Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing Strategies for Smart Professionals

Buzz Marketing & Dummies?

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

If you haven’t heard the buzz, this Wednesday June 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET, Suzannah Gardner, author of Buzz Marketing with Blogs for Dummies, is our featured guest on Conversations with Experts.

Suzannah knows a thing or two about buzz marketing for entrepreneurs, professionals, and small business owners and she is no dummy!

Here is what she is going to talk with us about. (You will need to register, even though the calls are without charge, and you can get the audio files in case you can’t actually be on the call. If you are present, you’ll have a chance to win some bonus gifts from all of us. Sign up here: www.conversationswithexperts.com.)

Pushing the Boundaries on Blogs: Do Fake Blogs Work?

Blogging continues to move out of the realm of personal diarists and into the hands of business professionals and marketers.

The transition isn’t always smooth, especially as creative marketers use blogs in new ways to promote products, businesses and business strategies.

Long-time bloggers often refer to these efforts as "fake" blogs, and the resulting hue and cry generates publicity – of the negative kind.

Are there lines that can’t be crossed? What has been tried, and failed? What has been tried, and succeeded?

Learn to plan for the reactions you will get as push the boundaries with new and exciting ideas.

Gladys Knight & the NEW Pips…

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Better Ezines

One of the better ways to retain readers is to share personal stories. People can relate to universal truths. So if your newsletter writing stalls, spice it up with a personal anecdote. Caveat: make sure it has a teaching point, or some relevance to your readers. Stay on focus with the purpose of your ezine, newsletter or blog.

For example, I am dying to tell you about my 15 minutes of fame, dancing on stage with Gladys Knight and the Pips on Saturday night. That’s right, little ol’ book worm me, up there with Bubba and the gang getting it on with gusto.

It was a big charity bash to raise money to expand the Scripps Hospital in Encinitas. Our friends bid big bucks to have the privilege, but hey, it was for a worthy cause and we weren’t too proud to get up on stage and boogie. Our husbands put on official Pip jackets and sang with Bubba. We ladies stayed behind them and did back up. Gladys belted out in her fabulous voice.

It was so much fun. I was living my fantasy, because one of my hidden desires has always been to entertain people. So far in life, I have managed to entertain myself and a few selected friends, and my husband.

Now I’m not sure what the point of sharing this story with you my blog readers, except that, having fun is crucial in life, and bringing your stories to your readers can create better ezines.

When’s the last time you shared an amusing event in your life with your readers? What are some of your exciting experiences that you could turn into good material?

Here’s to writing better ezines!

Yvonne DiVita Coming to Conversations with Experts

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

You won’t want to miss this expert blogger and marketing gal: Yvonne DiVita will share her knowledge about women online and what it takes to their capture the heads and hearts.

Register at www.conversationswithexperts.com, it’s a no-charge teleseminar Wednesday, June 1, at 8:30 pm ET (that’s 5:30 for us Californians).

Here’s what Yvonne will share:

Smart Marketing to Women Online

Yvonne DiVita will show you the power women have online—via their willingness to shop online and why they are so willing to do so. Women go online not only to buy shoes and dresses, but also to purchase technology and do business research and check out their finances.

In addition, women are more likely than men to look for business solutions online, and, today, more women research car-buying online before visiting their dealership to buy a car.

We hear the word “relationship” bantered about when people talk about marketing to women, but few marketers are able to show online merchants how to build a relationship with their female shoppers. Finally, Yvonne will tell you about some fantastic, ground-breaking business women: Martha Matilda Harper, Myra Hart, and Kitty Van Bortel.

And, you should check out her interestig blog called Lip-sticking!

Take care, Patsi

I Hate Speaking!

By Patsi Krakoff in Promoting Your Ezine +/or Blog

I hate speaking in front of groups, so I couldn’t believe it when I said yes to a breakfast meeting of consultants an hour away from home. Maybe there will be an earthquake between now and July…

We writers are typically introverts and would rather be with books and computers. But sooner or later, if you want to grow your business and promote your services, you are going to have to get out there and spread the word.

One of the great take-aways from Adam Urbanski’s Small Business Marketing Summit this weekend was this: When speaking or presenting, don’t promote yourself and your services! Nobody cares about who you are at first, so give them information they can use. Deliver an informercial, like "the 3 mistakes to avoid when writing your newsletter or ezine," or "5 money-making ways to turn your information into info-products."

So last night I did a trial run at the San Diego chapter of PCMA. This is an dynamic group of Professional Coaches and Mentors. They asked me to do a 10 minute introduction about my business. So I started with questions for them and an outrageous statement:

Did you know you are in two businesses? Your own business of consulting or coaching, and what is the other one? Right, marketing! (This was a bright group!)

How many of you publish a newsletter or blog? (This response was akin to asking the group if they flossed every day and called their mothers on Sundays).

Did you know that 9 out of 10 independent professionals know they should publish something regularly, but just never seem to get around to it?

