This week I wanted to show the diversity of our community. So we have a working actress whose work you have undoubtedly seen, a travel blog goliath, and business marketing expert.

The Creative Spotlight pieces are to get these creatives attention by individuals that may be looking for expert creatives. We are proud to be able to work with this group and will continue to shed light on the amazing storehouse of talent we have each week.

Rebecca Metz

http://community.copypress.com/members/rmetz74/

Places to find her creativity

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1556548/

http://rebeccametz.com

Type of work she does

I am a working actor based on Los Angeles. I work mostly in television, and also in theater and voiceover. Recent credits include a recurring role on Showtime’s “Shameless” and guest roles on “NCIS: Los Angeles,” Nickelodeon’s “The Thundermans,” and “American Horror Story.”

How she got started

I’ve been acting since I was a kid. I did theater throughout my teen years, and was lucky to be accepted into the prestigious Carnegie Mellon School of Drama for my collegeconservatory training. After graduation, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional acting career, and have been working in LA ever since. Pragmatically, acting is my job, the source of much of my income, and good things like health insurance for my me and my husband. But the reason I do it is that, quite simply, it’s who I am. It’s a calling. From the moment I understood what acting was, I knew it made sense to me. Stepping into someone else’s life alongside other actors to tell a story is the greatest source of fulfillment in my life.

Piece she is most proud of

I’m most proud of the range of roles I’ve had the privilege of working on, from traditional sit-com-style comedies to the darkest dramas. You can see samples of this work at http://rebeccametz.com/clips/.

The kind of content she enjoys creating

I love working on content that helps readers learn and get better informed. For travel customers, it may be a city guide or list of great restaurants. For legal customers, an article on what to do if you’re in an accident. In the health care sector, it might be an exploration of how the Affordable Care Act has affected the availability of mental health services. I like to finish an article knowing more than I did when I started, because that tells me the readers will likely have a similar experience. My goal is to keep making my living doing creative work that excites me, inspires me, teaches me new things, and makes me a better person, writer, and artist.

Megan Donoghue

http://community.copypress.com/members/megandonoghue/

Places to find her creativity

http://mappingmegan.com Editor in Chief at “Mapping Megan” – a niche adventure travel blog with a focus on outdoor adventure and wildlife. A trusted resource for travel features, photography and destination guides, presenting the best locations, attractions and accommodations around the world.Content creation by way of written articles, travel photography and video.

How she got started

Blogging was at first a hobby, however as the blog grew I realized there was potential to transform from a hobby into a professional travel blog and monetize my work.

I had been blogging since 2007, however in 2012 was seated next to a gentleman named Gary Arndt on a flight home to Australia from the States. As luck would have it, Gary turned out to be one of the largest and most successful travel bloggers in the world, and before this point I had no idea that people made money from blogging as a full time career. I figured if people out there were doing it and making full time travel a career, there was no reason I couldn’t do it myself!

Since that day I committed myself to building a blog and brand which I could monetize and which would give me the freedom and flexibility to make money while traveling the world. I’ve never looked back.

Monetary is obviously a huge perk, though the most value I receive is emotional. I’m now much happier in myself and with life in general. I am much more motivated, more energetic, more enthusiastic and overall just very content with where my life is at. I have finally created a career which is also a passion, and there is no better feeling than loving your job.

Also, I can also start my day whenever I choose, so I’ve been getting a lot more sleep, though I have to stop abusing my ability to sleep in otherwise my emails begin to pile up!

Piece she is most proud of

After a year of traveling and professional blogging I completed a highlights video, and somehow managed to jam 12 months of full time travel highlights into 5 minutes of film!!

http://www.mappingmegan.com/highlights-traveling-blogging/

The kind of content she enjoys creating

I enjoy working on a range of content for customers, and am always happy to discuss new proposals or opportunities for partnership if they have fresh content ideas. We mainly focus on producing photographic, written and video content, though are starting to branch out into producing social media content and working on social media marketing campaigns. To continue producing quality content for our blog which our readers will enjoy, and to branch out and start writing for traditional media specifically magazines.

Photog Portfolio

http://www.mappingmegan.com/wildlife-photography/

Brian Lang

Places to find his creativity

http://www.smallbusinessideasblog.com

Type of work he does

I blog at Small Business Ideas Blog as well as design websites and graphics for other businesses. More recently, my emphasis has shifted towards SEO and content marketing.

How he got started

I started my own online business over a decade ago and learned online marketing and some website coding. I’ve continued to develop my skills ever since then.

I like keeping up with the latest in online marketing and being knowledgeable about what works. Since digital marketing is constantly changing and not taught in most schools, being able to do well with it is fulfilling.

Piece he is most proud of

My post on LinkedIn publishing got a few thousand social shares and got featured on the LinkedIn blog as one of the top 10 LinkedIn marketing articles of 2014:
http://www.smallbusinessideasblog.com/linkedin-publishing

My post on blog promotion was also popular and got several thousand shares:
http://www.smallbusinessideasblog.com/how-to-promote-your-blog

I also wrote this guide that explained how I was able to do so well with the previous post:
The Ultimate Guide to Creating an Expert Roundup Post That Gets 1000s of Shares – http://boostblogtraffic.com/expert-roundup

The kind of content he enjoys creating

I write about online marketing and business.

The post Creative Spotlight: Rebecca Metz, Megan Donoghue, and Brian Lang appeared first on CopyPressed.

This week we spotlight the diversity in experience our team has, by featuring a magazine contributor, a published novelist, and a well known travel blogger.

Charli Moore

Places to find her creativity

http://wanderlusters.com/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charli-moore/

http://www.natgeotraveller.co.uk/smart-travel/travel-talk/best-of-the-travel-blogs-march-2015

Type of work she does

I manage a niche adventure travel blog highlighting outdoor activities and off the beaten path escapes to my readers.

I contribute copy to a major house sitting website.

I write for a regional tourism website in the UK.

How she got started

Through the exposure my blog provided I have managed to secure copywriting opportunities in the travel sector.

Utilizing my love of travel and status as a digital nomad to produce engaging copy for blogs and websites, offers additional benefits. Not only allowing me to finance further adventures, but encouraging me to chronicle and reflect on my experiences.

Piece she is most proud of

http://wanderlusters.com/freedom-adventures-lake-hawea/

The kind of content she enjoys creating

Destination features and travel editorial.

It is my goal to be published in print by a renowned travel publisher such as National Geographic.

Photog Work

http://wanderlusters.com/coral-sea-colours/

Michael Vyskocil

Places to find his creativity

www.carrollmagazine.com
www.celebrategettysburg.com
https://suite.io/michael-vyskocil

How he got started

I have also been interested in creative writing, and through some networking and other opportunities to get to know people in the publishing field, I was invited to contribute to some of these publications.

Piece he is most proud of

I am most proud of the editing work I performed for the July/August 2013 issue of Celebrate Gettysburg magazine. This issue commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and it was a privilege to be editor of this publication during such a significant milestone in the town’s history.

URL: http://digital.graphcompubs.com/publication/?i=165016

The kind of content he enjoys creating

I enjoy working on any of the lifestyle content or the content that gives people useful information for practical, everyday living tasks.

Photog Portfolio

http://suite101recipes.blogspot.com/

Jonathan Lister

Places to find his creativity

http://www.amazon.com/Crossroads-Demos-City-Novel-1/dp/1937744345/
http://www.amazon.com/Bullet-Demos-City-Novel-Volume/dp/1937744515/

Type of work he does

I’m a published author working in genre fiction. It’s kind of noir, kind of urban fantasy, kind of me really wishing I had anything to do with ‘The Wire’ but completely missed the boat. All told I have 4 books in print between Quantum Publishing (histories of the guitar books) and J Taylor Publishing (genre fiction).

How he got started

I was a TERRIBLE English student growing up. Couldn’t diagram sentences. Couldn’t find the adverbs or the prepositions. Nothing. But, I could always write, build stories and characters, and in doing so, my grammar morphed into this functional thing. I knew where everything went when I wasn’t trying pick it out of a textbook. Writing stories and making worlds and the characters that populated them was the most fun I thought was possible as a kid. Now, it’s much worse.

Piece he is most proud of

Crossroads: a Demos City Novel. I wrote that book at least three times. Queried agent endlessly. Stockpiled the rejections amongst the requests for pages until J Taylor Publishing came along and really saw the strength of the work.

The kind of content he enjoys creating

On the client side, I enjoy leveraging my SEO agency knowledge. Helping them understand how Google values content and what they can do to improve their own site to capture more visitors and increase revenue. I’m a little competitive and I LOVE seeing businesses I work with succeed in their niches.

The post Charli Moore, Michael Vyskocil, and Jonathan Lister : Creative Spotlight appeared first on CopyPressed.

CopyPress’s diversity in our creative base is our strength. Regardless of subject we have amazing creatives that not only specialize in creating content in that niche, but whom are also thought leaders in that subject. This week we look at a social media/ business consultant and two travel writers that have also authored books.

Patrcia Patton

Places to find her creativity

http://myblackjourney.com/black-vintners/ http://myblackjourney.com/mlk-parade/
http://collectivebias.com/entice-mature-shoppers-during-the-holidays/

Type of work she does

I am a full time writer, blogger, and business strategist for mature women who are reinventing themselves. I provide Individual and Corporate Social Media Consults, Social Media Strategic Planning for start ups in the Aging2.0 sphere; and beginning and advance beginnerTraining on topics such as “How to” Make Money from my Blog and “How to” know who is visiting my website.

How she got started

When I eventually jumped into the entrepreneurial world from a full time job, I was starting over big time. It was the best of times and the worst of times. Initially that was to a beachside business serving healthy and organic meals. The hamburger vendors made way more money than me.But It was during this time 7 years ago that I began blogging to market my business. It led to full time blogging and over time other things including freelance work.

Piece she is most proud of

I loved this piece: http://myblackjourney.com/gullah/

The kind of content she enjoys creating

I am a big lifelong learning advocate and what I’d call an Afro-futurist.Self-described I realize but these are my facts. Content that teaches and entertains is always of interest to me. Right now I am doing a lot of travel writing but I do love finding ways to write about technology and trends in a way that readers may perhaps make better decisions about their lives. What kind of investment for example might bitcoin make in a person’s life now if they understood what was going on. Should an average person find ways to invest in cyber consciousness.

Lauren Juliff

Places to find her creativity

http://www.neverendingfootsteps.com
http://toomanyadapters.com
http://studenttravel.about.com

Type of work she does

I’m a full-time traveler, freelance travel writer, author, and professional travel blogger.

How she got started

It all happened very organically. I started a travel blog for my one year round-the-world trip to keep my family and friends aware of what I was getting up to but had no idea it would grow to become a portfolio of my travel writing. After several months on the road, I began to receive emails from companies wanting to hire me to write for them. By the time the end date of my trip approached, I was making a profit through freelance writing and saw no reason to stop traveling. Four years later, I’m still going!

After several years of travel blogging, I was approached by a couple of publishing companies who loved the story of how I conquered debilitating anxiety to travel the world and wanted to offer me a book deal. I, of course, jumped at the chance and my travel memoir is due to be released in July.

Piece she is most proud of

I’m most proud of my travel memoir, How Not to Travel the World. Writing it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and almost led to me having a mental breakdown. For several months, I was writing for 18 hours a day and sleeping for six, so by the time I handed in my manuscript, I was deliriously exhausted. Now that I’ve recovered, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved and can’t wait to release it into the world.

Aside from that, my piece on How to Travel the Maldives on a Budget (www.neverendingfootsteps.com/2014/09/15/how-to-travel-the-maldives-on-a-budget/) is my most popular article and the first of mine to go viral.

The kind of content she enjoys creating

I love inspiring readers, so any article that makes travel more accessible to the average person is something I’ll love to write.

Shaun Robertson

Places to find his creativity

http://www.thislifeintrips.com

Type of work he does

Travel writing is my true passion and ThisLifeinTrips.com is becoming a full time job alongside travel. It is a site that promotes travel for all and is a place to inspire, to inform, to advise. It’s place to share a laugh, an image, and a passion for seeing our world. It is a place for those looking for adventure, lasting memories, and the best options available when it comes to a new city or town.

How he got started

Before my first yearlong trip in 2006 my life seemed vanilla and unfulfilled. I had successfully worked my way into a comfortable situation with a cushy well-paid job yet felt lost and poor. Unhappy with what my life had become I put my career on hold and traveled. During that time away I found happiness and my true passion, good times and writing about them.

Once I returned to my normal day-to-day routine I quickly realized that living that life was not for me. To stay sane I traveled as much as possible and by any means possible. I quickly found that the corners of the earth are reachable no matter your budget. For the past 9 years I have written about my adventures that have taken me from the Arctic Ocean to the South Pacific. They have included football games in San Francisco to Buenos Aires, concerts in the Pacific Northwest to water puppets in Hanoi.

And now 2015 is dedicated full time to This Life in Trips and all things travel.

Piece he is most proud of

I wrote an ebook for a client that I am very proud of. The name is incredibly long and was there choice but the message is great.
“Travelers Roots: Growing a Richer you Through a 6 Month+ Trip Around the World” is about getting in the right mindset to backpack the globe for an extended period. It is a guide to prepare oneself for what is in store and to help make the most of every situation along the way. I drew a lot from my own experiences for this eBook – what travel means to me, what travel has done for me, and what travel can do for others are the overlaying themes of this book.

I will be releasing a second version of this book soon added extras but in the meantime –> http://www.thislifeintrips.com/im-a-writer/

Photog Work

https://instagram.com/lifeintrips/

The post Creative Spotlight: Patrcia Patton, Lauren Juliff, and Shaun Robertson appeared first on CopyPressed.

Eight years ago, I left my last office job and decided to make freelance writing my full-time gig. My first jobs paid less than a tenth of what my top projects earn now, and there were more than a few times when I wondered if I was crazy to call this a career. Today, I’ll gladly tell anyone who asks (and some people who don’t) that freelance writing is one of the best jobs you can land. Being a good writer may start with solid research skills and great grammar, but keeping good clients goes well beyond a strong sample.

Some of the most tempting tactics in freelance writing are also the worst for your long-term career. Avoid the siren song of these top sins for a cleaner and more professional approach to the job.

1. Assuming Your Deadlines Are Flexible

Image via Flickr by Betchaboy

Too many writers assume that their deadline is more a guideline than a rule. The most common complaints I hear from project managers are about the reliability of their writers. The worst offenders ignore their deadlines entirely. Only moderately improved are those who are chronically ill on the date the assignment is due.

