Archive for How to…Tips – Page 4

Don’t Fall Prey to Auto-Feeds:
Your Blog Posts Deserve a Personal Introduction

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, February 4th, 2015

Social MediaMany people who fell prey to the Auto-feed short-cut introduced by Facebook found that it did much more harm than good. And it’s understandable why they did it: how can you have time for social media, when you struggle with creating consistent, relevant blog content?

While it may have saved time initially, there were costs in the long run. The same is true for auto-feeds to LinkedIn, Twitter, and all the other social media sites. Although this seems like a good idea, it may do you more harm than good.

Here are 4 reasons why you should NOT automatically feed your blog posts into these social media sites: Read More→

Categories : Attracting Clients, Content Marketing, How to...Tips, Social Media Stuff
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Blog Design Blink Test:
Simple, Easy Navigation

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, January 21st, 2015

Navigation and SimplicityIn order to impress visitors and showcase your business expertise, your blog must pass the “blink” test.

As I mentioned in my previous post, your blog design must incorporate three critical elements:

  1. Branding/Personality (Banners, logo, photos)
  2. Navigation/Simplicity (Layout, use of white space and read more)
  3. Quality Content (Problems you solve for your readers)

Navigation/Simplicity

Your blog design should offer easy navigation, easy ways to find solutions to their problems.

Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Attracting Clients, How to...Tips
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Does Your Blog Pass the Blink Test?
3 Critical Blog “Must Haves”

By Patsi Krakoff
Friday, January 16th, 2015

Blink TestDoes 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:

  1. Branding/Personality (Banners, logo, photos)
  2. Navigation/Simplicity (Layout, use of white space and read more)
  3. Content (Problems you solve for your readers)

Branding/Personality

Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Attracting Clients, Getting Read, How to...Tips
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5 Best Business Blog Goals for 2015-
And 5 Steps to Get You There

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, December 31st, 2014

Achieve the BestWhat goals have you identified for your blog and website for 2015? Have you created a map to help you reach your goals?

It’s true, I don’t believe in making new year’s resolutions.  But after 15+ years working with executive coaches and consultants, I know that having clearly defined goals and expectations for a business blog or website is critical to help you get found, get known, and get clients; it will improve how you show up on the Web.

I’ve found that many professionals are vague when it comes to setting their business blog goals. They haven’t clearly identified their expectations, or what they want their blog to do for their business. If you fall into that category, and you haven’t identified your goals (or you want to refine the goals you’ve set), consider this checklist: Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, How to...Tips
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Business Newsletter Tips: Don’t be the Grinch this Holiday

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

If I’ve said it once, I’veBizBook-Nuggets said it a thousand times: your business newsletter content must solve problems for your readers or help them meet a need.  So, if your newsletter topic is something that you can’t cover in an e-newsletter, don’t be the Newsletter Grinch: give it the attention it deserves and cover it properly on a blog page.  Your audience will appreciate your attention to detail, as long as you provide value.

In my previous blog post, I shared tips to get your business newsletter read, specifically, how to grab attention with a compelling subject line and headline. But once you get your readers to open your email newsletter, make sure they keep reading by offering compelling, relevant information.

For example, I create and distribute a newsletter called Biz Book Nuggets (if you haven’t subscribed, you can sign up in the upper right corner of this page.)  This newsletter includes insights gathered from all the leadership business books I read. Read More→

Categories : How to...Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines
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Tips to Get Your Business Newsletter Read

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, December 11th, 2014

eNewsletter 10 TEALDoes 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:

  1. The three greatest human goals: to make or save time, effort or money
  2. The three greatest human desires: lust, greed or comfort
  3. The three greatest human teasers: curiosity, scarcity or controversy

Read More→

Categories : Attracting Clients, Email Marketing Tips, Getting Read, How to...Tips
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Should You Send Holiday Newsletters?

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, November 20th, 2014
eNewsletter

Shortcuts to Newsletters

Are you sending holiday newsletters for your business? Even though you may be tempted to put all your time and energy into maintaining your business blog, a newsletter is still a vital, viable way to stay connected to clients and prospects. Holiday newsletters are a great opportunity.

Don’t take my word for it. Ask other professionals if they’re getting results from sending out an emailed newsletter, for the holidays, or any time of year, and then judge for yourself if it’s worth the time and effort (and money).

Here’s a great example of what I hear: Read More→

Categories : Article Ideas, Content Marketing, Email Marketing Tips, How to...Tips
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The Biggest Mistake Business Bloggers Make (and how to avoid it!)

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Oops!The biggest mistake business bloggers make is that they are frequently ego-centric. This isn’t necessarily all bad, it simply doesn’t bring the blogging results that smart professionals expect.

Bloggers 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 it for me?” Bloggers assume that their readers are like them and interested in the same things.

How to Avoid Bad Blogging

If you want good advice, refer to the classics. There’s no better style writing advice than The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B.White. Here are 10 tips that adapt Strunk and White’s advice to blog writing (the first 8 are from Dean Rieck over on Copyblogger and is titled The Ultimate Blogger Writing Guide): Read More→

Categories : How to...Tips, On Writing Better, Writing Great Blog Content
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Top 5 Content Marketing Blog Aggregators

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

5 Best BlogsHave you created a list of your top 10 blogs?  If not, you’re missing out on opportunity to improve your search rankings.  It’s easy, smart and can help your business blog get inbound links.

I’ve talked about creating your own Top 10 lists before, and it still makes sense, even more so given the way SEO works today. Besides providing valuable, relevant information for your readers, you also: Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Blogs We Love, Content Marketing, How to...Tips, List Building Tips
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How to Lure Readers to Your Blog
from Social Media

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Lure Social Media Readers to Your BlogLet’s face it; sometimes it’s hard to draw people’s attention away from their many social media accounts.  I know that I’m guilty of not being willing to leave the social media site I’m browsing to visit an outside blog or article. So how do we as blog writers get people to leave the social media bubble and head on over to our blog to read and then share what they read on social media?

Here are a few ideas to get reader’s eyes off of their Facebook or Twitter page and onto your blog: Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, How to...Tips, Social Media Stuff
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