Archive for On Writing Better – Page 36

News Release Heaven: How to get there

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, July 19th, 2007

Bicep_male_flexed_armThey say the more you do something, the bigger your muscles get and the easier it is. Writing news releases has always been heavy lifting for me.

Somehow, using the mental imagery technique I described in the post "Writing: How the first sentence is like the serve in tennis," I cranked out 3 press releases yesterday without much struggle.

Maybe this stuff really works: deep breathing and telling myself I’m really good at this. Or, just maybe, all of the online studying on how to write a press release has kicked in.

Like most things in life, success is usually preceded by doing something poorly and practicing the hell out of it. It helps to have good teachers and coaches along the way.

My press release writing teacher is Joan Stewart, aka The Publicity Hound.  Joan actually gives away her knowledge about writing good news releases in an email tutorial, "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases." You can learn from her too if you sign up, it’s free. 

Categories : On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Writing Great Press Releases

Writing: how the first sentence is like the serve in tennis

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, July 19th, 2007

Tennis_player_serving
There’s a moment just before the serve in tennis that I stand tall, take a deep breath, and look squarely at my opponent. In that second, I say to myself "I’m a good player; I’ve got a great serve: here goes one of my best serves now." In microseconds, I replay the entire body and racket movements as I toss the ball high in front and to my right. It seems to work, at least some of the time.

I always say if you’ve got a great serve, your other strokes don’t matter as much. And with writing, if you’ve got a great opening – headline, first sentence, first paragraph – the rest will flow. If your opening is strong then the rest doesn’t matter as much.

I’ve always done some version of mental imagery, but was recently inspired to renew this physical and mental meditation when I saw the film "The Way of the Peaceful Warrior." In it, the young gymnast stands tall with a fist extended in the air before he begins his routine. In that moment, you can see his confidence and determination as he mentally begins his work.

I’m now starting to apply this exercise to writing when faced with tasks that are not appetizing to me. News releases are the most difficult, probably because they tend to be more routine and less creative.

If I can sit tall, face the computer screen with an air of confidence and then repeat some affirmation, it will be easier: "I’m a good journalist; I love writing news releases. They inspire creativity in me. I’m writing a good one now."

Your turn: what gets you going when faced with a challenging writing task?

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

Writing tasks: they just keep growing

By Patsi Krakoff
Tuesday, July 17th, 2007

When I started out in 1999, there were only 2 ways I wrote for the web: updating my website (through someone else) and writing email.

Today, I’ve got a list of writing tasks to do:

  1. Blog posts for 4 different blogs
  2. Weekly ezine Savvy eBiz Tips
  3. Articles for directory submissions
  4. Article for my Customized Newsletter Services
  5. White paper for Blog Squad
  6. Sales copy for new Blog Squad group coaching
  7. Email promotion copy for new group
  8. 6 press releases to announce client successes

Does this seem a lot to you? It seems if you’re trying to do business online, a major part of what you do is write for a living. Am I the only one whose list of writing tasks is growing?

Take our new poll to the left and let us know which tasks are the most challenging for you.

Categories : Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Writing for the Web

Article Marketing Tips from The Internet Article Guy

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, July 12th, 2007

We hosted a great article marketing class with Jeff Herring yesterday on our Blogging and Beyond mentor group teleseminar. Jeff is widely known as The Internet Article Guy, and he’s got plenty of tips for using articles for Internet marketing.

He’s a master at teaching professionals to simplify the article writing process. He says, "If you can write a 7-item grocery list, you can write a 7-tip article." He even sells article templates which can get you started. Both Denise and I have used his templates.

Once you write several 500-word tip articles, they should be submitted to the article directories, for example, EzineArticles.com.

You can submit the same article to different article directories, but when you have them on your website, article should be at least 20% different to avoid the duplicate content ding from search engines. This means changing the headline and first paragraph, and taking a slightly different angle in your article.

Categories : Article Ideas, On Writing Better

Creative Writing Challenge

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, July 5th, 2007

This just in from Answers.com:

A chance to win prizes for being a creative writing genius, writing a story or poem using ten words/phrases we randomly chose.

Check out the submission details. Looking forward to reading your entries! Prizes include Amazon gift certificates along with blog mentions on Answers.com and link love. 

If you’re a creative writer, here’s your chance to strut your stuff! Go for it!
Categories : On Writing Better

Blog Writing Refined & Defined with the Copyblogger

By Patsi Krakoff
Friday, June 22nd, 2007

Brian_clark
Everybody loves Brian. Brian Clark’s Copyblogger blog made a big splash in 2006, and he continues to help bloggers elevate their writing no matter what niche they’re in. His mission: to educate bloggers how copywriting skills can help business blog writing.

He’s clearly succeeding. In the first year of his blog he reached 10,000 subscribers. In the second year, 20,000.

We interviewed Brian for our Internet radio show on Blog Talk Radio, Blogging and Beyond. You can listen here.

A few nuggets: when you’re starting a blog you need a strategy. Blogging isn’t advertising in the old sense but in the new sense. You must have a unique perspective and find new ways to convey that message.