Never assume that you’re more valuable to the client than the client is to you. The best professional relationships are a two-way street with respect and accountability on both ends. It’s easy to feel like you’re an independent piece of the puzzle when you’re freelancing, but you’re almost always part of a bigger team, even if you don’t see them in person. If your writing is late, so is the editing, the campaign management, and the publication. Assume that your deadlines are written in stone and not sketched in the sand.

2. Overlooking the Client’s Style

The internet is packed with prospective writers who know how to spin information and get past a plagiarism checker. Truly talented writers go beyond dry regurgitation to craft pieces actually worth reading. The best way to do that is to infuse each article with that subtle spark of personality, but it may not be your own winning personality that a project needs.

Marketing professionals spend a lot of time crafting the right tone for their products, and that tone probably has very little to do with your individual quirks. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the client’s voice before you begin a project, and master the art of molding your work into what they’re after, no matter how superior you feel your own off-beat phrasing may be.

3. Being Lax About Your Facts

Pulling up reliable information online is like sifting for gold at a roadside tourist trap. Even if you find it, you’d better figure the proprietor placed it there to sell you on something. A pretty picture on Pinterest doesn’t denote an actionable project, and a sleek website is no indicator of factual information. There’s a lot of pressure to work quickly when you’re paid by the word and not the hour, but there’s no excuse for tossing in facts before you find their source.

Dig as deep as you have to. Put on a jaunty hat and call yourself a detective. When you find you’ve spent the last hour chasing a falsehood, try not to scream, and congratulate yourself instead on uncovering the truth. Mulder would be proud. Your future readers may not be as vigilant as you, so make sure you’re giving them something safe and useful, however challenging that may be.

4. Using an Unprofessional Workspace

Freelancers have the unique ability to work just about anywhere. If you have a laptop and an internet connection, you’re usually good to go. Yes, this means you can work on your couch in pajamas. Yes, you can have the TV in front of you, a bowl of popcorn at your side, and the cat in your lap. This is where it’s important to understand the difference between what you can do, and what you should do.

I’ve experimented with dozens of different setups over the years. I’ve tested out the theory that settling in to the coziest piece of furniture will make it easier to work a longer day. I’ve worked through lunch with my computer on the table. I’ve worked from cars, hotel rooms, hospitals, coffee shops, pool decks, and world-famous theme parks. I’d love to say that binge-watching Lost with one eye while you write with the other is the most efficient thing you can do, but it’s not.

If you want to produce professional work, you need to create it in a professional environment. Carve out a corner, no matter how small, and give yourself a space that’s free of distractions. Not only will you work better, but you’ll also work faster, which means more time to cozying up with your favorite distractions once the deadlines are met.

5. Fighting Your Editors

Smart writers love their editors. What’s better than having a second set of sharp eyes to help you polish your pieces? Editors can help you identify your most common mistakes, clean up your writing style, and improve your habits. They’re not out to make you feel inadequate. They’re there to make your great work even better. Sure, it can sting a little when you realize you’ve made a stupid mistake, but thanks to your editor, the client won’t see it. When you’re aware of the mishap, you can avoid it next time.

One of the worst things you can do as a freelance writer is alienate your editors. Editing takes a different skill set than writing, and it’s the combined efforts of both professionals that makes for top-notch pieces. Don’t take edits personally, take them thankfully. No one is perfect, but with enough people working on an article, maybe the finished product can be.

Freelance writing is one of the most flexible jobs you can land, but that doesn’t mean it’s without a few rigid rules. Stay away from the biggest sins of freelancing, and you can keep your clients, boost your earnings, and enjoy the perks of the position guilt-free.

The post Creative Spotlight: 5 Cardinal Sins of Freelance Writing appeared first on CopyPressed.

So you’ve picked up a new assignment and are now tasked with writing a travel blog for a city. However, one minor problem exists. You’ve never been there! As a content writer for hire, you need to come from a place of confidence and authority. These tips should help you on your literary voyage.

Get Started Early

Image via Flickr by Laineys Repertoire

Deadlines are never fun. Admittedly, some people work well under stress — but these folks are about as rare as albino unicorns. Instead of procrastinating, look over the instructions and style guide immediately and begin brainstorming right away. When the article is already mulling around inside your mind, any free time you have can be used to think up ideas for later use. On hold with the DMV? Stuck in a long post office line? Pretending to pay attention to a neighbor’s inane babbling? Use the time constructively! 

Often, your best ideas can manifest when you’re not sitting at your computer, so carry a notepad or recording device to capture those fleeting thoughts until you find time to organize them. A digital voice recorder goes everywhere I go, except perhaps the shower. While your cell phone likely has a feature or app that fulfills this purpose, I find it easier to use a recorder since most of my ideas come when I’m behind the wheel. Fumbling with a cell phone while driving is unsafe, not to mention illegal.

Find Your Angle

Generic regional parks and sports venues named after corporations are not exciting reasons to visit a city, so give your article a unique spin by approaching your article with an agenda in mind. Writing from experience is best, so choose an angle that fits both your personality and your target city.

Everyone loves food, so a good place to start is by exploring restaurants, farmer’s markets, and similar places of interest. No matter what your preference, an appropriate food angle can almost always be found. From vegetarian to BBQ to diners, your target city most likely has a culinary specialty of some sort. If you’re covering Austin, for example, try a Google search such as “Food Austin is known for.” Next, use Yelp to find the most popular places.

Beverages run a close second to food. Asheville, NC has an amazing craft beer scene. Seattle, WA is globally recognized for its coffee. Long Beach, CA has tremendously fun dive bars. If it can be quaffed, it can be blogged upon.

Outdoorsy activities are popular as well. Perhaps your city has an unusual amount of bike paths or greenways. Nearby mountain ranges, rivers, and national or state parks can provide exciting activities such as rafting, kayaking, and going over waterfalls in a barrel à la Bugs Bunny. I’m a big fan of those free outdoor gyms found in some public parks. Part fitness center and part playground, they’re a fun and eco-friendly way to use your own gravity and physical resistance to keep in shape.

Do Your Homework

If you don’t have the luxury of driving hundreds or thousands of miles to visit your target city, the Internet is the next best thing.

Avoid generic searches like “must-see places in Phoenix.” This is because the top results on a major search engine such as Google or Yahoo! are the result of carefully planned (and expensive) SEO strategies. Thus, your first few pages of results will route to big-money websites that can afford to hit the top of your search results. If they can afford this, they’re probably hiring writers to create their content, who are also likely to have never visited the city you’re researching.

Instead, find user-driven sites such as Yelp, or locate user reviews via search engines. A local blogger can also lead you to interesting non-touristy spots worth visiting.

Get Writing!

Once you have some downtime, transfer those notes you’ve been gathering and begin building your article. Don’t worry about putting things in order. Just write what comes to you and organize it later. Nothing causes writer’s block like trying to come up with a first sentence, then a second one, then a third, like beads on a string. A free-association writing strategy will always produce the best content with the least amount of stress.

Avoid Clichés Like the Plague

I’ve read and edited scores of travel blogs, most focusing on hotels, and there are only so many ways to describe a mediocre continental breakfast of canned juices and plastic-wrapped honey buns. “Fuel up at the…” and “Start your day on the right foot with…” can get mighty tedious after you’ve run into the phrase for the 100th time.

