Join The 21-day Content Creation Challenge

Fitpro-ho-hos! (Too early?)

Who wants to do a MASSIVE push on content in December?

I’m running a free, informal 21-day content creation challenge.

Want to join in?

• accountability
• practical support
• help with ideas
• feedback and critique from me
• a boost in visibility and activity

Plus you’ll get..

…BETTER at writing
…MORE CONFIDENT about posting
…and PAST the annoying procrastination you have about content

All you have to do is commit to posting ONCE per day from 1st-21st December. Yes, we start tomorrow. If you’re in, you’re in! Just get started – I’ll help with the rest.

It can be on FB, Insta, your blog, to your email list… whatever is most relevant to your audience.

This is for you if:

– you’re a fitness professional
– who wants a big push on content in December
– to get ahead of the “New Year rush”

Get in touch on Facebook, or leave a comment here, and I’ll message you with the next steps.

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Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist with 13 years experience in writing content and direct response copy for the fitness industry. Get in touch via Facebook, by sending a message here.

Guess who’s back! (And where the hell have I been, anyway?)

*tap tap* Is this thing on?

HELLO, WEMBLEY!

I haven’t blogged here since April. In fact, my last post (an event report from a Strongwoman comp) was exactly six months ago.

Yeah, sorry about that. Really no excuse other than getting out of the habit (and being busy).

I’ve got a huge list of blog posts planned. But, before I launch straight into things, I’d better bring you up to date.

I had to kind of guess the questions you lot might like me to answer. Here goes (if there’s still anything you want to know, let me know in the comments!)

Am I competing in bodybuilding this year?

Nope! My last comp was WNBF Amateur Worlds in November last year. Since then, I’ve been “off-season” (not dieting, not “prepping”, trying to be as normal as a bodybuilder can be). I knew I needed a break from the rigours of competition prep (mentally, physically, emotionally, socially…) and so… I took it!

Am I competing in bodybuilding again ever?

Ooh. Good question. Honest answer? I don’t know. Never say never. I still love the sport, I still have goals and target which I’d like to achieve. But, right now, I have no desire to compete. Or perhaps more accurately: I do not have enough desire to compete. Comp prep is intense, and I believe you should only do it if you really, really want to. If I compete again, it will be to look better, to show improvements, with the goal of achieving more than I already have. My life, head, emotions and focus aren’t in that place at the moment. But… never say never.

What does my training look like?

Since I’m not prepping for bodybuilding comps, and since I am well-fed and full of energy (!), I’m enjoying all sorts of training

– Weights: the core of my training is still lifting weights in the gym. I tend to go 4-5 times a week and still follow a bodybuilding-type split.

– Boxing: I’ve also added boxing sessions (twice a week at my local boxing club) into the mix. I absolutely love it. The first time I went, the warm up was so hard I nearly walked out (and I don’t walk out on things!) But I stuck it out and, although it’s still the hardest training I’ve ever done, I’m now able to push myself rather than just survive! It consists of a 10 min warm up, 30 min partner session on the bags and pads, then a 20 min circuit. It’s proper boxing at an actual boxing club and it’s exactly how you imagine boxing training would be. I adore it.

– Road biking: this is something I really missed when I was doing bodybuilding prep, so I’ve reintroduced into my life with joy. I try to get out 2-3 times a week (weather dependent) and like going out for 2 hours or so at the weekend. I’ve done a couple of events since April: a fairly hilly 60-mile sportive and a dead flat 50-mile sportive in July, and a very hilly 55-mile sportive a couple of weeks ago. I’ve entered an 82-miler in November. Eek! But it starts a couple of miles from my house so… I kind of have to, right? (I’m on Strava here if you want to follow my adventures on the bike.)

What’s my diet like at the moment?

Diet? Let’s call it “nutrition”. I have to be honest: diet/nutrition/food has been a struggle since my last bodybuilding comp in November. This is something I will blog about in more detail when I am feeling a bit braver. But I’m sure what I have to say will resonate with plenty of fellow bodybuilders and fitness industry folk, and nothing I’ve experienced will come as a surprise.

