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)
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. |
2/08/2008
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 |