WHAT ARE YOUR WORDS WORTH?

photo courtesy of  david turnbull

5 Places to Earn Money for Your Words

The need for content, both in print and on the web, is massive even in this tanking economy. If anything, the bad business climate has companies scrambling for new marketing outlets, most on line.

And that means work for you. Here are five places that are actually looking for writers and are willing to pay them – in real dollars!. So, if you can string words in to sentences, you can earn money for your efforts. Check out these outlets for content.

1. odesk. Odesk is an outsource hook-up site, connecting service buyers and providers. The site has a number of categories – site design, coding and writing.

Just looked and there are over 200 gigs listed on odesk this morning, divided into general categories to make your search for a gig that much easier. Tech writer? 74 job listings on odesk this morning.

What are you waiting for?

2. Elance. Perhaps the most widely-known outsource hook-up site, Elance has taken strides of late to improve its image in this web space. Many of the writing jobs are for words by the pound. I saw one job – 1000 articles – top bid $500! That’s 50 cents an article.

However, if you’re good you can cherry pick the buyers looking for quality over quantity. Bid low until you gain some feedback from happy buyers. Then up your price gradually.

3. Helium. You don’t think of Helium as a paying site. It’s a content syndication site, right? Well, that’s the biz’s bread and butter but the site also posts paying gigs. You’re competing against a lot of other writers but the site is flogging the fact that one woman made $5K in six months writing for Helium.

Sounds perfect for the work-at-home parent. No commitment.

There's lots of ways to make money on the W3. You just have to look.

Webwrodslinger.com

4. Guru. Another outsourcing site that’s coming up fast. The quality of its postings has improved meaning better paying gigs for you. Again, these on-line sites have postings that change daily so keep going back to see what’s new.

They’re all ideal for part-timers and newbs looking to gain experience and creds.

5. Your local newspaper. The local Picayune is desperate for content. A friend of mine, a Registered Nurse, writes a weekly health column for the local rag. $50 bucks a week. Now, given the amount of time said friend works on her columns – interviews, research, first and second draft, she makes less than minimum wage.

But she’s got a clip book – one that adds to her credibility as a writer – a reliable writer who can hit a deadline every week for years – even if she only gets $50 a week. It’s the creds that count here.

And those clippings can be compiled into a book on health and wellness since the RN friend owns the copyright. Sweet.

So, open your accounts or contact the local editor and offer to do a column on your particular expertise – gardening to low-cost living and consumer tips. Build your clip book and charge $10 a column. Watch that editor jump!

You start working at “burger-flipping” wages but as you gain experience, confidence and credibility, you and your words become better and more valuable.

Start here.

Webwordslinger.com

HOW TO BECOME A WEB GURU IN 5 EASY STEPS

photo courtesy of Brian Warren

The Five Steps to Becoming a Guru:

Are You the Next Peter Lynch, Dan Kennedy or Skip McGrath?

Gurus, good ones anyway, are hard to find these days. Oh sure, the word gets thrown around quite a bit. “He’s an SEO guru.” “She’s the best marketing guru ever to walk the halls of this office.” “This guy is a penny stock guru. You can’t miss if you follow his picks.”

You know, anyone can become a guru on the web, regardless of subject of expertise, or any expertise at all. Google “Life Coach” and see how many hits you get. Today, it was 68,900,000 “gurus” on the amorphous topic of life coaching. That’s a lot of gurus all in one place. Now conduct s search for “Job Coach.”  Not as many hits as life coach (more narrow topic) but Google still delivers 39,900,000 links to job coaches – gurus who are going to help you climb the ladder of corporate success.

Life coach, job coach, stock picker, SEO expert, health and wellness insider – you can’t swing a dead personal development coach without hitting the next guru wannabe. In effect, becoming a guru is nothing more than good marketing and, with apologizes to Dan Kennedy, sales letter guru, there are better, so you don’t even have to be the best if you create the online persona of guru.

Here are five tips to start you down the yellow brick road (solid gold) to gurudom.

1. Take a different road. One-of-a kind explanations for common phenomenon set you apart, whether were talking about baking the best scones ever or building the perfect website.

