The WRONG Ways to Blog
There are many right reasons to blog, but that doesn’t stop people from blogging for the WRONG reasons. Here is a quick list of what a blog won’t do for you, and why you should not position your blog in these ways.
1. You tell people what you want them to know rather than what they want to know.
People come to your blog to find answers to their questions. What are the most common things clients or potential clients ask about your business, service or product? What are the most often-listed questions on the Internet on this subject? When you hear or find questions, write them down and use these as blog topics.
2. You write in “corporate speak.”
A blog is a casual conversation between you and the readers. Talking in a corporate language, or using acronyms, will turn off your readers rather than engage them. Save the corporate talk for your white papers when readers want to know intricate details.
3. You think you won’t be original.
If you’re holding back from publishing a business blog because you think you don’t have anything original to say, you’re wrong. When your prospects are researching their question, they are looking for 1) answers and 2) rapport. If they have the choice between two (or more) companies, they will likely choose the one they feel speaks to them. You don’t have to have original thoughts; you just need to be sincere.
Continue reading →Win a Sale with the Triangulation Technique
I came across a wonderful technique from Ed Gandia (copywriter, author, speaker and coach) that helps answer the dilemma of not having specific samples to show a client.
Here’s the scenario: your prospective client is a dentist, for example, and while you’re pitching your service, the prospect asks if you have any experience working with businesses like his.
You don’t.
You could just say “no” and walk away. Instead, Gandia offers this alternative: the triangulation technique.
The Triangulation Technique
The steps of the Triangulation Technique are as follows, in this order:
- The client wants a project done and asks if you have specific experience in their field. You don’t.
- You tell the client what you DO have and have done, and offer examples.
- You justify why you will do a great job and ask for the sale.
1. Tell Them What You DO Have
Instead, of “no,” you answer, “I don’t have that specific experience…but here’s what I DO have that will enable me to do a good job.” Proceed to show specific examples that would relate to this type of job–even if it was in a different field. Continue reading →
People need your change | Writing Quotes
“People need your craft of writing, but they need your change more.”
Seth Godin, author and dot com business executive
Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2020
When marketing your business, it makes sense to pay attention to what your consumers are concerned with. One way to learn their issues is to look at the top consumer trends. Then review what’s going on in your target market and put some thought into how you can add features to your product or service line, or modify your products and services to meet these needs. Here are 10 consumer trends for 2020, excerpted from an article in Forbes.
1. Family and Home Productivity
Since the majority of households have both parents working, parents need new software tools and services to help manage their lives at home as well as at work. 2020 also brings the trends of teleworking, home offices and home study spaces for school-aged children.
2. Next-Generation Meat
The growth of companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat indicate that consumers are cutting back on animal protein and looking towards plant-based alternatives. What is the next-generation trend in your industry? Continue reading →
How Do You Prove Your Expertise?
I follow marketing expert Marcia Yudkin, author of The Marketing Minute, and her latest marketing advice got me thinking. She begins with stating that your About page must address two crucial questions your prospects might wonder:
- Are you, in fact, good at what you do?
- Can I count on you to deliver as promised?
She goes on to state that your bio must include what marketers call “proof elements.” Without them, you have a trustworthiness gap.
So what are proof elements?
A proof element must provide an external indicator of competence and reliability. That means the proof must come from an outside source other than yourself or someone within your organization. Here are some examples and ways you can obtain and use your proof elements.
Types of Third-Party Proof Elements
Testimonials
Most websites have a page dedicated to testimonials. These are endorsements of a personal experience this person had with you or your company regarding quality and reliability. You should include the person’s name (or at least their initials and city), or a reference to the source, in every post to ensure that it is indeed an outside source. If you don’t have a testimonials page on your website, add one. People love to hear about other people’s experiences and trust their opinions. Testimonials can be written, or opt for video testimonials of your customers talking about their experience. Continue reading →
Why Should I Blog?
Is blogging a difficult thing to do? No. Is it essential? Yes. Many clients ask us, “Why should I blog?” That shows us that they don’t know or understand the benefits of blogging, so let’s review those benefits here.
Blogging attracts interested prospects
People are searching the Internet for answers to solve their problems. When your business blog post offers that solution, you are immediately on their radar as a qualified resource, without their having to make a commitment.