Getting back to “normality” after bodybuilding contest prep will challenge even the most balanced of brains. I’m still a work in progress. But it’s all good!

I am trying to eat 3-4 times a day, to listen to my body’s hunger and satiety signals, and to eat mostly healthy, “real food” meals, but not to be worried about eating junk and treats as well. Lots more to say on this topic – you have been warned! 😉

What’s my next goal in sport/in life/in general?

My goals at the moment are mostly to do with life and business, rather than sport or body. I’ll always train, and I’ll always (try to) eat well. But at the moment, my focus is on some exciting (and slightly scary) business plans (I can’t wait to get you involved!) Training will be an important part of my day/week just as it’s always been. But I don’t have any one single, big sporting goal. I’m just staying healthy, getting strong, and enjoying being fit and sporty.

What have I been doing with my time since April?

When you put it like that… um…
– buying a house
– pushing my copywriting business forward
– helping my fitness industry clients with ebooks, email marketing, website content, blog posts, books, content marketing, sales pages, newsletter copy and social media
– planning a new business venture which excites me so much I want to cry 😀
– dating (with varying degrees of success, but plenty of LOLZ)

– going on holiday (I’m just back from a week in Croatia with Tara of Sweat Like A Pig fame)

– I did another Strongwoman event at the end of July, which was fun. Highlights included 95kgs deadlift for reps (60 seconds) – Terry Hollands was counting my reps. And I did a truck pull (here’s a video of it)!
– riding my bike, going boxing… and not writing my blog! 😉

How is Frankie thefitdog?

He’s absolutely fine 😛

Right, that’s quite enough for now. I promise to get back to a regular blogging schedule from now on (twice a week) and will be talking about my training, sports events, diet/nutrition, as well as about copywriting and content topics, and industry trends. If there’s anything else you want from this blog, lemme know!

You can always find me on Facebook (mostly copywriting and marketing stuff), Twitter (work, personal, training and everything in between) and Instagram. Oh and I’m on snapchat too (therealnicjoyce) Come and say hi 🙂

Guess who’s back! (And where the hell have I been, anyway?)t is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Easy ways to generate content for your business blog

Do you struggle to find things to blog about? If you’re a sole trader, owner/manager, or the person responsible for marketing, chances are you have a business blog (if you don’t… start one!)

One of the biggest grumbles I hear from people with work-related blogs is “I don’t know what to blog about!”

Yes, you do. And I’m going to tell you how to uncover it.

I’ll aim this at fitpros and brands/businesses within the fitness and wellness worlds, cos that’s who I work with. But, really, this advice could apply to anyone in any sector. I’ve actually written something similar – based on a presentation I delivered to a local business networking group (none of whom were fitpros) – you might like to read my advice for small businesses – why write in your authentic voice

Here’s a professional copywriter’s advice on how to generate blog content every single day (your only problem after reading this will be finding the time to blog it all. Hint: get in touch with me 😉 )

What are your clients talking about?
– you see your clients regularly, and you have a good relationship with them. You’re not just a fitpro to them, you’re a sounding board, a therapist, a friend. They tell you what they’re worried about, what they’re excited about, what confuses and intrigues them about health and fitness. They are your eyes and ears – listen to them and they’ll tell you what your next potential client is almost certainly thinking about.

What do your clients ask you?
– what do your clients actually ask you? What exact questions do they come to you for, looking for an expert answer? In their eyes, you’re the expert, and that’s how your blog is going to position you, too. Take those questions, and blog with an answer to them. Chances are, someone is actually Googling that question. SEO, my friend, SEO…

What’s hot in your industry right now?
– You know what’s creating waves in your industry. Regardless of how seriously you take the latest discussion/argument, or how long you think the next fad is going to stick around, these things are on your prospects’ radar, too. So blog about it. Your opinion, your advice, your experiences.