Don’t rehash the rehash. Take a different tact from the rest of the pack and find that new slant. Peter Lynch, ex of the Fidelity Magellan Fund, used to listen to his kids for good stock picks. If the kids and all of their friends were going to the all-natural salon in the mall every Saturday, Lynch would do the spade work, find the corporate owner and take a position. It was a completely different take on fundamental versus chart (technical) stock analysis and Lynch made a whole lot of money listening to his kids and their friends.

2. Present different tips and tricks for putting in to place common procedures. The whole world might know how the procedure or model works, but if you come in with a unique way of analyzing a topic and presenting very specific strategies for improving your readers’ lives, gurudom is just around the corner.

How-to advice is a good place to start. Let’s say your claim to the title of guru is based on your uncanny ability to pick penny stocks just before they become dollar stocks. Bingo. You’re a penny stock buying guru and people will pay you a lot of money for your sage counsel.

3. Present both sides of the discussion. Gurus aren’t totalitarian cult figures. They have that inner calm and self confidence to present the other side of their position with self-assurance that their position is the correct one.

Get together a room full of SEO experts and you’ll hear every possible SEO strategy that ever appeared on the web. (If there’s an open bar, there’ll probably be some imbibing but you know how those SEOs are.) A guru – a good one – listens to all sides with absolute confidence that s/he is correct. And these gurus are getting $5,000 a head for their well-booked seminars.

4. Criticize. Warren Buffet, the Oracle (even better than a guru) of Omaha (and a true stock picking genius) constantly speaks to audiences on investment strategies that work and Mr. Buffet has made many shareholders of Berkshire-Hathaway millionaires.  

Back in the ‘90s, when everybody was hopping on this new web marketplace thing and buying anything with a dot com after its name, Buffet was buying steel, concrete, construction companies – the basic, nuts-and-bolts of our infrastructure. He spent years criticizing those brokers and faux gurus who were pushing their clients into these online startups and, if anyone can remember the Spring of ’01, we saw the dot com bubble implode.

On the other hand, Berkshire-Hathaway (Buffet) weathered the storm just fine. Don’t be a follower. Gurus don’t follow they lead.

5. Create controversy. Ultra-conservative and barely watchable, Ann Coulter has made a whole pile of cash with her controversial criticism of 9/11 widows, Democrats, cancer-victim Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John Edwards, claiming that Ms Edwards, who is fighting a courageous battle against cancer, is using her disease to raise the sympathy vote, and while Ms. Coulter’s comments are reprehensible to even conservative Republicans, controversy sells – a lot.

The web is crawling with experts – cruise ship gurus, gold bugs, retail poo-bahs and other so-called experts. It’s actually pretty easy to make a name for yourself within a particular field because of the speed at which information moves across the web. The key is to find something that sets you apart from the crowd.

If all you’re doing is playing the same game that a thousand other gurus are playing you won’t stand out. Change the rules, provide utile information, don’t follow the pack and create controversy.

It’ll only be a matter of time before you’re asked to appear on Oprah. That’s how you know you’ve become a guru. So pick your topic. Health and wellness, weight loss painlessly, investment advice, marketing advice – whatever your area of expertise, you can become the next guru to be recognized on the web.

Next stop? The book tour. Oh, and the percentages that come with publishing a best seller.

The world is waiting for you. What are you waiting for?

Later, sensi,

Webwordslinger.com 

SIMPLIFY THE SALE AND BUILD BUYER TRUST WITH GOOGLE CHECKOUT

Google Checkout:

Easy and Free (Sort of)

Google Checkout is a checkout processing service that not only handles basic order processing chores, it also delivers some marketing benefits that no other checkout package can.

What’s Google Checkout and why should I care?

You should care because processing orders takes a big chomp out of your bottom line and anything you can do to cut those costs is a good step to take.

First, the Checkout module “bolts” right on to your existing website and fully integrates with CMS and other content and data management programs you have in place. Second, it provides customers with the very convenient “One-Click Checkout” – buyers enter shipping and credit card information once and buying is just a single click away. This generates more sales and repeat traffic simply because it’s so easy.

Finally, Google Checkout automates payment processing by providing numerous credit card options (the more payment gateways, the more sales). It processes orders interfacing seamlessly with your inventory management software and, finally, the best part – the software automatically drops payments into the company bank account. Automatic. Easy. Very cool.

The Google Cache? Really?