Blogging establishes and reinforces your expertise
Your business blog posts are prime locations in which to establish and reinforce your expertise in your field. Post answers to the most often-asked questions about your business. Post evidence of your expertise with awards and links to articles in which you appear. Post proof that you are an expert with examples and explanations of your products and services. Post reviews and testimonials. There are numerous ways you can build your credibility.
The business mentorship organization Score offers 10 reasons to keep an active business blog, beginning with the fact that “customers who read your blog at 97% more likely to click on your website.” The answer to “Why should I blog” is to attract and convince potential customers and clients. Continue reading →
Writing is Hard | Writing Quotes
“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
–David McCullough, Pulitzer-Prize winning author
What to Look for in a Really Good Copywriter
The hardest thing any business owner can do is to write about him or herself or their business. It just can’t be done—or at least done well. You need that outside eye—preferably a writer with a good marketing background and solid writing reputation—to create copy about you that others will find compelling. If you try to write about yourself, you will get bogged down in too many details, wondering which are the most important. You will also labor for hours on end trying to get the copy “just right.”
What Makes a Really Good Copywriter?
When you’ve decided it is best for both your sanity and your time to hire an outside writer, here’s what you should look for:
Style of copywriting experience
Your copywriter should be up to date on the latest ways to write for the particular medium you’re writing for, be it the web, brochures, a media kit or an author bio, for example. The writing styles for each are entirely different. If the writer doesn’t know the difference, look for one who does.
Great interview skills
Most of the information for the copy will come from you. A great copywriter has the confidence to conduct an interview to gather what they need in the shortest time possible. We know you’re busy and we need to use our skills to ferret out details quickly that make your copy shine. Expect some “off the wall” questions, and roll with them. We’re also looking for insights into your personality so we can inject that into the copy.
Continue reading →
21 Tips to Increase Instagram Engagement
Want to get more followers on Instagram? I recently came across this article that had a lot of great ideas on how to do just that.
Instagram is Growing Quickly
In 21 Tips to Massively Increase Instagram Engagement in 2019, author Adam Phillips reported that 13% of the world is now using this platform, and engagement is still increasing. It has more than 1 billion monthly active users, with 50% of those users following brands.
Shares, likes and comments are reporting 10X higher than Facebook, 54X higher than Pinterest, and 84X higher than Twitter. If you haven’t done so already, you should consider adding Instagram to your marketing mix.
Among the 21 tips offered by this report are:
- Know how often to post
- Don’t preach, tell a story instead
- Use Instagram video subtitles and closed captions
- Choose the right hashtags, and
- Convert Instagram followers into email subscribers
The author goes on to explain how to put these tips into action. For example, under “Know how often to post,” he claims that the “sweet spot” is a consistent 1-2 posts a day. For when to post, he says, “Uncover your own follower’s Instagram habits by using the Insights feature of your Instagram Business Account. This helps you identify when your followers are most active.”
The article is posted on the Falcon website, so of course, there is a plug for Falcon’s social media management platform. This post does not hold any opinion as to that platform. Rather, we thought there were really good tips that might benefit those business owners and marketing managers who want and need to build their brand.
Need Social Media Marketing? Contact All the Buzz.
If you’d like to outsource your social media management, we’ll be glad to help. We can assist you in creating your social media platforms, providing content, and scheduling posts. Contact All the Buzz for expert marketing and writing.
How to Increase your SEO Rank in Voice Searches
Increase your SEO rank on voice searches
Keeping up with all the changes in today’s technology isn’t easy. Business owners have to stay on their toes to maintain their edge over their competitors. One of the up-and-coming trends is voice searches. People are using Alexa and Siri and other voice-activated search tools to help find answers to their burning questions.
Here is an article I’m sharing from Joan Stewart at The Publicity Hound on “How to Rank Well for Voice Search.”
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“Hey Siri, how can a mother help a colicky baby?” asks a reporter who’s writing a story for Parents magazine.
If you’re a parenting expert who has written a blog post on “How mothers can help colicky babies,” your article has a chance of being found in voice search.
Here’s a super tip from Website Magazine on how to rank well when people are searching by voice, as well as by typing their questions into the search engines. Continue reading →
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