Archive for blog writing – Page 5

Content Marketing Writers: How’s Your Cognitive Fitness?

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

brain-freedigitalphotos.netWhat’s the most important thing you can do to improve your skills as a writer, blogger, or content marketer? I’m not sure there’s any one right answer, but my vote goes to working on your cognitive fitness.

That’s a term we’re going to be hearing a lot about. I first read about it in Harvard Business Review in a 2007 article called Cognitive Fitness by Roderick Gilkey and Clint Kilts.

Originally coined by Michael Merzenich, cognitive fitness refers to the capacity of a person to meet the intellectual demands of life. It is evident in an ability to:

  • Assimilate information
  • Apply rules of logic
  • Comprehend relationships
  • Detect patterns
  • Identify emotions
  • Create new perspectives
  • Develop reasonable conclusions and plans

If that’s not a job description for the professional content marketing writer, what is?

Brain Coaching for Writers Read More→

Categories : Brain Based Content Marketing, Content Marketing, On Writing Better, Writing for Others, Freelancing
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4 Common Blog Writing Stumbling Blocks

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013

Business-Blog-BlocksThere are many reasons to have a business blog but the most important is that it’s great for retaining clients and customers. Business blogs offer insights into your services, product updates, and compelling relevant content that solves the problems of your clients.

However, blog writing can be tougher than you might think. It’s important to keep posting fresh new content, in order to get readers coming back (thus increasing your visibility and site traffic). Here are some potential stumbling blocks that you might come across on your road to building a successful business blog, and their solutions:

1. Problem: Not enough time in the day

You may find that you just can’t carve out time in your busy schedule to write blog posts. Or, you don’t have a designated day or time to do your writing. This can lead to sporadic posting and going too long between posts, causing readers to lose interest.

Solution: Consider setting aside a specific portion of your day to dedicate to your blog. Think about when your head is most clear and you can focus. This will allow you to simplify the process and save you valuable time.

2. Problem: Figuring out the right schedule to publish

How often should you publish posts on your blog? If you don’t post often enough, you risk losing your reader base. Posting too frequently can also be problematic, as you may overwhelm your readers and yourself by constantly having to come up with new content. (Hint: It depends on your field or industry: some require daily postings, but others only once or twice a week.) Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, Writing Great Blog Content
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Content Marketing with Blogs:
6 Steps to Writing Awesome Fresh Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

Blog-by-renjith-krishnanWhat private Hell do you go through to write fresh blog content? How do you pick a blog topic that will score with search engines AND solve a problem your target audience frequently has? Do you scour the dungeon of your mind for new slants on old stuff?

I don’t know any business professional who doesn’t struggle to keep up a fresh supply of awesome content for their readers. It’s part of content marketing with blogs, but it can be easier and more fun if you make it so.

Here’s my typical blog writing experience: Up early when brain is freshest, check ESPN for tennis matches. Watch a 5-setter at Australian Open. Drink two large mugs of coffee. Check email. Find a blog feed that could interest my readers (small business professionals who do content marketing with a blog). Seek inspiration, find it, and start writing directly into WordPress blog platform.

First paragraph focuses on the problem using keywords important to my readers. Second paragraph either expands on the problem, or diverges off into a small story or personal anecdote. By the time I get to a third paragraph, I’ve often sparked a memory or an idea that could be useful to my clients. Then I make a list of solutions or suggestions.

Then the last paragraph is a call to some sort of action. I may ask readers a question or suggest a ‘next step.’ This may include a link to contact me or call me or download a special report. Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, On Writing Better, Writing Great Blog Content
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5 Reasons to Hire a Content Marketing Writer for Your Business

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, December 26th, 2012

Content Marketing-Hire-Writer-for-your-business“Content is king.” Bill Gates said it, so it must be true.

Gates uttered this one-liner way back in 1996, but the flurry of updates to Google search algorithms during 2012 has ensured that his words still resonate.

Most businesses (be they blog owners, start-ups, or established brands) now know that if they want a competitive advantage, they have to keep information-hungry customers in a ready supply of fresh, relevant, and interesting content. Depending on the type of the business, content might also be expected to be awe-inspiring. No pressure, of course.

One of the biggest problems with content is finding someone to write it. Even if you’re a great writer, or have people on staff who are, it takes time and skill to craft an article, blog or newsletter appropriate for both your audience of potential customers and the search engines.

Could the answer be to outsource the writing to a freelancer?

Let’s consider the benefits of doing so: Read More→

Categories : Content Marketing, Writing for Others, Freelancing, Writing for the Web, Writing Great Blog Content
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Blog Writing: 5 Tips to Break a Blogging Rut

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, November 7th, 2012

Business blog writing is tough. No matter how long you’ve been writing on your business blog, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in a blogging rut. How do you break out of blogger’s block?

There are many reasons that people blog – the most important being to convey their personal message in a clear, concise way.

Here are other key reasons blog writing is key for your business:

  • Building an online base of targeted customers
  • Reaching customers on an individual level
  • Improving your “findability” through online searches

Whatever your blogging motivation, one thing is vital for traffic improvement – blog writing consistency.

