Men With Pens

APRIL 25, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements The Procrastinator’s Guide to Writing That Thing You Need to Write Written by James - 29 Comments Phot

Writing 103

Writing Copywriter Copywriting Projects 103

ProBlogger

DECEMBER 5, 2010

This guest post is by HubSpot’s social media scientist, Dan Zarrella. Of all the data analysis that I’ve done, day-of-week and time-of-day data has been consistently the most popular. So in preparation for my upcoming webinar, titled Science of Blogging, I decided to combine all of my existing data on timing with my new research into one master post on the subject.

Blog Post 55

Blog Post Publishing Publishing Publisher 55

Men With Pens

AUGUST 12, 2010

Today’s guest post comes to us from far, far away – at least, far away from where I live. This is one of the reasons I accepted Kwame’s post, by the way; he comes from Ghana. Isn’t that cool? What’s also cool are the 10 freelancer mistakes that follow – I bet most people are making at least one of them right now! Enjoy. Success, as defined by the Cambridge Advanced Learners dictionary, is “the achieving of the results wanted or hoped for&#.

Freelance 97

Freelance Finance Projects Education 97

Men With Pens

FEBRUARY 18, 2010

Today’s post is a killer, and it comes to us from none other than Dean Rieck , a copywriter I respect for his straightforward attitude and damned smart advice. He’s put together a ton of both in this posts – and it’s all about the money. Enjoy! A couple of recent conversations got me thinking about setting fees for copywriters. One was a conversation with James, who commented on one of my blogs that many copywriters aren’t good with numbers.

Copywriter 97

Copywriter Copywriting Freelance Copywriting Projects 97

Speaker: Mike Rizzo, Founder & CEO, MarketingOps.com and Darrell Alfonso, Director of Marketing Strategy and Operations, Indeed.com

Though rarely in the spotlight, marketing operations are the backbone of the efficiency, scalability, and alignment that define top-performing marketing teams. In this exclusive webinar led by industry visionaries Mike Rizzo and Darrell Alfonso, we’re giving marketing operations the recognition they deserve! We will dive into the 7 P Model —a powerful framework designed to assess and optimize your marketing operations function.

Marketing

Men With Pens

DECEMBER 9, 2010

I like to think about conventions and challenge them. I ask questions like, “But what if…?&# or say things like, “Yes, but just imagine…&# That natural curiosity has gotten me far in life. Then I get guest posts like these. I sat there for a long time after I read this post, thinking Tim Brownson had completely lost his skates to think I’d accept it.

Creativity 91

Creativity Text Projects Copy 91

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 22, 2010

Write lots. Write often. Write every day. Write as much as you can, prolifically and continually and constantly. And if you do, they say your skills will improve. It’s the key to being a great writer. I don’t think so. If all you’re doing is writing, you’re only producing volume. You’re repeating behaviour – but you’re not improving.

Writing 90

Writing Writer Blogging Blog 90

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

Giuletta’s a pretty cool person. She’s bold, she’s brave and she submitted her post fearlessly. Nice. But truthfully, Guiletta didn’t start off bold and brave or even close to fearless. Fearful is more like it, as I read her story. I couldn’t help but grin, though, when she hit on something near and dear to my heart – can you figure out what it is before you reach the end of the article?

Sales 89

Sales Promotion Brand Marketing 89

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

People write me often to ask my advice on using online personas, pseudonyms and pen names. They have questions, and they’d like to know my thoughts. (It seems I’m considered somewhat of a go-to resource on the topic – like Aerosmith said, dude looks like a lady.). I’ve noticed that most people who contact me aren’t just trying to satisfy their curiosity, though.

Freelance 88

Freelance Copy Projects Management 88

Men With Pens

JULY 4, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements How to Find Your Writing Voice Written by James - 34 Comments When you’re a writer or a blogger, you&#

Writing 88

Writing Writer Copywriter Copywriting 88

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 25, 2010

Giuletta’s a pretty cool person. She’s bold, she’s brave and she submitted her post fearlessly. Nice. But truthfully, Guiletta didn’t start off bold and brave or even close to fearless. Fearful is more like it, as I read her story. I couldn’t help but grin, though, when she hit on something near and dear to my heart – can you figure out what it is before you reach the end of the article?

Sales 87

Sales Promotion Brand Marketing 87

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.

Communication

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

Did you know writers have a mental factory hard at work in their heads? That may be surprising, but it’s true: You have a full staff up there in the office of your mind. Now, you may be the CEO calling the shots, but your mental employees are the ones who action your decisions and produce the blog posts, articles, web copy and novels you create.

Writing 86

Writing Prose Creativity Publishing 86

Men With Pens

OCTOBER 7, 2010

Everyone thinks they can win at SEO, but some SEO hopefuls make some pretty amateur mistakes – ones that can even hurt your rankings. Nancy Strauss, today’s guest poster, thought it might be a good idea to remind you of 5 SEO mistakes that make you look like an amateur… and I agreed. Enjoy! I keep getting spam from “SEO companies&# who promise that they can improve my website rankings for Google.

Search Engine Optimization 86

Search Engine Optimization SEO Copywriter Copywriting 86

Men With Pens

JULY 21, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements How Brave a Writer Are You?

Writer 83

Writer Copywriting Copywriter Creativity 83

Men With Pens

APRIL 8, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements 20 Powerful Apps to Organize Your Thoughts Written by Agent X - 26 Comments I always did like those posts th

Collaboration 82

Collaboration Projects Freelance Copywriting 82

Speaker: Michelle Garrett, PR Consultant, Author, Speaker

Yes - press releases are still relevant in the world of public relations! 🎯 Ever wondered how to write a compelling press release, or what are current best practices for pitching your news to earn media coverage? In this exclusive webinar with Michelle Garrett, PR Consultant, we’ll cover tips and advice to help you get the most out of each piece of news you pitch!

Writing

Men With Pens

SEPTEMBER 23, 2010

When Ali Hale sends me a post, I know it’s going to be good. And this one – on what to do about writing when life sucks – hits the target. Feel free to let us know in the comment section what you’ve done with those “life sucks&# moments and how you can use them to create emotional content that packs a punch. This isn’t news to you: sometimes life sucks.

Writing 81

Writing Prose Food Copywriting 81

Men With Pens

MARCH 25, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements Why Good Copywriting Goes Bad: You’re Not Stupid.

Copywriter 81

Copywriter Copywriting Food Copy 81

Men With Pens

AUGUST 1, 2010

Everyone loves a good story. Stories draw us into our imaginations and make us feel like we’re right there watching the tale unfold before our very eyes. A story can stir our feelings and make us cry or burst out laughing. Because they’re so powerful, stories are very useful for copywriters. Good stories can move people to action. They can encourage sympathy and instigate donations.

Storytelling 80

Storytelling Copy Writing Copywriter 80

Men With Pens

OCTOBER 21, 2010

I believe in confidence. I like to be confident and my closest friends are strongly confident people. That’s why Steve Errey caught my eye a long time ago, and not just because his blog was fuchsia pink at the time. (It was a bold, confident color, but I like the current blue better.) Steve is a confident, insightful person who knows a hell of a lot about the subject – well, he would, considering he’s THE Confidence Guy.

Freelance 79

Freelance Projects Engagement Blogging 79

Speaker: Jesse Simms, VP at Giant Partners

This new, thought-provoking webinar will explore how even incremental efforts and investments in your data can have a tremendous impact on your direct mail and multi-channel marketing campaign results! Industry expert Jesse Simms, VP at Giant Partners, will share real-life case studies and best practices from client direct mail and digital campaigns where data modeling strategies pinpointed audience members, increasing their propensity to respond – and buy.

Audience

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

People write me often to ask my advice on using online personas, pseudonyms and pen names. They have questions, and they’d like to know my thoughts. (It seems I’m considered somewhat of a go-to resource on the topic – like Aerosmith said, dude looks like a lady.). I’ve noticed that most people who contact me aren’t just trying to satisfy their curiosity, though.

Freelance 79

Freelance Copy Projects Management 79

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 22, 2010

Write lots. Write often. Write every day. Write as much as you can, prolifically and continually and constantly. And if you do, they say your skills will improve. It’s the key to being a great writer. I don’t think so. If all you’re doing is writing, you’re only producing volume. You’re repeating behaviour – but you’re not improving.

Writing 79

Writing Writer Blogging Blog 79

Men With Pens

OCTOBER 14, 2010

I’ve had more than my fair share of ‘how to connect’ articles. Seriously. That said, connecting is crucial if you want your business to succeed – and the good news for YOU is that there are plenty of people out there who aren’t connecting at all. They think it’s strange because they don’t know you yet. Some are even scared to connect.

Social Media 78

Social Media Publishing Publishing Publisher 78

Men With Pens

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

A while back, I couldn’t sing enough praise for Ali Hale. She wrote great posts, she loved fiction, she was fun and chatty and reliable and made me smile every month. Then she disappeared. It felt like years of absence and I’d just about given up on her when Ali returned from her adventures of marriage, name changes, a house move and traveling overseas.

Writing 77

Writing Construction Banking Creativity 77

Speaker: Corey Daugherty, Head of Business Development at Flowcode & Georgette Malitsis, Senior Customer Success Manager, Enterprise at Flowcode

Let's explore the transformative power of QR codes in bridging offline and online marketing worlds. 📲 This new webinar featuring Corey Daugherty and Georgette Malitsis of Flowcode will dive into how innovative QR technology not only enhances traditional marketing strategies, but also drives meaningful customer engagement and analytics. Register today to gain practical knowledge on using QR codes to increase conversion rates, optimize customer journeys, and ultimately unlock a new realm o

Marketing

Men With Pens

JANUARY 17, 2010

28,759 On-target web design and copywriting to help you hit the bulls-eye of success Home How-to Books Our Services Portfolio FAQs About Us Archives Contact Us Better Blogging Guest Posting Better Books Better Business Better Design Drive-by-Shooting Sundays Better Writing 7 Deadly Fears of Writing Fiction Writing How To Write Website Content The Way of Writing Way Off Topic Announcements Four Reasons to Love Your Competition Written by James - 22 Comments Every business owner who has a blog has

Copywriting 77

Copywriting Copywriter Sales Portfolio 77

Men With Pens

DECEMBER 16, 2010

Sometimes you meet surprising people online. They’re the ones you never expected to like but end up liking anyways, just because they’re quirky or funny or nice to you. So when Martin Stellar sent me a post that tells you the secret of getting big names to like you and how to get people paying attention to you, I had to share it. Enjoy. James Chartrand has a crush on me.

Social Media 76

Social Media Copywriting Copywriter Media 76

ProBlogger

NOVEMBER 7, 2010

This guest post is by Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere.com. As a blogger, you probably do not have the luxury of having a staff of people to work for you. As such, your time is very valuable and you need to spend it where it will do the most good. We have reached a point in late 2010 where the work required to generate traffic for a normal blog via search engines is much greater than that required to generate an equal amount of traffic via social media.

Social Media 55

Social Media Media SEO Advertising 55

ProBlogger

JUNE 30, 2010

I was always a doubter when it came to using Facebook to promote a blog. I’m not sure why – but despite my best efforts I couldn’t seem to get Facebook to ‘work’ as well as I could with Twitter when it came to engaging readers, driving traffic and building community. However in the last few months things have changed – Facebook has become HOT for me, at on my photography blog.

Engagement 55

Engagement Brand Landing Page Social Media 55

Speaker: Neal Boornazian, President and Nancy Harhut, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer - HBT Marketing

Direct mail has consistently remained a powerful tool in the marketer's arsenal, but in an age of digital dominance, its effectiveness hinges on the strategic integration of behavioral science. 💡 When you incorporate powerful behavioral science principles into your direct mail marketing strategies, you can prompt the hardwired decision-making shortcuts your audience relies on — and that automatically unlocks new avenues for engagement, conversion, and brand loyalty.

Engagement

ProBlogger

JULY 23, 2010

Whether you like it or not, people will judge your blog by the quality of your writing. The first thing you should do is to avoid the most common spelling mistakes, as they can turn off first-time visitors to your site. Below you’ll find 10 such mistakes to get you started. 1. accept / except. INCORRECT: Please except this gift. CORRECT: Please accept this gift.

Blogger 54

Blogger Writer Writing Ads 54

ProBlogger

JULY 1, 2010

Yesterday I shared 5 ways that I’m using Facebook to drive traffic, Build Brand an increase Reader Engagement on my blogs. After publishing the post I was asked a few questions about things that I brushed over that I thought might be worth following up upon. Here were the three main questions: How did you make the landing page graphic? How do you use the FBML application to serve up the landing page?

Landing Page 54

Landing Page Blog Blogging Social Media 54

ProBlogger

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

A guest post by Naomi Dunford from IttyBiz who emailed last week to remind me (Darren) that today is ProBlogger’s 6th Birthday and asked if she could write a birthday post. Here it is! I’ve sat where you sit. I’ve devoured the articles and the blog posts and the link roundups. I’ve agonized over whether I could afford that video camera or that conference or that membership program.

Blogger 53

Blogger Copy Blog Blogging 53

ProBlogger

OCTOBER 24, 2010

Last week at Blog World Expo, I had conversations with literally hundreds of bloggers about their blogging. It was interesting to see some of the themes that emerged as bloggers shared their challenges, problems and fears. One of the recurring conversations that I had revolved around bloggers’ fear of being seen as sell-outs by readers when they started to monetize their blogs.

Blog 53

Blog Blogging Blogger Communication 53

Speaker: Jeff Tarran, COO, Gunderson Direct & Margaret Pepe, Executive Director of Product Management, U.S. Postal Service

Learn the secrets to direct mail success for growth marketers! Industry veterans Jeff Tarran and Margaret Pepe are here to delve into how direct mail has completely evolved in recent years, and has rightfully earned a seat at the table alongside the email and digital marketing plans of SMBs, enterprise companies, and agencies as they look into strategy for 2024 and beyond.

Marketing