You should hear me when I write an email. I mumble, I whisper, I grin and give a little snort… I’m a noisy, noisy writer. And that’s how it should be. Being able to write like you talk – literally – and create a piece that carries all your emphasis, your tone and your feelings so the reader feels you’re right there in the room is an extremely valuable skill. Here’s why: It prevents bullet-hard emails that make you feel like someone just reached out of your computer screen and slapped you in the face
> Read MoreArchives for January 2013
Blog Archives
Enjoy 1,000+ articles geared to your content-marketing, writing, freelancing or small business endeavors. Scroll down for recent posts, select a category, or browse the archives here.
DFW Writing Course: What Would You Do with Better Writing Skills?
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You know that writing great content is crucial to success in today’s online world. Search engines need it to find your site and present it to people searching for what you sell. Potential clients and customers need it to get excited about doing business with you. Your followers and fans need it to become so loyal they recommend you to everyone they know. It’s safe to say that without good content, you won’t go far in business. In fact, it’s likely you’ll fail. Everything I’ve just said isn’t news – all the pros tell you
> Read MoreHow to Completely Frustrate Your Clients
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For all my years of experience, I completely understand why many people end up feeling frustrated, confused and absolutely unable to move forward. It isn’t because they don’t have the money to get where they need to be. It’s that they don’t have the knowledge they require. You want to make a video like all the cool kids do… and you don’t know where to begin. You want to get a small website going… and you don’t know the first thing about installing one. You want host a webinar… and you don’t even know how
> Read MoreAre You Following the Cool Kids Online?
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I have a confession to make: I don’t want to be rich and famous. Well, that’s not quite accurate. I do want to be rich, and a little bit of fame never hurt anyone. I just don’t want to become either according to today’s cool kids standards. By cool kids, I mean the online gurus out there telling you what to do if you want to succeed. Their list of advice goes something like this:
> Read MoreWhy Cliffhangers Keep Readers in Your Raft
Written by J. E. Fishman
Some years ago, a few friends, my wife, and I took a one-day rafting trip down the Payette River in western Idaho. I made the arrangements, and without consulting the rest of the party (nice guy that I am) I opted for the most difficult route that the outfitter offered, a journey that included several Class 4 rapids. The guides were dead serious when it came to instructing us about safety. And as they handed out paddles and strapped us into life vests and helmets, one friend turned to me and pointed. “I’m going to
> Read MoreWhy You Should Paint Your Business with Smaller Brush Strokes
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Chris Brogan is a nice guy. He’s also really smart, friendly and has great taste in shoes. (I know. We went shopping together.) But I digress. A few months ago, Chris sent out a newsletter that talked about bigger brush strokes – that painting the story of your life (and your business) means believing you can do more than you do and be more than you are. You have to believe that you’re the painter. You have to believe you can paint bigger than what’s in front of you right now. Then, you have to
> Read MoreCan a Copywriter/SEO Marriage Survive?
Written by Todd Mumford
Words (to SEO experts like me) are just tools – tools used to acquire links. It’s not that I don’t appreciate great writing, a clever turn of phrase or an insightful comment. But blogs, guest posts and articles are a means to an end – getting higher page rankings for our clients. At least, that’s the way it has been for most of my SEO career. Writers treat links in much the same way they regard footnotes and bibliographies – drudgery required to get their amusing stories and searing commentaries published. At least, that’s the
> Read MoreHow Not to Mess Up Guest Posting on Your Dream Blog
Written by Marya Jan
So your guest post pitch has been accepted by THE blog you’ve always dreamed of posting for. You’re on cloud nine – and deservedly so! You’ve been working up to this moment for a long time. You’ve learned the craft, improved your skills and honed your style on your own blog. You knew the moment was right – you were finally ready to make the pitch. And you nailed it. Then you get hit by something you never saw heading your way: Performance anxiety. Perhaps you recognize the signs: Your excitement turns to fear. You
> Read MoreHow to Win Your Spot in the DFW Writing Course
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Since its inception, Damn Fine Words has changed the way people do business – through words alone. Each time a new session of this writing course opens to new students, it fills up quickly, because it’s a big deal to business owners: It teaches you how to improve your writing skills with effective content-creation techniques. You’ll boost your writing speed, produce direct impact with your readers and create tangible bottom-line results… with every word you write. So if you’re a freelancer, a small business owner or a solopreneur, you don’t want to miss out on
> Read MoreThe Hard Work Myth: The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
Written by Ramsay Taplin
So you have your blog set up. You have a great idea and some business direction. You’re excited about this! You’ve seen the big guys (and girls!) raking in massive incomes… now it’s your turn. Right? Well, sort of. A lot of success stories gloss over an important piece of the puzzle – and that’s a real shame, because you need to know about it. You also need to know about a few other myths revolving around how long it takes to make money with your blog. Here’s the first: It’s not about “hard work”
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