Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog | Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing Strategies for Smart Professionals

Archive for Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog – Page 3

Duplicate Content on the Web: Myth Busting

By Patsi Krakoff

Friday, August 3rd, 2007

Finally someone has busted the duplicate content penalty myth in plain simple language we can all understand. My readers and clients worry when I tell them to re-purpose blog posts into articles and submit them to article directories and news release sites.

Read this from SEO expert Jill Whalen before you let the duplicate content myth stop you from getting mileage out of your articles and blog posts.

I discovered this great explanation thanks to Patrice-Anne Rutledge who writes the Web-Savvy Writers Blog.

If you are sitting your content worried about getting penalized for having duplicate content published in more than one place on the Web, you can breath easy. Go submit and prosper.

Categories : On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog, Writing for the Web

Web Site Woes: Why Can’t I Just Kill It & Blog?

By Patsi Krakoff

Monday, June 11th, 2007

I get such dismal traffic to my Customized Newsletters website that I wake up with dreams of trashing it altogether. Why can’t I just put it all on a blog? Blogging is something I know how to do and building traffic isn’t such a problem with a blog.

Every time I go in to update or change something on my website, I feel insecure and frustrated. It’s not a Dreamweaver problem either. No matter what I do, it doesn’t attract more potential clients.

I even know what some of the problems are, but redesigning it from scratch is too expensive for the potential payoff. Each time I’ve tried major re-writes, well, the problem persists…not enough of the right kinds of eyeballs.

So Denise and I will more than likely convert it to a blog, especially now since Typepad now has stand alone pages that can serve as landing pages.

It seems I’m not the only one who struggles with websites, and home pages, and is considering moving to a blog platform instead. Tom Chandler of The Copywriter Underground talks about it here, and also tells about Matt Ambrose of The Copywriter’s Crucible who both get more traffic to their blogs than their websites.

Tom and Matt ask, "Is the Home Page Dead?" in true copywriting style – it seems dead stuff attracts readers. So if I kill it, will they come? I bet they would if I blogged… stay tuned.

Let me know your thoughts on this by commenting. Good idea? Bad?

Categories : Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

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

By Patsi Krakoff

Saturday, June 9th, 2007

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

Audio Articles: Great Idea for Greater Online Reach

By Patsi Krakoff

Thursday, March 29th, 2007

Today Denise and I interviewed Debra Simpson, MagicInWords.com about podcasts and other media to reach and pull visitors to your online business. (I’ll post notes about our Blogging and Beyond radio show on podcasting and multi-media marketing over on our Build a Better Blog site.)

One idea I hadn’t heard of before is to post audio articles and audio tips on your website and blog. Take an article you’ve written for your ezine or for article directory syndication, and revise it for recording purposes. A 500-700 word article should translate to a 3-5 minute mp3 file.

Why would you want to do this? Because there are 63 million owners of mp3 players in the world, who want to download files and listen to them in the car and in the gym.

Now, I’m not a big fan of listening to podcasts on the treadmill – I need a little rock n roll to motivate my feet! My favorite is Jock Jams – those tunes really get me going!

I am, however, a big fan of getting the maximum juice out of everything I write. And just because I love to write and read my information, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give other options to readers. Some people just prefer to listen to information. Give visitors to your site a choice.

Audio files can be serialized, so that visitors come back to your site for tip #2, etc. A special report or article can be recorded and given away as a bonus for signing up for your ezine.

It is becoming clear that even writers must be prepared for the new interactive Web, what the geeks call Web 2.0, and be able to record information in audio and video files when possible. It that too much to ask of us writers? I think not. After all, 10 years ago, hardly anyone was using email, and we all learned how to do that, didn’t we?

For more tips on audio and creating informational products, visit Debra’s site, www.MagicinWords.com.

