Top Articles on Internet

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-02-01T23:04:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Before Giving Advice on Writing, Take Your Own Advice First
Elements of Editorial Style for the Web | Meet Content
A List Apart: Articles: The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome
10 Super Easy SEO Copywriting Tips for Improved Link Building | SEOmoz
Article Search Engine Directory: GoArticles.com
Home | Yahoo! Style Guide
6 tips to improve your blog articles | David Airey, graphic designer
Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website - Smashing Magazine
Article Writing Services
A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator
Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!
10 Content Marketing Goals Worth Pursuing

Before Giving Advice on Writing, Take Your Own Advice First

Posted: 24 Oct 2011 09:19 PM PDT

Article Marketing Campaigns

I think in whatever craft or industry we choose, we do not want to be mediocre by creating material that is very amateurish or substandard. Interestingly today, I was reading an article that was written by someone who is supposed to be an expert in the field of writing excellent content for syndication. This article was a systematic advice column about being the authority on producing a prosperous article marketing campaign. Needless to say, I am always looking for ways to improve my article marketing techniques, but I was highly disappointed in the quality of writing I expected to read from this article.

At first, I thought was not reading many of the sentences correctly and had to go back to reread them. Then I thought that the article was a test to see if readers could detect the incorrect sentence structures and misappropriation of words. As I finally made my way to the end of the steps, I discovered that the author was really serious about the piece they wrote, but my advice to them is to heed the advice they are trying to give other writers.

Recently, I read a local community magazine that looked nice from the outside, but once I started reading the articles on each page, it was clearly obvious that the editor and writing staff really need to polish their writing skills before distributing this material to the masses. You could tell that these individuals tried to throw in a few upscale words to appear professional, but in many cases, they incorrectly used homophones and heterophones that was an "elementary" school English class no-no!

Understandably, we will run into many compositions that will contain a mistake or two, but it is good to write first and then put it aside to come back and read, then edit and then reread again. I do not claim to be the most-perfect writer, but it is in my blood to strive for that perfection. Since I am writing in English, then I am expected to write accordingly. If I am writing in another language however, then I am expected to acknowledge and write according to that language's proper format and structure. Good quality writing is not an option, but if you call yourself a writer, then it is an absolute must!

Elements of Editorial Style for the Web | Meet Content

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:25 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 10:22 PM PST

10 Super Easy SEO Copywriting Tips for Improved Link Building | SEOmoz

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 09:35 PM PST

Article Search Engine Directory: GoArticles.com

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 09:05 PM PST

Home | Yahoo! Style Guide

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 08:54 PM PST

6 tips to improve your blog articles | David Airey, graphic designer

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 07:25 PM PST

Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website - Smashing Magazine

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 07:25 PM PST

Article Writing Services

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 07:21 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 06:53 PM PST

Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 04:53 PM PST

10 Content Marketing Goals Worth Pursuing

Posted: 01 Feb 2012 03:00 AM PST

Ever wonder why content marketing works so well for some businesses … and doesn’t seem to do anything at all for others?

Curious about why some content that seems great doesn’t do anything to build the business?

“Content is king” has been an online cliché for years now, but it’s not true. It’s never been true.

Content all by itself — even terrific content — is just content.

It may be entertaining. It may be educational. It may contain the secret to world peace and fresh, minty breath, all rolled into one.

But it has no magical powers. It won’t transform your business or get you where you need to go, until you add one thing …

Content marketing is a meaningless exercise without business goals.

What makes content marketing work?

To make content work, you need to understand your marketing and business goals. Then you can create content that serves those goals, instead of just giving your audience something to pass the time.

Your blog posts, email marketing, special reports, podcasts, advertising … all of it needs to fit into a larger picture.

Now if you blog purely for creative self expression, go ahead and write as the spirit moves you.

But if you’re using content to market a business, you need a strategic framework so you can get the most out of your time and hard work.

Here are 10 of the business goals that drive our content marketing at Copyblogger Media. You might focus on just one or two, or you may use all 10. As you read through the list, see which of these you can apply to your own marketing plan.

Goal 1. To build trust and rapport with your audience

This is the most obvious use of content marketing, and it’s a good one.

When you create useful, interesting, and valuable content, your audience learns they can trust you. They see that you know your topic. They get a sense of your personality and what it would be like to work with you.

Lack of trust kills conversion. An abundance of valuable content builds trust like nothing else.

But too many marketers stop there. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

Goal 2. To attract new prospects to your marketing system

We all had it drilled into our heads by Mr. Godin when we were just baby content marketers: You’ve gotta be remarkable.

Your content has to be compelling enough that it attracts links, social media sharing, and conversation.

Why? Because that’s how new people find you.

No matter how delightful your existing customers are, you need a steady stream of new prospects to keep your business healthy.

Remarkable content that gets shared around the web will find your best new prospects for you, and lead them back to everything you have to offer.

Goal 3. To explore prospect pain

No, you’re not doing this to be a sadist.

The fact is, most enduring businesses thrive because they solve problems.

They solve health problems, parenting problems, money problems, business problems, technology problems, “What should I make for dinner” problems.

When you understand your prospect’s problems, you understand how to help them, and you have the core of your marketing message.

Strategic content dives into the problems your prospects are facing. What annoys them? What frightens them? What keeps them awake at night?

A smart content marketing program leaves room for audience questions. These might come in email replies, blog comments, or you may hold Q&A sessions or webinars specifically to solicit questions.

Listen to the problems your market asks you about, and use those as a compass to guide your future content.

Goal 4. To illustrate benefits

Obviously, we don’t dig up prospect problems and leave it at that.

We talk about solutions.

We talk about what fixes those annoying problems. Techniques, tips, tricks, methods, approaches.

If you have a viable business, you have a particular take on solving your market’s problems. Your individual approach is the flesh and blood of your content marketing.

Your “10 Ways to Solve Problem X” post shows the benefits of your approach.

Your special report illustrates how you solve problems, and shows customers what they get out of working with you.

Strategic content doesn’t just tell a prospect “My product is a good way to solve your problem.” It shows them. And that’s a cornerstone persuasion technique.

Goal 5. To overcome objections

Your prospect is looking for ways to solve his problem, but he’s also keeping an eye out for potential problems.

Strategic content can be a superb way to address prospect objections — the reasons they don’t buy.

Is price a pain point? Write content showing that implementing your solutions saves money in the long run.

Do your customers think your product will be too complicated to use? Write content that shows customers going from zero to sixty … painlessly.

Understand the objections that keep customers from buying, then think about creative ways to resolve those objections in content — often before the buyer ever gets to that sales page.

Goal 6. To paint the picture of life with your product

Ad-man Joe Sugarman was one of the great early practioners of content marketing. He was a master of long-copy magazine ads for his company JS&A (a consumer gadget company), ads that were often as interesting and compelling as the magazine articles they appeared next to.

In his Copywriting Handbook, he described how he might approach writing an ad for a Corvette.

Feel the breeze blowing through your hair as you drive through the warm evening. Watch heads turn. Punch the accelerator to the floor and feel the burst of power thta pins you into the back of your countour seat. Look at the beautiful display of electronic technology right on your dashboard. Feel the power and excitement of America’s super sports car.

Sugarman isn’t describing the car. He’s describing the experience of the driver.

Sugarman was a master at mentally putting the customer into the experience of owning the product … whether that product was a pocket calculator, a private jet, or a multi-million dollar mansion.

It works very nicely in an ad. It works even better in your content.

Storytelling is one of the best content marketing strategies, and it’s a superb way to let customers mentally “try out” your offer before they ever experience it for themselves. Use content to show what it’s like to own your product or use your service.

Case studies are terrific for this, as are any stories that show how your approach to problem-solving works. Pick up Sugarman’s book for lots of ideas about how to create fascinating content for products that might not immediately suggest a fascinating story.

Goal 7. To attract strategic partners

Once upon a time, Copyblogger was one writer.

No software business. No marketing education business. No premium WordPress themes or hosting.

From very early days, the quality of the content posted here has attracted strategic partners — the partners Brian Clark worked with to create every line of revenue-generating business we have today.

Eventually, that evolved into the creation of a new company — Copyblogger Media. The partnership brings together a great complement of skills, and together we can go farther and faster than Brian could have on his own.

Whatever your business goals are, partnerships are often the smartest way to get there. When you’re passionate about creating excellent content, you’ll find that potential partners are attracted to that passion.

Goal 8. To deepen loyalty with existing customers

This one is probably my favorite.

Every company needs to attract new customers. But the biggest growth potential in most businesses comes from building a tighter relationship with your existing customers.

A solid base of referral and repeat business is the hallmark of a great business. Even if you never did any content marketing to anyone other than your customers, you could radically improve your business by improving the communication you have with your customers today.

Create a richer experience for the people who have already bought from you. Make your products and services work better by pairing them with useful, user-friendly content.

Don’t treat the waitress better than you do your date. Give great stuff to the people who have already bought from you, and they’ll reward you for it.

Goal 9. To develop new business ideas

Your content stream is a fantastic place to try out new ideas.

Thinking about re-positioning your key product? Trying to better define your unique selling proposition? See a new problem on the horizon that your customers might want you to solve?

Get those ideas into your content, and see how people react. You can watch what excites people, and what fizzles out.

Business writer Jim Collins talks about firing bullets, then cannonballs. In other words, when you get a new idea for your business, fire off something low-risk to test the waters.

Don’t start firing your big ammunition until you’re sure you can actually hit the target. (And that there’s a target there to hit.)

Content is an amazing low-risk way to try out your ideas while risking very little. Your audience will let you know with their reactions which ideas fire them up, and which ones leave them cold.

Goal 10. To build your reputation with search engines

Lots of content creators think this is reason #1 to create content — but if you put this in the wrong place, you’ll probably struggle with SEO.

That’s because search engines find you valuable when readers find you valuable.

Search engines are looking for content that’s valuable to their users. If you create that type of content, your SEO battle is 9/10 done.

So put the first 9 content marketing goals first, and the 10th becomes a matter of relatively simple SEO optimization.

How about you?

What’s the main thing you’re looking to get out of content marketing? Do you have a content marketing goal you don’t see here?

Let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your brilliant content marketing goals with her on twitter.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-31T23:38:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

How Pricing of Catering Job is Done
Blah-Blah Text: Keep, Cut, or Kill? (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)
EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints
Content Composer Software | SEO Content Writer | Web Content Writing | Article Writing
Article Writing Services
Inbound Writer: The First Social Writing Application
Article Search Engine Directory: GoArticles.com
Headline Formulas That Convert | 7 Examples – The Daily Egg
Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.
Plain Language Commission - Plain English Lexicon
[REQ] Maxprog Email Extractor 3.5 BlackHat
5 Ways Writers Can Break Out of the Tired Old Social Media Box

How Pricing of Catering Job is Done

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 09:00 PM PST

You have bagged the catering order for the neighborhood event and you're all set to impress your customers with some great food ideas. Everything's going good except you're not sure how to set a price for all your work! This article hopes to provide some tips about calculating the pricing for a catering job.

Blah-Blah Text: Keep, Cut, or Kill? (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:38 PM PST

EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 09:12 PM PST

Content Composer Software | SEO Content Writer | Web Content Writing | Article Writing

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 08:50 PM PST

Article Writing Services

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 08:12 PM PST

Inbound Writer: The First Social Writing Application

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:56 PM PST

Article Search Engine Directory: GoArticles.com

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:36 PM PST

Headline Formulas That Convert | 7 Examples – The Daily Egg

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:34 PM PST

Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 07:23 PM PST

Plain Language Commission - Plain English Lexicon

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:49 PM PST

[REQ] Maxprog Email Extractor 3.5 BlackHat

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 06:12 PM PST

5 Ways Writers Can Break Out of the Tired Old Social Media Box

Posted: 31 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

It’s time to teach that old dog some new tricks.

That old dog I’m referring to is social media.

Sure, you’re already blogging, and on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, and more. Great.

But I’m telling you — there’s more to social media than meets the eye. The final chapter on social media hasn’t been written.

When I kicked off my writing business in April, I decided to use social media my way.

I approached these overused networks as if I’d never heard of them. I made my own rules. I set different expectations. You could say I wrote my own chapter on social media marketing.

It made my website — and my business — better.

Here’s what I came up with, and how you can incorporate these features into your own marketing plan.

1. YouTube: For a bit of drama

YouTube’s not just for viral cat videos and covers of Justin Bieber songs.

I uploaded images of my best-looking writing clips, then stitched together a video portfolio on iMovie. (Take screen shots or scan documents if you don’t have original files.)

I like to think of it as my “me trailer” complete with sound effects, music, and dramatic editing.

Once I posted it to YouTube, I embedded it on my website and added a burst that says, “Click Here to See My Trailer!”

It’s super nerdy. It’s unconventional. It’s me.

Most importantly, it advertises my services in a fresh way and shows all of my specialties in less than three minutes. It’s not about getting the most YouTube views, it’s about getting business.

And it has Star Wars references. (Not required for success.)

Takeaway: Videos make your site more interesting and show your personality. A welcome video can introduce clients to your site. A video biography can turn you from a static picture into a new friend. Most computers, cameras, or phones provide all of the movie-making software you need.

2. Foursquare: For showing off

The location-based site and mobile app lets users “check-in” to venues like restaurants, famous landmarks, and their own homes in pursuit of badges and points.

Foursquare users can friend others and also follow their favorite brands’ pages. Upon unsuspectingly checking in to one of the brand’s favorite venues, a tip will pop up from said brand.

I took advantage of this feature and created my own brand page on Foursquare. But what kind of tips would I share with my followers? The best places to find free wi-fi around the world. Who doesn’t enjoy a free connection, plentiful plugs, and good coffee?

Now when people follow my page and check in to a location near one of my top wi-fi spots, a little pop-up box on their Foursquare app will remind them of my business and how helpful I am.

I even created a Foursquare venue for my writing business. So other nearby businesses — the original The Onion headquarters is steps away — know that I’m here. And I’m ready to rock.

Takeaway: Maybe you’re a movie critic who knows the best theaters around the country. Or a fashion blogger who knows all the top boutiques in New York City. Or a roaming travel writer who knows the best cheap eats from coast to coast. Share’em on your favorite social review site.

3. Pinterest: For going viral

Are you obsessed with Pinterest yet? Pin + interest = Pinterest. It’s a digital pin board site where users “pin” their favorite images to themed boards. You can follow other users’ boards and “re-pin” their content.

I run a little travel blog on the side because I’m working on breaking into travel writing. Pinterest and its cult following seemed like the perfect place to showcase my own travel photography in hopes of a little viral action.

So I created a Pinterest account for my travel blog and I pinned my images to boards like “Pretty Travel Pics” and “Must-Do Travel Experiences.”

I pinned other people’s images, too. This isn’t all about me — you gotta show some love to get some love.

My personal photography has been re-pinned oodles of times and every pic links back to my travel blog. Instant traffic.

If I’m lucky, my pins will appear on the Pinterest home page. Just another unusual way to get my name out there.

Takeaway: Image-based sites like Pinterest, Flickr, and Instagram aren’t just for photographers. If you’re a food blogger, showcase pics of your best recipes. If you’re a tech reporter, gather images of your favorite gadgets.

4. Facebook: For looking important

Every business has a Facebook page, but why did my business need one?

I decided to designate my official Facebook page as a newsfeed of all the things I’ve written.

It’s a vertical version of my portfolio and another way potential clients can see what I’ve been working on — especially what I’ve been working on this week.

Sure, the page won’t get a whole lot of ‘likes’ and my mom is the only person who ‘likes’ my posts regularly (thanks, Mom!), but that’s not the goal of my Facebook page.

It’s there to display my latest clients and clips. And to show that I know how to build Facebook pages – I’m a social media consultant after all.

Takeaway: There’s a cookie cutter social media plan that’s been set in front of us all. But if it doesn’t make sense for your business, don’t follow it.

5. Amazon Associates: for bragging

Amazon Associates is an affiliate program for Amazon.com products. Create an online store (complete with your own URL), fill it with hand-picked items, and you’ll get money for each completed purchase.

I decided to create my own “aStore” as they’re called, not to make money but to show off my latest books and the publications I’m featured in.

I’m simply taking advantage of Amazon’s free social shopping features for my own benefit. I don’t want the money.

I uploaded a branded header image similar to the image on my Foursquare page, Facebook page, and website.

I created a page called “Aubre Andrus Books” and included text explaining that I have five books coming out over the next two years.

I’m able to brag without looking like I’m bragging. And when my books come out, I’ll have a stocked store. Impressive, right?

Takeaway: There are a lot of free widgets and plug-ins out there that can make your business better. Don’t let a little html or an affiliate contract scare you.

Now, it’s your turn …

Choose the social networks that excite you, then throw the rules to the wayside.

This is all about doing it your way.

How do you use social media differently?

Do you use Google+ or Twitter in a way that make you stand out from the competition? Share your strategies in the comments below!

About the Author: Aubre Andrus writes for her favorite brands and publications as an author, creative copywriter, professional blogger, social media consultant, and roaming reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @aubreandrus or visit her website and portfolio.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-30T23:08:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Content Writing: My Worthy Faint Attempt
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!
» Blogger LinkUp
Easy Blogging Tips for Busy People | @pushingsocial
Make A Living Writing
Free Online Plagiarism Checker Software For Plagiarism Detection
Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.
Getting Real: Copywriting is Interface Design (by 37signals)
Reading on the Web (Alertbox)
Custom Website Content Marketplace - Zerys
How to Grow Your Freelance Writing Business by Working Less

Content Writing: My Worthy Faint Attempt

Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:02 PM PST

To feel joy while at work seldom happens to me. It’s something very very rare. I have a better

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 11:01 PM PST

Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:33 PM PST

» Blogger LinkUp

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 08:31 PM PST

Easy Blogging Tips for Busy People | @pushingsocial

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:46 PM PST

Make A Living Writing

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 06:08 PM PST

Free Online Plagiarism Checker Software For Plagiarism Detection

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 05:14 PM PST

Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:45 PM PST

Getting Real: Copywriting is Interface Design (by 37signals)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 01:23 PM PST

Reading on the Web (Alertbox)

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:56 PM PST

Custom Website Content Marketplace - Zerys

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 12:19 PM PST

How to Grow Your Freelance Writing Business by Working Less

Posted: 30 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

Freelance writers make lots of mistakes, especially when they’re starting out online.

Mistakes are useful. They’re fertilizer for entrepreneurial growth. They keep you learning and moving forward.

However, if you fail to make the right mistakes — and to learn from them — you may as well just keep your writing as a weekend hobby.

You want to make the mistakes that teach you how to build a better writing business or show you things you only learned because you were reaching.

What’s one of the biggest mistakes a freelance writer can make?

Let’s find out …

Do not ignore your most important client

One of the biggest mistakes a freelance writer can make — and one most writers constantly fall into — is ignoring their most important client.

Oh sure, most writers take care of the person they think is their best client. The client who pays them the most per word and gives them the most notice between projects, or the most glowing referrals.

And you might be right. That might be your best client, but it isn’t your most important. Not by a long shot.

Your most important client is the one who will stay with you forever. The client who will help ensure you make more each year than you did the year before. Your most important client will help you do all of that, but only if you promise to never ignore them.

Who is your best client?

Your best client is you.

And are you taking care of yourself? Do you make sure your needs are met?

Do you set aside at least an hour every day to tend your projects and build your assets — the same assets that will accumulate over time and help you build streams of steady, passive income?

Probably not, most working writers don’t.

It’s bad enough when you’re freelancing, tearing through so many hours that you don’t have the time to write for your muse or build your assets, whether that means publishing fiction to Kindle or creating eCourses you can sell to your list.

But at least busy freelancers are paying the bills.

They’re growing their businesses and building their reputations.

While busy freelancers who spend all their time cranking out copy are ignoring their permanent assets, at least they have an excuse.

They’re working hard.

A case study in “working hard”

I used to run a small chain of flower shops in Long Beach, California.

There were often times when I felt I had to do everything myself, from stripping roses to answering phones, even sweeping up the shop.

But if I wasn’t booking a wedding, negotiating a better price for international roses, or helping a hapless husband build the perfect bouquet for his beautiful wife, I was costing myself and the business money.

Of course I’d learned all this before I started my writing career. Yet for some reason it took me a couple of years to figure out that the same principles held true online.

For the first year, I couldn’t justify the expense in my head.

My writing business wasn’t generating enough money to outsource, or so I thought. I quickly fell into the same trap I’d fallen into many years before in the flower business.

One excuse followed another until I finally realized that the more I wrote for myself, the more I could ultimately make in the long run.

Yet, that would never happen if I spent all my time inside my WordPress dashboard instead of building my future.

There is never any good reason to spend needless minutes mired in menial tasks that keep you busy and fenced from your future, drowning in tedium and leaving you with a finished product that probably isn’t as good as what you could have paid for.

Do any of the tasks below look familiar?

Are you needlessly spending time on any (or all) of these, because you think you should?

Coding your website
Audio or video transcription
Blog design
Accounting
Cover art design
Editing

You might be decent at accomplishing the items on that list.

But if you’re a writer, none are your specialty.

By outsourcing that kind of work and paying a specialist a reasonable rate, you will be buying yourself more time for the work you can charge top dollar for.

Outsourcing also gives you time to write and create the bigger assets that will make you money over time, rather than just once.

Top-notch content for your own site. Superb client education material. The kind of great marketing you create for your clients, but never write for your own business.

To truly grow as a writer, you must be willing to hand off any menial tasks that strip your time away from what you’re best at –- writing.

The less you write, the further you’ll be from realizing your goals and dreams.

It’s time to work smart

You must be willing to eliminate from your workday any mindless tasks that cannot make you money or help you grow your business.

Every task you keep for yourself is adding distance between yourself, your passion, and the true future you could be building around your writing career.

Outsourcing travels in every direction.

When you write copy for a client who doesn’t want to do it themselves, they are outsourcing their work to you. For you, writing is easy. For them, it isn’t.

Some of the things you don’t want to do, aren’t especially good at, or take you far too long, are tasks other people are exceptional at and enjoy doing: coding, WordPress development, blog design, research, and all the other stuff your writing business needs to grow.

Let others handle the heavy lifting of your business so you can spend your time writing a better tomorrow for yourself instead.

Don’t spend your time sweeping the floor with your future.

About the Author: Sean Platt is a content marketer and cofounder of outstandingSETUP. Get his free report 9 Website Building Mistakes You Should Avoid.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-29T23:21:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Start Simple
Reading on the Web (Alertbox)
Article Magic Cash
Unique content - Textbroker.com
Content Marketing 101: How to Build Your Business With Content | Copyblogger
The Literate Learner - InterActive Six Trait Writing Process
Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.
Content Strategy
» Blogger LinkUp
21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger
IdeaMarketers - Free Web Content, Free Articles & Ezine Builder

Start Simple

Posted: 21 Nov 2011 03:34 PM PST

I hate anything to do with large selections like buffets, malls, decluttering, and online writing.

Reading on the Web (Alertbox)

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 10:03 PM PST

Article Magic Cash

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 09:10 PM PST

Unique content - Textbroker.com

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 08:31 PM PST

Content Marketing 101: How to Build Your Business With Content | Copyblogger

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 06:56 PM PST

The Literate Learner - InterActive Six Trait Writing Process

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 06:25 PM PST

Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 05:06 PM PST

Content Strategy

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 04:53 PM PST

» Blogger LinkUp

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 03:49 PM PST

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 03:48 PM PST

IdeaMarketers - Free Web Content, Free Articles & Ezine Builder

Posted: 29 Jan 2012 12:58 PM PST

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-28T23:04:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger
What Comes First, Content Creation or Curation? | Beth’s Blog
Writing for the Web | Usability.gov
10 Guidelines for Writing Usable and SEO Friendly Content | Usability Geek
Home | Yahoo! Style Guide
Unique content - Textbroker.com
Writing User Friendly Content | UX Booth
Testing Content Concepts :: UXmatters
A List Apart: Articles: Words that Zing
I Don’t Want to Read More or Click Here - Mardahl.dk
7 Useful Marketing Articles for Your Weekend

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:00 PM PST

What Comes First, Content Creation or Curation? | Beth’s Blog

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 05:45 PM PST

Writing for the Web | Usability.gov

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 05:01 PM PST

10 Guidelines for Writing Usable and SEO Friendly Content | Usability Geek

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 03:04 PM PST

Home | Yahoo! Style Guide

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:45 AM PST

Unique content - Textbroker.com

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 11:16 AM PST

Writing User Friendly Content | UX Booth

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:53 AM PST

Testing Content Concepts :: UXmatters

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:53 AM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Words that Zing

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:52 AM PST

I Don’t Want to Read More or Click Here - Mardahl.dk

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 10:51 AM PST

7 Useful Marketing Articles for Your Weekend

Posted: 28 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

This week on The Lede …

Seth Godin’s simple cure for writer’s block.
Why David Ogilvy called himself a lousy copywriter.
A case study in the power of the blog.
10 ways to use Pinterest for your business.

If you want more links you can use than the seven we highlight here every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter.

//

A Stalker’s Guide to Competitive Research
If you ever wanted a shot at becoming a private detective (without the hassle of becoming a private detective), this is it. Comprehensive does not begin to describe this article from Ms. Narayanasamy. In it, she lays out an amazingly simple and incredibly thorough strategy to gain a lasting competitive advantage in your industry.

//

Seth Godin’s Simple Cure for Writer’s Block
Leave it to Mr. Godin to supply a sensible solution to a wicked problem that has plagued writers since we were etching useful content on tablets. Stone tablets, I mean. Like most good advice, you’ll likely say “Of course…” when you read this. Don’t forget to act on it.

//

I am a lousy copywriter ~ David Ogilvy
There is some kind of relief in reading a line like that from a titan of your craft. This honest, engaging little 1955 letter from Mr. Ogilvy says much about practical professionalism, struggle, and getting your work done despite the forces working against you from within and without.

//

How to Find the Time for Content Creation
Warning: do not dismiss this post for its deceptive simplicity. We’ve heard it one hundred times, and could stand to hear it one hundred more. This advice lies at the core of getting good content produced. And yes, that’s the content that can drive your business.

//

Content Marketing is a War of Attrition
Babe Ruth said, “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” That, along with a plan that changed and morphed along the way, is pretty much the story of Copyblogger. It can pretty much be the story of anyone who chooses to take it up.

//

The Power of a Blog
Mr. Lefsetz asks if you’re better off being written up in the major media, or on a major blog. Then he answers the question definitively. This might seem a bit like preaching to the choir, but the reminder — in this case — is a valuable one.

//

10 Ways to Use Pinterest for Business
I’ve heard it said that Pinterest is for soccer moms. I also remember hearing that Facebook was just for college kids …

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-27T23:26:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints
Write Articles, Not Blog Postings (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)
How to Write Great Blog Content
Articles on issues in web content strategy, usability, accessibility | 4 Syllables
A List Apart: Articles: Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!
Real Editors Ship (Ftrain.com)
The “book” is dead [dive into mark]
Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.
Scripted stands for great writing and great writers
Getting Real: Copywriting is Interface Design (by 37signals)
Answers to the 3 Biggest Email Marketing Questions We Get

Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:51 PM PST

Write Articles, Not Blog Postings (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:51 PM PST

How to Write Great Blog Content

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 10:51 PM PST

Articles on issues in web content strategy, usability, accessibility | 4 Syllables

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 04:33 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Calling All Designers: Learn to Write!

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:33 PM PST

Real Editors Ship (Ftrain.com)

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:31 PM PST

The “book” is dead [dive into mark]

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 02:30 PM PST

Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:47 PM PST

Scripted stands for great writing and great writers

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:29 PM PST

Getting Real: Copywriting is Interface Design (by 37signals)

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 01:01 PM PST

Answers to the 3 Biggest Email Marketing Questions We Get

Posted: 27 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

We’re back and we’re ready to talk email marketing.

I asked two pros to come on and spill their best advice on the three biggest email marketing questions we get here at Copyblogger.

DJ Waldow joins me and Sonia Simone to discuss:

The best way to build an email list
The 2 reasons why people open an email
The most important element of an email that sells
How to write emails that get opened
How to stay out of your reader’s spam filters
Sonia’s secret weapon of email marketing that works

This one’s fast and useful, so keep your ears on …

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

The Show Notes:

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

Share

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-26T23:05:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

The Latest With Demand Studios
Importance of SEO Content Writing Services
Guest Blogging
Instant Content Robot Members Area Instant Content Robot Software Review Launch Jan. 31 2012
Maria Popova: In a new world of informational abundance, content curation is a new kind of authorship » Nieman Journalism Lab » Pushing to the Future of Journalism
Reading on the Web (Alertbox)
The Content Strategist | by Contently.com
Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts | Social Media Examiner
quality written articles for your website
quality written articles for your website
quality written articles for your website
The Glee Guide to Attracting a Raving Horde of Social Media Fans

The Latest With Demand Studios

Posted: 19 Nov 2011 11:50 AM PST

: The “Dark Side of the Moon” as seen by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

New Notice At Demand Studios

I went to Demand Studios today to check up on my monthly earnings and lo and behold I was not able to access the information. It seems that DS had posted a message that I needed to update the Contributor’s Agrreement that I had signed, when I started writing for the company back in 2008. That in itself was not so bad, but the fact that the site programmers had changed the page coding, so that I could not access my earnings data without signing the agreement has made me rather upset about the whole state of affairs at the Santa Monica content mill.

What It Means

At present it looks like I will not receive any more money from DS unless I sign the agreement. Is anyone else experiencing the same thing?

Uncertain Future

My first impulse was to sign the agreement so that I could continue receiving the measely 15 to 25 dollars per month that the California company still owes me on Revenue Sharing articles until they expire several years from now. However, common sense came over me and I realized that DS should honor its previous agreement without any further ado. Having to sign an additional agreement after my termination as a regular article writer seems way out of line.

What This Means

My hunch is that Demand Studios is presently facing a host of complaints and legal actions regarding the way that they let go of the vast majority of writers during the summer of this year. Personally, I am not so mad that I was let go, but more upset over the way that it happened. The real issue that bothered me was taking articles that I had claimed, out of the queu, so they could not have been completed. However, on their behalf, I must say that they did allow articles in draft to be finished.

My Recourse

At this point I think I will not sign the new agreement, because I don’t think it is necessary. Losing the several hundred dollars that will eventually come my way seems minor compared to what they are asking me to do… And that is modify an agreement after it has gone into effect.

Importance of SEO Content Writing Services

Posted: 18 Nov 2011 07:47 AM PST

The fundamental idea behind SEO Content Writing service is the requirement to promote online businesses through targeted keywords. Internet businesses are aggressively seeking SEO companies to create search engine friendly creative content for a strong online presence. Despite the impressive link building process, SEO content writing significantly improves the search engine ranking for Internet businesses.
So what makes SEO content writing?
It includes simple web content like articles and blogs, and more complex content in the form of press release, case study, newsletter and product brochures. With the changing business trends, it would only be fair to say that SEO content writing services create successful web presence for online businesses.
What are your thoughts on SEO content writing service? Share with us.

Guest Blogging

Posted: 16 Nov 2011 12:41 AM PST

A guest blog post increases exposure to your audience

If you know your target audience well, a guest blog post on another blog that they are likely to read is a good idea to attract more eyeballs to your blog or website. One of the biggest mistakes made with guest blogging is writing purely for the objective of getting a decent link into a website.

This is a seriously flawed approach – links shouldn’t be the reason behind why you do something to promote your website or business. Sure, links are a valuable outcome – from a genuine source. It’s a natural link, which is very rare on the web, so it should be one of the more valued links to your site.

The objective of your guest blog article should be your existing audience or prospective audience. Your blog article should deliver quality content to your target audience; it should be something the host blog is going to benefit from publishing in some way; and it should ideally, make the readers think ‘yeah, I’ll come back here again and read some more’.

The motivation behind guest blogging and posting in general should be to build a loyal readership – people who rely on your content. The more they rely and trust in what you have to say, the more likely they are to buy from you at some stage in the future.

It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t write a blog post for an external blog until you’ve agreed the context, writing style and length of the blog post with the host. There’s nothing worse than writing a blog post and then discovering your intended host doesn’t want to publish it for whatever reason.

Instant Content Robot Members Area Instant Content Robot Software Review Launch Jan. 31 2012

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 10:55 PM PST

Maria Popova: In a new world of informational abundance, content curation is a new kind of authorship » Nieman Journalism Lab » Pushing to the Future of Journalism

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 10:02 PM PST

Reading on the Web (Alertbox)

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:38 PM PST

The Content Strategist | by Contently.com

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 07:19 PM PST

Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 04:58 PM PST

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 03:38 PM PST

26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts | Social Media Examiner

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 03:07 PM PST

quality written articles for your website

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST

quality written articles for your website

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 03:00 PM PST

quality written articles for your website

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 02:59 PM PST

The Glee Guide to Attracting a Raving Horde of Social Media Fans

Posted: 26 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

If your memories of high school involve wedgies, broken hearts, and getting stuffed into your locker, you probably love Glee.

The musical comedy TV show — Ryan Murphy’s smash hit about the nerds, misfits, and social outcasts of McKinley High School’s glee club — is equal parts quirky, cheesy, heartbreaking, and surprisingly delightful.

Over its first two seasons, the show has also attracted millions of obsessive fans from all over the world.

Glee fans, or “Gleeks,” follow the moves of their favorite show with a passion once reserved for Cabbage Patch Kids or the Toyota Prius.

What is Glee’s secret formula for creating crazed fans who would rather die than miss an episode of the show?

And how can you use Glee’s techniques to market your business and turn your listless readers into raving groupies?

Here are a few ideas …

Harness the power of the underdog

The Glee kids are the underdogs at McKinley High.

They constantly have to battle not only the school’s evil cheerleading coach, Sue Sylvester, but vicious classmates who taunt them in the halls and throw Slushies in their faces.

We cheer for these underdogs.

We want them to succeed, to show the world how truly talented they are. We want those bullying football players to see the light and drop the 7-11 cups.

Having someone to cheer for is essential.

If your customers can’t get behind you and support you, you’ll never turn them into raving fans. Show them what you’re up against — whether it’s battling writers block, standing up for mom-and-pop stores in a hostile corporate culture, or even stretching yourself to do something that scares you.

Show your audience what you’re fighting for. Share your biggest obstacles, even if those roadblocks are intangible, like fear of success or struggles with technology.

Once your customers know what you’re fighting for (and fighting against) they can rally behind you and become your biggest fans.

Be undeniably awesome

The kids of McKinley High may be underdogs, but they can sing.

They sing, they dance, they twirl, they shine. And when they perform, they put their hearts and souls into it.

Want to be like Glee? Be really, really good at what you do.

Social media is full of quirky people who aren’t very good at their jobs. The underdog and quirk factors only work if you have something remarkable to offer.

Put your absolute best writing on your site. Craft those autoresponder messages so they’re impressively well written and amazingly useful to your prospects, every single time. Make sure your products and services are remarkable and fan-worthy. Create an atmosphere of excellence.

Put your absolute best effort into every detail of your business. Remember that when you’re online, people are watching, so show ‘em your best side every day. Your customer will learn to expect the best from you every time you put something out in the world.

When they expect greatness and you give it to them consistently, they’ll become loyal. And loyal fans are the best fans to have.

Take risks

One of the most popular characters on the show is Kurt Hummel, played by actor Chris Colfer.

Ryan Murphy took a huge risk by casting Colfer in the show. Chris had no previous professional acting experience and was a complete unknown.

Murphy was so impressed with Colfer during his audition that the Glee creator actually wrote the role of Kurt specifically for him. Murphy thought Colfer had something special, and figured out a way to include him in the show.

Murphy listened to his heart, even though it was a risk.

The result of Murphy’s risk? Last year Chris Colfer won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy for his brilliant portrayal. Kurt has become one of the show’s most-beloved and most-talked-about characters.

The upshot? Follow your gut.

If you think something needs to be said on your blog, say it. If you want to link to something on Twitter that might be a wee bit controversial? Tweet it. If you feel like going out on a limb and creating a bold new product for your customers, and your heart is telling you it’s the right thing to do, listen to your heart.

Don’t create controversy for its own sake, but don’t be afraid to stand out for doing the right thing either.

Think of Kurt, and be brave.

Let your freak flag fly

The characters on Glee are quirky. They’re odd.

In some cases, they’re downright bizarre. And that’s part of the reason we adore them.

Cheerleader Brittney is one of the most unusual kids in the group. Her dry observations have been known to stop lunchroom conversations cold.

Despite some strange looks and the tendency of her McKinley classmates to assume she’s dim-witted, Brittney’s not afraid to be herself. And the more we hear from Brittney and glimpse the world through her oddball observations, the more we cheer for her.

It’s Brittney’s oddness and naïveté, or Rachel’s songs about her headband, or Finn seeing the face of God in his grilled cheese sandwich, that make us love these characters. If they were all perfect, they’d be boring. And we’d be bored watching them.

What characteristics can you share with your customer that might show them a surprising new side of you?

Can you tell them you love show tunes?

Religiously follow Manchester United?

Have visited all seven continents?

Don’t be afraid to show a little personality. Your customers need to know you in order to like and trust you. So make sure they know some of your oddness, too.

Your customer will see your quirkiness as a part of you and will feel connected to you and your business. And then they will adore you and want to put up your Tiger Beat posters on their walls.

Encourage your fans to connect with you

Glee’s marketing team are absolute geniuses about social media.

Glee has a vibrant website with regularly updated content, including video sneak peeks, interviews with actors, quizzes, and photos. The site features discussion boards and a weekly Gleek newsletter.

The website even features an iPhone app called “Tap Tap Glee” for fans who want to go mobile with their McKinley spirit.

In social media circles, Gleeks are invited to participate in the Glee conversation in a myriad of ways, including:

Glee’s Facebook page has attracted over 16 million fans. Glee posts at least twice a day with news, award announcements, special previews and regular reminders about upcoming episodes. Fans can comment on all the status updates and videos with encouragement, suggestions, and feedback.
The Glee Twitter account is also constantly updated, and consistently links to the actors’ individual Twitter accounts, assuring Glee fans have access to their favorite stars, too. Almost a million fans follow the main Glee page and the Glee conversation is constant.
Glee’s YouTube Channel features more than 120 videos, most of them of musical numbers and interviews. Their videos have received over 300 millions views. Fans can share their thoughts on any video, and each video is embeddable, so fans can share Glee news on their own websites and blogs.

By creating an online presence that gives fans scores of ways to interact with the makers of Glee and their fellow fans, they provide an extraordinary supplement to the experience of watching Glee at home.

They offer Gleeks the opportunity to talk about their favorite things — reliving this week’s show, and speculating on possibilities for the next episode.

Have you given your customers places to connect with you via social media?

Do you give them news, interviews, and fun behind-the-scenes previews of what you’re up to next? If you’re not, you’re missing a fantastic opportunity to turn your regular customers into crazy screaming fans.

Give them a place to show the love.

Your turn in the spotlight …

During sixty minutes of show tunes and Journey covers, Glee somehow pulls off a magic act.

It shows the world a bizarre, ragtag group of high school performers and manages to give each of us someone with whom we can relate. And while we’re relating to these kids, they touch our hearts and make us smile.

So whether you identify with Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Rachel, or Finn, there is something in the Glee formula that can help you transform your business into an organization that people follow with fanatical loyalty.

Best way to get started? Stand up and sing it, people.

The stage is yours.

About the Author: Beth Hayden helps business owners make more money by helping them create fabulous websites, blogs, and social media campaigns. Get her best tips for achieving blogging nirvana by downloading her free report, From Blah to Hurrah: 25 Ways to Make Your Blog Bigger, Better and More Profitable.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-25T23:20:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Hiring a Worthy Content Writer - What You Need to Know
A List Apart: Articles: Making up Stories: Perception, Language, and the Web
13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger
How to Be Interesting | Copyblogger
A List Apart: Articles: Writing Content that Works for a Living
Using the Valuable Content Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide for Different Content Types
Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters
Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
Unique content - Textbroker.com
Digital Content Services | Raidious
4 Simple Steps to a Facebook Timeline that Tells Your Marketing Story

Hiring a Worthy Content Writer - What You Need to Know

Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:37 AM PST

Yes, it can be difficult to write about web business processes because you do not know how far to go with explaining everything. An ebook or course pertaining to auto traffic buddy review will necessarily have to skip a lot that is needed but not necessarily the subject of that book.