And then of course, I said that I understood their pain (I am after all a recovering psychologist), but I had three solutions for them that could make their marketing tasks effortless and automatic. (Call me, email me, and hire me for my services!- just kidding of course. I told them about ezines, blogs, and autoresponders).

Thanks to the great speakers at Adam’s Summit, I was able to learn these easy tricks and apply them right away, locking in the learning.

As always in life, things are easier when they are simplified. These speaking tips are great for writing articles as well. Next time you write, think in terms of "5 mistakes to avoid when…" or "3 things you should know about…" or "7 steps to take BEFORE starting to…"

Now if only I knew 5 ways to conquer speaker’s anxiety before that breakfast meeting the first week in July…

Too Busy to Write Your Newsletter? Get a Partner!

By Patsi Krakoff in Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks

If you put "write newsletter article" on your to-do list, yet never seem to have the time to do it, you may need a good partner. Partnering is one of the most effective ways to create information products. Here’s an audio recording about what’s needed to find the right partner:

http://www.1executivecoachingclub.com/wakemankrakoff

I know a thing or two about partnering, as I had two failed attempts before finding the right associate who is the right fit. Since associating with Denise Wakeman, I have created more products, classes, audio files and expanded my database of contacts exponentially. (translation: ker-ching!)

For example, she helped revise the Secrets of Successful Ezines ebook, we co-authored the Build a Better Blog System ebook, did the Non-techie Guide to Setting up a Business Blog, numerous audio podcasts, The Blog Revolution teleclass series, and now, ongoing weekly Conversations with Experts.

If you want to hear about how Denise and I found each other and developed a productive partnership, listen to the interview. We were featured on the Executive Coaching Club series, sponsored by Mike Jay. You don’t have to be a member to hear our recording. If you are interested in hearing other experts on a regular basis, it would be a good idea to join Mike’s Club. There is a minimal monthly fee, but it’s worth it.

Patsi

Ever Have Blog-Block?

By Patsi Krakoff in Writing Better Ezines

Most professionals that take up blogging never seem to be at a loss for words. I guess that’s why they love blogging and newsletters; they are both great ways to communicate and express what’s in your head and on your heart.

Last night in our Conversations with Experts telecall (every Wed. at 8:30 pm ET), Priya Shah, a savvy Internet professional with about 10 blogs under her belt, mentioned "blog-block." Never heard the expression before, but I believe she’s put her finger on what makes professionals create blogs that fizzle out after a few weeks or months.

We can all write well when we have a fresh, exciting idea…but to be that jazzed every day, or every 2-3 days, well, you’d be a little hyper or full of yourself if you maintain such a level of passion all the time. But there are ways to get around blog block, such as using other people’s content and linking to them.

She also mentioned the need to create dialogue with readers, and one should be a little controversial. But what is appropriate and valuable? To my surprise, one of the topics that triggered the most comments among my small readership, was the posting on hyphens and em dashes! People get emotional about their confusion over punctuation! (Well, okay, not everyone, maybe I just attract those readers!)

A Writer’s Conundrum

In my journalism training, I learned to always keep the reader in mind, deliver information that they should want to know in the simplest, clearest, most compelling way.

Now, along come blogs – and the idea here is to be personable, letting people get to know you, and share your personal stories with them. This is a little different from writing an article for a magazine, or for your own ezine or newsletter.

Here’s my dilemma: Do I tell you I just got back from Asia? (possibly of interest to you…)

Do I tell you about the trip, the Chinese investors in my husband’s computer hardware company (he makes the Razer gaming mouse)? (really fascinating to me, and probably to others doing business in Asia or with computers…)

Do I tell you about the boring 52 hour air travel home? (Really boring!)

Do I tell you about the heart problem I had the next day, the 18 hours in the hospital, atrial fibrillation, and the cute doctors? (Only interesting if you’ve had similar problems, or a morbid interest in my health, which is just fine now…)

Do I share with you how much I missed being online 10 hours a day, and how an hour email fix a day no longer ‘does it’ for me?

I personally dislike blogs that are too personal. I always tell the writers I work with that to create a good newsletter or blog, there must be a reason to tell your personal story, that there must be some important point to it, a WIIFM, something that the readers will go away with that they can use in their business or life.

Now, if you notice, the category for this posting, is "writing better ezines."

So here’s my point, my take-away: Start making your articles and postings a little more personable, sharing stories that may not be business related, but more human-condition related.

Even if you have no interest in my trip to Asia, my travels, my husband’s line of work, my health hiccups, you have to admit, that a little diversion into personal stories has some value and interest.

You see, no more blog-block!

Stay tuned for more of a mix of the personal & tips for ezines and blogs.

Please comment, let me know what your ‘writer’s conundrums’ are…!

Patsi

Do You Learn by Listening to Others?

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

If you’re like me, whenever I hear an expert talk informally about things that really matter, I am like a sponge! Books and classes are great, but nothing beats hearing someone who’s good at what they do tell me how they do it, how they think, and how they put their principles into action.

That’s why our teleseries Conversations with Experts on Wednesdays is having a big success. This Wed., May 4, at 8:30 p.m. is no exception.

This week we feature
Priya Shah who will discuss ‘Using Blogs to
Market Your Products and Services.’ If you haven’t
registered yet, there’s still time. Don’t miss
this free Conversation with a highly respected blogger
who has about 10 blogs!

Blogging has given a voice to even the
non-technical layperson who has something to share
with the rest of the universe. If you want to
market your products and services online, blogs
are ideal personal branding vehicles that you can
use to share your expertise, grow your influence
and establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Priya Shah is a former journalist and currently
the CEO of eBrand360. Her areas of specialization
include internet publishing, internet marketing,
search engine optimization and business blogging.

You can register for the Conversation with
Priya Shah here.

Secrets to Search Engine Rankings Revealed

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

Conversations with Experts: Wayne Hulbert to discuss essentials on how to increase your search engine rankings through blogs Wednesday April 27, 8:30 p.m. ET.

This is our 3rd expert for our free teleseries, and you really don’t want to miss Wayne, even if you don’t understand how search engines work. He makes it clear.

(I am posting this message from my hotel in Bangkok on vacation, which is another reason blogs are neat little tools! So I’m not going to write much. Just go over to Denise’s & my other blog to read the full information: http://www.buildabetterblog.com/)

Or, just register to get the phone number: www.conversationswithexperts.com.

I will be back in time for the telephone conversation, looking tanned and rested!

See ya,

Patsi

Expert TL Pakii-Pierce on Wednesday

By Patsi Krakoff in Teleclasses & Seminars

Our Conversations with Experts telecall on Wednesday April 20 8:30 p.m. ET features TL Pakii-Pierce. Thomas is writes the blogging for fun and profit blog, and is an expert on creating social traffic – you’ve heard of search engine traffic? Well, think social traffic…

For more information visit Build a Better Blog. Also, Denise has complete info over on the BizTipsBlog. To sign up visit ConversationswithExperts.com.

I’m off to the airport and 20 hours of fun & travel to Singapore & Thailand. Perhaps I’ll post from a thatched hut on the beach sipping a lemonade…

Then again, maybe I’ll be like my computer and just go into sleep mode…

Bye!

How to Use a Newsletter Service

By Patsi Krakoff in Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks

Customized Newsletter Services can save you time and money…and your precious energy! Which, quite frankly, is the major issue for us all today.

I don’t believe that busy, productive consultants or coaches should spend their valuable time with marketing, newsletter, ezine or blog tasks. If you are any kind of independent professional, you need to conserve your energy for doing what you do best- spending time with your clients and earning the kind of money you deserve.

So, people have been asking me lately: What is a newsletter service? What can you do for my business? And.. of course, What’s it cost?

I’m not going to answer the cost question- you can get that on my website. But here is what my Customized Newsletter Service can do for you:

You Use Our Content…
As a subscriber to our services you never
need struggle to find ideas or research
information. You can use our articles as
you own, rewrite them, add your own
thoughts and stories. We save you time,
money and energy.

As an annual subscriber, or a la carte
You can buy bundles of articles & get
lower prices for 3, 6, or 12.
You can buy them in three lengths:
500-700 word Nuggets
1000 word articles
2000 word articles

You Use Our PDF Customized Files…
We will design your PDF file using your
photo, logo and marketing message. We
supply the articles, or we use yours. We
deliver to you and you distribute and
post on your web site.

As an annual subscriber, or a la carte
You can order a 1, 2 or 4 page PDF file,
and we will format it for you with:
500-700 word Nuggets
1000 word articles
2000 word articles

You Use Our HTML Designed Files
We will design your HTML file using your
photo, logo and marketing message. We
supply the articles, or we use yours.
Use our All-in-One Ezine System, and
we will distribute and manage it also.

As an annual subscriber, or a la carte
You can order any length; we will
format it for you with:
500-700 word Nuggets
1000 word articles

I don’t believe anybody should spend much time doing newsletters
or blogs! I say, get back to coaching and doing what
you love. Save yourself time, money & energy- oursource!

If you want to learn to do it yourself, then shorten the
learning curve with my two books:

Secrets of Successful Ezines & Build a Better Blog.

These two ebooks were co-authored with Denise Wakeman,
of NextLevelPartnerships. Denise is an Internet Marketing
Expert, and she can help set you up with automated systems
for your business. We also give interested small business owners
and professionals free access to Conversations with Experts
every Wednesday evening at 8:30 p.m. ET. Sign up here.

Don’t want to do it yourself? Let me help. If I can’t help,
then I know somebody who can, so email me:

Patsi
www.customizednewsletters.com
858-523-9833

P.S. We do BLOGS too!
Come Blog with me!
www.coachezines.com
www.bizbooknuggets.com
www.buildabetterblog.com

If you’d like to sign up for some free reports, like the ROI of Coaching,
the Top Ten Reasons to Do a Blog AND an Ezine, be sure to visit this
page here and sign up.