great (digital) family read

Today I'm thrilled to share with you one of my client's publications, Midwestern Family magazine. This month MWF decided to try something new: publishing a digital issue. (Print copies can be found at local Barnes & Noble stores or by subscribing via the company website.)

If you live in the Central Illinois area and are looking for ways to keep your family occupied this summer, check out this issue! And if you live too far make a trip, there's still lots of useful info in here. Learn why kids and music seem to click, grab a new recipe to try out, and discover how to entice your little ones into eating their fruits and veggies.

Oh, and by the way, two of these articles are penned by me. But that aside, it's still a great read. Check it out!

super tips for creating blog content

A fellow solopreneur in my awesome local Facebook (local) entrepreneur group shared this article from The Inspired Marketer today. It's got some fabulous ideas for creating content when you're struggling to write come up with a topic. This piece also reassures us it's ok NOT to post original content all the time. Some places to look for topic inspiration include:

• tv
• movies
• celebrities
• superheroes (yes! see my last post)
• successes/failures
• memories

For the complete list, plus a nifty visual chart, check out Easy Content Ideas for the Online Entrepreneur.

Hope everyone has a great week...happy Monday!

the office

It's time to get personal.

I've decided to share with you, dear followers, a look at my workspace. I'm doing this for no other reason than to attempt to humanize myself. After all, the Internets is a wide, wide world. And sometimes it's nice to put a face--or a desk?--with a name. So behold, my home office!

I should probably post a pic of my desk away from home (or rather one of the many tables) at The Coffeehouse and Deli, where I often camp out to work in peace or to meet clients. Maybe next time I'm there I'll snap a picture and post it. Until then, though, here's where I spend most of my working time.

And like every writer, I've got a muse: Wonder Woman (and her sidekick, the Little Jazz Man). Recently I had to tape her left leg to the top of my all-purpose-stuff-holder as she kept toppling off. Now she's fairly stable, and ready to whip out her magic lasso at any given moment.

I've showed you mine--now show me yours! What's your workspace like?

to guest (post) or not to guest (post)...

Like many folks, I follow a lot of blogs these days. One of my favs sits at the top of my bookmarked blogs list: ProBlogger. I've gained so many useful tips from this source. Today's article talks about the benefits of guest posting on other blogs--and challenges reasons for resistance.

I haven't yet put myself out there as a guest poster, but I'm now considering it. After all, you receive credit for your post. A link to your website or blog is usually included. You get to share your expertise and (hopefully) help others. You're putting your name out there. So why not go for it, especially if you'll be writing about a subject you enjoy?
 
If you haven't seen it already, go ahead and check out Why You Should Start Guest Posting...Today.

And while we're on the subject, I'd love to hear your experience/thoughts. Have you guest posted before? How did it work out for you? Do you invite others to post on your blog?

I hope I haven't overshared this today (posted to my Facebook biz page and a group I'm involved with on there), but I can't help it--this is great!

girl scouts together

"More than two thirds of the female members of  Congress and an incredible 80% of women business owners were Girl Scouts."

- Geri Stengel, "Why Girl Scouts Become Entrepreneurs"

I came across this article today, and it really resonated with me. And because there are many of us whose lives have been touched by a Girl Scout in some way--personal experience as a scout, a mother who led a troop, or a sincere appreciation for those yearly cookie sales--I thought I'd share it here.

I was a Girl Scout for roughly 8 years. I started in Brownies (Daisy levels had not yet been introduced. Yes, I know I'm dating myself!) and made it as far as the Cadette ranking. After finishing my first year in high school, however, I became too busy with other activities to continue. If I remember correctly, I wasn't the only one--the troop disbanded about the same time.

Looking back, I wish I had stuck with it. My troop had some really good times. We enjoyed crafting, camping, helping others, and serving our community. And we learned about respect, selflessness, and friendships.

A couple of memorable moments include sneaking out of latrine duty at camp and tipping over my buddy burner--a cooking contraption utilizing a metal coffee--and dumping scalding grease on my arm. I also remember laughing with some of my best friends and feeling as if I belonged somewhere...a great feat for a pre-teen and teenager.

Do I believe my experiences as a Girl Scout contributed to my tendency toward entrepreneurship as the article claims? Now that I stop to think about it, I suppose they probably do. And since I just read the article, and I'm sure I'll give this even more consideration. Points #2 and #5 for sure. Probably the others, too.

I now have a 6-year-old who is a Daisy. While it's too soon to determine whether she'll take an entrepreneurial path (right now it looks as if school teacher, ballet dancer, and librarian are the forerunners), I do hope that she has the opportunity to learn the same type of life skills in Scouts that I did.
  
But enough of my drivel. Here's the article:

Why Girl Scouts Become Entrepreneurs

got clients? get paid!

Working as a freelancer has many, many benefits. While I put on my "grown-up" clothes for meetings, working from a home office and out of the public eye allows for certain comforts: pajama wear, late-day showers,  and comfy slippers (in winter) or flip-flops (during warmer months).

One thing freelancers don't relish, however, is when clients pay late. Late payments mean scrambling to make sure bills are covered: rent or mortgages, car payments, utilities, health insurance, etc. In nearly 15 years of freelancing, I've dealt with all types of clients: those who pay promptly (love them!), some who pay on their own time frame (don't love this, but can I deal by planning ahead once I realize that's how they roll ), and a few who seem to think paying for services is optional (note: always use a signed contract or work agreement).

Since I spent part of this morning creating invoices for some recent projects, this article from the Freelance Switch blog is timely. Freelancers will appreciate the advice, and folks who work with freelancers may gain a better understanding of how the "other side" works.

Get Paid: What to Do When the Check is Late

grammar humor

This cartoon popped up on Facebook the other day, and I knew immediately that I had to share it here. Sure, I laughed when I saw it, but then I've already admitted what a word nerd I am.

How about you?

Think this is funny? (You probably notice incorrect punctuation and grammar, too.)

Not amused? (Maybe you're one of the many folks who have trouble with the its/it's dilemma--look for a post help with this soon.)

Are you chuckling and shaking your head? (You must be an English teacher!)

More funnies honoring (er, laughing about) grammar:

A Walk in the Words
The Oatmeal
Cyanide & Happiness

misspelled brand names: clever or controversial?

Ah, grade school spelling tests. Did you pass with flying colors, or would you sweat buckets, hoping your teacher wouldn’t call out words like possession (is that one “s” or two?), principle (vs. principal) or caffeine (so much for “i” before “e”…)?

As an adult, you no longer receive a letter grade when you write something down. But like it or not, you are still being judged, only this time it’s not your teacher—it’s your customers and clients. And they may come down hard on you if they sense misspellings.

Some people won’t think much of the errors, but others won’t think much of you. Maybe this isn’t fair, but it’s a reality. I know, because I’m one of those (judgmental) people. Only my biggest pet peeve isn’t a lone typo (we all do that sometimes)—it’s business or product names spelled incorrectly on purpose.

Don’t get me wrong. I love puns. I dig wordplay. But when you’re trying to come across as a reputable entity, promoting cutesy spellings just doesn’t cut it.

Especially when you’re producing educational toys (Playskool) or attempting to educate children (Las Vegas-based preschool, Kidz Kidz Kidz).

Food establishments and items are super guilty. Krispy Kreme, Maid-Rite, and Cheez Wiz are double whammies. 

And any brand ending in “z” in stead of “s” drives me bonkers. Examples include Tastee Freez, Darq Tanz, and Karz Auto Sales.

I understand that many names are misspelled to enhance brand recognition, I can’t help it—this sort of thing still bugs me. How about you? Do intentional misspellings annoy you? Or do you think they hold value?

are you twitterpated?

Remember Thumper from the classic Disney film, Bambi? He probably deserves a big fat royalty check, because this wascally wabbit (oops, wrong show) long ago coined a type of term that's getting lot of play these days: "Hmmph. Twitterpated!"

One of the amusing things about my journey into Twitter is this lingo associated with the social media mogul. I don't mean necessary abbreviations--RT, @twitterperson, etc.--but variations on the Twitter name.

Some terms are cutesy and some are clever. All loosely honor Elmer Fudd, whose speech impediment is now echoed not just by 2 and 3-year-olds, but by much of the adult world. For example:

Tweep - Twitter friends (Twitter + peep)
Twoob - Twitter newbie
Tweed - Twitter feed
Tweek - Twitter geek
Twendy - trendy Twitter post
Twerd - Twitter nerd
Twaddle - Twitter posts nobody wants to read

Seriously, though, my Twitter adventure has been a positive experience. In the morning I check in, bookmark articles of interest shared by my Tweeps, and check them out when time allows. What I've found so far is that Twitter is a wonderful place to find quality resources: blog posts, articles, etc. I'm mostly following writers, bloggers, productivity experts, networking gurus, and marketing folks, but my list will expand as time goes on, I'm sure. (Remember, I'm a Twoob.)

That's my Twitter wrap-up (Twap-up?) so far. How about you...who do you follow on Twitter? How does Twitter benefit your business/organization? Have you made quality connections? What kind of information do you share with your Tweeps?

does your newsletter make money?

A few posts ago I touched on the importance of publishing a newsletter (see Newsletters Are Not Dead). Today I came across this blog post, Email Newsletters Are Serious Business by Jason Baptiste, CEO and co-founder of Onswipe. Further proof-is-in-the-pudding that newsletters are not only NOT dead, they're helping companies MAKE money.