Posting content for a business blog on a regular basis sounds easy enough, but seasoned bloggers know that it is tough to keep posts fresh and meaningful to their audience. Sometimes there is just not enough motivation – or coffee – to get the creative juices flowing and break writer’s block.

Instead of staring blankly at a computer screen, or giving up completely, give these ideas a try to keep your business blog writing consistent: Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, Writing Great Blog Content
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Better Blogging: Messages that Inspire Desire…

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

Better-blog-writingWhy should you be writing and publishing blog posts and Web content for your business? No, it’s not because of search engines in order to get indexed and found. That’s important but it’s a side-effect of doing Content Marketing right.

The only reason “you should be blogging” is to get your message across to the people who need it. All the other reasons pale in comparison:

  • My business needs a good website/ blog to look professional
  • My company needs to build credibility and trust
  • A good-looking professional blog or website will build a marketing list

What’s your message? How can you inspire desire? I suggest that your blog messages should focus on what truly matters to your target audience of potential clients. What’s their beef? What problems do they encounter that your product or services can solve? How will you make a difference in their lives? Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, On Writing Better, Online Marketing, Writing Great Blog Content
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5 Steps to Quality Business Blog Writing

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

One of the most frequent question small business owners and coaches ask me is “What should I write about on my business blog?” It’s not as daunting as you might think, if you follow a few guidelines. These five steps will help you master business blog writing with quality content that attracts readers every time.

With practice, anyone can start and finish writing a blog post in under an hour. It may take longer to add an image, link keywords and edit, but aim for 30 minutes and 300 words and you’ll soon become good at it.

Most small business owners recognize that fresh content published on a blog is simply a required marketing tool. I like to point out that an online business blog is the smartest way to get found, get known, and get clients.

People – your target audience of ideal customers – want to know what you stand for and what you can do for them. A blog is your platform for establishing your business as trustworthy.

That said, I know not everyone loves writing, and as a business owner, you have a lot of plates to keep spinning in the air. Whether you write on your own blog, outsource to a ghost blogger, or have a designated writer on staff, you are still faced with a content marketing strategy for your business blog.

Here are five tips to simplify the process and save you valuable time.

  1. Get started, pick a topic.Getting started is often the hardest part, because there are a lot of choices. It’s never a good idea to start by staring at a blank screen. Keep a list of categories or major keywords that are important to your ideal customers. Here’s the way I do it. Read More→
Categories : Content Marketing, Writing Great Blog Content
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Quality Content: How to Write Great Blog Posts Every Time

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

How do you create quality content that attracts online readers and yet works to promote the growth of your business?

Creating great content for your business blog is a what and how issue, as in what constitutes “good” content, and how does one produce that content so that it brings in the readers that a business blogger wants. Quality content stimulates reader/ customer engagement.

Here’s what quality web content looks like: It’s short, sweet, smart, and funny.

  • Content has to be short to accommodate the average reader’s attention span and need to scan quickly.
  • Sweet because it has to attract readers to your article (think arresting titles).  You want to hit that sweet spot right in the center of their curiosity and desire to know more.
  • It has to be smart to stimulate the reader to think, tell them something they don’t already know, and trigger them to join in on the conversation, to share or comment.
  • And finally, the content needs to be funny or at least clever to hold their attention and trigger good feelings. (Note: an alternative would be to be outrageously negative, which also stimulates comments and sharing.)

Without any of these factors, you risk losing readers to boredom. It’s click and bye-bye!

How do you keep readers interested and coming back to your blog?

Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, On Writing Better, Writing Great Blog Content
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Guest Blogging: How to Write a Compelling Email Offer

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

Too busy to keep up with posting on your business blog?

A very smart tactic for small business professionals is to invite guest bloggers. Let’s face it, publishing frequently is time consuming. Guest blogging is wise but only if done appropriately. It can cause more work if guest writers are not selected prudently.

Lately I’ve been getting one or two emails a week from aspiring freelance bloggers asking to submit guest posts. Some of the emails are well-written and I’ve said ‘yes.’ But many aren’t writing a compelling offer in their emails. And some are committing writer suicide by proposing samples and topics unsuitable for my audience (“Abraham-Lincoln-Vampire-Hunter-Slays“?!).

One invitation stands out far above the others and I’ll share it with you here. The email is very effective and can be copied by any small business professional as an outreach offer. I’ll even spell it out for you as a template. Read More→

Categories : About Blogs, Content Marketing, Online Marketing, Writing for Others, Freelancing
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Blogging that Makes Sense: Mind Your P’s and Q

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, June 7th, 2012

Does your business blog make sense to readers?

The most frequent complaint I hear about blogging is “I don’t know what to write about.” This is because many business bloggers don’t have enough clarity about their blogging goals. Here’s how I help my clients solve this problem. (Image: freedigitalphotos.net)

  1. Define your business Ps & Q (3 Ps + 1 Q):
  • What Problems do you solve?
  • Who are the People you serve?
  • What Products and services do you offer?
  • What makes you uniQue? Read More→
Categories : About Blogs, Attracting Clients, Content Marketing
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