Writing on the Web

MARCH 30, 2016

Is your blog content compelling? Are you attracting new readers, engaging with them, and growing your reader base? In my last post , I shared an acronym that you should be using when writing blog content: C ontent (compelling). A ssets (free). S ocial Media. T rack. Hemingway did not have the technological advantages that we have, nor a blog, but he knew how to engage his readers.

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Writing on the Web

MARCH 7, 2016

Congratulations! Your reader base has grown to 5,000! You had 4,277 hits on your blog last month, and 737 legitimate comments! If you’re a solo professional trying to get found online, these numbers could be PDG: pretty darn good. Small businesses, however, might find these figures PDA, pretty dawn awful. My point is whatever the size of your biz, you want to grow your reader base, increase hits on your site, and stimulate comments, on your blog, social media, and LinkedIn.

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Writing on the Web

JANUARY 19, 2016

Content marketing is challenging, but it’s also the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. What more satisfying way to market professional services than by writing from the heart? When you address the problems your readers experience with your own knowledge, experience and wisdom, you help others AND build credibility authentically. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know that I do not believe in new year resolutions.

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Writing on the Web

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Are you writing stories with feeling on your business blog? If your blog post doesn’t resonate emotionally, you can’t do a good job of building relationships, inspiring trust, and moving people into taking action. As I mentioned in my last post , great blog content appeals to people who are both thinkers and feelers. To do this, blog writers need to get real with readers – they need to step away from their anonymous masks and get emotional.

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Writing on the Web

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Is your blog content writing appealing to both thinkers AND feelers ? If you aren’t appealing to these two types of communication (and decision) styles, you’re missing half of your readership potential. When I’m blogging, I like to cite studies whenever I write about a concept, to prove my point. In The Collected Works of C. G. Jung, Volume 6: Psychological Types , noted psychologist Carl Jung identified four primary functions of consciousness: Two perceiving functions: Sensation and

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Writing on the Web

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

Building a product funnel on your blog is key to making all your hard work profitable. As I explained in my previous post , a great product funnel provides your readers with an opportunity to get to know you, like you and trust you. You make compelling offers to your readers that they can receive from free to fee: Some information for free, immediate download, no strings.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 28, 2015

Are you building a product funnel on your blog? In my recent blog posts, I’ve been talking about ways to earn money blogging using two different methods: Sell products directly through your blog (or website). Sell products or services because of your blog , or indirectly. These are two key elements of a product funnel – a key internet marketing strategy that will help ensure that you are not leaving money on the table or missing opportunities to solidify the relationships your hard-earned cont

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 23, 2015

Do you know how to write blog posts so that they actually get read? Some people think blogging is easy : Write it and it will be read. If you’ve ever written a blog post , you know that’s not true, and it’s hard to craft a post people will read. This infographic was created for Salesforce Canada and it says it all; it will help you put together a share-worthy post.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Do you know how to make money blogging? Let me ask you this: Are you earning money because of your blog? If so, your blog is a means of indirect sales. As I talked about in my last post , there are two different methods you can earn money blogging: Directly. Indirectly. How to Make Money Indirectly from a Business Blog. A quick review: When I speak of earning money directly from a blog , I am referring to methods such as advertising on your blog, sponsorship on your blog, sale of products or se

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Writing on the Web

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

It’s the rainy season here in Mexico – a great time to do a lot of reading, writing and recovery – at least, that’s what I told myself when I scheduled my shoulder surgery. But I’m having trouble with my blog writing. And now I’m stuck. I’ve got Blogger’s Block. (Yes, even experienced bloggers can get stuck from time to time.). So I pull out my bag of great blog post tricks, and determine where I’m stuck in the process.

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Writing on the Web

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

Do you struggle with the creative process of writing blogs ? Do you cringe when you need to find a topic for your blog? You’re not alone. Over the past 11 years, I’ve written a ton of information about writing great blog posts and newsletters, as well as e-books, white papers and articles to increase your visibility. Sometimes it feels like I’ve already written as much as I have to say.

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Writing on the Web

AUGUST 26, 2015

When it comes to business blogging , how do you save time and still get results? How do you make blog tasks so easy your cat could do it? It’s the dog days of summer but around our house that expression isn’t acceptable. Doodles and Buster would have a cat fit. Here in Mexico we’re in the rainy season, when the heat of the Summer is tempered by the cool nightly rains.

