Writing On The Web by Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing Strategies for Smart Professionals

10 Content Marketing Success Tips

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, Content Marketing, Online Marketing

Are you writing this down? Take notes, these 10 tips for online success with Content Marketing are important. I didn't write them, but one of my favorite bloggers did, Adam Singer over at Online Marketing Blog. (#1 top Junta42 Content Marketing blog).

Here's what he says:

"As more companies, marketers and industry professionals flood the web with content, the value of those with a true understanding of content marketing keeps going up.

"More noise increases the value of signal. If your content marketing defines you as that source of signal, you’ll consistently be found, referenced and chosen ahead of competitors.

"With 6 in 10 marketers spending more on content marketing in 2010, now, more than ever, is the time to find where content fits within your marketing strategy.

Content Marketing for Online Profits: the eBook Is Ready

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, Content Marketing, E-Books, Online Marketing, Pathway to Profits, Profit, Writing Great Blog Content

Have you read Content Marketing for Online Profits yet? I quietly introduced it on this blog last week, and haven't made any big announcements yet.

Here's what's in it:

=> What is a Content Marketing strategy?
=> What is a Content Marketing information product funnel?
=> How does content lead to sales?
=> What are the psychological triggers than turn readers into buyers?

I'm still working to get the bugs out of it, but there don't seem to be many. Here's what one reader said:

"Wow! It's obvious to me how much work you put into this ebook. I am certain that I will learn something new every single time I review the 'pages'. I am also very impressed with the delivery through KnowledgeGenie –looks like a very valuable tool to get that e-book written and delivered professionally and with pizzazz!

Is Blogging Bad for Business?

By Patsi Krakoff in Uncategorized

Is your blog a good salesman? Is "he" meeting his sales goals? Does he consistently bring hot leads to you who are ready to buy or hire you? Maybe it's a good time to call Ms. or Mr. Bobby Blog in for a good heart-to-heart talk.

Better yet, give it a good bottom-line kick in the pants. Some people on the Web are even going so far as to spread a rumon that your blog may be ruining your business!

Hey, I love blogs, but only because they work so well for bringing in business. But if yours isn't doing the job, fire the guy. Or do a few things differently to make it work.

Here's what MenwithPens writer James Chartrand says about this:

What Are the New Rules of Doing Business Online?

By Patsi Krakoff in Attracting Clients, Books, Content Marketing, Online Marketing

There are a few important people I've met on the Web who've taught me a lot. One is Seth Godin, with whom I had a talk about his new book, Linchpin.

Another is David Meerman Scott, author of New Rules of PR and Marketing: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Videos, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly.

David has had tremendous success with this book, for good reason. It's chock full of tips and success stories. Yet, can you believe this: when he published it, Facebook was only for students, and Twitter didn't really exist, at least not like it is today! That was only four years ago.

Not surprising, there's a new updated version of the book, since so much has happened with social media, video and content marketing on the Web.

You should take a look at the second edition, because it's more valuable now than it was originally. The 1st edition is so ground-breaking, it's been translated into 24 languages!

Go ahead and read David's blog about what's in the book, and then jump on over to Amazon and get your copy now. By the way, David's blog WebInkNow, is a must read for staying informed about what matters with content marketing.

The New Rules of Marketing & PR by David Meerman Scott

The Practice of Writing: Are You Publishing, Too?

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, On Writing Better, Writing for the Web

Are you taking notes? Whenever I speak somewhere, people in the audience are furiously scribbling. For myself, I always take notes, mainly because if I don't write it down it goes through my two ears like the wind.

Most writers I know love to take notes, heck, even non-writers do. Everyone's taking notes. Here's my question, what do you do with your notes?

Are you publishing what you write? Here's what I find incredible: only a tiny percentage of writers are actually publishing on the Internet. Most writers, even serious ones, aren't publishing their work on a blog.

Seth Godin Gets a Brain-Poke on What Really Matters

By Patsi Krakoff in Books, Coaching/Personal Development, Ways to Build a Better World

What really matters to you? I mean beyond the usual success metrics…?

I know many people struggle. From what I hear from friends back in the US, some people are in seriously dire straights employment-wise, financially. No family is without loved ones who haven't found work, or if they have a job, aren't earning what they should.

Even when the economy improves (and it has in some sectors), there remains The Big Problem: there are a lot of unhappy people not finding fulfillment and meaning in life, in work, in what they do each day.

Seth Godin is an interesting human being who has brought us new ways
of thinking by writing 10 best sellers, including Unleashing the
IdeaVirus, Permission Marketing, Purple Cow,and Tribes. His latest book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? publishes on Amazon today.

This book is personal. It's about finding what really matters, and making a real difference in the world. Seth is concerned about what's happening, beyond the economy, beyond marketing.

I'm very concerned. Like Seth, I'm hoping there's a way for each of us to reach the kernel of genius
within… to start creating art instead of doing work… to engage in artistic leadership instead of mediocre obedience… to become more generous
with our genius.

So are a lot of other bloggers. You can learn more about what other people are saying over on Squidoo, here. Here's how you can listen to my interview with Seth:

Content Marketing Profits: 10 Tips to Unlocking the Secret Key

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, Content Marketing, Online Marketing, Pathway to Profits

How much time and effort do you devote to Outreach – connecting with others, leaving blog comments, responding on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn? This is an essential key to successful blogging, and essential to making your content marketing efforts profitable.

If you're like me, not enough, I'll bet. We (I mean me!) are so driven and task oriented that it's easy to forget to reach out to others.

I'm really writing this for myself, you see, but maybe you can relate. For example, I have a list of things to do, and I plow through those things, checking off as I go…and I'm pretty good about getting most things done.

But the one thing that often gets left til last is reaching out to others, finding out what they're doing, reading their blogs, commenting, and checking their tweets on Twitter.

I should take that back, it's not entirely true. I visit Twitter daily, sometimes 2-3 times. I get several emails a day from a service SocialOomph which gives me all the tweets in certain keywords I track.

6 Writing Tips from Novelists for Content Marketing

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, Content Marketing

One of the beautiful things about living in Ajijic, Mexico is all the creative people who come here to write, paint, act, and design. This summer I did acting classes. I believe this helps me become more creative, more innovative in my business work.

This week I'm attending the 6th Annual Lake Chapala Writers' Conference. The two speakers, Marc Acito (How I Paid for College, Attack of the Theatre People) and Cai Emmons (The Stylist, His Mother's Son) are giving our group of 45 writers good tips.

It doesn't matter if you're writing a novel or your company blog, some writing tips are universal. Here are a few tips from novelist Cai Emmons that you should incorporate for your own content writing.

Does Your Content Marketing Have Personality?

By Patsi Krakoff in About Blogs, Content Marketing, Email Marketing Tips, How to...Tips, Online Marketing

Do you use creative images to represent yourself and your business? Joan Stewart does a great job of branding herself as The Publicity Hound, using a dog on her blog and sites.

I've used a lot of images from iStockPhoto.com and Shutterstock on this blog. An interesting picture can magnetize readers into your post to find out more.

On my other site I use a blue man because I love the whimsical nature that it adds to an otherwise heavily-text based website.

Here's a fun site that offers you the possibility to create your own graphic image of yourself, adding hair, clothes, accessories for a reasonable price: DesignherGals.com. Here's what I recently created and purchased for use as a personal email signature:

My friends tell me it looks like me, and it's fun. There's even a pic of Huey my cat…