How to pinpoint useful e-information for your business…without going crazy in the crowd!
With so very much online business advice available – from increasing bread-and-butter sales and strategising dynamic online marketing, to remaining authentic and on-message with your branding at all times – it’s easy to feel that while everybody else seems to be flying high, you might not quite have your eye on everything.
So you check your social media feed for a quick break, and you’re immediately hit between the eyes with a new plethora of advice. “10 Twitter mistakes!” “Five easy ways to use Instagram!” “Things You’re Not Doing on LinkedIn But Should Be!” “Improve your followers’ daily lives and they’ll love you forever!” You know the kind of thing.
Then there are the parade of often slightly hysterical posts from online marketing companies, telling you that you must monitor all your website analytics every three seconds, because if you don’t, gremlins will come and get you in your sleep. Or something very much like that.
While it’s really fantastic to have the opportunity to learn from the experts and those who have been out there before you (it is wise to check your analytics every once in a while; I often ask my copywriting clients to have a quick look at their website’s bounce rate before and after I’ve provided new copy for them)…who actually has the time to read every single piece of advice they encounter on the web, let alone put it into practice?
The trick to cutting through all this noise, as I’ve recently discovered, is simple. Basically, you have to know stuff about you and your business. Namely, the type of work you like to do, who you like to do it for, and where you’re most likely to find it.
And so my approach is to base my online strategies on what might appeal to me, as a regular and slightly cynical person-about-town (and in turn, the very sort of people I like to work with).
For example, pictures don’t play to my strengths and I’m not a particularly ‘visual’ person, so I decided not to set up an Instagram account at all. This means I’ll never have to click on any Instagram-related advice posts (it also means I won’t feel compelled to post endless pictures of cups of coffee along with the tagline “Hard at work!”. If you’re reading this, please simply assume that I am, a) ALWAYS hard at work, and b) ALWAYS drinking coffee).
There are also a lot of online articles around that advise you how to write compelling blogs or online posts – usually amounting to a headline stating “Five great ways to…”or “10 mistakes about…” to pique interest, actually providing the advice, then ending with a call to action (read on for mine, you’re almost there!)
Again, while this is good advice, before you post anything at all I would recommend making sure that you’re happy with it. Do the words speak with your voice; would you read them and feel compelled to buy something, or use the services they’re promoting? If you wouldn’t, try again – or ask a professional to take a look at it for you.
See, I told you there’d be a call to action.
(And here’s another one, because with Christmas and a brand new year clearly visible on the horizon, you might be feeling it’s time to take a look at your online presence and make a few changes. If you are, I’m here for you – get in touch for a free consultation, preferably over coffee!)
Related Articles
How to Transform Your Blog Into a Book
If you have trouble motivating yourself to write that next blog post, whisper a little reminder: this could be a book one day.
Read moreHow to Plan Your Career Change CV (Hint: Be Selfish!)
"If you really want to change your career, you have to be determined, and you have to be selfish."
Read moreWriting to Sell? Weird Words and Crazy Phrases To Avoid
This is a blog post unlike any other.
Read moreThe Trials and Tribulations of the Freelance Holiday
As a freelance writer, taking a break is always a challenge. But I push on through the guilt, and here's why.
Read moreThe Magic of Kismet Marketing
Has your marketing strategy got room for some unexpected magic?
Read moreSEO Copywriting (and Other Ways to Make Your Business Sound Boring)
Don't write for search engines, write for people.
Read moreOK, so you got a six-figure business. That don't impress me much
Where's the value in empty business gurus?
Read more
Is your business preaching to the converted?
How to sell your amazing ideas to a brand-new audience.
Read moreThe foolproof formula for blogging success
How regular blogging will boost your business - as if by magic!
Read moreThe Art of the Written Compliment
If you're too embarrassed to give (or receive!) compliments, writing it all down can work wonders
Read moreLooking for a way to beat the January blues? Start with a letter
It's Universal Letter Writing Week - how will you celebrate?
Read moreStuck in a career rut? Get someone else to write your CV – and thrive!
"The right person will help you come across as yourself, but in a prouder, more polished, 'look what I’ve achieved' kind of way"
Read moreStraight from the heart: how to write irresistible words
When you give people a piece of yourself, you will naturally engage them.
Read moreHow to choose the right coach or training course – at the right time
"If you like someone, you might be tempted to look for excuses to work with them, even if their particular skills aren’t what you need."
Read moreBeware of the flowers: why customers don't care about your business
Focus on telling interesting business stories that reflect your ideal customers’ lives back to them.
Read moreIf you can’t take criticism, don’t be a writer!*
You can always learn from other people's insights - good or bad
Read moreRamp up your summer content to reap winter rewards
Keep your summer content fresh and updated to be remembered all year long.
Read moreAppreciate your freelancers, and be rewarded with their best work
How to become every freelancer's favourite client!
Read moreWhy a degree doesn't equal real-world competence
Sometimes, just putting the work in is enough.
Read moreFreelance reflections in the snow
Just like building the perfect snowman, carving out your freelance identity can be tough!
Read moreWhat's in a name? Captivate and connect with simple business stories
Finding the 'what's', 'whys' and 'hows' of your business will help people connect with you.
