9/15/2008
Are You Improving Your Marketing?
| In case you haven’t noticed, it’s a bloggy, blog world out there. Blogs are in fact everywhere. They are an intricate part of business and of the Internet presence of corporations and individuals. Why? Because they are one of the most effective and economical forms of Internet marketing available today. The very reasons your competitor has a blog are the very reasons you should as well. Blogs are the perfect place to show off knowledge and expertise, available products, affiliate relationships, market news, industry trends and much, much more IF (and this is a big IF) they are updated regularly with relevant content. All too often, blogs are neglected shortly after their creation. And let me tell you, as someone who visits countless blogs over the course of a work-week, there is nothing worse than visiting a blog that hasn’t been updated in months, or even worse, a blog that not only isn’t current, but doesn’t contain information that is relevant to the intended purpose of the blog. (Or is too pushy, or not professional or in some way “off.”) My advice: Level the playing field and establish a blog for your business. If you already have a blog, work it! If and when you do this right and update regularly with relevant content, you will see the results through increased Internet traffic, inquiries and eventually in sales. Technorati Tags - blog content,blog writing,writing for the web,seo, writing for blogs Labels: blog, blog content, blog ghostwriting, blogging, business, seo, writing for blogs, writing for the web |
6/23/2008
Got Marketing Perspective?
 You know when you’re so focused on something that you may lose sight of what it really is or of how important it really is (or isn’t) in the grand scheme of the world? I got a great dose of perspective the other day. My 8-year-old daughter has an e-mail address. Her e-mail is included on this subscriber list. Recently, she received an e-mail with tips on blogs and blog writing. She sent me back an e-mail that read like this: So….I guess BLOGS are IMPORTANT????? That gave me a good laugh. It reminded me that while what I do is important, and, I like to think, helps others succeed, sell more, realize their dreams and learn something new as much as possible, the truth is, most of us aren’t finding the cure to cancer. We take ourselves seriously, as we should, but it’s just too seriously at times. Taking a step back and drinking a big mug of perspective will make you much better and much more successful at what you do. So….remember….and this is very important: blogs are very IMPORTANT!!! Labels: blog, blog content, blog ghostwriting, blogging, marketing, online marketing, small business marketing |
6/01/2008
How do you know what to blog about?
Time for me to be honest: It is NOT EASY to write for your blog. The actual writing is doable, but the frequency and constant feeding of information and content to your blog is, well, constant and never-ending. I think feeding the content beast is something that many business professionals struggle with. In an attempt to come up with something unique and fresh, the feature topic is often times over analyzed, and other good topics are ignored. Most people read blogs because they are looking for tips, opinions or advice on an issue they are dealing with. They want to read something that is written by someone that has experience and passion about the topic. They want answers! So a few tips when writing your next or your first blog: • Be honest and authentic. • Start with something you are passionate about. • Stick to the topic and keep it narrow in focus. • Consider who you want to read your blog and try to speak to them. • Read and monitor industry articles that interest you for motivation. Was there information that you felt should have been included? If so, make that piece of information your next topic. • If you come across a business problem and have difficulty finding resolution, turn your experience of finding the answer into a blog post. It may prompt dialogue between yourself and colleagues, as well as potential clients, resulting in great networking potential. Labels: blog content, blog ghostwriting, writing for blogs |
2/27/2008
Get It In Writing featured in the Christian Science Monitor
| Get It In Writing's Allison Nazarian is interviewed in a January 11, 2008, Christian Science Monitor article entitled, "Meet the fake Steve Jobs... ... and several other satirists blogging in the guise of famous CEOs as interest in captains of industry grows." Amazing how P.R. works: We didn't even know this article exsited until one month after it ran! Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, ceo blogs |
1/28/2008
Unattended Blog Syndrome
| One day, a client I was speaking with used the term “unattended blog” to refer to the many blogs, including his, that had been completely and utterly ignored and, well, unattended to. How many of you have fallen victim to Unattended Blog Syndrome (UBS) -- the ailment that occurs after you have created your business blog and immediately following the realization that this is a creature with a never-ending appetite for words, messages and ideas? Is it better to create a blog and then ignore it or to not have one at all? Along the same lines, is it better to have an unprofessional web presence/website or none at all? That’s up to you to decide. I would argue that you need to have both AND both need to be updated, attended to and fed, fed, fed with new and relevant content. Just like a website is an absolute must for just about any business, so too is a blog -- and if you don't think so now, just wait until you lose a new job or potential client because they so enjoyed reading and learning from your competitor's blog. What's the cure for UBS? Good content, the right approach and consistency (and maybe some chicken soup?). Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, blogging, unattended blog syndrome |
8/05/2007
Blog Ghostwriting: My first Wikipedia entry!
| As a copywriter, I get asked about all sorts of marketing-, sales- and advertising-related writing assignments and projects. Lately, I have been approached a couple of times about writing for Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia that is open to all for writing and editing. This kind of writing is not salesy or full of hype (in fact, that kind of writing will get you banished to a Wikipedia Timeout!). This kind of writing is longer form, informative, newsworthy and factual, just like the encyclopedias that used to be found only in libraries or in the 26-volume set on your parents' (or your) bookshelves. I did some searching and found that there was no entry for "Blog Ghostwriting," which happens to be a service we at Get It In Writing offer. I took some time to write a short (three paragraph) informative entry (with no sales pitch copy whatsoever)on the topic and now am just trying to figure out if I categorized it correctly and if so, when it will actually post to the Wikipedia pages. If you see it or if you have any insight, let me know! Labels: blog, blog ghostwriting, blogging |