Look, Google has an excellent reputation among consumers of search engine services. It is, after all, the largest SE and, it appears to be taking over the world. So, if you can associate your site with Google, a bit of that gleam is reflected your way.

This is especially true if you use sponsored Google Adwords – those sponsored links that appear on every Google SERP and ubiquitously on web pages everywhere. If you use Adwords for marketing, you can display the Google Checkout badge, a little green shopping cart, on all Adwords you place. It’s a nice touch and a convenience that buyers will come to recognize in the months ahead.

Improve You Conversion Rate

Google’s Checkout is designed for online purchases, simplifying the process at every stage. So, you won’t lose as many buyers at the checkout trying to figure what to do next. Google’s Checkout GUI is simple, uncluttered and reassuring, enhancing the trust factor.

Free Adwords?

Not quite, but close. For every $1 you spend on Google’s Adwords program – an effective program, BTW -  you receive $10 of processed sales for free. So, spend $100 a month on Adwords, building your business, and you’ll be able to process $1000 in sales for exactly $0.

If you exceed your Adword rebate, or you opt not to use Adwords, the processing costs are still reasonable at 2% plus $0.20 per transaction. Not bad.

Fraud Protection

And plenty of it. The system takes a proactive approach to fraud, filtering out bogus transactions before you’re burned. Google even offers a limited Payment Guarantee if you ever get a chargeback on a legit purchase.

Options and More Options

You can get started with Google Checkout in three ways. There’s easiest, easier and “I’d better call in someone who knows what they’re doing.” Let’s examine each.

Buy Now Buttons

This is the easiest way to hook up your site to Google Checkout. You simply paste snippets of Google-generated HTML code into your site’s HTML browser. That’s it. You’re hooked up and when customers click on that ‘Buy Now’ button, they’re directed through the checkout like any well-respected customer.

E-commerce Partners

Still pretty easy. All site owners have to do is enter their Merchant ID number and Merchant Key on the E-commerce Partners’ web page. This more fully integrates your existing order processing system with the new checkout.

Google Checkout API

If you aren’t sure how all the various pieces of your web site are interconnected, don’t try to install this option without a little help from your site designer or the neighbor’s kid who’s a whiz-bang at this stuff.

There are two levels of integration and, if it isn’t done properly, you may be processing orders by way of Greenland.

  

Easy As Pie

The hook-up you employ will depend on the extent of your product line and the need to integrate sales data with inventory, drop shipping and other order fulfillment matters. If you do you own shipping, go with option 1 or 2.

Regardless of which level of Google Checkout you select for your site, it’s all automated to keep things simple. You select the bank account where you want deposits made. You verify your account (takes a couple of days) but after that, money is deposited electronically. Nothing could be easier

Want to learn  more? Want to see which hook-up is best for you? That’s easy, too. Just follow the link. You’ll be able to register and get started in just a few minutes. So, if you haven’t selected a checkout mod (there are several), or your planning to ramp up your Adwords spending, check out Google’s Checkout for benefits that no other check-out package can deliver.


Later,
Webwordslinger.com

CREATE THE PERFECT SQUEEZE PAGE

image courtesy of howtocreateasqueezepage

Preparing the Perfect Squeeze Page:

Get a Grip on Your Buyers

When visitors come to your web site they don’t always land on the home page. They might enter via a landing page or zone page based on the query words they entered into the search box. Now, for smart on-line retailers, this isn’t a problem. If you sell tools on-line and a search engine user queries ‘hammer,’ it’s better that the visitor land on the hammer page then the home page and have to do a site search to find hammers.

The objective of a search engine is to not only deliver links, but relevance, too. So, by directing that visitor to your hammer page the search engine is providing the most relevant link within your site. (This assumes your site is optimized and that each page has a HTML tag describing its content.)

All well and good. Then, along comes the squeeze page. A squeeze page is the first thing a visitor sees when clicking on a site link. It asks the visitor to “opt in” for a newsletter, an e-book or access to the site.

So What Good Does a Squeeze Page Do?

A well-written squeeze page has one objective. To gather email addresses of visitors. And why are those email addresses so important? Because they’re added to the site owner’s database and can now be used for every email blast the site launches. As long as the visitor opts in and agrees to accept goodies from the site, it’s not spamming. But for a lot of web users a squeeze page is annoying.

