Author: April Hall

Internet Copywriter

Although the blogging community has been around for going on ten years now, it has only been in the last few years that average businesses have begun to recognize the value of this type of internet presence. Many small businesses who would otherwise not be able to afford internet marketing are able to use business blogs to promote their products and services. Even the most writing-averse small business owners usually find that they enjoy taking a few minutes out of every week to write about the industry they love.

What is a business blog?

Blogs are typically websites that are updated frequently, with many short entries and an opportunity for readers to comment on those entries. This entry itself is an entry within a business blog. Unlike formal articles and other types of web content, a business blog can usually be written using a more informal style; and may even include some personal anecdotes and humor. The blog entries can be written entirely by you-the owner-or by members of your staff. You may also choose to have the blogs written by professional copywriters who understand how to use internet keywords that can really drive up your readership numbers.

If you are looking for a cheap (think free) blog, there are plenty of options available. Blogspot.com and Blogger.com offer free blogs; you just have to choose a blog name that has not already been taken. Just as you would with a regular website domain name, it is best to choose a name that corresponds with your business name, or close to it. You want to make your blog easy to find and easy for your readers to remember (Of course, the hope is that your blog will be so good that it will wind up as a bookmark on many a computer!).

For a more professional look, go ahead and pay for an official domain name. There are very affordable web hosting services with companies such as GoDaddy.com and other value services; however, you may find that the service is so minimal with this type of discount service that it is almost the same as using a free service. Of course, a quality web development company can offer you a blog or website that gives you truly professional service at surprisingly affordable prices. Shop around before you make the decision; or, try a free blog service until you begin to understand what a blog can really do for your business.

Do business blogs actually work?

If by “work” you mean do they increase your business’ visibility on the web, the answer is yes, with a few caveats:

• Your blog needs to be updated regularly
• Your blog needs to utilize all-important SEO keywords
• Your blog needs to focus on topics that are timely, relevant and interesting to the readers

There really is nothing lost for your business by embarking on a business blogging venture. You just may enjoy writing the entries, interacting with readers and sharing your business knowledge. And as some blogs turn into real profit-makers, you have a lot to lose by not taking that chance.

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Author: April Hall

Internet Copywriter

By now, everyone knows the importance of using proper SEO techniques to increase your website readership; usually this is done by moving your site up on the Search Engine Results Page. But, what if you don’t actually know how to do this? What if you are a small business owner who wants to become familiar with SEO techniques but have no idea where to begin?

If you are a good writer who is interested in transitioning from print media to the world of the internet, rest assured that you can learn smart copywriting strategies without an overabundance of effort. Even if you are not a writer by trade, there are ways to learn how to create web content that sells. As you begin your foray into SEO writing, you have, in essence, three choices:

1. Trial, Error and Mimicry. There is a lot to be said for simply diving in and learning successful SEO tactics the same way many people learn about other aspects of business: By practice. Of course, SEO is a strange little beast and you may find that you have to work awfully hard in order to nail it down. Perusing SEO blogs and paying attention to other websites can give you an idea of what good SEO copy looks like; however, be careful to mimic the high quality sites rather than the sites of amateurs! This method of learning SEO admittedly takes some time and could result in a lot of frustration.
2. Participate in a Formal SEO Class. If you are interested in a more organized method for learning good search engine optimization strategies, a formal class may be in order. Many web development companies offer SEO classes (most of them free!) that provide foundational instruction for how the internet works, how search engines crawl sites and how your business can create a real internet presence. You can take these courses online or through email correspondence, which means they are convenient for busy professionals. Although I haven’t researched these types of courses especially thoroughly, I suspect they are quite good. Have any of you taken one? Care to share your opinion of their benefits?
3. Leave it to the Professionals. Whether you are too busy, too uninspired or just too intimidated to learn proper SEO strategies, you can always get the results you want by leaving it to professional web development companies, who usually employ a team of internet copywriters. These writers may give you some insight as to how search engines work and how they choose effective keywords, but they won’t bog you down with the details. For some businesses, outsourcing their internet marketing activities just makes good sense.

Regardless of whether you choose to perfect your own SEO writing or leave it to those who do it best, modern businesses need an internet copywriter on their side in order to be successful. There are many companies out there who claim to be able to quickly move your website to the top of the search engine results page; but be careful. The web is full of false claims for SEO success that are difficult, if not impossible to prove. You may find that your best SEO advocate turns out to be someone you trust implicitly: yourself!

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Author: Eric Brantner

Web Copywriter

The phrase “content is king” has been beaten to the point of exhaustion by SEOs throughout the industry. As an internet copywriter, I would never try to dispute this statement, but I do think it needs an amendment. Judging from the magazines at checkout stands, the most read stories in the local newspaper, and the success of these celebrity train wreck TV shows, I would have to say that “controversy is king.”

Every morning I follow the same routine when I get online. Part of that routine is visiting the website of Houston’s largest newspaper, the Houston Chronicle. One of the features of this online newspaper is that it shows the stories that are being read the most by online readers. So, which stories are the most read? It’s definitely not the bland business articles that people could actually learn from.

Instead, the most read stories are the ones that have a controversial spin to them. Above, there are 2 stories about fraud, 2 about mysterious notes/text messages, and 1 about drugs. What is the one thing that all of these headlines have in common? Controversy! People just can’t resist clicking on these enticing headlines.