You must reach out to others to find out what they want and need, and create relationships with potential partners in your field. When you have something worth talking about, you’ll be noticed in your niche. You will shine. You gain attention by linking out to others.

Even if you’ve already been blogging for a while, I strongly urge you to visit his blog today and read his Blueprint for a Brilliant Blog Launch. It contains three elements for building readership for your blog that you can apply at any point in your blog’s life cycle.

And of course, all of his content is good on copywriting, headlines, and other tips for good blog writing.

Categories : Blogs We Love, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, On Writing Better, Writing Great Blog Content, Writing Great Copy

One-Track Mind: I Have a Problem

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007

Coordination
I have a problem managing my work load: I can’t multi-task like most successful people seem to do. I am a one-track minded gal. Like for most entrepreneurs and small biz owners, I have plates spinning in the air all the time, and juggling is required.

If it were up to me, the plates would have splattered already. My partner Denise is great at juggling.

Do you experience this when writing for your business? Got any tips for helping me out here?

For example, today I’m preparing a presentation that The Blog Squad is giving up in LA at the Publishers Association. If only I could shut down email, ignore

Read More→

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

Secrets of Great Blog Writing from Copyblogger

By Patsi Krakoff
Monday, June 18th, 2007

Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad, Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., and Denise Wakeman
With Guest Expert: Brian Clark, www.copyblogger.com 
June 21st 2007, 3:00 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET)

The Secret of Effective Business Blog Writing…

…think like a copywriter. Good blogging and good copywriting share
many of the same attributes – clear language designed to focus on the
needs of the reader by using stories, education and a demonstration of
benefit and value.

In an overly crowded marketplace, a well written blog allows you to
catch people’s attention, and capitalize on that attention by building
trust, sales and profits. Brian Clark, of Copyblogger.com fame, shares the art and science of effective business blog writing.

Brian_cb
Brian Clark is an Internet marketing strategist, content developer,
entrepreneur, and recovering attorney. In addition to building three
successful offline businesses using online marketing techniques, he has
sold scores of products and services online via joint venture and
affiliate arrangements. You can read his popular blog at www.copyblogger.com.

Use this link to listen live on the air at 6:00 p.m. ET on June 21.

Categories : On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Writing Great Blog Content, Writing Great Copy

Web Content: Bringing Readers to Your Company for Results

By Patsi Krakoff
Tuesday, June 12th, 2007

Dmsnewrules
"All people and organizations – nonprofits, rock bands, political advocacy groups, companies, independent consultants, everyone – possess the power to elevate themselves on the Web to a position of importance."– David Meerman Scott, The New Rules of Marketing & PR, (p. 35)

I’m loving this book and have got it underlined with yellow marker on many pages. David gets it: the power of Web content for business.

He also says, "You are what you publish on the Web." It is all making more sense now. Content isn’t just your newsletter article of the month, or your blog posts. It the accumulated effects of everything you write and publish on the Internet that reflects your credibility as well as your understanding of your customers.

That includes white papers, images, audio, video, press releases, ebooks…and the conversations we have with other people that get accessed on the Internet.

Tune in Thursday, June 14th as The Blog Squad interviews David Meerman Scott on Blogging and Beyond, BlogTalkRadio, 3 pm PT (6 pm ET):

David Meerman Scott Talks Marketing and PR

Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad, Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., and Denise Wakeman
With Guest Expert: David Meerman Scott, www.WebInkNow.com.

Read More→

Categories : On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Teleclasses & Seminars

Word Game: What’s Your One Word That Says It All?

By Patsi Krakoff
Saturday, June 9th, 2007

Core_values
I’ve read several posts over the last month that talk about finding one word that sums you and your business up. And there’s the whole long copy vs. short copy debate rekindled.

In his book, "Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear," Frank Lutz writes:

It is no accident that the most unforgettable catchphrases of the past fifty years contain only a single- or at most two-syllable words. And when they initially haven’t been so simple, someone inevitably has stepped in to shorten them.

Just ask the makers of Macintosh ("Mac") computer. And when was the last time you used the words "International Business Machines" rather than "IBM"? Federal Express is now officially "FedEx," Kentucky Fried Chicken is now "KFC," Oil of Olay is just "Olay," and Dairy Queen now refers to itself as "DQ."

What if you asked your clients this question: "What’s the ONE word you would use that best describes what we do well?"

John Jantsch suggests:

Is it fast, attentive, welcoming, creative, cheap, cool, techie, smart, caring? One word is tough, but you need to get there. One simple word that sums up how you are different. If you can do that, and it’s a word that means a lot to a lot, your marketing job will be significantly easier.

Pamela Slim on her Escape Cubicle Nation blog gives some one-word descriptions of a few well-known Internet business people, in her post "Can a Single Word Define Your Brand?"

So we gotta ask: what word do you think your clients would use to sum you up?

And, what one word would you suggest as a possibility for The Blog Squad?

All comments welcome!

The point is, if you can distill your essence into one or two words, you can construct your marketing around that word. Brevity is golden.

Categories : On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Content for Coaches and Consultants

Serenity Virtual Assistant Services

Social Buzz Club

get your bright idea known