Copywriting Watch Blog

Gitomer Missing Out?

Interesting referral to this blog from a Google search for Gitomer Red Bits, where Copywriting Watch is listed at # 2 and # 3, right behind a .pdf file from Jeffrey Gitomer's site. I recently posted about Mr. Gitomer's Amazon Blog.

I wondered what a search would bring up for "gitomer blog" - here's what I found:

Okay, Gitomer's Amazon blog (which hasn't been updated since January 31st and doesn't offer a feed) shows up at the top...but look at all the blogs below. And I don't think I should be that high on this search. Blogging improves your find-ability.

So here's 2.5 reasons that Gitomer should blog:

1.0  If your audience is searching for you, will they find you?
2.0  Remember Principle #4: It's all about value, It's all about relationships, it's not all about price.
2.5  Two good sales blogs you'll want to read and subscribe to are Landing the Deal and Top Lead Generators, both by Dan Tudor.

If you're hungry for Gitomer and want to get fed, bizjournals offers feeds of all of Gitomer's articles (but the Des Moines Business Record does not).

Earlier this month, John Jantsch at Duct Tape Marketing shared a few of his favorite sales blogs.

Technorati Tags: Sales Blogs, Gitomer, Red Bits, bizjournals, Google

Free Report on Link Love

Brian Clark at Copyblogger is offering a free 30-page report, Viral Copy:Trading Words for Traffic. Great stuff!

In it, you'll find spot-on accurate tips on getting link love. It's not some dry report either. Great quotes and plenty of chuckles with Brian's style of writing.

There is a catch, however. After you read it, Brian asks that you bookmark this page at del.icio.us. What to do after reading the report? Rinse. Repeat.

Technorati Tags: Copyblogger, Viral Copy, Link Love, Publicity

4 Steps To Better Online Sales

Dan Tudor at Landing the Deal points to a survey by Experience, Inc., a career service for students and alumni.

Most telling stat: "52% of respondents said they have purchased a product or service based on an online advertisement."

Ealier this year, DoubleClick's Touchpoints III (pdf) found that 10% of respondents find a product/service for the first time through online searching.

Thinking back to last year's DoubleClick survey (pdf), that showed that 54% of respondents do research online up to two weeks in advance of purchase.

1. Be Findable.
2. Present Your Offer.
3. Make Purchase Easy.
4. Promote in Advance.

An example? I've changed the button for the Iowa Business Blog Workshop. The workshop is already findable. The previous button just had "Click to Register" and I didn't have the offer for David Lorenzo's book up.

Be Findable. Present the Offer. Make Purchase Easy. Promote in Advance.

Related: Alert Box - The Slow Tail:Time Lag Between Visiting and Buying

Technorati Tags: Online Sales, Iowa, Blog Workshop, Career Intensity

FeedBurner Question at Converstations

I've posed a question/suggestion regarding FeedBurner feeds over at Converstations. If your using FeedBurner, I'd value your thoughts and feedback.

Rich Story from Aldo Coffee

Rich from Aldo Coffee shares some encouragement in his comment about our workshop, but more so, some great instruction how he's increased traffic and sales with timely blog posts.

His comment includes this money quote (literally):

"... we've seen a 50% increase in sales of Bicerin and double digits on everything else."

Rich also makes a great suggestion on how to use Technorati each day to find what people are searching for see if you can make it relevant to your business.

Google's Zeitgeist shows Zillow as one of the top searches this week. Coming in #2 in Google search results is the Ajaxian blog. (BTW, if you're in Real Estate and don't know Zillow - shame on you)

The Yahoo Buzz Index is another place to check for what's on the mind of Internet surfers and searchers.

Thanks for the great comment, Rich. Keep up the great work!

Technorati Tags: Aldo Coffee, Zillow, Ajaxian, Zeitgeist, Yahoo Buzz, Search, Business Blog

Spring Cleaning Bookmarks

While "spring cleaning" my bookmarks, I found these article worth revisiting:

• The Bottom Line on Business Blogs - Entrepreneur.com article (Aug '05)
• The Slow Tail: Time Lag Between Visiting & Buying - Alertbox article (Sep '05)
• The Case for Blogging - Line 56 article (Sep '05)
• Blogger Survey Charts - 2005 - Edelman's Survey Results
• Does Your Company Belong in the Blogosphere? - HBS Working Knowledge article (Nov '05)
• How Blogging Can Help Your Business - Spero News article (Nov '05)
• Secrets of Corporate Blogging - BrookGroup article on using blogging to increase profits.

Why am I spring cleaning so early? Pitchers and catchers report on Thursday!

The Blogging Journalist - A Nose for Blog News

Munir Umrani is doing great work at The Blogging Journalist. Three reasons why I subscribe:

1. Great content - and lots of it.
2. Descriptive headlines.
3. Short posts make for a quick read.

If he ever creates a desktop ticker, I'll get one. One of the few blogs where I'll throw a tip into the jar.

Technorati Tags: Blog News

Too Many Bookmarks? Use RSS.

I thought my visit to his office was to discuss launching a business blog. He attended a recent blog workshop where we toured the Internet rather than use a PowerPoint.

He showed me his bookmark folder. Hundreds of sites. He asked which ones he should delete. My answer? All those that offer feeds I asked which feeds he subscribes to. His answer? None.

He hadn't taken advantage of a feed reader because he thought bookmarking would save time.

The beauty of using a tool like FeedDemon is that while it may take all of 15 minutes to set-up, it allows you to get content delivered to you without visiting all those sites day-after-day. It also allows you Google a news search once and subscribe to the feed. You don't have to search anymore.

Learfield Interactive takes a pretty good stab at explaining RSS saying it makes everyone the "editor" of their own personal media outlet,

" ...and RSS delivers that stuff directly to your own personal media outlet every time there's something news."

Fred Wilson, who has written often about Feeds vs Email, offers this perspective,

"When the soccer moms, myspace kids, construction workers, and grandmothers can use RSS, commercial email will give way to RSS.  Because RSS is a lot better."

Chris Carfi takes it a step further by suggesting,

When the soccer moms, myspace kids, construction workers and grandmothers can explain RSS to each other, then we'll be on our way.

Brian Clark at Copyblogger says that RSS solves BIG PROBLEMS in his tutorial. This one you should bookmark - it's going on the workshop curriculum.

I don't read every item that comes across my feed subscriptions.  I read about 60% right within my feed reader without visiting the writer's site. It saves me time while keeping me informed. With RSS, the choices are all yours.

Related Items on this site:

• No More Cruise Control - Use RSS Instead (August '05)
• Smart Feed - Site for Sore Eyes (September '05)
• RSS Feeds - Listening to the Marketplace (October '05)
• What Did They Say About Us? (November '05)
• Pay Attention or Pay the Price (December '05)
• The Power of Feeds (January '06)

Technorati Tags: Syndicated Content, RSS, FeedDemon, LifeHacks, Blog Workshop

Dave Taylor - Blog Game Show Host?

I've often said here that the conversations that happen on and across blog sites make those who participate smarter. Dave Taylor is giving everyone a chance to be a "blogging consultant" - and I'm sure we'll learn a lot.

Dave has listed the client sites he's involved with and it's a great exercise for all of us - including you folks reading this post. Here's my take on a few, I'll post other thoughts elsewhere (feel free to comment here and/or extend this conversation where you see fit):

• Emotions in Marketing - Do we have to start with this one? I like the smiling face, but that's the only emotion I'm getting thus far. Keep blogging, but here's some things to consider:
  1. A better title might be "Emotionology in Marketing" since the writing reads like a science report. Shorten the posts or use the extended entry.
  2. A link to Home Depot and Lowe's would start the link building process.
  3. Using bold fonts and lists would allow for improved readability.
  4. Dangerous to go against the grain and publish posts in ascending order (oldest first).
  5. Use of a blogroll or other sidebar tools would help us get to know the blogger. What are you reading? How'd you get that cool ESPN hat?
• Love and Relationship Advise from Susie and Otto
  1. Great use of the Extended Entry
  2. The newsletter sign-up and product offerings are solid features for a business blog.
  3. All the links seem to point back to your opinions elsewhere. This is a good practice, but it's a better practice to also point to other blogs, or at least other blog posts that are relevant. Find them.
• Here Comes the Blog - WOW! Who designed this blog. I have jobs for them
  1. I like the use of visuals.
  2. Try not to underline text unless it's for a hyperlink.
  3. Incorporate some links to other sites, such as Love Actually in this post.
  4. Did I say WOW yet? This one's a keeper.
• Motorcycle Diary
  1. This design gave me some good ideas for several businesses that are just starting to blog.
  2. If you're not doing so already, find other motorcycle blogs and comment (as part of their conversation - not just to share your link). This would quicken the community growth on your site.

What do you think? Pick a different one and post on this, that, or the other blogs.

Technorati Tags: Blog Consultant, New Blogs, Business Blog, Blog Contest, Blog Workshop

ISU Offering Blog Workshop

Iowa State is offering a workshop, "How to Build a Better Blog." Martin Teply, a systems support specialist for the English Department, is the instructor.

Not to be confused with our own "Get Started Blogging" workshops, which focus on business blog sites, the focus of this class is improving your online journal - which is just one of the many ways to use blogware.

Two invitations to the ISU class:

1. We'd love to spotlight the student's blogs or the class on IowaBlogs.net.
2. If anyone from the class would like to join us on February 17th, show your student ID and get 50% of the registration price (Bonus: you get an advanced reading copy of David Lorenzo's Career Intensity). Seating is limited.