Read moreFive New Year's Resolutions for Freelancers
Are your social media posts crushing your business?
How to write interesting content for any business (even yours)
What are your customers really saying about you?
You're writing great content. So why aren't people reading it?
It takes time to craft compelling
Got a book or blog to write? Beat the block and get it done!
November means #NaNoWriMo - so whatever you're working on, it's time to get it done!
Read moreHow will I sound like me, when you're doing the writing?
Ironically, it's when you're writing about yourself that you will sound least like you. Hiring a writer to do it for you can bring a whole host of benefits.
Read moreWhy storytelling is your secret weapon in business (and how to do it properly)
Learn how to live happily ever after through the power of storytelling
Read moreWhy you definitely shouldn't write a book in a weekend!
Writing books is big business - or at least it can be, if you get it right. For starters, this means not rushing the process!
Read moreThe Ultimate Guide to... the Ultimate Guide!
A how-to guide for writing the ultimate downloadable guide for your business.
Read moreTry this simple formula to create a killer profile headline!
Headlines are always difficult to write, so here's an easy way to craft something original for your personal and professional profiles.
Read moreRead this before you publish you're next blog post!
Do you edit your work before you publish it?
Read moreCreate a schedule you can stick to (it's not as hard as you think!)
Creating a schedule can be a difficult task, especially when you're planning for work you're not being paid for - or that nobody is expecting! Here's how to get started on crafting a time plan that will work for you.
Read moreOn creating a writer's life
This week I'm responding to the questions people have asked since my Careershifters' Success Story was published recently - all about creating a writer's life.
Read moreDiscovering your unique writer's voice is easier than you think
You don't have to be a professional writer to discover a unique writing voice that speaks to its readers. Finding your own voice is often easier than you might think, and it all starts when you write from the heart.
Read moreFor that special person who has everything, give the gift of words
If you know someone who already has everything, give them something truly unique - special words.
Read moreNo job for life? How a tailored approach to job-hopping can win your next career move
Did you know that so-called 'job-hopping' can be an asset to your career search? Whether you prefer stability or excitement in your career, planning your next move is all about packaging your skills and making the right kind of approach.
Read moreWhy it's sometimes OK to turn down freelance work
Going freelance doesn't mean you have to accept every piece of work that comes your way. Being discerning with your time and effort will help you reap the rewards of being your own boss...and you'll get to work with some great people too!
Read more‘CV Greatest Hits’ Countdown – 10 ultimate CV tips to prepare you for the Great 2017 Job Hunt!
'Greatest Hits' countdowns are rife at this time of year - so now, here's one featuring the best CV advice. This list will give you the ultimate steer if you're looking to get your CV on track for the new year job hunt. Wishing you a very happy 2017!
Read moreHow to write your life story
With a new year on the horizon, why not make a resolution to tell your life story? Committing your personal tales to paper can be a rich and rewarding experience for you to write and others to read...for generations to come. Here's how to get started.
Read moreHow to pinpoint useful e-information for your business…without going crazy in the crowd!
Are you often left with the feeling that you don't quite know enough about all the online tools you can use to promote your business? How about website analytics...shouldn't you be checking them every five minutes just like the experts say? Relax - here's how to take advantage of all the advice available online, by defining exactly what YOU want to know.
Read moreFitting in ‘me’ projects – five panic-free time management tips for the professionally overwhelmed
Is time getting the better of you? With a growing business, several passion projects on the go, books to read and friends I'd quite like to see, I was starting to feel overwhelmed...until I decided to take a closer look at planning my time more effectively. Here's how you can do the same.
Read moreGhost stories…how shadowy script can light up your life and work
BOO! Like a ripe pumpkin Hallowe'en has rolled around yet again, so what better time to extol the benefits of ghostwriting, definitely not just the province of bargain-bin bound celebrities.
Read more"I'm a Quiet Revolutionary..." she whispered
I'm very proud indeed to be featured as this week's 'Quiet Revolutionary' - a celebration of all things introverted.
Read moreHow I escaped the corporate cage and set myself firmly on the ‘write’ career path!
An encounter with a corporate headhunter made me question my career - why was I still doing something I didn't love? Here's how I formulated my corporate escape plan and found a career I truly enjoy.
Read moreSTOP! Attention-grabbing writing – made easy
Everybody's busy these days - far too busy to read all the words that come their way. Get the right people to read YOURS by honing in on your ideal audience and creating compelling copy that will get them hooked.
Read moreGoing it alone - surviving self-employment
Going it alone, releasing yourself from the shackles of a traditional nine-to-five, is exhilarating. It's also incredibly scary! To celebrate my first quarter-year in business, here are some of the most important lessons I've learned from the front line.
Read moreBlogging - not just for hipsters and sicksters*
Regular blog posts - especially if you run a business - can drastically increase your following, as well as helping you beat the competition by describing how you do things your way. Read on for a few more great reasons why you should join the blogging revolution!
Read moreMaking meaningful business connections…in writing
Speaking up in networking groups used to bring me out in a cold sweat. So I sought out the people I really wanted to talk to and introduced myself in the way I'm best at - in writing.
Read moreScientific Advertising – what a book written in 1923 can teach us about connecting in 2016
How a seminal book written in 1923 can help us connect with customers by using compelling copy in 2016
Read more