Use the news
– Had a news story broken which affects or feeds off the fitness industry somehow? The news is a great resource for your own blog posts. There’s something in the news every day which somehow refers back to health, fitness, weight loss, wellness. Use news, stats, research. Local news (great if you’re trying to dominate your local area) and national news. Link back to the story for better SEO.

Memes and infographics
– Content is about more than just words. It’s becoming increasingly more visual. Consider making memes and infographics to illustrate your blog posts and to give you another angle on creating compelling content which your followers are likely to share and engage with.

Numbered lists and top 10s
– Stuck for a blog post? Here’s an easy way to break your writer’s block: choose a topic, and do a “top ten reasons why….” or “ten easy ways to…” type post. Easy to write, easy to read, great to share.

Create a theme
– Use regular themes within your blog: perhaps a mindset/motivation post on a Monday, a workout type post on a Wednesday, a healthy recipe on a Friday. Not only will this make blogging easier for you, but your readers will come to expect the content and will look forward to their favourite posts from your blog.

And here are some practical tips (because it’s all very well having all those fabulous ideas, but you’re busy and likely to forget them)

– carry a notepad and pen with you at all times. Or have a note-taking function on your phone/tablet. If a brilliant idea for blog content strikes whilst you’re rushing between clients, setting up your circuit class stations, or making a coffee… make sure you can make a note of it

– Just do it. Don’t procrastinate. The nice thing about blogging is that you can do it quickly and get it out there. And it’s a medium that lends itself well to being time-sensitive and reaction. So… just get on with it

– Reuse and recycle your content. Once you’ve written your blog post, use that bad boy! Push it out via your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and any other social media (personal and business). Put it in an email and send it to your list (with links to your website of course). Use the first paragraph in your digital customer newsletter with a juicy enticement to click through. Add it as a Facebook note. Consider using it as part of that ebook you’ve been meaning to write for a year. You get the idea

– have an editorial schedule. Treat writing, and blogging, as part of your business strategy (because it is)

– set aside regular time for blogging, just as you schedule in time for other business matters

– and… outsource! If you can’t do it yourself, or don’t want to, contact me. Writing content (including blog content) for people just like you is exactly what I do as a job. You have no idea how many of the fitness industry blog posts out there were written by me!

Easy ways to generate content for your business blog is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Industry secrets – how fitpros should connect with industry media contacts

Ever wondered how people get their names, products and services in front of industry journalists and magazine editors?

How fitpros can get in there with editors, journalists and bloggers

First of all, understand how the chain of command in the media industry works.

There are in-house journalists (staff on magazines or newspapers). Their bosses are editors, commissioning editors and sub-editors. Then you have freelance journalists (like me), who usually specialise in a sector. Freelance journalists will be commissioned by inhouse staff to write features, interviews, kit tests and other bits of content for the publication. Then there are PR (public relations) people. They work on behalf of brands, and part of what they do will be managing relationships with journalists and editorial staff.

What’s the process behind a magazine commission?

There are two ways in which a magazine article can come about: from a pitch (from the journalist to the editor(, or from a commission (from the editor to the journalist). The latter usually – but not always – happens when the editor already knows the journalist by reputation, or if the journalist has previously written for the publication.

For pitches, journalists need to come up with strong, timely ideas. When we get commissioned by an editor, we will usually need to find case studies, expert comment and/or products to fit the brief. We may have to do this extremely quickly and we’ll therefore be looking for fitpros who can help us by getting spot-on product information, fantastic expert comment or strong case studies.

On the topic of kit tests – these are always commissioned. We will never be able to pitch an editor the idea of testing a single product. So, if you want to get your product in front of an editor, you need to send it to them first and then they will send it to one of their freelancers to test. (I can write a blog about press releases if this will help?)

What about fitness blogs?

If publicity via a fitness blog is on something you’re interested in, you need to get in touch with bloggers. Bloggers are our own “editors” and those of us who do product tests can be contacted directly to see if a review of your product would make good content for our readers. Are blogs are a suitable outlet for your product and a worthwhile part of your marketing strategy? That’s your call. But it’s worth bearing in mind that customers are increasingly reading blogs for online reviews and feedback.

You can also try contacting fitness bloggers to see if they need guest bloggers. Personally, I find “cold call” emails offering guest blog posts irritating at best, but that’s usually because they’re very sales-y and not offering anything useful or readable. So, by all means give this strategy a try (but not with me… 😉 )

How can you make the most of freelance fitness journalists?

We want to work with you and hear from you, but you need to know what we need – and what we don’t need – when a deadline is looming. Here are a few tips.

– Do contact us, but only with information we have previously stated we’ll find useful or which will fit the commission we’re working on
– Don’t send information which doesn’t fit the bill, no matter how strongly you feel the magazine should feature it
– Do note our deadline and tell us honestly if you can help us meet it
– Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver
– Do send complete information, images, case studies, contact details
– Don’t send information and then disappear off the face of the earth (at least let us know who else in your team we should speak to)

How do magazine editors want to hear from you?

I asked one of the deputy editors I write – Laura Jones at Body Fit magazine – to give you some advice. Here’s what she had to say:

“Remember that editorial staff at consumer magazines like Body Fit get hundreds of press releases a day. To give yours a chance of being read, make sure it has an eye-catching headline, relevant content and all the contact details we might need. Make sure you read the magazine first so you know what kind of content we do – and don’t cover – and ensure you know who our target readership is.”

How to find a freelance journalist with a relevant commission

“This is all great”, you say, “but how do I begin to find freelance fitness journalists? And how can I know which articles they’re working on?” OK, I’m about to let you into some real industry secrets here… make sure you use these!

– Twitter – search the hashtag #journorequest – journalists use this when they need a quote, comment, product for an article they’re writing. Save the search as a stream so you can see it every day.
– Responsesource – use the website Responsesource – journalists and editors upload specific requests here
– Networking – online and in real life. If you find a journalist in your sector, keep in touch.

Industry secrets – how fitpros should connect with industry media contacts is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Favourite female fitness blogger

Well, thank you very much JuliaB, who today named this blog one of her top 10 favourite female fitness blogs

I even got a badge and everything, look! ;D

Head over to Julia’s own wonderful blog to read about her other favourites – and, of course, to have a nosy around her blog content.

Favourite female fitness blogger is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

thefitwriter blog is number two in the UK!

Well, crack open a RTD and pass the rice cakes! Yep, it’s party time at thefitwriter towers because my little blog has been named number two “fitness and exercise blog” in the UK!

Cision, the media monitoring company, publishes a social media index and released the list last week. There I was (or rather there was my blog) – in second place (damn you, Julia B! 😉 )

When I started this blog in April 2010 I had no idea it would grow this much, in fact I had no idea that I’d still be blogging three years, 366 posts and 2,138 comments later.

And, just because it’s always funny, here are some of the recent weird search terms which have led people to my blog:

lucy biceps girls flexing (well, I suppose I do know some Lucys)
disapproving look (what I do when I look at my wordpress search terms)
amateur swimsuit (how does a swimsuit become Pro?)
black dog with one ear bent due to lack of muscles (eh?)
how to cheat on myzone mep points (tut!)
huge sledgehammer (rargh!)
cake aisle in tesco (who… me?! 😉 )

Anyway – thanks for reading, sharing, commenting, liking, Tweeting and coming back for more!

thefitwriter blog is number two in the UK! is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Congratulations, blog!

We’re having a little party over here. Protein shakes all round.

Today, my blog passed the 100,000 views milestone!

I’m so pleased, and proud in a funny way! When I started this blog, it was part branding exercise, part journal, and part a fun extra bit of writing. I genuinely didn’t think anyone except my friends and family would ever read it. I didn’t know how long I’d keep blogging for. A month? A year?

