When it comes to a business newsletter, your brand is perceived in a blink of an eye.
As I shared in my last post, your newsletter should build trust and confidence with your readers. It should include tips and information that invites your prospects and clients to take action. Your newsletter is a representation of you and your business. It’s a part of your brand.
Is your blog content compelling? Are you attracting new readers, engaging with them, and growing your reader base?
In my last post, I shared an acronym that you should be using when writing blog content:
Content (compelling)
Assets (free)
Social Media
Track
Hemingway did not have the technological advantages that we have, nor a blog, but he knew how to engage his readers. As Larry W. Phillips describes in Ernest Hemingway on Writing:
Oh no! If I Googled your business name, what would I find? Are you easy to get found online?
It is a sinking feeling when you’ve created quality content for your site that’s been optimized for content and keywords, and it’s still not showing up on the first page (or pages!) in a search return. So what can you do?
Downshift. While search engine sites should discover and index your site automatically, if you’re not showing up, or you want to improve your search engine ranking, try manually submitting your URL. You can do this quickly through Google, here, or Bing, here. Read More→
How easy is it for you to get found online? Are you attracting the kinds of readers who could be your ideal clients? Here’s a quick 5 question quiz to reveal how well you’re doing:
5 Question Quiz
If you are struggling in any of these areas, here are some steps you can take to get found. Read More→
How to get found online. That was one of the most common answers we heard to the question, “What is your biggest struggle?” during our recent client interviews.
In my last post, I shared why SEO and content marketing fit together. While your blog needs good Search Engine Optimization, it has to start with quality content. But what exactly is the definition of quality content? Isn’t it subjective?
Epic Content Marketing, by Joe Pulizzi of Content Marketing Institute, offers a framework of criteria that I have adapted for coaches and consultant. (It is based on six principles that anyone can and should apply to their writing, whether it be for their business blog, e-newsletters, or e-books and websites. It’s great advice for any consultant and small business owner responsible for getting found.) Read More→
How do you create an emotional connection with your blog readers? More importantly, how do you get them so inspired they want to take action, like join your list, opt-in, comment, or buy something? Here are some psychological secrets to keep in mind.
When writing on the web – either in a blog post, a newsletter or other forms of content marketing, readers are more likely to respond to your offers of service or products if there is a resonance between you. An emotional connection is forged when your reader experiences being on the same ‘wave length’ as you. This can be done several ways.
I have to warn you: this is not always easy to do in an email, ezine or blog. Why? Because people are so different, and what is appealing on an emotional level to one is averse to another. Read More→
Is your blog content writing appealing to both thinkers AND feelers? If you aren’t appealing to these two types of communication (and decision) styles, you’re missing half of your readership potential.
When I’m blogging, I like to cite studies whenever I write about a concept, to prove my point. In The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 6: Psychological Types, noted psychologist Carl Jung identified four primary functions of consciousness:
Based on this, Isabel Briggs Myers, and her mother, Katharine Briggs, developed a personality inventory (Myers-Briggs Personality Inventory). Many professionals use this tool to help match their communication styles to other preferences.
My communication and decision style leans toward facts and data – (hold the subjective, touch-feely, please.)
If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I “preach” the importance of keeping your readers’ needs in mind. So when I write, I picture my reader. Of course, being human, I tend to project myself on to my reader: You will want the facts, not just the personal factors. However, I know that all my readers are not like me. Read More→
Do you know how to write blog posts so that they actually get read? Some people think blogging is easy: Write it and it will be read. If you’ve ever written a blog post, you know that’s not true, and it’s hard to craft a post people will read. This infographic was created for Salesforce Canada and it says it all; it will help you put together a share-worthy post.
Click To Enlarge
Via Salesforce
Does your blog pass the blink test? Content is king, but if your design stinks, visitors won’t get past the banner. They won’t stay, they won’t get to know you and they won’t subscribe to your blog.
I mentioned this in my previous post: in order to impress visitors and showcase your business expertise, your site must pass the “blink” test. If it doesn’t, you could be spending a lot of your valuable time blogging for nothing.
Bad blog design = bad marketing = no new business. Stinks, doesn’t it?
The three critical blog “must have” elements you need to consider:
Does anyone read your business e-newsletter? How do you get your clients and prospects to open that email? In a previous post, I asked if you were sending a holiday newsletter for your business. Here are a few timeless tips to help you get your newsletter read.
Grab Attention with a Compelling Subject Line and Headline
Remember that the singular purpose of a subject line is to get readers to open the mail. The purpose of the headline is to get people to start reading. That’s it.
Research has found that the most compelling subject and headlines cater to:
