The number of blogs on the internet increase every day. What makes yours unique? Many blogs have the same theme. Perhaps they’re about freelance writing, blogging, Paris, SEO, interior design, graphic design, screenwriting, or whatever your niche is. How do you make your blog stand out with so many other similar blogs out there? This can be quite the conundrum!

Freelance writers are no stranger to blogs. They have their own and write posts for clients. It’s their job to make sure the content is unique and strikes a nerve with readers. No one wants to read a blog post that could put you to sleep faster than a sleeping pill! Hook the reader and reel them in so they keep coming back for more.

Writing a blog can be tedious if you’re writing on the same topic as everyone else. How many “how to” posts are really needed? Be original and break out of the mold. Use a different angle if you must write a “how to” post. Provide information that hasn’t been written about yet. This may take some research time but you can do it.

Tips to creating a blog that won’t make you gag

1. Write unique posts in your style, tone, and voice. Forget about copying your writer because that’s too boring.
2. Create attention grabbing headlines and back them up with solid information.
3. Change your color scheme one in awhile. You may get bored with the look of your blog or could use a makeover. Freshen your blog with a different a color scheme and layout. It could help with your ranking.
4. Breakout of the “how to and tips and tricks” blog posts. There’s more to blogging than “How to do this or How to do that.” Be bold and daring and write posts that make readers stop and think or at least present a “How to” post in a different manner such “Create Your Blog and Attract Readers to Your Site.”
5. Find your niche. If you’re not passionate about your subject matter it will show in your blog posts. Make sure you’re passionate about what you do and have fun with it.

Blogging can be your worst nightmare if you don’t like to write. This why hiring a freelance writer is a good idea. They’re creative people who think of ideas you didn’t even know were possible. They weave your keywords into each blog post which can increase your page rank. They can also find a photo to accompany your blog to make it stand out.

If your blog is making you gag, then it’s time for a change. Step back and reevaluate why you created a blog in the first place. What’s your goal for the blog? What do want to accomplish with a blog? You may want to consult a freelance writer who’ll critique your blog and provide you with solid feedback. It could be the investment you make all year!

Rebecca

What’s your blog about and how is it unique? Share.

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Photo by Jason Morrison

“Hear ye, hear ye. Court is now in session. Today’s matter is about settling the case between having a blog and not having a blog for your business. Some business owners are not convinced having a blog is worth the time and effort. Others feel a blog adds more depth and dimension to their website and it could potentially draw more clients. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Is there no right or wrong answer? Let’s find out.

Make no mistake about it; there are millions of blogs on the internet. The key to making yours stand out is to provide unique, useful content. Even then, it could be a shot in the dark to draw readers who could become potential clients. If you think the housing market was overbuilt, peruse the internet and see how many blogs are posted on the internet!

You may be thinking you don’t need a blog and maybe you’re right. But people have become conditioned to asking questions such as 1) Do you have a website? and 2) Do you have a blog? That’s the way it is. If you don’t have a website, you may want to get on that right away before you create a blog.

Pro blog

People love FREE information! That’s the way it is. This is why you receive pens, hats, bottle openers, key chains, pencils, yo-yos, and other merchandise when you attend an event. It’s a thrill to receive something free just for showing up. Think of a blog as a marketing tool. You’re drawing people to you because you provide them with pertinent information that can have a great impact on their life. You can be the one responsible for helping them to change their life for the better.

You can Tweet about your blog, you can post your blog on Facebook, Digg your blog post, and post your blog on LinkedIn. These are the top social media places that can help drive traffic to your website. You never know who’ll discover your blog. They could be your next client or customer.

Take your blog post, change it by at least 30%, and post it on Ezine Articles which is the number one article marketing website. You can drive more traffic to your website by utilizing article marketing. This is yet another opportunity for you to show the world what you can do for them.

No blog

Blogs take too much time and effort. Since there are millions of blogs on the internet, why even bother creating one? There’s no guarantee that your blog will be part of the top 10 blogs within search engines. Why waste time and effort on a blog when you can take that energy to grow your business with traditional marketing efforts? You take the energy that you’d use to create a blog to come up with new promotions for your business, products, and services.

Blogging will become ancient history in a few years. Some statistics show that blogs aren’t as popular as they used to be because there are so many of them. Some business owners are choosing not to have a blog. They may offer a few articles on their websites but that’s it. Why start something now if it could become a relic of the past? Stick with the tried and true marketing endeavors such as direct mail, radio advertising, brochures, and newsletter.

Conclusion

Anyone that Google’s your keyword will find you one way or another. Whether or not you have a blog is up to you. Please note that most people are in the habit of looking for a blog on a business’s website. You could provide relevant articles instead of a full blown blog. Whatever you decide, make sure you weighed the pros and cons. Good luck!

Rebecca

Do you have a blog? What has it done for your business? No, blog. Why not? Share your thoughts.

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I can’t tell you how many Facebook Friend and Fan Page Requests I receive from people I don’t know. They don’t tell me who they are or about their product or service. Assuming that everyone will automatically friend or follow your Facebook fan page is a misnomer.

Freelance writers utilize Facebook to market their work. However, before you begin to “friend” everyone on Facebook, tell them who you are and why you’re sending them a friend request. Perhaps you have similar backgrounds or a few friends in common. If they don’t know who you are, chances are they will not accept your friend request. The same applies to your fan page. Who are you and why would a person follow your fan page over another writer’s? What value does your fan page add? What are you doing that’s different from other writers? Knowing the answers to these questions can help your position on Facebook.

Tips and Tricks to Facebook

1. Tell people who you are. Sending out a multitude of friend requests and fan pages could backfire on you. People receive so much information today — they’re on sensory overload! They may discard your requests if they don’t know who you are or what you do.

2. Don’t assume everyone will follow you. This may sting for some people but that’s the way it is. People want to connect with you not feel like they’re being sold to all of the time. Make your request personal and you’ll probably receive a lot of new fans. Don’t assume all people will accept a request because their friends are on your fan page. Some will and some won’t. Combat this by telling them “why” it’s important they become a fan.

3. What value do you add? In order to get people to follow you, make sure you’re adding value to their lives. There are hundreds of thousands of businesses on Facebook. What do you do differently from another company?

4. Create an outstanding ad on Facebook. You’ll have to pay for ad space, but creating a well thought out ad can gain you followers and clients.

Many freelance writers and small businesses are now on Facebook, but they don’t know how to connect with people. Blasting out a ton of friend and fan page requests could work, but sometimes it will not. Personalize your friend or fan page request. Remember that most of the world is desensitized today because they receive too much information in their inbox. You have to capture their attention and interest in seconds! If not, you could be wasting precious time sending friend and fan page requests when you could have been attending a face-to-face networking event.

Remember, people are desensitized today because they receive an alarming amount of information each day. Do them a favor and let them know why it’s important they become of fan of your fan page. They’ll find your approach refreshing!

What approach do you use when connecting with people? Share your expertise.

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Many small business owners, including freelance writers, believe they can build their business alone. Building a solid business requires people. You could go it alone, but the road may be winding and long. Success could take its time to grace you with its presence. When it does, you’ll be tired and won’t enjoy it that much!

Building relationships is like dating — it requires interest, patience, and care. Don’t rush people and immediately begin telling them about you and your business. Get to know them first and exchange phone numbers and emails. Set up a time to meet and go from there. Go slow and take it one step at a time.

Tip: When you meet people, ask what you can do for them instead of what they can do for you. Yes, it sounds like Kennedy’s famous speech but it’s true.

Freelance writers often work alone and may not be skilled in the art of relationship building. Don’t panic because you are capable of developing strong relationships. When you attend networking events, make sure you get to know people before you ask for business. Take time to get to know people first and business second. After you get a sense of how you can help, ask to schedule a coffee or lunch meeting. Listen to what they have to say before giving your 30-second elevator pitch. Many people hear, but they do not listen to what others are saying. Pay attention when someone is speaking then ask if you could offer your advice and services. If you receive a “yes,” explain how solve problems and add value to clients. This is where freelance writers can fall short because they believe they’re in the writing business. See What Business Are You in Today? for more information.

Tips for Building Relationships

• Get to know people before you ask for business. Ask people about their families, hobbies, or how they got started in their business. Don’t go for the jugular as soon as you meet people.
• Take it slow. Just like dating, you don’t want to propose on the first date! Ask for a coffee or lunch meeting to gather more information about a potential client’s business. After you collected the information, let them know how you can be of service.
• Get out of your comfort zone. Freelance writers are artists are solo professionals. The thought of meeting new people terrifies some of them to death. Take baby steps and join one or two business groups to gain your networking legs. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be attending three or four events a month.
• Be sincere. There’s nothing worse than a phony. People don’t like being taking advantage of and it could ruin your reputation. Remember “word-of-mouth” is still a viable means of advertising. Be genuine and take an interest in people. Everyone wants to know they matter and are making a contribution to the world.

Freelance writers remember that it’s not about you. What can you do for potential clients? What problems can you solve? How will you add value to their business? Think about these questions before you whip out your business card and tell people you’re the most wonderful freelance writer in the world and that’s why they should hire you!

Rebecca

How has building relationships affected your business? Share your thoughts.

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Many small business owners are reluctant to join Facebook because they don’t want to “jump on the bandwagon” because everyone else is doing it. This is fine, but you’re possibly missing out on new income opportunities that your competition is taking advantage of.

Facebook is not difficult to use. The initial set-up doesn’t take much time. It’s true that it can be time consuming to maintain a Facebook page or Fan page, but you could hire an intern to do this or your son or daughter! Small business owners cannot afford to over look the power of social media.

Small business owners who want to develop a relationship with customers will utilize Facebook. Most people use this social media platform to stay in touch with family and friends. However, they use it to develop relationships with businesses that they value.

Huge corporations such as Pepsi use Facebook to connect with customers. They even have a Pepsi Canada page! If BIG BUSINESS takes advantage of social media, small business owners can do the same thing. Large corporations realize that most people are “tech” savvy. They email, text, upload and send videos, get their news online, upload pictures, Twitter, etc…Big business owners will not shrink away from social media as long as the masses are using it.

Facebook can help small business owners connect with their customers and reach more people. They don’t call it “social media” for nothing! People are connecting and communicating with each other everyday. This is how they stay in touch without having to leave their homes. It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t take advantage of social media.

Small business owners, give Facebook a chance. Try it out for a few months to get a good feel for it. Forums and blogs like this one will provide you with “tips and tricks” to social media that you can incorporate into your business. Before you know it, you’ll be a pro and have a huge following of people!

Rebecca

What’s holding you back from joining Facebook?

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Business owners have been asking me how to find keywords and keyword phrases. Some business owners have an online presence, but they are not taking advantage of keywords and writing for the web. Now that they’ve decided to take advantage of SEO, they’re not sure how to do it. Never fear, Rebecca is here!

I use tools such as Google AdWords Keyword Tools, Google Insights for Search, and Google Trends. You can use these tools to “drill down” your keyword list. If you’re still not sure how to use them, contact me for a SEO consultation and I will walk you through it. Before you know it, you’ll be ranking in Google and customers will find you from all over the world, if that’s what you desire.

Rebecca

What does your keyword list look like?

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Many small business owners advertise in the Yellow pages, online, and in newspapers. You’re throwing your money away if your ad doesn’t stand out from your competitor’s. For example, let’s say you own a flower shop and advertise in the Yellow Pages. Your ad is probably next to another flower shop advertisement. The ads probably use different words, but the message will be the same. Using an elevator pitch in your ad help you stand out from the crowd. More importantly, customers will look to you as the expert in the field.

An elevator pitch is “an overview of an idea for a product, service, or project. The name reflects the fact that an elevator pitch can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride (for example, thirty seconds and 100-150 words).”

Elements of an elevator pitch

An effective elevator pitch answers the following questions:

• How you solve the customer’s problem?
• What is your product, service, or project?
• What does it do for the buyer, investor, or sponsor (benefits)?
• Who you are and why your organization will be successful?

If you’re not a strong writer, you may want to hire a freelance writer to create your elevator pitch. This could mean thousands or millions of dollars to you and your small business. This is why hiring a freelance writer is the best solution. Take the stress out of writing an elevator pitch so you can concentrate on growing your small business.

Example of an elevator pitch

Here’s an example of an elevator pitch for a flower shop from One Coach…

HOW TO GIVE YOUR WIFE EVERYTHING SHE WANTS IN ONE QUICK AND EASY 10-MINUTE STEP!

We solve the dilemma forever by starting with the universal symbol of love, the rose…and developing it into a “super rose” with bulbs twice the normal size and colors so dazzling they let that special someone know that you carefully selected the very best and that you love them no more than ever before!

All it takes is one elevator pitch to increase profits. You could create two different elevator pitches and see which one does the best. Analyze which one brings in the most business. If you receive a ton of business from the freelance writer’s elevator pitch, you may want to forge a long-term relationship with that writer before your competition “snatches” her away from you!

Rebecca

How is your elevator pitch working for you? Share your experience.

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I recently drove to Northern California; the East Bay and South Bay areas of San Francisco. Don’t ask me why I chose to drive 12 hours instead of boarding a plane. It was a grueling drive because I was the only driver. I think I’m done with road trips for some time. I did contribute to the economy by spending most of my money on gas!

What surprised me about my visit to Northern California is the lack of travel and tourism promotion. I stayed at an independent hotel and they had no travel information. I looked around the lobby and front desk, but couldn’t find any. I thought this was odd since it was not a BIG hotel chain. They did offer free WiFi and provided a computer and printer in the lobby for guests. Still, it would have been nice to have some travel brochures that provided me with information about the area.

Small businesses within the travel and tourism industry can benefit from advertising and promotion. If you own a bed and breakfast, independent hotel, spa and salon, or restaurant, make sure to have promotional material readily available for guests. It’s a good idea to have a couple of travel brochures about the area as well.

If you want travelers to spend money in your community, you’ve got to help them out. Some travelers like to “fly by the seat of their pants” (I sometimes do) and don’t plan every little detail when they travel. How will they know what historic sites to visit? Where will they dine and shop? How can they improve your area’s economic situation if they don’t know what to do or where to go? This translates to lost dollars for your community.

Of course, I was in the area known as Silicon Valley. Maybe the area doesn’t need any improvement to its bottom line because the techie companies are “pumping cash” into the local economy.

Travel and tourism promotion along with great customer service can improve the bottom line of a small business. Promoting your business will ensure that travelers come back to your establishment. Have plenty of brochures at the front desk or in the lobby. When it’s time to check out, travelers can take a brochure with them. Remember, word-of-mouth is still a viable means of advertising.

Savvy Writer Rebecca

How do you promote your business to travelers?

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Small business owners who don’t want to spend a lot of time on social media sites such as Twitter, may be interested in purchasing Tweet Adder. It’s not the cheapest software on the market, but it could help you grow your business.

Getting web traffic to your website can be a daunting task if you don’t have a staff to help you out. Tweet Adder can help you gain ‘targeted’ Twitter followers and automate your Twitter posts.

Twitter has exploded and is not going away anytime soon. Oprah, CNN, and major celebrities ‘Tweet’ each day. If you’re a small business owner that would like to enter the social media market, Tweet Adder can assist you with your Twitter account.

Features of Tweet Adder

• Find like-minded Twitter followers.
• Increase Twitter traffic to your website to gain customers and increase profits.
• Set and forget it because Tweet Adder runs daily.
• Automate your scheduled direct messages.
• Set-up multiple accounts and create unlimited Twitter profiles.

If you’re apprehensive about spending the money on Tweet Adder, try it before you buy it. Tweet Adder offers a ‘free demo’ that can be used on Mac OsX or Windows. Get to know the program and see if it’s for you and your small business.

The minimum to amount of hours to spend on social media is approximately 40 hours. Tweet Adder can free up some of the 40 hours. If you go on vacation you don’t have to worry about ‘Tweeting’ on your vacation. Your Twitter account will be updated daily!

Let’s face it, small business owners are focused on growing their business by getting in front of people NOT sitting in front of the computer. This is why they’ll outsource work to freelancers such as freelancer writers or SEO experts.

Small business owners who want to gain new customers via social media, consider purchasing Tweet Adder or at least download the demo version. Test the software and monitor your web traffic and sales. How did web traffic increase? How many new customers did you receive? What happened to your ‘bottom line’? Did it increase or decrease? Do some analysis so you can see how much value Tweet Adder added to your small business. If there’s a lot of value, purchase Tweet Adder. If not, find another software that will work for your business.

Savvy Writer Rebecca

How many Twitter applications do you use?

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Small businesses owners can benefit from uploading podcasts onto your website. There are a ton of programs that you can use to create an audio recording. Audacity is a “free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems.”

“Audacity is free, open source software (available to anyone). It was developed by a group of volunteers and distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).” This is free software and you’ll have the freedom to use Audacity and to study how it works, especially if you’re new to creating podcasts.

If you use a MAC platform in your small business, you can still use Audacity. All you do is download the software and you’ll be able to create podcasts which can help drive web traffic.

Podcasts can help drive traffic to your website! If your small business is in the pet grooming business, you could create a daily, weekly, or monthly for your visitors. Give them FREE tips how they can keep their dog or cat’s fur nice and shiny. Tell them what shampoo to use if their cat or dog has allergies. The more information you can provide the better. Your business will be known as an AUTHORITY on pet grooming on the internet. Visitors will remember your website and tell others about it.

According to Audacity’s website, you can use the software to do the following:

• Record live audio.
• Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
• Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
• Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
• Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
• And more! See the complete list of features.

Adding introduction and ending music is not necessary for podcasting but it does give it that EXTRA SPECIAL something. Make sure the music you use IS NOT commercial or mainstream music. Meaning, don’t use music from your favorite recording artist. You can get into a lot of trouble by doing this. Find Royalty Free Music to incorporate into your audio recordings.

Loopsound is a company from the U.K. that offers Royalty Free Music. You can purchase music and use it over and over again. Take the music that you purchase and “mix it” to create unique pieces to use in your podcast. Make sure you keep the introduction and ending to a maximum of 20 seconds. Anything more than this can be too much.

Podcasting Tips

• Write out a script. If you feel that you may stumble through your podcast, write out a script. Make sure you HIT the points you’d like to make. Once you record a few podcasts, you may not have to use a script.
• Familiarize yourself with the program. Before you begin using Audacity get to know it. Go through the Help section and read up on the different aspects of Audacity.
• Keep podcasts to a minimum of 20-30 minutes. Actually, the shorter the better. Many people will not listen to a lengthy podcast. They may lose focus and start surfing the net or walk away. You may consider “breaking up” your podcasts if they are longer.

Podcasting can set your business apart from another business. Whatever you can do to BOOST web traffic to your website, just do it! Remember that the way people find and receive their information is ever evolving. Make sure you’re part of the process and not left behind in the dust!

Savvy Writer Rebecca

What podcasts have you created? What software did you use?

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