How to Blog When You Don't Have Time to Blog

"I can't go on. I'll go on." Does that famous quote from the writer Samuel Beckett resonate with you a little too strongly when you try to create blog content for your business? You know you need to be blogging to increase your brand's visibility and boost your inbound marketing efforts, but you find yourself locked in a battle against the clock. Let's face it, we're all busy people, and writing takes time. Even so, you can use some clever workarounds to break through those barriers and keep your blog alive, whether you have time for it or not. Try these ideas on for size.

Use Your Voice, Not Your Fingers

Many people who have the gift of gab freeze up when they have to write instead of talk. Some feel intimidated by the blank screen, while others get bogged down in the mechanics of typing, deleting, and re-typing. If you struggle to string one word after another on the keyboard, try ditching the keyboard (temporarily) in favor of a voice-to-text program. Speak from the heart on your chosen subject, and watch the screen fill up with text that mostly matches what you meant to communicate. You'll probably need to go back and make some corrections, but at least you'll have broken through that barrier. If you aren't a touch typist, you may find that the composition goes much faster than the hunt-and-peck method ever made possible.

Tease It Now, Write It Later

Blogs need not focus entirely on "evergreen" articles that address your target audience's major challenges or interests. They may also include your expert analysis and opinions concerning breaking news that affects your industry or your readers. But when a major event occurs, you can't necessarily drop everything you're doing and immediately turn out a definitive post on the subject. What you can do is bang out a quick teaser for what you will be writing on the subject as soon as you get a chance. "Breaking news! This amazing thing just happened. What does it mean for your personal or professional life? We'll be posting a more in-depth look at it soon, so watch this blog!" You've just bought yourself some writing time while still responding to the big event in a timely manner.

Write More When You Do Have Time

Okay, so you don't always have time to blog. But what about those occasions when you do have a little extra time? That's when you should throw it into high gear and overproduce. Create a blog article stockpile that you can draw on when you have not time to compose fresh materials on the fly. If you really want to get ahead of the game, create a 12-month editorial calendar and start writing blog posts that can go out at those various times of year. At least you won't be scratching your head over possible topics.

Outsource Your Blogging Responsibilities

If you really can't make time for blogging even after trying the options noted above, why not hand your blogging burden over to someone else? Maybe you know another expert or influencer in your field who would be more than happy to contribute a guest post. Or for a more comprehensive solution, maybe you could hire a freelance copywriter with the necessary skills and experience to keep your blog populated with top-class content that engages your audience, shows off your expertise, and promotes your brand. Now you have all the time in the world to run your business instead of writing about it!

Content Writing Revision: Making Fixes Versus Starting Over

If you've ever tried to cook an elaborate dish only to have it emerge from the oven looking less than appetizing, your mind probably raced with corrective options. If it probably tastes okay, can you get away with simply disguising the exterior? Is it simply missing some finishing touch or other to make it perfect? Or do you need to scrape it into the trash bin and go back to Step One of the recipe? These kinds of decisions extend beyond the kitchen to a variety of other efforts, including marketing content creation. What do you do when a piece of content just doesn't live up to expectations -- make a few edits here and there, or start a new draft from scratch? Let's look at the available options, and when you might choose one over the other.

Proofread or Edit?

When many people think of editing in terms of written content revision, they tend to focus on fixing obvious errors in grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and other mechanical flaws. However, these fixes fall more properly under the category of proofreading. Proofreading represents that final step in making sure an otherwise-perfect piece of content is free of these surface errors. A trained copywriter will always proofread a draft carefully before submitting it. Even if the draft requires other revisions, at least the copy will appear clean and competent.

Editing digs deeper into the revision process. If your contants feels rushed, draggy, or disorganized, it may need an editor to cut, expand, or relocate large chinks of it. If the tone sounds wrong for your message or seems unlikely to appeal to your target audience, a copywriter with editing experience can find different words to alter that tone. At this point, the content is still salvageable as-is, even if it needs an extensive facelift.

Back to the Drawing (or Writing) Board

A top-to-bottom rewrite becomes necessary when the options noted above can't save the content without a ridiculous amount of effort. In many cases, it's easier, faster, and more cost effective for a professional writer to start over, using the previous draft simply for reference. Time and time again, I've found myself spending more time trying to resuscitate a flawed draft that I would've spent drafting something completely new. It's just easier to get it right the first time. A mostly-perfect draft from a seasoned pro will almost always require little to no revision -- a happier outcome for everyone involved.

Whatever degree of revision your website, blog, or other marketing content may require, a skilled professional copywriter can help you make it shine. Contact me today to turn that lump of coal into a diamond!

3 Reasons to Be Thankful for Professional Copywriting Help

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Hopefully you already feel that you have plenty to be thankful for. The holiday certainly promotes that feeling as we chow down on multi-course meals, watch endless hours of football on TV, and generally decompress from the everyday strain of working life. But if you're a business owner, you're always looking for more ways to boost your bounty -- and handing over your marketing content creation burdens to a professional copywriter can offer a cornucopia of benefits. Take a look at these three reasons you'll give thanks for your association with this kind of marketing content expert.

1. Professional Copywriting Can Boost Your Prosperity

How well did your business do this year? Money isn't everything, of course, and there are many reasons to feel thankful that have nothing to do with income. But when you're fulfilling an immense Thanksgiving grocery order, taking advantage of all the Black Friday deals, and trying to satisfy the kids' Christmas lists, more money beats less money by a country mile. If your company's revenue hasn't quite lived up to expectations, maybe it's time to up your marketing content game. A professional copywriter can evaluate your website, sales letters, and other marketing materials to determine whether the writing needs a facelift. The right messaging, delivered in a properly compelling manner, could make a big difference to your bottom line -- and who wouldn't feel thankful for that?

2. Professional Copywriting Lets You Enjoy the Holiday in Peace

In your career as an entrepreneur, when was the last time you were able to unplug from your business and simply enjoy Thanksgiving (or any other major holiday)? Many businesses get busier and more chaotic than ever at this time of year, heaping stress on owners and other key players. The last thing you need is a pile of marketing content assignments that someone needs to fulfill before the end of the year, especially if that someone is likely to be you. But here's some good news: You can find freelance copywriters who not only keep working throughout the holiday season but actually want to keep working throughout the holiday season. No, we're not masochists; we just like to keep writing because writing pays the bills. So even as you're giving some lucky freelancer a happier holiday, you're taking a lot of work off your plate -- leaving more room for that turkey and stuffing.

3. Professional Copywriting Fills Your 2023 Marketing Pipeline

Ambitious business owners are already looking ahead to 2023. You may be one of those ambitious business owners; if not, you can probably name several direct competitors who fit that description. If you want to stay competitive and launch the new year in style, you need to have your 2023 marketing calendar all ready to go here in the fourth quarter of 2022. When you engage a professional copywriter to provide your business with a steady stream of content for your blog, website, email campaigns and other marketing efforts, you can give thanks for the fact that you've already got 2023 in the bag -- which should mean that you'll have even more to be thankful for this time next year.

Ready to give yourself and your business the best Thanksgiving ever? Contact me today and let;s talk turkey about your marketing content needs!

Want to Make the Best Use of Your Time? Outsource Your Marketing Content Writing

 If you're a business owner, you're painfully aware of the fact that time is money. For us entrepreneurs who have no choice but to trade hours for dollars, time management may be the most important skill we'll ever learn. This applies not only to sole proprietors or micro-business but to large companies -- in fact, the bigger and faster a business grows, the more money can be lost from tiny individual inefficiencies that add up to a massive waste of time. We must always ask ourselves which tasks earn us money and which activities tie up our time and inhibit our money-making ability. Then we need to offload those time-wasting tasks so we can free up more time for the money-making tasks. Makes sense, right?

Writing professional-quality marketing content is one of those necessary tasks that can propel a business to the next level of fame and profitability, but the time investment is brutal, especially for a non-writer. One of the reason so many people -- including some writers! -- fear writing is the fact that it demands so much time, patience, and mental energy. I've been doing it professionally for decades now, and I can tell you from experience that it's draining, so much so that I have to limit my daily output just to prevent serious burnout. So if it can tire an experienced pro, how exhausting must it be for someone who does something totally different for a living?

Your business needs you. Yes, it needs marketing content too, but doesn't it make a lot more sense to delegate that task to a professional and devote yourself to the daily tasks you must perform to keep the money rolling in?

"But I can't afford to hire a writer." Well, that depends on what your own billable time is worth to your company's bottom line. How many hours of your time will your company lose while you sweat over a blank screen or page? I once remarked at a networking meeting that a professional writer can accomplish more in a few hours than a non-writer, burdened with a host of other responsibilities, could manage in a week. I heard several business owners muttering to each other, "More like two weeks," "You mean three weeks," "For me, three months," et cetera.

That's where time leveraging comes in. You hand the job over to a professional who charges a reasonable rate but does the job in so much less time that you still come out way ahead. Plus, you can be reasonably certain the the final product will actually be good enough to help your business make more money. That's what marketing is supposed to do, after all. How annoyed would you feel to have spent all that time (which, as we've established, is money) and frustration writing content that doesn't even work for you?

Most of us already practice this kind of strategic delegation in some way or other. I could probably do my own taxes, for instance, but it would take me forever and I'd probably miss a lot of valuable deductions or make expensive mistakes because I'm not up on the tax laws. By paying a fair sum to a good professional CPA, I can rest assured that I'll get a more effective result without stressing myself out and wasting huge amounts of time. In the end, I've earned far more in billable time than I've spent on the accounting fee. And if it makes sense for accounting, it makes sense for any other aspect of your business that can be farmed out effectively to a qualified pro.

I'll bet your time is worth a lot to you. Spend it wisely!

Don't Let These Copywriting Creepy-Crawlies Haunt Your Halloween

Boo! Okay, I know it's hard to scare people with all the tired old Halloween cliches. These days, October 31st is more about dressing up in goofy costumes, handing out treats to kids, and sharing some laughs at parties. Even finding a genuinely scary movie gets harder as our society grows increasingly jaded. However, I submit that ineffective or self-sabotaging marketing content merits a shudder for any business owner trying to bring in new customers while retaining the current ones. With that in mind, perhaps you should take this coming Halloween as your cue to watch out for the following copywriting creepy-crawlies.

The Mummified Blog

How long has your blog patiently awaited its newest entry? The longer you let it sit stagnant, the more it dried up into a useless, mummified husk as a marketing tool. Readers who enjoyed your previous posts may wonder what happened to you. Did you simply give up on providing engaging content to your target audience? Did you actually go out of business? Are you out of relevant insights concerning your industry or profession? Even people who are stumbling upon your blog for the first time may notice the extreme age of the last entry you posted. A mummified blog isn't just poor marketing; it's anti-marketing.

The Invisible Website

H. G. Well's story "The Invisible Man" has offered plenty of scares for readers and moviegoers over the decades, with its tale of a scientist whose ability to make himself invisible leads to madness, mayhem, and murder. In the world of marketing, invisibility can and should send a different kind of chill down your spine. Take your website, for example. A website lacking properly optimized content will likely get driven to the bottom of the search results pages, made all but totally invisible by your competitors' more relevant content. "Borrowed" content can produce a similarly deadly outcome, since Google slaps websites down for anything it regards as potential plagiarism. Duplicating large chunks of your own content can hurt your website's performance as well. You put a lot of time, effort and money into your virtual storefront, so don;t let it disappear.

The Poisoned Apple

Witches figure prominently in Halloween lore, and few witches are more familiar in popular culture than the witch in "Snow White" -- she of the poisoned apple that can put you to sleep indefinitely, or at least until a handsome prince wakes you with a kiss. Does your current marketing content have the same effect on your target audience? Brochure, website, blog, or sales letter content that takes forever to get to the point or tries to explain every little thing about a business works like a sedative. At best, your prospective clients won't remember what they just read; at worst, they'll stop reading almost instantly and come away with a negative impression. Cut the padding and focus on keeping your audience awake. If necessary, engage a professional copywriter to act as your Prince Charming by creating content that wakes up your marketing.

Reputation Trick or Treat

Trick or treat isn't all candy and costumes. If you've ever had your lawn T.P.d or your windows egged, you know all too well how angry tricksters can turn the holiday into a big, ugly mess. Well, angry or disappointed customers can make a similar mess of your online reputation, especially if you don't respond to their ranting, abusive comments on your social media pages. Don't let angry, bitter Yelp reviews or other destructive feedback soil your online reputation. Always reply to negativity with positivity, responding to negative reviews in a gentle, constructive, helpful manner. This approach will be noticed and appreciated by others who see that you really do care about your customers' experience. If you don't trust yourself to respond with the necessary civility and grace, contact me and let me write those rebuttals for you.

