PowerHour No. 4: Be A Statistic

Penning a blog post or article is a common suggestion for using an extra hour of time. It’s not a bad idea either if you have a good idea for a post that will gain some traction or that can be republished at a popular site.  Unfortunately, with so much content created on a daily basis, drawing attention to a single post or article can be tough. So that’s why I’m suggesting that you use one of your spare hours to a data-driven post.

A data driven post focuses on an interesting or attention-grabbing factoid in your field. Things like the number of divorces caused by social media or the number of start-ups that fail after five years or the number of cases heard by Social Security Administration judges each year. Many court websites house this information while other resources can be found in the media or elsewhere online.

In fact, one stat just popped up as I was writing this: the New Jersey Attorney General released statistics on data breaches, showing that more than 116,000 New Jersey residents were the victims of 676 data breaches in 2016.  So what can you do with that statistic. Make it the lede, and then riff off it depending upon your target clients. For example, you could assure clients that the personal information they share with you is safe. Or discuss the impact of divorce on data vulnerability.

Somewhat counterintuitively, statistics are sexy. After all, who doesn’t need a little tidbit of information to share at a dinner party. That’s why you often see articles reporting the results of data circulating on Facebook. Maybe your post will be next.

Tomorrow – the final PowerHour – Send FourThank Yous.

Previous Power Hour Posts:

MyShingle Theme Week: The Power of an Extra Hour

Power Hour One: Update That Profile

Power Hour Two: Seasonal Business Cards

Power Hour Three: Ask For Testimonials

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