ideas and tips for busy business owners… like you!
But all of our marketing words are not important in every context. We have to pick and choose. When I first started my business almost 15 years ago, I remember struggling with the distinction between features and benefits, and with talking about my potential clients’ … Keep reading…
This morning I deleted an email from a good friend and past client. I didn’t realize it was from that wonderful lady because it didn’t show up in my inbox from her name or her company’s name. I only dug it out of my trash … Keep reading…
Is this you… ? When you watch TV, you can’t wait for the ads. On YouTube, you let every ad play fully. You open your email inbox eagerly every morning, anticipating all the emails with this week’s sales or next week’s webinars. You read the … Keep reading…
We often use the words editing and proofing interchangeably but there is a significant difference. If you’re not aware of it, you could be failing at both. Editing is big picture or ‘zoomed out’; proofing is detailed or ‘zoomed in’. Editing is about the overall … Keep reading…
Isn’t it amazing that it’s now so easy to keep in touch with people we met years ago? Social media has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and work colleagues from long before social media existed. (Yes, I’m that old.) It has also allowed … Keep reading…
If you are looking for a quick and certain way of giving your words more impact, look no further than your purse or wallet. Take a look at the last thing you wrote. It doesn’t matter if it’s a letter, email, report, newsletter, web content … Keep reading…
Did you realize there’s a difference between being found and getting found? The words suggest a subtle difference but, really, there’s a huge distinction when it comes to online marketing. Many new and experienced small business owners make critical — often costly — mistakes by … Keep reading…
Ever since I wrote this article — Where Do You Get Stuck? — a couple of years ago, I’ve been on a mission to come up with solutions to content creation obstacles. coming up with ideas adapting your ideas for writing starting to write finishing … Keep reading…
Years ago when I first started doing email newsletters, each new client had questions about writing the introduction to their very first issue. Eventually, I prepared a tip sheet for new clients and also posted the info on my blog thinking it might be useful … Keep reading…
What’s a goal of business blogging that will never be a goal of email marketing? Search engine optimization (SEO), of course. For email, it’s all about subject line optimization. (Is SLO a ‘thing’?) Crafting a compelling email subject line can achieve better and more immediate … Keep reading…
You know when you’ve been online for a while – scrolling, reading, tapping – and then realize the time? We may feel good (because we learned something), bad (because something pushed a hot button), or indifferent (what level on HayDay?). Regardless, we still think of … Keep reading…
You might think your website FAQ page is the best place to answer questions but I would argue that your blog is even better. In fact, I suggest your FAQ page should list the questions, and perhaps short answers, with links to blog posts for … Keep reading…
One of the best things I ever did was to take Anita Kirkbride‘s advice when she told me I should post daily enewsletter tips on social media. It was a very specific and fairly easy task to do. I ended up with an Excel spreadsheet with … Keep reading…
Some people still think there’s a scarcity of information in the world, to be hoarded and divvied out carefully. It’s true that information becomes less valuable the more it proliferates… but there’s definitely no scarcity. If you are ever concerned about sharing too much information, … Keep reading…
Guest post by Anita Kirkbride Have you ever noticed how being overwhelmed by something tends to make it suck the time right out of your day? The more overwhelmed you feel, the longer it takes to get it done? All entrepreneurs get that feeling about … Keep reading…
Guest post by Frances Leary Every business of every size needs a platform that gives it a voice. Social media is just that. It gives every organization, large and small, a voice to share its information, inspiration, products, and services with the world. However, … Keep reading…
The one truly unique type of content you can create contains your opinions. Certainly, there are other unique types of content that will work for some… but not for everyone. If you are an expert, an influencer, a salesperson… you have opinions. Opinions make for … Keep reading…
Stuck, uninspired, unmotivated, feeling stale – anyone who blogs regularly is going to experience those things from time to time. Especially when we’re busy, it’s hard to take time to get inspired. Sometimes I don’t need inspiration so much as a new angle – a … Keep reading…
Consider how likely you would be to open/read articles with these titles: How to Be a Politician Small Business Marketing Healthy Foods for Everyone Dressing for Work The Benefits of Travel How to Find Any Job How to Be a Millionaire Nothing much exciting… been … Keep reading…
I like to joke that I’m a great example of how someone who can’t write can still have success with a blog. The fact is, in my past career I did a lot of writing: job descriptions, standard operating procedures, workflows, and reports of all … Keep reading…