Have a happy (and profitable) Halloween!

Why Your Marketing Video Needs a Script

Video plays a huge role in many brands' marketing strategies, and for good reason. Google owns YouTube, after all, so a viral video on that platform can do wonders for your online footprint. TikTok offers similar appeal in a shorter, more casual format. Unfortunately, too many business owners think that all they need to create the next great video marketing campaign is a decent camera. Even if you invest a considerable sum on professional videography, you can still end up with a meandering, ineffective final product. What's missing, you ask? The script, I answer. Here's why you need to add this crucial piece to your video marketing puzzle.

A Script Communicates Your Message

The last thing you want when making a marketing video is to neglect the actual marketing message you want to communicate. But that's what often happens when you try to improvise your way through the spoken narration. An experienced video copywriter knows how to craft narration that places the marketing message front and center. This specialist also understands how to call for specific visuals at the perfect moments so the words and pictures work together for the most powerful impressions possible.

A Script Provides Structure

What shape will your marketing video take? Without a written framework, you may have no clue until you view the final cut -- and the process of getting to that final cut will be a needlessly messy and frustrating one. When you write the script first, you've got a bird's-eye view of the entire video that lays everything out clearly for you, your marketing department, and your video team. Does the opening feel too wordy? Do the internal points need rearranging? Do you like the transition into the closing moments? When you have a script, you can make those adjustments on paper much more easily than once the cameras start rolling.

A Script Can Save You Money

I know your first reaction to this subheader is, "Wait, hiring a professional to write a script costs money." Maybe so, but I can all but guarantee that you'd lose more money through the cracks of a sloppy production that you'd spend on a scriptwriter's services. Time really is money in the video production world. You're paying your videographer, director, editor, and any necessary crew members some pretty substantial hourly or daily wages -- the more disorganized or difficult the shoot, the more billable hours those professionals will need to put in to create a presentable final result. When they're working from a script, they're all literally on the same page. That means less confusion, fewer between-takes discussions or arguments, and less chance that the team will miss some crucial shot or other and have to schedule an expensive reshoot. Spend a little more up front so you won't end up spending a lot more later.

Now that you see the value of a professional-quality script, you're probably wondering where to find  a professional-quality scriptwriter who also knows marketing inside out. Not to worry, because I've been writing video scripts for business for 25 years. Contact me today, and let's talk about your video venture!

How to Spark Your Content Writing Engine

If you're tasked with writing content for your business's website, blog, newsletter or press releases, you're writing content for professional use. And if you're tasked with doing enough of it enough of the time, you'll start to feel the pressure sooner or later, no matter how years of experience you have at it. What do you do when the blank screen suggests absolutely nothing to you? How do you get literary blood out that overworked cerebral turnip? It's a question we all have to contend with. Here are a few suggestions that I've found helpful.

Stop Thinking

Zoning out is more productive than you might realize. It might take the form of mild daydreaming about your writing project -- a process Kurt Vonnegut liked to call "woolgathering" -- or it might be closer to a Zen-like state in which you simply think of nothing at all. These practices are highly beneficial to a locked-up, stressed-out creative mind. It not only gives the gray matter a rest, but it also silences the merciless self-critic behind so many cases of writer's block. There's a reason Ray Bradbury kept a sign above his typewriter that read, "DON'T THINK."

Go for a Walk

Many of the great creative minds in history could just as well be dubbed "creative feet," favoring lengthy walks as they pondered the morning's work or the evening writing session to come. It makes a kind of sense if you think about it. The light exercise stimulates cardiovascular performance, pushing oxygenated blood through your brain and improving your mental efficiency. Walking can also be highly inspiring or about as interesting as watching paint dry -- and believe it or not, either of these reactions can give your creativity a boost. You might become charged with ideas from observing the local flora and fauna, or you might find your surroundings so deadly dull that you have nothing to think about except your writing. Walking can also relieve muscular tension, another potential distraction.

Sleep

"Sleeping on it" is more than just an expression; it's aalso a legitimate way to solve nagging questions and issues when you're working on a writing project (or any other project that requires creative problem solving). Many times my head has hit the pillow in a state of utter confusion, only to wake up with a sense of absolute clarity, the answer to my problem suddenly resembling child's play. Whether your subconscious mind pulled an all-nighter while you slept or your conscious mind just wasn't seeing the obvious due to nighttime fatigue, plenty of sleep can solve plenty of writing worries.

Write Anyway

If that writing project is due tomorrow and your brilliance engine just won't engage for love or money, sometimes all you can do is grit your teeth and write the thing. If you have the technique, you'll still manage to turn out respectable, professional-level work. If you're still learning your craft, the result might be rough around the edges -- but hey, that's what revisions are for. Feel your client out on this issue; some want the deadline treated as holy writ, while others will want you to take that extra day if it'll make a significant difference in the first draft. But writing reasonably well even when you're not "feeling it" is the hallmark of a pro.

One last note: Sometimes the best thing that ever happened to a creative project is the addition of a second point of view. If you feel like it's time to get another writer on board, you know who to call! I'll be sure to come running -- unless I'm busy daydreaming, walking, sleeping or writing, of course.

How to Get the Most Value From Your Digital Marketing Content

No one will deny that marketing is hard work. Digital marketing can prove especially tricky due to the extra technological elements and other moving parts involved. Of course, when it pays off in the form of heightened brand awareness and increased sales, you're not likely to complain about all that time and effort. But if you're spinning your wheels and getting nowhere despite countless hours of grinding out marketing content, you might feel like you have every right to just throw in the towel and proclaim that digital marketing doesn't work. In reality, you may just need to work smarter instead of harder when it comes to your marketing content creation and implementation. Here are some useful tips to help you get maximum value from your digital marketing content efforts.

Follow the Numbers

One tremendously useful aspect of modern digital marketing involves all the metrics it can generate -- metrics that you can study and use to your advantage. A glance at Google Analytics can show you which of your web pages generates the most traffic, for instance, and which pages might not be attracting the crowd you'd anticipated. Since the four web pages that typically enjoy the most traffic include the Home, About, Contact, and Blog pages, you might want to pay special attention to refining the content there. Other important data to follow include your website's bounce rate (the rate at which visitors immediately "bounce" away from your pages instead of sticking around), retention of returning visitors, post engagement in the form of comments from blog readers, and the number of backlinks from other websites.