There are beginners and basically advanced techniques with online business, and it is not that even the advanced are hard; you just need to know about them.

This is just part of the nature of online business or even offline for that matter. If you like learning and discovering, then you can find a nice home in IM because those two aspects are a natural part of it. Also, do not forget to roll-out in smaller test runs because sometimes that will reveal a problem you can correct.

While many content writers advertise online, hiring the right one can be tricky. Many people who have hired content writers have been disappointed with the results.

There are quite a few writers who simply don’t produce quality work for one reason or another. What does it take to find a content writer who can actually meet your expectations? How do you avoid people who will just take your money and run? As you conduct your search for the perfect content writer, you’ll do well to remember the following points.

Don’t just hire a content writer on the spot; you should first get an idea of how well he or she communicates and follows instructions. Pay close attention to the way the writer communicates, if his spelling and grammar are good, his general attitude and so forth. You want to make sure he’s able to understand what you need, so you may want to request specific types of samples.

It’s important that you specifically look into this before you hire the writer. If you can’t establish good rapport with the writer from the start, the relationship is unlikely to improve later on. A quality content writer should be able to understand your needs and respond to your requests promptly.

When hiring a content writer, try to find one who specializes in the topic you’re involved with. No matter what niche you’re involved with, this is the best approach to take. This is a way to get a writer who’s already well versed in the subject, so you can be sure he’ll do a good job writing about it. The downside to hiring specialists is that these writers are more expensive than your everyday content writer. If you can afford it, though, a content writer who’s an expert in your niche is your best option. Trust me, you won’t regret doing it.

Before hiring a content writer, you should know that he or she only delivers unique content. When a writer submits sample articles to you, make sure that this is their own unique work. Run it through Copyscape and see to it that it’s completely unique and original. Plagiarism is quite typical online, so you should always verify the originality of content. Remember that your goal here is to end up with high quality content. There’s just nothing to be gained by hiring a writer whose work isn’t unique. You shouldn’t give any consideration to a content writer who delivers unoriginal work. Never forget the most important part of this is you plus your moving forward after reading about secret commission system scam, here. We all know how much people like to complain about things, and that is one thing that really hardly ever gets anything done.

Hoping will not get it done, and we know you realize that; but then again so many people do yet that is all they do. Make a plan that you will take action, and then work from that plan every day until you see the results you want.

Half the battle with anything is making decisions and following through with them. We are about halfway there, so let’s press ahead and discover some more.

What’s sad is that the low quality content writers and scam artists make it harder to trust even the good ones. Great content writers are around, you just have to do some shopping around and use your better judgement. It’s best not to rush the process, as you want to be alert.

Before hiring someone, make sure you’ve done a little research and interviewed him thoroughly. Don’t be discouraged if some content writers disappoint you. When you hire a new writer, start with small projects so you can test the waters.

Read Also:

Locating a Competent Content Writer

A List Apart: Articles: Making up Stories: Perception, Language, and the Web

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 10:39 PM PST

13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 09:46 PM PST

How to Be Interesting | Copyblogger

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 06:08 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Writing Content that Works for a Living

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 02:33 PM PST

Using the Valuable Content Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide for Different Content Types

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 02:04 PM PST

Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 01:15 PM PST

Make Money Online by writing articles for other people’s websites.

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 01:00 PM PST

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:49 PM PST

Unique content - Textbroker.com

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:17 PM PST

Digital Content Services | Raidious

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 12:12 PM PST

4 Simple Steps to a Facebook Timeline that Tells Your Marketing Story

Posted: 25 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

So how about that new Facebook Timeline?

Love it? Hate it? Either way it’s here to stay (until it isn’t).

As always, Facebook loves to change things up and people love to kvetch about it. You can always use new Facebook Features to improve your marketing, so how can you use the Facebook Timeline to your advantage? Read on.

First, a few facts about the Facebook Timeline. The Timeline only affects personal profiles at the moment. Facebook has not announced when (or even if) they will roll the new Timeline look out to Facebook Pages.

Second, not everyone has the Timeline yet. If you don’t, you can visit Facebook’s Timeline page and click the gigantic green button to get started with it.

Third, whether we love it or hate it, Facebook’s going to be rolling the Timeline out to all personal pages in the coming weeks. Hey, it wouldn’t be Facebook if they didn’t turn everything upside-down on you every six months, right?

The Timeline essentially replaces what we called the “Wall,” and is accessed when you click on your name in the upper right corner of the page when you log into Facebook.

If your business strategy includes using your personal Facebook profile to connect to customers (and there are many good reasons why it should) then you need to use your Facebook Timeline to tell a story.

There are four key parts to the Timeline that will help you tell your story:

Using the Subscribe button,
Adding a great Cover photo,
Crafting your About page, and
Adding activity and Life Events to your Timeline.

Let’s take a look at each of these four more closely …

Simple Step #1: Understand the Subscribe button

The Subscribe Button on Facebook allows people to get your Facebook updates without actually friending you.

The Subscribe button is perfect for people who want to use Facebook and the Timeline to support becoming authorities in their topics.

Facebook Privacy settings have gotten better, so you can control who sees particular updates. Some of your customers want to connect with you personally on Facebook (not just via your Facebook Page) and the Subscribe button will help. It lets you keep a personal profile, without having to friend everyone.

If you get a friend request and you have your Subscribe feature turned on, then they will be subscribed to your Updates — but only the ones that you mark as Public. You can find out more about the Subscribe button right here.

Simple Step #2: Add a Cover image

OK, this is the fun part: deciding on your Cover photo.

The Cover photo is like your website header — one you can easily switch out whenever you like. You can use personal photos, something great from your graphic designer, arty shots of your fleet of Lamborghinis … whatever strikes your fancy. Here are some great examples of how people have had fun with their Cover images.

Have Fun:

Showcase business and life:

Inspire:

Be Creative:

To highlight your work, combine both work info and some information about your life in the photo.

Be creative, and remember you can rotate these photos based on your mood or things happening in your life. You can use any photo as your Timeline Cover, just hover over the lower right side to change it.

If you want to design something unique, the dimensions are 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels high, and remember to leave a good spot in the lower left corner where your profile picture will go.

Simple Step #3: Spruce up your About Page

Just like on your blog or website, a well-crafted About Page can showcase your business and experience and let people know what you do and who you serve.

First, make sure your Facebook Page (or Pages) is linked to your “Employer” section in your profile, as shown in this picture.

To do this, start typing the Page name in your “Work” field and it should pop up in a drop-down menu. This ensures that people can easily connect to your Facebook Page by hyperlinking it in your profile.

Also make sure that this is public information by clicking on the little people icon next to the Work field.

Now edit the “About You” section on the right by adding all kinds of interesting goodness. You can add hyperlinks, testimonials, and go deeper into your business. But keep it real and fun.

Remember, your friends will see this. They know you.

Watch your privacy in all the sections of your About Page by clicking on the little Edit icon in the upper right corner of each box. Only share publicly what you intend to be public.

Simple Step #4: Decide what’s in your timeline

Go through your posts and decide what is going to be Public and what should remain more personal.

When you turn on your Subscribe button, everything defaults to be shown only to your Friends of Friends. Make some of your posts Public to highlight your business: your blog posts, articles you might share, business Events, etc.

To control who can see your post, click the icon next to the date. The world icon is Public as shown in this picture.

Make important posts longer and more prominent by clicking on the star icon in the upper right corner of the post that says Feature. That post will then span the whole page and not be collapsed by other posts nearby.

Add significant Life Events to your Timeline with the Life Events. Don’t add them all at once because they will post updates to all your friends and you will look like you are bragging. Add just one a week.

Life Events show up larger than, well … you know, life, if you have a picture with them.

Facebook’s intent with the Timeline is to tell your life story.

Obviously your life is richer and more complex than a few photos and status updates, but why not use this to your advantage and let people know more about you?

The world is spending more time online searching and learning. Use this tool to get to know your clients and have them get to know, like, and trust you.

Or just use it to find some good cat videos.

Either way you win.

About the Author: Are you ready to drink the Facebook Kool-aid? If so, Andrea Vahl has lots of handy tutorials on how to get started and how to effectively use Facebook, with the help of her alter ego, Grandma Mary. Get more from Andrea and Grandma here: AndreaVahl.com.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-24T23:05:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Law Firm SEO Launch time 5,4,3,2,1
Increase your Klout Score? Become a Twitterholic!
Content Strategy
Content Strategy: Content is King!
Free Online Plagiarism Checker Software For Plagiarism Detection
Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre
5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang | Copyblogger
26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts | Social Media Examiner
Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!
Article Directory - Free Expert Article Directory - GoArticles.com
13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger
Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters
How to Instantly Transform Your Landing Page Images from Good to Great

Law Firm SEO Launch time 5,4,3,2,1

Posted: 08 Nov 2011 01:53 PM PST

Most know that Google is the number one search engine and now, Google+ has created pages for brands,

Increase your Klout Score? Become a Twitterholic!

Posted: 07 Nov 2011 06:12 PM PST

The value and trusthworthiness of Klout has been the subject of much debate. Sure, you can game the

Content Strategy

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 09:18 PM PST

Content Strategy: Content is King!

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 09:18 PM PST

Free Online Plagiarism Checker Software For Plagiarism Detection

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:48 PM PST

Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 08:34 PM PST

5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang | Copyblogger

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 07:57 PM PST

26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts | Social Media Examiner

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 07:52 PM PST

Guest blogging: Looking for guest bloggers or guest post? Join MyBlogGuest!

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 07:28 PM PST

Article Directory - Free Expert Article Directory - GoArticles.com

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 07:19 PM PST

13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 06:08 PM PST

Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 03:36 PM PST

How to Instantly Transform Your Landing Page Images from Good to Great

Posted: 24 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

Reading this post made us smarter, richer, more fascinating, and an average of 3 inches taller.

Let’s say you place a photo of a client on your landing page.

Just the photo. No client name. No title, or business name. No clue as to what industry that client is in, or where they come from.

Now, photos are a great addition to landing pages. Photos of happy clients help to build trust with your readers, showing the type of people who do business with you.

But would anyone even know that person was a client?

The moment you add in a few important details — the client name, the industry, and the words “one of our customers” — a fog is lifted from your page.

Suddenly there’s no confusion, no weird guessing or conjecture on the part of your readers about who this person in the picture is.

Just a couple of words. Can they really be that important? Actually, yes.

Simply adding a caption will radically increase the effectiveness of images on your landing pages. Here are four critical reasons why.

#1: Without captions, readers draw their own conclusion

So you’ve got a photo on your landing page.

It makes perfect sense to you why that photo exists. You might think it’s completely obvious.

Because you know all about your business. But your readers probably don’t.

Your readers may very well get the wrong idea. You’re forcing them to guess, to come to their own conclusion. And that might be miles from what you intended.

The job of the caption is to yank the reader from whatever they’re thinking about, and get them to read what you want them to read.

Without the caption, there’s no telling where your reader’s thoughts will end up. They may go in a direction that’s completely counterproductive to what you want them to think about and do.

The only way you can control the situation is to slide in the caption.

That way, there’s zero misinterpretation. Your reader sees the picture, reads the caption, and her thoughts are directed where you want them to go.

#2: Captions give you three ways to educate and create curiosity

When you’re getting a point across in a caption, you can use three strategies.

You can use a problem. You can use a solution. Or you can use a combination of a problem and solution.

Each one of these immediately creates curiosity and/or education in your reader’s mind.

Let’s look at three examples. You might see captions like these on a screen shot for copywriting software:

1: The solution-only caption

Our product gives you clear guidelines that let you see for yourself what’s missing and what’s working in your sales copy.

2: The problem-only caption

How do you know if your website message is working as well as it should? How can you know in advance that your presentation will wake up your audience?

3: The combination of a problem/solution-based caption

How do you know if your website message is working as well as it should? How can you know in advance that your presentation will wake up your audience? Our product gives you clear guidelines that let you see for yourself what’s missing and what’s working in your sales copy.

Do you see how all three types of captions work to educate and create curiosity?

Let’s look at curiosity a little more with Reason 3 …

#3: Captions are an effective handbrake

We’re used to seeing pictures and quickly scrolling by them.

But the moment there’s a caption, we’re practically compelled to read the content under the caption.

That’s because we want to be sure we’ve interpreted the image correctly.

It’s also why having photos and illustrations on a web page or sales page is very important. It keeps the reader from skipping quickly from the start of the page to the end.

The photo gets the reader’s attention, and the caption makes sure you keep that attention.

While creating this handbrake momentum of stop-go-stop, captions are doing one of the most valuable tasks of all:

Each caption is acting as a mini sales message.

#4: How captions create mini-sales messages

When you run a problem-solution scenario in your caption, you’re effectively doing what a strong headline does.

Every outstanding headline is designed to get your attention. A caption is simply a headline underneath a photo.

If crafted properly, a caption makes the reader more curious and compels them to investigate further into your product or service.

A solution-only caption may not create the same level of curiosity, but it will still give the reader a much better understanding of your product or service, especially if you describe a benefit rather than a feature.

Does every photo or illustration need to have a caption?

Ideally, yes. No matter which newspaper or magazine you pick up, you’ll find captions abound everywhere.

But there are exceptions.

For instance, in blog posts, the photo tends to function more to catch the reader’s attention than to drive home the point. And you don’t necessarily need to slow the reader down before diving into the content. In this case, not having a caption is fine.

And even on landing pages, there are times when you’re using a photo purely to get the attention of the audience. These photos tend to be the ones you see first on the page, and are meant to draw you in.

