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    Copywriting 101: Essential Understanding

    10 December, 2011 (09:50) | Writing | By: Bernard Bowers

    Note: Copywriting and Blogging share some elements by are two very different styles of writing. ~Killer


    Copywriting is the art and science of promoting certain events, corporations or individual entities. In the world of advertising, copywriting is one of the integral factors that makes the machine run. Every company needs to promote itself, and as a marketing manager or CEO, you will need as much of it as you could. Your returning clients already know the quality of the products and service that you provide and reliability of your business. However, most of people find or “discover” your site by the search terms they put into search engine boxes.

    The Basics

    How the copywriting is performed? A number of rules need to be strictly followed in this field, depending on the nature of your business and the types of products and/or services you market to your customers. Indeed, copywriting has evolved in the past ten years or so, not the least due to the Internet, but there are still some ironclad rules that need to be followed. There are several elements of copywriting that need to be present at all times, simple as it may appear.

    Vital Headlines

    The first element would be an engaging and fascinating headline that would “lure” your visitor to the rest of the text. There must be a sub-heading included which would reinforce the main points of the heading. The most important part of the copywriting copy is certainly the body that reveals the major points of your text. Make sure that your thoughts are congruous to each other to ensure an easier and more logical reading experience. A good part of your copywriting content would be about restating the “meat” of the content, and this can be done in several paragraphs.

    Ideal copywriting content should emphasize the advantages of the company, its uniqueness and clearly state why visitors should purchase at your company. Competition is, to say the least, cut-throat in many industries around the world, where many different companies often compete to provide the exact same service or sell the exact same product. In order to be successful you should stand out from the crowd.

    This technique might apply in offline and online copywriting alike and if the technique is performed professionally it leads to the increase of the traffic on your web site. And regardless whether you are working online or offline, one thing must be present in your copywriting, and that is the ability to inveigle, or to persuade. One should persuade your visitors to take further actions and purchase some products or services at your company rather than other ones. The fundamentals of persuasion, galvanizing customers to action and making motivated buyers out of casual visitors must be applied in order to achieve effective copywriting.

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    Top 10 Telecommute Writing Jobs for 12/8/11

    9 December, 2011 (12:43) | Job Hunting | By: Killer

    The Daily Top 10 Freelance Writing Jobs

    Free Photo Free Photo of the Day

    Photo credit – The Morgue File: xpSquid

     
    Not Finding an Opportunity Here? [popup url=http://www.killfive.com/flexjobs]FlexJobs [/popup] Might Have Something for You.

    If you ever respond to a job lead and get an email back that contains any kind of link… make sure you scan it before you click it!
     
    Volunteer Writing OpportunitiesBelieve in Helping Others? Volunteer! Volunteer Opportunity of the Day
    Authors/Writers — Noble Prose


    Top 10 Telecommute Writing Jobs for 12/7/11

    9 December, 2011 (12:31) | Job Hunting | By: Killer

    The Daily Top 10 Freelance Writing Jobs

    Free Photo Free Photo of the Day

    Photo credit – The Morgue File: curtinparloe

     
    Not Finding an Opportunity Here? [popup url=http://www.killfive.com/flexjobs]FlexJobs [/popup] Might Have Something for You.
    If you ever respond to a job lead and get an email back that contains any kind of link… make sure you scan it before you click it!
     
    Volunteer Writing OpportunitiesBelieve in Helping Others? Volunteer! Volunteer Opportunity of the Day
    Communications Assistant — Global Partnership for Disability and Development


    Top 10 Telecommute Writing Jobs for 12/6/11

    7 December, 2011 (10:27) | Job Hunting | By: Killer

    The Daily Top 10 Freelance Writing Jobs

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    Photo credit – The Morgue File: giggs

     
    Not Finding an Opportunity Here? [popup url=http://www.killfive.com/flexjobs]FlexJobs [/popup] Might Have Something for You.

    If you ever respond to a job lead and get an email back that contains any kind of link… make sure you scan it before you click it!
     