Avoid the obvious. We all know that one “cools off” in a swimming pool — they really serve no other purpose — so why phrase it as such? “Stay in touch with friends and family with free wireless Internet” is a needlessly cumbersome way to describe what is essentially a very basic service. “Work off your stress at the 24-hour fitness center” is not only canned, but presumptuous as well. The need to work out may actually be a source of stress for some people.

“Best-kept secret” is a complete oxymoron, and if it was secret before you blogged it, then it’s certainly not a secret anymore. “Hidden gems” are perhaps best reserved for cavers. And with such savory linguistic selections such as “epicure,” “gourmand,” and “connoisseur,” why relegate anyone to the substandard rank of “foodie?”

Avoid Absolutes

When writing from a position of knowledge and authority, it’s tempting to use phrases like “The best ____ in town can be found at…” or “Since summer is always ____, be sure to…” Most writers believe this level of confidence will encourage trust between the author and the reader. However, readers are notoriously skeptical and will do just about anything to prove a writer wrong, so I find it best to avoid such statements. Remember that you’re providing opinions most of the time, not facts.

Blogging about a place you’ve never been can be quite entertaining and educational for the writer, and may even encourage you to take a road trip to visit all the places you recommended. So relax, enjoy yourself, and dive right into that pool of unknown depth. You may just discover a pearl beneath the surface!

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Write a Cool Travel Blog for a City appeared first on CopyPressed.

It happens to the best of us — you sit down to write and realize fifteen minutes later that all you’ve done is stare at a blank screen. In many ways, writer’s block is like hiccups. Everyone gets them from time to time, and despite there being as many purported cures as there are grandmothers, they can be hard to shake.

Actually, it may help to think of writer’s block as you would any other ailment. You need to understand the various symptoms and causes first, then determine the best treatment.

Symptoms

The symptoms of writer’s block seem obvious: hours of unproductive staring at a blank page, dozens of half-finished sentences, a missing title, the inability to write a decent conclusion, and so on. You may also be dealing with some negative self-talk, doubting whether you are capable of writing something worth reading.

Writers experience this phenomenon differently. Maybe your topic seems lackluster or you’ve been drawing a blank. You may feel frustrated, foggy, or unfocused. Unfortunately, these feelings often set a vicious cycle in motion. You feel stressed, which makes it difficult to write, and not being able to write makes you more stressed. It quickly turns into a downward spiral with no apparent way out.

Causes

Pinpointing the cause of your writer’s block can be as difficult as it is important, with a variety of potential causes ranging from the physical to the psychological. Seemingly unrelated lifestyle factors or even your writing process itself could be to blame. Poor stress management, for instance, certainly puts you at risk, as does insufficient preparation. Too much or too little sleep and frequent or excessive alcohol consumption can also be contributing factors.

Although writer’s block is not something you need a medical professional to diagnose, it could be linked to disorders such as ADHD, depression, anxiety, and OCD. Even medical conditions like diabetes and hyperthyroidism can impact your ability to focus. Furthermore, many common medications can make it difficult to write. Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and antipsychotics all bring side effects that negatively impact your creative abilities.

In any of these cases, the ancient Greek maxim “know thyself” is good advice. How successfully you fight writer’s block depends on correctly identifying the cause, which in turn requires an acute understanding of your own mental and emotional state. You may lack motivation, be too emotionally drained to express yourself well, or have unrealistic standards. Disorganization leaves you in a poor position to fill a page, but perfectionist tendencies make writing a harder task than it needs to be.

Treatments

Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all cure for writer’s block. You may have to try a few different approaches to find one that works for you, and even then, the same method may not be effective every time.

Keep in mind, too, that some common responses to writer’s block can make the problem worse. Waiting to write until you are “in the mood” or struck by inspiration could just be self-justified procrastination — and procrastination is not a cure. Instead, use one of these approaches to get over your creative slump.

Change Your Environment

One of the easiest things to change is your environment. If you’ve been writing in a crowded coffee shop, try moving to a library nook. If you keep getting sidetracked on the internet, exchange your laptop for a notebook or use an app like Self-Control to blacklist distracting websites for a set period of time. If you’re tired of sitting still and typing, use Dragon Dictation to speak your words onto the page while you move.

Do the Prep-work

Now that you’re a professional writer, it’s tempting to think pre-writing steps like brainstorming and outlining are beneath you, but the need for them never really goes away. In fact, when writer’s block rears its ugly head, basic pre-writing strategies can help you push past that initial blank screen. Plus, the extra organization makes it easier for you to jump around within your writing. Instead of getting stuck on the opening paragraphs, you can choose whichever section seems easiest and start there.

There are several apps that can help. Try Inflow Visual Noteboook or Inspiration Maps for brainstorming. You can also use Brainsparker for inspiration, Evernote to organize your notes, and FreeMind for outlining.

Break It Up

Image via Flickr by Franck_Michel

Whether you have been assigned a 10-page research paper or a 2,000-word article, don’t let the scope of a project scare you. Breaking large tasks into smaller steps makes them more manageable, giving you the confidence you need to break through that initial paralysis. You scale a mountain one step at a time, and the same principle applies here.

If all else fails, set a timer for 15 minutes, then write until you hear the buzzer. Promise yourself that if you absolutely hate life afterward, you can take a break. Chances are you won’t need that out, though. You are more likely to catch yourself thinking, “That’s all? I can do that again.” Use that momentum to keep going.

Stop Chasing Perfect

Crafting a polished draft or even a flawless sentence on your first try will only slow you down. Instead, loosen your standards and try freewriting. Write nonstop for a few minutes without worrying about punctuation, grammar, or flow. If you can’t seem to find the right words, use the prompt “what I really mean is…” to get your thoughts out, then come back later to refine.

If you’re still struggling, try Write or Die. In “Consequence Mode,” this app uses negative reinforcement to keep you going. Punishments include the sudden appearance of a spider onscreen or, more drastically, the systematic removal of vowels from words you’ve already written. Either way, the app provides excellent motivation to put your perfectionism aside and just write.

Next time you hit a mental wall while writing, try a few of the strategies above — and remember that like any skill, creativity must be cultivated. Your best defense against writer’s block is to preempt it through practice. Download word-based games such as Blackbar or apps that provide creative writing prompts. The more time you spend with words, the writing process, and your own imagination, the more easily you will be able to overcome or avoid writer’s block in the future.

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You know your company needs a blog for your website, and maybe you even have intentions of starting one yourself. A blog is an important part of content marketing, but unfortunately, many businesses’ blogs end up in the vast expansion of the blog graveyard. Considering how important a blog is to any marketing strategy, make sure yours doesn’t end up there, too.

The Purpose of a Blog

Image via Flickr by Retlaw Snellac Photography

For some companies, a blog seems like an obvious addition to a website. Other companies might not necessarily see the relevance. Regardless of what service or goods you sell, if you have a website, you should have a blog. Although your blog serves several purposes, the main goal is to increase leads and retain customers.

It starts with attracting customers. When consumers begin their search for a repairman or new curtains, it will typically start online. In fact, according to Adweek, 81 percent of shoppers start by researching a product or service online, with 60 percent using a search engine. If you are a plumber, and someone is looking for information about their leaky pipes, you want that person to stumble upon your website. Your blog offers the opportunity to match the keywords that someone uses in their search to the relevant words on your site.

