Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

Web Design: Why Go WordPress?

Friday, December 16th, 2011

In the last few years, I’ve chosen WordPress as the web design platform for the vast majority of my clients’ websites. In fact, a colleague told me yesterday that his web team recommended they rebuild their entire site in WordPress, even though he asked for just a couple new features (the site was originally built using a supposedly more versatile platform).  And yet I still occasionally witness web design professionals scoff at WordPress as merely for bloggers, not for businesses.

So let me tell you why WordPress is usually an amazing choice when you’re considering redesigning your website.

  1. It’s free and open-source, with a large, active community constantly improving it.
  2. It’s a Content Management System (CMS), meaning anyone in your company who can use Microsoft Word can update the website.
  3. It’s incredibly versatile, whether you want a sparse, minimalist website or one that has all the bells and whistles.
  4. It’s expandable. Need a new page? No problem. Want to add some new capability? There’s no limit.
  5. It’s easy to make WordPress SEO-friendly.
Check out WordPress’s featured sites to see what the platform is capable of.

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Posted in Blogging, Internet, Technical Tips, Web Design Tips | No Comments »

5 Tips for Writing Great Marketing Copy

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Although marketers aren’t typically viewed as writers, every aspect of great marketing requires talented writing and precise editing. If there are any doubters, just observe this example from Starbucks:

Not only is this poster confusing, it has a glaring typo. The main message– Get $1 off any pastry when you buy a beverage– is overshadowed by the “it’s.” I imagine Starbucks patrons are more discerning about grammar than most (which is why one of my friends posted this picture on Facebook).

Of course posters aren’t the only form of marketing writing. Here’s a sampling of the kinds of marketing writing most businesses need:

  • Advertising copy
  • Brochure copy
  • Sign copy
  • Website copy
  • Direct mail copy
  • Blog articles
  • Trade journal articles
  • Press releases
  • Facebook posts
  • Twitter updates
  • Product packaging
  • Radio ad scripts
  • TV ad scripts
  • Telephone scripts
  • YouTube video scripts
  • Proposals and contracts
  • Presentations
  • Speeches
  • User guides and manuals

Writing for marketing is usually termed, “copy,” which is such an uninspiring word. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces the term to its roots:

copy (n.) Look up copy at Dictionary.com
early 14c., “written account or record,” from O.Fr. copie (13c.), from M.L. copia “reproduction, transcript,” from L. copia “plenty, means” (see copious). Sense extended 15c. to any specimen of writing (especially MS for a printer) and any reproduction or imitation. Related: Copyist.

The roots of “copy” are not very exciting. We may be stuck with a word that has connotations of automation and transcripting, but we don’t need to fulfill that history. Marketing copy should be fresh and vibrant, effectively communicating your brand. Following are a few tips for writing great marketing copy:

5 Tips for Writing Great Marketing Copy

1. Cut, cut and cut

Just because marketing copy is important doesn’t mean it should exist in abundance. There’s an inverse correlation between the quality of marketing copy and its length. There’s a simple reason for this equation– customers are confronted with thousands of messages each day and have short attention spans when it comes to your product. So cut out everything that isn’t essential.

2. Communicate one message at a time

Each marketing piece a marketer writes can only communicate one message well, no matter how many messages the marketer may try to cram into the space. A postcard, a landing page, a radio ad– all of these represent a brief opportunity to communicate one message. Try to tell your company’s whole story, and customers will be overwhelmed or bored.

3. Give copy room to breathe

“White space” is the term for the spacing and margins around your copy. Spacing your words nicely and keeping the graphics surrounding the them simple will allow your copy to stand out and increase the chances customers will read it.

4. Practice makes better

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Writing is never perfect, but eventually marketers reach deadlines. Never go with the first attempt at writing copy. Edit and revise until the final product is better than when you started.

5. Let someone else read it before you publish it

Don’t publish or print marketing copy before having someone else proofread it. Your familiarity with the text will cause your brain to skip over any typos, seeing what you intended to write instead of what was actually written. I imagine that’s what happened to the poor Starbucks copywriter in the poster example.

These five marketing copy tips certainly aren’t comprehensive, but they are rules that every writer keeps in mind during each assignment. Using them every day in your marketing efforts will lead to more effective (and more interesting) marketing copy.

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Posted in Advertising, Blogging, Internet, Marketing Theory, Pay Per Click Advertising, Public Relations, Taglines, Writing | 1 Comment »

Google says, “Tag, you’re it!”

Friday, September 10th, 2010

This article highlights the importance of html tags to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This may seem technical and dry, but it could make the difference between a customer finding your site or your competitor’s site.