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Writing on the Web

AUGUST 22, 2015

As I’ve shared in previous posts, the value of social proof — referrals, recommendations , and client testimonials — cannot be underestimated. Similar to how frequent, quality content enhances your website pages, social proof enhances your professional credibility. When readers learn from the comments from other people about your business, they become your most persuasive sales people.

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Writing on the Web

JULY 16, 2015

There’s no doubt that social proof is one of the key ways people decide to buy or try your products or services. But if you don’t have a lot of clients, or you’re starting a new business or product, how do you get quality client testimonials ? I get asked about this by some of my consulting clients. Nothing can backfire and destroy trust and credibility more quickly than phony testimonials.

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Writing on the Web

JULY 8, 2015

When writing on the web about your services or products, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of testimonials and client reviews. Social proof is such a strong persuasion trigger you shouldn’t limit these comments to just a page, but have them scattered throughout your web and blog pages. Know what works best for your content marketing strategies, especially when creating a website or blog, introducing yourself, a new product, or special promotion.

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Writing on the Web

JUNE 26, 2015

Why is social proof so important when writing on the web? This week I got a call from a person who wanted to buy a subscription to executive coach articles to use for her new newsletter. What sealed the deal? The testimonials from other subscribers. Recommendations, testimonials and client stories are a powerful persuasion tactic. It’s one of the key persuasion triggers that get people to take action.

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Writing on the Web

JUNE 26, 2015

Why is social proof so important when writing on the web? It makes the difference between converting a reader to a client and influencing a sale or not. This week I got a call from a person who wanted to buy a subscription to executive coach articles to use for her new newsletter. What sealed the deal? The testimonials from other subscribers. Social proof— recommendations, testimonials and client stories —are a powerful persuasion tactic.

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Writing on the Web

JUNE 16, 2015

How are you doing with your 2015 blog goals ? Are you publishing blog topics that include compelling, relevant content that solves the problems of your readers? A study on B2B content marketing has shown that 70% of businesses online have more content now than they had last year, and of these, 80% are doing so through corporate blogs. These smart professionals understand the effectiveness of blogs, but blogging is not without challenges: figuring out what blog topics to focus on, conducting appr

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Writing on the Web

MAY 15, 2015

Once upon a time, SEO met up with Content Marketing , fell in love, and vowed to never separate, to always work together in harmony. Anyone who’s been around the ‘Net a while understands a little about optimizing content so that the search engines can index it according to topic and relevance to readers. About ten years ago, someone decided to give a name to the type of marketing that occurs that involves the creation and sharing of media and publishing content in order to acquire an

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Writing on the Web

MAY 10, 2015

All the data shows that people prefer doing business with authentic brands and authentic professionals. But how authentic is your blog writing? Do you sound authentic? And, how do you write authentically, anyway? In my last blog post, I shared 5-steps for a good bio/marketing message for an e-newsletter : Tell them who you are and what you can do to help solve their challenges.

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Writing on the Web

APRIL 8, 2015

'What’s the best kept secret of a newsletter bio? As I mentioned in my last post, your bio on your blog or website About page should be current and tell a story, rather than be a resume written in the third person. The same is true for an email newsletter bio. Unfortunately, I see many coaches and consultants use their resumes for their sidebar bio. (“Dr.

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Writing on the Web

MARCH 26, 2015

'When’s the last time you updated your bio on your About page on your blog or website? Smart bloggers know that this is one of the most visited pages: People want to know who’s behind a business. Personalities count. Yet many blogs and sites have a standard resume written in the third person, boring as all get-out. Certainly client lists are important.

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Writing on the Web

MARCH 19, 2015

'Do you use story telling on your blog or website ? For anyone involved in persuading others (i.e., everyone), success depends on cutting through the noise and clutter to make the sale or persuade others to adopt our point of view. Storytelling sells and persuades because it’s an innate skill that has evolved over centuries—something we all know how to do.

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Writing on the Web

MARCH 5, 2015

'How do you avoid time-sucking traps when it comes to blog writing ? If you’re anything like me, you may have found yourself (a time or two!) with nothing to show after sitting in front of your screen for 90 minutes. Yup. It happens to the best of us. You sit down with your coffee, open email, and an hour later still haven’t posted on your blog.

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Writing on the Web

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'A few years ago I polled readers and asked what their biggest blogging challenge is. Turns out, it’s not lack of time, it’s lack of inspiration. Does your blog writing lack inspiration? Is it hard to get really fired up when starting to write a post? I get that. When I was just starting out as a blogger (was that really over 15 years ago?!) I could just feel that screen staring right back at me.

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Writing on the Web

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

'Do you know about LinkedIn blogs? And are you blogging yet on LinkedIn ? I’m not yet, but I will be right after I write this blog post! Since early 2014, LinkedIn opened its publishing platform to its 300+ million users. Here is your chance to show your expertise in your professional life and without character restrictions! The importance of using a LinkedIn blog is that it will add dimension and help in building a well-documented profile.

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Writing on the Web

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

'How to Find It and Keep It" width="315" height="205" title="Your Business Blog Sweet Spot: How to Find It and Keep It" /> Have you found your business blog sweet spot? In previous posts I shared how storytelling and personalization are key to creating a blog with personality, and that the biggest mistake business bloggers make is ego-centric blog posts.

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Writing on the Web

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

'The biggest mistake business bloggers make is that they are frequently ego-centric. This isn’t necessarily all bad, it simply doesn’t bring the blogging results that smart professionals expect. Bloggers are so passionate about their message and their expertise , they preach. They shout. They proclaim. They implore. They explain. They document and support their logic.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 30, 2014

'What’s the scariest blog post you have ever read? For me it’s a blog or website without any personality. Storytelling and personalization is the key piece in content marketing as I see it. People are good at writing about what they know. They aren’t as good about expressing who they are and why they do what they do. If you’re not writing real stories, your content – on your blog, in your newsletter, on your web pages – runs the risk of being boring.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 22, 2014

'Have you created a list of your top 10 blogs? If not, you’re missing out on opportunity to improve your search rankings. It’s easy, smart and can help your business blog get inbound links. I’ve talked about creating your own Top 10 lists before, and it still makes sense, even more so given the way SEO works today. Besides providing valuable, relevant information for your readers, you also: Show your generosity by pointing out other experts besides yourself.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 15, 2014

'from Social Media" width="300" height="212" title="How to Lure Readers to Your Blog from Social Media" /> Let’s face it; sometimes it’s hard to draw people’s attention away from their many social media accounts. I know that I’m guilty of not being willing to leave the social media site I’m browsing to visit an outside blog or article. So how do we as blog writers get people to leave the social media bubble and head on over to our blog to read and then share what they read on social media?

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 8, 2014

'Is Your Web Content Worthy of a Once Over?" width="300" height="300" title="Scannable Blog Posts: Is Your Web Content Worthy of a Once Over?" /> Is your web content worthy of a once over? Do your readers find it attractive – that is, easily scannable and interesting? If not, you are missing opportunities to connect with your readers and make a lasting impression.

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Writing on the Web

OCTOBER 1, 2014

'How do you create quality content that attracts online readers and yet works to promote the growth of your business? Creating great content for your business blog is a what and how issue, as in what constitutes “good” content , and how does one produce that content so that it brings in the readers that a business blogger wants. Quality content stimulates reader/ customer engagement.

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Writing on the Web

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

'Quality blog posts are key to your business getting found on the Web. While that may sound obvious – (“Of course, why would I write something ho-hum boring?”) it’s harder than you might think. Not everyone agrees on what quality content is. Quality content scores high with readers, your target clients, and with search engines. If you want to get found, get known and get clients online, you need to write and publish quality blog posts that resonate with your readers.

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Writing on the Web

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

'I feel like we hear a lot of the same blogging tips over and over again. While it is definitely useful to know your blogging basics and how to boost readership, how about we change it up a little and offer some ideas on how to boost your blog in ways that you’ve maybe not thought about before? Here are a few ways that you can get new (and old) eyes on your blog and keep them engaged.

Tips 100

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Writing on the Web

JULY 30, 2014

'The thing to know about business blogging is that it’s a continual quest to make your blog better. One good post now and again isn’t enough; you’ve got to keep readers coming back. Most of us don’t blog for the fun of it, we do it because we want readers coming to our website. We want people to actually read the content that we craft because we know it has value to them.

Small Business Marketing 100

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Writing on the Web

JULY 23, 2014

'If you’re a leadership coach or a consultant to leaders you know how time-consuming it is to write quality leadership articles and blogs. Here’s a professional writing service just for you providing leadership articles for your newsletters and blogs. And, you can get a 10% discount on annual subscriptions with Content for Coaches , if you order before Thursday, July 31, 2014.

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