    Volunteer Writing OpportunitiesBelieve in Helping Others? Volunteer! Volunteer Opportunity of the Day
    Social Media Coordinator — Art in Odd Places

    Top Ten Telecommute Writing Job Leads for 12-5-11

    6 December, 2011 (05:40) | Job Hunting | By: Killer

    The Daily Top 10
    Freelance Writing Jobs:


    1. Guns Writer
    2. E-commerce Marketing Blogger
    3. TV/Web Series Review
    4. IT Technical Blogger
    5. Geek/Tech Bloggers Wanted
    6. Freelance Outdoor Writer – $75+ per article
    7. ghostwriter with fiction writing experience
    8. Freelance Writers Needed for LGBT Parenting Magazine
    9. freelance copy editors
    10. Freelance Health Writers

    Free Photo of the Day

     

    Photo credit: naama from morguefile.com.
    Not Finding an Opportunity Here? [popup url=http://www.killfive.com/flexjobs]FlexJobs [/popup] Might Have Something for You.
    If you ever respond to a job lead and get an email back that contains any kind of link, make sure you scan it before you click it!
    Volunteer Writing Opportunities

    Believe in Helping Others? Volunteer!

    Volunteer Opportunity of the Day:

    Volunteer Editorial manager- MENASA

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    Not Meeting Deadlines Can Be Deadly

    2 December, 2011 (14:52) | Writing | By: Killer

    How do I meet my deadlines? I am a master procrastinator. I always put things off. I pretend I never got the email asking why I haven’t turned in my assignment. Oh, wait, wrong article. Truthfully, if I accept an assignment, I should keep my promise. It’s not so much a matter of breaking a commitment, the real question is, how do I handle multiple assignments?

    There is a very good reason I choose to accept more than one assignment at a time. One of the things I do to keep up my interest in the articles I write is work on more than one at a time. That way, I can let an article sit awhile and simmer. It’s difficult to edit your own work if you just wrote it. I have found if I change the font (between serif and sans serif), I do a better job proofreading. It tricks the brain, but I still need to put some time between readings. It makes a huge difference. It is important to check instructions to make sure every requirement has been met. Having said that, I don’t want to waste my wait time, so I accept more than one job at a time. Now, how do I maintain control?

    I can’t forget anything in the queue. I tried different approaches, and was doing okay. I kept my current assignments open in the word processor. That way, I could easily see what I had to do. I kept a list. Then, I forgot something. Thankfully, I remembered before it was due, but I had to start immediately. What would have happened if I had something else due at the same time? As it was, my stomach sank to my knees. That’s an awful feeling, and I would rather not feel any worse.

    Get Organized

    While this article is supposed to be about meeting deadlines, it turns out, if you aren’t organized, you can’t help but miss them. You have to focus, and you have to be organized. There’s no way around it. So, I took the plunge. I spent some time thinking about how to do it and decided to go with a spreadsheet. While a database had some features I could have used that are not part of a spreadsheet program, the spreadsheet would let me look at money. I would be able to see how much I was earning and where my time would be most productive.

    I went back to the beginning. I input every job I had ever done. Thankfully or not so thankfully, I hit the skids just a few months after I started freelancing. When I was done, I had a way to see what was due and when. I included a column that had the date, so the order of assignments would be easy to see. (Input them YYYY-MM-DD as this keeps them in order.) This is how I manage now. It also lets me see who hasn’t paid, and that is information that is good to know.

    Many jobs have no deadline. I accept a job, then I look at what is in the queue. I give the client the date I am able to turn in the assignment. If the client agrees with the date, I put it in the queue. Now that I have a handle on things, it is easier to focus on the work. It’s better to enter every job as it is acquired and keep up with the rest of the information, as well. A minute here and there beats hours spent trying to catch up.

    Get Motivated

    The other component of meeting deadlines involves motivation. If I can’t find an approach and tackle the assignment, it’s never going to get done. You might think that motivation has little to do with meeting deadlines, but it’s as important as being organized, and you can’t consistently meet deadlines if you don’t have organization and motivation on your side.

    Money is another motivation. If I have an assignment from someone I really like working for, and I start missing deadlines, I’m going to lose the client. In fact, I promised I would have this article completed before I left for Thanksgiving. I woke up this morning and realized I had a lot to do, and I was going to miss the deadline if I didn’t get everything done. I don’t like to disappoint people, and I don’t like to let them down. So, I made sure I had the time. Something else didn’t get done, but it can wait. You have to prioritize, and you have to be willing to give up something to make sure the job gets done.

    What Kind of Person Are You?

    I have a very positive self-image. When I look in the mirror, I am proud of the person I see. I see someone who cares about the quality of work and wants to get even better. I see someone who keeps promises and does the best job possible. I can’t be that person if I don’t do what I am supposed to do, and meeting deadlines is part of what I am supposed to do.

    In the end, regardless of the choices you make with respect to being organized and getting motivated, it all comes down to being the kind of person who keeps promises. No matter what you do, it’s all the same. It comes down to the kind of person you are and want to be. Getting organized and motivated are just the tools that let you do what you need to do to in order to be the best person you can be.

    You can also find other career stories, from a Design and Text Editor to a Graphic Artist on GraphicDesignJobs.org.

    Tips for Marketing Your Writing Business

    2 December, 2011 (14:47) | SEO | By: Killer

    Starting a writing business can be very exciting. You get to do what you love to earn a living, and you don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. However, with all of this excitement come a lot of other responsibilities. You need to be able to market your business well in order to generate consistent business, and you may feel like you don’t have the knowledge to do so.

    What you may not realize is that marketing can be quite easy and a lot of fun once you get the hang of it. Here are a few tips you could use to get you started. While not all of them may work out for you, hopefully you will be able to pick out one or two that are possible and give you great results.

    Test Marketing

    This is a perfect way for you to test your advertising techniques and see if they work. With test marketing, you can figure out your target market and determine the characteristics of your ideal customer, such as the geographic area you should focus on and your ideal customer’s age, gender, income, etc. Writers could look into many different advertising mediums, including flyers, online ad campaigns, or even cold calling, if you are comfortable with this.

    The most successful businesses continue to perform test marketing in order to ensure that they are still producing effective marketing strategies and to find out if there are any new marketing niches they should be focusing on. Any business needs to constantly be researching what works for their company and what does not. Test marketing will help you find the best strategy and make sure your advertising budget is being used in the best way possible.

    Look for Clients with Something to Offer

    The best clients you can find are the ones who will be able to give you recurring business. Finding these types of clients may be difficult, but all of your work will be worth it in the end. You will have to constantly be on the lookout for new clients, and even if a client you find isn’t the greatest, they will still be able to give you some business until you are able to try another client. Make sure you are looking for business everywhere you go and in everything you do. Look in the morning paper or the magazine at your doctor’s office. Look for stories about new local businesses or expanding businesses with new staff. They may need a feature story or an article about a current event. Really, the possibilities are endless.

    Join a Business Organization

    This is a great way to find out what other small businesses have done to be successful. You can also develop a few relationships that could help you with your business in the future. The members of the group will have lots of information about your area, and they can help you find out new opportunities before other writers in your area get the tip. Joining this type of group is a great way to network and get the word out about your business. Be active in the group events and your efforts will be rewarded.

    Jenna White is an author who writes guest posts on the topics of business, marketing, credit cards, and personal finance. Additionally, she works for a website that focuses on educating readers about secured credit cards.

    Monster List of Telecommute Writing Job Leads for 11/28 – 12/2/2011

    2 December, 2011 (14:30) | Job Hunting | By: Killer

    The Daily Top 10
    Freelance Writing Jobs:

    Free Photo of the Day

     

    Photo credit: charmaineswart from morguefile.com.
    Not Finding an Opportunity Here? [popup url=http://www.killfive.com/flexjobs]FlexJobs [/popup] Might Have Something for You.
    If you ever respond to a job lead and get an email back that contains any kind of link, make sure youscan it before you click it!
    Volunteer Writing Opportunities

    Believe in Helping Others? Volunteer!

    Volunteer Opportunity of the Day:

    Communications Volunteer- NAACP National Headquarters

    <a href=http://www.flexjobs.com><img src=http://www.killfive.com/wp-content/uploads/flexjobs-small-300×75.png alt=”" title=”flexjobs small” width=”300″ height=”75″ class=”alignleft size-medium wp-image-2573″ style=”padding-top:25px;” /></a>


    Your Site Needs The Bright Neon Sign That SEO Can Provide

    2 December, 2011 (10:29) | SEO | By: Lorita Feiler Helgaas

    If you are considering breaking into the online marketplace or if you are already established you may consider search engine optimization to maximize you online presence. No matter if you are blogging or trying to increase the traffic to your online store you will find that SEO can help.

    A great way to ensure your search engine optimization is simply to provide useful, informed and fun content which will appeal to your customers. This is often overlooked, but is important because search engines often change their algorithms, to ensure they’re providing more relevant information to their users. If you ensure your information is of good quality, whatever changes search engines make you’ll still come out top.

    When you set up your WordPress blog you MUST use keyword URLs instead of numbers! p=243 doesn’t tell Google what your page is about, but having WordPress insert some or all of the title into the URL will show Google that those keywords are important. This will bring far more traffic, so implement it!

    If you do include images in your website, make sure that you include ALT-tags in the code. Search engines cannot see images, but they can crawl through the ALT-tags and find keywords and phrases. So put relevant text in your ALT-tags that describe what the images arem in order to make your images relevant.

    Please remember that search engine optimization is not a one time thing. If you are serious about growing your blog or customer base you will need to commit and stick to the process. Everyday you may add or change something when it comes to your SEO. That is how you can become successful!

    For increased success with regards to search engine optimization, you should use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) instead of front tags. CSS is much more preferred by search engines in determining how well your website ranks, so make sure that you implement it into every page on your website. It is an easy way to bump up your site.

    No matter how knowledgeable you are about the subject. These tips should help you to boost the page rankings of your website. As you follow the advice in this article, you’ll gain a better understanding of search engine optimization and how it affects your site. Soon, you’ll be telling others what they can do to optimize their sites.

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    How To Become Better at SEO

    2 December, 2011 (10:17) | SEO | By: Lorita Feiler Helgaas

    What makes one website rank higher than another? This all depends on how the website is optimized for the search engines. If your website is not in the rank that you desire, it is time for you to learn the techniques of search engine optimization. This article contains some tips to get you started.

    Find someone else that is in the same industry as you and trade links. Offer to place their links on the back page of your newsletter as long as they are willing to do the same for you. This should bring more traffic to both websites with no investment or risk involved.

    When optimizing content for search engines, it’s important to think about your images. Since search engines aren’t capable of looking at images themselves, they rely on the descriptions and surrounding words to get an idea of the context surrounding the image. Always make your filenames and alt texts descriptive, and provide a good caption.

    Implement a blog to your site if changes won’t be made regularly on your website. When it comes to search engines, they are looking for fresh content. If you aren’t changing your site regularly, you want to at least implement a blog that can input new content to your site on a regular basis for fresh text pickup by search engines.

    The content which surrounds a link in your article or blog post are weighted more heavily than the rest of your content, so you should ensure that the paragraph which holds the link contains more key phrases for that page. Don’t use a single key phrase more than twice, even if it’s the anchor text for the link itself.

    Do not forget to use meta tags. One of the biggest mistakes made by website owners is not filling out these little descriptive tags. This is one of the ways the search engine finds you, and therefore allowing readers to find you. While these tags may not be at the top of your list, they certainly play a large part in attracting readers.

    Now do you understand why you should avoid those magic beans and snake oil out there? These tips above have just explained to you that earning higher page placement and better overall rankings is about catering to your market and the engine. You don’t need magic for this. You only need to use the tips above.

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