A/B Test Your Content

Maybe you've spotted some apparent weaknesses in certain parts of your digital marketing campaign, or maybe you're creating an all-new campaign. How do you know what works and what doesn't? One smart way to find out involves a technique called split or A/B testing. You can apply A/B testing to any element of your online presence, from the user interface and page layouts to the written content that drives those pages. In the most basic form of this strategy, you prepare two variations of a given web page or marketing email, showing one variation to half your target audience and the other variation to the other half. You then examine the response rates and other metrics to see which variation delivers the most promising results. Your web developer will probably know how to set A/B testing up for your site, or you can avail yourself of one of the many A/B software tools on the market.

Blog More Frequently

Sometimes the only way to make a proven content marketing strategy work is to do more of it. Blogging serves as a case in point. How frequently you ought to blog depends on what type of business you run and what goals you mean to achieve. HubSpot notes that a small business mainly trying to raise its brand awareness might get results from just one blog post per week, while a company trying to boost incoming web traffic might need to produce several times that blog volume. Creating piles of blog articles can feel like a colossal task, especially if you're doing all the marketing creation yourself or you have a small, overburdened marketing team. Fortunately, you already know an experienced freelance copywriter who can supply you with an endless stream of professional-quality content at affordable rates. So contact me today, and let's talk about how we can turn your digital marketing efforts into digital marketing successes!

Writing Your Own Marketing Content? Avoid These Common Pitfalls

I know many entrepreneurs and other businesspeople who, for whatever reason, have taken it on themselves to write their own marketing content. Some of these individuals have brilliant communication skills, can give an eloquent speech on a moment’s notice, and genuinely enjoy writing. But if you feel the need to compose that web page, blog article, or video script on your own, watch out for common little lapses in judgment that can render your writing less effective than it should be. 

As my writing teacher used to say, “There’s no such thing as good or bad writing, only stronger or weaker choices.” So let’s look at some of those weaker choices with an eye toward avoiding them.

"In order to" -- Only one of the words in this phrase matters. Can you find it? I knew you could. After all, if you're going to say “to,” what’s the point of also saying “in order” except to pad out the text meaninglessly?

"You should," "Be sure to," "Make sure you," “You may want to consider” etc. -- This is the imperative that isn't. I see these phrases pop up a lot, and I suspect Grammarly has something to do with it. Grammarly apparently hates it when the writer actually orders the reader to do something and will suggest these weak-kneed phrases to soften the statement. Well, some of us are trying to market here, yeah? If you want to tell the reader to do something, just tell them to do it. They won’t burst into tears.

"Very" -- This word is like a volume knob with no indicator markings. How much is "very?" Let's say you want to communicate that a film conveys a powerful message. Does "very powerful" really make the point more clearly than "powerful?"

"Great," "Terrific," "Fabulous," etc. -- More garbage words in the grand tradition of "Very." Let's go back to our film review example: "This movie is great!" What the heck does that mean? Why is it great? How is it great? Is it deeply mournful, crackling with dramatic tension, sweet-natured and amiable, refreshingly silly? "Great" means whatever the reader wants it to mean, thus introducing unwelcome ambiguity into your marketing message. State what you mean in no uncertain terms.

As the old song tells us, little things mean a lot. A few smart tweaks and second thoughts can make the difference between strong marketing content and not-so-strong marketing content. If you eventually decide that you’d  rather let a professional copywriter or editor worry about all these details, contact me. In the meantime, let’s be careful out there!

How to Write the Perfect "About Us" Page

When you're shopping for products and services, you probably want to know at least a little about the provider of those products and services, right? Even if whatever you need is a basic commodity that you can get anywhere, you'd rather obtain it from a reputable enterprise, one that hopefully offers better support and higher customer satisfaction than the competition. In a world where we can buy anything from anybody at the click of a link or button, it's often the unique virtues of the seller that sway our final choice.

Well, the same holds true for anyone looking to buy services or products that you happen to sell. When these folks visit your website, you'd better have an "About Us" page that makes a strong positive impression and addresses any potential concerns about your priorities, skills, or experience in the field. So let's look at some key steps in creating that "About Us" page content.

Give Your Company Its Own Bio

"About Us" doesn't just refer to you and other leaders at your company; it also refers to the company itself. I've mentioned previously that a brand can be considered a business's persona, the public face it shows to the world. It stands to reason, then, that your company deserves its own bio blurb. Consider introducing your "About Us" page with an introductory paragraph or two that lays out your organization's status and reputation in the industry, what it sells or does, and why site visitors should care.

State Your Mission, Vision, and Values

This section of the "About Us" page can have its own separate section, or you can simply append it to the company bio section. Either way, it will make a major impact on many prospective buyers who care about the motivations behind the businesses they patronize. The mission statement simply clarifies why your company exists and explains why you do what you do. The vision statement expresses your dreams, hopes, and plans for your organization's future. The values statement lets the world know what you stand for, the rules you play by, the ethical standards you uphold, and your attitude toward your customers.

Spotlight the Team

Now it's time to throw the spotlight onto your key players, ideally starting with the founder or owner. If this individual's educational, work history, special skills, and industry experience have the potential to dazzle your visitors -- then dazzle away! You can repeat this process with a few of your C-level leaders, but you probably don't need to compose elaborate biographies for everyone. Other team members may not need more than a satisfying paragraph that shows them to best advantage. (Keeping these supporting bios short as a general rule will also help hide discrepancies in skills and experiences from one team member to the next.)

Don't Change the Subject

I've seen "About Us" pages that threatened to become "About Everything" pages. It's all too easy to veer off into descriptions of your products and services, sales pitches, and other stuff that more properly belongs elsewhere on the site. Try to keep on message throughout the "About Us" page -- and by the same token, try not to let bits and pieces of your "About Us" page content drift onto other pages.

Writing the ultimate "About Us" page becomes a lot easier once you know what points to make, how and where to make them, and how to maintain the content's focus. Want to know another helpful tip for writing this page? Here you go: Don't write it yourself at all. Instead, hire a professional copywriter to do it for you!