It’s great when someone stumbles upon your website, but that’s just the first purpose of your blog. Once a person has come to your site, you want them to return, and to refer you, intentionally or unintentionally, to their friends, family, and social network. The more relevant and interesting information you have on your blog, the more likely a consumer will return and share that information on social media to their friends and family.

Keep Your Blog Relevant

It’s not just enough to have a blog; it needs to be active and applicable. If a reader stumbles upon an article on your blog, they may keep clicking through to further their research. If your most recent blog post was from 2008, then suddenly the trust you initially garnered from your blog is lost.

Your blog shouldn’t just apply to your company, but to a broad range of information. No one wants to read a narcissistic blog that focuses only on why that particular company is great. People want general information about the topic in question. Although you should cleverly highlight your business throughout your blog posts, the reader shouldn’t be slammed with pitches and hard sells while they are doing their research.

The “Do It Yourself” Blogger

Now that you know why you need a blog, you might be tempted to hop on your computer and start writing. What people don’t realize is blogging is an intensive and demanding job, and it’s not something you can fit in on the side. If you scroll through websites, you can quickly find the all-too-common blog graveyard. These are blogs with a couple of posts, typically with grammatical errors, that companies haven’t updated in years. You quickly lose your authority on the subject if your blog looks like a deserted, forgotten piece of your site. In that case, you might as well not have a blog at all.

Everyone has the best intentions when they start a blog on their own. It’s just that a blog starts to feel more like a hassle. When you have other day-to-day work commitments, a blog becomes the first thing set aside. Hiring a third-party to handle your site ensures your blog thrives.

You should see your blog as one of your most valuable marketing tools, and your marketing budget should reflect that. In fact, Forbes reported that more successful companies typically issue a higher amount of their marketing budget to content marketing.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Most DIY blogs end up in the blog graveyard. Even if you can keep up the company blog in-house, you might be doing yourself a disservice. By outsourcing your blog, you’re putting this important aspect of your website into the hands of experts. These people know the tricks to getting your blog found in search engines, and are able to create shareable content. You might be an expert on the subject, and while that authority is important, it’s equally important to get found and shared.

By outsourcing your content marketing, you essentially get to stop worrying about it. You know you will have fresh, relevant content as often as necessary to keep your online content working toward your marketing goals. If you hire the right company, you will also know your content will be free from grammatical errors, which is crucial in maintaining your marketing material’s integrity. Finally, you will know that beyond the content, your blog posts will engage the reader, promote your business, and urge that reader to share your posts as well.

What to Look for in a Freelancer or Marketing Company

Hiring a marketing company or freelancer to handle your blog doesn’t automatically make sure that your blog will prosper. Although it might be tempting to find a freelancer to handle your blog, hiring a company is typically the better bet. It’s tough for freelancers to edit their work to perfection. A company will have several pairs of eyes on an article, newsletter, or post before it goes live.

When you’re vetting companies, ask for samples of their previous work. Check out blogs that they now run, and look at the company’s blog. If they don’t have a consistent, relevant, and engaging blog, you probably shouldn’t trust them to handle your blog and content marketing.

Content marketing is an investment, and so if the company is promising articles and content for excessively cheap, remember the adage, you get what you pay for. Once you’ve hired a company for your blog, read the content and give direction. No one knows your business as you do, and you should have thoughts about the type of content you’re offering to your consumers and readers.

Ultimately, you want your blog to bring in traffic and customers for your business. Because just about anyone is able to start a blog, people mistakenly think they can do it well. Outsource your blog to the experts, and make sure your blog is doing everything to help your cause. Nothing discourages customers like having a blog with one foot in the grave.

The post Creative Spotlight: Avoiding the Blog Graveyard appeared first on CopyPressed.

Many blog articles and informative pieces simply tell the reader something they should do or know. But instead of telling the reader something, writers can make their work much more powerful by using the “Show, Don’t Tell” concept. By simply telling the reader something, you won’t be able to make a lasting impression in their memory. Instead, use showing language to paint a picture in the reader’s mind that will ensure your message is remembered and received positively. Here’s how you can bring your writing to life using the “Show, Don’t Tell” principle.

Appeal to the Five Senses

Image via Flickr by The Nickster

The human senses are powerful tools. The five senses allow us to recall deep memories, connect emotionally with a scene, and feel intertwined with our environment. Instead of telling a reader that a car’s interior looks classy or expensive, show that reader how high quality that vehicle is by invoking the reader’s senses. Describe the feel of the supple, almost-liquid smooth leather, the sound of the car’s engine rumbling within the cab, the vision of the crisp lines and electrifying dash instruments, and the smell of the fresh upholstery.

Though taste is the most difficult sense to incorporate into your writing, there are some creative ways to invoke this powerful sense. You might say that climbing into a new car is as luxurious as indulging in fine French chocolate or shifting gears is as crisp as a bite into a ripe Granny Smith apple. Sure these methods are a bit more cerebral, but you’ll surely leave your reader remembering that car.

Avoid Adverbs

Adverbs describe verbs. Phrases such as “he ran quickly” are common and often do not leave much of a lasting impression. In fact, people hear certain adverbs so often they can even become meaningless for readers. While adverbs are beneficial in some rare cases, you can empower your writing and draw the reader in by using other words – such as adjectives and verbs – more successfully.

Use Adjectives, but Be Picky

It’s all about the details. Adjectives allow us to paint a more vibrant picture with just one word. Adjectives are descriptive words that apply to nouns and give your writing supporting details. However, it’s crucial to pick just the right word. For example, which of these paints the most impressive picture in your mind: “windy weather,” “gusty weather,” or “torrential weather”? The descriptive adjectives get progressively more intense and, therefore, connote more intense images in the reader’s mind. Breathe life into your writing by picking just the right adjective.

Expand Your Verb Vocabulary

Verbs are actions. They drive a story forward, propel a reader’s imagination, and ignite a sense of urgency or passion. Verbs have the power to get people on their feet and stir emotions. You can always learn stronger verbs by reading more or using a thesaurus. Make a list of your favorite robust verbs and save it on your desktop as a writing resource. Don’t be afraid to reinvent your writing style by expanding your vocabulary.

Use Similes and Metaphors

Similes and metaphors have been embellishing the written word since before Shakespeare. A simile compares two things by using the words “like” or “as.” For example, “This season’s artistic designs by Donatella Versace are as mesmerizing as a kaleidoscope.” Here we’re comparing Versace’s designs to the patterns in a kaleidoscope, which instantly gives the reader the image of colors and shapes dancing around in the mind’s eye. Similes can be very powerful and are useful when you’re faced with the challenge of describing something obscure.

Metaphors are another linguistic device that spice up your writing. A metaphor equates one thing with another. Often metaphors are more powerful than similes because they leave the reader with a sense of absolution. “Her hair was a flowing river of gold” is an example of a metaphor. Here we are equating her hair with gold, which tells the reader that she has strikingly blonde hair, but in a more efficacious way.

Even nouns can be metaphors. For example, when describing the latest mechanical innovation by Audi, you may get tired of using the word “engine.” And you can be sure that if you’re tired of using the word, your audience is tired of reading it. Instead, get creative and trade “engine” for a metaphorical phrase that will ignite the reader’s imagination. “Beast,” “powerhouse,” and “cyclone of horsepower” are all metaphors for an engine.

Avoid Clichés

Clichés, like adverbs, lose their strength after a while. After decades of hearing “a diamond in the rough,” “frightened to death,” and “she’s made of money,” most people don’t blink an eye (there’s another one!) at yet another cliché. Rather, after reading a cliché, most people are left feeling more confused than ever. Even worse, some readers may even become annoyed with a writer for using too many clichés and just stop reading. Whether literally or intellectually, clichés only succeed in losing the reader. Instead, stick to using creative descriptions and unique metaphors instead of clichés.

Edit, Edit, and Edit Some More

Many good writers can craft a piece quickly and send it off for editing after a zippy proofread. However, great writers do more than just proofread. They edit their work for clarity, conciseness, and strength. When editing your work, look for adverbs and decide if they could be tossed out for a more powerful verb. Consider your adjectives and brainstorm more clear or inspirational alternatives. Weigh verb choices against one another to decide which one carries a more powerful punch.

Making several edits in the revision process is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it’s a sign of a writer dedicated to improving his or her craft and to giving the reader the very best.

Effective writing is all about showing, not telling. Some writers are masters at using a range of impressive verbs, while others know how to invoke emotion in even the most mundane pieces. But the best writers know their strengths and hone their skills anywhere there’s room for improvement. Consider which of these skills you’ve perfected and which ones you’ve been neglecting. Then concentrate your creative powers on building your writing muscles one rep at a time.

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Use the “Show, Don’t Tell” Concept to Enliven Your Writing appeared first on CopyPressed.

Developing a great story idea with little more than your client’s name or a keyword for inspiration can be challenging. However, there are a number of strategies which can make the task less daunting. Next time you’re faced with a case of writer’s block, try these techniques for creating compelling ideations your client will love.

1. Use Online Keyword and Topic Generating Tools

Image via Flickr by B Rosen

If you regularly find yourself starved for ideas, a number of online tools can come to the rescue. Keyword tools and topic generators can be great sources of information.

There are many keyword planners online, but Google’s remains the gold standard. It’s part of Adwords, but you needn’t pay for online advertisements to use it. Simply sign into your Google account. The keyword planner is under the tools tab. Type a keyword into the planner and let it work its magic. Scroll down and you’ll see a number of keyword combinations which can spark story ideas. Look for combinations which have a high number of monthly searches but medium or low competition. These are the terms Google users search for that relatively few other bloggers have covered.

If you have trouble translating the keyword combinations into your own story ideas, you may prefer to work with a topic generating tool. Type a keyword into Answer the Public’s search box for hundreds of different topic ideas presented in unique visual form. Some of the wording can seem a little stilted, but with so many options there’s bound to be something that grabs your interest. It’s quality over quantity at HubSpot, whose blog topic generator presents five unique post ideas centered around up to three keywords of your choosing.

2. Search News Articles

News articles can be a great source of inspiration, increasing your knowledge of your client’s industry and helping you understand the topical issues of the day. Most popular search engines allow you to search for news articles using keywords, such as the name of your client’s industry or terms commonly associated with it. Alternatively, you could visit popular industry blogs to stay abreast of current events.

You shouldn’t simply regurgitate a news article, but you can use the topics it covers to spark off a story idea. For example, imagine you’re asked to write an article for a client in the agriculture industry. You spot a news piece about concerned Americans protesting the use of GMOs. Knowing that this is a topic the community feels passionately about, you might decide to write an informative piece explaining the other side of the argument, the advantages of GMOs.

3. Browse Q&A Forums

Q&A forums can give you a sense of what people are interested in and what they want to know. One really simple trick for generating story ideas is picking an interesting question from a forum and planning an article that answers it. Put yourself in the shoes of the person asking the question and consider what information he or she might want to know about the topic and the language you should use to make your article accessible. This approach ensures your idea is something your client’s audience has shown interest in, not just something your client thinks its audience cares about.

You might browse industry-specific Q&A forums, such as TripAdvisor for travel or StackExchange for software development, or more general forums, such as Reddit and Quora, to find the right question. The general forums allow you to filter the results by a keyword or category so you don’t waste time looking at irrelevant queries.

4. Go For a Walk

There are plenty of great online tools to help your ideas along, but that doesn’t mean you’ll find all your ideas behind your computer screen. Often it takes getting away from your desk to get your creative juices flowing.

German philosopher and poet Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche once famously said, “All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.” Now recent scientific research supports his claims. A 2014 study from Stanford University found walking stimulates the mind more effectively than any other form of exercise or stimulation. This light exercise was found to improve the generation of original and relevant ideas. This effect was also noted to last even once the walker sat down to complete their creative work shortly after a stroll.

Marily Oppezzo, one of the Stanford researchers, expected the environment would have a greater impact than the act of walking itself, but the study contradicted this conventional wisdom.

“I thought walking outside would blow everything out of the water, but walking on a treadmill in a small, boring room still had strong results, which surprised me,” she explained.

Of course strolling around a park or along a waterfront will do your creative juices no harm, but if you don’t have such picturesque areas at your disposal you don’t need to worry. Simply getting up and walking around could still help you develop that killer ideation.

5. Brainstorm with Other People

Writing is a solitary pursuit. You will be the only one putting pen to paper, or fingertips to keyboard, so you might think you need to work independently throughout the process. However, if you’re stuck for ideas, the people around you can be some of your best resources.

Chat about your keywords or client with your family members or friends and see what you can come up with in a brainstorming session. Don’t worry if they know little about writing or your topic area. A unique point of view removed from your industry could be just what you need.

Make sure you keep your laptop or a notepad handy to jot down any ideas as you think of them. Even ideations that seem ridiculous in the moment can inspire a compelling story idea. Brainstorming with your loved ones doesn’t just provide a fresh perspective, it also takes the pressure off. You start enjoying the conversation rather than stressing about your work and this helps the ideas flow.

With these strategies up your sleeve, a compelling ideation is never too far away.

The post Creative Spotlight: 5 Tips for Creating Compelling Ideations appeared first on CopyPressed.

The way to think about where voice and content creation intersect is to consider audience: the audience you have, and the audience you want. From the blog and video topics chosen, to the content’s production style, every aspect of a brand’s content creation needs to be geared towards audience.

Some brands already know their voice. You, as a blogger, may already know yours. Even when your client provides keywords and example content, you still should visit their social media pages and website blog to get a feel for the content. Often, however, you’ll work with a client without a clear voice, and that’s where this article will focus. Whether you’re branding your own blog or helping a new client develop a clear voice before you begin any content creation, you need to know the audience you’re writing for.

Each Audience Is Unique

Image via Flickr by PICNIC Network

How can you help yourself or your client do the same thing with their product or service? Ask them to identify their current audience, and the audience they’re aiming for. Gather examples of content that speaks directly to those audiences. Pet food brands are amazing at identifying and catering to audiences filled with pet owners and pet lovers. Competing to stand out in a field that uses adorable animals and friendly, informal advertisement tones is more difficult than it sounds.

