Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing Strategies for Smart Professionals

Website Makeovers: Conversation with Rick Raddatz

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

We’re having a veteran Microsoft expert on our Wednesday evening Conversation with Experts call Feb. 22, 8:30 p.m. Rick Raddatz speaks some important truths about poor performing web sites.

Hate to admit it, but most consultants have a website that does a poor job of collecting email addresses of potential clients – a first step in leveraging the Internet to build your biz.

Rick Raddatz, Marketing Makeover Generator

An End to Embarrassing, Underperforming Websites: Let’s face it: The vast majority of websites out there an embarrassment to their owners — and I’m not talking about how the website looks. I’m talking about how much (or little) your website contributes to your bottom line.

It’s time to give your website an "Extreme Marketing Makeover". Join us as we interview Marketing Consultant Rick Raddatz, a 12-year veteran of Microsoft, to discover his secrets to high performing websites, and to learn how Rick used the internet leads he collected to sell over $200,000 worth of services in a single hour — twice.

To register, go here: www.conversationswithexperts.com. Costs you not a penny, it’s priceless.

Conversations with Experts is brought to you by The Blog Squad, Patsi and Denise, and features weekly experts who will help you build your biz both off and online. Sponsored by www.buildabetterblog.com.

Article Writing: How to Boost Your Output

By Patsi Krakoff in Article Ideas

How did I go from writing one article every other month to 3-5 a month? It used to be a struggle. I’d take out stacks of books from the library, order them like crazy from Amazon, hunker down and read, re-read, take notes, and write and re-write.

Now it’s taking me less and less time, and I’m having more fun with writing than ever before. When you can make it fun, it goes quickly and you don’t keep putting if off.

There’s only one or two experts I trust when it comes to getting good article writing advice. One of the best in the biz is Christopher Knight, who runs EzineArticles.com. If you ever get a chance to do a teleseminar on article writing with Christopher, jump on it. You’ll learn alot.

Stay tuned for a special announcement on Tuesday about the release of Christopher Knight’s great system to learn how to write more and better articles, and get more results from your writing.

Here’s what you’ll be able to access:

How to crank up the traffic your articles can generate for your website(s)
The (1) secret that 14% of EzineArticles.com Authors Know that the other 86% don’t
(7) Article Content Sources you may have overlooked
An Article Idea Generator that will help you plow through any slow creativity periods
Article Writing Production Mistakes Newbies Make That You Must Avoid
How to double your article inventory in 90 days or less
3 Simple Article Templates To Help You Begin Your Article Production Mentality
Strategies To Track Your Article Writing Production

Check back here on Tuesday, you’ll get a special discount if you are one of the first people to order this system on the release date.

Email Marketing: Mari Smith Give Tips

By Patsi Krakoff in Getting Read

Last Wednesday Mari Smith, of Emails th@t Sizzle!, gave our listeners at Conversations with Experts teleseminar some great tips on writing better emails that get opened, get read, and bring results.

Here’s an abbreviated version of her tips. (To read more, subscribe to Newsletter Nuggets by sending a blank email to dr.patsi-45475@autocontactor.com.)

Subject lines are very important, use first name of receiver and no more than 7 words or 50 characters.
Use a question that can be answered by a ‘yes’.
Use a compelling call to action with a time-limited offer.
Be sure your name and company name are in the "From" field.
Be clear on who you are writing to, address their challenges, what’s in it for them.
Be clear on the action you want people to take.
Be bottom line oriented, people want to scan and get short emails.
Avoid hype!
Deliver short tips and valuable, relevant info your readers can use.
Avoid use of spam filter trigger words, use a spam checker such as www.lyris.com.

This was a great conversation full of powerful tips for using email to market your services and products. Don’t miss the audio recording if you missed the teleseminar: Use this link to order the audio now.

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

More Email Tips for Marketing

By Patsi Krakoff in How to...Tips

This must be email tip week, what with Mari Smith appearing tonight on Conversations with Experts about Emails Th@t Sizzle!

Here are more great email tips, these excerpted from Rich Frishman, Jay Conrad Levinson & Jill Lublin’s book Guerilla Publicity.