4 Great Things Your Blog Content Can Communicate

Why do people and companies blog? The answer to that question may depend on whom you ask. Some may blog mainly to increase their online authority with the major search engines, and that's a perfectly fine (and potentially very effective) strategy. Others may blog because they feel an intense personal need to express their opinions and insights. Still others may blog simply to keep up with their competitors' marketing efforts and stay top of mind with their target market. Blogging can help accomplish all of these goals, but it can also communicate certain key points about your brand identity, your business practices, and even your competence as a solution provider.  Take a look at four great things your blog content can communicate about you and your business.

Great Thing #1: You Understand and Empathize

You may have heard marketers employ the term "pain point." A pain point states a common problem, challenge, or frustration that your audience probably suffers from. Pain points serve as useful conversation starters, not just for blogs but other forms of marketing content as well, because they give readers something they can instantly relate to -- something that hits them where they live. These pain points often drive people to seek answers by performing online searches. If you've just written a blog post on that very pain point, your post may pop up near the top of those search results. If you address that pain point in a manner that shows your empathy for your reader's troubles, you position yourself as a friend who wants to help. Who wouldn't want to read on and find out what form that help may take?

Great Thing #2: You've Got the Answers

Once you show that you understand your audience's pain, you have a golden opportunity to present your products or services as the solution. Think about it: When you need to learn how to fix a problem, you want to uncover informative articles that actually offer answers, whether they include DIY solutions or point you toward the right professional solution provider. If you happen to be that professional solution provider, you just gained a customer. Meanwhile, as you continue to build a blog archive rich in solutions and recommendations, you demonstrate that you don't just have an answer; you have tons of answers. Readers may then come to rely on you as their go-to guru on your particular industry or profession.

Great Thing #3: You Follow the Latest Information

Some blog posts feature "evergreen" information that will prove helpful, correct, and meaningful for years to come, while others focus on more transient topics. Ideally, you want to bounce back and forth between both types of posts. In addition to those essential unchanging pillars of truth, you also want to show that you're up to speed on the latest trends, breaking news, and current events that affect your target audience, especially when it intersects with how you can help that target audience. Topical posts can make a big splash during that initial spike of interest in the subject at hand. Deliver your own take on the hot headline of the day, and you may just attract a whole new crowd!

Great Thing #4: You've Got Your Act Together

Blogging on a regular, consistent schedule communicates some important points about how you run your business. For one thing, it shows that you care enough about your readers to keep providing them with helpful, interesting content. It also says something about your team's organizational, management, and implementation skills. Last but certainly not least, it reminds and reassures your customers that you're still open for business, bubbling with fresh insights and ideas, and ready to deliver the goods. In other words, you're a business that your target audience would actually want to do business with.

Yes, blogging can do your image (and your bottom line) a lot of good, but only if you pursue it diligently and competently. So contact me today for the professional copywriting you need to take full advantage of this powerful business booster!

Building Your Audience Through Content Marketing

Have you ever generated a big marketing push, spending hours on content creation that you hoped would move the sales needle, only to find that your hours of content creation went nowhere? Maybe you got an initial response, followed by the sound of crickets chirping. Does that mean the content itself failed? Well, maybe, but it more likely means that you didn't pursue a smart, effective content marketing strategy. Let's look at some basic aspects of content marketing so you can see where you might need to adjust your approach.

Hunting Versus Farming

We networkers use the phrase "hunting versus farming" to describe the careful process of establishing an identity and building trust with potential buyers, as opposed to just making a big splash and grabbing whatever instant business there is to be had. Think of the difference between holding multiple in-depth conversations with people and simply throwing business cards in every direction at a chamber event. Content marketing works the same way. By posting or distributing multiple pieces of relevant, meaningful content that reveals your mission, message, and ideals, you slowly but surely forge a bond between your brand and your target audience. This strategy could make all the difference between one big but short-lived "quick kill" and the creation of an ever-broadening base of repeat customers. 

Don't forget the power of referrals as they relate to content marketing. The more authenticity you establish, the more frequently your audience will share your content and recommend you to other interested parties.

Adding Value Through Relevance

What sets you apart from your competitors? Of course, you might just be better, faster, or cheaper than the other guys. But let's say you sell the same products and services, at the same price and quality level, et cetera. All other things being equal, what additional "special sauce" might you offer? Perhaps the answer lies in the quality and quantity of your content marketing.

Regular blog posts, videos, email articles, and other tidbits of genuinely useful information can provide legitimate added value. Think about all the times you needed quick, free advice or guidance on a particular subject. Chances are that you went online, did a search, found a brilliant video or article, and bookmarked the source of that information for future reference. Maybe you even came to rely on that provider as a trusted expert. That's the power of relevant content. The more helpful your content proves, the better the odds that your impressed, grateful audience will choose you as their go-to source for related products or services.

Reinforcing Your Image (With Variations)

I once fielded a query from a client who wanted to produce an email that would say everything there was to say about her company and produce a massive one-time response. I pointed out to her that (a) that level of information belonged in a landing page, not an email, and (b) content marketing works by feeding the audience small chunks of easily-digested content, one bite at a time.

Imagine how overwhelmed (or even annoyed) you'd feel if a company tried to ramrod everything you needed to know about them down your throat all in one go. Even if your potential customers welcomed that level of information overload, they'd probably retain only bits and pieces of it. So why not introduce those bits and pieces individually? With each new article or video, you can either expand on the piece that preceded it or introduce a new concept, building a complete picture of your brand over time without ever tiring, boring, or confusing your crowd.

Now that you know how to make content marketing work for you more effectively, all you need is the content itself. If you'd rather let an experienced freelance copywriter take that burden off your shoulders, contact me today!

Content Writing for Email Drip Campaigns: 3 Key Points

If you're like the average businessperson, your contact lists, email boxes, CRM platform, and business card holders contain a wealth of prospects, some of whom might quite willingly be converted into customers if they encounter the right marketing content at the right time. Unfortunately, not everyone reads blog posts or peruses online videos as voraciously as you might hope, cutting off possible paths to pursuasion. But don't throw in the towel just yet, because those same folks probably check their email just as regularly as you check yours. That gives you a golden opportunity to grab their attention, build their trust, and influence their buying decisions through an email drip campaign. Let's take a look at three key points you should absorb if you want to put the power of email marketing to work for your organization.

