When a company decides to create or refresh its brand, the first thing that most people think about is making a change to the logo and visuals. Images allow people to understand and connect with a brand, and they have an incredible ability to inspire emotion and action. It's easy to understand why logos are the first thing people think of. However, the power of the words to convey the ideas behind the brand cannot be ignored. This is why brand messaging continues to be a key element in the … [Read more...]
Basic Blog SEO
A blog worth writing is worth optimizing. You don’t have to be an SEO expert to make sure your blog article has what it needs to get noticed by search engines. (Although having an SEO expert around can be very helpful for full-scale online campaigns, and we can certainly refer you to one if need be.) We suggest these 3 steps for basic blog SEO: Use a keyword or two: You can find popular keywords through the Google Adwords Keyword Planner. Don’t load your article with keywords--remember, … [Read more...]
3 Reasons You Should Hire Out Your Blog
Now, as you know, every company needs a blog. And starting a blog is very do-able. It doesn’t have to be painful. But that doesn’t mean you have to be the one doing it. Here are 3 reasons to hire out your blog: You may have been an English major--I was, too--but writing content for social media and promotion is NOT like writing your college papers. I've been doing this for over 10 years and I know what it takes to hit the moving targets of SEO, customer engagement, and effective … [Read more...]
Sprinkle a little Pumpkin Spice on your Business
Everything’s coming up pumpkin this month, so I thought it would be a good time to review a book I read that has truly changed things for my business. This book, The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz, was recommended to me by my numbers guru, Stephanie Robl at Ten Key, Inc. Bookkeeping and Accounting. Stephanie read the book and reviewed it on her blog, so I had to check it out! The book is based on the way farmers grow HUGE, award-winning pumpkins, and it outlines a very simple process for … [Read more...]
A Stunningly Simple Content Calendar
Content is king, but you don’t have to be its slave! Want to blog like a boss? Start here. Creating a content calendar (also known as an editorial calendar for all you escapees from the old publishing model) will help you get ahold of the content monster. [Tweet "Content is king, but you don’t have to be its slave! http://wp.me/p7jtXE-2rI"] Our content calendar covers goals, themes, and allllll the places you’ll want to publish your content. Start with the gimmes (holidays and other events … [Read more...]
Title Tag and Meta Description: A Basic Guide
When we write blog articles (for our own blog and for our clients as well) we like to create a full promotional piece. To ensure our blog articles are ready to publish, we need to create title tags and meta descriptions. We wrote up this guide with a little help from our colleagues at Ella J. Designs. EJD creates purpose-driven websites with beautiful designs and solid SEO. So, what are title tags and meta descriptions? To answer that, let’s first look at their purpose: They’re a signal … [Read more...]
How This Website was Made
So, first, when a man and a woman really love each other...no, wait, that's how babies are made. This website, 3amwriters.com, was made by professionals. The next time I meet with a new client, and I am talking about how I create website content and how I work with fabulous designers who design fabulous websites and also bring in other fabulous resources (e.g., fabulous photographers, fabulous SEO strategists, etc.) to make a website even more fabulous, his or her first question will … [Read more...]
How to Start a Decent Company Blog
Many companies understand the value of a company blog--it’s a great way to educate and inform your audience, as well as build relationships with your customers. It’s also a key part of your SEO strategy. But HOW TO GET STARTED????? 1) Brainstorm: Think about your customers. What do they want to know? There’s a lot you can share with them--new hires, new products, industry news. But go beyond that. Think about who your customers follow. Who they like to read. Partner with local … [Read more...]
I’m Going to Disney World
The Rhode Island Small Business Journal, or RISBJ, is a local business magazine featuring articles from professionals and business owners. In a few short years, it has become the premier business publication and the go-to resource for entrepreneurs of every stripe: aspiring, first-time, and experienced. I’m very proud to have had articles published in RISBJ! Check out the article below, and let me know what you think in the comments! RISBJ vol 1 issue 8 Disney You can also … [Read more...]
Magic
Legend says, the natives who first saw the white men on the shores of what was then not even called America were at first blind to them. They'd never seen ships before, so they kept saying they saw distant "clouds” on the sea. Billowing sails can certainly look like clouds and they had no point of reference for such a thing. But the local shaman, which is kind of a cross between doctor, magician, and priest in native culture (depending on who you talk to) kept seeing something different. Every … [Read more...]