Undoubtedly, you have seen the magazines that clutter the checkout stands at the grocery store. Which magazines are your eyes attracted to- the old school Archie and Jughead comic or the ones about the celebrity who went nuts and punched out a cop? Sorry Archie, but the crazed celebrity wins every time.

Controversy Spills into SEO Blogs
SEOs aren’t allergic to controversy either. People from all throughout the industry go into a frenzy every time Jason Calacanis opens his mouth. He always makes negative, controversial remarks about SEO, and as a result, he ends up dominating the industry headlines. Every single SEO blogger from Stevensville, Montana to Broken Hill, Australia had an opinion on Calacanis’ disrespect of their industry.

The posts covering these controversial statements climbed to the top of social websites, like Sphinn, proving once again that controversy resonates with readers. The bloggers covering the topic surely earned some inbound links for their Calacanis posts. Controversy creates a buzz; buzz creates inbound links, and of course, inbound links help boost your presence online.

What Does This Tell Us?
I’m not suggesting that bloggers should focus all of their efforts on creating controversial content. There is certainly no substitute for quality, educational content. However, the occasional controversial post will help separate your blog from the others, and it will go a long way to increasing your online presence.

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Author: April Hall

Internet Copywriter

As fun as it is to have a safe place to monologue about how much you know about your business, or to moan about how much the recession is hurting your industry, how productive is your business blog if it does not spur conversation? Unless you promote an actual blogging community, complete with comments from your readers, you do not actually have an effective blog-instead, you have a series of articles or op-ed pieces. Further, Nielson studies have found that generally less than 5% of readers actually participate in internet forums or comment in blogs (other than scrolling through the blogs others have written). Encouraging more comments on your blog is actually not that difficult, if you remember a few important ideas:

• Skip the Registration. Requiring your blog readers to register before commenting is perhaps the single most detrimental step you can take to reduce the number of comments. Unless the reader is uniquely interested in your blog or is dying to make his or her opinion known, registration is just too daunting of a task. Remember, today’s internet readers are somewhat lazy, and if they want to comment at all, they want to do it quickly and painlessly. I am only registered with a very few blogs, myself; and if I (a person who is actively involved in internet communities) do not want to take the time to register, imagine how much less a typical customer is apt to do it?
• Make your Blog Comments Open-Ended. Ask questions in your blog entries, or otherwise ponder a bit. If you claim to know it all, what more will your readers have to add? You can even ask point-blank for your readers to give you information or share their ideas. I have found that by asking specifically for input, I get more feedback. People enjoy sharing their knowledge with others-either for generosity or for some hidden narcissistic purpose!
• Interact in your own Comments Section. Nothing is more fun to a commenter on your blog that when you comment yourself, answering a question or complimenting their statement. It makes your readers truly believe that you care about what they have to say and value their opinions, which only encourages more comments. Believe me, a quick note saying your agree (or, even better, disagree) with a comment someone made provides instant satisfaction to the commenter and breathes new life to your blog.
• Comment in other Blogs and in Community Forums. Don’t be selfish! If you want people to read and comment in your blog, do the same for others. While it is not good etiquette (and is awfully close to spam!) to blatantly advertise your blog in most forums, you can subtly mention you own a business and that you are a blogger yourself. Eventually, people will find your blog and begin returning the favor. The internet is truly a community with certain niches-you just have to find your own.
• Hire a Company to Run your Blog. There are professional web development companies out there that can run your business blog for you and keep your comments section rolling. If you are too busy to interact with your blog every day, this may be an option for you.

So, what do the rest of you think? How have you encouraged comments to your own blogs?

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Author: April Hall

Internet Copywriter

In the age of a million blogs, many companies are now making a business blog part of their overall business strategy. With smaller businesses, it is often the manager who decides to make a blog that showcases his or her own expertise in the industry, with perhaps a mention or two of some anecdotal evidence from some of their peers. Is this type of blog (heavy on personal knowledge, light on research) sufficient for a business-oriented blog? Well, yes and no…

The fact of the matter is that many of the readers of your blog entries will be looking for information about your particular industry, and they want to see evidence that you know what you are talking about. If you are relying on your own personal experience, you’d better include that in the entry (it’s not enough to assume people have read the “author profile” section of your blog!). Any references to industry peers better include links; not only to improve the authenticity of your information, but also to cite your sources to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

So, how do you “meat up your blog”? Find some research that goes along with your entry’s topic-it will likely only take a minute or two extra to perform some quick internet searches. For example, say you are an air conditioning and heating company: a blog entry on the amount of money it costs to cool a home in Texas would be “beefed” up quite a bit if you are able to include hard and fast numbers. My own 20 second search for “utility costs in texas” found that an average utility bill for a 2000 square foot home is $300 to $350 during the summer months. See, that wasn’t too hard, was it?

Okay, granted there are some days that you want to simply add to your blog without taking too much of your valuable time. During those times,consider this:

• Do you really need to blog today? You don’t necessarily have to add a blog entry every single day. If you are simply too busy to blog, skip it.
• Can you provide a simple caveat to your entry, such as “I’m too busy to go into this in too much detail, but…”. Sometimes this is adequate enough to let your readers know that this type of watery writing is not typical of your blog.
• Do you seem to always be too busy to perform research? Or, do you just dislike doing it? If so, you might want to consider obtaining the services of a professional copywriter. They can run your blog for you; and may, in fact, know more about how to make your blog more effective.

For many bloggers, they are writing about a topic they enjoy anyway, so a few moments of research really isn’t work. The days that you do find yourself dreading the research, either skip it, or hire someone else to do it for you!

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