Categories : Article Ideas, List Building Tips, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

TeleSeminars: Building Business the Low-Tech Way

By Patsi Krakoff

Monday, March 19th, 2007

Blogging and Beyond
March 22, 2007
8:00 a.m. PT (11 a.m. ET)
Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad, Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., and Denise Wakeman
With Guest Expert: Ellen Britt of Marketing Qi Intensive and author of Teleseminar Jumpstart

Low-Tech Promotion: Using TeleSeminars to Build Your Business

TeleSeminars are an easy, affordable way to attract interested prospects into your sphere of influence and grow your business. You provide valuable information, for a fee or free. You deliver the program on the telephone, record the event, get it transcribed and turn a one-time program into a profitable info product that generates income long after it’s over.

The Blog Squad interviews Ellen Britt who started with a few fans last year, increased her database by 2000 and made $9000 within two weeks of launching her teleseminar series Marketing Qi.

In the second half, we check in with Ideal Client Erik Feder and brainstorm how he can implement this marketing strategy for his business.

Categories : Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog, Teleclasses & Seminars

Why Do I Blog? Let me count the ways…

By Patsi Krakoff

Friday, February 23rd, 2007

Kristie T of WebMoms blog tagged The Blog Squad to share 5 reasons why we blog. I’ll let Denise respond over on Build a Better Blog. Here goes for me:

When I sit down to the computer (yes, in my pj’s – after all most days it’s 5 a.m.!), I reflect on what really matters, what’s going on in my business, and how can I be of service by giving interesting and educational information to my readers.
When I search for interesting nuggets to write about, I am keeping my professional skills up to date and relevant in my area of expertise (writing for the web, blogs for business, Internet marketing for the small business professional).
I blog to get my creative juices going.
I blog to reach out to others who have similar interests.
I blog to get stuff out of my head where it doesn’t do much good rattling around; often my blog posts reveal a larger issue that I will turn into a series of articles, an ebook, or teleclass event.

Categories : About Blogs, Fun and Irrelevant Things About Patsi, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

American Idol of the Internet Could Be You!

By Patsi Krakoff

Thursday, December 14th, 2006

I’ll admit it: I stole this idea from Ellen Britt, of Marketing Qi. She made this announcement to her people when The Blog Squad was on her teleseminar series. It goes like this:

Have you ever had secret desires… illicit thoughts about wanting to be the winner of one of those TV shows like American Idol or Survivor? Oh, come on now, admit it! I won’t tell anyone…

Imagine what it would be like to have fame, fortune and your face plastered on all the TV networks…why you probably couldn’t even go to the grocery store without people asking for your autograph.

Well, now’s your chance…

You could be the next Idol, the next Star, the new Americal Idol of the Internet!

The BlogSquad is undertaking an international search for…their Ideal Internet Marketing Client!

Only two days left to apply, get national radio exposure, and 13 weeks of free marketing mentoring.

Details here: www.blogsquadcontest.com.

Categories : Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog, Teleclasses & Seminars

Identity: Who They Gonna Call?

By Patsi Krakoff

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006

The whole point of e-newsletters (and blogs) is so that when your readers need you, they remember you (hopefully in a good way) and will find you easily. They can call you up or email you to hire you, or buy your products and services.

Michael Katz of Blue Penguin writes about this in his recent ezine (always a fun read). He calls it Identifiability:

"Although apparently not a real word, this sums up an important aspect of being remembered. Because if I’m going to call you or pass your name along to a friend in need, you’ve got to pop into my head the moment someone mentions a desire for "blank" (with blank being whatever it is you do).

"…If your blank is clear and narrow (e.g. "Restaurant marketing guru," or "Financial planner for female small business owners," or "Bald, but oddly likeable E-Newsletter expert") you’ve got a good chance of coming to mind.

"If, on the other hand, you’re associated with a more generic label (e.g. "life coach" or "management consultant"), you’ll be competing with many more people, one of whom (rather than you) may pop into my head when I start thinking about who might fit the bill."

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Online Marketing, Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

Archive for Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog – Page 3

Duplicate Content on the Web: Myth Busting

Web Site Woes: Why Can’t I Just Kill It & Blog?

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

TeleSeminars: Building Business the Low-Tech Way

Why Do I Blog? Let me count the ways…

American Idol of the Internet Could Be You!

Identity: Who They Gonna Call?

Content for Coaches and Consultants

Serenity Virtual Assistant Services

Social Buzz Club