February really is shaping up to be Blog Month in Iowa.

Added Bonus: First three students of Martin's class to blog about this post or comment here get a $10 Panera Gift Card. The only rule? You have to mention how you found out about this post.

Technorati Tags: Iowa, Iowa Blogs, Blog Workshop, Iowa State University, Panera, Career Intensity

Interesting BS from Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawaskai shares his Blog Statistics (BS) after thirty days of blogging.

One of the more interesting points was this:

"I tested the power of a blog posting versus a listserver announcement when FilmLoop released its Macintosh version. My listserver has about 8,000 subscribers. The blog posting generated 1,846 click throughs. The listserver generated 605 click throughs."

Granted, the immediate traffic that Guy enjoys is unlikely to happen to most small business owners. But the numbers are interesting and I wonder if some of the ratios remain similar to those with less traffic.

Important to note that Guy links from his blog to other business ventures, such as FilmLoop and The Art of the Start.

What are your statistics showing?

Technorati Tags: Guy Kawasaki, FilmLoop, The Art of the Start, Blog Statistics

E's Into the Conversation - Part V

Educate Yourself

Together we are smarter than I am alone. I've written previously about the Power of Blogs and how they can be good great brain food. A few recent examples:

• Guy Kawasaki's The Art of Bootstrapping.
• Rajesh Setty's Why You Can't Ignore Blogs.
• Lisa Haneberg's How to Ensure That Training is NOT a Waste of Time!
• Rachel Cunliffe's Reflections From a Blog Designer.

There's brain power there for sure, but you can also learn from your customers and prospects who blog. But there's one other person you can learn a lot from. Yourself.

You don't know what you know - until you articulate it.

I started writing a long time ago, not for my own edification, but for my own education.  When you formulate your thoughts into words, you get a more clear understanding of what it is you're thinking.

Maybe it's not a blog or a blog comment. Maybe it's just a paperback journal - but if you're going to do that, why not share? I'm glad the people above do. Do You? If so, share it with us below.

E's Into the Conversation - Part III

Enhance Your Web Presence.

Will publishing a blog enhance your web presence? (Short answer: Yes)

You may have heard it or read it elsewhere (or even here) that online users and search engines are attracted to fresh content. One company I've been working with hadn't had their home page cached by Google since July last year.

Let's take a look at a few examples:

Imagine we're in Pittsburgh and have a craving for cannoli and coffee (and one for the thumb). We do a quick Google on Cannoli Pittsburgh. Pretty broad search term, but we're feeling lucky.

At the top of the results?  Aldo Coffee Company - a page within their blog site.

We're in Iowa looking for a CPA specializing in tax services. We Google Iowa CPA Tax. First up? Roth & Company, P.C. - but not their home page - we get their blog.

Let's say you're looking for some guy named "Sansone" who's a copywriter, but can't remember the name of his site. A quick search on Sansone Copywriting. The results? My blog comes ahead of my (cob)web site.

You also notice Mike Wagner's blog (#6 in the results) - and he's only been blogging for a month. Maybe he's a better choice for the job. (Do I get a referral fee?)

Publish a blog...enhance your web presence.

Technorati Tags: Business Blogging, Google, Search Engines

Is February Blog Month in Iowa?

The middle of February is shaping up to be a great week for Iowans to learn more about blogs, podcasts, and feeds.

On Thursday, February 16th, the Central Iowa chapter of PRSA will host a luncheon featuring Shel Holtz of The Hobson & Holtz Report podcast and a shel of my former self blog. Find out more information about becoming a PRSA member.

On Friday, Febraury 17th, our own Iowa Business Blog Workshop goes in-depth on the how and why of business blogging.

The month starts with the Iowa Blogger Bash on Saturday, February 4th at the Raccoon River Brewing Company.

Technorati Tags: PRSA, Shel Holtz, Iowa,

E's Into the Conversation - Part II

Extend Your Reach

One of the businesses I've been working with is looking for customer evangelists. My counsel is look for bloggers who have a passion for their type of product and get into their hands. Bloggers are in the habit of sharing their honest opinions (they do it offline too).

Last week, I found that David Lorenzo practices this very well. Each month, I host a Blog Workshop. David found out about it and offered advance copies of his new book, Career Intensity, to those attending the next workshop.

I wouldn't normally recommend a book I haven't read yet (release due in May), but I've read enough of Dave's work on his three blogs to know this will be a great read.

IMPORTANT NOTE: David is extending his reach by offering his book at the workshop. But that's not where this story starts. How did our paths cross in the first place?

Ron McDaniel's Buzzoodle is another blog I read regularly. That's how I found out about Career Intensity. I eventually place Career Intensity on my list of Blogs I Read. I'm sure that's how David found my site.

Here's what's interesting. By searching Ron's site, we find their relationship started early last summer with an email from David to Ron. Think Mr. Lorenzo extended his reach?

Find bloggers who have a passion for your type of product or service and get it in their hands. Engage in a Conversation. Extend Your Reach.

Want to learn how? Register for the Iowa Blog Workshop (and get an advance copy of Career Intensity) right now.

Technorati Tags: Career Intensity, Buzzoodle, Iowa Blog Workshop

Steve Johnson - Back Against the Ivy?

Trying to see from the perspective of Chicago Tribune's Steve Johnson, I picture him in front of the ivy at Wrigley Field and looking up as he writes an article on blogging (Free Registration Req.)

Here's the headline:  Create a blog

Here are the subheads:
IF THEY WRITE IT: You waste time reading everyone else's opinions.
IF YOU WRITE IT: You force your own opinions on everyone else.

I recently wrote about some bloggers that make me smarter. This isn't a new trend. IN August of last year, Inc.com's  Hillary Johnson shares Why I Read Business Blogs.

So, if "they" write it (say it?), I don't consider it a waste of my time. And I apologize to Steve for the last five months that I've forced him to read my opinions - what? You mean he hasn't read any of them? Then how can I be "forcing" them on him - or anyone?

His piece is an example of dipping his brain in paint and banging it against a wall, then calling it art(icle).Yet, Steve has some good instruction on quickly starting your own blog (seriously). But then...

He invites everyone to a Chicago Blogger's Meetup. Get This (his words, my emphasis):

"Blogging--an activity often pursued in one's home in one's underwear--doesn't have to be anti-social. Chicago Bloggers, a group of, well, bloggers, gets together monthly to learn about new online publishing tools and chat about the blogosphere."

Maybe I'll go and "waste time" to hear what these pajama-clad folks have to say, maybe even "force" them to hear what I think. Then again, maybe Steve has it right and this blogging thing is over my head.

Tehcnorati: Chicago Tribune, Blogging, Chicago Bloggers

Why Blogs are Like WD-40

What started out as a rust-prevention solvent and degreaser is now used in many more ways than originally intended. We know it as WD-40

Maybe blogs are like WD-40. Blogging may have started out as online journals, but it's bigger than that and continues to grow. It's about delivering messages in many different forms.

The conversations(!) are all over the blogosphere about bloggers being just writers - or not, missing conversations that are open...sort of, and future uses for blogs.

Blogs - There's Always Another Use.

Join the Conversation - Iowa Blog Workshop

Talking recently with someone about beginning a business blog, the response was a cool, "We want to be so busy we won't have time to blog."  Huh?

I wonder who they will be doing business with. Well, I don't really wonder. The answer is simple: Customers. But blogging is a conversational medium more than anything else. And blogging allows you to have a conversation with your customers (and it can save time).

I'm not saying every business should blog. Some shouldn't (detail in another post perhaps). But don't let your crutch for not blogging be because you're busy (aren't we all?) because cutting to the chase quick, you're saying you don't have time to talk with your customer base.

To learn more about blogging, the conversations, and how to engage in them (and if you're in Iowa), join us tomorrow for a four-hour workshop on Business Blogging. There's a handful of seats remaining.

Is Your Web Site a Re-run?

My friend Brett Rogers at BeatCanvas gives me kudos for explaining to him my thoughts that every web site is really a blog, it's just some aren't dynamic. And please, can we stop calling a blog an online journal. That's just one way ...oh, wait....we already posted this a few days ago. (Though I'm going to tweak something in just a bit.)

You would probably be disappointed if every post on here was the same day after day. Isn't that similar to what users see every time they visit your static home page?

Let's not get hung up on the word "blog" in an effort to remain steadfast in defense of a static home page on a cob-web site.

So, here's the tweak. Every web site in NOT a blog. However, every web site is made up a series of web pages. Similarly, every blog site is made up of a series of web pages. Among the differences is the frequently updated content and the conversational nature of a site published with blogware.

Blog Site vs. Web Site? Wrong question. Dynamic vs. Static? Better question.

UPDATE - At AdAge.com, Simon Dumenco writes, "It’s just software, people! The underlying creative/media function remains exactly the same."

Thanks to Darren Rowse at ProBlogger who offers his reactions.

Is Your Web Site a "Groundhog Blog?"

My friend Brett Rogers at BeatCanvas gives me kudos for explaining to him my thoughts that every web site is really a blog, it's just some aren't dynamic. And please, can we stop calling a blog an online journal. That's just one way to use "blogware."

If I launch a blog, put one post on it, and rarely update it - wouldn't it be a web page? Yes. Would you visit often, bookmark it, or subscribe to the feed? Probably not. But that's what many companies do with their home pages (sans feed).

I also met up with Mike Wagner this morning. Mike is a master of metaphors and a brilliant brand-ologist. When sharing my thoughts with him, Mike replied that static web sites are really, "Groundhog Blogs," or blogs that are the same day after day after day.

Blogs are a conversational tool. There are so many ways to use 'blogware,' and more ways are created daily. Every one is looking for better ways to communicate their message. So why is your home page static and unchanging? You sent that message once - we're bored with it.

If you have a company website and start a blog, incorporate blogware into that site. Dave Taylor does this well (check out paragraphs 2-4), though I doubt many visit his home page. Dave talks about this on another of his sites.

If your company doesn't have a website, put one up using blogware. La Shawn Barber has her whole site built with WordPress.

UPDATE: Lisa Haneberg of Management Craft has re-launched her home page at www.lisahaneberg.com using WordPress. Two things to notice right away (aside from always offering Knowldege You Can Act On) is that the most recent headlines of her blog posts appear on the home page automatically. She's also offering free downloads of her e-books and articles. We can hardly wait for her new book, Focus Like a Laser Beam.

Hyperwords

If you do any kind of Internet writing or research, you'll want to try out Hyperwords, a Firefox plug-in (coming out for IE later this year).

With Hyperwords, simply highlight a portion of text, and the Hyperwords pop-up allows you to search the web, news, blogs, photos, maps, tags and more. Google, Technorati, Amazon, Ice Rocket, del.icio.us, you can even easily translate text into or from English.

One of the features I found quite useful was the email tool. Simply by highlighting a bit of text, Hyperwords will quote that AND put a referring link into an email - a great tool if you're sending something to a friend or client.

Hat tip: Techcrunch

The Power of Feeds

In my previous post, I shared sites that offer a good amount of knowledge every time they post. Though I visit the sites often, I only go when they've posted something new. Sometimes, if they offer a full feed, I don't go at all. I read the post from my feed aggregator.

There are free web-based tools, such as Bloglines, that allow you to track feeds. I use Bloglines to subscribe to blogs listed on IowaBlogs.Net.

But for business, I prefer stand-alone applications. I use two different applications.  Rather than subscribing to Google Alerts, I like the way these next tools use quick pop-up notification.

SharpReader (free) is one I use mostly for search results. I use Google and Topix for news searches and IceRocket for blog searches. I also subscribe to Technorati tag searches.

I also use FeedDemon (inexpensive) for blogs that I'm interested in following. Three things I like best about this tool are the Auto-Discovery (discovers if a site offers a feed), the Watch (looks for keywords on incoming items), and the News Items (allowing me to save important articles).

To publish feeds, I find that FeedBurner currently does the best job of publishing. Their SmartFeed offers users multiple options.

Here's an in-depth RSS Tutorial from the Wizard Creek.

Check out the tutorial. Get a feed reader. Subscribe to some feeds. Get smarter, quicker.

Technorati:Feeds, FeedDemon, Bloglines, SharpReader, FeedBurner, Technorati

The Power of Blogs

There's power in these blogs. Brain Power. In other words, they are meals for the mind. They all share something in common. Can you find it?

• Zane at Conference Calls Unlimited talks up a book I've seen, but wasn't going to buy - until I read his post. Here's Zane's review of Jill Konrath's Selling to Big Companies. I'm off to the bookstore as soon as I finish this. And after reading Jill's blog, I've added her to the list on the right.
• Mark True is blogging (watch this one soar). Mark is a brand warrior at REL Productions. I never thought I'd see the word "poseur" in a headline.
• Mike Wagner of the White Rabbit Group is also blogging about branding. His Own Your Brand blog makes an immediate impact with the question, "Brand Owners?"
• Nannette Rodriguez of VIVAMedia is also one to share profitable mental exercises. Her question of What Did 2005 Teach You? The contagion she infuses people with offline can now be spread online.
• Mike Bawden offers a wealth of knowledge and valuable resources at Much Ado About Marketing.
• Joe Kristan of Roth & Company shares important tax & accounting information, but in a way that is understandable and fun to read.
• Andy Priestley of DWebware also recently launched a blog and offers a series for Search Engine Enhancement, including blogs

Like those listed in the Blogs I Read on the right, they each engage their customers with their efforts and share information unselfishly.

The seven people above all share another thing in common: Each is an Iowa-based business leader. I've had the privilege of meeting only three of them thus far. But, I learn from each of them with every posting. I thank them for making me smarter.

Technorati: Iowa, knowledge sharing, brain food

Workshop: Get Started Blogging in 2006

After struggling with several issues, we've finally got the registration page up for the Get Started Blogging event on Thursday, January 19th from 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM at the Courtyard by Marriott in Clive, Iowa..

This four-hour workshop will cover the basics of blogging in the first segment, then actual hands-on blogging in the second segment. Bring a laptop. Free Wi-Fi is available.

Due to the tardiness of getting the registration page up, we've drastically cut the price (only $40). There's only a dozen or so seats remaining. You can register here.

Technorati: blog workshop, business blogs, Iowa

The Technology Evangelist

A comment by Ed Kohler from Technology Evangelist leads us to a great guide for those not ready for prime-time feed-reading. A post on his blog, "The Lazy Person's Guide to Online Competitive Research," goes well with my earlier "Pay Attention or Pay the Price."

Three quick 'thinking-on-blog' notes:

1. Love the title, "The Lazy Person's Guide to..." and I hope Ed and his team do more of the same with their gadget reviews.
2. I noticed each post has a "Listen to this Article", which is powered by Talkr. Voice is a little robotic, but there are possibilities.
3. They did a great post on Panera Bread's free Wi-Fi. if you've read this blog at all, you know what I say: Viva Panera!

Thanks Ed, for your comment and your blog.

Technorati: Panera Bread, Online Competitive Research, Talkr

Restaurant Inspections Missing Feeds

An AP story (list of who's carrying it) alerts us to a new consumer-friendly site from The Iowa Department of Inspections & Appeals, Informed Dining.

I was happy to find that the Panera locations I frequent most are doing just fine. When you do a search, input what you know. I didn't know the address, so I put in the name and county to get the results.

The only thing missing? Feeds. I'd love to see this content syndicated. An excellent resource for a blog that does restaurant reviews.

Looking for similar reports in your area? Try Spies Online for links in your neck of the woods.

Technorati: Iowa, restaurant reviews, Panera

Author Blogs with Amazon Connect

A New York Times article, "A Chance to Meet the Author Online," talks about an additional feature Amazon has for book buyers - Amazon Connect, or Author Blogs. I'm not sure I'd call them blogs. Two key components are missing (more on that later).

One of the writers featured in the article, Pete Hautman, comments on his most recent novel, "Invisible" on the book page with a link to his blog. Here's what Amazon Connect looks like:

Notice the jump in sales in one day! I wonder if the blog had anything to do with that. The reader comments appear below the author comment.

They only have a dozen authors doing this so far, but if you're selling a book on Amazon, you can sign up for Amazon Connect here.

As a reader, I like this feature and hope more writers get involved. Unfortunately, comments aren't active (at least not on Pete's blog) and they don't have feeds on the blogs - does that combination make it a blog? I think not, but they're half-way there.

What's the difference between a web site and a blog site?

1. Frequently Updated Content (this they do)
2. Permalinks (this too)
3. Syndicated Content (not yet)
4. Reader Comments (not at this time)

Still, it's a nice feature.

Technorati: Amazon, Authors, New York Times, Book Reviews

Which Sales Letter Would You Read?

I ran across two sales letters this morning. Both pieces had my interest with their titles. One lost me as soon as I opened it. The other, I've bookmarked and will consider. Here are the sales letters:

RSS Announcer: As soon as I saw the size of the scroll bar, it was over. I didn't take (don't have) the time to read it. From what I glanced at, Ping-O-Matic or Pingoat give me the same thing for free. Lots of words, 85% of which I didn't read.

A Marketing Feast The whole sales letter is above the fold. That alone has me compelled to buy. They respect my time and know how to cut to the chase.

I've written before about long sales copy. The more I see it, the less I like it. Who reads it anymore? Is a 92% failure rate something to cheer about? Probably not, but why do we celebrate a 8% success rate. It's the same thing!

Long sales letters are getting long in the tooth. They don't work anymore. Want success? Keep it short.

The Grass Isn't Always Greener

I've been called by some a "Tasteful Enthusiast." Twice today, I've been challenged to be a "Dedicated Loyalist."

Lots of vents, rants, and even some raves about TypePad's challenges today (Technorati  results and IceRocket results). I've said it before on other blog comments, the grass isn't always greener. I'll stick with TypePad for several reasons:

• The people. I've talked with several SixApart folks in-person, through e-mail, and the Help Ticket system. They are always forthcoming and engaging.
• The people. I've been in positions, online and offline, where things just got ugly (today was one of them - not TypePad related). I can only imagine the angst that was felt by the people on the inside. If they aren't patting each other on the back after this is over, I'll offer some here (^5 team!).
• The people. Together, the team on the inside AND the customers on this end will be stronger because of this. The relationships, the loyalty, the experience together.
• The tool. It's still a great tool to use.

So, we've gone through another fire. Be careful of jumping ship - you may just have to go through the fire on a different boar later. This crew is battle-tested (and I'm sure they're harder on themselves than we imagine).

I'm not polishing apples, but I'm not jumping ship either.

Help Wanted: New Blog Project(s)

I've given much thought to re-branding my company, Copywriting Solutions. I plan to continue offering the standard copywriting services, but the core of my business is quickly moving in a different direction.

Companies are looking seriously at blogging, though I share Mary's concerns over how (if?) they'll use it and what they'll expect from it. They'll need to understand the key to building relationships with their customers is to do it one-at-a-time. The "build it and they will come" only worked once in Iowa that I know of, and I don't know if Kevin Costner does Blog Design.

Mary makes some great points, as usual (I'm also an avid reader of Bare Feet Studios - another of Mary's blogs). Part of the problem may be that business owners have the desire, but not the know-how. And are they willing to confess their naivete in fear of looking like an amateur?

I love to write brochures, but I can't stand walking into a client's store or office and see the brochures gathering dust (they hate it too - and guess who they're blaming).

It's not that the brochure is awful (or maybe it is), but that it's not being used properly. I've taken it upon myself to ensure that my client's investment is being used properly. Since I have a retail background (I understand their business need), I share techniques on how and which sales piece to give the customer/prospect on the way out the door.

Those that follow my suggestions have seen an increase in return (as do I) - because they are using the tool to build a relationship.

Back to the blog design (boy was that a rabbit trail? Or just a poor choice of headline?) I've been working with a few people, and one of them is doing a great job - yet, I'm looking at other projects and need some talent.

I need someone to redesign this blog site you're reading. It's to remain on either Movable Type or Typepad. There is a project I'm working on that will focus on job-seekers and their resume efforts (see my previous post) This project will be on WordPress. There are two other projects that I've put out to bid  - we'll see how that goes.

One thing I'm looking for is to be able to put Google Ads on the permalinks only, but not all over the main site. Is this done with CSS?  I don't know. If it is, am I going to invest time in learning CSS? Nope.

So, if you do Blog Design & Hosting - and know Movable Type and/or WordPress, let me know (mike@copywritingsolutions.com). Though I'd rather keep the business in Iowa, I'll look at outside resources as well. Maybe I should just give Mary Schmidt a call.

Resume Blog

We've all seen a resume online. Maybe you have one floating in cyberspace somewhere. I've seen some resume blogs, but most of the time it's just a resume posted on a page.

I wonder if anyone is taking advantage of a tool like WordPress and creating a Resume Blog Site. Here's a resume site I put up yesterday. (I'm not seeking, just sharing)

I've talked with several HR-types who really dig the idea. The hiring pros can get a good feel for who the candidate is pre-interview or post-interview. An online scouting report of sorts.

A candidate can write about past work experiences, what's going on in their current job hunt, and some of the things they would like to do in future opportunities. A resume is just a single page, but the dynamic nature of a blog would give a candidate a chance to shine.

If you are looking to make a career change, here are a couple of "must-read" blogs: Career Intensity and Smart Lemming.

Is anyone doing this yet? Is Monster offering this? I know they have a blog.

UPDATE: Lisa Haneberg has some thoughts on this in Blogs as a Career Building Tool?

Testing Blogs with the Digital Arts Group

This is a test post during the monthly Digital Arts Group meeting on December 1st at Haddock Computer. Based in Des Moines, Iowa, the Digital Arts Group has members active in the fields of printing and publishing, advertising, design, multimedia, broadcasting, software development, computer sales, web development, and consulting.

P.S. Pizza Hut was very late (so we decided not to link to them). But two pizzas (of four ordered) all four pizzas did come...eventually.

Update: It's always fun meeting with such an energetic and knowledgeable group like DAG. I've posted earlier that we need to choose friends wisely. If you're a professional that works with design or any kind of digital arts, I'd encourage you to become a member of this group. You'll have fun, get smarter, and develop great relationships.

RSS Feeds - Full or Partial - or Both?

The debate has been re-ignited between offering a full or partial feed. The two that are speaking loudest are Robert Scoble and Duncan Riley.

Both make valid points. Frankly, I'm having an argument inside my own head. On one side (the left?), I think the customer (reader) is the kingdom that content (author) serves, so give the customer what they want. Full feed, right? However, if the author never gets anyone to their site because they never leave their feed reader, how will they track traffic? Tracking traffic is a bone that Jeff Jarvis is gnawing on.

The solution, my dear reader, may be elementary to the folks at Blog Business Summit, as they offer both full and partial feeds. (Hey Matt - do you feel another "tweak" coming soon?)

So, I throw the question out to you. Do you prefer full or partial feeds? Do you have one answer as a reader and another as an author?

UPDATE: Matt at DWebware "tweaked" our Copywriting Solutions demo blog to offer both partial and full feeds. Less than 24 hours. DWebware is also blogging. Blog software courtesy of BlogFusion and Jake McKee.

