Author Archive for Patsi Krakoff – Page 77

The Real Problem: What NOT to Write About…

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Writing-thinking
There are a lot of posts in the Blogosphere about how to choose a topic to post about, where to find content, how to link to good resources.

Even though one of the most commonly cited fears of newbie bloggers and newsletter publishers is "What will I write about?" — I believe this isn't the real problem.

Once you get the hang of blogging, and you've developed your posting wings (2-3 times a week), the real problem is filtering out an excess of information. You must narrow down your focus. Weed out all the dead rabbit trails.

This is the real problem for most of us. I call it Reverse Writer's Block. It's when you have so many ideas and resources and things you could write about, you grind to a full halt.

The real question becomes: what business am I in? What am I in the business of selling? What do I want readers to spend money on?

I'm not denying that writing clever blog posts and newsletters that showcase your expertise isn't foremost. Nor do I diminish the quality of relationships intended in your content. But if you're in business, I'll assume that you have something to sell.

Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Online Marketing

The 3 Must-Have Ingredients to Writing Great Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Sunday, March 1st, 2009

Herbs
I'm talking about content marketing here. Not about copywriting for a landing sales page, although that might ultimately be where you want your readers to click through to. No, I'm going to tell you what I think are the 3 keys necessary in all your content marketing that precedes your sales copy.

This means writing content for your:

  • Blog posts
  • E-newsletter articles
  • Emails to your list
  • Twitter updates
  • Other social networking site communications
  • Comments on other people's blog posts
  • Web pages
  • Articles
  • Speeches
  • Podcasts, audio files
  • Video casts
  • Ebooks, special reports, white papers

If you think of other places where it's important that you write and publish content to market your business, let me know.

If you aren't writing sufficient content in multiple forms and places on the Web, then it will be that much harder for you to get enough traffic over to your sales pages where you convert them to real clients and customers. That's what content marketing does…

Each form has a different style, but here's what they all must have in common to qualify as great content that effectively markets your business and your products and services:

  1. Unique, useful information that saves time, energy or money or in some way enriches the lives of your targeted readers. It doesn't have to be original or new. But it should be presented or positioned so that it's not ho-hum.

    It's not good enough to regurgitate what everyone else is saying. Readers want to know your own particular perspective. Tell them why this is important for them to read and learn.

Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, On Writing Better

7 Ways to Leverage Your E-Newsletter Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Friday, February 27th, 2009

Business_news
Michael Katz and Chad Board are experts at teaching professionals how to write and publish a successful e-newsletters. Today they reviewed ways to re-purpose newsletter materials and get the most marketing power out of your publication.

There was a lively discussion on the teleseminar, open to members of their E-Newsletter Success Program.
As some of you know, I'm a big fan of Michael and Chad: I really
believe that they've got the e-newsletter training stuff down to a tee,
and are teaching it well.

I took some notes. They came up with 7 ways to leverage your e-newsletter content:

  1. Submit your main article to online article directories. My favorite is Chris Knight's Ezine Articles. Be sure to put your name and blog URL in your resource box so people can find you on the web.
  2. Re-purpose your main article for blog posts. In
    some cases, one newsletter article can be turned into a series of
    posts, depending on the length. Of course, this goes both ways. I've
    often turned blog posts into newsletter material.
  3. Create a special report or e-book,
    or an e-course delivered by autoresponders. What do your newsletter
    readers want to know more about? Are there "7 insider secrets" in your
    industry that you can share with them?

Read More→

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Online Marketing

Top Blog Lists: Top42 Content Marketing & 9 Best Blogs for 2009

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Top42
Who are the top bloggers in your field? You need to know them and read them and leave comments. It's one of the top ways to drive traffic back to your own blog and get new readers. It's what The Blog Squad calls blog Outreach, part of the CODA blogging program which we teach in our Build a Better Blog Learning System.

Of course, it helps if you have pioneers in your niche like Joe Pulizzi (aka JuntaJoe) and his Top42 Content Marketing Blog list. Joe brings out a fresh list of blogs in content marketing every quarter.

Here's where I shed a tear and feel sorry for myself and this blog, because Writing on the Web slipped on the list from #3 to #12…but frankly, I'm just glad to be on the list in such good company. Joe has rigorous selection principles and isn't swayed by bribes.

Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

Recession Proof Your Business: List 5 People To Be Grateful For

By Patsi Krakoff
Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Success_key
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Big changes for my business in 2009 already. What about you? Are you gearing down…or gearing up?

I know plenty of colleagues who are using their time well: revising infrastructure, ramping up their web presence, creating more content on the Web to get found by the people who need them.

You see, it's undeniable: People still have problems that need solving. Do you have solutions for them? Will they find you? Are you getting your message "out there:" on a business blog, on Twitter, on Facebook and wherever your people are?

Get back to basics. What's made you successful this far? I've been thinking a lot about that lately. After my move back to Mexico at the beginning of the year, I decided to focus more on my writing talents and services that earn me the most revenue. The goal is to work less while earning more.

I know many professionals who aren't using their time well. They're spending time and money learning about what to do but they're stuck. They think about starting a newsletter or a blog, and they do the research on the best ways to do this. They aren't jumping into action.

Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, On Writing Better, Online Marketing

Copywriting for Twitter- How to say more with less

By Patsi Krakoff
Friday, February 20th, 2009


Are you on Twitter yet? You know I'm not someone to jump on the fad-du-jour. But when I see something that isn't a waste of time, that makes for smart marketing, I will tell you about it.

You need to be on Twitter. Why? Because top people in your field are there. You can find out what's going on, what research they care about, what the buzz is. If you like people, especially people in your niche, this is where you can meet them, and connect. It's content marketing in 140 characters or less.

Twitter folks will follow you back to your blog, and when there, are more likely to leave comments. It's a productive way to build readership, aka drive traffic.

It's not about "What are you doing?" Forget that. Use the 140 characters to ask a question, share a quote, share a thought, be funny or be profound.

I'm not a Twitter expert. Coach Deb and Warren Whitlock wrote the Twitter Revolution handbook. Nor am I a social media and networking maven. Denise Wakeman is.

Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, How to...Tips, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

Great Options: How to create a no-brainer

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, February 19th, 2009

PredictablyIrrational
I just read something in Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely that blows me away. The Economist offered 3 options on their website for subscriptions:

  1. Economist.com subscription – $59 for online access
  2. Print subscription – $125 for printed issues
  3. Print & Web subscription – $125 for both print and online editions

Wait a minute. Logically, this makes no sense. From a potential subscribers point of view, it's a no-brainer to choose option #3. Which is precisely what the magazine wants you to do.

This is really good marketing. It seems as consumers, we don't really understand the value of something unless it's relative to something else. When you can see options in context, it's easier to make a decision.

"In the case of the Economist, the decision between the Internet-only and print-only options would take a bit of thinking. Thinking is difficult and sometimes unpleasant. So the Economist's marketers offered us a no-brainer: relative to the print-only option, the print and Internet options looks clearly superior."

How can you apply this to your content writing? Well, if you're writing to get people to take some sort of action, give them options. Then make one option vastly superior.

Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, Email Marketing Tips, On Writing Better, Writing Great Copy

Grow Business with Simple & Free Tools

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Denise+Patsi
The Blog Squad is being interviewed Friday February 20, 2009 on Blog Talk Radio by Paul Chaney, User Friendly Thinking show on how small businesses can use simple, often free tools to grow business, even in the midst of a difficult economy.

Call-in Number: (347) 215-7248
Upcoming Show: 2/20/2009 10:00 AM ET  
Host Name:     UserFriendlyThinking
Show Name:    Attract. Sell. Profit. Simple Tools and Tactics to Grow Your Business Online
Length:     1 hr

Categories : About Blogs

I (still) Love Kindle…one year later

By Patsi Krakoff
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Are you using a Kindle for reading books yet? The 2nd generation just came out and it's getting rave reviews.

I
use my Kindle all the time now. It took me a couple of months to get
used to it, and then I was only using it for trips. Instead of lugging
the two or three books I read at one time with me on the plane, the
slim and light electronic book reading devise is convenient and easy.

Now I use it all the time. For one thing, the Mexican postal service charges duty for books when they are delivered here. The Kindle avoids delivery problems and extra costs.

Books
downloaded to Kindle only cost around $10 and are delivered instantaneously. I love that
because I spend way too much on books and am impatient to get them
delivered. Plus, I couldn't possibly have enough book shelves to keep
all the books I buy and read, so many end up being donated.

Problem solved with the Kindle. And the new version is slightly cheaper, but at $359 it's still a chunk of change. But if you read more than a couple of books a month, then the savings will more than make up for the extra cost.

The
reason I'm writing this is not to sell some Kindles and collect a few
dollars of Amazon associates commission (although that would be a good
way to support my addiction ;-))…

If you're an author, I think you need to pay attention to innovative ways books are being read and published.

The Future of Books?

I want you to go read Bob Sutton's post Is the Kindle a Disruptive Innovation? If You Ran a Large Publishing House What Would You Do?

As
usual, Bob Sutton stimulates me to think deeply about what we take for
granted and he raises good questions. How will book publishing be
different in the future?

How will authors adapt and survive, or better yet, how will they stay ahead of the curve?

Categories : Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, On Writing Better

How to Decide What to Write, What to Read…

By Patsi Krakoff
Sunday, February 15th, 2009

Sway
 I'm immersing myself in a slew of Amazon Kindle books on decision-making that I recently downloaded:

Apparently, it doesn't matter what field you're in, everyone wants to know how come smart people make dumb decisions. To help, some very smart authors reveal the interplay between instincts, emotions, and our rational logical brains. These authors are very astute in translating the brain research along with fascinating stories.

Recently we've seen plenty of irrational behavior, whether in politics or the world of finance. And in these times of uncertainty, it's harder for everyone to make decisions. None of us can rationally predict just how hard hit we will be.

Read More→

Categories : On Writing Better, Writing Better Ezines, Writing for the Web, Writing Great Blog Content
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Content for Coaches and Consultants

Serenity Virtual Assistant Services

Social Buzz Club

get your bright idea known