Words to the Wise

Seriously, is it 2009 yet? Because I’m ready for it.

Not ready as in “I have every week and month of planned out” (which, you know I don’t), but ready as in “yeah, I’m pretty much done with you, 2008. I don’t care what I do and don’t have planned for the New Year, but bring on 2009!”

I have so many things that I’m looking forward to that I don’t want to dirty them by associating them with 2008. Many of these things I’ve never really done before, or haven’t done in a while - like joint ventures and teaching seminars at the local community college.

Onward.

2008 will end with something that was supposed to begin the new year. A new website. It’s in the testing phase right now, so if you go there, don’t be all BOOS* when you see a missing page or some filler copy. While I’ve been excited about the idea of a new site since January, I’ve been so busy all year that finding a stretch of time to dedicate to it just wasn’t happening.

Testing offline doesn’t float my boat…I like to play with live ammunition, so testing live is just my style. I’m a one-person operation - don’t forget that.

But here’s the problem. There’s actually a lot of 2008 left. I don’t see much benefit in waiting until Jan 1 to get that burst of New Year euphoria. That means I can’t just sit around surfing the web for the 1,000th webinar on microbusinesses or finding 200 new people to follow on Twitter. There is much to do.

My job for the rest of the year, then is simple:

1. Find clients
2. Finish my website
3. Market my website and services
4. Work on the future

And, yes…those things are in order of importance.

If you want to see how the new site is shaping up, check it out.

*Bent Out Of Shape

Blogging is about connecting. Even with all the ways to promote your blog and its content, if your content doesn’t connect with your audience, you may never have a successful blog.

Ok, now that I’ve totally turned you off blogging, let’s turn this ship around and give you six keys to creating good blog content:

1. Write a headline that gets attention. Much of your audience will find your blog posts through search engines and their RSS feeders and only see the headline of one of your posts and possibly a tiny snippet of info. Write your headline in a way that grabs your reader’s attention and gets them to click through to read on.

2. Create captivating content. When a visitor clicks their way to your blog, you want to keep them there. And chances are, you aren’t the first blog they’ve encountered on the subject they’re searching out. Stand out by being unique - yet still relevant. This is done through the tone of your writing and your perspective on your niche. Be you…within reason, of course. Be funny because you’re funny - not for the sake of being funny.

3. Acknowledge comments. A blog post doesn’t end with the a click of the Publish button in WordPress. As long as your content is live on the Internet, you can expect visitors. Read and acknowledge those comments - good or bad. This is where true relationships are built on a blog. When others come to your blog and see comments and your responses, it’s like a welcome mat that invites them to do the same.

4. Share link love. Don’t hoard your readers. Share links to relevant content off your site. Trust me, people will appreciate it. It shows readers that you’ve taken the time to find relevant content for them and actually share it with them.

5. Leave the black tie, or LBD*, at home. One of the big differences with blogs is that your tone can be much more formal than on a business website. Although my main site is pretty relaxed, my blog offers an outlet for less formal topics. Think of a blog as a social tool and bring your conversational tone.

6. Offer more than words. Don’t be shy about offering links to relevant products you sell via affiliate programs if that’s congruent with the purpose of your site. Just don’t oversell thees products. It’s fine to blog once, maybe twice about a product you’ve used, loved, and now want to share with your readers.

*LBD: Little Black Dress

Jason Pedley is a freelance copywriter in North Carolina. He’s written copy and SEO content for clients in Raleigh, NC and around the world and he never wears an LBD when he blogs. Learn more, but not too much more, at the new and improved home of SEO content writer Jason Pedley.

Copywriters can be like cops - never one around when you need one, and always one around when you don’t need one.

But let’s face it, a cop isn’t likely to write web content, blog posts and other fun stuff. So how do you keep a copywriter so happy that they drop everything to do YOUR work whenever YOU want?

Lesson 1 - Be accessible. Nothing says you don’t care about your project like taking five days to respond to an email about something project-related. I know there are exceptions, but there are also trends. A response to an email question within 24 hours shows you’re serious about your project and can keep your copywriter on-track. If the question is vital and you don’t respond, it’s possible that the copywriter will do work on another project until their question is answered and ‘lose steam’ when it comes to your project.

Lesson 2 - Be human. Yes, the copywriter knows you’re the client and you have the final say about the project, but throwing your weight around for the sake of showing your importance will lead to you finding another copywriter. Most of the copywriters I know would rather take less money than deal with a client’s inflated ego.

Lesson 3 - Be upfront. I once had a project to write web copy for a real estate agent. I had completed the first draft of 10 site pages based on my client’s input and submitted them for review. It was at that point the client told me her husband hated everything I had written. If you’re not the only decision-maker on a project, let your copywriter know. It helps them plan and make decisions better and keeps the unexpected (and unwelcome) surprises to a minimum.

Lesson 4 - Be honest. There are copywriters out there, myself included, who truly want to see you succeed and want their copy to be a part of that success. If you don’t like a word, a sentence, a paragraph or a page…say something. There are few things more deflating than writing pages of copy, only to find a month later that someone has re-written the copy because the client didn’t like it but didn’t say anything.

Lesson 5. Be ready. A very wise man in the PR field once said “Prior preparedness prevents piss-poor performance.” He also said “Prior agreements prevent future disagreements.” Take those to heart. Hammer out even a small agreement so that you and your copywriter have basic parameters and guidance in the unlikely event of a disagreement. Simple things like payment schedules, deadlines, what the copywriter’s fees cover and the like can keep a small problem from ruining a project.

Lesson 6. Be rich. Ok, I’m only half kidding about this one. But the reality is that I have clients who take 90 days or more to pay for my copywriting work. I also have clients who take 90 SECONDS to pay. Guess which client is more likely to get worked into a copywriter’s schedule when they need something and the copywriter is really busy? You know it - the one who pays fastest. That doesn’t mean a copywriter won’t bend over backward for a client who takes 90 days to pay - a copywriter will do anything for the right client.

So there you have it. And trust me when I tell you that copywriters want to keep the good clients for a long, long time. A good copywriter-client relationship goes both ways.

Jason Pedley is a professional SEO content writer based near Raleigh, North Carolina. Contact Jason today for your next marketing project - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

If you’re still contemplating whether or not using Twitter is right for you, there’s a blog post from a good friend of mine you should read.

Pamela Weir sums up everything she’s gained from Twitter on her blog - and even if you gain just one of things Pam mentions, it’s worth it to use Twitter.

Among the things Pam has gained: Answers. New ideas. Mentors. A chance to help others succeed.

See anything you like so far?

Pam’s list is my list, only Pam puts it much better than I ever could. You can learn more about Pam and her creative copywriting, marketing and public relations services at Market to the Moment.

If you’re already on Twitter, you should follow Pam. And then if you can handle it, follow me on Twitter as well.

Jason Pedley is a professional SEO content copywriter based near Raleigh, North Carolina. He writes blogs, articles, press releases and just about any other content you can think of. Contact Jason Pedley today - mail@jasonpedley.com or (860) 886-3455.

by Doreen Stern, Ph.D.

This week’s headline in my local newspaper, The Hartford Courant, screamed at me: “It’s High Anxiety Time for Voters.”

Victoria St. Gelais is panicky, reports Heather Lalley.  So is Tami Brewster-Barnes: She feels the nerves in the pit of her stomach. And Steven Valentine is losing sleep as his mood rises and falls with poll numbers.

Further, Illinois psychologist Nancy Molitor says this is the most anxious she’s seen her patients in 20 years of practice.

What’s going on? Many Americans have strong feelings that one of the presidential candidates will do a far better job than the other in charting a steady course for our country. If the other candidate prevails, some feel afraid of what the future holds.

Why is fear debilitating? When you feel afraid, access to the frontal lobes of your brain, where all creative, rational thought occurs, is restricted. You know how your computer freezes up when it receives too many commands? The same thing happens to your brain’s executive control system: it freezes when you feel fearful. Remember these familiar symptoms: pounding head, thumping heart, dry mouth, and tension in your muscles? Feeling fried?

How can you prevent brain overload? Positive emotions are the best antidote against brain overload. And if you already feel overwhelmed, positive emotions can make your brain hum again, points out psychiatrist and well-known author Dr. Edward Hallowell (Driven to Distraction).

Hallowell coined the term “attention deficit trait” to describe the panicky feeling people often experience from brain overload. ADT’s core symptoms are distractibility, inner frenzy and impatience. People who suffer from ADT frequently underperform — create clutter – and make careless mistakes.

How can you promote positive emotions, so you come out ahead no matter what happens on Election Day?

• Start with yourself: Smile at yourself in the mirror in the morning. Look into your eyes and tell yourself that you are safe – today and always. Remind yourself of your past accomplishments. Of obstacles you’ve overcome. Tell yourself that you’ll handle any future ones in the same way.

• Deepen your connections with people. Smile at the people in your family, at work, and on the street. Make time to visit with friends. And take time to listen. To hear both what people are saying and how they’re feeling. Pause after they stop talking, so their words sink in. Then mirror their feelings back to them, e.g., “Sounds like you’re feeling frustrated . . . pleased . . . or proud.” Touch their arm before you walk away. Remember, attention is the highest form of love.

• Exercise for 17 minutes. (Yes, the new government guidelines recommend 30 minutes 5 times a week.) Start small, though. And make it a habit. Physical exercise induces your body to produce a variety of important chemicals that make you feel good. Your positive emotions will skyrocket.

• Every day, address one of YOUR priorities before you log onto email. You’ll feel more efficacious. More powerful and more in control of your life.

• Finally, set aside 17 minutes to eliminate some of your paper clutter. Doing so will make you feel proud of yourself. Pick up each piece of paper and ask yourself these questions:

What is this?

What does it mean to me?

Do I want to save it, or discard it?

If I save it, how will I label it, so I can retrieve it, when I want it?

If I discard it, will I shred it, recycle it, give it to someone, or just toss it?

Become your best possible self. Today and every day.

* Doreen Stern, Ph.D. is a coach, motivational speaker and writer. Her book, “Change Your Life in 17 Minutes! Create the Future You Desire,” will be available early in 2009.