Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Content Marketing for Speakers: No excuses! David Bullock Interview

Content marketing isn't just for people who like to write.

"If you can speak, you can write," says David Bullock, business development specialist.

"Do not think that writing is the only way to connect to your audience on the web."

David is an amazing professional, highly intelligent, and personable. He has a lot to offer someone who wants to learn how to leverage the Web for marketing. Read his interview that follows:

1. Tell us what your profession is, and who your typical clients are.

I am a business development consultant and business process engineer. Clients are those who use their website as a media for connecting with and communicating with prospects. Typically these are not startups. These are businesses that are looking to improve their profitability and reduce costs.

2. What marketing tools do you use on the Web?

Twitter.com – twitter.com/davidbullock
Blog – www.Davidbullock.com/index.php 
Communication Portal – www.DavidBullockOnline.com

Good Content Equals Good Financial Sense: Interview with Kevin Eikenberry

Kevin Eikenberry says more content equals more income:

"I truly believe that more time spent in content creation (both writing and video) will have a direct positive impact on our bottom line – which is why I am trying to write more, and make what I write have more impact."

Kevin is a dynamic speaker, author, consultant we met up with at Blog World Expo 08. He's active on Facebook and Twitter. His Eikenberry Group consults with organizations about Remarkable Leadership, which is also the name of his recent book.

Read his interview for insights on how savvy professionals are using content to market their services by writing on the web...

Content Marketing Uber-Easy and Gets Results - Shama Hyder Interview

"There is too much BS content on the web already. Don’t add to it! Make it good, and make it uber-easy to share!" Shama Hyder advises businesses who want to market on the Web to post content consistently but with quality.

She should know. Shama heads up the company After the Launch.com. This young entrepreneur and web wizard gets 80% of her business through writing Web content that only takes about 2 hours a week to write and post. I'd say that's a pretty good investment of time and energy, (and low cost to boot.)

Shama Hyder is a dynamic professional who met with Denise and I last week in Las Vegas. She was one of the presenters at Blog World Expo 08. I asked her a few questions about content marketing. Shama has become very visible on the Web in a short period of time due to her active participation on sites like Facebook and Twitter.

She is a "young star to watch." You'll be seeing a lot of success from Shama all over social media sites in the coming year. Here are her interview responses...

Top 10 Writing Blogs Announced

Top 10 writing blogs? Not an easy task, because there are so many different kinds of writing blogs as there are so many different kinds of writers.

But here's what readers of Michael Stelzner's Writing White Papers blog voted for. Check these resources out, you'll find good inspiration no matter what, how, or why you write.

1. Copyblogger: As the undefeated champ, this blog has held the number-one spot for three straight years!  The baby of Brian Clark, this blog keeps winning because of its excellent and educational articles.
2. Men With Pens: James Chartrand and Harry McLeod are the dynamic duo who continue to deliver rich content and community discussion.
3. Freelance Writing Jobs: Founded by Deb Ng, this site is the first stop for freelance writers seeking new work and great articles (and it remains a top winner since this contest began).
4. Write to Done: This blog delivers a steady stream of excellent articles for all writers and is the product of top blogger Leo Babauta.
5. Confident Writing:  Looking for encouragement? Joanna Young will help you take your writing to the next level.
6. The Renegade Writer: Linda Formichelli and Diana Burell, authors of a book by the same name, help freelance journalists find inspiration.
7. Remarkable Communication: One part writing, one part marketing and one part selling, this excellent blog by Sonia Simone will help any writer succeed.
8. Writing Journey: Looking for a great stop on your writing journey? Bob Younce’s blog will refresh and energize you.
9. Freelance Parent: Two moms, Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry, provide excellent perspective on writing while balancing time with little ones.
10. Urban Muse: Susan Johnson covers a wide range of excellent topics that all writers will enjoy.

How to Master Storytelling for Better Selling

Stories sell. It's not really a secret. Read the best sales and landing pages and you'll be captured by personal stories. Ask any of the online copywriting gurus and they will tell you: Stories sell.

Our brains are hardwired to be receptive to stories. Once engaged, we find ways to relate, to trust, to enjoy the experience the storyteller is sharing with us. And it's quite easy to sell something after that.

As a psychologist, I am tempted to explain the neural background for all this, but that's not the story I want to share here with you today. This post will be short, because I'm going to simply tell you about a master of storytelling who will reveal how to use stories for selling. You can listen and learn from him for free this Thursday.

Craig Valentine is teaching these important concepts. Craig is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking and 3-time Mid-Atlantic Salesperson of the Year for Glencoe/McGraw-Hill. He knows a few things about storytelling and selling. Here are the details:

When:  Date: September 25, 2008  Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST (10:00 am – 11:00 am Pacific)

Biz Blog Writing: It's time to make money.

"Business blogging is not about 'do you have time to write?'... but do you have time to make money!" said wise man Des Walsh at the Small Business Blogging panel at Blog World Expo 08.

The best business partner in the world, Denise Wakeman, was on one of the best panels there, How to Plan, Build and Promote a Small Business Blog. You can read notes on Twitter.com by clicking on the link.

And, to help you learn even more, here are the handouts the panel provided:

Download small_business_blog1.pdf

Download small_business_blog2.pdf

The other panelists were Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media and John T. Unger, the Typepad Hacks guy. These are two of the savviest guys around when it comes to blog knowledge.

So then the big question most of us ask about blog writing, how do you turn readers into buyers? My deceased great-grandmother, an ancient purveyor of wisdom, used to say, "Slowly, slowly... catchee monkey!"

Joe Pulizzi reveals how he uses content marketing to get great results

Last week I asked a question over on LinkedIn:

If you're a coach or consultant, how are you using content on the Web to market your services? What gets you the best results?

Joe Pulizzi,  who runs Junta 42 responded:

"Blogging works the best for me. Consistent blogging has been able to expand my speaking business internationally, which would have been difficult to do any other way."

Joe is co-author of Get Content. Get Customers , and an expert on Content Marketing. So I was very interested in learning his responses to my email interview. Here they are:

1. Tell us what your profession is, and who your typical clients are.

Author, Speaker, Evangelist and Consultant for content marketing. Our typical consulting clients are small-to-medium sized businesses and media companies.

2. What marketing tools do you use on the Web?

Content Marketing Interview with Kathleen Gage

Kathleen Gage has had tremendous success marketing her services online with content. She has a unique ability to mix  spiritual principles into helping people, especially authors, make money.

Denise and I have partnered with Kathleen twice now to deliver our Law of Action mentoring series. We know first hand how fabulous she is both as a colleague and as a teacher.

Here are her examples of how she uses content to marketing online.

1. Tell us what your profession is, and who your typical clients are.

• Internet marketing advisor for spiritually minded speakers, authors, coaches and consultants who are ready to turn their knowledge into money-making products and services.

• I am a published author and a conference keynote speaker as well.

Content Marketing Interview with Allison Nazarian, copywriter and founder of Get It in Writing

Allison Nazarian is a young copywriter with a lot to offer. She uses content to market her services on the Web, and helps her clients to do so through her company Get It in Writing.

In our continuing series of interviews about content marketing, we share her experiences here:

1. Tell us what your profession is, and who your typical clients are.

The core expertise of my company, Get It In Writing, is copywriting. This branches out into more broad marketing consulting for certain clients. Typical clients run the gamut from one-person entrepreneurial ventures to Fortune 500 and publicly-traded corporations. 

All need WORDS (ie copy) for websites, blogs, newsletters, print pieces (though print is less and less popular, I must say), press materials, sales kits, etc. 

"No Sell" Content - Are you publishing something new each quarter?

Joe Pulizzi of Junta 42 blog has a great post today called Six Strategies for Keeping Content Fresh - this is a must read.

What I like about this post:

It starts off with a personal story, and he has a photo (it's even taken by his 5-year-old son - how's that for authenticity and transparency!)

He ties it into a numbered tips list with wide appeal to professionals and businesses who have web pages (website or blogs).

#5 - Go "No Sell" with Content - is pertinent to those of use who write a special report, or free ebook, or white paper, and sit back waiting for the results to come pouring in...