1. A Drip Campaign Involves Multiple Touches

Yes, in an ideal world you could send out one earth-shattering email article or sales message that would sparkk an instant firestorm of purchases or requests for further information. But in case you haven't noticed by now, we don't inhabit an ideal world. A traditional sales rep might have to knock on the same door or call the same prospect on the phone time and time again before getting a response. A successful email marketing campaign relies on multiple touches, with emails sent out on a regular, recurring basis until your respondents either capitulate or filter you into that electronic Twilight Zone cornfield, the spam box.

Of course, it doesn't make much sense to send the exact same email article or message to the same people over and over. In a drip campaign, you send out a series of email messages, with each email message building on the impact of the previous one by explaining some additional aspect of your products or services. Eventually the cumulative impact of these multiple touches finally sways the recipients to respond.

2. Cold Emails and Warm Emails Call for Different Approaches

If you want to mount a successful drip campaign, you need at least two sets of email messages -- one for cold prospects, and the other for warm prospects. Cold email messages don't presume any actual interest on the recipient's part, at least not at first. You might start with a friendly greeting that introduces your company and includes a casual call to action such as, "I'd like to tell you more about how we can help you. Please contact me and let me know when we can set up a chat." Subsequent emails address various problems you solve or features you offer, always closing with a request to communicate.

Once a prospect actually responds, that prospect "graduates" from your cold email list and starts receiving your warm emails. These messages can go into much greater informational depth and detail because you already know the prospect is at least slightly interested. Your calls to action can get a little more aggressive at this stage as well.

3. Email Content Should Intrigue, Inform, and Compel

What kind of content should you pack into your drip campaign emails? Well, as noted above, the warm prospects get more content per email than the cold ones. Generally, however, even the cold emails should point out this or that specific problem that your business helps its customers overcome. The warm emails can include the same kind of content you'd normally create for blog posts. At this point, you're composing mini-articles that can include case studies, industry statistics, and other information likely to hold your recipients' interest. By the time you've cycled through your entire set of warm email messages, you should start getting results as long as you've aimed the right content at the right people.

If creating all that email content sounds like a lot of work, well, it is. The good news is that you don't actually have to do it yourself or tie up your marketing team with it -- not when you can hire a skilled, experienced freelance copywriter. Contact me today, and let's capture your target market's attention!

Bear Marketing: Smarter Marketing Strategies in a Tough Economy

Yes, yes, we know: "Times are tough." The U.S. has entered a bear market which may or may not drag on, the world continues to cope with pandemic-related issues, and global conflict has made its own mark on an already ugly picture. But if you've been in business for decades, you've seen several pretty grim patches come and go. So how do you keep your head above water, or even thrive, during a tough economy? How do you market your brand to consumers and businesses reluctant to open their wallets? Let's look at some smart ways to make your marketing dollar work harder for you.

Maintain (or Boost) Your Marketing Investment

It may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes you need to increase your marketing investment to get more bang for your marketing buck. Sure, you can cobble together something resembling a DIY marketing campaign, but if that bailing-wire-and-string approach doesn't bring in more business, how have you helped your financial picture? (In reality, you've probably damaged your business further by taking yourself away from other vital tasks to focus on those unsuccessful tactics.) Now's the time to bite the bullet, consult a marketing strategist, and take whatever steps that marketing strategist advises to turn your marketing budget into an income generator instead of a boondoggle.

Resist the urge to cut back on your marketing -- unless you want to see your customer base shrink to microscopic levels. During the big economic crunch of 2008, the businesses that curtailed their marketing saw some short-term benefits. But once the recession ended, those businesses found themselves way behind their competitors who had continued to market themselves consistently and aggressively.

Emphasize Digital Marketing

Traditional marketing methods haven't gone the way of the dodo by any means. Print marketing still matters for reaching certain chunks of your target market that digital marketing might not impact. However, those chunks are getting smaller and smaller as more and more shoppers rely on their computers and mobile phones to find the products and services they need. It only makes sense, then, to shift your marketing focus toward the digital world if you want to grab new buyers' attention and maintain current buyers' loyalty.

Digital marketing holds another money-saving advantage over print marketing: the lack of material costs. When you think about how much money you might have to sink into printing and mailing on a traditional print marketing campaign, you can see how digital marketing allows you to tighten your belt without pinching your marketing power.

Seek Discounted Media Buys

Do you market your company through TV, radio, and billboards? These media options can work well, but they can also cost a ton of money. Your first instinct might be to drop these options from your overall marketing plan -- but before you do, consider the possibilities of getting some amazing deals in the current environment. Billboard and media providers are likely hurting as some of their clients pull away from these channels, so try pushing for special deals and discounts. You might be amazed at how much more media time and space you can buy for what you've paid in the past (or even less).

Make Your Content More Compelling

Remember the point about investing in smarter marketing strategies to get better value from your efforts? Well, the same goes for the content that drives your marketing. If your marketing content doesn't attract new eyeballs, inspire confidence, and compel sales, you might as well not do any marketing at all (and you can imagine how well that would work out for you). Instead of hacking away at your content writing attempts or allowing your current so-so content to keep doing nothing for you, you need to invest in professional marketing content creation. 

Fortunately, copywriting counts as one of the cheaper parts of an effective marketing plan even as it helps you persuade your audience to part with their own money. Best of all, you can hire a freelance copywriter on an as-needed basis instead of adding a new employee to your payroll. Contact me today so I can help your company bear up under this bear market!

How to Guest Blog Like a Champ

Congratulations! An influential business leader or publication has invited you to contribute an article as a guest blogger. You have a golden opportunity to share your insights, wisdom, and experience with receptive readers who may then seek you out when they need your products or services. There's only one problem: How do you capitalize on this opportunity instead of blowing it? You're an expert in your field, but what if your expertise doesn't include blog writing? Even if you do create content for your own blog, what do you need to know before you leap into writing for someone else's blog? Let's look at some important steps that can help you succeed in your guest-blogging venture.

Understand the Ground Rules

Different blogs maintain their own standards, from word counts and other formatting requirements to tonal and stylistic preferences. Ask the owner or manager of the blog how long your article should run, whether they want you to adhere to a particular style (Associated Press, Chicago Manual of Style, et cetera), and whether you should sound formal, casual, or somewhere in between. Refer to other blog posts, including those posted by other guest bloggers, and see if you can match their format and tone without abandoning your own unique voice. Last but certainly not least, make sure you know the deadline for submitting the article -- and make sure you can meet it.