What do you think? Do you have a newsletter? Does it resonate with your audience? Does it help with your profits?

5 tips for writing scannable content

The other day I found a piece of paper stuck in my front door. It was a brochure from a local carpet cleaning company. Since our carpets really, really need cleaned, I immediately took a look, scanning to see what type of services the company provided (chemical or natural cleaners? Water extraction or steam cleaning?) and what the rates were.

I should have been able to find this information instantly. But I couldn't, because the inside of the brochure was a solid block of text--a wall of words, words, words. And looking at it made my head hurt.

It's become fairly common knowledge that when writing for the web, it's a good idea to break up text. But did you know that this is a good rule of thumb when writing for print, too?

Most folks reading your brochure, flyer, newsletter, etc. will first scan your text. Some will ONLY scan, picking out the important stuff (to them) and reading nothing else.

So how do you help readers find those gold nuggets of information?

1. Use headings.
Headings and subheads help separate sections of information so readers can find what they're looking for quickly. If they have to look too hard, they may simply quit reading--and or worse, toss your marketing piece in the trash.

2. Include lists.
Separate a group of main points with bullet points or numbers. Readers will be able to glance at your list and take away main ideas, like the services you offer or the areas you serve.

3. Start lists with action words.
Strong verbs attract attention, so it's a good idea to use them at the beginning of each sentence. Look at this article. Use, include, start, break, vary--these are all action verbs that provide a definite direction. You don't even need to read the descriptive text beneath each main point to get the gist of these 5 tips.

4. Break up paragraphs.
Bust up that wall of words with paragraphs. In today's fast-paced world, few folks have time to sift through endless text. Tell who you are (one paragraph), add descriptions accordingly (another paragraph), highlight benefits of using your product/service (a separate paragraph), etc.

5. Vary sentence length.
There are sales and marketing materials that make you want to learn more--i.e., keep reading-- and there are informational pieces that make you wonder why a second grader wrote the product description. Instead of this:

ABC widgets are high-quality widgets. They carry a lifetime guarantee. You'll be happy with this product.

Try varying the length of your sentences to allow for better flow:

ABC widgets are high-quality widgets. All of our products feature a lifetime guarantee, but if you need to replace one, just stop by one of our three locations--we'll take care of the issue. Our customers tell us they're happy with our products. We look forward to adding you to this list!


Now, pick up one of your marketing pieces. Can you find information quickly? Are your eyes drawn to headings and lists? If not, use these tips when revising your content to help make it scannable.

the power of the press (release)

I've blogged about the importance of press releases before, and today I came across this article: 4 Reasons Press Releases Are A Powerful Tool on Momeo.

It's always good to spread the good word about news/events associated with your business or organization!

read me! subject line do's and don'ts

Photo credit: dave from morguefile.com

How many email messages do you receive in any given day? Now, how many emails do you actually open? Which ones end up in the trash? Which ones to you open and actually read in full?

Having an email marketing strategy is a must. And part of that strategy—besides deciding who will receive your messages and how often you want to communicate with them—is writing a solid subject line.

I could write a lengthy post on this subject, but you’ve probably got a lot of email to read, so I’ll keep it brief. :) In a nutshell:

Do…

- Think of your subject line as a headline. It’s really the same kind of thing, so check out a newspaper for good ideas on how to present a subject line that grabs your readers’ attention.

- Tell recipients what they’re going to read when they open your message. If you're promoting an upcoming clinic in your store, say so. Don’t advertise the clinic in the subject line but write your message about a clearance sale. This will only confuse your readers.

- Be concise. You’ve (only) got about 50 characters at your disposal, so use them wisely.

- Personalize. Some subject lines include the recipient’s name. Others note the sender’s name. Either way, be clear about whom the message is for, and whom it’s coming from.

Don’t…

- Use exclamation points in your subject line. Or if you feel the need to do so, stop at one. Messages that use multiple exclamation points scream spam.

- Use all caps, either. YOUR READERS WILL THINK YOU ARE SHOUTING AT THEM!!!!

- Include words in your subject line that are spam-like. Free, call today, and act now will most likely cause your message to end up in junk mail folders.

Hope these tips helped, and good luck with your upcoming e-mail marketing campaigns!

Oh, and slightly off-topic: if any grammar purists (like myself) are wondering about the title of this post and my use of apostrophes, I looked this up. Read about the "correct" way to write dos/do's & don'ts/dont's if you wish!

work smarter, not harder

That's my mantra for 2o12. When I reviewed my workload for 2011, I was at first thrilled to see the number of projects I had completed. Then I compared this list to my earnings. Hmmm, I thought. Not bad. But how can I be even MORE productive?

