The Write Spot, LLC

The tools I use for Blog Promotion

For those of you attending What We Do: DIY Content Syndication and Promotion, here are the details on what tools I use to promote my blogs.

Social Bookmarking

There are numerous sites out there and new ones being added every day. Here are the ones I’ve found most success with, though that can change from week to week and with different types of posts:

• StumbleUpon – Great for a quick burst of traffic.
• Digg – Crowded but it works, especially for backlinks. (See Wendy Piersall’s post at Problogger, The Ultimate Guide to Getting Lots of Link Love for more info on why you want backlinks and how to get them.)
• Mixx – A new contender and getting popular.
• Reddit – Not a lot of features, but that’s its strength. May be giving Digg a run for its money according to Chris Garret (Why Reddit is Better than Digg).
• Propeller – Another popular site for bookmarking.

Niche Social Bookmarking

• Kirtsy – Best for posts and blogs with a women or mom focus. Once they get their Google ranking fixed (due to their recent name change) Kirsty will be good source for backlinks, too.
• HealthRanker – Good for promoting health, diet, fitness and exercise posts. No page rank yet, but I’m hoping that will change soon. Getting more popular, too.
• Care2 – A very popular “green” social networking site with passionate members, and a great place to bookmark your green, eco-friendly content.
• FoodBuzz – If you’re a foodie, you must set up a profile here. Not only is is good for networking, but you can automatically promote your posts via RSS feed.

Setting the Stage for 2008

Each year I write a holiday family newsletter, and start by looking over the previous year's version. It's usually fun to reminisce, but this year it was depressing. I realized that many of the things I had thought were going to happen to me professionally in 2007 never materialized.

2007 Wasn't What I Expected

First, there was the client who promised a marketing director job in his start up food business. Then he went through some health issues and went back to cooking and event planning for his former clients. I couldn't blame him. Why go through the headache of starting a new company when you don't need the work or the money?

Then there were the website content overhauls that were brought in house or that never materialized even after numerous meetings. The gigs I did get were small or involved too much work for the pay. Then there were the assignments that radically changed from a lot of work to a little, or that were canceled altogether. Less work meant less pay.

I also spent a lot of time in 2007 looking for freelance writing assignments. I contacted old clients. I approached firms that were recommended to me by other writers. I applied to freelance jobs that I found online. Mostly, my inquiries went into the great resume black hole in the sky. No wonder I was suffering from burnout last spring.

2007 Was Pretty Good After All

Looking over 2007, it really wasn't as bad as I thought. I was this close to meeting my financial goal of $1000 per month from writing. (Keep in mind that I do this part-time.)

Update: a few late checks came in putting me just a little over my goal!

I fulfilled many of the minor goals I set out for myself such as getting a backup drive for my computer, entering writing contests, and going to two blogging conventions and two writer's conferences. I finally created a testimonial page, got my business affairs more organized, and planned out my blogging posts and writing assignments.

Anne-Marie Nichols joins Parents Behaving Badly

I've joined Jay Allen, The Zero Boss at Parents Behaving Badly. The blog is part of b5media's blog network, and is about all the horrible things adults do to kids.

My first two posts at Parents Behaving Badly deal with Michael Barber, the lowlife who beat up his former girlfriend's two-year-old. At his recent parole hearing, Barber took responsibility then blamed the boy's mother for the beating.

Blogging at Parents Behaving Badly should be a depressing gig. Except by the time the news hits the papers, the kids are in protective custody and the adults are in jail. Thank goodness for the small glimmer of hope in these stories.

But what about the cases that don't make the news, and the parents who haven't been caught yet? That's the real tragedy, folks.

Sending out holiday cards

Should you send out holiday cards to your clients? What about business partners and people you network with? You bet.

Holiday card rules

1. Notice that I say HOLIDAY and not Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. In order not to offend people, keep the holiday message generic - peace on earth, happy holidays, and seasons greetings are all good choices. However, if your business is religiously based, for example a Christian bookstore, a religious message is appropriate.
2. Keep the graphic snon-religious too - winter scenes, snowmen, animals, and so on.
3. Your graphics should say something about your company, if possible. If you own a business directed towards families, scenes of children playing in the snow would be be a good choice.
4. Be careful with humor. Someone might find not find grandma getting run over by Santa's sleigh very funny.
5. Use quality holiday cards, preprinted if possible. VistaPrint.com is a good choice, but try your local business supply or stationary store.
6. Include your business card or a business magnet in the envelope.
7. Use a holiday postage stamp and don't forget your return address (pre-printed with your logo if possible).

Why bother with holiday cards?

1. Customer and Partner Appreciation - To thank people for doing business with you.
2. Marketing - With my Usborne Book clients, I sealed the envelopes with a label. On it was information about using my website for direct ordering and that rush shipping was available.
3. Referrals - Last year I sent a holiday card to a graphic designer I knew with a note that I was interested in providing his clients with copywriting services. I enclosed some business cards. Today, he's one of my biggest resources for referrals.
4. Networking - I'll be sending cards to people I've networked with. It's another great way to touch base and send out a few business cards.

For more advice on sending out cards, see Business Christmas Cards from Susan Ward at About.com. (BTW - I disagree with her on hand-addressing envelopes. Many people don't care or never see if there is a pre-printed label on the envelope since their assistant opens the mail. However, including a hand-written note is a very nice touch.)

Offering value to your customers

I just finished reading Jeffrey Gitomer's book, Little Black Book of Connections: 6.5 Assets for Networking Your Way to Rich Relationships.* In it, he talks about bringing value to your customers (or potential customers) as a way to generate sales and business. As Jeffrey writes in his GitBit on Personal Branding,

"Become a resource. It's much more powerful than someone perceiving you as a salesman or entrepreneur. People will want to be around you, and pay attention to what you say, if they believe what you say and do has value to them and their business."

So with this in mind I will be sharing with you what I'm learning as I develop my copywriting business - everything from tips on networking and marketing, to books, website and article reviews. Of course, I'll be announcing new clients, partnerships, and awards, too.

To get these on a regular basis, enter your email address in box on the upper right hand column. You'll be emailed my latest post as soon as it goes live.

My first recommendation is get a copy of Fast Company's December 2006 issue and check out "Bottled Up" about Branson B., a long-time, influential player in the hip-hop scene. The article chronicles his efforts in marketing a champagne to rap clubs and fans. It's an interesting lesson in how he's attempting to transfer his personal brand to a product, the challenges of marketing it to a specific niche, and how hip-hop artists market their image and product tie-ins.

For full access online to the December issue of Fast Company, go to their website and type in access code FCDECSOCAP.

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*I highly recommend this and some of Jeffrey's other books like The Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness and Little Red Book of Sales Answers: 99.5 Real World Answers That Make Sense, Make Sales, and Make Money. I'm also looking forward to the December 5th release of Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude: How to Find, Build and Keep a YES! Attitude for a Lifetime of SUCCESS.