Archive for October, 2008

What’s an optimized press release?

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I get more questions about writing press releases than just about anything else. (Maybe blogs, too.)

Do you know what an optimized press release is? Have you ever written one?

It’s still the case that most people don’t understand why or how a press release is optimized. Without getting too deep into why you MUST make friends with the search engines (and by search engines I mean Google and Yahoo!), here is the most important thing to keep in mind when writing your releases:

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Posted in allison nazarian, blog, blogging, business press release, copywrite u, get it in writing, optimized press release, writing a press release | Comments

What makes a good blog

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

If you know or have heard of custom blog design, chances are you know of one of the leaders and all-around great companies in this arena: Unique Blog Designs.

Last week, I had a great conversation with Josh Mullineaux, one of Unique Blog Design’s trio of leaders. Josh and I discussed a bunch of important blog design-related topics from why go custom to what makes a good blog design (or a good blog, for that matter) to monetizing your existing blog.

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Posted in Josh Mullineaux, allison nazarian, allison nazarian interviews josh mullineaux, blog instruction, custom blogs, unique blog designs | Comments

Are you making the right choices?

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Just because you have choices doesn’t mean you are always making the right ones, right?

I thought about some areas in my business where I sometimes struggle to make the right choices and I have a feeling they may also resonate with you:

* Money
* Clients
* Time
* Area of expertise


Sound familiar?

The next time you are faced with a tough choice in one of these areas give the following some consideration:

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Posted in allison nazarian, business choices, choices, get it in writing, productivity in business | Comments

Why your choices do matter

Monday, October 13th, 2008


I’ve been thinking a lot lately (OK…I am always thinking about this kind of stuff) about what success really means to me.

I speak for myself, of course, when I say that success is largely defined by this one word: CHOICE.

To me, success has a lot to do with freedom. Freedom is about CHOICE.

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Posted in business advice, choice, productivity in business | Comments

Are you the expert you think you are?

Friday, October 10th, 2008

According to Wikipedia, an expert is “someone widely recognized as a reliable source of technique or skill…[someone who is] accorded authority and status by their peers or the public… a person with extensive knowledge or ability in a particular area of study.”

Do you feel you are an expert? Does your market view you or your company as an expert in a particular area?

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Posted in copywriting, expert, expertise, extensive knowledge, market expert, technique | Comments

Is your marketing axe sharp enough?

Wednesday, October 8th, 2008

Your copy may read so beautifully that it brings tears to your eyes. Your graphics may be drop-dead gorgeous. Your bells and whistles may be spectacular in your eyes.

But…if you aren’t really addressing the very real needs and problems of your target market, all of the copy, design and bells and whistles are, well, for naught.

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Posted in blog content, content marketing, copywriting, marketing, marketing copy | Comments

Who are you speaking to and is anyone listening?

Monday, October 6th, 2008

Being clear on your target market is crucial to your marketing success. This takes research, of course.

Do you know who your customers are? How can you find out? What do they need? When there’s competition, you need to be even more targeted with your niche and your business branding.

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Posted in business branding, forums, small business, small business marketing, target audience | Comments

Relationship building…and building…and building

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

Building relationships within the context of your business take many things, not least of all:

  • Consistency: One phone call, e-mail or project does not a relationship make.  

  • Sincerity: Let’s put it this way: insincerity can be spotted a mile away!

  • Building (not burning) bridges: Today may not be the day you and someone else make it happen, but you should always be building, preparing and developing the business land for future positive and profitable harvests.

  • Courage: It’s not always easy to “put yourself out there” in business. But as they say (and as I try to remind myself): Feel the fear and do it anyway. Sticking with what you know is appealing, but not always the clearest road to success. Get out of your comfort zone!

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Posted in business, business building, business relationships, productivity in business | Comments