Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing Strategies for Smart Professionals

The Blog Squad Declares Blogging Isn’t IT

By Patsi Krakoff in Online Marketing, Teleclasses & Seminars

(PRWeb) January 10, 2007 — The Blog Squad™ kicks off their Internet radio show "Blogging and Beyond" on Modavox’s VoiceAmerica™ Channel (http://www.voice.voiceamerica.com/) on Thursday, January 11, at 11 a.m. ET. The show focuses on how to take a business online and create a strong Internet marketing presence.

Their first show, titled "Blogging Isn’t IT!" reveals why a great blog isn’t enough. Blog Squad™ experts Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D., and Denise Wakeman show listeners and coach their ideal client live on the air on how to use simple online systems for Internet marketing.

To read the full press release go here: http://www.prweb.com//releases/2007/1/prweb495948.htm

For information on how to join the Blogging and Beyond Mentor Group, visit www.BlogSquadContest.com/mentor

For updates on the show, visit www.BloggingandBeyond.com and subscribe.

10 New Rules for Writing Successful e-Content

By Patsi Krakoff in Email Marketing Tips, Writing Better Ezines

The key to writing good e-content (content for your emails and ezines) is to make the most sense in the fewest possible words, while making an impression/connection with potential clients, to the point that they respond to your call to action.

Here are a few “new rules” shaping effective emailed content today.

1. Keep an eye on headlines (and subject lines). A cleverly crafted headline or subject line will determine if your email gets opened and read or not. Headlines appealing to reader’s desires on an emotional level will be more effective.

“Insider secrets,” “5 tips you can apply now to save time/money/energy,” and “What they don’t want you to know,” are examples of titles that work because they are compelling. They offer a promise to solve a problem. They create great curiosity. They seduce the reader to open and read the email.

Email Is Dead, Long Live Email

By Patsi Krakoff in Email Marketing Tips, Writing Better Ezines

“Email is dead. We can still use it to communicate with one another on an individual basis, but as far as content is concerned – RSS holds infinitely more value and promise.” – Chris Pirillo, interviewed by Lee Odden. Later on, Chris adds, "I’ll likely continue to ‘do’ email newsletters…”

Portrayal of the demise of email reminds me of the British chant whenever there is a death of a monarch, “The King Is Dead! Long Live the King!”

Let’s get real. In response to the above interview, email marketing is not dead. It’s just evolving rapidly and only the strong will survive.

In February 2004, Jakob Nielsen reported that a study of email marketing showed that targeted e-newsletters continue to show strength, but that only 11% of newsletters were read thoroughly, so layout and content scanability are paramount.

Email newsletters are still an important way to stay in touch with customers and prospects. Ezines build relationships with readers, on one condition: that you don’t waste readers’ time with information that is superfluous and irrelevant.

The bottom line? Improving the quality of your content will ensure your email marketing and newsletters survive, get opened, get read, and work for your business.

Tomorrow: 10 “New Rules” for Successful e-Content

Upgrade Your 2007 Marketing

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

What if you could wake up and find new orders completed in your inbox? What if you got several new emails from people you hadn’t met yet, asking to work with you? What if you could spread your message to the world in just 30 minutes a day?

It’s possible when you have an automated database with autoresponders, a blog, and an Internet marketing system in place. You can do this for only $50-$70/month. But make no mistake: You have to do some work here. But it’s the kind of step 1, step, 2, step 3 work that is easy to do once you learn the steps.

Alot of Internet marketing experts will tell you about these systems (KickStartCart, a blog, an ezine), but very few take the time to walk you through the process so you can learn to use these tools properly.

The Blog Squad to the rescue: We are taking a select group of professionals through a 13-week Mentor Group, Blogging and Beyond. The fee is minimal, the help you will get is huge, the resources are quite simply the best for learning how to take your business online using powerful yet simple tools.

Info: www.blogsquadcontest.com/mentor.

Writing Better: Secret Tip Revealed for Writing Faster, Easier

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Better Ezines

The day I learned this writing tip was the day my writing got a whole lot easier, faster, and more fun. It’s no secret really, but this one tip could change the way you write articles for the Web, for your ezines, your blog, for all sorts of marketing content:

It’s called the “Make a list” technique.

That’s right. Not too complicated, is it? As Jeff Herring, The Article Guy, puts it: "If you can write a 7-item grocery list, you can write an article."

Ever since I learned this, getting started with writing (some say this is the most difficult part) has become a snap. If I’d known it was this simple, I might have skipped graduate school.

Here’s how it goes in my head: Say I need to write an article on “ezine publishing.”

How do I know that I need to write about ezine publishing? I did a keyword search and my newsletter site www.CustomizedNewsletters.com doesn’t come up on the first page of Google when people search on the keyword phrase "ezine publishing." The site comes up on page 3.

If I have more web pages using the keyword phrase "ezine publishing", I should improve my page ranking. Therefore, I need to publish more articles using those keywords on my website, on my blog, and in my ezine, which gets archived on the Web, and submit these articles to article directories.

Here’s how the "Make a List" writing tip works:

91 Days of Blogging And Beyond

By Patsi Krakoff in Online Marketing, Teleclasses & Seminars

"Give us 91 days and we’ll give you a blog, a database marketing system, an ezine and autoresponders," so sayeth The Blog Squad™.

Two events, same day (Thursdays, January 11 – April 5), two time slots.

1. Internet radio Show Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad™ and featured Guest Experts (11 a.m. ET), VoiceAmerica™ Channel, www.voice.voiceamerica.com

Blogging and Beyond Mentor Group (6 p.m. ET), telesessions, membership website

Denise and I are putting on our Blog Squad™ capes and rescuing professionals from Internet Marketing Purgatory. We are simplifying the steps and tools you need to take your business online and attract new prospects, convert them to clients and fans, and make money.

This is a smart way to learn the simple tools we used that tripled our business in two years. Read this post here, about what is the difference between the radio show and the mentor group.

I’m not going to be shy; I’ll reveal on the first episode January 11 why my husband laughed and called me a techno-weanie when I started blogging in 2004… (Who’s laughing now, bubba! Love ya anyway!)

Keywords: Write for the Readers or Write for the Spiders?

By Patsi Krakoff in Online Marketing, Writing Better Ezines, Writing Great Blog Content, Writing Great Copy, Writing Great Press Releases

There is continuing debate about how much effort one should put into researching keywords for your blog posts and articles. On the one hand, writers like to focus on content and meaning. On the other, search engine savvy techies tell you you must research which keywords people are using frequently.

Here’s an article by a search marketing expert that addresses both issues, but with a reminder about how important good content is, especially when it has a call to action. PF Fusco writes for ClickZNetwork, and says, "Resolve to Produce Great Content." Here’s an excerpt:

Consider this simple premise: great content speaks to the end user and encourages desired actions.

Good content informs and inspirers readers. It entertains and amuses its intended audience. It’s passed from user to user and cited by others as having worth. Great content, however, encourages end users one step further: to click that button.

The Dumbness of Crowds: How to Write a Great Blog Post

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Great Blog Content

Kathy Sierra writes an excellent post called The Dumbness of Crowds over at her Creating Passionate Users blog. She writes, "…the most frustrating part for me is how the "Wisdom of Crowds" idea has been twisted and abused to mean virtually the opposite of what New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki says in the book of the same name. He opened a talk at ETech telling us that while ants become smarter as the number of collaborators increases, humans become dumber."

This ties into all the "new" thinking about open source innovation, user-generated content on the Internet, blogs, and Web 2.0. If companies are connecting with customers, how are they using the information? Clearly, as Kathy points out, there is a big difference in collective intelligence and consensus. Consensus is what many think is the goal, whereas that has never led to good design.

Writing for the 8th Grade

By Patsi Krakoff in Grammar & Common Usages, How to...Tips, Writing Better Ezines

While talking with a blog client, the matter of reading levels came up. I can’t remember where I found this tip, but there’s a way to measure the reading grade level of your writing.

You know how they say to write your articles and blog posts for readers at an 8th grade level? Well, yes, they do say that. In fact, some say that if you’re writing for the general public, you should write for a 4th grade level.

Here’s how to find out the grade level of your blog writing, according to the "Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level" metric.

Writing Better Articles: 10 Steps

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Better Ezines

Yesterday while I was writing about the one "secret writing tip" that has made my writing easier and faster (make a list) I ended up with a list of 10 steps I go through each time I write an article.

That’s how powerful the "make a list" technique is for writing. You will actually create another article while writing the first one.

So here’s my new list of writing tips:

1. Find out what keywords you need to use in your next article.
2. Write out a headline or general subject title (you will revise the title later).
3. Make a list.
4. Write one or two sentences about each point on the list.