Archive for About Blogs – Page 41

Business Blog Writing: Just Ask The Blog Squad

BacktoBackTorsoD&P
On Tuesday, December 30, 2008, at 4 p.m. ET, you can get your questions answered in an "open mic" type call with Denise and I, The Blog Squad. Ask and it shall be answered.

At least, we'll do our best. And it doesn't have to be only about blog writing; we'll cover questions on business blog design, which widgets or plug ins to use, comments, getting subscribers, getting results. And we'll answer questions about how to use new social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, too.

So much has happened in 2008:

  • Business blogs continue to be the #1 way to attract web traffic
  • Facebook and Twitter have exploded as marketing tools
  • Video is easier than ever to create and use on the Web
  • New ways of marketing are being defined: Content, relationship, personality & conversational marketing tactics emerge

We'll look at these emerging trends and answer your questions about how you can stay ahead of the curve in 2009.

Denise and I decided to make this call completely open and free to anyone who wants to show up. You don't even need to register. Simply go to www.asktheblogsquad.com for call in information or you can participate for free on that page at the appointed day and time.

What do you want to know? What mysteries of business blogging or social media tools do you want revealed?

We'll cover everything from the 4E's of content marketing, to the CODA blogging essentials (Content, Outreach, Design, and Action). Plus, we'll tell you about our Better Business Blog Learning system and our newly revised Build a Better Blog ebook (www.buildabetterblogsystem.com).

What do you want to know?

Blog Writing Goals … a few questions before the end of the year

On-target
Why are you reading this blog? Seriously, I'd like to hear from readers what you are seeking. What would you like to know about? What topics are so compelling you'd come back here each day to read something new?

Since the name of this blog is Writing on the Web, I'm assuming you have questions about writing and how to use content on the Web to attract clients for your businesses. But this can mean different things to different people.

I focus on content marketing and blog writing tasks. There are many ways to write and publish content (blogs, newsletters, articles) on the Internet that helps you attract people who want and need your services and products.

At the beginning of the year I started a poll and asked this question:

"Which writing tasks do you need to master to explode your Internet marketing in 2008?" Here are the results:

57.9%    Writing great blog posts
42.1%    Writing articles, ebooks & info products
27.2      Writing great newsletters
20.2%    Writing great sales copy
13.2%    Writing great press releases
6.1$      Writing scripts for video clips
4.4%      Writing dialogue for audio files

Writing great blog posts that attract prospects and gain subscribers and eventually convert those readers to clients is one of the most challenging writing tasks. The difference between good and great is enormous.

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8 + 2 Classic Writing Keys for Better Business Blogging

Blog_RSS
If you want good advice, refer to the classics. There's no better writing advice than The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B.White. Here's a post that adapts Strunk and White's advice to blog writing.

This post comes from Dean Rieck over on Copyblogger and is titled The Ultimate Blogger Writing Guide

  1. Put the reader first
  2. Organize your thoughts
  3. Use short paragraphs 
  4. Use short sentences
  5. Use simple words
  6. Be specific 
  7. Write in a conversational style 
  8. Be clear

The number 1 error I see professionals make when it comes to business blog writing is that they are frequently ego-centric. And this isn't necessarily in a bad way, it simply doesn't bring the results they expect.

They are so passionate about their message and their expertise, they preach. They shout. They proclaim. They implore. They explain. They document and support their logic.

But they forget about that old background tune that repeats in the head of all readers: "What's in this for me?" They assume that their readers are like them and interested in the same things.

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Personal Stories on Your Business Blogs: the fine line

Short-story
James Chartrand writes a great post on Copyblogger about Why You Need to Transform Your Website Into a Story. He says,

"Effective web writers are moving away from bland, factual information. Readers won’t settle for that anymore.

It isn’t interesting. It isn’t compelling.

Facts don’t stir emotions and encourage people to take action. Facts don’t sell until people look to rationalize the buying decision they’ve made at an emotional level."

I agree. People do business with people, not companies.

So when I left on vacation I wrote a post in which I expressed gratitude, shared some personal information, and explained I would be re-publishing an important series about better business blog writing.

But I got a critical email from a reader who thought this was inappropriate. Here's what happened:

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4 Steps to Creating Massive Online Visibility

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Can your ideal clients easily find you when they go online to search for solutions to their challenges? Are you hard to find? Or do people tell you "You're everywhere on the Web!"

It's not difficult to create massive visibility on the Internet. It's free or low-fee. It's relatively easy, few tech skills required. (I know what I'm talking about cuz I'm a recovering techno-twit who was unheard of less than 4 years ago.)

I'm not a genius or a smooth-talking networking virtuoso. I haven't had large sums of cash to spend, nor do I understand how things work on the Web. Blogs, social sites, email marketing, autoresponders and digital downloads all work without me knowing how.

True, I did team up with a great partner (Denise Wakeman, co-founder of The Blog Squad) who's savvy and sometimes has to explain things to me ;-). But here're the things we do that many of our peers don't bother doing (or at least not consistently):

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Content Marketing: Is Your Blog Like a Hungry Dragon?

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Is Content Marketing with a business blog like a hungry dragon you must constantly keep feeding?

Denise and I were teaching better business blogging to a group of savvy professionals at Kim Duke's Prosperity Cafe yesterday. Kim, the Sales Diva, mentioned many of her people are intimidated by taking up blogging because of the fear of not being able to come up with good content on a regular basis.

When you think about it that way, yes, I can see where someone might imagine facing the daunting task of feeding the hungry blogging dragon every morning. You must write frequently, and provide valuable content otherwise your blog doesn't work like it should.

Denise and I tried to explain, it's really not that bad. And yes, you do have to feed the damn beast if you want your biz blog readers to keep coming back for more.

And then I read a superb post by the brilliantly talented Sonia Simone over on Copyblogger, The Matrix Guide to Content Marketing. Even if you're not a fan of The Matrix, think of the four quadrants used by consulting firms to look at 4 aspects of your business.

Everything you do with your blog and your business goes into one of these sectors:

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Top 42 Content Marketing Blogs: We’re number 3!

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We made the list of Top 42 Content Marketing blogs announced this week by Joe Pulizzi of Junta42. I have to admit, I’m tickled pink, coming in at #3 just after Lee Odden of Online Marketing Blog and Brian Clark of Copyblogger!

Big congratulations to Lee and Brian, and to all the 42 other fine writers/marketers/bloggers on this list. Be sure to bookmark these sites and subscribe if you want to learn the art of content marketing from the best.

I blush to think of being in the company of such marketing experts as Rohit Bhargava, David Meerman Scott, Seth Godin, and Michael Stelzner, all of whom I admire for the way they write and understand marketing in their niches.

Big thanks to Joe Pulizzi who leads the Content Marketing way by putting together a great list of resources for us all.

Here’s how the list was chosen according to their press release:

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3 Contest Winners Announced for ‘Make Me Think’ Ideas

Confused_mind
Cheryl, Kevin and Lisa@Serahs are winners in our contest to contribute ideas to the post 10 Ways to Write to Make Readers Think. And I’m throwing in a bonus question winner: Monica.

Please email me to tell me which book you want from the list of marketing books and where to send it.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to give ideas, they are all valuable. I’ll still send you a free book from the list if you agree to pay for the shipping. (Subject to what’s left on the list, of course.)

Win a Free Book by These Marketing Geniuses

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Want to win a free book? I’m running a contest… The entries are fantastic already! Please join the fun…

If you’re new to marketing your business online, you’ve got a lot of learning to do. Fortunately there are a lot of books published now so you don’t have to spend a fortune buying expensive ebooks and home study courses. Here’s my list of free books you can win:

  • What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting by Ted Demopoulos
  • Meatball Sundae by Seth Godin
  • Email Marketing by the Num8ers by Chris Baggott
  • The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business by Tom Antion
  • Naked Conversations by Robert Scobel & Shel Israel
  • Publish & Prosper: Blogging for Business by DL Byron & Steve Brobeck
  • Advertising Headlines that Make You Rich by David Garfinkel
  • Writing White Papers by Michael Stelzner

I’ve got duplicate copies of these books and I’m cleaning out my book shelves. I’ve read everyone of these and they’re excellent. You should read them too.

How to win a book: Contribute to my  blog post below, my list of 10 Ways to Write to Makes Readers Think. I’ll pick three people from those who leave comments and send them the book of their choice from this list.

Or, take a stab at writing an answer to the bonus question in that post. Oh, and if you don’t want to contribute to the list, I’ll still send you a book if you want to pay the shipping. Just let me know which book and where to send it.

10 Ways to Write to Make Readers Think

Confused_mind
When it comes to content marketing, there are ways to write content so
it actively markets you and your business without being “in-your-face”
sales copy or boring product reviews or press releases.

I’m reminded of an excellent book on creating effective website design called Don’t Make Me Think.
The premise is that a customer searching for products and services
online shouldn’t have to figure out how to find what they’re looking
for on your website.

When it comes to reading your blog, however, please, please DO make me
think
! Your blog posts should have meaty content that stimulates
readers to ask questions, to comment, to agree wholeheartedly, or
disagree vociferously.

How can you do that? Ahhh, let me think about that a minute here… Wait! I’ve got an idea. I’ll build a list of ideas to make readers think. And, YOU can contribute to the list!

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