A tag, among other things, can make text bold, italic or denote it as a heading. How you use tags to style your website is important to search engines like Google.

If you’ve studied SEO, you know how crucial it is to create keywords for each page of your website. The importance of tags is less well-known. All else being equal, Google will pay more attention to text that is in a heading, bold or italicized. It follows that you want to place keywords inside these tags whenever possible.

Here are a list of tags you could consider using on your own site:

  • Heading 1: <h1>
  • Heading 2: <h2>
  • Heading 3: <h3>
  • Bold: <strong>
  • Italic: <em>

Along with bold and italics, I use Heading 1 (h1) and Heading 2 (h2) for my SEO. You can style them just as you would any other text.

Observe:

h1: Small Business Marketing

h2: Zoo in a Jungle Marketing uncages small business potential.

I only use two levels of headings because the more headings you use, the less important Google will consider them.

A word of caution to those of you eagerly making plans to pepper your pages with headings and emphasis: don’t overdo it! Only use headings sparingly and when appropriate. Heading 1 is fine to use as the title of your page, but Google will ignore your site if you enclose an entire paragraph in an h1 tag. And your human readers may flee if you insist on bolding and italicizing every little thing (after all, the point of SEO is to get actual people to visit your site).

Having trouble? No worries. Feel free to email me with any questions at amanda@zooinajungle.com.

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Posted in Blogging, Google's Free Tools, Search Engine Optimization, Web Design Tips | No Comments »

Marketing Communication: It’s All About Meaning

Friday, February 12th, 2010

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, I want to proclaim my love for the expert use of words. I liken word definitions to a gradient. Synonyms of a word retain the color of the original but vary dramatically in shade. I illustrated this concept based on the age-old question,”What is the true meaning of love?”


Meaning of Love – Larger version

If you click through to the larger version, you can see that following synonyms of a word can lead to some surprising definitions. In business and marketing, it is especially important to know exactly what words mean to your audience. Using the perfect words can help us communicate more perfectly.

For example, I was purchasing a gift card last night and was disappointed to see that the gift cards came in specific dollar amounts. I asked the salesperson, “Do you offer gift cards in variable denominations?” I realized I had chosen the wrong words when my question was answered with a blank stare. Trying again, I asked, “Can I get a gift card with any amount I want on it?” “Oh sure,” he replied. There are many ways to say any one thing. The goal of good communication is to find the words best suited to the person hearing or reading them.

What are some ways you could improve communication with your customers? Here are some thought starters:

  • Most businesses use jargon and acronyms. When you use them with your customers, do they understand what you mean?
  • Email and text messaging are notoriously bad at conveying inflection and context. Do the messages you send carry a double meaning if read differently?
  • The best way for your customers to understand you is if you talk like they do. Do you listen for their terms and phrases? Do you use them in communication?
  • How often do you listen to your customers? Do you make an effort to understand them?

If you talk to your customers in ways that are meaningful to them, your message will be more successful. Get to know different types of customers, the ways they describe your business, what they expect from the relationship with you and what words that they use. Successful communication will lead to success with your business goals.

(In future articles, I’ll delve into how to develop business goals for your small business. Marketing starts with knowing what results you want.)

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Posted in Blogging, Marketing Theory, Philosophy | 3 Comments »

How to Keep Your Blog Regular

Friday, February 5th, 2010

Does your blog suffer from ennui?

It does if you’ve ever posted something like, “I can’t believe how long it’s been since I updated my blog!” Even though posting regularly is the number one key to blogging success, it can be hard to keep a schedule. From finding time to finding something to write about, there are many obstacles to keep you from posting as much as you should.

Here are some tips to keep your blog regular.

Know your blog’s purpose.

Many writers can’t figure out what to write about because they don’t know the goal they are trying to reach. If you have a business blog, what are the business goals you are trying to achieve? One goal could be to find qualified buyers interested in your products. Another could be to engage your current customers. You might be trying to get referrals. What is your blog’s purpose? Write to fulfill that purpose and reach your goals.

Record your thoughts.

If you find it hard to sort out your thoughts in writing, don’t! Use a voice recorder to compose your blog posts. Many people find it difficult to write, but almost everyone can have a conversation. Once you determine what you’re trying to say, use the transcript as your blog post.

Make notes.

It seems obvious, but ideas for a blog post can strike at any time. Be prepared with your favorite notebook, iPhone app or even that voice recorder. You never know when a visit to a restaurant, dramatic sunset or chance encouter could be the impetus for a fantastic post. Capture the details as they happen.

Use your notes.

