Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Email List Building: Bigger Isn't Always Better

Bigger isn't always better in e-mail marketing. Read this new study reported on Chris Baggot's Blog:

The bigger the e-mail list, the lower the open and click-through rates, says a new study from e-mail service provider ExactTarget.

The 2005 study of more than 4,000 organizations 230,000 e-mail campaigns and 2.7 billion e-mail messages reports that lists with 100,000 or more names experienced an average open rate of 18.2% and click-though of 3.6%.

Those of 101-1000 names had an open rate of 42.1% and click-through rate of 6.8%.

For lists of 1,001 to 10,000, the rates were 33.2% and 5.1%.

For 10,001 to 100,000, the rates were 25.8% and 4.5%.

"This phenomenon is one of the strongest cases for audience segmentation," says Morgan Stewart, director of strategic services at ExactTarget and author of the study. "The smaller the targeted audience, the better organizations can aim their message directly to their subscribers in their e-mail communications."

The ExactTarget 2005 Response Rate Study summarizes overall open, click-through and unsubscribe rates and provides additional analyses based on day of week for sending email while examining list size and target audience.  The study is available by going here...

Hey, Monkey on a Bridge Walking...

Here's a site that will generate your name in Japanese...or, what must be a relative approximation, perhaps. This thanks to an usual blog called Me, Myself and I.

Here's mine:

Patricia Krakoff:
猿渡 Saruwatari (monkey on a crossing bridge) 歩 Ayumi (walk, deeper meaning: walk your own way)

Here's the Japanese version of Denise Wakeman's:
遠藤 Endoh (distant wisteria) 歩 Ayumi (walk, deeper meaning: walk your own way).

Which means we must be some kind of sisters...

And don't anybody even dare to call me a monkey.

Chris Knight: No Private Label Use Articles

Yesterday, I mentioned that some people buy articles from other writers, and then submit them to all the online article directories as a means of getting found on the Web. There are many articles available, some of them for free, others for a fee. Most of them are not particularly well written.

(Yes, I sell articles for other people's use, but we're talking about a different animal here.)

When it comes to Internet marketing topics, there are many private label articles which you can buy and put your own name on, and use as you wish for your own marketing purposes. Just to find out what these are like, Denise and I signed up for a whole bunch of marketing articles. I figured they might save some writing time by at least providing some structure, an outline, or at least inspiration.

Boy was I wrong. These articles were full of grammatical errors, and were an embarrassment. Most importantly, they provided little meat, or valuable, relevant information. They were fluffy and best, and full of hype at their worst.

Here's what EzineArticles.com's Chris Knight says about people who try to use other people's content and submit articles as their own: (To register for a free teleseminar Conversation with article expert Chris tonight at 8:30 p.m. EST, visit here.)

Every single day, we reject private label rights articles by the dozens.

One of the authors we rejected his PLR content said:

"That article was part of an exclusive montly membership I belong to. I did change the article around some and added more content to it. The article is almost twice as large as the original one. I guess this comes down to how much does an exlcusive rights article have to be changed before it is alowed into your article directory."

Answer: Your article must be 100% original. Not 99%, not 95%, not 90%, not 60%, not 50%, not 35%, but rather 100% original including the fact that you own 100% of the exclusive rights to the content.

Recommendation: Stop joining these PLR clubs because you are throwing your money away if you intended to join them to send content to us. We don't want PLR articles and will do everything in our power to reject them.

Just how common is the usage of other people's content on the Web? I'm asking you, my readers. Have you ever tried to use private label articles for your own purposes? What are your experiences? If you don't want to admit it here, send me a private email, I'm curious!

Full Reprint Rights: What Does It Mean?

Tomorrow night, Wednesday March 15, at 8:30 p.m. EST, we are interviewing Christopher Knight of EzineArticles.com about how you can use articles to drive traffic to your website and get found more easily on the web. (Be sure to register here at no cost.)

One of the questions I'm going to ask Chris is about using article content that you buy for your own use.

Which got me to thinking, what about the articles I provide to my Customized Newsletter Services subscribers? They buy my articles with "full reprint rights." Here are some guidelines as to what that means, according to my own definitions.

Guidelines for “Full Reprint Rights”

In general, when you use CN newsletter services and buy the articles I write, they can be used to help you build your credibility and expertise through your own newsletters, blogs and website copy. This is why you buy the content with “full reprint rights.” You can modify them, add your own stories, or use them “as is,” and put your name on them.

If you wish to submit them to article directories for distribution on the web, however, you must rewrite them so that they are original and personal. Make them shorter by half. Add your own examples of the work you do with clients that are appropriate to the topic. Change the title. This way you will avoid being perceived as an author who uses some other writer’s materials.

I got an email from a CN subscriber who wanted his (my) article reprinted in a local newspaper. He asked if this was permissable. My answer: Yes, by all means. Make sure they spell your name right and include your website and email address. I want my subscribers to get maximum mileage out of the articles they purchase from me. That is the whole purpose: to provide quality content they can use in their newsletters, blogs and websites.

Tomorrow I will post about Chris' blog post about these issues, and how he handles article submissions that have been modified from another author's work. His response will surprise you...

Writing Articles to Drive Traffic

A Converstion with Expert Christopher Knight, Article Production Strategies and EzineArticles.com, this Wednesday, March 15, at 8:30 ET. Register here: www.conversationswithexperts.com.

I am a big fan of Christopher Knight. He runs one of the best article directories online, EzineArticles.com. I've learned a lot from his ebook Article Production Strategies. After listening to him on a teleseminar, I boosted my article production from one a month to 5! The secret? Well, I recommend getting the ebook and audio recordings by visiting this link: Article Production Strategies.

Here's a chance to listen in on a conversation we're having with Christopher this Wednesday March 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET: register here.

Article Writing 101 To Create Qualified Traffic

What are the basic article mechanics that help turn your expertise into syndicated original quality content that drives buyers to your website for free? You'll learn about the article syndication model, the basic components that should be included in your articles as well as how to optimize those components.

If you cannot attend the Conversation, you can pre-order the audio program for $4.95. After the Conversation the price will be $9.95. Save 50% and this link to order now: http://snipurl.com/Knight_preorder

Conversations with Experts is held every Wednesday evening and is sponsored by Build a Better Blog, the ultimate guide for creating a professional blog.

Blogging: Changing the Way Marketing is Done

A conversation about the power of blogs as marketing was started on John Jantsch's Duct Tape Marketing site, and picked up by friend Des Walsh on Thinking Home Business blog. Which got me to thinking: instead of writing "advertorials" for marketing messages, we should be writing "convertorials!"

Here's what Des posted:

The more I think about blogging in a business context and especially in relation to marketing, the more I believe the key idea to communicate is that of the 'conversation of the blogosphere'. While I experience that conversation on a daily basis, I do find it a challenge to explain it. Sometimes I feel the people I'm talking to are wondering (again?) whether I've really lost it. 'Conversation of the blogosphere?'

So I was pleased to find a neat explanation by marketing expert and blogging coach John Jantsch, in his McLuhan-referencing post The Medium is the Message:

Blogs were not created to be the next great marketing tool but, over time, people realized that they liked what they could do with blogs and as more and more people used them and built tools to extend the way they were used, the character of the message that businesses were sending changed forever.

The challenge to bloggers everywhere is getting the readers (customers, clients) to participate in the conversation. Many consultants we work with report few and far between comments.

A blog should not be judged by the number or lack of comments, rather on the quality of the posts and whether it is relevant and worthy to a target audience.

For comments to start coming in on your blog, we recommend leaving comments on other people's blogs. Participate in a discussion, stir things up a bit and you'll see that other bloggers will find out about you and converse with you.

It's like love, you know you can't get it without giving it... What are some other ways to get readers to join the "convertorial?"

Writing with Authority

Brian Clark over at Copyblogger.com has an interesting post about psychological experiments giving people power and authority ("You Must Repect My Authority.") He reminds us of the Stanley Milgram studies at Yale where participants were asked to deliver increasingly strong electric shocks to people who missed a question on a test.

Given enough authority to do so, the participants for the most part had no problem in delivering pain to subjects. (The experiment involved actors who played the part of a suffering person.)

He then turns around and says that blogs offer similar authority to their writers. Okay, it's a stretch in logic, but the point is well taken. Writers do gain perceived authority, and what easier and better way to do this than in the public blogosphere? Here's what he says:

Content Creates Context

Good blogging creates authority, plain and simple. Writing consistently about your area of expertise makes you an authority figure within your industry and niche. You will enjoy a definitive advantage over competitors who do not blog, and likely even over those who have been blogging for shorter time periods.

Professionals and other business people have long been writing for trade publications and newspaper columns to build authority, coupled with networking in the community and at trade shows and conferences, all in an attempt to build word-of-mouth referral business. With blogging, you’re building authority and networking all at once, and on a global scale if your business model benefits from that kind of reach.

The goal is not to be on the A-List as determined by the Technorati Top 100 Blogs. Your goal is to be on the A-List for your niche, geographic region or industry. Hopefully you’re well on the way with your own blog.

Writing Your Book on a Blog: Here's How

Blog to Book: You Can Have A Book Ready to Sell in 90 Days or Less

TeleClass with Tom Antion, Denise Wakeman, and Patsi Krakoff

8:00 PM Eastern time Thursday, March 9th

Here's a message from our mentor, Tom Antion:

Can’t make it?  Don’t worry. The first 100 people to sign up get the CDs as part of the deal.

Denise and Patsi are the "Blog Squad". They are experts in setting up and operating extremely inexpensive blogs so your book can be written in little chunks that take only a few minutes a day.

You will learn:

=> How to set up an inexpensive blog in a matter of minutes . . .
blogs are cheap and powerful

=> How to use your blog to help you write your book automatically...in only a few minutes a day you will knock out what previously looked like an enormous undertaking.

=> How to use your blog to organize your entire project . . . no need to agonize over chapters and such.

=> How to have your blog visitors add content to your book. . .
1000 heads are better than one.

=> How to pre-promote your upcoming book in your blog . . . you can have people lined up to buy even before your book is done

...and much, much more.

Remember if you can't make it to the live calls, the first 100 to register get the CDs and the shipping is on us.. Check out the details right away at:

http://www.antionteleseminars.com/UpcomingTeleSeminars.htm

Teleclasses and Seminars to Learn about Blogging & Ezines

Denise and I are getting more and more invitations to speak here and there about blogs and ezines. As the Blog Squad, we have a busy schedule in the coming weeks and months.  I thought it would be good to put our schedule out there in case there's an opportunity for you to join us.

March 7 - Private teleclass for C.J. Hayden's Coachpreneurs Circle Members
Topic: Ezine, Blog or Both? How to Maximize Your Message and Reach More Readers

March 9 - Tom Antion Interviews The Blog Squad (watch for your invitation!)
Topic: Blog Your Book:  The Easy Way to Write and Market Your Book

March 16 - Private teleclass for Kelly O'Neil's FastTrack Business Mastery program
Topic: What the Heck is a Blog? 4 Reasons Every Professional Should Start Blogging Now!

March 30 - The Blog Squad interviewed by Master Coach Mike Jay

May 16-28 - The Blog Squad will be on two panels at the 2006 Publishing University in Washington D.C.
Wednesday: Why Every Book Needs a Blog with Debbie Weil
Thursday: Automatic Book Marketing on the Web…Fast and Easy with Suzanne Falter-Barns

June 2-4 - Presenting on blogs at Kelly O'Neil's Uplevel Marketing Intensive in San Jose, CA.

The Blog Squad is available to speak to your group about blogs, newsletters and the Internet and why these tools are an important marketing aspect for every professional.  Contact Patsi or Denise to discuss how we can create a presentation to meet your group's needs.

Rich Brooks: Traffic, Rank & Getting Read on the Web

Conversations with Experts presents...

Web Marketing Strategies for Small Business
Wednesday, March 8, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET
Guest Expert: Rich Brooks, author of The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make and 10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site.

How can you get more traffic to your Web site? How can you rank higher at the search engines? How can you convert more site visitors into customers?

The age of "if you build it, they will come" Web design is long gone. To succeed in this more competitive arena you’ll need to understand and use the “four pillars of Web marketing.”

You’ll learn:

• Why your competition ranks higher than you
• What small changes to your Web site can increase your search engine ranking
• How to get people to subscribe to your email newsletter, fill out your contact form or make a purchase
• If blogging or podcasting should be part of your Web marketing
• How to get hundreds of great incoming links to your site for $2

Rich Brooks is founder of flyte new media, a Web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, Maine. He writes about Web marketing for small business in his monthly email newsletter, his blog, and is a regular contributor to Business Blog Consulting an influential resource on how businesses blog. His podcast can be found at http://www.flytecast.com. He is also the “tech guru” on the evening news program 207 on Maine’s NBC affiliate, WCSH.

Register:  www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

If you cannot attend the Conversation, you can pre-order the audio program for $4.95.  After the Conversation the price will be $9.95.  Save 50%.  Use this link to order the audio now.

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by The Blog Squad |Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.

Conversations with Experts presents...

Web Marketing Strategies for Small Business
Wednesday, March 8, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET
Guest Expert: Rich Brooks, author of The 11 Biggest Mistakes Small Business Bloggers Make and 10 Questions to Ask Before Setting Up a Web Site.

How can you get more traffic to your Web site? How can you rank higher at the search engines? How can you convert more site visitors into customers?

The age of "if you build it, they will come" Web design is long gone. To succeed in this more competitive arena you’ll need to understand and use the “four pillars of Web marketing.”

You’ll learn:

• Why your competition ranks higher than you
• What small changes to your Web site can increase your search engine ranking
• How to get people to subscribe to your email newsletter, fill out your contact form or make a purchase
• If blogging or podcasting should be part of your Web marketing
• How to get hundreds of great incoming links to your site for $2

Rich Brooks is founder of flyte new media, a Web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, Maine. He writes about Web marketing for small business in his monthly email newsletter, his blog, and is a regular contributor to Business Blog Consulting an influential resource on how businesses blog. His podcast can be found at http://www.flytecast.com. He is also the “tech guru” on the evening news program 207 on Maine’s NBC affiliate, WCSH.

Register:  www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

If you cannot attend the Conversation, you can pre-order the audio program for $4.95.  After the Conversation the price will be $9.95.  Save 50%.  Use this link to order the audio now.

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line
Hosted by The Blog Squad |Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Conversations with Experts is sponsored by Build a Better Blog System.