Get Your Topic Approved in Advance

This point might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many guest bloggers assume that their topic will work for the blog host without actually confirming it beforehand. You can easily spend hours working on an article, only to get a note along the lines of, "Um, what we really needed was [something else]." At that point you can only start over from scratch (assuming you can still meet the deadline) or just give up. Avoid this pitfall by submitting your proposed topic for approval before you proceed.

Inform, Don't Sell

If you've been invited to guest blog, the blog host probably hopes that you'll contribute a thought leadership article that will impress and educate the blog's target audience. Don't take this opportunity to sell your products or services in a brash, transparent manner. Focus on the topic itself in ways that gently steer the audience in your general direction. For instance, a real estate agent writing about the latest trends in the residential market might present a wealth of relevant information while also mentioning the value a real estate expert can provide for buyers and sellers. Instead of dropping a firm call to action in the conclusion, simply wrap things up with a reminder that an expert in your field can help clarify this information and help the reader take the next step, whatever that may be. Since you're obviously the expert in question, who do you think they'll contact?

Even after you know exactly what to write about and how to write it to your blog host's satisfaction, you may find this kind of content creation too challenging, intimidating, time consuming, or just plain inconvenient to bother with. But that doesn't mean you should give up on the self-promotional benefits of guest blogging -- it just means you need assistance from a professional copywriter. Contact me today to find out how I can help you guest blog more easily and successfully!

4 Subjects for Your Summertime Marketing Content

This June 21st will mark the official first day of summer, even if those of us in Texas feel like the hot weather always gets here quite a bit earlier. Unless you sell snowshoes or winter coats for a living, you'll most likely run your business at full tilt during the summer months. Have you thought about how the season might influence your marketing content and strategies? If not, take a look at four subject areas you can mine for more powerful, effective, and relevant content marketing this summer.

1. Summer Fun

What does your target audience do for fun in the summer? Many folks like to jump in the car and head for the nearest beach, fishing hole, or lake. Others prefer to hit the hike-and-bike trails, get in as much golf as humanly possible, or cheer for their local baseball team. Still others prefer to hide from the sun and lose themselves in summer movies or reading. Think about the activities your customers and prospective customers tend to gravitate toward. Do you provide products or services that might either enhance that experience or possibly even make that experience possible for them? If so, drive those points home in your upcoming blog articles, direct mail postcards, sales letters, and other summertime marketing content.

2. Summer Fitness

Summer fun and summer fitness tend to go hand in hand. People want to get the most out of their vacation time, which often means preparing themselves physically for their favorite athletic pursuits. Summertime is also beach time, a thought that sends many individuals to the gym for some quick toning up, or to the local boutique for a more flattering bathing suit. But fitness involves more than just flexing muscles and fitting into bikinis -- it also requires people to think about their sleep quality, nutritional intake, stress levels, and many more essential factors. If your business caters to any of these needs and concerns, add the appropriate seasonal spin to your marketing content.

3. Summer Events

Summer hosts a wealth of events that many of your clients may observe and enjoy, starting with the summer solstice on the first day of the season. As we turn the calendar page from June to July, your Canadian customers will celebrate Canada Day. Here in the States, July 4th obviously means Independence Day, accompanied by all the holiday's traditional sales, outdoor spectaculars, and other income-generating activities. Then there's National Bikini Day (back to the bikinis again!) on 7/5, National Hot Dog Day on 7/20, National Watermelon Day on 8/3, National Left-Hander's Day on 8/13.... Well, you get the idea. Build little marketing campaigns around the events and holidays most likely to resonate with your target market. Since many potential buyers may not even know about some of the more obscure days on the summer calendar, you'll want to spotlight those days in your emails, blog articles, and social media posts.

4. Summer Heat

I already mentioned the summer heat. Some people hate it, others live for it, but everybody responds to it somehow. Sweltering summer temperatures affect everything from household climate control systems and meal choices to water consumption habits, skin protection strategies, and concerns about senior, child, and pet safety. Think about all the potential industries that may serve these needs, including your own. Everybody's talking about the heat anyway, so why not turn the conversation back toward your business? Create content about the various ways you can help your audience endure the heat more safely, comfortably, and/or efficiently, and you'll get all the attention (and business) you can handle until the mercury finally starts to drop.

Smart summertime marketing strategies can definitely help your business get a head start on a more profitable fall and winter. But do you have time to generate the content needed to make these strategies work? You do if you engage the services of a skilled, reliable marketing copywriter. Contact me today so we can cook up the right web, blog, and print marketing content to make your summertime business sizzle!

Writing a Press Release? Read This First

You've got something spectacular to share with the world, or at least with your organizations' target market. So, stop the presses! Alert the media! Issue a press release! Wait, you don't have a press release? You've never written a press release? You wouldn't know where to begin with a press release? Okay, never mind. Re-start the presses.

Actually, press releases aren't hard to create once you know how they work and what you need to include. Distributing is easier than ever, too, thanks to the online templates offered by so many of today's digital media publications. Just paste your content into the right fields, fill out the other information, make sure you've followed all the publication's rules regarding formatting and word count, and hit Submit. Of course, there's still the press release itself to be written -- but the following tips should make that go more smoothly for you as well.

Invert That Pyramid

First and foremost, a press release is a news story crafted for publication as such, even if it's actually submitted by a business for purely promotional reasons. News stories follow a traditional structure known as an inverted pyramid. The most newsworthy facts sit at the top (the wide end) of the pyramid; this is your "Who, What, Where, When, Why" section, a.k.a "the lead," and it should be the first information your reader sees. Once you've nailed these key facts, you then move to the middle section of the inverted triangle, or the "body." Here's where you fill out the key points you established in your opening with explanatory information, interview quotes, and detailed breakdowns of attractive features and benefits you want to impress your audience with. The upside-down point at the bottom of your inverted pyramid is known as the "tail." This is where you wrap everything up with final followup information. (See below.)

Just the Facts, Ma'am

When you're trying to talk up an exciting new development, product, or service, it's only natural to fall into hyperbole. If you think something is wonderful, why wouldn't you use the word "wonderful?" Well, it shoots down your objectivity, and journalism (in an ideal world, anyway) is supposed to read as an objective presentation of facts. If you remember "Dragnet," you probably recall the cops steering this or that eyewitness away from a rambling editorial diatribe with a gentle but insistent, "Just the facts, ma'am." If your story really does have items that your audience will respond to, let the facts speak for themselves. You can always add a bit of hype here and there by placing it in someone else's mouth via quotes: "We're excited about this wonderful new way to help our clients thrive," et cetera.

