Month: December 2010

Content Marketing Works – It Did For Me…

content_marketing_worksFolks, today was a weird day.  It was the first day in my life that I accidentally found myself on the Internet.  Let me tell you how it happened.

I was taking a break from work (I had just finished a case study and was starting in on a website – busy day), when I decided to check out one of my favorite blogs – Copyblogger.  Their post for the day was:  Top 10 Blogs for Writers 2010.

I am always looking for new blogs to read and learn from, so I clicked on the third one, Make a Living Writing.…

Social Media Sharing is Caring

social-media-sharing-is-caringI apologize for my lack of post on Monday.  It’s the first time I’ve missed a regular posting date in six months, and it felt bad.  However, the end of the year is always hectic, and trying to finish up a ton of projects has left me with little time or energy to write posts for my own site.

I’m also in the process of trying to get a portfolio of some of my past work added to my site.  Now that I’ve completed a lot of projects that I’m really proud of, it’s time to start showing off.

So please excuse the absence of post Monday, and basically today as well, while I focus on getting my clients the quality work they deserve, and work to update my own site.…

5 Tips for Writing a Successful About Page

5-tips-for-writing-a-successful-about-pageI bet you never thought about the fact that an About Page could be unsuccessful. It was just some facts about you, your business, and what you do. No big deal, nothing to stress out about.

The thing is, humans are naturally curious creatures. That’s why there’s such a gapers delay on the highway when we see flashing lights ahead. It’s why I know things about my next-door neighbor’s grandchild that I don’t care about, but asked about anyway.

Which brings me to the point that when someone is visiting your website they are going to your About page not just for your credentials, but to learn more about you, to assuage their curiosity.…

The Secrets of Inbound Marketing

the-secret-to-inbound-marketingDid you know that social media is basically just inbound marketing?  Social media gives companies the tools they need to get interested potential customers to come to them, rather than spending their money on trying to reach them with traditional marketing.

I’m not going to say that traditional marketing is dead, because it’s obviously not, and probably never will be, but nowadays, inbound marketing is the way to go.

The idea of inbound marketing is to “get found” by those who are looking for exactly what you do. The way it works is to set up your website and social media sites in such a way that it naturally appeals to those who would want to hire you.…

7 Common Sense Steps To Grow a Blog

7-common-sense-ways-to-grow-a-blogThere are many of you who are thinking about blogging as a way to relate to customers and draw in more business. Kudos to you. That’s exactly why a small business should be blogging.

Every once in awhile I talk to small business owners who want to blog not just for their customers’ sake but because they want to establish a popular blog that is known throughout their community for being interesting and popular.

Depending on the community – that can be easier said than done. Most blogging communities are over saturated at this point, and in order to make a mark, you really need to shine.…

A Week of Opinions: You Need to Hire a Professional Writer

why-you-need-to-hire-a-professional-writerHiring a writer is one of the smartest moves any small business can make.

I’m not just saying that because it’s what I do. I’m saying it because I have seen the toll that bad writing can have on a small business, and I’ve seen the effect of good writing.

For all you out there who know your website needs updating and are thinking about doing it yourself, please read the following analogy.

You need a new computer. You’re not sure what to get. (Although if you have half a brain, you should get a mac and I’m only saying this because it’s opinion week.…

A Week of Opinions: Ghostblogging is Smart

a-week-of-opinions-ghostblogging-is-smartGhostblogging is the process of paying someone else to write blog posts for you. There has been talk in the blogosphere about whether or not this is ethical. I say blergh to those people who think it is not.

When businesses blog as a part of their company’s marketing campaign, hiring someone to write the posts for them is not unethical. In fact, it’s smart.

Understanding the importance a blog has on a company today is essential. This ties into to Monday’s post so I won’t go on a big long soapbox again, you can just scroll down to read it.…