Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Use Client Comments in Your Content Marketing

Are you using client comments like you could and should for content marketing? There's power in people's praise, but also in their comments and email messages.

Remember that there are six universal principles of social influence, as identified by social psychologists, notably Robert Cialdini in the book Influence:

1. Reciprocation
2. Authority
3. Commitment/consistency
4. Scarcity
5. Liking
6. Social proof

Your prospects are probably wondering if you can help them. Until you share what others' experiences have been working with you, how can they know?

Build a Product Funnel on Your Blog through Content Marketing

Are you building a product funnel on your blog? If not, you're leaving money on the table. Not only that, you're missing an opportunity to solidify the relationships your hard-earned content marketing efforts are creating. (Photo: Shutterstock)

It's odd that Wikipedia doesn't have a page written about this key internet marketing strategy. There's a page for purchasing funnel and one for sales funnel. And there's over 3 million results on Google for product funnel. Okay, don't go there now, here's what you need to know:

Content marketing works because you take a reader through the steps of getting to know you, like you, and trust you. This is the KLT factor. Here's how it works:

1. Your blog should have cornerstone content pieces to communicate your core values and passion and business mission. These are stand-alone pages to highlight your core information.
2. Your blog (or website) should have a well-crafted bio or About page, which tells your back story, who you are, and why you care.
3. Your blog or website should have client stories, case studies and testimonials everywhere to tell your clients' experiences with working with you, your products and services.
4. And next, you need continual, clear calls to action, so that readers can take the next steps.

Next Steps

Branding Success Steps

On the heels of my recent branding posts, Joe Pulizzi of Junta42 Blog shares more secrets to finding a brand that can sky-rocket all of your marketing efforts. He includes tips from Dan Schawbel's Personal Branding Magazine, an excellent resource on this topic. Go read this post here, now. You'll be glad you did.

Personal Branding Success in 15 Steps

Recent posts: 10 Handy Tips for Finding a Clever Blog Brand
Branding Your Blog: Tips and Tag Lines
12 More Branding Tips + One Action Plan

How to Craft an 'About' Page: 5 Keys to Telling Your Story

When's the last time you updated your bio on your blog's About page? Or your About Us page on your website? Did you know that this is one of the most visited pages? People want to know who's behind a business. Personalities count.

Yet many blogs and sites have a standard resume written in the third person, boring as all get-out. Certainly client lists are important. But so are you. This page is an important content marketing opportunity. Tell your story, your real story. If you are the sole author of your blog, write it in the first person.

Every story has some basic elements to it that make it really compelling. Personally, I think everyone has a good story to tell about themselves, only most don’t know how to tell it well so that readers are enchanted and moved.

When I work with clients to improve their blog, I don’t often see them telling their story well, if at all.

Many bloggers copy and paste their bio or resume onto their About page, written in the 3rd person:  “John Smith is a consultant with 20 years experience working with Fortune 500 companies on their strategic development plans.”

10+ Questions to Create Cornerstone Content

I got a couple of emails from people in Europe this week, other Americans living abroad like I am. You never know what detail of your life will resonate so that people reach out.

Both of the emails were similar. First, they thanked me for writing blog posts that were so helpful. One said she was trying to find a brand name so my posts this week seemed to be written for her. (That really makes my day!)

Both these people struggle with similar issues: they follow a lot of Internet marketers and they feel overwhelmed by all there is to do to have a strong online visibility.

Here's my advice to both: Narrow it down to three things you can do this week. Above all, actively participate on two sites: your own business blog and Twitter.

The third thing you should be working on are cornerstone content pieces. You can publish one or two key pieces on your blog, and they should be featured on stand-alone pages. This is the first thing you want visitors to your blog to read. 

1. Post on your blog (where you communicate your expertise)
2. Tweet something, ask a question on Twitter (where you connect with others)
3. Create cornerstone content (where you build your business and get readers to take action)

My 8 1/2 Tips for FindingBestDomainNames.com

Here are some of my best tips for finding a domain name. I'm not the only one who gets crazy on the GoDaddy.com site. They are a good domain name registration service, but they offer so much on their site that you can spend hours and get lost.

Since I've been writing all week about finding clever brand names for your blog, your products and services, let's take the process one step further: how do you register a domain name? Well, the registration part is easy, pay your money and there you go!

But it's not easy because the very name you spent hours brainstorming to find has probably long been taken! My advice is don't spend so much time deciding on a name until you go research to find out what's available.

Tip #1: Go for dot com. (Unless you're a non-profit, then go for dot org.) People don't remember to type in dot biz or any other variation. If someone else has your great name with dot com, you are sending people to them and you may never see them again. Go for dot com even if you have to abandon the great name for another version.

12 More Blog Branding Tips + Action Plan

This week I've been giving you some tips on how to find a good name for your blog, because until you've found that, your account profiles on various sites won't be as laser focused and memorable. I gave you 10 tips for brainstorming creative brand names, and then some tips for tag lines.  Here are 13 more branding ideas:

1. Check your client testimonials and find common words or themes - this will reveal how your clients "see" you. Focus on benefit statements. What words keep coming up?
2. Once you identify the words your clients are repeatedly using to 'thank you' or 'solve their problems,' check out each word at www.visualthesaurus.com for another way of saying the same thing. Use these "hot client" words and sentiments in building your sales copy, websites and blogs to reinforce your brand.
3. Identify all the activities you enjoy doing outside your business. How does this create an identity for you? How can this help you discover a clever and unique brand name?

Branding Your Blog: Tips and Tag Lines

Branding is more than finding a clever name for your blog. It starts there, but then you must extend the brand with a tag line, logo design, colors, your photo and bio, and create a consistent profile everywhere on the Net. 

Equally important is to harmonize your business name with your blog name. For example, when I first started this blog, my business was called Customized Newsletter Services. This blog was my communications center for everything about e-newsletters for coaches, so I called it CoachEzines.com. When things evolved, this blog evolved into blog writing for marketing on the internet for small businesses, so I changed the name to Writing on the Web.

Ah, you see why there are days when I wish I could start over. I didn't think things through 4-5 years out into the future. Don't make these branding mistakes like I did.

10 Handy Tips for Finding a Clever Brand for Your Blog

It's said you have less than 30 seconds to capture a person's attention when they ask what you do for a living. It may be even less.

Having a great brand for your blog is even more important: it will make all of your marketing pay off. People will easily remember the name and your blog will stand out from your competitors. But finding a great brand isn’t easy. Sometimes it appears out of the blue in a flash of brilliance. (Photo credit: Shutterstock)

But most of the time, it takes careful thought and excavation to find what works for you. Your goal is to find a branding name and identity so that readers can remember your blog, immediately know what problems you solve, and feel confident you have something to offer them.

6 Deadly Blog Branding Mistakes to Avoid

Many professionals and entrepreneurs are brandless or under-branded. And so are their blogs.

They don't stand out from their competition, and on the Web, that's a disaster. As a result, the effort, time, energy and money spent marketing is twice as long and hard.

You've got to find a memorable brand that says in a blink who you are and what you do. And you've got to use that brand everywhere on the web, especially on a blog, on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. (Photo credit: Shutterstock - now there's a great brand name!)

With a good brand and powerful Internet tools like a business blog, you get big results. Your name and your business stay top of mind when someone is ready to hire or buy.

Finding a great name is one of the hardest things to do. In my opinion, the best way is to brainstorm with a colleague or friend. You may have your nose too close to the blackboard and not see a great branding name.

The next hardest thing is to find an available domain name.