Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

5 Ways to Keep Your Blog Readers on Track

There are some great tips here in my latest posts over on the WritingontheWeb.com blog:

• Don’t Jerk Blog Readers Around:
  5 Tips to Keep on Track
  
  
• The 3 P’s of Content Marketing: What’s Your Position?
  
  
• Content Marketing Institute Gives Best “How-to” Tips…
  
  

Lame Excuses for No Online Content Marketing

Are you ready to grow your business? It's a serious question and before you answer, think about it a little bit more.

Who isn't ready to make more money, drive more traffic to their sites, grow their marketing database numbers? I mean, you'd be a little crazy to say "no, thanks" to that, wouldn't you?

And yet, people do it all the time. People make excuses all the time for why they're not using content marketing and writing on the web. Here's how:

• "I'll start a business blog when my new website gets up."
• "I've got a blog; I'll write on it soon."
• "I just want to get a new photo done, then I'll be ready."
• "I'm getting some triple fold brochures printed first." (OMG, do people still do that?)
• "Just as soon as I finish my Famous Guru Internet Millionaire Course, then I'll start."

I'm exaggerating, and I'm serious. I've heard some really solid reasons people put off content marketing. Some of the smartest professionals I know have really great looking websites that have been done at considerable expense.

Work Better, Write Better: How to Make More Mojo

Do you believe you can change? I mean, seriously change your behaviors and habits? You know, like stop doing some things and start doing others? How do you improve your work habits so you are more productive and effective?

For example, if you've been struggling with blog writing, can you decide you're going to stop struggling, get on that beast and ride it to glory? How do you become a better writer? ...and get better blog results?

Last year, I noticed my blog traffic was getting better, but I didn't think it was enough. So I decided to double my blog publishing frequency. I started posting every day instead of every other day.

It worked. Traffic has actually more than doubled since then. The behavioral change, i.e. writing twice as often, wasn't too hard since I enjoy it.

The secret key was a tip I read somewhere: always have one post "in the hopper," saved as a draft for the next day. I think I might have got that from Sonia Simone of Third Tribe and Copyblogger. This writing tip works for other projects as well. If you just get something started, it's easier to get back and continue working on it.

Email Marketing Promotions: How to Be Annoying

It's a curious thing, email marketing promotions. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. I feel it's my part of my job to email people to tell them about good opportunities, but many times there's a price tag involved.

Some people don't like to buy anything, ever, no matter how good. And others only want things in their own particular niche and get mad when you promote anything that doesn't concern them and their needs.

I'm full of insecurities and nervous ticks every time I pull the trigger on an email broadcast.  Why? Because I know I'll get some unsubscribe notices and the occasional complaint from someone who feels email promotions to be annoying.

I hate to annoy people, especially since I feel as if I know my subscribers. 

This past week, I was particularly "annoying," according to one person. I really wanted people to sign up for the iFlashVideo membership service (and I still do, it's that good!).

Well, I did one final reminder email, and sure enough he unsubscribe AND sent me a negative email. I'm telling you this to sort of relieve my bad feelings and to explain myself. I know I shouldn't worry about one email, but I do.

When Is a Blog Not a Blog?

Does your blog follow "best practices?" Is it even important that your blog looks like a blog? There are many ways to set up a blog, and some websites are now using blog platforms, so that there are currently many blog-sites that are cross-over combos.

When is a blog not really a blog? Who cares? What matters is, does it work to bring in clients?

I got a comment on a blog post I wrote about the importance of composing a "table of contents" when you're creating your business content marketing strategy. I got the idea when I was composing a new ebook using MyKnowledgeGenie.com.

A table of contents is a good way to organize information in a step-by-step way that's easy for readers to understand.

Making a list of chapters or steps your prospects and clients need to know about your products and services is a good way to organize an informational product. Well, a reader asked me if he couldn't just set up his blog with a table of contents, so that people could go find the information they need the most.

Speed Blogging in Action: Step 1 Pick a Problem

5:46 a.m. Ready, set, GO!

How do you speed up your blogging? Here are some ways I solved the blog writing problem this morning. Since I started a blog series yesterday, 6 tips for faster blogging, I already had step 1 figured out: Pick a problem.

How can I write 3 tips about this 1st step of blog writing?

(Sometimes this may take far too long, because of inner demons.... As reader M. Scott Schaffernoth commented, "Great tips for making what can be a daunting task much more approachable, especially for those who hate/fear writing.")

Sometimes what you face yourself as you write about your expertise can reveal an interesting perspective on a problem, and your readers may experience similar pain. Write about it. In this case, if your readers' pain is writing, then you've got great fodder.

6:00 a.m. Other times, you may not be sure what to say, so you'll need to do some quick research. Here's where to go, but be careful not to get lost and waste time.

6 Tips for Speed Blogging: The Blog Squad in Action

5:45 a.m.

How do you save time with your blog writing tasks?

You know 3 times a week is a bare minimum posting frequency if you want to get good "Google" juice. But it's not like you've got nothing else to do.

Here's my favorite speed blogging tip:

1. Pick a problem or pain point your readers tell you about
2. Make a list of 3-5 tips that solve it
3. Look at what's already written
4. Decide if you want to copy & paste, link back, rewrite, or write something new
5. Ask readers a question, write a brief introduction, list the tips, conclude with call to action and ask another question
6. Add a photo, add any links to people, places, books

Entrepreneur's Disease: Call the Doctor, or a Good VA?

How many projects are you working on this week? Are you able to focus on one or two main tasks? Or are you spread all over the place, trying to do too much?

My husband is always saying I'm too scattered, that I need to focus and not spread myself too thin. Of course he's a great one for making suggestions that add to my tasks, but that's another post.

I suffer from Entrepreneur's Disease, where I've got more ambition and creative ideas than I have brains or time for action. Especially since my goal for 2010 involves doubling my income while working no more than 5-6 hours a day.

How do you learn to wisely choose which projects, which ideas to go for, and what to say "NO!" to? Hmmm, I'll get back to you on that. It helps me to make a list so that I see more clearly where I'm going.

Entrepreneur's Disease: It Creeps Up on You

What do you do to keep from getting overwhelmed? Lately it feels like the chair and the whip aren't enough to keep the lions from lunging at my sweet psyche. I crave calmness. And yet, what am I talking about?

A few months ago I was scratching my head and drumming fingers because of not enough action. Now things are heating up. I'm buying a new car this weekend. The whole family is well fed and happy. I played some good tennis this week...

I suffer from Entreprenuer's Disease: it's an eating disorder whereby self-employed nut-cases like myself bite off more than we can chew. This month I am gorging myself. Here's what's on my plate:

1. Regular client work back-logged by missing first week of December on vacation and shortened month due to holidays
2. Preparing bonus report for subscribers to Patsi's Private List, so they get valuable information
3. Preparing teleseminar with Joan Stewart for Dec. 17 to announce an amazing Social Media time-saver
4. Preparing end-of-year sale on leadership development content subscriptions for coaches
5. Finishing up Content Marketing for Smart Professionals, a mega-info product/ebook/membership subscription site built on MyKnowledgeGenie.com
6. Preparing launch partners for Content Marketing for Smarties program, sales page, teleseminars
7. Contacting potential partners to host teleseminars for MyKnowledgeGenie.com
8. Preparing blogging teleseminar with Joan Stewart for January 13
9. Preparing teleseminar with Seth Godin for January 8

How to Become a Daily Blogger

Should you start blogging daily? This is a question every professional should consider. Maybe the question is better phrased like this, "Should I increase the number of posts I'm writing?" (Photo credit: Shutterstock.)

I'm experimenting. In the few months since I started posting on this blog almost daily, I've more than doubled my traffic stats.

I don't mean the same visitors are coming back more often, although that's happening too, I mean there are twice the number of people visiting, and twice the number of pages being read.

Here's the kicker: I'm finding it's easier to write daily posts than it is writing 2-3 times a week. I'm spending less time writing posts. And I'm learning more tricks and tips about content marketing and blogging strategies that are paying off.

Results matter, traffic is only an indicator.