When I sit down to write a blog post, I’ve got the hardest part out of the way — the idea. The rest of the process — the writing and finding the best images comes pretty easy to me. So easy that sometimes I’m tempted to click the Publish button a little prematurely. This post is a checklist of things to do before releasing your new blog post to the world.
24 Words to Watch Out For These are the most commonly misused words I see online. This post is a quick guide to the correct usage* of these words. Now more than ever, how we speak, write, and express ourselves online is crucial. Good writing can make the difference...
How to Generate Blog Topics Your Readers Will Love If you’re blogging for business, you know you need to write content on a consistent basis, but don’t we all get stumped from time to time? Sometimes it seems like the ideas just won’t come and if you’re on a...
How to Start a Blog From Scratch If you’ve read anything about online marketing in the past few years, you know that you need a blog. You need a blog to draw traffic to your website, to help your audience see your more personal and approachable side, and, of...
If You Use WordPress, it Doesn’t Hurt to Know HTML WordPress users, I’m not trying to turn you into a coding ninja nerd — but I do want to show you that there are times it’s just simpler if you know a little bit of the language that runs the...
Websites: The Basics Websites are as necessary to your business as a phone number, whether you’re brick and mortar or exclusively online. WordPress is the best solution for a small business website, as it allows you to retain control over your site and make...
If you spend time with a search engine optimization (SEO) expert, they’ll tell you to come up with 10 – 15 marketing keywords that you want to be found for online. FYI, I know very little about SEO and I value my clients enough to refer them to a real...
You’ve just written a business report, blog post, news article, copy for your website or marketing piece, and you’re ready to hit Publish. But wait — are you sure your copy is error free? Every word you publish under your name or the name of your business...
If you’d like to increase sales, I have an exercise for you. I want you to begin to define your avatar(s). You may have more than one, in fact, you probably will. Wait – what’s an avatar? You may also have heard them referred to as personas. Same thing....
I get this question often from clients who don’t think they have the time to write original content: Do I need to blog? My answer is nearly always the same: Yes. Yes, and yes. Why is Blogging So Important? Google. I’m really talking about all search...
I work with WordPress a lot. I design and build websites for clients and coach them on how to edit and add content to their sites. As I work with users of many different levels of experience, I take note of their WordPress questions, as it’s hard for me to...
An effective social media presence is wholly dependent on content. For most of us, it’s a mix of original and shared content. The articles you share should be well written and helpful to others. But how do you find shareable, quality content? Enter Feedly. All...
I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love to write and wasn’t obsessed with words. I’ve done crossword puzzles since childhood and have been known to read the dictionary. I’m a natural writer — by that I mean no one has ever...
Marketing is a lot like attending a rock concert. Who’s your favorite musician or band? Simon and Garfunkel get first place with me, but Billy Joel is definitely a close second. I first saw him in concert in the late 70s, when I was in college. He played at...