The perfect squeeze page provides a taste – a taste of things to come. The copy should be informational and pique the curiosity of the visitor enough to offer up his or her email address in exchange for more of that same quality information – a bigger taste.

Once the visitor has opted in (A $99 VALUE – FREE JUST FOR SIGNING UP!), the email address is gold to the savvy marketer who starts sending free articles, the tip of the day, free downloads and other information. Some is good, valuable content, some not so much. Either way, it enables the site owner to keep his or her URL in front of the one-time visitor who elected to receive content by opting in.

So, the first objective of a squeeze page is to provide enough information to whet the appetite of the visitor who then opts in, providing an email address.

Second, the squeeze page provides solid, factual, useful information. No fluff allowed. This is a requirement for two critical reasons. A squeeze page that’s pure hype won’t do much for your opt in rate. Opt ins recognize the value of your offer because of the information contained on the squeeze page.

Also, that squeeze page will be indexed by search engines. Providing good information, with just a smidge of sizzle, won’t detract from how search engines view your site.

Types of Squeeze Pages

The first type of squeeze page gives the visitor two choices: opt in or leave. Visitors can read the squeeze tease, but if they want more they have to give an email address or hit the digital bricks. Which is what most visitors do when they see they’ve landed on a hard-sell squeeze page.

Most visitors will (rightly) think that, within weeks, their in-boxes will be filled with junk mail. (Remember, it’s not spam if the recipient requested the information.) These site visitors envision auto-responders week after week, each one a bit more desperate than the last.

They may expect that newsletter to which they subscribed, only to discover that the “newsletter” is nothing more than a bunch of sales hype disguised as informational content. Any decent web writer can create sales copy that sounds like news. That’s why the perfect squeeze page delivers good content, not hype. The sell is woven into the information. Same with the newsletter, press release or email. Think “content” when you think of the perfect squeeze page.

The perfect squeeze page also provides the visitor with a third or fourth option other than opt in or leave.  Provide a “learn more” option. No opt in required. Just a link that takes visitors to another page where they can learn more about the site, the offer, the information, and whether it’s something they want to opt for or click the back button of their browsers.

Squeeze Page Tips

• The ideal squeeze page should be laid out for quick eye scan. Don’t expect visitors to read through a ton of text to get to the deal.

• Use short blocks of text and single sentences.

• Talk directly to the reader, i.e., You know the aches and pains that come with age.

• Use bulleted lists to detail the benefits of opting in. Benefits differ from features. Tell the visitor how his or her life will be better, easier, happier, more productive or whatever. Describe benefits, not features.

• Use charts, graphs and illustrations to convey detailed information.

• Provide options. Lots of them. If the only choice is to opt in or leave, most visitors will leave. Use text links to draw in visitors to specific pages of your site.

• Use pictures. This is especially true if you sell products. Show your wares on the squeeze page. They’re a great draw.

• Provide more than one opportunity to opt in. If the only place a visitor can elect to receive email from you is the squeeze page, some visitors won’t be able to find it without reloading their browsers. So, provide an opt in box on the home page.

When used properly, a well-developed squeeze page can work wonders in building up your database. And, if the opt ins receive good information from you each day or week or month, you’ll quickly build a loyal following – visitors who become buyers.

Expand your presence with the perfect squeeze page and get a grip on your buyers.

Webwordslinger.com

WEB WRITING: WHO'S READING YOUR TEXT? AND WHY?

image courtesy of Barbara Doduk

Web Writing:

Know Your Demographic

If you’ve been writing professionally for more than two weeks you know what the demographic is. For the rest of you, the demographic is the sweet spot of your client’s market. It’s your target audience.

And the better you understand that target the more effective your writing. It’s all about pushing the right buttons to compel the site visitor to perform the MDA – the most desired action.

The Target Demographic

Believe it or not, many of your clients won’t be able to describe their target audience. Let’s say you’re hired to write website content for a brick-and-mortar hearing aid retail outlet somewhere in Montana. (It could happen.)

The owner of the store may have had a lock on a 25 square mile service area – the only hearing aid dispenser in the region. So, dropping a quarter page advert in the local newspaper was all it took to create a profitable business. And the store owner never gave more than a thought to who she was trying to reach.

So, during the discovery phase you ask, “What’s the target demographic?” Your likely to get an incomplete answer: “People who need hearing aids.” However, that’s a broad demographic so a little research might produce a better return for your client.

Research the Demographic

Hearing aids. So you’re likely to immediately think of the over-50 crowd. Probably right. Nerve deafness goes hand-in-hand with aging so trying to hit that over-50, Baby Boomer demographic bubble may be just the way to go.

But, what do you know about this particular group, other than what you know about your grandparents and the 60-year-old neighbor next door? These people don’t make up a large enough group to actually define the needs and preferences of people over 50.

For example, a little research reveals that the over-50 crowd:

• Are less likely to use computers at home
• Are less likely to comparison shop for products on line
• Don’t make as many on-line purchases
• Are less familiar with local search engine options
• Scroll less than their younger counterparts
• Spend less time on line altogether
• Are not as tech savvy as younger computer users

All of these factors create a clearer picture of who you’re targeting with your writing. For example, if you know that seniors don’t scroll as much as younger people, all of the important stuff must be at the top of the page.

Use the Language of the Target Demographic. Jargon Sells!

What do these people want and need? What information do they require to make an intelligent buying choice? How do they talk to each other? Your writing should use the language of the target demographic.

Let’s say you’re writing a user manual for a mainframe computer company. (It could happen.) You better know what a trouble ticket is and what downstream consequences are. You can quickly learn the insider jargon by visiting websites that sell mainframes or service them.

There’s jargon in every profession. It’s a form of shorthand. But it’s also exclusionary, keeping out those who are NOT members of the gang. So, the use of the demographic jargon (1) enables you to present information in shorthand form and (2) makes you a member of the exclusive group of mainframe computer administrators.

The best place to look for industry-specific jargon is on websites and blogs designed to provide solutions to the specific demographic. These sites detail what the demographic wants so to cut down on research time, cut to the chase and go hang out with the people you’re trying to reach.

That’s the best way to learn the lingo. And deomographic wants and needs, as well.

What Does Your Target Demographic Want or Need?

Increased productivity? Faster shipping? A baby-soft maternity gift? If you don’t know what the target market wants or needs you can’t push the right buttons to induce the site visitor into taking the MDA. In other words, your text missed the mark.

Before you write a single word, know to whom you’re writing. Know how they talk then talk right to them.

Know what they need or want. Then meet those needs and wants.

Don’t rely on your client to give you the goods on the target demographic. Most of these people are focused on business matters. It’s up to you to hit that bull’s-eye sweet spot with your writing.

And if you do, guess what? You just added a regular to your client base – a buyer who will come back for more without any effort on your part.

And repeat buyers are the basis of success for any freelance web writer. So know to whom you’re speaking when you write. Take aim at that bull’s-eye and fire away.

The more times you hit the mark, the more of the client’s problems are solved. And the bigger your client base grows.


Webwordslinger.com

GET YOURSELF SOME FREE BUZZ. STOP THE PRESSES!

photo courtesy of fredvidal 

Writing the Perfect Press Release:

Are You Newsworthy?

Press releases are a great way to get some free (or low-cost) exposure out there on the web. In fact, well-written, well-positioned press releases should be a key aspect of any conventional marketing plan and a definite “must-have” for a viral marketing strategy.

There are companies that will distribute your press release using their email database to make sure your newsletter finds its way to the right people. Or, you can distribute on your own through content syndication sites or free “press release” sites where site owners and editors look for content to fill their web pages.

Problem is, an awful lot of newsletters fail to get picked up. They languish in the inbox of some site owner who gets dozens of press releases everyday. So, how do you make sure your press releases receive the most notice?

Stop the Presses!

A press release is a news story – about you, your products or services, your business model, discovery, web site, areas of interest, site topicality – whatever it is you’re trying to promote. These informational news stories are used to introduce you to potential customers or clients. They can be distributed by snail mail or sent directly to previous clients’ email addresses.

They can be a stand-alone piece or part of a larger “media kit” that could include brochures, a sales letter, product information or samples and other elements designed to capture the attention of a site editor – most often the site owner in the case of smaller sites. (Larger sites usually maintain a writer/editor on staff to develop content for marketing, site text, blog posts and other written communications.)

What makes a press release valuable? Newsworthiness. Look, another site owner isn’t interested in sending traffic to your site. However, she is interested in keeping her site up to date and her readership informed. So, if you send out a hypey sales letter and call it a press release, it may look like a duck and quack like a duck but it ain’t no duck. And, as such, it won’t get much (if any) exposure.

In order for your press release to have the desired effect – raising awareness within the web community – it should have lots of news value and go "lite" on the hype. Of course, you can mention the qualities, features and benefits of a new product or concept but the text can’t sound like a sales letter.

Formatting Your Press Release

While there are no hard-and-fast rules about formatting a press release, there are certain conventions that are followed. Employing these style and format conventions more easily identifies the text as a press release, and when a site owner is going through 150 emails each morning, the easier it is to identify a press release the more likely it will be picked up.

First, use letterhead stationery for your press release. The letterhead should include the company name and general company contact information. Next, provide complete  information for the company’s contact point – the person to reach for additional information, limitations on use and other editorial and legal questions. This person may not be able to provide immediate answers, but he can at least direct you to the person who has the information you’re after.

Indicate when the press release can and should be released to the public. In most cases, press releases are sent out “For Immediate Release,” which should appear in the upper-right corner of the press release. If, for some reason, you want the release delayed, indicate when it’s okay to publish the release.

The press release itself should start off with a big, attention-grabbing headline – something that piques the curiosity of the reader. A second subhead should appear directly under the headline providing the reader with an indication of what the release is about.

Next comes the body of the press release. The first paragraph of the release should answer the standard Journalism 101 questions: who, what, where and when. Some readers will never get past the first paragraph so it’s the most important text in the entire release. Succinctly (no more than two sentences) provide all relevant facts upon which you will elaborate further as the readers move on.

Again, structure the press release to be newsworthy. It’s not an advertisement. It should provide useful information in order to receive wide distribution.

Keep paragraphs short for easier eye scan and remember, web users scan left to right and up to down. If you use a sidebar – a story within a story – it should appear on the left side of the release in a separate box with its own headline. In fact, a sidebar is another opportunity to place a headline above the fold – always a good thing for readers and spiders who calculate the importance of information using type size as one of the criteria.

Don’t use a the three- or four column format used by print newspapers. Your press release should look more like a letter than a newspaper.

Use quotes from authority sources – people, institutions, associations and other “reliable” sources. This not only adds credibility to what you’re saying, it also adds to the “newsiness” of the piece. Pictures, if they somehow clarify or amplify the text, are also useful. Carts and graphs are eye-catching and, when structured and labeled clearly, these illustrations can convey a lot of information in a small space.

Always write in the third person. Never use “I”, “me” or “my.” It’s not about you so leave your ego at the door and pick it up on the way out.

Avoid anything that smacks of hype – words and phrases like “The Best,” “AN ABSOLUTE MUST” and “Leading Edge.” Not only are these kinds of phrases clichés (they’ve been so overused they’ve lost all meaning), they also give your informational press release a sales letter feel. Avoid at all costs.

Use a style manual. There are lots of them. The New York Times style manual is used by press release writers to answer questions such as whether “like-minded” (an adjective) should or should not be hyphenated. It should be according to the NYT's Manual of Style and Usage. However, “businesslike” doesn’t get hyphenated according to the Times editorial handbook.

Keep the release short – two pages (500-600 words) max. Less is more in the press release realm so say it fast, make it complete and know when to get off stage.

To let the reader know that she’s reached the end of the press release, use ### three of these “number” signs. That’s one of those conventions mentioned earlier. It’s just the way it is in journalism.

Finally, you can provide a second contact after the ### end symbol – a contact for a specific purpose. For example, “If you would like to book Ms. Smith for a speaking engagement please contact Ms. Jan Jones, VP of Media Relations, XYZ Corporation, (123) 555-1234.

Writing a good press release is no simple task, and if nouns and adverbs aren’t your thing, outsource the writing to a professional. You can find plenty of freelance writing talent on the web.

It has to be newsworthy, informative, properly formatted, written in the third person and short on the grandiose hyperbole, aka, hype. It has to deliver all information in the shortest space possible. Use graphs and charts to deliver a lot of information in a small space.

It must have complete contact information for those with questions and it should appear on company stationery with company logo if you have one.

If you think you can do it, do a few drafts and let an impartial set of eyes read it. Accept criticism graciously and listen to suggestions for improvement. With a bit of practice, you can develop a PR a week to keep your subscribers or buyers up to speed.

Practice makes perfect and a picture is worth a thousand words.

One final thought: avoid clichés like the two in that previous sentence.



Webwordslinger.com

I'VE MADE EVERY MISTAKE IN THE BOOK

photo courtesy of callofQT

7 Ways To Lose a Client:

Mistakes I’ve Made

I’ve been a freelance copy writer for more than 30 years and, oh boy, have I made mistakes. In fact, I think I’ve made every mistake a freelance service provider CAN make.

Fortunately, I learned from these mistakes and applied them to my business (and personal) life. There are lots of ways to lose a client. There are even more ways to keep a client happy and a part of an expanding, stable client base.

1. Oversell.

I’m proud of what I do. And, frankly, I’m a show-off. So, even after the deal is closed, I’m still selling my services. I once had a client tell me that I made him nervous with all of the sales hype I threw at him whenever we spoke.

Now, I provide just enough information to let the client know that I have some authority as a copy writer. Then, I shut up.

2. Take it personally.

This is a tough one. When I write something – anything – it’s my baby. I think it’s perfect, so when a client comes back asking for revisions I used to take it as a personal affront.

Over the years, I’ve been able to separate my self-esteem from my work. I know it’s good. But if the client wants to make it worse, s/he gets what s/he wants. I don’t debate clients any more. I tell them that I think they’re making a mistake, I tell them why I think they’re making a mistake, then I write that “Black is white” because that’s what the client wants. I get paid to deliver what the client wants, good, bad, or indifferent.

3. Put your interests before those of the client.

Another sure fire means of driving clients to distraction.

There are days that, as writers, we’re more productive than others. Days when we feel like writing and days when every word is a struggle. Clients don’t care. They want their copy. NOW. So, even when the muse isn’t perched on my shoulder, I write. And I put the interests of my clients before my own. I deliver what was promised and I deliver it before the deadline.

4. Lose steam.

This happens a lot.

There’s always excitement and renewed interest when a new client comes along. But after a few weeks of writing about beekeeping, it gets kinda boring. And after a few more weeks, it gets to be work.

It may be difficult to stay enthusiastic after writing about beekeeping for two or three years, and as a result the quality of your writing slips. Can’t let that happen.

You’re the creative one so find new ways of approaching the beekeeping issues of the day. If you stay interested, your writing will be interesting. Oh, and your clients will stay in place and ask for more.

5. Ignore the client.

You may have eight projects all moving forward simultaneously, though at different stages. It’s common to work on the latest project to come through and let some of those older assignments collect dust.

Clients want to think that they’re the most important client you have. Pick up the telephone, drop an email, meet for lunch, connect on social media sites. In other words, pay attention to all clients and they’ll pay attention to you – with a check. That’s always nice.

6. Miss a deadline.

It’s happened, but only a couple of times. One time I came down with the flu from hell and was unable to work for a week. I dropped the ball, missed a deadline and lost the client.

I never blamed her for dropping me, even though I was on death’s door for a few days. I never even brought up the flu. Clients don’t care about your problems. They care about results, even when the flu has you bed-ridden.

7. Accept project creep.

It starts with a simple request. “Would you mind adding a short auto-responder to the list?” Of course, no problem.

Then, it’s another request and another and finally, you’re doing keyword research and making $3.00 an hour. At this point, it’s tough to put on the brakes since you’ve been so accommodating thus far.

Say “no” as soon as that first request comes in. Let the client know that your time is valuable, your experience and knowledge have value. Simply explain that this is your livelihood and you have to put your time to the most productive use.

Reasonable clients (there are some) will accept this and respect you for your courteous professionalism. And the cranks who think you’re holding back are clients you can afford to lose. They’re time wasters.

Today, I’m older, wiser and have a nice group of clients with whom I’ve built friendships. Most importantly, I’ve learned when to shut up and when to speak, when to accept and when to push back. 

It’s a lot more fun and profitable working this way.

