Entries from October 2010 ↓

What type of blogger are you?

Do you spend time writing posts and publishing them only to move on to the next one and start the process all over again?

But as you launch each one out into cyber space don’t forget about it. The content is valuable so you have to make the most of it.

Unlike many other forms of communication, a published blog won’t disappear (unless you delete it of course) so it’s vital you make the most of its content and keep it working for you.

So how do you keep the buzz going?

Here are my top 6 tips to extend the shelf life and appeal of your blog posts:

1.  Follow

Often over time the information in your original blog post may need updating or it could become current again due to what’s happening in the world.

Take the opportunity to write a follow up post linking back to your original one. This will not only bring the first post out of moth balls, it will also give added value to your readers by updating them on new ways of thinking.

2. Links

Whenever you write posts that relate to past ones show this by linking them. Not only will this generate a wider audience for your original post it will also highlight the relevancy of your blog for that particular subject.

3. Re-Tweet

Twitter is definitely the blogger’s best friend. It is a great way to get your posts out to a wider readership. If after a period of time your post is still relevant, bring to your followers attention by re-tweeting it.

Don’t do it too frequently though as your followers won’t want to be bombarded by links to blog posts all the time.

4. Repurpose content

As you’ve spent time creating the content in the first place, why not reuse it? Spinning it into an article will help get your name out there as an authority on your topic. Plus using keyword rich links back to your website will help your SEO strategy.

5. Optimise

The beauty of writing for the web is that you can optimise your text to maximise your chances of appearing in the search engine results.

Using carefully chosen keywords will help ensure your blog posts remains prominent for a long time to come.

6. Newsletters

If you send out a monthly newsletter, why not use some of your posts as the basis for news and information?

Take a snippet of the text and add a ‘read more’ link which will take your reader to the original post. This is a great way to pass on valuable information and boost your blog’s readership.

Posts will remain active for as long as they appear on your blog so why not make the most of them?

Sally Ormond of Briar Copywriting is a freelance copywriter and prolific blogger

Email marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing you can do – when you do it right.

So many companies have jumped on the email marketing bandwagon without thinking it through.

Hey, everyone’s doing it, it can’t be that hard. Can it?

If that’s your view, don’t email – step away from your computer and go back to your standard marketing methods.

Email marketing with you eyes open

To make every email count and convert, you must be sure about what you are doing and what you want your marketing to achieve.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? But how do you put that into action?

Well, to help you out here are my 3 top tips to boost your email marketing conversion rates.

1. Tell  them what they need to know

That might sound obvious, but it’s something a lot of businesses miss. Frequently a company is so wrapped up in their own world they end up using the email to tell the recipient all about them, how long they’ve been in business etc.

Well that’s not what they want to hear. The only thing they want to read about is how you’re going to help them.

Keep on subject. If you have a lot to tell split it in to several emails over a period of time. If you try and cram everything into one email people won’t read it. Include video to showcase products and services or link out to your website to give your reader more information.

1. One action

I’m sure you know that all marketing materials must have a call to action so your reader knows what you want them to do.

But make sure you keep it simple.

If you fill your email with multiple actions – go here, go there, call now, click here – you’ll confuse your reader and they won’t know which way to turn. By overwhelming them they’ll head for the hills right after they delete your email.

1. Be credible

If you are sending emails out, they offer you the perfect opportunity to build and reinforce your credibility as a business.

Include testimonials within your copy that relate to the subject matter of the email to enhance your reputation.

Done well, email marketing can be a very effective tool. It will get your sales message directly in front of your customers. Just make sure your message is clear, you don’t confuse your reader and never miss an opportunity build your credibility.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

The copywriter’s green cross code

When writing sales and marketing content, many people make the mistake of diving straight in. Creating content is frequently one of those jobs that’s endured and squeezed into an already hectic day.

But content creation is vital for your business. Not just from an online SEO point of view, it’s all about getting your message out to your audience effectively.

Stage 1 – Stop

Stop when we haven’t even started?

Definitely.

You can’t write anything until you’ve stopped and thought about what you are doing. Every piece of copy must have a purpose. Ask yourself:

• What is going to be the best platform for your message?
• What do you want to achieve from your copy?
• How do you want your audience to react?
• What do you want to tell your audience?
• What end result do you want to achieve?

There is a lot to think about before you pick up a pen or go anywhere near your keyboard. If you want your copy to be powerful and compelling you have to do your homework first. If you don’t you’ll produce something disjointed without any real direction.

Think of your content creation as developing a new product. You wouldn’t sit down and cobble together a new product without doing any research and development, so why just throw out half hearted sales copy?

Stage 2 – Look

When creating content, although your message is vital, the way your content looks will also have a lot to do with its success.

If your copy doesn’t look appealing, no one’s going to read it. And if they don’t read it it’s not going to have the desired effect.

Make your writing accessible by using headings, subheadings, bullet points and images. If someone is faced with a solid page of text they are not going to read it. But, give them a page with plenty of white space, bullet points and small chunks of text, and they’ll be more inclined to take time to read it.

Stage 3 – Listen

This takes many forms – you have to listen to your audience and your business. Your content has to tell your reader what’s in it for them but it also has to represent the voice of your business.

But listening doesn’t just relate to your business and audience, it is also something you should do before pushing your content out into the marketplace.

When you’ve honed your message read it out loud. Whether its website copy, brochure content, email content or a case study you have to hear it to make sure it flows, makes sense and will provoke an emotional response in your reader.

Hopefully you’ll now see that writing content for your sales and marketing is much more than just stringing a few sentences together. A lot of thought, planning and shaping has to go into every piece of content you produce.

So remember, next time don’t just churn out any old thing – stop, look and listen before you pucblish.

The copywriter’s mantra – content is king

You know how important content is, you know how important social media is, but are you using them both to achieve the optimal effect?

Having a social media strategy is great, but if it is going to work you’ll need great content to fuel it. After all you can’t have a conversation if you have nothing to say.

In the same way, generating loads of content is only good if you have devised a way of sharing it.

How to marry content and social media

A recent post on socialexaminer.com called How Content and Social Media Equal Marketing Success takes a look at this point.

The video interview with Jo Puilizzi (author of Get Content, Get Customers) highlights the importance of content and how it must be written in conjunction with your social media strategy.

But the starting point for any business is to identify the online ‘hang outs’ of your customers and start having conversations with them. Building relationships is the foundation to all social marketing – talk to them, find out what they’re looking for, contribute to their conversations and then start to provide great information.

Done effectively, your customers will absorb your information (eBooks, white papers etc) and spread them to others.

The video is about 12 minutes long but is well worth a watch.

So grab a coffee and discover how to make your content marketing go further.

In my role as a copywriter I have harped on frequently about how your website copy should address the needs of your reader. It should be benefits focused and not focused on you.

As a business owner, I know you won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll need an outlet somewhere on your website to shout about you and what you’ve done. As I tell all my clients, that’s what the ‘About Us’ page is for.

It’s your opportunity for the limelight; an opportunity to sell you as a person – so don’t waste it.

Do people really look at the About Us page?

Yes, they do.

It’s an inherent need in all of us to know who we are buying from. We want to know the face behind the business. We want to be reassured they are someone we can trust. And that’s why the About Us page exists. So don’t blow it.

Meaningful

How many times have you read someone’s About Us page only to be completely perplexed. Often you find them written is a very dull and technical way.

Why?

Your reader isn’t going to be impressed just because you know a few technical terms and long words. If your page is to have impact, make the content meaningful. Tell them simply who you are and what your company is about.

Be yourself

Remember what I said earlier? This is your opportunity to sell you as a person. So why do so many people show a stock photo on the About Us page rather than a photo of themselves? Why are you hiding?

If you’re a larger business include a photo of your team. Your reader wants to know who you are so show them.

Be real

Write in a friendly conversational style. Tell your reader why you started your business. The process you went through to develop it into the company it is today. Make it a human interest story – but make sure it is real. Don’t try and pull the wool over your readers’ eyes.

Don’t hide

If you have contact details on this page make sure they are real and accessible. Include a valid email address and telephone number. Show your address and a map – people like to know where you are. If this information is missing they’ll want to know what you’re hiding.

Back it up

To add extra weight to your claims about your business and its service, add in testimonials or sound bites from happy customers. But make sure you reference them – a testimonial without a name is worthless.

The About Us page is very important. It may not be your main sales page but it is there to show your reader who you are and why they should do business with you. So use it to show your human side and connect with  them.