6/23/2008
Got Marketing Perspective?
 You know when you’re so focused on something that you may lose sight of what it really is or of how important it really is (or isn’t) in the grand scheme of the world? I got a great dose of perspective the other day. My 8-year-old daughter has an e-mail address. Her e-mail is included on this subscriber list. Recently, she received an e-mail with tips on blogs and blog writing. She sent me back an e-mail that read like this: So….I guess BLOGS are IMPORTANT????? That gave me a good laugh. It reminded me that while what I do is important, and, I like to think, helps others succeed, sell more, realize their dreams and learn something new as much as possible, the truth is, most of us aren’t finding the cure to cancer. We take ourselves seriously, as we should, but it’s just too seriously at times. Taking a step back and drinking a big mug of perspective will make you much better and much more successful at what you do. So….remember….and this is very important: blogs are very IMPORTANT!!! Labels: blog, blog content, blog ghostwriting, blogging, marketing, online marketing, small business marketing |
4/03/2008
Anatomy of a blog entry (a good blog entry)
3/03/2008
Three hot marketing tips for small businesses
Marketing your small business should be a top priority, and for most (if not all) of you, I am sure it is. That said, marketing isn’t always easy, doesn’t always yield instant results and, like most worthwhile things in business, costs money. In the long run, however, good marketing is typically rewarded by an increase in sales, credibility and visibility which, at the end of the day, are what makes a business successful. Just getting started and looking for your first three moves?: Start a blog  Sooner or later your customers are going to expect you to have one. Jump on the blog train now before you find yourself chasing it later. Besides, blogs are free to set up (with most tools) and your main maintenance is content- not money-related. And the Internet exposure you will receive in return? Priceless. Track your traffic Whether your customers find you online or elsewhere, take the time to track your marketing strategies and determine what is working best for you. Who is coming from where and what do they seek? Don’t waste time and money with marketing strategies that aren’t working. Take hints from the experts Find the best of the best in your target audience and in your service or industry and know what they are thinking, reading and looking for through their websites and blogs. Labels: blog, Internet Marketing, low-budget marketing, visibility |
2/27/2008
Get It In Writing featured in the Christian Science Monitor
| Get It In Writing's Allison Nazarian is interviewed in a January 11, 2008, Christian Science Monitor article entitled, "Meet the fake Steve Jobs... ... and several other satirists blogging in the guise of famous CEOs as interest in captains of industry grows." Amazing how P.R. works: We didn't even know this article exsited until one month after it ran! Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, ceo blogs |
2/22/2008
Getting Your Blog Noticed
| We all know by now that the Internet is filled with literally millions of blogs – millions! Based on this number, the amount of blog posts floating around in cyberspace would appear to be endless, right? So how can you make your business blog stand out among the many? I have no idea. OK, just kidding. There is no magic formula, but there is much you can do to tip the scales of success in your favor. According to social media marketing blogger Scott Monty, the answer comes down to timing and technique. In a recent post, Monty revealed that bloggers who post on major developments as they happen are far more likely to attract readers. Because Google has the ability to quickly index blog posts as they come online, bloggers who are fast to post breaking news are rewarded with high placement in search engine results. (The saying about luck is where preparation meets opportunity comes to mind.) Timing, however, isn't the only great tool. Monty also recommends adding humor to your blog entries that should already be chock-full (but not overdone with) details and to-the-point information. |
2/15/2008
Understanding Key Words
| Everyone wants to be at the top of Google and Yahoo! listings but so few seem to understand that you don’t just magically appear there! SEO copywriting is not what I would call a mystery, but I am convinced that it is something that most people do NOT do well (sorry…). It is SO important for marketers and writers writing, editing or developing online copy to truly understand what keywords are, what they do, what they need to do and how to use them effectively. Yes, we all know that a keyword or key phrase is a word or phrase your potential customer would ostensibly use when searching for a company that provides your services or products. Clearly, this is an even more basic explanation than a SEO Copywriting or SEO Keywords 101 primer would give you. This world is infinitely more unknown and complicated than this, but I like to be clear and simple so that we are all getting the same point. Simple example: if you want to learn more about copywriting, or about how to hire a copywriter or procure copywriting services, you would search the term “copywriting” or “copywriter” or maybe “how to hire a copywriter” through your search engine of choice, usually Google or Yahoo!, right? These words are almost like the trail of bread crumbs you are leaving so that these potential customers can find you, huh? So when you are writing copy for your website, blog or other online marketing vehicle, you need to remember you are writing for two audiences, both equally discerning, both equally busy and rushed: your potential customer and the search engines. It’s a fine line, to say the least, to write effectively, simultaneously, for both audiences. Labels: blog, Internet Marketing, online marketing, web copy, writing for the web |
2/08/2008
The care and feeding of your blog
| In a recent blog entry, I talked about the all-too-common trend of setting up a blog and then not doing anything with it. Here are some basic but key tips for keeping the care and feeding of your blog: Investigate. Become a journalist whose beat is your industry. What are your competitors writing about? What trend or news items are the associations, trade publications and periodicals of your industry discussing? (And what are they not writing about?) Don't go TMI on us. One of the attractions of blogs and blogging is the casual, conversational tone you can adopt. But don't take the reduction in formality to mean that you can let it all hang out. Your business blog is not a place to discuss your child's potty-training, or your search for Mr. (or Ms. Right or your personal habits) UNLESS there is a very definite and specific business-related and sales-related reason to do so! (And by all means if you want to get down to the brass tacks of your personal life, create a personal blog on the side and go for it.) 80/20 rule applies here too. I believe in an info to sales ratio of 80/20. Teach, inform, comment and show yourself and your business to be the leader of the pack. Establish your expertise and sprinkle in some related services or products you’re selling. Go for the hard sell and you're sure to lose out, no matter how often you're blogging. Labels: blog, blogging, unattended blog syndrome |
1/28/2008
Unattended Blog Syndrome
| One day, a client I was speaking with used the term “unattended blog” to refer to the many blogs, including his, that had been completely and utterly ignored and, well, unattended to. How many of you have fallen victim to Unattended Blog Syndrome (UBS) -- the ailment that occurs after you have created your business blog and immediately following the realization that this is a creature with a never-ending appetite for words, messages and ideas? Is it better to create a blog and then ignore it or to not have one at all? Along the same lines, is it better to have an unprofessional web presence/website or none at all? That’s up to you to decide. I would argue that you need to have both AND both need to be updated, attended to and fed, fed, fed with new and relevant content. Just like a website is an absolute must for just about any business, so too is a blog -- and if you don't think so now, just wait until you lose a new job or potential client because they so enjoyed reading and learning from your competitor's blog. What's the cure for UBS? Good content, the right approach and consistency (and maybe some chicken soup?). Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, blogging, unattended blog syndrome |
8/21/2007
Top 3 Sins of Blogging
Since blogging seems to be the Get It In Writing theme of the week (see the Wall Street Journal article featuring Allison Nazarian and Get It In Writing!), here are my Top 3 Sins of Blogging:
Labels: blog, blogging, web traffic |
8/05/2007
Blog Ghostwriting: My first Wikipedia entry!
| As a copywriter, I get asked about all sorts of marketing-, sales- and advertising-related writing assignments and projects. Lately, I have been approached a couple of times about writing for Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia that is open to all for writing and editing. This kind of writing is not salesy or full of hype (in fact, that kind of writing will get you banished to a Wikipedia Timeout!). This kind of writing is longer form, informative, newsworthy and factual, just like the encyclopedias that used to be found only in libraries or in the 26-volume set on your parents' (or your) bookshelves. I did some searching and found that there was no entry for "Blog Ghostwriting," which happens to be a service we at Get It In Writing offer. I took some time to write a short (three paragraph) informative entry (with no sales pitch copy whatsoever)on the topic and now am just trying to figure out if I categorized it correctly and if so, when it will actually post to the Wikipedia pages. If you see it or if you have any insight, let me know! Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, blogging |