Author Archive for Patsi Krakoff – Page 111

Business Writing: Are You Using Gobbledygook?

David Meerman Scott updated his Goobledygook Manifesto this week. He proves his point: news releases from company and pr writers use the same old worn-out empty phrases … worse than a teenager’s annoying talk, like totally inane.

I’m reprinting David’s graph here just so you can see the catch phrases to avoid in your next piece of writing for the web.Gobbledygook_us_2007_5

The words mentioned most often were similar to last year’s analysis. In North America – next generation (10,427 mentions), robust (8868 mentions), flexible (8515 mentions), and world class (7887 mentions) were the leaders.

Others are easy to use, scalable, cutting edge, well positioned, market leading, mission critical, turnkey, groundbreaking, industry standard, user friendly, enterprise class, best of breed, enterprise wide, interoperable, extensible, and breakthrough.

Blog Failure: Here’s how to avoid it

Blogtipping
For the last couple of weeks I’ve written about blog failure, and how easy it is to fall into sloppy blogging habits…and why this is so dangerous to your business reputation.

Mostly, I’ve written on our Build a Better Blog, for example, check out these posts:

The slippery slope to blog failure

Biggest blog challenges – poll results show traffic is a concern

Blog content: when good isn’t good enough

Chair
You have 3 days left to claim one of two seats that are still available for our Better Business Blogging workshop, a 4-week series of teleconferencing calls: www.theblogsquad.net/BBB

The Blog Squad does blog makeovers and blog critiques all the time, and we’ve learned how to avoid blog failure. Don’t let it happen to you. Find out how you can make your blogging tasks easier and more profitable. Don’t wait, act now before we close out the class.

The Blog Squad Donates a Biz Blog Package for a Good Cause

If you’re not yet blogging for your business, here’s a chance to get all the information you’ll need to set up and optimize your blog. It’s a charity auction for LLS, the Leukemia Society. You can read all the details on Denise’s BizTipsBlog.

It’s a cause that is close to Denise’s heart because her brother-in-law has an rare form of cancer. So you’ll get an excellent package of tutorials on blogging for a low price and all the money will go to help find a cure.

Branding AND Blogging: teleclass on this success formula

Global_network
You don’t want to miss this class on Wednesday August 29,2007 – Our recent analysis of business blogs show that most are brandless or at least under-branded. That makes all of your marketing harder and far less effective.

Learn how to get good results by combining branding with your blog.

Join The Blog Squad and branding guru Ruth Klein for the first ever teleseminar on Branding AND Blogging: what many experts consider to be the new ‘success secret’ of smart professionals and entrepreneurs with online businesses.

There is no charge to attend.

Branding & Blogging: The new ‘success secret’ of today’s smart professionals

A complimentary teleseminar brought to you by The Blog Squad and Branding Guru Ruth Klein

Wednesday, August 29, 2007
5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT)
No charge!

Register here. You’ll get the dial-in number and information about how to listen live online via simulcast, if you prefer.

Please note: This is a preview class to our 4-session Branding and Blogging workshop with Ruth Klein in September, but we promise you’ll get plenty of information you can use, even if you aren’t going to the paid workshop. We’ll answer your questions and give you important content – no obligation. If you’ve been to our teleclasses before, you know we always over-deliver.

Blogging and Beyond: Get More Out of Workshops

From Class to Cash: getting the most from business and marketing events

Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad, Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., and Denise Wakeman
With Guest Expert: Rory Cohen, co-founder Entelekey, Inc.

August 9, 2007, 3:00 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET)

Rory_bio_pic
Only 5-20% of people who attend business-related educational events
will ever implement or take advantage of what they learn.

If you spend
money on bootcamps, workshops and conferences that promise you business
results, you better be sure that you are, or learn to become, an
implementer.

Learn what stops you from taking action and how you can
prepare to get the most out of your educational investments. The Blog
Squad interviews Rory Cohen, co-founder Entelekey, Inc.

Use this link to listen live on the air at 6:00 p.m. ET on August 9.

Reasons to Proofread Your Writing for the Web

I’m researching websites that offer blog writing, and found a specialty writing firm that offers a variety of content for businesses. Here’s what their page on blog writing leads with:

No escaping the Blogging Phenomena!

This is were the hype is
The news is
The buzz is
The money is!

And that’s where you ought to be!

I hate being negative, so I won’t tell you which site misspelled "were" for "where" in their opening line. But I don’t think I’d recommend this company to any business wanting to outsource their blog writing.

On the Web, this kind of error is like having your sales staff greet clients wearing dirty clothes.

Related post:  Misspellings, their our plenty and their impotent

Blogs for Writers

Thanks to John Hewitt for publishing a list of blogs for writers. There are many good blogs on his list, including this one, and a few I am not familiar as yet.

How many of these bloggers do you read?

  • Anne Wayman: Anne runs one of my favorite writing sites, which both offers original advice and keeps track of what the other blogs are saying.

Read More→

Duplicate Content on the Web: Myth Busting

Internet_magnifying_glass_on_a_wind
Finally someone has busted the duplicate content penalty myth in plain simple language we can all understand. My readers and clients worry when I tell them to re-purpose blog posts into articles and submit them to article directories and news release sites.

Read this from SEO expert Jill Whalen before you let the duplicate content myth stop you from getting mileage out of your articles and blog posts.

I discovered this great explanation thanks to Patrice-Anne Rutledge who writes the Web-Savvy Writers Blog.

If you are sitting your content worried about getting penalized for having duplicate content published in more than one place on the Web, you can breath easy. Go submit and prosper.

New Rules for Writing for the Web: Write Like You Speak

Blogging_written_in_keys
What’s the hardest part about writing for your online business? Many people tell me it’s getting started: writing that first sentence.

Before you get started you face mental assumptions about writing that have been ingrained in you. When writing for the web, there are some new rules to keep in mind.

I think some people make writing for their business more difficult than it should be. Especially the professionals with graduate degrees. I know about that: with a doctorate degree in psychology, I still write complicated, compound sentences worthy of a dissertation. But my clarity suffers.

Does that happen to you? Are you making writing more difficult by trying to sound business-like? Get off it. Write for the Web like you speak to an ideal client.

So keep your sentences short.

Don’t use big words.

Keep plenty of free space around your copy, so it looks easy.

The mind can only really think of one thing at a time.

Write in plain talk, like you would to a friend across the table.

Read More→

Better Blog Writing: Deadline for Blog Squad Coaching Group

Chair
There’s one seat left for our small coaching group that starts in August; tonight at midnight the early bird discount and bonus offer is off the table. This is an exclusive group for advanced business blogging strategies.

Denise and I will work with you to make sure you get the maximum results for your business blog, whatever your blog goals are.

This is a home-improvement, get-your-keyboard-dirty workshop, no slackers allowed. If you put in the time to improve your blog, you will see results. For info: visit www.theblogsquad.net/BBB.