Archive for Writing
Make Your Blog Stand Apart From the Crowd
Posted by: | CommentsDoes your blog need a makeover? Perhaps you are burned out on great ideas or maybe your blog is missing that dynamic factor that makes readers want to tune in? If you’ve ever wondered what you can do to make your blog more interesting and fun to write, I have a few ideas. There are a few ways to captive your audience and also make the writing more enjoyable for yourself.
Keep a List of Topics on Hand
When you sit down to write your blog, have a list of topics on hand and ask yourself “why should I write this?” and “who would want to read this?” The answer to those questions is often a good springboard. As you write one blog, you will likely have ideas for others—so keep that list handy. There will be days when the creative energy is low, so that is a perfect time to find your list and charge yourself up.
Be Curious About Everything
Just like an investigator, answer the questions of who, what, when, why, where, and how. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a journalist, go ahead and pretend you absolutely have to get to the bottom of your topic. Each of these questions will get you deeper into a subject matter.
Mix it up
Often, as you begin to write you’ll end up deleting your first few sentences and starting your writing somewhere in the middle. This is normal. Writing is not necessarily a linear process. When you get to the end of your blog, however, go back to the beginning and do a check for repetitive words and read it out loud. Also, don’t underestimate the power of the thesaurus. Your readers’ eyes are going to glaze over if you don’t vary your vocabulary. So mix it up!
Get to the point
Do you use long sentences over and over? Try challenging yourself to write shorter ones. Readers like it when we get to the point and do it quick. If a sentence is getting out of control, turn it into a series of bullet points.
Choose active verbs
One last bit of advice about the mechanics is to use active verbs instead of passive ones. Try to avoid “was” and “were” followed by the “ing” verb form. Staying in the present tense keeps your voice strong. And above all, have fun with writing and encourage commentary from readers to get comments for feedback.
How to Get Higher Rankings in Search Engines
Posted by: | CommentsIt seems like a mystery why certain websites have higher rankings in Google than others, but there are a few things that can increase your traffic. First, if you aren’t already doing so, start a blog and update it weekly. The search engines like fresh content and blogging will increase your ranking. Make it a priority to blog 3-5 times per week and aim for 300 words per post. Also, make sure you interact with other bloggers, including commenting on their posts, linking to other blogs, and guest blogging. These elements will drive traffic to your site and also keep you up to date on what hot topics are being discussed right now.
You can also increase your ranking by incorporating SEO copywriting into your website. You’ll want to first identify a list of phrases and words that your target audience is searching for and place them in your content. Ideally, the keywords should be weaved into the content so that it isn’t totally obvious to readers.
Heather Lloyd-Martin, CEO of SuccessWorks International, says that titles are the most important SEO element on a site. She recommends a unique title on every page of your site with several keyword phrases. A great title should be no more than 75 characters long—just enough to compel readers to want to read more and click on your site. She also suggests no more than 250 words of content per page. If your site is too wordy, not only will readers lose interest, but the search engines also like shorter bursts of content.
While working on the keywords content, type phrases into Google to see what people are searching for in your target market—and then make those your key words. You are now helping to direct readers—and search engines—to find you and click to your site. Since the search engines are set up to rank by keywords, try to have not only words, but also phrases that are specific. Use keywords and phrases 4-5 times per webpage, and remember to balance your keywords with relevant, useful content. You don’t want to just direct visitors to your site without giving them an incentive to stay.
Social Media Copywriting Success Program
Posted by: | CommentsMany successful marketers will tell you that copywriting – the ability to put what you are selling into words that actually sell – is the #1 most important skill to have in marketing. And this is true now more than ever.
My colleagues Craig Cannings of VAClassroom and Allison Nazarian of Get It In Writing have teamed up to present an amazing (and did I mention FREE?) webinar event on this very topic. In the world of social media, and social marketing in particular, your credibility, your visibility and your reputation are the measures of your success. And the key to being able to shine in social media lies in the words businesses use to have the conversations they are having.
Craig and Allison – and I – invite you to take advantage of this session: Discover The Key Copywriting Techniques For Unleashing Your Social Media Marketing Success in 2009 & Beyond. This is an event you don’t want to miss – the “secret weapon” so many successful marketers have and use can (and should) be yours too.
What: Free Webinar Event
When: Thursday March 5, 5pm Eastern (2pm Pacific)
Who: You! This free webinar event and the Special Report are perfect for Solopreneurs, Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Coaches, Consultants, Freelancers, Copywriters, Virtual Assistants and Online Professionals.
Bonus: And when you sign up for this no-charge event, you will also receive (again, at no charge) Craig & Allison’s Special Report:
How: Registration Page: www.CopywritingKingdom.com
Writting an eBook
Posted by: | CommentsI am excited to say that I am going to be writing an eBook. Actually I will be writing a couple of eBooks however one at a time. I have learned so much in the past year that I want to share it with everyone.
This evening I was on a great teleclass with Matt Bacak and Connie Ragen Green. They are both very powerful Internet marketers that I admire very much. This evenings topic was about writing an eBook.
There was a great deal of fantastic information provided. Having already researched on publishing last year I was excited to know that I did a great job researching. There was also so much great information that I didn’t know about for the ebook creation itself. Listening to this call gave me the security, reassurance and excitement to get started. Now to determine which eBook I want to start first!
For information on Connie’s mentoring program visit:
