Small business blogging isn’t dead, but your blog can become “dead in the water” if your posts don’t deliver for your readers. If your blog posts are too long, confusing, hard to follow, or not well thought-out, you can lose opportunities to convert readers into buyers.
What is a Killer Blog Post?
A killer blog post is one that gets shared across social networks, leads quality discussions in your comments section, and ultimately generates business leads.
It consists of;
A Killer Idea which gets people interested in your post, captures the imagination, and solves a problem. Think of your business’s industry and help your customers solve their biggest challenges. Note: Need help organizing your blog post ideas? Start an editorial calendar. Here’s a video tutorial to help you get started!
Killer Content brings the idea to life and holds your reader’s attention. Videos, pod-casts, and other media can be used to enhance your idea. You’ll find a couple of ideas on good content creation in this article.
and Killer Copy-writing which moves the reader along and keeps them engaged until the very end. Copyblogger has an excellent tutorial on copywriting that I highly recommend if you want to learn how to write great copy like a pro!
If you want to write awesome blog posts that engage your readers, builds community, and generates leads, you’ll have to follow 12 easy steps. Go through each using the info-graphic below and bookmark this page to reference it whenever you need it.
Note: Want my best advice for writing killer blog posts and growing your blog? Sign up for my 2 for 1 Success Coaching special. If you want to get more blog traffic, create deeper connections with your readers, and generate more business sales then this deal is for you!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
What can you do now to position your business for success in 2012? Invest the time in upgrading your copy-writing skills! The best color scheme and graphics won’t help you convert browsers into buyers if the content on your website is poorly written.
Sure, good branding and an amazing design will be attractive to your prospects, but what will keep them glued to your site is your content – your offers, articles, and invitations.
Hiring a good professional copywriter can cost thousands of dollars. If you are just starting your business and building your client roster, you may not have that kind of investment in your budget.
Of course there are special projects, like product launches or high – ticket events that you may want to outsource to a professional. But for regular content for your blog, online sales letters, or newsletters, it may be wise (and budget-friendly) to learn the art of copy-writing for yourself.
Note: Even if you don’t plan on doing it once you generate enough capital from your business to cover the expense, knowing the difference between good and bad copy can save you a ton of money (and embarrassment).
With a bit of hard work and determination, even newbies at writing can craft sales letters and website content that converts rather well in a short period of time.
Listed here are a few ideas to help you learn the art of good copy-writing easily.
Read Through Sales Pages for Fun
Make it an obsession. Allow yourself to get absorbed in the copy. Read almost everything that you can about great copy. Read record-breaking ads for fun. Much like an art collector admires art, so a great copywriter admires copy. Read good copy over and over and absorb all of the nuances of what really made it convert. Ask:
Why did the author select this word instead of that one?
Why did the headline work?
What kind of feelings did the piece of copy invoke?
How did the copywriter structure the call to action?
Develop Your Power Words Vocabulary
Start paying more attention to phrases and phrases that paint images and invoke feelings. These words and phrases are the bread and butter of any good copywriter. Anytime you come across a word, phrase or strategy which you could possibly use in your own writing, write it down. Keep a file of these words and ideas. As the list grows over weeks and months, you’ll soon have a powerful library of words and techniques at your disposal.
Start Writing and Ask for Reviews
As much as you can uncover by reading other people’s writing, the only way you are going to really learn to write copy is to just get started writing. Go ahead and write your first piece of copy. If you’re working for a small business or website, try to split test your piece. If you’re a freelancer, see if you can find a pro-bono client or two to begin with.
Ask for Feedback from other Copywriters
Sign up to several copywriting and marketing forums to connect with other copywriters to compare notes. Finally, observe your actual results from live sales letters and pages. Were they what you would have anticipated? Why or why not?
Learning to be a good copywriter isn’t easy, but it will go a long way in helping you win more clients and grow your business. Start studying past successful campaigns, letters and pages, build your vocabulary and get writing. You’ll have both successes and failures; pay attention to both. Figure out what’s working and what’s not in your writing and move forward from there.
Can you share an example? What are some of the best written sales pages or web pages you’ve seen? We’d love to hear from you, leave your comments below.
About the Author
Tai Goodwin is a career and business coach who helps service-based entrepreneurs launch theirbusiness while working full-time. The founder of the Brilliant Network Mastermind, Tai is the co-hostof Small Biz Chat on Twitter and Your Brilliant Success on BlogTalk Radio. She offers business start-upplanning at www.careermakeovercoach.com.
Whether you own a small business or a large corporation, the key to success in business is branding. Branding sets you apart from your competitors and it helps your prospects and clients come to know your company. So it is very important that you put a great deal of effort into learning how to brand your business or company.
What exactly is branding and how can you create a successful branding strategy? Let’s find out!
Definition of Branding
Branding is one of a company’s most valuable assets. Essentially, it is the company’s reputation. It is how your customers portray you and it is how you will become memorable; allowing loyal customers to refer you to other potential customers. When you look at the top brands out there, whether we talk about Coca Cola, Apple, Nike or Ikea, all of these companies use branding as a powerful tool to attract their clients and keep them asking for more.
There are many different parts to your brand,including;
Your logo,
The connections you make with customers,
Your customer service,
The affordability of your prices,
The quality of your services/products,
and any other aspect of your business that will affect how your customers portray your business.
How to brand Your Company
Now that we know the branding definition, we can discuss how to brand your business. Branding begins with understanding your core values. Do you want your business to be known for its honesty, client satisfaction, and integrity? Or perhaps you want it to be known for its high quality products at great prices? Whatever the case, you need to determine your core values before you can communicate them to your audience.
Speaking of your audience – do you know who your audience is? Your target audience will be the key to your success so it is important that you pinpoint who they are. Once you have determined who your target audience is, you can conduct research to learn what they like, where they shop, and what types of websites they use. It is only once you know this essential information that you can successfully market towards the customers who are going to make you the most money.
When learning how to brand a company, you not only need to know who your target audience is, but you must also know how to connect with them. In order to attract a following, you must appeal to your audience on an emotional level, develop a clear message that will become relevant to them, and set yourself apart from your competitors by offering something unique (low prices, high quality products, unique services, etc.).
In sum, we can state the branding definition as the reputation of your company. It is everything that your company does to create a name for itself. If you offer excellent customer service, high quality products or services, and create strong connections with your customers, you will quickly establish a positive brand for your business.
If, on the other hand, you are dishonest, do not offer good service, and sell low quality products, your brand will be associated with a negative name and you will lose potential customers quickly. Develop a smart brand strategy for your business or company so that you can create a positive name for your business, gaining loyal customers each step of the way!
Silvia Pencak, also known as Magnetic Silvia around the social web, is a Brand Strategist specializing in small business online branding. You can connect with her at her blog, Magnetic Look. com.
Tomorrow marks the first day of the last month of the year – where did the time go? (Well, we know for sure that ‘time’ didn’t take a break or a holiday!)
December can be stressful for entrepreneurs; you’re may be trying to wrap-up end of the year projects, push your holiday sales, and don’t forget, spending time with family.
However, there’s still an important question to ask yourself – are you building buzz now that’ll carry you to success next year? Today, I want to offer a few ideas to help you do it!
1. Host or Sponsor an Event - this is an excellent way to rally support from your community and build brand awareness. Theme your event around the holidays or a worthy cause and you’ll have the attention of your city.
2. Hold a Free Workshop - Why not teach potential customers or the public at large a new skill? Teaching positions you as a “go to” person and earns trust amongst your community.
3. Give a Free Seminar - When you offer your wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to others it elevates you to expert status. Even if you don’t sell any products or services after the session you will have left a valuable impression on their mind.
Note: A workshop differs from a seminar in the fact that in a workshop you learn an actual skill and a seminar is more informational.
4. Give out a Free Guide - There’s nothing like physically giving people something to remember you by. You can easily produce a pamphlet or short guide (even an e-book) on a specific area of your expertise.
5. Give out a Holiday Coupon Book - Why not partner with various businesses around your community or online to offer discounts of your products and services for the holidays? You’ll form powerful connections, gain plenty of business, and create real value for potential customers.
6. Start a Small Scholarship - It doesn’t have to be for students, but it could be for people who use your products and services. For instance, I might start a small business scholarship since my clients are entrepreneurs. An extra $100-500 would go a long way for any one this holiday season.
Tip: You could even make a contest of the scholarship funds, think videos for viral marketing.
Exit 2011 in style and with as much buzz as possible. Give people a reason to remember you before 2011 and you’ll find success long after it’s here. What would you add to this list? What are you doing NOW to be successful LATER? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
The Holiday shopping season is in full effect and Christmas is only a few weeks away. It’s time to break open the piggy bank and start shopping for the ones you love and the ones you’re forced to love (smile).
If you’re like me, you’ve got an entrepreneur or small business owner (or two) in the family and buying anything for them can be a challenge.
Don’t worry, the Success Coach is on the case!
For the next few weeks I’ll share with you some awesome gift ideas for the aspiring entrepreneur, small business owner, blogger, or techie in your life.
Are you ready? Then let’s get this party started!
Note: All product images and links are affiliate links. This means, if you decide to buy a product I’ll receive a small portion of the proceeds. You can check out our policies page for more info.
Every small business owner is different, but they all need knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to succeed. You can easily give that to them with books.
Here are a few of these best books, this year, for entrepreneurs.
Given the unprecedented access to Jobs and his blessing to interview those close to him presents the reader with a vast and exceedingly complex — but also incredibly consistent — portrait of the man who created Apple and some of the most important technology products of this century.
I love Dave Ramsey’s no nonsense Christian debt elimination advice. My parents were the first to turn me on to Dave and I haven’t stopped listening to him yet!
If you’re unfamiliar with Dave Ramsey, he helps people get out of debt right where they are with what they have. As he puts it, being debt free is 80% habit and 20% mental. In his latest book, Entreleadership, Dave shares life lessons for “winning” in business.
I’m not done reading through it, but I love it thus far. Dave shares practical advice for how he trains his teammates (no matter what position you work, in his company, you’re a team mate) for leadership. Specifically, his goal is to train his staff to be as productive as a leader and have the same passion as an entrepreneur – that’s his key for business success.
Melinda Emerson is an incredible person and I truly mean that. There are very few African American women that are as business savvy in the way that she is. She’s an author, blogger, speaker, and even host of Smallbizchat via Twitter.
In her book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, she breaks down how to start a business month by month. You’ll find great advice starting with your business plan all the way to setting up shop online. It’s very detailed, very inspirational, and a great guide to help anyone get started. You’ll find my video review of her book below. If you can’t see the video watch it on Youtube instead.
This great book by Susan Urquhart-Brown has a similar feel to Melinda’s book. But, has a different, kind of quirky flair to it. I like it because it’s kind of written in short “blog-post” styled articles. For instance, you’ll learn;
the 8 questions everyone should ask up front
the top 10 traits of the successful entrepreneur
how to obtain a license and sellers permit
the best way to create a business plan
10 simple ways to get referrals
the 6 secrets of marketing a business
and more!
If you or someone you know is an “Employed-preneur,” then I would definitely recommend this book to get you [or them] started.
With a last name like, Dollar, you might be a bit hesitant to listen to anything he has to say, but Dr. Dollar is a gifted man of God. He’s the pastor of World Changers Church (one of the largest in Atlanta, GA) and he has a calling to help people gain power to live victoriously through the Word of God.
He’s got a new book called, Winning in Troubled Times, but it doesn’t compare to how awesome this book, 8 Steps to Create the Life You Want. I’ve read them both, but my life changed after I read 8 Steps. In it, Dr. Dollar breaks down how to live successfully in your spiritual life, become debt free with your finances, and more. I highly recommend this book if you’re ready to see a change inside out.
That does it for this edition of our gift guide. Stay tuned, because next week we’ll do some heavy lifting with some awesome gadget suggestions. I’d love to add your ideas to this list. What books do you think would make a great gift for any small business owner? What did YOU read this year that inspired you or empowered you to succeed in your business? Share your story or add a recommendation in the comments below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Thanksgiving is this week which marks the official beginning of the holiday season and signals the end of the year. This time of year, entrepreneurs try to capitalize on the holidays by offering promotional services and discounts to new customers. This is especially true with campaigns like Small Business Saturday that encourage consumer spending with local businesses the day after Black Friday.
But, while you focus on running special holiday promotions for new customers, don’t forget about your old ones. Take stock of the many blessings your past customers have given you. Now is the time to reach out and ensure their continued loyalty well into the new year.
Here are a couple of ideas to help you do it;
Mail them a holiday thank you card. In a world of Facebook messages, Twitter Direct Messaging, and email a physical piece of mail is surprisingly valuable. Write a short note thanking them for supporting you this year and add a a print-out of your current holiday promotions. They’ll appreciate the gesture.
Take 5 minutes to call and check-up on your past customers. If you provided excellent customer service to them before, they’ll be thrilled to hear from you. Don’t mention your holiday promotions unless they ask about them and keep the conversation short. They’ll appreciate the call and will keep you in mind when they need help again.
Create an exclusive discount or promotional for past or longtime customers. This can be 20-30% off a new order but, make sure that they know it’s only for them and not new customers. They’ll feel really valued as a customer and continue to work with you.
Send your customers a gift. I’m not talking about buying everyone one of your clients a new TV – let’s be realistic here. But, a $10 or $20 Walmart, Target, or Amazon gift card along with a holiday card would be nice. You’ll only make that $10 or $20 back when they put in their next order from you…
Create a referral booklet featuring your current clients. This may take a little time to put together but the value you create for your clients is invaluable. Put all of your clients’ information (business name, number, website info, etc.) in booklet form and mail it to them.If you’re unsure about what to include and what not to include, ask your clients. They’ll let you know what information is OK to print and which isn’t. The idea of the booklet is to highlight your customers and offer the idea of a mini-referral network between them. This idea of connection is extremely valuable and they’ll love you for it!
Small businesses are powerful because of the special care and personal attention we give to our customers. It’s this personal touch that will keep them coming back to you and not going to “the big boys.” What ways will you create value for your current or past customers this holiday season? Did I miss anything in this short list? Add your thoughts and answers in the comment section below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Today, I’m being featured in an interview at Latara Ham-Ying’s blog, the Kick Start Success Blog.
It’s a fantastic interview that really gets to the core of who I am, how I got to where I am today, and more!
I highly recommend and want to invite everyone to check it out. Here’s an excerpt;
Rod Kirby is the under 30 CEO of Kirby Media Productions. His company specializes in helping entrepreneurs take their business to the next level via the web, video, and with social media. Rod is m a newlywed (going on 6 months!) and editor of The Success Center which is the #1 Christian entrepreneur’s online destination for small business help. Needless to say, he got a lot going on and he says he would have it no other way.
LVH: What three words would you use to describe your success journey? Please share why you chose these words.
My three words would be impatience, prosperous, and sacrifice. Why you ask? Well, I’ve started 3 businesses before my current one, I was extremely impatience with the whole “success process.” I learned a while back that I had to sacrifice my “Rod ideas” for “God ideas.” I also found out that God takes pleasure in the prosperity of his people so I discovered tools (within myself) to be prosperous in life & business.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
The Holiday season is fast approaching and you know what that means; family get togethers, irritating Christmas music, and buying useless gifts for grandma.
When was the last time you treated YOURSELF to a gift that you really needed? [I don't mean a 'Playstation 3', but something you actually need to succeed...]
Well, look no further, because I’ve got the perfect gift for you and your business, blog, or organization…
Introducing the 2 for 1 Success Coaching Holiday Special
Join me in the comfort of your own home or office for 2 comprehensive business coaching sessions for the price of 1! That’s 2 coaching sessions for only $100 [a $200 value]
Success coaching is geared toward;
Aspiring Entrepreneurs - Got a business idea, but don’t know where to begin?
Bloggers - Do you want more web traffic, a rocking community, or to build a platform with your blog?
Small Business Owners - Do you own a brick & mortar store or an e-commerce site & want to make money with social media marketing?
Brands - Are you a life coach, lawyer, author, or other type of professional that wants to maximize social media to build a brand and establish yourself as an expert in your field?
Organizations - Does your company or group want to learn how to apply social media to your marketing or better your communications?
Your 2 full hours of coaching includes;
Getting my best advice for taking your business to the next level,
Learning how to maximize social media marketing for your business,
Having your blog critiqued and improved by my proven techniques for blogging success,
Defining your business ideas, setting goals, and implementing a business plan,
and much more!
Once coaching is completed, you’ll walk away with;
A blog that is better poised for online sales, generates more web traffic, and is in position for more community growth,
A marketing plan that incorporates social media marketing for sales & generating buzz,
A solid business plan, a foundation for business success, and resources to help you take it all the way,
and more!
According to allbusinesscoaching.com,
An effective business coaching or training program or an executive coach can deliver at least $2 for every one dollar invested. This investment is quickly recovered due to the immediate increase in individual performance.
In other words, investing in coaching will save you hundreds [if not thousands] of dollars in the long run. Why would you invest in anything that doesn’t give you a size-able return on that investment?
Call to Action
The success coaching holiday special won’t last long, so don’t wait to take advantage of it.
If you’d like to learn more about my success coaching services, have questions, or would like to see some cool testimonials from past clients; visit the services page for more information.
If you found yourself described in one of the groups of people this coaching is geared toward and want to schedule your first session then click the Pay Pal button below.
2 for 1 Holiday Special
2 Hours of Coaching for Only $100! [You get one session, FREE! That's a savings of $100! ]
I’m confident that you’ll walk away with a new perspective of your business, blog, or brand through my coaching services. I look forward to working with you 1-on-1 in taking your business to the next level!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
Are you ready for the best in small business help, live event coverage, tech reviews, interviews, and more? Well, saddle up kids, because the Big Business Show is back!
The show has been on hiatus since I got married back in April of this year. Well, I’m finally ready to return to the surface and join the rest of the living.
Monday’s show is part 1 of a special 2 part episode that features Scott “The Nametag Guy” Ginsberg. You may have seen him on TV, he’s the guy that wears a name tag everywhere he goes.
It’s a great interview and you’ll learn a ton about marketing, branding, how Scott runs his business, and more!
Part 1 will debut on Monday October 17th and part 2 will debut on Wednesday October 19th. Trust me, you don’t want to miss either one of these power shows. Subscribe to The Success Center today so you can stay up-to-date.
Season 2 of The Big Business Show is just getting started, next week, I’m headed to Boston for the 2011 Small Business Technology Tour. It should be just as awesome as last year’s event.
Just to wet your appetite for the awesomeness that awaits you on Monday, I’ve embedded the Big Business Show’s opening intro video below. If you can’t see it, watch it on Youtube instead.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the video. I’ll see you on Monday!
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
A year or two after I dropped out of college I started a business designing logos, fliers, and developing website templates for small business owners. I can remember walking around my neighborhood, from business to business, trying to sell my services. I passed out fliers, business cards, and made cold-calls from old business cards I collected. However, I generated very few leads from my efforts and only scored sales from close friends and family.
Since then, I still pass out business cards and the occasional flier, but I also add social media to my traditional marketing efforts. As a matter of fact, I would happily say that 85% of my sales leads are generated online and the other 15% are referrals from friends and family.
It doesn’t matter how big or small your marketing budget is, social media is a great medium for building your marketing platform and generating sales. If you’re running television, print, or other traditional marketing campaigns, adding social media into your traditional marketing mix can grow your profits exponentially.
Here are 3 huge tips for incorporating social media into your current marketing plan;
Do Market Research
Every year I issue a general marketing survey to my blog readers, Twitter, and Facebook networks. And every year I’m amazed at the amount of feedback I get and the ideas I receive on how best to serve my target market.
In your survey ask for information such as;
Annual house-hold income,
Education level,
Profession,
What social sites they frequently visit,
What problems do they currently face,
Which of your products or services helps them solve those problems, and
Ask for an email address for future marketing campaigns.
How do you get people to give up so much personal information? Offer a free gift such as an e-book, special report, or coupon that they can easily download once they’ve completed your survey. Steer clear of asking for deeply personal info such as race, ethnicity, political, or religious affiliations.
Build Your Marketing Email List
One thing about social media is you don’t want to enter the space with a “pitch.” The best way to utilize it is to “give in order to get.” If you consistently give useful information, share your best advice, and engage with your social networks you will have earned the right to ask for something in return. Why not ask for prospects to join your mailing list?
Your email list is the most powerful weapon you have against competitors and lack of sales. You could easily buy a marketing list with the names and addresses of people who you don’t know, for thousands of dollars. Or, you can build your own base from people you’ve built a relationship with, who engage with your brand, and have an interest in your products and services.
Here are a few tips on how to do it;
Offer a free gift, e-book, or other info-product on your blog for people to sign-up to your mailing list
Add an email sign-up form on your Facebook page. Here are a few tutorials from major email marketing service providers to show you how to do it from within each; Aweber, Constant Contact, iContact, Mailchimp, and Campaign Monitor
Create an E-Book based on your top blog posts, offer it for free, and require an email address to download it.
Start a contest that requires entrants to give you an email address to enter.
To get a better idea of how to start your email marketing list (or take it to the next level if you already have one) watch this video I shot from the 2010 Small Biz Technology Tour in D.C. It features Melinda “SmallBizLady” Emerson talking about how she captures email addresses for her business.
Start a Facebook Ad Campaign
With a network of over 800 million people, Facebook is positioning itself to be a lucrative marketing platform just like print and television ads. With their recent news of giving away $10 million dollars in free advertising, it shouldn’t be any surprise that they just might succeed with that notion.
With your Facebook ad campaign start by;
Creating a free Facebook page and start an “outstation” for your marketing efforts. This should be a hub where Facebookers get to know your brand, receive valuable discounts, and engage with your company.
Build “Likes” of your page by promoting it on other social networks, your blog, and company website.
Use Facebook’s social plugins to generate engagement and sharing of your blog posts.
Set a budget for Facebook ads and target people by their likes & interests, gender, location, and more. The best part about ads is you only pay for what’s in your budget. So, if you set a budget of $100 and that generates 1000 new likes to your page, that’s all you spend.
Include your top blog posts, Facebook page link, or an Introductory Youtube video in your email signature
Add links to your social networks, your e-book download, or a welcome video onto the back of your business card
Mention how customers can connect with you online on your business voice-mail
Create a special page on your blog that visitors from your Twitter profile page are sent to – offer them links to your best advice, get them to sign-up for your email list, and more!
The return on investment with social media is tremendous if you play your cards right. The key is to always give more than you ask and you’ll always get more than you dreamed. What ways are you incorporating social media into your traditional marketing plan? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rod Kirby helps entrepreneurs, small business owners, and organizations
take advantage of social media marketing and new media through his company,
Kirby Enterprises.
Follow Rod on Twitter here.
![12 Easy Steps to Writing Killer Blog Posts [Infographic]](http://www.rodkirby.com/wp-content/themes/thestation/functions/thumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Killer-Blog.jpg&w=100&h=76&zc=1&q=90)
What can you do now to position your business for success in 2012? Invest the time in upgrading your copy-writing skills! The best color scheme and graphics won’t help you convert browsers into buyers if the content on your website is poorly written.
![Rod Kirby: The Under 30 Success [Interview]](http://www.rodkirby.com/wp-content/themes/thestation/functions/thumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2009/06/RKirby-6.09-3019-300x199.jpg&w=100&h=76&zc=1&q=90)
