Category : Content Marketing

  • 7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block and Banish It Forever

    Posted Sep 20th, 2010 By in Article Marketing, Blogging, Content Marketing With | 9 Comments

    Are you experiencing writer’s block?

    Whether you are a new writer or an article writing and marketing expert like me, there comes a time when you just stare at the blank white screen with your hands ready at the keyboard – but they’re not typing. The dreadful writer’s block is stopping the words from flowing as they should.

    It is frustrating to be stuck especially when you know when you write and submit articles online you will get more website traffic, prospects and profits. So, you start pulling your hair out and grinding your teeth.

    See, I know exactly how you feel. There were many times that I wanted to throw my laptop and my desktop right out the window. I know what it is like to try to force yourself to “work through it”, and when you sit down to write you are numb and feel like your brain is composed of concrete.

    I also know that the longer you stay in this state the more discouraged you get, which makes it even harder to write. That’s why I am going to help you get out of that dark, cold, gloomy corner and see the light so you can start writing articles faster.

    7 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block and Banish It Forever

    1. Use instant article writing templates – You want to use article templates that literally guide you through the article writing process. For example, my 40+ Instant Article Writing Templates Kit, is filled with worksheets and ideas. All you have to do is enter the information that the template asks for – where it asks for it. Not only will you generate article ideas, but you’ll be able to organize your ideas in a way that gets your prospects to read your articles from top to bottom. (more…)

  • Producing Content That Will Make Readers and Search Engines Come Back for More

    Posted Sep 14th, 2010 By in Blogging, Content Marketing, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) With | 3 Comments

    Millions of people from all over the world produce content for the Internet on a daily basis. It is almost impossible to keep track of everything that is written and posted. Search engines are the number one tool that people use to sift through all of the content that is available on the Internet. However, when people search for something, they usually end up clicking through only the first few results that show up. This means that you need to optimize your content for search engines. This will allow your content to show up as one of the top results when people search for the topic you are writing about. However, it is important to place too much priority on search engine optimization. You will also want to make sure that your content is high quality and pleasing to readers.

    Producing Good Content for the Internet

    You need to have solid, relevant content before you can even start to think about search engine optimization. You should try to set yourself apart from the thousands of other articles available on the Internet. You need to offer people something that they cannot get anywhere else. Do some research on what is already available about your topic. You should think about ways that you can improve upon what is already out there and make it more relevant to readers. The content that you produce should also be well written. Nobody wants to read something that is filled with errors and misspellings. You should write in a way that is clear to your reader. You have to understand your audience and give them what they want.

    Search Engines Use Keywords

    After you have produced content that is worthy of being read, you need to understand how search engines work. Search engines enter all of the text on a website into a very large database. Search engines go through this database when something is being searched for. Websites are ranked based on relevance. The relevance of a website is usually based on how often the word or phrase that was searched for appears.

    You should select one keyword or a couple of keyword phrases that you think best represent the content that you have created. You will want to make sure that these keywords appear throughout your article. However, you should be careful to not overdo it. You want to have your keywords appear naturally throughout your writing. It should not be obvious to the reader that you are stuffing your content with keywords.

    Search Engines Like New Content

    A lot of search engines will display new content ahead of content that has been on the Internet for months. This means that you should always be updating and refreshing your content for websites to make sure you rank highly on search engines. Constantly updating content will also help you attract new readers and keep old ones. People will be interested in frequently visiting your site to see if any new information has been posted. In addition, adding new content will allow you to practice your writing skills. You will find that your new articles will flow better and be more readable. You will also get more practice in using keywords so your content will be optimized for search engines.

    Do you do keyword research before you create your content?  What content strategy have you found helpful for your business?

  • 5 Effective Tips for Avoiding the Email Spam Can

    Posted Sep 6th, 2010 By in Business, Content Marketing, Email Marketing With | 2 Comments

    Email marketing is an incredibly popular marketing strategy–and for good reason. It works! Unfortunately, tougher SPAM filters mean more and more valid messages are winding up in SPAM folders.

    Would you like to guarantee YOUR email campaigns are delivered to the in-box where they belong? Then you absolutely MUST implement these best practices. Because an email in the spam-can is a waste of your precious time and money.

    1. Provide Valuable Content

    Make sure all of your emails are relevant to your contacts. Send you customer and prospects an invitation, a tip or trick of the trade, a coupon, a friendly note, or an offer. Just make sure it’s something they’ll want to receive from you.

    2. DON’T Buy or Rent Lists

    Doing so almost guarantees you’ll be spamming people. Did you collect the names? Did the people ask you for information? Nope? Then it’s SPAM!

    “But where do I get names from?” you might ask. Well, start with what you’ve got, ask for referrals, put banners on sites, use pay-per-click-ads, get people to post about you, use lead generation tools, and use social networking. May sound like a slow start…buy boy does it beat paying fines for breaking SPAM rules.

    3. Double Opt-in Your Contacts

    That basically guarantees you have permission to market to them. Double opting-in requires your contacts to confirm their contact information BEFORE you start you email marketing campaigns. It’s an extra step, and yes, you will lose some of your potential leads. But the odds of being considered a “spammer” go way down!

    4. Clean Your Contact List Every 6-12 Months

    This means you take every contact that you haven’t engaged with somehow – no downloads, no requests, no new opt-ins – and do one of two things. Either delete them from the list or send an email that asks them to confirm their continued interest.

