It's not the energy savings. Not even a consideration. Think about it. I buy a $22 LED flood lamp and save almost two dollars per year in energy costs. Let's see. Hmm. That means I'll break even in about 10 years. But, if I buy two of them, I'll save FOUR DOLLARS! Oh, wait … that's going to cost me $44 for those lamps. It's the same result. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for saving energy. But selling me on the dwindling energy costs alone isn't going to cut it. Just doesn't compute. So, the energy savings isn't really a benefit. … [Read more...]
Window Washing and Pro B2B Copywriting
Yeah, I know. Pairing window washing and professional B2B writing seems odd. But bear with me for a few minutes and you'll find that the story behind that pairing could save you a ton of time, money and … aggravation. I'm a professional industrial B2B copywriter. But in my youth - well, when I was in my early- to mid-twenties - I washed store windows for a living. You'll soon find that what happened back then is important to you when hiring a copywriter. I'll finish with some tips on hiring a copywriter for your … [Read more...]
An Infographic for Web Writers and the Folks Who Need to Hire Them.
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing advice that works from Copyblogger. … [Read more...]
Lead Gen: Is Your Content Gated … or Barricaded?
It's role-playing time. In your role, you have a great business with a new, rock star product. You need to get more exposure for your new product to generate interest and drive sales. That's always the case with new products. My role is that of an experienced web copywriter. So it just happens that you and I meet by chance in the local café. As we talk, sipping our Swiss Mocha lattes, your new product comes up in conversation. As you describe it, your eyes light up. It's easy to see you're excited. But suddenly, you look … [Read more...]
Writing Content for Robots and Real People
Robots. He told me he wanted me to write … for robots! The puzzled look on my face gave me away. He smiled and sat down, leaning back in his chair as he tossed his black hat onto the rack. "You need to write so that the search bots can find the website and index it." “Say, what?” “Google sends out these robot spiders. When they find our content, they'll crawl it. And the site will creep quickly to the first search page." Now, that sounded downright disturbing. But, trying to save myself, I responded, "Oh, … [Read more...]
Wind Chimes – Recycling Your Content
I like recycling. It really bothers me if I can't find a way to reuse something. Of course, it's not always possible and some stuff does end up in the trash (preferably, the recycle bin). But if you think hard, sometimes things can be repurposed, saving you some serious cash. Or even making some of it. Here's a perfect example. Many moons ago, I used to work for a sign shop. We made everything from small placards to huge, lighted signs. I worked as a fabricator and helped wire our customers' signs. We used EMT, which is thin wall … [Read more...]