Tell Your "Tail"

Remember that "tail" I mentioned earlier? It might occupy the least distinguished level of the inverted pyramid, but that doesn't make it unimportant. On the contrary, this section provides crucial details such as whom readers should contact to get more details about the story. It also serves as a kind of passive call to action: "The company directs interested parties to contact so-and-so for additional details and a free initial consultation." 

Even if these pointers help to clear up any confusion you might have had about press release composition, you may still feel less than enthusiastic about actually sitting down to write the stupid thing. But you can remedy that hassle easily enough simply by contacting me and letting me put my years of experience as a freelance copywriter to work for you. So stop the presses (again), and let's get the word out!

Bio Profile Dos and Dont's

The time has come to tell your story. Okay, maybe you're not interested in composing your memoirs, at least not just at the moment. But your boss has asked you to contribute a bio profile for the company web page, or some association wants to include a blurb about you in their publication, or you've been tasked with taking raw information about key team members and transforming that textual lead into gold. So what do you need to know about crafting an effective, informative, exciting bio profile, either about yourself or about someone else? The following dos and don'ts should prove helpful.

Do Organize Your Points

One problem I've seen time and time again when editing people's bio profiles involves scattershot organization. Key points get shoved down into the middle of the page (what journalists like to call "burying the lead"), while other points pop up in seemingly random spots or get repeated multiple times without much variation. While a bio profile doesn't serve the purpose of a resume and shouldn't read like one, you do want to follow an outline that breaks different subjects into recognizable chunks that follow a logical progression.

Don't Get Lost in Trivia Land

Many companies encourage their team members to include personal information alongside career achievements, work histories, and job descriptions. This information helps to break down the barriers and present each employee as a warm, approachable, real-life human being to clients and prospective customers. But you can always have too much of a good thing, including personal details. for instance, your readers may appreciate the fact that you own dogs without necessarily needing to know each pup's name and breed. Similarly, your personal history may have a direct bearing on your practical experience, skill set, and approach to your work, but we don't need to know about every single twist and turn your professional life has taken. With every point you add, keep asking yourself, "Why does this matter to my reader?" If you can't think of an answer, get out the red pen.

Do Create Long and Short Bio Profiles

If you need to craft a bio profile as a business leader or industry expert for a variety of future applications, keep in mind that some publications, sites, or other organizations will prefer a shorter bio, while others might prefer a longer, more detailed one. The answer to this challenge is simple enough: Prepare both a long version and a short version. It's usually easier to write the long bio first, and then cherry-pick the most important information for the shorter bio. You'll feel much better prepared to participate in a wider range of business opportunities once you've got these options ready for submission.

Don't Try Too Hard to Impress (But Do Try Hard Enough)

Some people prefer not to blow their own horn for fear that they'll appear full of themselves, resulting in a humdrum bio profile that triggers a "So what?" response. Others believe that they have to present themselves as the greatest thing since sliced bread by throwing all kinds of hyperbole into their bio profiles. Try to keep your statements reasonable and realistic, but not to the extent that you fail to talk yourself up at all. It's a fine balance to achieve -- but remember, you don't have to create that bio profile all by yourself. If you'd rather rely on the skills of a professional freelance copywriter, or if just you've got too many other items on your plate to spend precious time sweating over your bio profile, contact me and take advantage of my bio-writing experience You have a compelling professional story to tell -- so let's tell it!

Taking Center Stage: Marketing Content for Events and Festivals

After two years of COVID-based cancellations, San Antonio's Fiesta finally returned in full force at the end of March, concluding on April 10th. This festival, which typically draws some 2.5 million attendees, featured over 100 events all over town, from cook-offs and band battles to parades. But of course San Antonio isn't the only metropolis that celebrates its identity and culture through major festivals. Austin has South by Southwest, Albuquerque has its International Balloon Fiesta, and you may have heard about a little shindig called Mardi Gras in New Orleans. A ton of business changes hands during these mega-events, with countless brands getting a welcome boost to their visibility. So how can your own organization get in on the act and grab a slice of all that action? Here are a few routes you can take, along with specific types of marketing content to help you claim the spotlight.

Creating Your Own Event

If you want to generate some serious interest in your company, you don't have to wait for the next big local or regional event -- you can simply create your own. This project might prove as simple as hosting a wine tasting, networking event, business seminar, or some other get-together that combines business with pleasure. Since you can't rely on the kind of public awareness that the big events enjoy, you'll need to generate as much advance word as you can. That means creating and distributing at least one press release announcing your upcoming event, along with direct mail marketing pieces to send to your current client and prospect lists. You'll also want to blog about this exciting development and post updates to your social media channels so your online followers will get fired up and mark their calendars.

Participating in an Existing Event

If hosting your own event isn't feasible, why not participate in someone else's? You might rent booth space at one of the enormously popular local festivals, or you might simply get together with a few other businesses and put together a collective expo of sorts. This approach allows you to share at least some of the promotional burden with these other organizations. You may even piggy-back on another small business's event in return for shouldering some of the costs. Make sure you've put together plenty of print marketing pieces such as brochures and onesheets to hand out at the door. Don't forget to order plenty of branded swag bags and promotional products to accompany those print pieces. Asl your print shop to equip you with branded standup banners, tabletop displays, and other oversized marketing pieces to draw visitors to your booth or table.

Building Event-Related Marketing Campaigns

Okay, so you've decided that you can't get directly involved in this festival or that event. There's nothing stopping you from tying your marketing efforts to that festival or event through imaginative leaps and compelling content. You see this approach all the time in seasonal marketing efforts, with various businesses leveraging Halloween, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, and other big days on the calendar to promote sales. Why not use your local big event for the same purpose? When excitement's already in the air, you want to ride that breeze! Think about how major holidays or seasonal changes might inspire unusual marketing campaigns that nevertheless make perfect sense for your brand. Then promote your event-related sale or public awareness campaign through a combination of blog posts, videos, social media comments, direct mail, and email notices. It sounds like a lot of work, but you can always hire a professional copywriter to produce a lot of that content for you. So contact me, and let's make the big splash your business needs!