In Praise of E-Mail: 15 Reasons Why Guerrillas Love E-Mail

1. E-mail is efficient. It’s quick, easy to use and conserves time.

2. E-mail gets through. You can reach busy, powerful people who won’t ordinarily take or return your phone calls via e-mail.

3. E-mail has become the publicists’ most powerful tool. Sending short, gentle reminders helps publicists balance the need to continually follow-up and the danger that in doing so they might alienate important media contacts.

4. E-mail gets right to the point. E-mail etiquette encourages brevity and precision.

5. E-mail allows for Quick, Clear Messages.

6. E-mail can contain links to your website or other sites.

7. E-mail lets you transmit bulky files instantly.

8. E-mail delivers even when unread. When recipients don’t read their e-mail, they usually check to see what came in and who sent it. The subject line on e-mail inboxes provides a small space in which you can convey the gist of your message. It keeps you on the recipients’ radar, even if they don’t open your mail.

9. E-mail eludes electronic fences. E-mail gets past secretaries, answering machines, voice mail.

10. E-mail is a versatile marketing tool. It’s ideal for sending newsletters, fliers, and other promotional materials without incurring the costs of printing and mailing.

11. E-mail domain names can promote your business. Invest in a domain name that includes the name of your business.

12. E-mail signature files are the equivalent of letterheads on stationary. Make sure to include your contact information in your signature file.

13. E-mail demonstrates that you’re firmly in the 21st century.

14. E-mail shifts the cost and burden from senders to recipient.

15. E-mail has revived the lost art of letter writing.

An excerpt from the National Best-Seller GUERRILLA PUBLICITY: Hundreds of Sure-fire Tactics to Get Maximum Sales for Minimum Dollars by Rick Frishman, Jill Lublin and Jay Conrad Levinson.

Rick Frishman wants you to know that you can attend his seminar in Washington DC on Friday May 18, just prior to the Book Expo: http://www.author101university.com/. This is a must-attend crash course for publishing success.

File Sharing: Use Track Changes Feature

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Better Ezines

If you work with a partner or other people, it’s important to know how to make changes in a word document for sharing and revising so that your edits can be seen.

I was really surprised to learn that not everybody knows about the "Track Changes" feature in word doc. (It’s found under Tools…) In fact, one of my friends who was big in computers and software in the 80s and 90s didn’t know about it! He’s retired now, so maybe he doesn’t keep up.

It’s really easy to use. Click on Track Changes. When you do, any changes you make to your document will show up in color with the changes marked up in the margins. When you send your marked up doc to the other person, they can see what changes you are making/suggesting.

When they make changes, their changes are in a different color. You decide to accept or reject the changes, by clicking on a little check icon in the tool bar.

So anyway, this retired friend needed to compose a doc with a new associate. First he asked me if I knew about Lotus Notes, which I don’t. They are also a file sharing system/software. But rather than download new programs, it is so easy to use what is already built into the Microsoft Word Doc program.

My friend loved it. But, get this: his friend/associate objected. He said he’s been using printed docs that he marks up by hand, then gives it to his wife to type up…! He refuses to learn this "new tool!"

Oh boy. Some people don’t want to join the 21st century, even if it will make their life easier.

Emails: Adding More Spice

By Patsi Krakoff in How to...Tips

I am looking forward to the conversation with Mari Smith, Emails Th@t Sizzle, this Wednesday (see post below for info). As a follow up to my post on using caricatures instead of stodgy photos, here’s an image Denise and I had created for our Blog Squad partnership:

We started out with a couple of head shots, gave them to our trusty graphic designer who then created something special.

I imagine you can get any body you want. Without dieting or buying a new Armani suit…

To put an image like this into your email signature, in Outlook, go to Tools, Email Options, Mail Format, create a new signature, and at some point you will click Advanced Edit. A new email stationery will open up. Click on Insert, then Picture, then From File, and insert any image from your hard drive. Save it by naming this signature something that will identify it from the others.

You can also add images of your ebooks, or any branded logo you wish. Hope this is clear, if not, send me an email!

Emails- Make ‘Em Sizzle!

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

Next Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 p.m. ET, our guest expert on Conversations with Experts teleseminar is Mari Smith, Email Th@t Sizzles!