When a pet food brand creates something more, you remember it. In 2014, Friskies (with Buzzfeed’s help) started their “Dear Kitten” ad campaign, which has a lot in common voice-wise with Buzzfeed’s Sad Cat Diary. The original commercial, which features a mature cat introducing a kitten to the total weirdness that is living with humans, went viral in 2014. People voluntarily watched an advertisement for cat food because it was so clever and cute.

Make a list of traits and characteristics that your intended audience has, then decide which of those traits fit with the product you’re marketing. Is your audience whimsical, like the cat lovers watching the Friskies commercial? Are they more down-to-earth, and likely to respond to a direct, factual tone?

Every Brand Needs a Focus

Image via Flickr by matusfi

Voice is what makes a piece of writing (or a video) unique to a person or brand. Not every piece of writing has effective voice. Think of it like your brand’s personality. Are you more of an Allstate, offering confident reassurance in a grandfatherly tone, or a State Farm, with cheeky wit and a slapstick bent?

Now that you know the audience, you want to do two things when writing content for that audience: write in a way that they’ll connect with, and distinguish yourself from other brands doing the same thing. It sounds hard, but it doesn’t have to be.

Make a list of the traits that define your brand, while you focus on the brand’s values and your audience. Whittle that list down to between three and five core traits that you want your voice to embody. If your core traits and your target audience don’t match up, you’ve got some more work to do. You may be marketing to the wrong people or focusing on parts of your brand that your audience is less interested in.

Here are a few core trait examples:

• Transparent – You want your audience to know where you get your information and how you create your products.
• Lighthearted – Life doesn’t have to be serious to be meaningful, and you want to impart a sense of fun into your voice.
• Innovative – You focus on how your product is different than your competitors’ products.
• Classic – Trends come and go, but your brand is built to last, and you know your customers appreciate that.

How can you present each of these core traits to your target audience? Use the list you created that defines your target audience, and practice presenting your brand to them.

Think about an audience of thrifty, eco-conscious millennials. They appreciate transparency: millennials who care about saving money need a good incentive to spend it. When a company lets them know exactly what they’re getting for their dollar and how sustainable the product is, they feel better spending money on that company’s products. Classic, however, might say “outdated” to these millennials.

The Perfect Voice Is Professional, With Personality

Image via Flickr by freddie boy

As a writer, you know why whimsy doesn’t work in chic, high-fashion content, just like you know why a bold, confident tone is appropriate for a fitness blog. But how much voice can you use before you jeopardize the content’s readability?

When you’re writing content for a professional client, it’s easy to end up sounding like a textbook. Lack of contractions, too much jargon, and a technical emphasis tend to dry up your content. Add a few analogies to remove some of the intense technical focus. Imagine you’re speaking to peers at a professional event to keep from sounding too robotic.

Similarly, when you’re writing content for a laid-back client who wants to reach an audience full of buddies, it’s easy to write like you’re doing a personal essay or a personal Facebook post. Make sure you don’t lower your diction too much or start inserting personal opinions. The client wants the audience to feel like they’re reading a letter from a friend, so use a warm, familiar tone while still maintaining correct grammar and avoiding slang.

Good, marketable content always has a few things in common:

• Concrete examples
• A style guide, usually AP
• Good research
• Clear, concise writing

It’s your job as a writer to maintain a level of professionalism in the voice you use. Unless you’re writing for a personal blog that isn’t part of your own professional brand, the writing itself still needs to adhere to professional standards.

Without understanding your audience, finding the perfect brand voice becomes quite difficult. The blogs and social media feeds you love have cultivated voices to attract readers of certain demographics. The most effective advertisers understand that how your audience responds to your information intertwines with how you talk to them. When you spend time defining and developing voice before you start writing your content, that content becomes purposeful, sharable, and relevant.

The post Creative Spotlight: Know Your Audience: Voice and Content Creation appeared first on CopyPressed.

In a highly competitive and noisy marketplace, it’s crucial that you distinguish yourself and your business with solid branding. This corporate buzz word sounds catchy and reassuringly precise, but there’s no one-step process you can use to define the essence of a company or a business person. Branding execution requires a multi-channel, “full-court press” strategy and the ability to see things from a birds-eye-view. Successful branding requires that you create and consistently maintain many different social media, online, and offline channels for maximum impact.

The self-discovery process inherent in creating a branding and marketing strategy can even help you to streamline your professional services and goals. Given an investment of time and effort, a strategically positioned personal brand will boost your professional exposure, influence, and opportunities.

Ask Yourself the Hard Questions

Image via Flickr by EdgeThreeSixty

The first step towards establishing brand consistency is to sit down and ask yourself key questions pertaining both to the black and white aspects of your business, as well as to the more abstract – your mission. Don’t be tempted to skip over this step. Defining all of these elements in an organized manner before you ever post online will provide clear communication direction in the long run.

• Who are you? How would you describe your business to someone unfamiliar with your industry, in a nutshell?
• What are your mission and values?
• When was your business established?
• What services does your company provide, how, and where?
• Do you have a specialty? What differentiates you from the competition?
• What are you hoping to achieve as a result of your branding: to generate new leads, to drive sales, to establish yourself as the foremost expert in your field, or boost traffic on your website? Who is your customer? Where do they like to spend time online and offline?

Take Stock of Your Content

Once you have established all of these answers, use this content reference document. This invaluable document will help you to stay focused and on message as you develop and launch your professional persona.

Armed with this reference material, it’s now time to take inventory of other existing assets to identify whether they are still relevant, require an update, or should be archived.

• Social Media Profiles: Are these set up already, or do you need to create and launch these channels? Are their logos and vanity URLs consistent? Do they require additional imagery to reinforce your brand visually (such as hero shots, cover photos, custom backgrounds, PR imagery)? Be easy to find by ensuring you have the same social media handles on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, if possible. Take it a step further and establish vanity URLs for your business as well.
• Website: Do you have a website? Is it up-to-date and attractive, or is it time for a change? Perhaps now is the time to explore a site platform you can manage yourself, such as WordPress. Be sure to install plug-ins that stream social media content in real time.
• Visual Assets: Do you have a logo, and if so, does it reflect your business today? For updates, you can contract a freelance graphics artist online or ask a colleague for a local referral. Pull together and organize any photography assets (products, event photos, work samples, etc.) you feel will be valuable for posting on social media and on your site. Make sure all images are of sufficient quality and are consistent.
• Written Content: Evaluate old business content you might use as a resource, including flyers, newsletters, advertisements, handbooks, catalogues, product guides, yearly reports, etc. Perhaps you can recycle some of the wording and information for social media posts, your website, or portfolio.

Be Consistent

Image via Flickr by Sean MacEntee

In our graphically oriented culture, visuals count. Global house-name brands like Coca-Cola, Nike, or UPS can trace their longevity to their consistency. You always know that a Coca-Cola ad will include red and the same logo design; it’s never distorted. Make sure that your logo always appears the same way (legible, crisp,  and professional) on all social channels and websites.

Consistency in visual and written messaging reinforces your business’ integrity, assuring clients you are trustworthy and here to stay. Here’s where your brand outline makes setting up your online channels and maintaining consistency a breeze. You’ve already established the key messaging in short, punchy phrases. Now, copy and paste this content into the bio profiles on every social channel and “About Us” section online.

Make sure that wording, job titles, product descriptions, and work samples are the same across the board, wherever they appear. Of course, you may need to adapt content by channel, shortening copy for Twitter, adapting phrasing for Pinterest, or lengthening text for your website, but make sure that the spirit and integrity of the content remain the same.

