Blog

For nearly four years I’ve been the primary writer for the Trib’s Caregiver magazine. I started work on the project when I was still on staff and it’s continued to be my baby as a freelancer. Over the years we’ve written a number of articles of which I’m extremely proud and that I hope help serve the growing caregiver population here in Western Pennsylvania on subjects that include autism, Alzheimer’s and dementia, caring for the caregiver, caregiving in the time of the opioid crisis and more.

Some of the stories in the latest issue include:

• A feature on Delay the Disease, a unique exercise program targeting Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers that is taught in a number of locations in Western Pa.
• A look back at 50 years of the Special Olympics in Westmoreland County
• Tips for traveling with loved ones suffering from memory issues
• A feature on Jumping Jack Theater, a children’s theater group founded in Pittsburgh that not only offers sensory-friendly performances but also creates original content in which the characters are on the spectrum

Here’s a link to the latest issue:

http://advertisers.triblive.com/caregiver/

The magazine comes out four times a year and for each issue I enjoy seeking out the stories that will be not only interesting but also useful for caregivers. Being a caregiver, as anyone who’s been there knows, has more than its share of ups and downs and with every issue we strive to find stories that inspire and entertain while also tackling some of the harder subjects.

Here are a few more examples of stories I’ve written for past issues:

• A feature on kinship care, focused particularly on grandparents who are raising children during the opioid crisis
• How to help loved ones avoid making medication mistakes
• What to do when it’s time to take the keys from mom or dad, and how to have that conversation and handle the situation without stripping your loved one’s independence and dignity
• What to know about medical marijuana in the state of Pennsylvania
• How to find the right day care and/or respite care
• A feature on a local veteran who founded a ranch where service members suffering from PTSD can go for camaraderie, respite and healing
• A profile on Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, his experiences raising a daughter with Prader-Willi Syndrome and his work as spokesman for the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and the organizers wanted to do a little more with the blog in order to build excitement and let runners know about all the things they have planned. One of the things we decided to do was a neighborhood spotlight. Working with development and neighborhood associations, I’ve been writing a series of blogs that give runners background into what they’ll be seeing along the course. It’s a fantastic way to not only keep runners engaged and returning to the site for fresh content but also help the businesses and neighborhoods along the course to highlight all they have to offer.

http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/blog/2017/3/14/tremont.aspx

http://www.clevelandmarathon.com/blog/2017/4/5/ohio-city.aspx

Contact me at karen@karenpricefreelance to talk about your blog or other content needs.

My most recent assignment for the Tribune-Review was a profile on Squirrel Hill chess grandmaster Alex Shabalov. My knowledge of chess being extremely limited (patience was not a quality I possessed when I was a kid and my dad tried to teach me), this one took a good bit of preparation but it ended up being an utterly fascinating conversation.

Shabalov couldn’t have been more welcoming, and although the story was about him preparing for the U.S. Chess Championship taking place this week, we got into a conversation about how much computers have changed the game and made it a young person’s sport. The story turned into how, at 49, he is the oldest player competing in this year’s tournament and is contemplating following all his contemporaries into retirement.

Here’s a link to the story:

On eve of national championship, chess grandmaster from Squirrel Hill ponders next move

People love their Olympic gymnastics, and I’m reminded of that every time I write about the sport. Last year my story on the U.S. rhythmic team qualifying for Rio was one of the most-read stories of the year on the Team USA website, and this recent one that wrapped up the year of the Final Five secured over 5,400 Facebook likes:

16 times the “Final Five” ruled the world in 2016

Here’s another year-end list I wrote for Team USA looking back at the top female athletes of the year (and with all the amazing performances in Rio in particular, it wasn’t easy to choose):

Team USA’s top 16 women of 2016

Lists are a great way to add content that draws readers to your site, and heaven knows the internet loves them. Lists don’t require a major time commitment on the part of the reader and often get people sharing and commenting, which brings even more readers to the site. They don’t necessarily have to be lists that rank, which are bound to get people agreeing and disagreeing, but can be similar to “16 Times the Final Five Ruled the World in 2016” that sum up a period of time or an event and get readers thinking, “Oh, I remember when they looked in the camera and said, ‘We are the Final Five,’, I LOVED that,” or “I must have missed Laurie Hernandez telling herself, ‘I got this’, now I’ll have to go back and read about it.” Either way, it increases engagement and gets people thinking fondly about something that may have slipped their mind.

Curious to see what type of list might drive eyes to your website? Got an idea but need someone to write it? Contact me at karen@karenpricefreelance.com and let’s talk about it.

Great article on Forbes that really gets to the way I like to approach blogging and content marketing for brands, businesses and non-profits and why it’s important to engage users beyond just giving them information and/or trying to sell a product. When you give visitors to your site useful content and well-written stories without the express intent of selling them on something, they’re more likely to trust you as a knowledgable source and a quality brand that has more to offer than just a product or service.

From the article:

“As e-commerce websites continue to evolve, it is important for your online platform to serve a larger purpose to your audience. The e-commerce experience should no longer be about someone simply visiting your website to make a purchase and then immediately leaving. You want visitors to engage with your brand and continuously return to your site. The overall goal here is to position your company as one that is known for providing actual value to its users, not only supplying goods and services.”

How Flywheel, Lululemon and Camelbak Engage Users With Interactive Content Marketing Strategies

Email or call me today to discuss how I can help you increase your credibility and establish yourself as a trusted and go-to source.

Although this article is geared more toward editors and how they can get the best out of their writers, I found it interesting from the writer’s perspective. It gave me some things to think about, especially when working with a new client, and questions I can ask in order to get to know the client, the brand and the audience better.

I spent many years as a beat reporter, and relationships are essential to that job. Not only did I know the sports I covered inside and out but also the players, the management, other sources around the league, etc. Writing about a brand isn’t much different. There may be less day-to-day news and moving parts to follow, but it’s still important to build relationships and have a deep understanding of the brand, its values, the people behind it and the tone they want to convey as well as be able to tell a story that will stick with readers.

Otherwise, as the article points out, you risk just being another writing yelling into the void.

Why it’s worth investing in your content writers