Photo credit: Flickr by FashnNuggt

Blog Strategy - Daily Links

The last two days, I've experimented with daily links using the del.icio.us thingy, thanks to tips from Fred Wilson - and also to Steve Rubel for pointing the tip out. It's very easy and doesn't take any extra time once it's set up

I don't know if I'll continue with the experiment yet, but I see several advantages for small businesses that blog:

1. Keep your customers updated on industry news that affects your market or industry.
2. With a short comment, the readers will have an idea on your perspective of the item.
3. Introduce new sites and information stations to your customers.
4. These items are great discussion starters.

The information is out there and available whether you share it or not. By hording it so only you look smart, you'll simply look selfish.

Who can use this "thingy"? How about a Realtor, lawyer, veterinarian, event planner, interior designer, artists, photographers - even political pundits.

Gather.com - Take Another Lap

Been Here, Done This.

One of the things I dig about blogs is it goes beyond giving the individual a "sense of ownership" in the community. Blogs give individuals the opportunity for actual ownership. Yet, with this new craze of "blog networks"-- which are popping up as fast as blogs themselves -- a new kid comes on the block out to play, and they call themselves Gather. I'll call it "Talk City-Part 2"...okay, maybe they will succeed and be an "About.com - Part 2"

Instead of gathering what's out there, they've created a publishing tool. Everyone wears the same uniform, say goodbye to individuality.

In 2000, there were so many community portals launching in effors to "flip" a community off to someone bigger, it was like watching a cattle call (I still have my cow from bluebarn.com - it wasn't purple). Now it's blog networks. We're taking another lap, still looking for the promised land.

Here's the good news though - it's happening faster. In my view, that means the crash will happen sooner. Why is that good? I'll post on that later this week.

I like that individuals are publishing their stuff, their way. We can learn from each other, learn that while we're unique - we're quite similar. How can you have influence when you look and feel like everyone else? You can't. As I write this, my SharpReader pops up a post from the color-coordinated Lisa Haneberg at Management Craft. Here's the question she offers:

"Ownership looks different depending on your circumstances. The question is: What can you impact? How can you have influence? Given the environment, what can you do to move the work forward?"

Joining "communities" like Gather will only find people give up ownership and let others decide on how you make an impact. Sure, you may make some noise quicker, but it may be more "poof" than "bang".

Flying Ads - Shoot Me If I Ever...

If I ever have floating ads, flying ads, pop-up surveys, or drop-out-of-the-middle-of-nowhere offers on one of my sites - I'll expect you never to return. I won't either.

It's an annoying, intrusive gimmick that makes no sense. This form of marketing is not a Purple Cow - it's not even hamburger. Not only is it unremarkable, sites (and advertisers) that employ it become un-bookmarkable.

One site that pitches such monsters suggests that a key advantage is they "garner extra clicks" - yeah, because the user is trying to chase it around the screen to close the insect.

I can understand that a site wanting to monetize, but there are less bothersome ways to go about it, yes?

UPDATE: When I wrote this earlier, I had heard about Amazon's mouse-over ads, but hadn't experienced them. Dave Taylor has tested this feature in a recent post, reviewing three books (I also highly recommend Beyond Code).

I like this feature becuase I can click on the title to learn more, or on impulse, click on "Buy Now" and it goes right into my shopping cart. Before this ad style, I would click on the hyperlink to get to the book's Amazon page, and I can still do that with the mouse-over.

Sprint's Card & Customer Service Connects

Last week I found myself without a Plan C. It ended up being a successful learning experience (isn't everything?)

While making a presentation, I couldn't connect to the only available wireless network and nobody in the office had the key-code. I had everything on my computer preplanned, including bookmarks and website examples. Couldn't get to them, so we winged it. It could have been embarrassing, but the audience was understanding (and I don't get embarrassed) - but I was sure it wouldn't happen again.

Ten minutes after the gaffe, I was at the local Sprint store talking with my new friend Mike Norris. I told him my challenge. He had the solution with Sprint's EVDO Connection Card and a great offer. No longer would I find myself without a connection.

But this is only part three of my revitalized love affair with Sprint (I've been a customer going on seven years & five states).

My first two tries to activate the card using phone support was a disappointment. I wondered if the complaints I heard (here and here) were repeating themselves. Hold, transfer, disconnect, hold, transfer, hold - enough! I would try again first thing in the morning. Next day - systems down, call back afternoon. One more shot before I returned the card - then came Cory to the rescue.

Topix.Net - "Are blog posts news?"

While the argument of whether bloggers are journalists continues, Topix.Net has added blogs to its news search engine. From the Topix.Net Blog:

"Today we added 15,000 top weblogs to the Topix.net crawling/tagging engine. Blog posts are being categorized into our 30,000 local feeds as well as our 300,000 subject feeds. Our search results now include blog results, and posts sho