Posted by: candice
on Oct 19, 2012
This year we’ve had the pleasure of learning how to write a novel through one of our latest clients, Now Novel.
Now Novel is an online novel writing course that helps you start – and finish – your novel, and Alfalfa has been helping out with some of their blog content, specifically to do with the finer points of ebook publishing and using social media to promote your novel.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 28, 2012
In today’s online marketing environment, good content just isn’t good enough anymore. Competition and an audience that is bombarded with information have forced online marketers to create content that is engaging, informative and relevant – the following steps will help you to make your good content great.
Content Marketing Isn’t New
Although content is a term we often associate with online marketing, advertising content has been around for centuries. People of all ages were keen consumers, and informed customers have always been excited by great information. The difference today is that it’s never been easier to access our audience – and it’s just as easy for our competitors.
The online marketing audience can accept a campaign in a matter of seconds, presenting a great opportunity to provide them with compelling content. At the same time, talented writers and journalists are moving to the brand side as career opportunities increase. Add to that the relatively low cost of launching an online marketing campaign and you’ll see why great content is a must – it’s the only way your voice will be heard over your competitors.
How Great Content Marketers Think
• They avoid sales speak. The marketing audience is tired of the constant stream of sales material that comes their way. By delivering content that is useful and compelling to them, you’ll gain their attention and loyalty in a sustainable way, and sales will follow.
• They create different types of content. There is no sure-fire content strategy that can be applied to every website or product. Providing the audience with compelling content is all about trying new types of content and measuring the results – this tailor made approach yields the best results.
• They tell great stories. Without an interesting story, your content may become boring really fast. By writing in a natural voice with plenty of examples and great storytelling, you’ll gain and keep your audience’s attention.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 26, 2012
A blog that suddenly dies is one of the greatest challenges that any online marketing professional can face. If you’ve experienced this difficult problem or feel that your blog is at risk of dying, here are some steps you can take to prevent blog death:
Give your blog a check-up
Blogs sometimes seem to go dead very suddenly, but the process of blog death takes place over a long time. Even if your blog appears to be flourishing, it’s important to assess its health every so often by making sure that it contains the following elements:
A Definite Purpose
Like people, blogs which have focus and drive tend to live longer. Make sure that your blog has a purpose – one statement that sums up its reason for being on the internet. It may be part of an SEO plan, a public relations tool, or a way of generating leads or attracting direct business. Whatever the purpose of your blog is, keep this in mind as you continue to improve and develop it.
An Audience
Every blog has an audience, but the most successful ones know their audience well and always keep them in mind. Remember to be specific about your audience, trying to imagine the type of person who is reading your blog. By imagining your audience as a real person, you’ll be able to guess what kind of content they would find useful and engaging.
Effective Headlines
Like newspaper or magazine headlines, your blog headlines should make your audience read more. Try asking a relevant question in your headline, or use a phrase that sparks the reader’s interest like ‘5 tips for a killer blog’. Remember to place your keyword strategically in your blog posts – the ideal headline asks a question that can be answered using your keyword.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 21, 2012
Going viral is the goal of many social media entrepreneurs who are keen to grow their community of followers with an explosively popular video or other content. Some calculate the ‘virality’ of their content using complicated mathematical formulas while others believe that the crazier your content is the more chance it has of going viral, but what is the reality of viral content?
Going Viral
Many entrepreneurs believe that viral content will rocket them to the top of the social media marketing industry overnight, transforming their business and online brand image. This approach often causes them to produce content that they think will grab everyone’s attention and hope for the best, not realising that good luck is only one part of going viral.
You can’t make your content go viral
The possibility of producing viral content has sent internet entrepreneurs on a wild ride as they create anything and everything in the hope that it will lead to instant success.
Like the crazy inventors you may have seen in old movies, they believe that their latest creation will become a sensation and change the face of the internet. Unfortunately, like the old inventors, much of their content never really takes off. The reason for this is simple – you can’t force your content to go viral.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 19, 2012
Choosing relevant keywords is essential to SEO optimization. Without the right keywords, your excellent content may end up laying fallow on the internet, read by only a small percentage of your potential audience. Semantic Keyword research is an SEO strategy that can yield great results when applied correctly – here are the basics.
A Matter of Semantics
When two people agree on something but differ on each other’s choice of words, they are arguing about semantics – the way a word or phrase is interpreted. Semantic keywords are so useful to SEO strategists because they allow us to predict what kind of words the audience may use when they search for something on the internet. This is extremely important when a word has more than one meaning, which will affect search results depending on how the word is used.
For example, take the word ‘lemon’. A user who enters the word in a Google search may be thinking of an actual lemon, a lemon tree, the colour lemon yellow, or a poorly-made product (often called a ‘lemon’). For this reason, understanding semantics will allow you to tailor your keywords when you generate content for your website.
