blog-promotion Archives - Page 57 of 78

Bloggy Life Question 26 — Do You Wish to Comment?

October 22, 2006 by Liz

Money for Nothing?

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life hypothetical question. . . .

About two weeks ago, you visited a blog that had a post about a cause that you believe in Ã¢â¬â helping homeless children get a solid education. The post you read was well written and quite moving. You left a comment about your feelings and your ideas, thanking the writer for a great posting. You actually linked to the post and shared the link with a few friends.

This afternoon you received an email from that writer, she was writing you with an offer. Since you are passionate about the same issue, would you want to help in raise awareness? Would you want to read and comment on other blogs discussing the education of homeless children? A group that she is part of is willing to pay you $5.00/comment and provide you with a list of 50 blogs on which you might comment.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Five Reasons Writers Make More $ Writing White Papers

October 18, 2006 by Guest Author

Michael A. Stelzner, Guest Writer

Looking to drum up some new business? Want to get more dollars from existing clients? Are you a starving writer?

Consider the five reasons why white papers could dramatically increase your writing revenue:

1. Demand exceeds supply: There are not enough writers who know how to write white papers. Businesses are aggressively looking to write more white papers. Master the art and count your dollars.

2. You can charge more for a white paper: White papers help businesses generate leads and close sales; thus, they are directly tied to revenue. For many businesses, only one or two sales from a white paper return the investment.

3. Businesses pay top dollar for white papers: Word for word, nothing beats a white paper. A good white paper writer charges between $3,000 and $10,000 for a 10-page white paper. This is the most lucrative writing business out there.

4. White papers can be multi-purposed: A well-written white paper can be converted into a contributed article or used as content on a website. This adds more value to a white paper project.

5. Many businesses need multiple white papers: Prove yourself with an excellent white paper and your client will want others. This can generate a consistent pipeline of work.

Your action: Develop your white paper writing skills with the groundbreaking new book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

—Michael A. Stelzner

The Persuasive Power of White Papers

October 16, 2006 by Guest Author

Michael A. Stelzner, Guest Writer

Information overload. Filters. Time constraints. Limited patience.

Marketing excess makes the task of influencing a chore!

Getting an audience with someone important and presenting vital points have never been harder. It is just plain tough to persuade people if you can’t speak to them.

Fortunately, there is way.

The white paper is often ushered past the guards and into the inner courts of important people.

Why?

White papers are sought after to help readers make decisions. Like the ancient wise man, the great white paper will have a significant impact on its readers.

These informative (and often persuasive) documents tend to contain information that is very valuable.

The persuasive white paper:

Identifies problems facing its readers (to build affinity)
Discusses trends (to push a need for change)
Provides solutions without selling (by speaking broadly and objectively)
Suggests what to look for (think key considerations when seeking a solution)

The art of persuasion involves building interest, providing valuable information and directing readers to act in a very specific manner. When applied to white papers, the result is a virtual salesperson that acts in your best interest, all the time.

This article is the fourth in a five-part series on the advantages of white papers. The next article will examine how writers can grow their businesses by writing white papers.

Your action: Learn how to persuade with white papers and watch people respond in ways you never imagined. An excellent resource to help you master this art is the new book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged.

—Michael A. Stelzner

Bloggy Life Question 25 — Would You Blog as the Opposite Sex?

October 15, 2006 by Liz

Mr. um, I mean Ms. er, Sir, Ma’am?

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week. I offer this bloggy life question. . .

You’ve been approached by a well-financed enterprised to blog for them on a high-end blog, called Views. The blogging team will be you and one other person, someone of the opposite sex. Each of you will be paid US$60,000/year to post at least six times a week about your opinions on any topic– from music to arithmetic.

The blog will be launched with a massive media blitz, and you’ll have access to the resources of an entire media library for photos and content.

The catch? Each of you must blog under the guise of a member of the opposite sex — in other words, you’d be switching roles — and your contract binds you to keep your true identity secret.

How do you respond?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

If You Want Me to Care, Tell Me Who You Are

October 14, 2006 by Liz

Identity, Credibility, Humanity

It happened twice last night. I was reading a new blog and got interested. I went to the About page and there was none. . . .

Most blogging templates come with an About page — a page ready for the blogger add a bio and background. Here at Successful-Blog the About Liz page is so often visited, the page itself has a Google Page Rank of 5!

Why is that?

It’s not because I am so particularly fascinating. It’s because people want to know who’s talking to them.

When I study my referral logs, I check the visitor paths. New readers come. They read a while, and then, go to the About page. It’s not unusual for visitors who read several posts,to return to the About page more than once in a visit. I see that happen daily.

A well-written About page offers asset value and provides a service to readers. It begins a relationship on three levels.

Identity. An About page welcomes visitors who come to your blog by telling them something about you.
Credibility. It lets your readers see your personal stake in the blog and how only you could write it.
Humanity. The About page lets readers know there’s a person behind the blog. Without it, you’ve left an anonymous letter.

Write an About page that introduces you. It’s sets up your brand and starts our relationship. It makes that first connect between us as writer and reader. We’re all so busy and anonymous sources are unreliable at best.

I want to care about what you write. Please tell me who you are.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

How Writing is Like Getting a Nervous Chihuahua to Stop Peeing

October 12, 2006 by Liz

The Chihuahua Story

One of my favorite writing stories is man against dog story. It goes like this.

A man named, Jack, and his wife shared their home with a Chihuahua, named “Loco.” As Chihuahuas are, Loco was a nervous, little dog always moving and shaking. Loco was even more nervous, when Jack waa around because the little dog was unsure of the big man’s affection.

Every time Jack came near the creature, fearful Loco would run to the kitchen. Next would come the awful, clattery tapping, of tiny Chihuahua-dog nails on the kitchen tile floor and then the stomping of industrial workboots following after. When Jack made it to the kitchen, he would loudly say, “Stop that damn racket. Stop it NOW.”

Loco would freeze at Jack’s command, spread his back legs, and proceed to pee on the yellow and gray kitchen floor.

This event happened almost every day. Jack muttered under his breath as he cleaned it up. Who knows if Loco understood words like That dog has to go . . . if it weren’t my wife’s dog . . .?

Day after day, Loco got nervous. Jack yelled. Loco peed. Jack got mad.

Finally Jack sought help from a friend who suggested that Jack immediately put the dog’s nose in the “event,” tap his nose with a newspaper, and then set the dog outside.

“That,” the friend promised, “would help the dog connect the “event” to doing it outside.” The friend cautioned Jack that it might take a few days, but to keep at it until the dog showed progress.

Jack thought it was worth a try.

So the very next time the dog peed on the floor, Jack followed the plan. He put the dog’s nose in the “event,” tapped it with a newspaper, and threw the dog out the open kitchen window — the one right over the sink. He repeated the process each time with out missing a beat.

The dog learned.

By the fifth day, the dog knew what to do.

He peed on the floor

and jumped out the window.

Readers take from our writing what their experience tells them.

So how do we make our message as clear as possible? Let me show you.
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