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Copywriting Tips for Online Marketing Success From Copyblogger

How the Financial Crisis Benefits BloggersYesterday

You’re not thinking of scaling back your online marketing efforts due to the panic in world financial markets, are you? If so, I think that would be a big mistake.

In fact, it was right after the last major financial scare—kicked off by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks—that my online efforts really started to pay off. While others sat on their hands out of fear, I ran with it… and I’m sure I wouldn’t be where I’m at today if I hadn’t.

Other than the fact that pushing harder during uncertain economic times is the ultimate zig-zag move, there’s another reason why the Wall Street meltdown benefits bloggers who deal in US currency. The exchange rate is actually working in your favor.

The US Dollar Buys More (For Once)

I was recently in Munich, Germany, and every time I exchanged USD for Euros, it hurt. The exchange rate was definitely not working in my favor.

But things are different in other parts of the world, especially in the last couple of weeks.

As many of you know, Yaro Starak has a training program called Blog Mastermind. I’ve endorsed Yaro’s program from the very beginning as a p

9 Little Known Traits of Successful BloggersYesterday

We all know the “rules” of blogging. Produce consistently high-quality content, position yourself as an authority, cultivate relationships with your readers and other bloggers.

But some of the best and most popular blogs have traits that might surprise you. Here’s how being negative, angry and stupid (in the right ways) can create breakthrough success on your blog.

1. Don’t over-explain

When you’re using a blog to establish yourself as an authority, it’s easy to think you should answer every possible question. You’re the big shot after all, right?

Writing a kitchen sink post that nails down every possible answer is authoritative. It’s also pretty boring. Building some pillars of exhaustive cornerstone content is a smart strategy. But in your day-to-day content, leave room for other answers and other points of view in your community comments.

As you’re writing, when you think of potential unanswered questions, don’t necessarily answer them in the post. If they don’t get brought up in the comment

Are You Blogging With Purpose? (If Not, 5 Ways to Fix That)October 9

When you sit down to write a blog post, what’s your purpose?

Are you just trying to fill space so your blog doesn’t go without being updated for more than 24 hours?

Are you interested in promoting a product, or convincing your reader to buy something?

Are you trying to express yourself through your blog, and make a meaningful statement?

Are you trying to educate your readers on a topic?

Are you trying to provoke discussion?

When you write a blog post, before you click the mouse or stroke a key you need to know why you’re writing. Every one of the reasons for writing above (with the possible exception of the first one) is legitimate.

Why is it important to have a purpose for your blog writing? There are at least three reasons:

Purposeful writing connects

When you write a blog post with purpose, your readers know it. It shines through in your writing. You are able to meet your readers on a personal level. This is important, because it helps to foster trust, which is an essential part of any blog.

Purposeful writing convinces

If you sit down and haphazardly write a post about why Product X is so grand and why your readers should buy it through your affiliate link, you’re not going to have many sales. To turn readers

How to Avoid Insulting the Intelligence of the ReaderOctober 7

Imagine I was telling you the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears.

Imagine I told you about Goldilocks, and how she found this house of the three bears. And how she ate their porridge. And how she sat in their chairs.

And… Are you getting impatient yet?

You should be.

Because like most people, you’ve already heard the story many times before. And when you tell a story that your readers already know, your readers do two things in rapid sequence.

1. They try to stay engaged, hoping the story will somehow reveal some hidden mystery.
2. They realize that there’s nothing new, and they start to nod off.

In short, you’ve insulted the intelligence of your reader.

So the question arises: How do you tell a well-known story without insulting the reader’s intelligence?

1. You can tweak the storyline.
2. You can abbreviate the story.

So let’s tweak the storyline. We can still have Goldilocks heading into the forest, but this time on a motorcycle. And she’s wearing a Hell’s Angels jacket.

That kind of changes things, eh?

Maybe the bears live in the wealthy side of town, where there are no break-ins. And Goldilocks breaks in anyway. Watches their Tivo. Eats their low-fat organic porridge. Re-sheets the be

The “What Not to Wear” Guide to Breakthrough BloggingOctober 6

What in the world does the cheeky cable fashion show What Not to Wear have to do with effective blogging?

Have I finally pushed this analogy thing too far?

Nope… this one is easy. But you’re going to have to read the rest to see for yourself.

OK, let’s proceed. But just to make sure we’re all on the same page, let’s start with a quick summary of what What Not to Wear is all about.

Depending on where you live, What Not to Wear is either a fashion show on The Learning Channel featuring Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, or a fashion show on the BBC starring Lisa Butcher and Mica Paris. The show, which originated in the UK, is an ambush-style reality program where fashion victims are critiqued on their current clothing choices, and then (often brutally) coached on buying an entire new wardrobe, all for the delight of the viewing audience.

Why Wrong Beats Right

Truth is, the approach taken by What Not to Wear actually helps both its victims and the audience make smarter fashion choices. And by adopting the reason the show is an effective educational program into your own blogging, you’ll be able to truly get through to your readers, which is a benefit to everyone involved.

The key is to focus on mistakes, or what not to do, instead of f