Don’t just take notes! Use them to write blog posts. And here’s a secret: if you’ve written a book or two, you’ve got hundreds of pages of notes conveniently published for your convenience. Use advice from your books, coupled with current events or recent experiences, to create fresh, engaging blog posts.

Develop an editorial calendar.

You should post to your blog at least once a week. To keep that goal, you need a schedule. You probably schedule appointments for oil changes or hair cuts, so why not schedule writing time? Your calendar can be as detailed as deciding on topics in advance or as general as just deciding on the day and time a post will go out each week. Get someone to help you stay accountable to your calendar, and you’ll have even more success.

Get ahead.

A counter-intuitive strategy to saving time is to write several blog posts all at once and schedule them for the future. It saves more time to get in the writing mindset once and write five posts than to find time to write on five different occasions.

Get help.

If blogging is truly part of your strategy to reach your goals, then it would be worthwhile to invest in a writing coach or professional writer. A coach will hold you accountable to schedules and topics, while a writer will consult with you and write excellent posts that meets your goals. (Might I mention that Zoo in a Jungle Marketing provides such services?)

I’ve developed these tips after years of making and breaking writing commitments to myself and my business– and seeing many others do the same. If you have any tips of your own for keeping your blog regular, I’d love to read them in the comments.

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Posted in Blogging, Internet | No Comments »

Blogging for Small Business

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Advice for small businesses thinking about starting a blog

There is an abundance of hype around blogging. Some people claim to have made a fortune with their blogs, while others assert blogs are frivolous and a waste of a business’ time. For most small businesses, the truth lies somewhere in between. A well-designed and regularly-updated blog can be a great addition to your marketing mix and sales-generating activities.

This article will explain the pros and cons of blogs for small businesses and give you some expert tips for publishing a successful blog.

Why a blog is great for your small business

  • Blogs are great for search engine optimization (SEO). You can incorporate your keywords, the content changes regularly, and other websites will likely link to your posts. Search engines love all of these things.
  • If you do it right, you will become a trusted resource for your desired audience. Trust will lead to customer relationships. Relationships lead to profit.
  • When a potential customer contacts you after reading your blog, you have the advantage of being a partner instead of a vendor.
  • As an expert in your field (hopefully), you should easily be able to create content of value for your desired audience.

Why blogs are terrible for some small businesses

  • You have to update a blog frequently for it to matter. If you aren’t updating once a week, any readers you gain will lose interest. Dormant blogs also do nothing for your search engine rankings.
  • Your blog must be interesting to your desired audience, or you will be writing to an empty room (forgive the mixed metaphor).
  • Blogging is a long-term part of your success. There won’t be immediate gratification, but as you build a reputation and body of work, you will see results.

Things successful bloggers know

Make your blog an integral part of your website. Don’t create a blog that no one can find. Replacing your home page with your blog is often a good solution for small businesses, especially if your home page currently says something generic like, “Welcome!”

Investigate blogging software to find the right option for you. For my clients, I use WordPress blogs. The software is easy to use and highly customizable—and free!

Blogging requires discipline. Make a schedule and stick to it. Create an editorial calendar. Set apart time each week dedicated to writing. If you have trouble doing this, find someone who will hold you accountable.

Get a professional editor who knows your goals. Regina Spektor has a song all about editing, and she sings, “You can write, but you can’t edit.” She might as well be singing to the world, because behind every great writer is a great editor. If you want proof, ask for my original draft of this article.

Work on finding “your voice.” Every great writer has a distinctive voice. Writers aren’t born with these voices; they cultivate them. A professional editor will also help with your writer’s voice.

If you have trouble getting started writing, or your sentences come out in an incoherent jumble, just start typing exactly how you talk. Imagine you are talking to a friend, potential client or your aunt—whatever makes you comfortable. Consider getting a voice recorder and speaking your posts before you write them.

If you want other bloggers to visit your blog, post links to articles and to comment, you have to do the same for them.  It’s as simple as the biblical advice in Proverbs, “A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.” Just replace “man” with “blogger.”

Learn about (or hire someone who knows about) search engine optimization. All the concepts from my post on growing visitors to your website apply. If you do SEO right, your blog will be tailor-made for helping the people searching for your products and services to find your website instead of your competitors’.

Write really useful articles for your desired audience. For example, if you are a caterer, consider writing about the top five appetizers to impress guests rather than the latest innovations in keeping food warm. A caterer wants potential clients to find her blog, not necessarily industry-insiders.

Thinking about starting a blog for your small business but still need more advice? Feel free to give me a call or email me with your questions—513.833.4203 or amanda@zooinajungle.com

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Posted in Blogging, Search Engine Optimization, Small Business | 1 Comment »