Using Semantic Keyword Research
Search engine algorithms have been designed to understand basic semantics – in other words, the search engine looks at the full phrase you enter in the search bar and tries to guess the meaning. It’s estimated that Google has the same understanding of semantics as a learner in grade 6, something that should be kept in mind when choosing semantic keywords.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 14, 2012
An effective About Us page is an essential component of any successful website, yet this is often the page that is given the least attention by website owners and designers. A site’s About Us page allows visitors to take action like enquire about a product or service or find out more about the team behind a business or other organisation – here is a quick guide to writing the perfect one:
An About Us page is essential
It may be tempting to think that your website doesn’t need an About Us page – after all, your contact details have their own page and your business is about your products and service, right?
Wrong! While some visitors to your site may notice your contact details, the great advantage of an About Us page is that it is specific, who works here, why do we do what we do and why should you choose us?
What info should the page contain?
Someone who visits your About Us page is looking for information about your business, something they can relate to to make you seem less like a faceless business entity, and something which helps them make a decision as to why they should choose you. For this reason, the page should contain information about you and your business as well as relevant contact details and information that is relevant to your experience or which gives you credibility.
Try to avoid writing a lengthy biography of yourself or your business – this type of writing becomes boring very quickly. Instead, put yourself in your audience’s shoes and decide what information about you is relevant to them – who you are, what you can do for them, and how they can contact you.
What info you can leave out
As a general rule, if a piece of information isn’t essential or interesting it’s probably best left out. Your biography should interest and inspire your readers, and keeping it short and engaging is the best way of achieving this.
Jargon is something that visitors to your site may find intimidating and should be kept to a minimum or left out altogether except when you are explaining a complicated word or idea to your audience to better explain your product or service. If you use jargon, make sure you explain it.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 12, 2012
British-born advertising legend David Ogilvy was not a man who minced words. Known for his direct and effective style, this revolutionary business thinker took the time to write a very brief writing guide in 1984. Taking the form of an internal memo to every member of his staff, this short document contains some of the most important guidelines that every copywriter should follow. Here are Ogilvy’s thoughts on writing, with a brief explanation of each one:
• “People who think well, write well”. The best way to communicate with your audience is to think carefully about what you want to say, and say it as clearly as possible in your writing.
• “Good writing is not a gift. You have to learn to write well.” The more you write, the better your writing will become. Taking criticism with a positive attitude is key, and will allow you to become a better communicator.
• “Write the way you talk. Naturally.” If your audience needs to read a sentence more than once to understand it, you’ve made it too complicated. By writing the way you speak, you’ll allow your writing to flow naturally.
• “Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.” Long paragraphs are difficult to read and your audience may lose interest before the end of the paragraph. Keep your phrases short and your ideas crystal clear to communicate effectively.
• “Never use jargon words”. Unless you’re explaining a technical term to your audience to make things easier for them, avoid using words that will have your readers reaching for a dictionary- chances are, they’ll simply stop reading.
• “Check your quotations”. If you state a fact or quote anyone in your writing, make sure these are accurate. Quality content should be accurate and relevant, and checking your sources will help to ensure this.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 07, 2012
Since the beginnings of the E-Commerce boom in America during the 1990's and its spread to the rest of the world by the 2000's, South Africans in the internet marketing field and beyond have been eagerly awaiting the day when our country will embrace this exciting form of commerce. According to a recent survey, that day may have arrived.
News24 in association with PayU, an online payment provider, recently released the findings of a survey that was conducted in 2011. E-Commerce pundits will find much to be excited about in these findings, with 75% of respondents saying they believe that E-Commerce will be a key element in the future of South Africa’s economy and 85% confirming that they have already shopped online at least once.
Posted by: candice
on Jun 05, 2012
Google makes regular changes to its search algorithms in order to ensure that internet users have the best possible experience when browsing websites. At the start of the year, the page layout algorithm was changed to ensure that content-rich websites are favoured over those which are so packed with ads that users struggle to find the content they were searching for in the first place. If you’re wondering whether your website’s ranking will be affected, here is the low-down on Google’s new algorithm.
It’s All about User Experience
Google is passionate about user experience on the internet, and their new algorithm is no exception. To retain or improve its Google ranking, your website will need to offer users engaging and relevant content that is easy to access without wading through a swamp of ads. Simply put, your website has to be about delivering content to everyone who visits it, while balancing the need for ads as a source of revenue.
Posted by: candice
on May 30, 2012
Over the past 2 years I've come across a handful of potential clients which inform me that they can get copy done cheaper overseas. While I appreciate that there are other developing countries trying to claw their way out of whatever colonialism may have subjected them to, I do feel quite strongly about outsourcing your website or blog copywriting, overseas.
I have decided to share my concerns with you, in order to help in the decision making process, on whether to outsource overseas or not:
