This is a dead parrot.
I know that it's dead because when I took it home, I had the liberty of examining it and I discovered the only reason it was sitting on it's perch was because it had been nailed there, and don't even tell me the reason it was nailed down was so it wouldn't VOOM out of the cage.
This bloomin' bird wouldn't VOOM if you put 10 million volts through it.
This is what you would call an ex-parrot. He is no more. He ceases to be. He has gone to meet his maker.
This is a DEAD Parrot.
He is stiff, bereft of life, he rests in peace and if you hadn't nailed him to his perch he'd be pushing up daisies.
His metabolic processes are now history. He's off his twig. Hes kicked the bucket and shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and is now singing in the choir invisible!
This is an EX-PARROT!
About Your Blog....
If this is the way you feel about your blog content, then perhaps you should rethink what you are doing. Unless you are just writing a blog just for the sheer joy of writing one, there are a few things that you blog should be doing, namely converting prospects into paying customers and getting people interested in what you have to offer.
Other than possibly reinforcing a company's brand, everything else is just a hobby.
So, my friends, if you are looking for information on how to reincarnate this dead parrot, keep reading, because I'm going to give you a few mind blowing strategies that will enable you to soar with the wings of eagles...er parrots...Whatever!
In this exciting episode we will:
- Tell you what makes kick- butt content so that people will actually want to read what you have written.
- What kind of stuff search engines like to see in a blog
- How to properly get links to your site without bugging the crap out of someone.
OK, that's a lot of stuff, so I better get cracking.
Oh, before I forget, you need to have a niche even if you are a hobbyist, because you need to at least have a theme for your blog. If you don't know what you want to write about you might consider reading this article I wrote last week on niche ideas.
First of all, let me say that if you are blogging to make money, you should know that posting regular and often is very important from both SEO and a business perspective. However, my approach is to create quality content that is an outstanding value to my readers.
The Heck with the Hor Dourves! I Want the MEAT!!!!!
You see, almost everyone wants to hurry up and get to the MEAT of the dinner, rather than sample the wine and the hor dourves first. What that translates to in Internet parlance is, I'll just start stuffing content onto my site and everyone will want to read it.
Not gonna happen. Nope.
You need a target market first and then provide valuable information to that market that is so good not only will people come to your blog to read it, but will refer it to others.
Now, I don't know about you, but I can't come up with a ton of high quality content everyday with the business schedule that I have. So, that means that I need to come up with a happy medium of content output so that I won't get discouraged or burned out. In my case, I can write a good, high quality post about once, maybe twice a week. If all I did was write and blog perhaps I could do more.
However, considering that I have other work to do, plus I need to make sure that I gather references around and then get the content from those resources that will benefit my audience as well as make this blog look god and all the rest of it, I'm looking at the most twice a week.
Now,you can get all high and mighty about it and tell yourself, "Hey, he sucks, I'm gonna blow Ellis and his ilk outta the water and blog every day all day long, then go for it.
But my guess is that you will probably get so burned out doing that you'll probably never want to see a blog
again. Just sayin'.
So, first figure out your schedule and stick to it.
Create Compelling Content, Dang it!
Yeah, I know, easier said than done. Let's break this down so that you'll really have something to show off on your blog when you publish it.
1. Just as in the world of advertising copy, you have got to write material that makes the reader want to go from one sentence then to the next. You have got to provide quality content that people can actually take out of the box and use, otherwise they will click and go elsewhere. So, you need to think and plan ahead of time about what is important to your reader. If you want to figure out what type of content hooks readers
real well, then perhaps you should look at the websites of the top marketers in the world, such as:
Dan Kennedy
John Carlton
Bob Bly
Gary Bencivenga
Just to name a few. Take notice how they write material that just about drags you down the page and makes you really want to read the next sentence.
2. Think about format. Did ya notice how I broke these paragraphs down into smaller bits and pieces following poor grammatical practices? That's done on purpose because the average blog reader scans pages in search of content that he or she needs and in the process they are looking at CHUNKS of info they can use. I have also used bold print, capital letters, graphics and a host of other devices to include graphics.
So, be smart and break things up a bit and generate interest through aesthetics.
3. Use other forms of media such as audio, video and pod casts and anything else you can to get your Hive Mind into your nest and devour as much content as you can give them. Just remember, it all has to be high quality stuff or your Hive will move elsewhere. Make sure that whenever you use video it is relevant to what you are writing about. Having a cute video about Sea Monkeys when your niche is about marketing E-books will not make an impression on your audience one bit.
By the way, here is an excellent 47 minute video on blogging from the experts at Copyblogger that you should find very relevant:
4. Post regularly. Blogging takes a lot of commitment and if you just post haphazardly like most people that get into this business for the quick buck that quickly figure out that there is no such thing as the Short Cut to Millions Fairy. You've got to make a major commitment to this discipline ESPECIALLY when business is slow.
Oh, and while I'm on the subject, here is a very valuable tip: A good blog post, a really, really good blog post online will bring in readers for years. Almost every Internet Marketing trick in the book from pay-per-click to social media and forum links have a shelf life, but a well written, information packed blog post will bring in an audience for years.
5. Make a calendar. Here is a great technique that I learned a few years back and it works for a variety of situations especially blogging. Use a word processor or an online calender service to print out a blank calender for two or three months. What you are going to do is write in a monthly calendar of subjects that you are going to write about.
Can't come up with ideas?
You can go to Amazon.com and look up your subject area very easily. Go to the Amazon website and at the very top where you see the search field, click on the little black drop down menu. Take a look at the picture below:
Click "GO" on the right side of the search field.
Click on the link that says books. The next thing you know you will be directed to the "Books" page and you need to scroll down a bit to get to the next menu. You are looking for a section called "Department" on the left hand side that looks like this:
You will see there is a whole plethora of categories of books that are current in the Amazon universe. Many of them will be specific to your niche. You can drill down into the categories and see exactly which books are popular.
Usually, best sellers in your category will be listed first and this is a great benefit to you. Just by reading the reviews of people that have read the books you can get a real good fix what people are passionate about in your niche.
Look at it this way, if a bunch of folks purchased the books, read them and then took the time to write a good, quality review about what they read, don't you think for a second that this would probably be a real good subject to write about?
I'm sure you get the picture!
There are a couple of other things that are common sense to blogging. Link building is muy importante as well as linking out to other sites and advertising.
Linking, Linking, LINKING!
Oh, a word about linking. Don't go around and ask someone, "Hey, I liked your site so will you link to mine?" That is a horrible way to get other websites to link to your site. For one thing, linking is still the trump card of SEO, I don't care what anyone tells you. It is THE way to get your site ranked higher in the SERPs.
However if a good quality site links to a crappy site it could hurt them. So, anyone that has been around the
SEO block for awhile will probably NOT link to your site until it has at least been around for awhile and earned its stripes.
The best way to overcome this barrier is to create jaw dropping content, and when you are using a site that will work legitimately in your post, link to it. When you feel your blog is ready, write a nice letter explaining why you love the site and the relevance it has played in your niche and if they ever get the time if they could possibly link to your site page that is relevant TO THEM!
Make it short, sweet and to the point. Remember, you are knocking on their door asking for kindness.
Oh, don't bug them if you don't get a response either.
Well, that just about wraps it up for this fun -filled episode. Stay tuned kids, for more incredible posts from the crypt of Ellistrated Ad Copy.
Mark “Elmo” Ellis is a freelance writer, able to write compelling direct mail pieces, video scripts, brochures, and website copy that will grab the attention of your readers, reel them in, and get them to increase your bottom line.
The Heck with the Hor Dourves! I Want the MEAT!!!!!
You see, almost everyone wants to hurry up and get to the MEAT of the dinner, rather than sample the wine and the hor dourves first. What that translates to in Internet parlance is, I'll just start stuffing content onto my site and everyone will want to read it.
Not gonna happen. Nope.
You need a target market first and then provide valuable information to that market that is so good not only will people come to your blog to read it, but will refer it to others.Now, I don't know about you, but I can't come up with a ton of high quality content everyday with the business schedule that I have. So, that means that I need to come up with a happy medium of content output so that I won't get discouraged or burned out. In my case, I can write a good, high quality post about once, maybe twice a week. If all I did was write and blog perhaps I could do more.
However, considering that I have other work to do, plus I need to make sure that I gather references around and then get the content from those resources that will benefit my audience as well as make this blog look god and all the rest of it, I'm looking at the most twice a week.
Now,you can get all high and mighty about it and tell yourself, "Hey, he sucks, I'm gonna blow Ellis and his ilk outta the water and blog every day all day long, then go for it.
But my guess is that you will probably get so burned out doing that you'll probably never want to see a blog
again. Just sayin'.
So, first figure out your schedule and stick to it.
Create Compelling Content, Dang it!