Webwordslinger.com

7 COOL TOOLS FOR WEB WORKERS

Does your home office look this good? It should.

photo courtesy of tipclapper

7 Cool Tools For Web Workers:

Increase Productivity And Presence

As an SEO copy writer I spend a lot of time on the W3. It’s my workplace. And as such, I’m always on the lookout for tools that enable me to do more in less time. I also search for tools that increase my on-line presence – an essential ingredient to building web success, whether you’re publishing a blog or web site to market your business or your poetry.

So, here are seven of the coolest tools you can add to your arsenal of web-based apps.

1. Zimbio.com

It’s an on-line tabloid chock full of gossip on Brangelina, the Olsen twins and George Clooney. That’s the bait that drives traffic to the site.

What’s in it for you? Well, Zimbio enables you to create your own on-line magazine using posts to your blog, creating posts that do double duty. Two for the price of one exposure.

Once you register for this free service, tell Zimbio to ping your blog. The system finds posts and even suggests search categories. Or, you can create your own industry-specific search categories.

Go through your blog archives and resurrect some of those older, albeit, still relevant posts and create your own on-line mag tags on Zimbio.

2. Odiogo.com

One of the coolest tools around.

Odiogo translates text to language (TTL) – the spoken word. It’s simple to add Odiogo to your blog, enabling site visitors with vision problems, visitors with reading problems or visitors who speak a different native tongue to HEAR your pithy posts instead of having to read them.

You’ll see more site or blog traffic when your web space features Odiogo, and those visitors will thank you for the feature with return visits. Add it today.

3. Ning.com

Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Brightkite and other social media sites are open to all. Very egalitarian, and the way things should be according to the web’s principle of engagement. These sites do what they’re supposed to do.

Ning equips you to create your own social network. Set up a network for a family, a small business or a huge industry. Small companies keep in touch with clients and encourage the purchase of goods or services.

You decide who gets in and who’s blocked. Invite your business associates or potential prospects to sign up via automated email alerts.

With Ning, you create your own social media site based on your business or personal needs. And you create your social network site in minutes. It’s easier than setting up a blog.

4. Getclicky.com

Get real time metrics the way you want them.

Getclicky provides the tools to set the parameters of metrics analysis based on the specifics of your site’s or blog’s objectives. Determine how visitors found you, from where they came and where they went after leaving your site.

Sure, Google’s analytics still form the baseline but Getclicky, which BTW, can be added to any site or blog with a cut-and-paste snippet of HTML code, let’s you decide what’s important and what isn’t during metrics analysis.

Once you add this tool to your arsenal of metrics tools, you’ll use Getclicky to create a better, less “biased” picture of your on-line activity.

Highest recommendation.

5. Zoho.com

Zoho is a one-stop shop for web workers, providing everything from an MS-compatible word processor to FREE on-line collaboration and conferencing. The brains behind this brawny site also through in an email client.

The basic services are all free and are perfect for most small, on-line businesses. Upgrades to more robust access are cheap, so creating on-line collaborations with multiple remote stakeholders is low-cost and easy.

6. Open Office

Most computers come with an operating system but if you want to add Microsoft Word and Excel, it’s gonna cost you – unless you download Open Office.

Don’t spend $129 on that MS upgrade (the current price on Dell.com). Instead, when your system arrives, download Open Office. It’s Microsoft compatible and it does everything that MS Office does without the hefty price tag.

Save your money.

7. Sugarsync.com

If you’re a web worker, the information on your hard drive is your bread and butter so you protect it, right?

You have lots of security software in place, a hardwired firewall on your office server and an add-on backup hard drive to protect that critical information.

But what if you’re robbed. What if someone breaks into your home office and snags your business – including that outboard back-up? You’re screwed.

Sugarsync is an off-site, backup storage service. Once registered, your docs, programs, settings, contacts and any other data you select are uploaded automatically. You don’t have to think about it.

With Sugarsync, your business is protected from catastrophic data loss caused by floods, home office fires, burglaries and other disasters that can befall any web worker.

Your take-away? There are plenty of free and low-cost tools to simplify your web work. These seven are just the tip of the iceberg.

Google “web productivity” to see what pops-up. Cherry pick the productivity apps that you need for your work on the world wide web.

See you on Twitter.

Webwordslinger.com