Make Your Emails Sizzle! How to Write Professional Emails that Get Opened, Get Read and Make People Take ACTION!

With the overwhelming amount of email landing in our Inboxes daily, how do you make your message stand out? Even with loyal opted-in subscribers, are your emails getting the results you want?

Mari Smith, author of “Email Th@t Sizzles,” will show you how to create attention-grabbing copy with the right layout and formatting that ensure your emails get opened, get read and make people take action

On this dynamic call, you’ll learn:

The best subject lines to get your emails opened
Power words to include and spam-trigger words to avoid
The do’s & don’ts of writing more effective sales copy
Quick formatting tricks that make your emails stand out
HTML vs. plain text – which is best?
A simple template to create sizzling signature files
How to choose the best automated email program for you

If you cannot attend the Conversation, you can pre-order the audio program for $4.95. After the Conversation the price will be $9.95. Save 50% and use this link to order now:

http://snipurl.com/Dunn_Preorder

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line Hosted by The Blog Squad, Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

Naked Conversations: Why You Should Blog

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs

I was so excited when Robert Scoble and Shel Israel finally published their book about blogs, Naked Conversations that I ordered it twice on Amazon without realizing it. I’ll save my extra copy and give it away to the person who convinces me they want it the most, and who promises me they will follow through with good blogging.

If you’re just not sure you want to start something new, and find writing your newsletter enough for now, then skip reading this. Stay where you are.

But if you pride yourself on keeping in touch with the needs of your clients, start blogging and blog smart.

This book tells a little bit about the history and development of blogs, and their use by businesses, mostly the big ones. More importantly, it does a splendid job of defining why blogs are good for your biz.

Here’s a short, condensed version of why: Blogs are a conversation. If the world’s second favorite entertainment is story telling, the top is conversations (p. 43, attributed to Yossi Vardi, founder of ICQ). Collaborating is human nature, and research supports this. Humans love helping out their fellow humans, and blogs are a quick way to alert others of important information.

In fact…here’s a quotable quote: "That makes blogging the sex god of the Information Age. While word of mouth has always been the most credible way to expand awareness and adoption, blogging fits into all this as the most powerful word-of-mouth delivery mechanism to date. As Yossi Vardi told us, ‘Blogging is word of mouth on steroids.’"

Well, I don’t know about the sex god thing, but it sure is fun. Where else can you have such big conversations with so many people, and boost your Google juice while your at it?

Caricatures Spice Up Your Emails

By Patsi Krakoff in Fun and Irrelevant Things About Patsi, How to...Tips

Here’s an alternative to the staid professional mug shot: Dimple Art!

Evidently, for a small fee they will draw your face, and put it atop any body you choose. Of course, I chose Maria Sharapova’s body, but it looks like Maria overate…not sure about that backhand either…

A colleague of mine, Ernie Moore, is a coach and had his done atop of Superman’s body…why not? He’s a super coach.

Alternatively, you can choose just a face, as in this here:

Just havin’ a little fun here.

Ajijic, Mexico: Where’s Patsi?

By Patsi Krakoff in Fun and Irrelevant Things About Patsi

This morning before the crack of dawn, The Hubby drove me down to the Tijuana Airport, just across the border from San Diego, CA. I caught the 6 a.m. plane to Guadalajara, a trip that lasts a little over 2 hours.

From there, it’s a 20 minute ride to our other home in the village of Ajijic on Lake Chapala.

By the time you read this I’ll be unpacking. Reason for trip: a forced vacation. We need to get our FM3 visas renewed for another year. We are legal aliens and have a home in Mexico.

Ajijic is a retired person’s dream: ideal weather year round (temperatures vary from low 70s to high 80s with rain during the summer); lots of activities, sports and charities; plenty of other expatriates and gringos to play with.

Not that I’m retired yet, but I’ve always maintained that life should be like play. Do the work you love, do the life you love, and try your best to do some good along the way.

Ajijic living puts things in perspective for me. Time and urgency take on new meaning. Every breath is more relaxed. Every encounter with another is more meaningful.

I’ll be here until Feb. 17. Hope to blog from here, but will also be reconnecting with dear friends, and living life on Mexican time….I feel a yawn coming on already…