Well, I’m still blogging, and it seems you’re still reading. Lots of you! Thank you so much, for reading, for commenting, for retweeting, for recommending the blog to others.

In honour of the blog’s 100,000th view, here’s a round up of a few special posts:

My first post – a tentative “Hello world”!
The top two most popular posts How to get your triathlon wetsuit on… and off! and Backstroke tips from Liam Tancock
Some categories you may not have explored: channel swimming and race reports
All the kit and product reviews I’ve ever done (!) are here
The Fit Dog’s blog posts:
Advice for a happy life
A few words on a healthy diet
thefitdog talks balls
thefitdog on training partners
Offers to answer your training questions
Then answers your fitness questions

And some of the funniest search terms which have led people to the blog (if any of these are you then… I worry about you, I really do… )
– “belly button” pop
– medals for babies
– dog sweet potato benefits
– building retaining walls and building deadman (what?)
– live fish come out of dead man’s neck (I’m actually kind of wishing I hadn’t seen that one in the list!)
– master the power to burn someone (just… whaaat?)

Thanks for reading. Here’s to the next 100,000 views! 🙂

Congratulations, blog! is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

Fitpros: how much quality written content are you producing?

When was the last time you created a quality bit of content which shows your passion and expertise?

I was at the Fitness Entrepreneur Bootcamp last weekend – a business conference for the fitness industry. One of my favourite speakers from last year’s event was back again: Nick Nanton of Celebrity Press, a branding guru based in the States. He really knows his stuff when it comes to identifying your positioning, building credibility and using your community. Important stuff for any individual, brand or business in the sport and fitness world.

I worked with Nick last year on a book project, helping some of his authors by ghostwriting their chapters. The book – “Total Body Breakthroughs” – became a number one best-seller on Amazon. Nick kindly offered to give a video testimonial for me and here it is

Thanks Nick!

What I really wanted from Nick was the best advice he could give my fitpro readers when it comes to writing content. Check out this very short video.

As you heard in that video, Nick says credibility is key for any brand, business or individual. And you build credibility through content – lots and lots of strong content. The more content you have, the more people know you know, he says. Remember, your target market aren’t mind-readers, you need to show them you’re an expert. Put your content out there so it can physically stack up to prove your expertise.

Nick advises you to create:
– blogs
– articles
– e-zines
– magazines
– newsletters
– press releases
– books
– seminars
– webinars

Online, offline, written, recorded, audio… it’s all relevant.

Nick says (and of course I’d agree) that you do need to make sure it’s well-written and edited (and he kindly says that, if you can’t do that or don’t have time, find someone like me who can do it for you).

Fitpros: how much quality written content are you producing? is a post from The Fit Writer blog.

Nicola Joyce – the Fit Writer – is a freelance copywriter and journalist who writes for the sport and fitness industry. Her main website is here.

The power of social media in under 24 hours

I just had to blog about this.

One of my local clients (not in the fitness business – he’s actually in the groundworks trade) asked me to help him with his social media a few weeks ago. He knows he should be blogging and on Twitter but doesn’t have time to learn how to set it up or manage it.

So I stepped in, built him a blog and set him up on Twitter. I did this yesterday at the end of the working day…so that’s less than 24 hours ago.

That detail is significant because, guess what: he just had a serious enquiry through Twitter direct message. I’ve added his account to my Tweetdeck and have been managing it for him so, when I saw that someone had DMed him to say that he’d just missed an opportunity with her patio but that she was doing an extension to her house this Summer and wanted him to quote for it, I jumped in with a friendly reply.

Of course, this could come to nothing but at the same time it could be a great job for my client.

All from a Twitter feed set up and managed by me…less than 24 hours ago.

So, if you’re thinking about social media, just do it. And if you don’t know where to start, or don’t have time to do it, ask me. I’ll be happy to help.