Other than that, almost every photo wants the power of a caption to drive a specific point home. And yet website owners miss out on the awesome potential of the caption to slow down, educate, create curiosity, and drive home a mini-sales message.

Photo. Caption.

Photo. Caption.

Yet another photo. Yet another caption. That’s the way your landing pages should be.

About the Author: Sean D’Souza offers a great free report on ‘Why Headlines Fail’ when you subscribe to his Psychotactics Newsletter. Be sure to check out his blog, too.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-23T23:16:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

SEO and marketing strategies for lawyers to STAND OUT!
Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.
A List Apart: Articles: Content Templates to the Rescue
How To Create An Editorial Process To Publish Web Content | ReachCustomersOnline.com
Brain Traffic Blog
Brain Traffic
Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre
A List Apart: Articles: Testing Content
leibtag_content_checklist.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Content Strategy and Content Strategist Information
13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger
12 Tips for Selling to a Global Audience

SEO and marketing strategies for lawyers to STAND OUT!

Posted: 07 Nov 2011 05:53 PM PST

Today’s legal market is brutal. Ensuring first page rankings on the major search engines is a

Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 10:26 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Content Templates to the Rescue

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:06 PM PST

How To Create An Editorial Process To Publish Web Content | ReachCustomersOnline.com

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:05 PM PST

Brain Traffic Blog

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:03 PM PST

Brain Traffic

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:02 PM PST

Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 04:43 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Testing Content

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 04:42 PM PST

leibtag_content_checklist.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 04:37 PM PST

Content Strategy and Content Strategist Information

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 04:01 PM PST

13 Steps to Being the Worst Blogger on the Planet : @ProBlogger

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 03:58 PM PST

12 Tips for Selling to a Global Audience

Posted: 23 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST

Time for a quick pop quiz …

What percentage of online shoppers are from the United States?

Better yet, what percentage of online shoppers speak English?

90%? 80%?

Surely at least 75%, right? Nope.

This might shock you, but according to J.P. Morgan — reporting for the Department of Commerce — only 27% of online shoppers speak English.

By neglecting to communicate with the rest of the non English-speaking world, you’re costing yourself a mountain of money.

In South Korea, 99 percent of individuals with internet access shop online.

97 percent of British, Germans, and Japanese are shopping online, too.

The United States can boast only 94 percent of internet users willing to shop online. Not a bad number, but certainly not as good as it gets.

Bottom line: it’s time to take your business global.

Yes, consumerism is global

Americans do spend the most money online.

They may shop with slightly less regularity than their British and Korean friends, but when Americans shop online, they do it in a splendid fashion.

But if you're selling strictly to the old red, white and blue — regardless of where you're located, you're missing out on a huge percent of convertible traffic — especially if you haven't maximized all of the markets in your own country.

The Swiss and the Koreans are ready to buy. Are you selling to them?

With huge purchases in everything from airline tickets to books, the global market is exploding every year and studies can't seem to keep up with the growth.

You should be earning more if you have the cultural insight necessary to make the sale work. And that's a big IF. You have to know how to make other cultures and groups buy what you're selling.

Some of the biggest buyers of books on the internet are from developing countries — China, Brazil, Vietnam and Egypt — indicating massive growth potential for online retailers that can specifically target these fast-growing markets.
~ Jonathan Carson, President, International, Nielsen Online

If your content has worldwide relevance, it’s time to ditch your laser focus on a single country.

But how can you properly sell to, say, Brazil or China?

Specifically targeting foreign markets is more than finding a native Portuguese speaker to write up some brilliant Brazilian web copy. After all, how will you know if it's actually brilliant copy or a bunch of keyword stuffed auto-translated garbage?

In all countries, there are intangible elements to cultures that can make or break a sale, and it's your job to learn those elements, and make them work for you.

Here are some tips to help you get going on your international sales journey …

12 tips for selling effectively to a global audience

Looking beyond your borders? Proceed with caution!

Cultural differences can be subtle. It's your job as a marketer to figure out the nuances and preferences of the culture you’re going for.

1. Do your research

Read as if you're moving to the country you're selling to.

The more you know about South Korean lifestyle, slang, favorites, celebrities, and cultural elements, the easier it will be to make your website a natural fit for the market.

2. Visit the land you're marketing to

Nothing will help you like a trip to Brazil if you're trying to sell to Brazilians. Spend a few weeks soaking up the sun and as much of the culture as possible. You might even end up moving to your target country for a period of time. That kind of freedom is one of the great things about owning an internet-based business, after all.

Consider it a reconnaissance mission to gain information on the target. Build up a team of local professionals, and if you have time, sample the night life. It can be one of the perks of business.

3. Learn what's offensive

If your entire knowledge of U.S. culture came from Two and a Half Men and Howard Stern, you’d have a pretty shaky sense of what is and isn’t appropriate to say to customers.

Slang expressions can be as offensive as they are common. Stay with classy or at least moderately professional speech to stay above the fray.

4. Check out the competition

Don't give up what you already know works. Do your marketing basics regardless of country.

What's the competition up to? What slices of the market are they not serving? How can you set yourself apart or make yourself shine by comparison?

5. Learn the language

Obviously if you can pick up fluent Korean (or if you’re already there), you're going to have an easier time selling to Koreans. Likewise Italians, Egyptians, and Portuguese.

Fortunately you don't have to become truly fluent — you just need enough to be able to read your own website and check that it makes sense. Keep learning, however, and you'll enrich your life and your business.

6. Find people to trust

You're working outside your comfort zone, so find trustworthy freelancers or full-fledged business partners who can help you navigate these new waters.

You can find work associates through referrals, websites, and online communities. The right contacts can help you break into the market as well.

7. Seek out the niches

Jump in with both feet, but don't plunge into the deep end right away — the wading pool is a better place to start when you're learning to swim in a new way.

Flex your foreign creative muscle first in a small pond trying to catch a few fish before you start trying to reel in millions. Better to make a tiny mistake noticed by a hundred readers than a huge glaring error in front of ten thousand.

8. Scale your knowledge

As you learn the language and find elements of success within a new culture, use that knowledge to build additional niche sites for that country or population.

Immerse yourself in the new culture there or at home, and build from there. You may build a network of related niche sites, or build your own authoritative hub like Copyblogger.

9. Don't get overwhelmed

The world is a big place and it's easy to spread yourself too thin. As you scale, keep honing your focus.

It's far better to hit just one or a few geographical areas well than to waste time creating shallow, poorly executed sites everywhere that don't work.

10. Develop a master plan

Build a global plan ahead of time.

What countries should you target? Why? Which niches? How? Edit your plan as you go, but keep your blueprint visible at all times to keep you on track.

11. Stay aware of global trends

We whip through trends at blazing speeds. It's hard to get ahead of the trends in your hometown, much less in a new country.

Keep your ear to the ground and watch trends so that you can make adjustments to your master plan as necessary.

12. Take advantage of stable markets

If the fast-moving trends make you nervous, skip them.

There's no rule saying you have to jump into a fast moving river. Stick with something a bit more timeless like fitness, business, or travel. It’s always a great idea to find a unique corner of a well-established market.

Making global work

You don't need to start from scratch when you're constructing your master plan for global sales.

Nielsen and other research firms like JP Morgan have already done a lot of the legwork for you:

Internet consumers from around the globe are buying everything from books to sports memorabilia
The most popular items sold online include books, clothing, shoes, accessories, videos, DVDs, games, travel, music, electronics, cosmetics, and nutrition items
Global e-commerce revenues are expected to grow by 19 percent in 2012
$681 billion was spent globally in 2011 — how much of that did you take home?
Of that, only $187 billion was spent in the United States, leaving $493 billion for the rest of the global market
It's anticipated that global ecommerce spending will grow to $963 billion by 2013
High-income families shop online most frequently

Inspiring, right?

You're probably feeling the urge to act quickly. The online world moves fast, and timing is important.

Fortunately, the world is a big place. And there’s still plenty of room for those looking to expand into new markets.

A great time to start an international business

Online shoppers prefer to buy from familiar sites.

60 percent buy from the same site repeatedly. Kudos to you if it's your site they like.

As Bruce Paul explained,

This shows the importance of capturing the tens of millions of new online shoppers as they make their first purchases on the internet. If shopping sites can capture them early, and create a positive shopping experience, they will likely capture their loyalty and their money.

JP Morgan forecasts that the global ecommerce market will grow at 12.4 percent from 2010 to 2013.

The opportunity is huge, even with new recession fears looming.

If you ask famous economists and business experts, most will tell you that a recession is a great time to start a business. The current global market conditions are making the internet an even more attractive market than ever for consumers looking to save and shop around for the best deal.

Online advertising has grown at 14.5 percent since 2008. In 2011, it shot up by 20.9 percent according to PriceWaterHouseCooper. More companies are joining the party, and this offers more opportunities to marketers and bloggers all over the world.

Stores are looking to be the first and only shop buyers are looking for. If you can position yourself as the ecommerce store they reach first, you're in a prime position to profit over time. Build an authoritative website through content marketing, dedicated to the interests and culture of a specific country.

It's time to go global

The global economy is hungry for content, trust, and value.

If you can deliver, you'll surely profit. Leverage your previous successes by taking those first baby steps out of your comfort zone.

Cultures and perceptions shift in new countries, but the rules of marketing are always the same.

Build an audience, earn their trust, learn what they most want, then sell that to them.

It works every time, regardless of language or location.

About the Author: Uttoran Sen is a travel blogger writing from around the world, inspiring readers to discover new places. Follow him on twitter or join his facebook page to stay connected.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-22T23:34:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

How Would You Like to Sample Our Work?
Medical Writing Network
Content Mania 100% FREE|CrackYour.com
» Blogger LinkUp
The 10 Commandments of Writing Web Content
Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre
A List Apart: Topics: Content: Content Strategy
Article Magic Cash
10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger
Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints
52 Blog Tips to Kick Start Your Blog in 2010

How Would You Like to Sample Our Work?

Posted: 07 Nov 2011 12:27 PM PST

Hi there!

As content writers and website owners, we understand the specific importance of familiarizing yourself with a company’s work before spending your money with them. We thought, what better way for potential clients to get to know us than by offering free personalized samples of the content we can provide for your website? You tell us the type of content you need and the subject you need it written on, and before you know it your sample will be in your inbox for review. We haven’t seen a content company offer this before, and are extremely proud to offer this to our potential clients!

Click here to fill out our simple form and request your sample today!

Please also feel free to email us any time, day or night.

Your ExpertlyWorded.Com Team

Medical Writing Network

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 11:20 PM PST

Content Mania 100% FREE|CrackYour.com

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 10:59 PM PST

» Blogger LinkUp

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 09:51 PM PST

The 10 Commandments of Writing Web Content

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 09:38 PM PST

Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 08:24 PM PST

A List Apart: Topics: Content: Content Strategy

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 07:35 PM PST

Article Magic Cash

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 07:09 PM PST

10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 05:41 PM PST

Ezine Article Submission - Submit Your Best Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST

52 Blog Tips to Kick Start Your Blog in 2010

Posted: 22 Jan 2012 04:00 PM PST

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-21T23:21:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger
Content Mania 100% FREE|CrackYour.com
11 Smart Tips for Brilliant Writing | Copyblogger
Content Samurai 100% FREE|CrackYour.com
The Lego approach to storytelling | Knight Digital Media Center
Content Samurai 100% FREE|CrackYour.com
A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator
Copywriters - SEO Copywriting Services - Freelance Copywriter
Inbound Writer: The First Social Writing Application
Writing for the Web: Table of Contents
7 Content Marketing Articles Worth Reading

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 11:13 PM PST

Content Mania 100% FREE|CrackYour.com

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 10:09 PM PST

11 Smart Tips for Brilliant Writing | Copyblogger

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:25 PM PST

Content Samurai 100% FREE|CrackYour.com

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 09:11 PM PST

The Lego approach to storytelling | Knight Digital Media Center

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 08:53 PM PST

Content Samurai 100% FREE|CrackYour.com

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 08:09 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 07:33 PM PST

Copywriters - SEO Copywriting Services - Freelance Copywriter

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 06:46 PM PST

Inbound Writer: The First Social Writing Application

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 06:46 PM PST

Writing for the Web: Table of Contents

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 05:28 PM PST

7 Content Marketing Articles Worth Reading

Posted: 21 Jan 2012 05:00 AM PST

Almost everything you wanted to know about content marketing in one post.
How to thrive in difficult times.
How to create a social media calendar. And a powerful content marketing plan you can put to use right now.
Several more smart bits of content marketing goodness.

If you want even more links you can use than the seven we highlight here, follow @copyblogger on Twitter.

This is The Lede …

//

[Almost] Everything You Wanted To Know about Content Marketing in One Post
Brackets are mine. Shane Snow has made things easy for the beginning content marketer, and useful for the veteran. To make a start right here would be a wise decision.

//

A Simple and Powerful Content Marketing Plan
The headline says it all. If you’re wondering how to actually begin your content marketing efforts, these simple frameworks will get you started. Oh, had articles like this been around in 2005 …

//

How to Create a Social Media [or Content Marketing] Editorial Calendar
Ms. Buyer has written invaluable advice on tackling one of the most difficult (and elusive) aspects of content marketing: the editorial calendar. You’ll find tips, tools, and definitions on the other side of this link. Thank her when you get there.

//

The Power of Real-Time Content Marketing
David Meerman Scott joined us on the radio show this week to discuss newsjacking. This article is a fascinating follow up to and summation of his strategy that can bring free PR and media exposure to you and your business.

//

How to Thrive in Difficult Economic Times
Ben Settle read something 10 years ago that changed his life. It’s a big piece of what carried him through some scary economic times, to becoming a highly-paid expert on email marketing. Mr. Settle’s opinion is that this lesson teaches the most valuable skill a working person can possess.

//

Don’t Wait, Pick Yourself Right Now
It wasn’t long ago that this seemed like a futile idea. The gatekeepers were too powerful, the distribution systems locked up, the audience too far away. What’s one thing good content marketing does for you? It allows you to pick yourself.

//

97 Ideas for Building a Valuable Content Platform
Mr. Godin wants you to pick yourself. Mr. Brogan offers 97 specific ideas on how to do it.

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse. Get him on Twitter or Google+.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-20T23:08:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

White Papers à la Persuasive Essay
Why Economic Models Fail?
Make Your Content Make a Difference - Smashing Magazine
A List Apart: Articles: Words that Zing
A List Apart: Articles: Content-tious Strategy
A List Apart: Articles: A Checklist for Content Work
The Elements of Editorial Strategy | Predicate, LLC
Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data - Boxes and Arrows: The design behind the design
A List Apart: Articles: Writing Content that Works for a Living
Brain Traffic
A List Apart: Articles: The Case for Content Strategy—Motown Style
A List Apart: Articles: Infrequently Asked Questions of FAQs
How to Newsjack Your Way to Free Media Exposure with David Meerman Scott

White Papers à la Persuasive Essay

Posted: 06 Nov 2011 07:00 AM PST

by Marni, My Web Writers Team Member

Looking for a great model for the structure of your white paper? Look to the way in which one writes a persuasive essay. After all, as Michael Stelzner, a leading authority on the topic of writing white papers, states in his pdf entitled How to Write a White Paper, “[a] white paper must contain informative and persuasive information. The goal of a white paper is to lead the reader toward the conclusion that your product or service will best meet his or her needs.” Similarly, a persuasive essay also aims to persuade the reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. Given that white papers and persuasive essays share the common goal of shaping a view point, then following the structure of a persuasive essay results in the kind of compelling white paper that you want. Let’s look at the crucial components needed in the construction of a successful persuasive essay and transfer them to the creation of a white paper.

Effective Introduction
Much like in a persuasive essay, the first paragraph of your white paper should always contain a statement of your writing’s purpose. Choose wisely as this statement serves multiple purposes.

1) It lets the reader know the topic of discussion.
2) It keeps you from wandering outside of the scope of relative information.
3) It helps organize the entirety of the white paper.

In a white paper, the typical thesis would address a real problem faced by consumers and/or businesses whose solution, presented in the white paper, proves your product or service to be the best choice.

However, since you are asking the reader to stay with you for anywhere from 1 to 12 pages, throw in a sentence or two that grabs their attention. Waterford Union High School’s library staff gives a great list of ways in which a persuasive essay’s introduction can grab the reader’s attention when writing the persuasive essay. They suggest that you open with -

an unusual detail,
a strong statement
a quotation
an anecdote that is short and to the point,
a statistic or fact,
a question, or
an exaggeration or outrageous statement.

Depending upon the tone of your white paper, any one of these persuasive essay attention grabbers could be used.

Helpful Executive Summary
At this point, do yourself and the reader a favor by writing an executive summary paragraph. An executive summary previews the main points of any document aimed at persuading its audience. The executive summary should provide the reader with enough information to get familiarized with what the white paper discusses without having to read it in its entirety. Why is this important? Given the amount of text that crosses an individual’s path in any one day, people don’t have time to read every single word. Our generation filters worthwhile content through skimming and scanning. The executive summary allows the reader to recognize the value of your white paper early on and, when given more time, will read the entire thing. An executive summary also benefits you, the content writers or writer. The white paper’s executive summary serves to keep you from wandering outside of the established parameters of the topic of discussion, thus filling it with only relevant material.

Strong, Supporting Body
Who can forget the 1980′s Wendy’s commercials demanding to know Where’s the Beef? If you have advertised a big juicy hamburger, give them a big juicy hamburger. Make sure that the fancy bun of the white paper’s introduction and executive summary doesn’t open up to reveal a lot of nothingness. The body is where you present supporting evidence that proves two things :
1) your arguments are reasonable and reliable and
2) your expertise in the target industry.

Thorough, well-researched and well-examined evidence substantiates the premise of your white paper and provides a compelling reason for why your reader should be doing business with you.

The tools most effective in substantiating your position are -

logical arguments,
statistics,
examples or where your product or solution is beneficial,
expert opinions, and
personal observations or testimonials.

Keep in mind that, in keeping with the reader-friendliness of your white paper, add a picture or other visual elements to the body of your white paper. Whether it be graphs, charts, pictures, and sidebars, these elements strengthen, clarify, support, and add visual interest to your white paper.

Memorable Conclusion
Given that this is the last chance to influence position of the reader with respect to the information you have to share, the conclusion has to be rock-solid. As with any good persuasive essay conclusion,

don’t introduce new ideas or material,
simply restate the point of view communicated in the introduction, and
briefly summarize the details of the body’s information that substantiates the view point you aim to see the reader espouse.

However, this is where the white paper diverges from the framework of a persuasive essay. Whereas a persuasive essay ends with a tone of completion, a white paper, written for marketing purposes, strives to continue or open up a dialogue with potential clients with a call to action. The determination of your call to action depends upon what you want the reader to do next. If your white paper seeks to educate the reader prior to investing in a product or service, then provide a checklist of the important things outlined in your white paper will help the potential customer hit all of the points that prove the benefits of your service or product to be the best solution to the problem. The call to action could be a question which causes one to ascertain how the material presented in the white paper improves one’s life or adds value to one’s business. Your white paper’s call to action could simply be an invitation to view your website, request further information, or speak directly with a company representative. All of that contact information should be found in your white paper. However you close out your white paper, make sure it leaves a positive impression since this final message will be playing in the reader’s mind long after he or she stops reading.

Writing white papers isn’t for everyone. Although simple in the fact that a white paper benefits from following the framework of a persuasive essay; word choice, grammar, flow, and the synthesizing of research findings can cause some people to turn down the writing of a white paper. If that describes you, outsource the writing of your white paper to a company who specializes in copywrite service and web copy service. Not quite ready to give up? Good for you! Just brush up on your English teacher’s lesson on a persuasive essay and your white paper is ready to take shape.

Why Economic Models Fail?

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 09:00 PM PST

If only hypothetical projections translated into reality, world economy would have heaved a sigh of immense relief. The inaccuracy of economic models is a serious problem in our world today. Let us investigate the causes.

Make Your Content Make a Difference - Smashing Magazine

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Words that Zing

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Content-tious Strategy

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: A Checklist for Content Work

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

The Elements of Editorial Strategy | Predicate, LLC

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

Content Strategy: The Philosophy of Data - Boxes and Arrows: The design behind the design

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Writing Content that Works for a Living

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

Brain Traffic

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Case for Content Strategy—Motown Style

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: Infrequently Asked Questions of FAQs

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 11:04 PM PST

How to Newsjack Your Way to Free Media Exposure with David Meerman Scott

Posted: 20 Jan 2012 08:00 AM PST

What if getting big PR and media exposure for your business or idea were no longer out of your reach or budget?

What if you could “inject” your name or brand into a national or international story of your choosing, becoming part of the story yourself?

David Meerman Scott, a veteran PR and marketing expert, has written a book that teaches you how to accomplish that, and more.

Enter Newsjacking, a powerful way to get seen and heard in today’s big media environment…

In this episode, David Meerman Scott and I discuss:

How a single blog post brought one company $1,000,000 in sales
How to become a Newsjacker with a blog and Twitter
What your website must look like in the near future
Where journalists are desperately looking for content
3 Newsjacking case studies you can use right away
The main goal of Newsjacking and how to achieve it

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

The Show Notes:

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

Share

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-19T23:33:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

How much to write on a web page
We Got Tired of Seeing Poorly Written Content
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang | Copyblogger
Bessie Head: Thunder Behind Her Ears - Her Life and Writings (Studies in African Literature)
STC Content Strategy SIG
Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) (9780470648285): Ann Handley, C. C. Chapman, David Meerman Scott: Books
Six Questions to Ask for Powerful Testimonials | Copyblogger
Reading on the Web (Alertbox)
6 Ways to Constantly Produce Quality Blog Content | Social Media Examiner
Letters of Note: The Internet Tidal Wave
How Little Do Users Read? (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)
How Great Web Design Grows Your Audience
Save up to $350 on Search Marketing Expo

How much to write on a web page

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 10:13 PM PDT

How much web content is too much?

When writing for the web, there is no hard and fast rule for how much content you should write. How much you should write will depend on a number of things – for instance if you are a photographer, then the images you have produced in the past are likely to be far more effective than words. There is the obvious argument that you need content for SEO but Google and other search engines have advanced in terms of the way they evaluate content so writing reams of content stuffed with keywords no longer works like it did once upon a time.

It’s also worth asking how much information is too much information for potential customers. Is it better to tell all, including price, and then hope that readers will become customers or is it better to say enough to encourage them to make contact so that your sales team can get to work reinforcing your competitive advantage? The answer here is that it depends on the type of product or service you offer, as well as competitive factors.

Higher involvement products usually require more content

If you have a low value, low-involvement product that everybody uses then you don’t need much content to sell that product. Take socks for example, everybody uses them but not many people think about ‘luxury socks’. They just want to buy socks – quickly, decent quality, reasonable price…SOLD.

Then take something like a sports car at the opposite end of the spectrum – it’s more costly, it’s a higher involvement product (purchasing decision takes longer, more thought etc.). In this instance, you may need more content to sell the benefits of your sports car – what makes it better than a Ferrari, Aston Martin or Lamborghini. You need to communicate this – and if a test drive is the proof potential customers need, then your content needs to encourage a test drive.

All products fall somewhere along the ‘involvement scale’ in terms of the decision-making process. Knowing where your product or service sits will help determine the amount of content you need.

If you have a technical product – does your target market need to know the technical details? Do they understand the technical details? If the technical details don’t come into the purchasing decision, then they don’t need to be added.

In summary, focus on the information that sells your product, don’t use 10 words where one will do and be as short and direct as possible. If you follow these rules, you won’t have written too much – you’ll have written enough. Layout is another factor, which we will discuss next week.

We Got Tired of Seeing Poorly Written Content

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 09:32 AM PDT

When companies decide to outsource their content needs to an SEO company or web content company, in most cases you can tell immediately that the content was not created by someone within the company. Instead, the content absolutely reeks of carelessness, passion, and someone getting paid $1 per article/blog post to hammer out as many as possible in small amounts of time. This is not who you want representing your company or website. It can cause your website to have an air of “flakiness” and seem non genuine. Besides, your content is your website’s heart and soul – not the place to skimp on quality.

This is where we come in. We’re the other guys. We’re Expertly Worded.

When a customer comes to us needing a blog, article, item description (or what have you) written for their website, we see our first job as thoroughly getting to know their company and what it’s all about. This puts us on the right track for producing quality content in the “voice” of our customer’s website. Maintaining a consistent “voice” throughout the website is of utmost importance. Seriously, we can’t stress this enough.

We then get right to work on producing content that is guaranteed to enhance your companies web presence. First, we thoroughly research the subjects you need written on, both with you and our other resources, to ensure everything is accurate and thorough. No one wants to follow a website who’s content is unreliable. We like to think we help a website establish it’s reputation for being an expert in whatever industry they may be in by providing great material and resources for their visitors/customers.

All of this is done within a time frame that we establish with you based on your needs, and for the best price around. Email us today: customercare@expertlyworded.com or visit our website: www.expertlyworded.com . Let’s get started!

Simply put – We got tired of seeing poorly written content and fed up with seeing companies pay for it. We decided to be part of the resolution.

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 10:24 PM PST

5 Simple Ways to Open Your Blog Post With a Bang | Copyblogger

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:49 PM PST

Bessie Head: Thunder Behind Her Ears - Her Life and Writings (Studies in African Literature)

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 08:29 PM PST

STC Content Strategy SIG

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:16 PM PST

Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business (New Rules Social Media Series) (9780470648285): Ann Handley, C. C. Chapman, David Meerman Scott: Books

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 06:12 PM PST

Six Questions to Ask for Powerful Testimonials | Copyblogger

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 05:29 PM PST

Reading on the Web (Alertbox)

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 04:15 PM PST

6 Ways to Constantly Produce Quality Blog Content | Social Media Examiner

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 02:24 PM PST

Letters of Note: The Internet Tidal Wave

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 02:23 PM PST

How Little Do Users Read? (Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox)

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 01:52 PM PST

How Great Web Design Grows Your Audience

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 07:00 AM PST

Let’s quickly review: Email marketing works.

In fact, none of the shiny new communication technologies even come close. With more than 188 billion messages sent every day, email is a more important and influential tool for your business than it has ever been.

Email isn’t going anywhere, and we think it’s time you got serious about building your email list.

Our StudioPress division has built the Generate theme for WordPress to help you get that done.

Here’s a quick look at how the Generate theme can help you build your email list …

Build your email list faster

Email list-building can be a time-consuming (and frustrating) endeavor, but one thing remains true, engaged email subscribers are the most likely to respond to your work and your offers. Period.

And it may surprise you to learn that one of the best ways to gain an email subscriber is to simply ask your readers to sign up to your list.

The Generate theme for WordPress lets you ask simply, boldly, and with the benefit to your reader standing unmistakably front and center.

Generate works for you — whether you remember to ask for the opt-in or not — 24 hours a day, elegantly doing the asking for you.

What about mobile readers?

Most of us now read email from our mobile devices, so you’ve got to make sure you have those mobile readers covered.

The Generate theme for WordPress is mobile responsive. That means it automatically adapts for the best viewing layout on mobile devices and tablets, including iPhone and iPad. So your content looks fantastic, no matter which device the visitor is using.

Your content looks great, and your email opt-in stays constant — not missing or hard-to-find, as it can be on some less sophisticated “mobile-ready” sites.

You don’t need to do anything tricky or technical, because mobile responsive design is built in to the Generate theme.

64,449 people take WordPress further with StudioPress

You might be asking, "This sounds cool, but what's this Genesis thing?"

Our Genesis Framework for WordPress empowers you to quickly and easily build incredible websites with WordPress.

With search-optimized code and functions, 44 turn-key designs, and unlimited support, updates, and websites you can build, Mashable calls Genesis the "best of the best" among premium WordPress themes.

Whether you're a novice or an advanced developer, Genesis provides you with the rock-solid infrastructure to take WordPress places you never thought it could go.

Click here to check out Generate + Genesis right now.

About the Author: Kelton Reid is an independent screenwriter and novelist, as well as a copywriter for Copyblogger Media. Get more from him on Google+.

Share

Save up to $350 on Search Marketing Expo

Posted: 19 Jan 2012 06:00 AM PST

The landscape of search and search engine marketing change rapidly.

To keep up, stay ahead, grow your business, and get more (and better) traffic to your site, you need the right help.

Search Marketing Expo is a conference that offers more than 60 cutting-edge sessions (as well as invaluable networking opportunities) covering the search marketing strategies and tactics you’ll need to thrive in 2012 and beyond.

At Search Marketing Expo from February 28th to March 1st, you’ll learn how to:

Master social media marketing on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and other networks,
Optimize your site content for better organic search results,
Expand your skills as a local and mobile advertiser,
Get the best ROI from pay-per-click search advertising,
Boost your conversion and increase your sales

Whether you're a seasoned vet or new to search, own a small business or are employed at a Fortune 500 company, you'll appreciate the depth and flexibility this comprehensive agenda offers. Click here to see the entire agenda.

As a bonus for Copyblogger readers, use the code smx100copy (case sensitive) and save up to $350 on your All Access ticket when you sign up before January 28th.

To learn more about the Search Marketing Expo, visit http://smxwest.com.

We’re always impressed by the depth of knowledge and expertise represented at SMX, which is why we’re happy to be a media partner for the conference.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your content and copywriting insights with her on twitter.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-18T23:34:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Social Media rocks if you know how to use it!
Quality, Quantity, Compromise and an Anniversary
What the Stock Market has Become
Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger
Word Content : Content is King.
How to Grow a Blog Post in 7 Easy Steps | Copyblogger
Blog Content Writing and Optimization Service
Words You Want Ghostwriting & SEO Services
Tips for Writing a Search Engine-Friendly Introductory Paragraph
Writers content writing marketing advertising
Article Directory - Free Expert Article Directory - GoArticles.com

Social Media rocks if you know how to use it!

Posted: 04 Nov 2011 12:32 AM PDT

Social media is pivotal to marketing your law firm, start up or existing business as technology cont

Quality, Quantity, Compromise and an Anniversary

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 09:30 PM PDT

I was speaking to my ex-project coordinator yesterday. Well, technically, not speaking, but chatting

What the Stock Market has Become

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 09:00 PM PST

Gone are the days when the stock market played a vital role for a company and its future. Say hello to the new era of how can I make a quick buck.

Contently: Empowering and connecting quality writers and brands.

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 08:15 PM PST

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 07:04 PM PST

10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:51 PM PST

Word Content : Content is King.

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:51 PM PST

How to Grow a Blog Post in 7 Easy Steps | Copyblogger

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:50 PM PST

Blog Content Writing and Optimization Service

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 04:50 PM PST

Words You Want Ghostwriting & SEO Services

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 01:44 PM PST

Tips for Writing a Search Engine-Friendly Introductory Paragraph

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 11:27 AM PST

Writers content writing marketing advertising

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 10:07 AM PST

Article Directory - Free Expert Article Directory - GoArticles.com

Posted: 18 Jan 2012 09:20 AM PST

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-17T23:33:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

How to boost your website conversion rate?
Triond - Publish Writing, Poetry, Music, Video & Content Online
How to Generate Blog Post Ideas
Scrummy Content in an Agile World
10 Guidelines for Writing Usable and SEO Friendly Content | Usability Geek
21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger
A List Apart: Articles: The Discipline of Content Strategy
How to Create Better Content: Treat Your Readers Like Dogs | Copyblogger
Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre
A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator
Article Writing Services
3 Content Marketing Ideas You Should Steal from Coca Cola

How to boost your website conversion rate?

Posted: 03 Nov 2011 07:31 PM PDT

Conversion Rate Optimization SEO is a major factor that understates its importance in increasing the

Triond - Publish Writing, Poetry, Music, Video & Content Online

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 11:07 PM PST

How to Generate Blog Post Ideas

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 09:38 PM PST

Scrummy Content in an Agile World

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 08:35 PM PST

10 Guidelines for Writing Usable and SEO Friendly Content | Usability Geek

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 07:40 PM PST

21 Ways to Create Compelling Content When You Don’t Have a Clue | Copyblogger

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 07:27 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Discipline of Content Strategy

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:37 PM PST

How to Create Better Content: Treat Your Readers Like Dogs | Copyblogger

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:35 PM PST

Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:34 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: The Content Strategist as Digital Curator

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:30 PM PST

Article Writing Services

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:13 PM PST

3 Content Marketing Ideas You Should Steal from Coca Cola

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

Joe Pulizzi over at the Content Marketing Institute recently shared a fascinating video presentation from Coca-Cola about their upcoming marketing strategy.

The short version?

Content marketing has arrived.

For more than 100 years, Coca-Cola has been one of the world’s foremost practitioners of what they call “one-way storytelling.”

(You and I call that an ad.)

But Coke — in the form of their brilliant VP of global advertising strategy, Jonathan Mildenhall — is looking around and realizing that the 30-second television ad won’t take them where they want to go next.

To do that, they’re turning to the tool that’s quickly becoming the most important strategy for smaller businesses — content marketing.

For anyone who still thinks that content marketing is some kind of fad, take a look at the thinking (and dollars) going into Coca-Cola’s marketing strategy, aimed at doubling worldwide consumption of Coke by the year 2020.

The videos are compelling, but they’re also packed with advertising jargon that can be about as intelligible as Klingon.

And yet, this is a peek into a great marketing and advertising mind — and there are some juicy strategies we can carry off and implement in the real world.

Here are a few of my favorite ideas from Mildenhall’s presentation.

Idea #1: “Liquid and linked” content

“Liquid and linked” is the phrase Coke’s marketing team is using to describe its developing content strategy.

Understand that a giant company like Coca-Cola creates countless “stories” every year. These “stories” are created by multiple agencies and in multiple formats — a mobile app one day, a viral video another, a really good television ad the third.

Mildenhall describes these stories as being like molecules in a glass of Coke. Each molecule is an individual piece of content, but they’re also bound together. There’s unity there … a content strategy that acts like the “glass,” giving shape to the whole endeavor.

There’s a balance between control — keeping your content “linked” by a coherent idea, and chaos — allowing your content to be “liquid” and to wander around the Net, being shared and even altered along the way.

How you can use it: Make your content good enough, remarkable enough, to be “liquid” — to be shared outside your own circle of influence.

But don’t forget to keep your content “linked” to a strong sense of who you are and what you offer. Viral doesn’t do you any good if it’s not linked to an underlying business strategy and goal.

Idea #2: The 70/20/10 content plan

This is a nice framework for a complex content marketing strategy, but you can also lift it directly for a much simpler program. (Like the kind normal businesses create.)

Mildenhall argues for 70% of the content you create as being “low-risk” — what he calls “bread and butter content.”

Because it’s less controversial, less risky, it also takes proportionally less time.

(Please keep in mind that “bread and butter” doesn’t mean boring or low-quality. It just means that it’s the kind of solid, useful content your audience expects.)

20% of content “innovates off of what works” … it’s more in-depth, it takes more time and energy to create, and it connects more deeply with a well-defined segment ofyour audience. Ideally, of course, that’s a segment that buys your products or services.

The final 10% is what Mildenhall calls “high risk” content. These are brand new ideas — the wild hair stuff that might work … and might fail.

Mildenhall makes the point that it’s this risky 10% where your future 20% and 70% content will come from. Today’s loony idea is tomorrow’s cornerstone content.

This is also the content that will keep you from burning out creatively. It keeps you excited about what you’re doing, and allows you to keep evolving in a fast-moving environment.

How you can use it: Too many content marketers don’t actually know what their 70% content is. What topics and keywords are most important to your readers? What are your audience’s key desires and problems, and how can you speak to them?

20% content takes the 70% and goes deeper. Maybe it’s a special report, or a video series, or a free email course.

Once in awhile, a content idea even evolves into a full-blown product.

And your 10% content is what keeps you sane. It’s content that reaches out to the edges, or comes at your topic in an entirely new way. Your audience might not be there yet, or they might be right there with you. You don’t know until you put it out there.

Idea #3: Content excellence

Content excellence is part of Mildenhall’s official job title, which I think is quite cool.

In his presentation, Mildenhall says,

The role of content excellence is to behave like a ruthless editor, otherwise we risk just creating noise.

Unfortunately, he says this immediately after saying “The development of incremental elements of a brand idea that get dispersed systematically across multiple channels of conversation for the purposes of creating a unified and coordinated brand experience,” proving even the best of us sometimes needs to take our own medicine.

Content excellence is the first rule of Copyblogger.

Too many would-be marketers try to dance over this one.

Without excellence, the time you spend on content marketing will be entirely wasted.

How you can use it: The first thing you need to do is to be honest with yourself. If you can’t create content that’s damned good, you need to either get better or you need to partner with someone who’s got the talent to create content that’s worth your audience’s attention.

How about you?

Those are three of Coca-Cola’s ideas about where content marketing is heading. How about you? Did you find some great strategies of your own in the videos? What are the exciting ideas informing your own marketing — and how are you implementing them?

Let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your brilliant content marketing ideas with her on twitter.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-17T00:11:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

----------PROFESSIONAL WRITING SERVICES----------
Professional Content Writing Service
Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters
Content Writing Services | Online Copywriting Services | SEO Writing | Blog Writing | Website Content
Writing Killer Content in 140 Characters or Less
Post-Medium Publishing
Article Writing Services
[REQ] Link Farm Evolution 1.8.5 Review
[REQ] Micro Niche Finder 5.5.7 BlackHat
[REQ] Omni Secure Membership 7.0.1 Black Hat
[REQ] Miracle Traffic Bot BlackHat
[REQ] Movie Site Press 2.0 BlackHat
Why Google+ is an Inevitable Part of Your Content Marketing Strategy

----------PROFESSIONAL WRITING SERVICES----------

Posted: 02 Nov 2011 03:17 PM PDT

COPYWRITING

CONTENT WRITING

CONTACT US!

BLOG WRITING

Professional Content Writing Service

Posted: 02 Nov 2011 10:33 AM PDT

Our devotion to your freedom to seize opportunities is grounded in our expertise in ERP consultation

Toward Content Quality :: UXmatters

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 11:49 PM PST

Content Writing Services | Online Copywriting Services | SEO Writing | Blog Writing | Website Content

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 08:39 PM PST

Writing Killer Content in 140 Characters or Less

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 08:20 PM PST

Post-Medium Publishing

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 06:50 PM PST

Article Writing Services

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 06:33 PM PST

[REQ] Link Farm Evolution 1.8.5 Review

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST

[REQ] Micro Niche Finder 5.5.7 BlackHat

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST

[REQ] Omni Secure Membership 7.0.1 Black Hat

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST

[REQ] Miracle Traffic Bot BlackHat

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:54 PM PST

[REQ] Movie Site Press 2.0 BlackHat

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 05:53 PM PST

Why Google+ is an Inevitable Part of Your Content Marketing Strategy

Posted: 16 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

Hear that, content marketers?

That is the sound of inevitability.

It's the sound of you creating a Google+ page for your business and working diligently to build up a network there with content, conversation, and the occasional cat photo.

Goodbye … free time.

Shameless (yet eerily fitting) references to Agent Smith of The Matrix aside, here's why every online content marketer needs to be building a Google+ network.

I'll also tell you why Google+ may just become more important than Facebook or Twitter when it comes to deciding where to focus your limited time and effort.

What's new with Google+

Since I first wrote about Google+ shortly after it launched, the search giant's "social network" has grown to an estimated 67 million users as of November 2011, closing fast on Twitter's stated 100 million active users. This kind of growth should put to rest claims that Google+ is dead or dying, and yet isn't as meteoric as it could be given Google's huge existing user base.

But the real growth of Google+ could be just ahead.

The main points I stressed in my original article were that Google+ is an excellent content sharing platform, and that the data gleaned from sharing and other activity would have a direct influence on Google's search results. I said:

Building an audience on Google+ may be the smartest thing you do as a content marketer when it comes to improved search rankings. You still need to understand the language of your audience and reflect it back in your content, but Google will now have direct indications that you're putting out quality stuff.

As of last week, Google did more with Google+ and search results than I (and most everyone else) expected. Much more.

Google+ is Google … period

Toward the end of last year, it became clear that Google+ was much more than a "social networking product," like the failed Buzz. So far, Google+ has been significantly integrated with Google Docs, Chrome, Google Reader, Gmail, and YouTube.

Google also redesigned the header across Search, News, Maps, Translate, Gmail and many other Google products to incorporate Google+. In short, Google+ has become the glue that unifies Google's various offerings into a seamless whole.

As Mike Elgan smartly put it, Google took its various products and turned them into features of Google+, rather than treating Google+ as a standalone social network. But that was just a warm up for what was to come with Google's bedrock function, search.

Google gets all up in Your World

Last week, Google announced Search, plus Your World, which is the merger of personalized search with social search, including the addition of relevant Google+ results.

In other words, Google search results now more than ever send you to … Google.

You'll only see the Your World aspects when logged into Google, and not everyone can see them yet (you can also easily turn it off if you want). The Google+ results are drawn from the people you have "circled" in Google+ (and vice versa for others who have circled you).

Search sensei Danny Sullivan calls this the most radical transformation of Google search results ever, and with good reason. According to Google's algorithmic guru Amit Singhal, Your World takes personalized and social search and combines it into one seamless experience:

The social search algorithm, and the personal search algorithm, and the personalized search algorithm are actually one algorithm now, and we are merging it in a way that is very pleasant and useful.

"Pleasant" and "useful" are open to debate, and there's plenty of debate happening right now. But the one thing that's for certain, like it or not, is that content marketers can't choose to simply ignore Google+ and sleep well at night.

Does Google have you in a stranglehold?

My opening Agent Smith reference makes a little more sense now, huh? Do you feel that metaphorical arm around your neck, with the inevitable sound of the train bearing down on you?

Let's not get overly dramatic, young Neo.

But it does feel somewhat like a take-it-or-leave it deal. We already knew that participating in Google+ would have some positive impact on our search results, but now it seems as if you have no Google+ presence and your competition does, you might lose existing search traffic going forward.

That's only the beginning of the drama:

Twitter issued a statement decrying the preferential treatment for Google+ results over Twitter. Google responded by revealing that it was Twitter, not Google, that chose not to renew the agreement with Google to use Twitter content for real-time search results.
Jon Mitchell of ReadWriteWeb thinks Google+ is going to mess up the internet, because Google+ posts about his content were outranking the actual content itself when he searched, and this was even before the official announcement of Your World.
Danny Sullivan points out that Google is violating what made Google so useful in the first place. Search engines provide value by sending you away to the best results, not keeping you trapped within a "sticky" web of their own making, no matter how expansive that web within the Web might be.
Lee Odden is skeptical about the usefulness of the new socially-integrated results that he's seen so far, but he nonetheless encourages online marketers to get involved with Google+, build out a quality content presence, and actively participate.
John Battelle thinks it sucks for the web that Google and Facebook can't play nice together. But as Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt points out, Facebook purposefully blocks Google, both with technology and terms of service, from indexing Facebook content and putting it on equal ground with Google+ results.
And the rumblings regarding privacy, antitrust, and FTC action are well underway.

On the plus side, others see this development as inevitable in a good (or at least not evil) way:

Stephan Shankland of CNET argues that Google had no choice but to make this move. The web is more social than ever, and the primary search engine on the planet must evolve along with the web, with or without the cooperation of Twitter and Facebook.
John Henshaw of Raven Tools says Google knows exactly what they're doing with Your World, and it's not an act of desperation or necessarily devious. He recommends avoiding cheap SEO tricks that Google is already anticipating, and rather immerse yourself in the Google+ social ecosystem while continuing to create great content.
On the anti-antitrust side, Eric Goldman of the Santa Clara University School of Law points out that when Google+ launched, it was welcomed by many as competition against the massive dominance of Facebook in social networking. Now that Google+ is actually getting competitive, everyone's getting upset.

The only inevitability is change

Look, I'm as concerned about Google's dominance and the potential for abuse as anyone. I have been for years, which is why I designed Copyblogger Media so that it would survive (and even thrive) if Google sent us zero traffic.

That said, I like getting targeted search traffic from Google. It doesn't suck, not one bit.

And let's face it … I also like Google+. It's been a great experience to hang out over there the last 6 months or so, and I think it's clearly superior to Facebook, while providing a truly different environment than our primary social networking / content distribution platform, Twitter.

Regardless of all the other potential issues laid out above, the fact is that we online marketers hate changes like this. But Google is constantly changing, and must change, as the Web itself changes.

Universal search (the last “most radical change ever“) arrived in 2007, and personalized search arrived across the board in 2009. Each time, people wrung hands, gnashed teeth, and wailed hysterically about how everything was different and wrong and awful, and they're still doing it today.

As content marketers, we really have limited choice when it comes to what Google chooses to do.

One choice is to simply decide that we don't really need search engine traffic.

Another choice is to observe, adapt, and conquer in ways that make the most sense for our businesses.

My guess is Google’s going to be tweaking things rapidly over the course of the year, rolling out more cool new features, and generally looking to strike a balance that rapidly grows Google+ without becoming cannon fodder for the Justice Department.

Circle me up on Google+ and we'll observe, adapt, and conquer together.

About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Get more from Brian on Google+.

Share

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-15T23:43:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Editing tips for designers : Cennydd Bowles
[REQ] OptimizePress 1.45 Black Hat
18 Writing Tools for Grammar, Style, Content | Practical eCommerce
10 Best Web Content Practices - frogloop Home~Care2's blog for nonprofits - frogloop
50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics | Copyblogger
[REQ] OnlyWire Account Creator Black Hat
[REQ] Link Farm Evolution 1.8.5 Review
Make Your Content Make a Difference - Smashing Magazine
Buy & Sell Unique Content - GhostBloggers™ - Beta
10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger

Editing tips for designers : Cennydd Bowles

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 11:37 PM PST

[REQ] OptimizePress 1.45 Black Hat

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 10:12 PM PST

18 Writing Tools for Grammar, Style, Content | Practical eCommerce

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 08:22 PM PST

10 Best Web Content Practices - frogloop Home~Care2's blog for nonprofits - frogloop

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 08:21 PM PST

50 Can’t-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics | Copyblogger

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 06:50 PM PST

[REQ] OnlyWire Account Creator Black Hat

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 05:12 PM PST

[REQ] Link Farm Evolution 1.8.5 Review

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 02:10 PM PST

Make Your Content Make a Difference - Smashing Magazine

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 01:57 PM PST

Buy & Sell Unique Content - GhostBloggers™ - Beta

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 12:00 PM PST

10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work | Copyblogger

Posted: 15 Jan 2012 11:51 AM PST

Top Misc Content on Internet

2012-01-14T23:54:00.001-08:00

Top Misc Content on Internet

Next Level Content Through Proven Proofreading Methods
Landing Page Content
WordPress › uCan Post « WordPress Plugins
(More) tips for writing well (Austin Govella at Thinking and Making)
A List Apart: Articles: A Checklist for Content Work
Content Mania Download FREE!| CrackYour.com
instant article writer - creates high quality articles in just minutes
Sell anything with this universal copywriting formula
Free Content Articles Distribution for Ezines or Websites - iSnare.com
Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection
Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre
Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website - Smashing Magazine
7 Content Marketing Links Worth Clicking

Next Level Content Through Proven Proofreading Methods

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 08:10 AM PDT

Concerning The buyer code review, it is pretty interesting to note how many people are talking about this in the most unusual places. You are smart to be here reading on this subject matter only because of course it is relevant to you, but knowing more can potentially help in other ways.

Our experience has been along those same lines, and learning more about the little things has helped us. As you know, this is a broad topic of discussion, and that is why it will be helpful for you to think in broad terms.

As you study what we offer, today, you will find solid information that will address your most immediate concerns.

If you are relatively new to online marketing and producing content, then this is a good time for you to learn about the benefits of proofreading. The optimum process for always putting out great content is to go over your material and revise and fix any mistakes. There are probably a lot of excuses people make that just rationalize why they do not want to take the time to proofread their material, but that is ultimately to their loss. What you can do at this point is discover several powerful methods to use for putting on those finishing touches on your content.

Actually, there is more than may seem obvious when you review your work. We recommend knowing how to spell and understand the rules of grammar, and that is what you must do as well. We all make little errors here and there, but it is when they are done due to ignorance that becomes a problem. So, if you do not want to turn-off your readers, then you will do whatever it takes to make it all good. You have to make the most professional impression on your audience as possible, and your content can do that for you if you make it so. If you are writing for academics, then you have to write like them and be a part of them. An old copywriting approach is to write to the person who is reading each article – each person. When you proofread, it is important to have a little checklist if you need it. All along you want your readers to come closer to you in terms of positive business relationships. There are interesting attributes we all have because we are human, and this relates very strongly to suspending initial impressions if they seem negative until you have a complete picture. Naturally, we are talking about ideals because we know most people will have difficulty possessing such an open mind. Obviously we have no clue how you feel concerning lethal commission bonus, or if you would ever even think about trying it. You will always need to carefully assess anything new, though, and that means you have to base your decisions on research, first.

In fact, it is those who skip over their homework who are at most risk and for obvious reasons. If you are not careful about what you do, then you can easily start method-hopping and getting nowhere. But you should not be afraid of anything that appears to be new to you because there are some products that are excellent. What can also muddle the whole picture are those who had bad results using solid methods, and then those people can malign the method as being bad. There are certain behaviors and qualities you need to acquire, and this is definitely one of them.

Rather than trying to get it all done, with proofreading, in one go, do what is right and make it three separate readings. When you re-read it initially, see if anything must be revised in the interest of a better read. The next part of this is real easy, and that consists of fixing spelling typos along with grammar issues. There is always a time to do final polishing up of any part of the content, and that is what the third proofread is for.

There is no getting around the need to employ a sound proofreading strategy in your own content creation. Once you have been doing this a while, then you will see that you are getting faster at it. We have no doubts about what this can do for your business because we have seen it. The choice is yours, either you can rise above the rest or you can stay right where you are with average content.

Additional Resources:

Powerful Proofreading Methods for Your Content

Landing Page Content

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 01:15 AM PDT

Write for the audience not for Google bots

Striking a balance between SEO and pitching your message is a real battle for in-house SEOs and online marketers. The marketing experts want flowery language that embellishes a landing page and perfectly pitches a product but the SEO professional is intent on getting as many semantic variations of keywords into the content. But who is right? Who gets to stamp their authority on the landing page?

A landing page is any page of a website that is a point of entry for your target audience. If your PPC and SEO campaigns are well run, you will have several landing pages on your site – each talking to the relative audience segment.

Your landing page needs to appeal to that audience – if your product or service is appealing, then you are likely to be generating sales. However on the opposite side of the coin, you have the SEO aspect, which is geared at attracting the web traffic in the first place. It’s a real balancing act perfecting the ideal landing page content and there is a lot of testing involved to get it right but the most important thing you can do is make sure your target market is the primary audience to which you are writing – not search engine robots.

WordPress › uCan Post « WordPress Plugins

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 11:45 PM PST

(More) tips for writing well (Austin Govella at Thinking and Making)

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 11:42 PM PST

A List Apart: Articles: A Checklist for Content Work

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 09:08 PM PST

Content Mania Download FREE!| CrackYour.com

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 08:12 PM PST

instant article writer - creates high quality articles in just minutes

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 08:09 PM PST

Sell anything with this universal copywriting formula

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 07:18 PM PST

Free Content Articles Distribution for Ezines or Websites - iSnare.com

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 05:42 PM PST

Copyscape - Website Plagiarism Search - Web Site Content Copyright Protection

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 05:00 PM PST

Content Strategy - a knol by Jeffrey MacIntyre

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 03:49 PM PST

Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website - Smashing Magazine

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 12:07 PM PST

7 Content Marketing Links Worth Clicking

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 03:00 AM PST

How to work from home like you mean it.

How to code like a hacker. In one year. Via email.

The lost art of becoming good at things, and a handful of reasons why you should have your own place on the web.

Follow @copyblogger on Twitter to grab these links (and more) every week.

This is The Lede …

//

The Problem with SOPA (And How to Stop It)
Yes, you’ve been seeing stuff on this “SOPA” thing everywhere. Yes, this link also appears at the bottom of this page. If you’re a content creator, it’s time to get on the bus, learn what SOPA is, and make your own decision regarding its importance or lack thereof. Ms. Simone has written an outstanding article that will help you do just that.

//

How to Work from Home Like You Mean It
It’s the dream of many — the “freedom” of working from home. For some, it becomes a nightmare of broken productivity, unconscious web surfing, and showerless days. Mr. Purdy offers some great insights into making the most of being a stay-at-home professional.

//

10 Hard-Hitting Link Building Tactics
The Lede makes an appearance in Neil Patel’s list, but that’s not why I linked it here. Link building is a foundational function of good SEO, and of therefore supporting your business on the web. Mr. Patel gives you real tactics you can put to use this morning, right after you finish reading The Lede.

//

How a Niche Email Newsletter Grew to a Million Subscribers
An incredible story of the use of email marketing to build a business. Email is so simple, and arguably the most powerful of all the social technology tools at our disposal. Are you building your email list? Watch this video and see how Tasting Table built theirs to one million subscribers in just a few years.

//

5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Have a Blog
Content marketing is the new advertising, and the best way to do content marketing right now is on the blog you own. Mr. Gardner lays out the most compelling reasons why in this post. For some, this will be elementary, for many, this read will be just what you needed. For all, this post offers a valuable reminder …

//

Learn to Code in One Year via Email
Every small business is in the media business now. The media business is largely online. Even if you think you’ve got the best developer in Silicon Valley locked up tight for the next decade, it’s good for everyone to know the basics of how to code. Here’s how to get those basics down in a painless, easily understood series of lessons.

//

The Lost Art of Becoming Good at Things
Are you really good at something? Anything? Have you ever worried that maybe you’re spending too much time consuming and not enough time doing? In this Age of Distraction, what would happen if you decided to focus? Mr. Barr takes an intriguing look at what it means to get good.

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

Share