Yeah, I know, easier said than done. Let's break this down so that you'll really have something to show off on your blog when you publish it.
1. Just as in the world of advertising copy, you have got to write material that makes the reader want to go from one sentence then to the next. You have got to provide quality content that people can actually take out of the box and use, otherwise they will click and go elsewhere. So, you need to think and plan ahead of time about what is important to your reader. If you want to figure out what type of content hooks readers
Dan Kennedy
John Carlton
Bob Bly
Gary Bencivenga
Just to name a few. Take notice how they write material that just about drags you down the page and makes you really want to read the next sentence.
2. Think about format. Did ya notice how I broke these paragraphs down into smaller bits and pieces following poor grammatical practices? That's done on purpose because the average blog reader scans pages in search of content that he or she needs and in the process they are looking at CHUNKS of info they can use. I have also used bold print, capital letters, graphics and a host of other devices to include graphics.
So, be smart and break things up a bit and generate interest through aesthetics.
3. Use other forms of media such as audio, video and pod casts and anything else you can to get your Hive Mind into your nest and devour as much content as you can give them. Just remember, it all has to be high quality stuff or your Hive will move elsewhere. Make sure that whenever you use video it is relevant to what you are writing about. Having a cute video about Sea Monkeys when your niche is about marketing E-books will not make an impression on your audience one bit.
By the way, here is an excellent 47 minute video on blogging from the experts at Copyblogger that you should find very relevant:
4. Post regularly. Blogging takes a lot of commitment and if you just post haphazardly like most people that get into this business for the quick buck that quickly figure out that there is no such thing as the Short Cut to Millions Fairy. You've got to make a major commitment to this discipline ESPECIALLY when business is slow.
Oh, and while I'm on the subject, here is a very valuable tip: A good blog post, a really, really good blog post online will bring in readers for years. Almost every Internet Marketing trick in the book from pay-per-click to social media and forum links have a shelf life, but a well written, information packed blog post will bring in an audience for years.
5. Make a calendar. Here is a great technique that I learned a few years back and it works for a variety of situations especially blogging. Use a word processor or an online calender service to print out a blank calender for two or three months. What you are going to do is write in a monthly calendar of subjects that you are going to write about.
Can't come up with ideas?
You can go to Amazon.com and look up your subject area very easily. Go to the Amazon website and at the very top where you see the search field, click on the little black drop down menu. Take a look at the picture below:Click "GO" on the right side of the search field.
Click on the link that says books. The next thing you know you will be directed to the "Books" page and you need to scroll down a bit to get to the next menu. You are looking for a section called "Department" on the left hand side that looks like this:
You will see there is a whole plethora of categories of books that are current in the Amazon universe. Many of them will be specific to your niche. You can drill down into the categories and see exactly which books are popular.
Usually, best sellers in your category will be listed first and this is a great benefit to you. Just by reading the reviews of people that have read the books you can get a real good fix what people are passionate about in your niche.
Look at it this way, if a bunch of folks purchased the books, read them and then took the time to write a good, quality review about what they read, don't you think for a second that this would probably be a real good subject to write about?
I'm sure you get the picture!
There are a couple of other things that are common sense to blogging. Link building is muy importante as well as linking out to other sites and advertising.
Linking, Linking, LINKING!
Oh, a word about linking. Don't go around and ask someone, "Hey, I liked your site so will you link to mine?" That is a horrible way to get other websites to link to your site. For one thing, linking is still the trump card of SEO, I don't care what anyone tells you. It is THE way to get your site ranked higher in the SERPs.
However if a good quality site links to a crappy site it could hurt them. So, anyone that has been around the
SEO block for awhile will probably NOT link to your site until it has at least been around for awhile and earned its stripes.
The best way to overcome this barrier is to create jaw dropping content, and when you are using a site that will work legitimately in your post, link to it. When you feel your blog is ready, write a nice letter explaining why you love the site and the relevance it has played in your niche and if they ever get the time if they could possibly link to your site page that is relevant TO THEM!
Make it short, sweet and to the point. Remember, you are knocking on their door asking for kindness.
Oh, don't bug them if you don't get a response either.
Well, that just about wraps it up for this fun -filled episode. Stay tuned kids, for more incredible posts from the crypt of Ellistrated Ad Copy.
Mark “Elmo” Ellis is a freelance writer, able to write compelling direct mail pieces, video scripts, brochures, and website copy that will grab the attention of your readers, reel them in, and get them to increase your bottom line.
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