bring to them.
Writer Bio: Holly S is a freelance writer available for projects at WriterAccess.