There are tons of opportunities to increase your productivity. Quit hitting the snooze button and get out of bed. Turn off Facebook (tough one, I know) while working on your computer. And if you blog, find a way to keep the time you spend on your posts to a minimum--preferably without reducing quality.

This is something I decided to work on for this year, so I was happy to see one of the folks I'm following on Twitter, Michelle Shaeffer (@MichelleShaeffr) blog about this very thing. She's got some great tips on her article Six Secret Strategies for 15 Minute Blog Posts. Check it out.

Here's to a productive, successful 2012!

apostrophes, again

I'm not just a word nerd--I'm also a bit of a grammar cop. Which explains why, after several years, I physically altered a decoration that makes our front door its home during the winter months--I just couldn't stand it anymore. The piece is a cheerful snowman, and it was a gift from, I believe, a family member. On the body, in personalized in bright red letters, it reads: "The Hart's."

Woah. That's just wrong. Unless the snowman is implying that it belongs to us, as in "The Hart's snowman"--and I don't think it is--this little apostrophe just made a big boo boo. Which is why I recently took a piece of white electrical tape (same color as the snowman's body), cut it to size, and placed it over that intrusive mark.

There. Much better. Now the greeting correctly reads: "The Harts."

And I've just admitted to the world how silly I am. Or not. What do you think?


(For more info on apostrophe/possessive use, check out Grammar Girl's article here.)

newsletters are not dead

It’s true that social media takes the (communication) cake these days. Businesses and organizations are embracing Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn by the thousands. And that’s great, because these are all excellent ways to stay connected.

But social media isn’t everything—it’s only part of the publicity game. Newsletters are still powerful marketing tools, and you can distribute them online (e-newsletters or ezines) or go the traditional route by printing copies.

No matter which format you choose, newsletters are a good way to reach out to your target audience. They’ll see your name on a regular basis and thus remember you. Just be sure to keep a few things to keep in mind when planning your publication:

Know why you’re publishing a newsletter.
Are you trying to motivate employees with internal information? Do you want to keep clients and donors updated about your organization’s services? Knowing why your newsletter exists will help you maintain focus by providing information your readers will find valuable.

Provide quality content.

You’ve probably heard the statement “content is king.” It’s true, so be sure to think about the type of information you will to include. Some ideas:

• Note how to find your organization online. Links to your website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages are good ways to show readers that you exist in a variety of platforms.
  
  
• Offer valuable information. Articles providing problems/solutions and special offers give readers something to take with them after they’ve finished reading (think useful knowledge via articles or savings through discounts).
  
  
• Feature case studies staff profiles. Let your readers get to know your company on a personal level, either through “meeting” employees or providing testimonies about how you’ve helped others.

Publicize.
How will readers find you? Tell them! Have a sign-up space on your home page for ezines, keep a copy of print newsletters in your office or waiting area, and mention your publication on invoices and billing statements.

Other tips for newsletters:

• Set a publication schedule and stick to it.
  
  
• Keep your newsletter relatively short. Three to five articles is plenty per newsletter.
  
  
• Make it easy to read. Write for the format in which it will appear and make it visually interesting with logos, graphics, pictures, etc.
  
  
• Keep it scannable: use headings, bulleted lists, bold text, etc.

Do you publish a great newsletter already? We'd love to share it with our readers. Or send us a link to your publication if you'd like some feedback on how to improve, and we'll provide it for FREE!

work from home? with kids? read now!

Do you work from home while caring for your children? I'm proud to be a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) but I will admit it's tough sometimes. Ok, who am I kidding...it's tough MOST of the time. That's why this article really hit home: Blogging with Kids: 9 Tips and Tricks to Keep You Sane.

Although the title of this piece is what got my attention, you can substitute "blogging" with whatever it is that you do, actually...the basic principle is the same. If you work at home and have little ones around, you know that it can be difficult to focus and be productive when the demands for juice, a game of hop-on-pop/mama, and snacks are relentless.

How do you deal with balancing your work with caring for your children?

twaining for twitter

I've been reading up on Twitter the past couple of days. It's time to expand my social media scope once again, and since the big T has yet to grace my computer screen, I figure it's time to dive in. So, fellow business owners...do you Twitter? Do you feel it's helped your business? What resources do you recommend for learning the ropes? Who do you follow?

single vs. double spaces

For quite a while now I find myself succumbing to the trend of using one space after periods rather than the traditional two spaces. It seems many folks are going this route, and some guidelines even specify to do so. One of my LinkedIn groups recently debated the issue here.

Some are in favor of the single space, some are attached to double spacing, and some are ambivalent. What's your take on the issue?