    5. Know the CAN-SPAM Guidelines

    The rules about SPAM regulate your header content, your subject line information, your opt-out requirements, and how you identify yourself. Know the rules so you can keep your money in your pocket.

    For more information about improving your email marketing practices, download a free guide about Email Marketing 2.0.

  • Top 3 Costly Email Marketing Mistakes

    Posted Aug 30th, 2010 By in Business, Content Marketing, Email Marketing With | 4 Comments

    If you use email as part of your marketing strategy, deliverability is probably among your top concerns. After all, emails need to arrive in the inbox before they can effectively generate leads. Unfortunately, there are a few gaffes that can cost you when you send your next email marketing message.

    Here of the top three mistakes:

    1. Sending to an Old List

    It’s tough to let go of people on your email list but the consequence of sending to people who haven’t heard from you in over six months is quite severe. If you email 1,000 people and two hit the “Report Spam” button, the odds of your other emails being delivered drops drastically. Yes, it’s that serious! The 0.1% industry guideline is mandated from ISPs and burdened by email service providers.

    To overcome this, do NOT email people you have not had recent contact with (we’re talking longer than six months). Email permission typically expires after about nine months and spam complaints go up exponentially after six months. Alternatively, you can use a reconnect campaign via direct mail like a postcard or letter to help “ignite” their permission again. Permission is key.

    2. Sending the Wrong Message at the Wrong Time

    Over the years, small business users grow comfortable sending to their entire list. This can irritate recipients who don’t want every single announcement from your business. What do these people do when they receive a poorly-targeted/timed message? They unsubscribe and report spam. Tough love, eh? This isn’t the time for list scrubbing – it’s the time for targeted, segmented and truly relevant messages to be delivered to your recipients.

    The solution is to narrow your broadcasts to smaller groups in your database. Leverage technology that allows you to segment the interest, needs and previous activity of your subscribers so you only send to the ones who expect your email and are interested in getting specific and targeted information from you.

    3. Infrequent, Inconsistent Contact

    Similar to above, sending infrequent, unexpected emails to your subscribers can be just as damaging as sending too often. Email recipients often expect to be notified on a monthly basis, maybe more or less frequent depending on your expectations when they opted-in. Exercise discipline when maintaining a quality email relationship with your subscribers.

    If you plan on changing your email delivery schedule, let them know. Some marketers allow subscribers to self-segment into “Daily,” “Weekly” or “Monthly” communications. This reduces spam complaints and allows recipients to receive messages when they want them (not when you do).

    A Costly Mistake

    The cost of making these email mistakes will vary by the type of business you have. Undoubtedly, it will often cost you valuable email relationships as people unsubscribe. If you don’t adhere to best practices, your email service provider could drop you for spam.

    There is a laundry list of to-dos and don’t-dos out there but it really comes down to one thing: respect. Respect your subscribers’ needs and interests and they will reciprocate. These top three mistakes small business email marketers do are often overlooked until after they’ve shot themselves in the foot. Consider this advice before you send your next email marketing broadcast.

    To learn more about email marketing best practices, download a free report about Email Marketing 2.0.

  • 5 Incredible Lead Generation Ideas

    Posted Aug 23rd, 2010 By in Business, Content Marketing, Email Marketing, Internet Marketing With | 6 Comments

    As an expert in your field, you’ve got a ton of really important information in your head. But you’ve got to get it out of your head and into some useful format for lead generation. Information is the heart and soul of marketing, so you’ve got to have some idea about the products you want to develop as part of your overall strategy. Let’s talk about the top five.

    1. White Papers

    “White paper” is the corporate, fancy-pants term for an online article. A white paper usually ranges from two to three pages and stands alone as an item customers or prospects can download. White papers work great as a lead generation tool when you ask prospects to provide their email address in exchange for your valuable”"yet free”"information.

    2. Free Reports

    A free report is like a white paper, just a bit bigger. From a lead generation standpoint, it holds more value than a white paper and is usually several pages long. Free reports are great products to use as an add-on to online purchases. “Buy Product X and receive three Free Reports!” You can also use them like white papers and offer them as free downloads in exchange for contact information.

    3. E-Books

    E-books are the killer product that can create a lead generation bonanza! Like a real book, an e-book is going to be long…at least 50 pages. The fact that it’s a real book makes the perceived value huge. If the copy inviting prospects to download your e-book is well-written and compelling, you can generate several thousand new leads from this one lead generation tool alone.

    4. Audio Reports

    An audio report helps prospects get a feel for what you and your company are all about. It’s a way for prospects to talk to you about doing business without really taking to you. Using audio reports as part of your campaign can boost brand loyalty and help you prospects commit to a sale. If you are well known in your industry – or if you can hire someone who is – you have the power to generate a LOT of leads using audio reports.

    5. Webinars

    No joke. Webinars can drive an endless stream of customers to your business. Like audio reports, they give customers a feed for your company. But webinars go way beyond teaser information. The power-punch of the webinar is that it lets you cover the entire sales pitch AND close the deal. Another bonus is that webinars can be recorded. That lets you leverage your time by making the pitch once and then playing the presentation again and again for new groups of prospects. Talk about a time saver!

    How Does It Work?

    Here’s the way it works, in a nutshell.

    • Develop information products.
    • Make the available on your site in exchange for contact information.
    • Send out an announcement to your email list that also creates a sense of urgency.
    • Put tools in place to track downloads and capture new leads.
    • Follow-up with leads to convert them into customers.

    To check out some real lead generation products, download a free report about Email Marketing 2.0.

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