Get Personal

Now it’s time to dive in and tell the world who you are and what you have to offer. Use your brand persona to guide you as you post on social media and write content, every time.

Imagine your brand as a person – is that person luxurious, friendly, approachable, instructional, or helpful? When you define a brand voice, post wording comes naturally. Now, aim for consistency in scheduling.

It pays to get to know (and to nurture) your audience. When you know who’s following you, you get a better idea of what to post and what they like. It’s best to be conversational and relatable, sharing things that are natural to the social platform, like:

• Company milestones
• Naturally staged photos
• Stories/industry anecdotes/relevant news items
• Product or professional reviews, where appropriate
• Contests
• Company/relevant videos
• Professional editorials/features/news articles
• Polls, and more.

Follow influencers in your space and interact with them naturally by tagging, mentioning, and liking as appropriate. You can occasionally drop in an appropriate call to action, such as a link to your website, portfolio, or mailing list once you’ve established a steady stream of valuable content.

Just like at a networking event, it’s important to remember the “social” in social media. Don’t simply broadcast blindly. Meaningful, natural interactions and brand integrity speak for themselves. Consistency builds your network over time, and you’ll soon develop a loyal, engaged audience, and hopefully more prospects than ever before.

The post Creative Spotlight: Brand Yourself Consistently appeared first on CopyPressed.

People are impatient. We finish others’ sentences, whether in our minds or out loud, and we are always thinking of what we will say next in a conversation. There is a strong tendency not to listen because we are busy anticipating the “volley” of conversation and preparing a thought for when it’s our turn.

But it’s different with storytelling. Storytelling draws the audience in. They’re less able to predict the conclusion and, instead, anticipate it. It’s a powerful skill to harness because it’s one that can help your business build a loyal audience that is quick to share your content, provide word-of-mouth marketing, and make repeat purchases based on something other than price. With today’s steep global competition, differentiating your product or service on something other than price is more essential than ever before.

Focus on Your Business Goal, Then Your Story

Business storytelling should not be relegated to your About Us page on your website. Your story should influence all pieces of your marketing communication. It’s as important as your corporate culture. While big businesses, such as Coca-Cola, use storytelling effectively, it’s one of the most democratic forms of marketing available. A small business can win big with storytelling just as easily as a larger business because the cost of entry is merely time.

Before you attempt to harness the power of the story, decide what you’d like it to do for you. Are you looking for more loyal customers, greater word-of-mouth, improved reviews, or better job candidates? Your goal will affect how and where you tell your story.

Understand the Components of an Effective Business Story

All successful stories contain similar pieces. For business, you needn’t get into the same depth of plotting an author would, but you should know the basics. Every story requires a person/hero (or if not an actual person, something that’s personified like what Pixar does with its characters). That person has a goal and is unable to achieve the goal because something stands in the way. Things look bleak. The hero nearly gives up. Something/someone reignites the fire in the hero to accomplish the goal. The hero achieves his/her goal and a happily ever after ending.

In a business story, you may be tempted to cast your business as the hero. Avoid this temptation. Instead, revisit your goal. If your goal is to gain more customers, make your current customers the hero and cast your business as the wise sage that helps the hero achieve his/her goals. If you want better job applicants, cast your employees as the heroes.

When you cast others as the hero, it’s easier for your intended audience to envision themselves in that role. Potential customers will hear your story about how you helped others meet their goals, and want to experience the same. They are currently struggling, and your story provides a proven solution that worked for others. It will work for them. If you cast your company in the role of hero, you miss an opportunity for connection and it becomes just another company bragging about itself.

Use Data

Image via Flickr by justgrimes

Effective business storytelling isn’t fiction. You want to incorporate real stories of success using data.  A recent management tip of the day from Harvard Business Review suggested, “Look for interesting patterns and find an angle that will be surprising to readers.” People remember stories, but the data behind them make them more believable and convincing.

Evoke Emotion Through Common Needs and Desires

A good business story contains recognizable human truths. This is not the time, nor the place, to create something with twists and turns. A simplified story arc will do as long as you have some type of friction and problem you assist in solving. The most effective business stories are those that incorporate common friction/problems and recognizable desires. Have you ever watched a storyline fall apart because you can’t understand why a character would do something they’ve done? Or how about a romantic comedy where one of the characters falls in love with someone you can’t stand?

These types of disconnects hurt a business story because unlike a romcom, you don’t have an hour and a half to make it up to your audience. According to HubSpot, 55 percent of website visitors spend less than 15 seconds on a site. Your business story needs to grab them within the first few words, images, or page title.

Know that Science Is on Your Side

Pleasurable activities stimulate our brains to release oxytocin, the same neurochemical released when we are in love. Yes, stories can make us feel good, but there’s something even more important at stake here. In a study conducted by Paul J. Zak, a professor of economics, psychology, and management at Claremont Graduate University, he found that a brain on oxytocin tends to make people more “generous, charitable and compassionate.” And not by a few dimes. The results indicated they donated as much as 57 percent more when oxytocin was present than when it wasn’t. This partly explains the success of sites such as Kickstarter and GoFundMe, which help people tell their stories to secure funding.

Incorporating data into your business story should never replace the use of emotions in story. Aim for creating connections. You want to inspire, educate/challenge thinking, and/or entertain.

Business storytelling isn’t fiction. It’s a way to relate to your audience through a deeper level than mere advertising or pleasantries on social media. When used well, it shapes all of your marketing communications and influences their tone and content. It inspires your employees, helps you recruit top-notch talent, and entices people to join your team.

Business storytelling also helps you establish “know, like, and trust.” These are important components that influence purchasing decisions and customer loyalty. Building a strong following through storytelling also means your customers are less prone to the whims of pricing wars because they believe in who you are and what you do. Stories will also remain in their minds long after exact statistics leave.

Through effective business storytelling, you are creating content that connects and inspires others to share it. Your business becomes a resource for inspiration or education. That’s a pretty desirable spot to hold as people love to talk about what inspires and moves them.

The post Creative Spotlight: 5 Storytelling Tips to Take Your Business from Meh to Mesmerizing appeared first on CopyPressed.

In the technological age we find ourselves in today, sharing thoughts with the world is easier than ever. There are plenty of tips and tricks to maximize readership and get your voice heard, including marketing yourself on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, and LinkedIn to name a few of the more popular channels. In fact, it’s almost impossible to have a blog without social media.

Yet with every social media outlet comes added responsibility. Marketing a blog on social media means acquiring followers. Getting followers means spending copious amounts of time building a following. This time takes away from time that you could spend writing a blog. So what is the balance between using social media to market yourself and spending more time on social media than your blog?

Social Media As a Marketing Tool

Image via Flickr by Jason A. Howie

According to new research, younger audiences consume more social media than television. Millennials spend an average of five hours per day on user-generated content. Social media has become one of the biggest sensations of the new millennium to the point where it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have at least one social media account. It’s no surprise that bloggers find most of their followers through social media. One of the best ways to market yourself and your blog is by gaining followers on any of these social media platforms and sharing posts.

As blogs become more popular and gain more followers, it shouldn’t be a surprise that big companies start to reach out to these social media influencers to market their products. A recent survey supports that using social media influencer marketing is profitable for brands and organizations, and it costs almost nothing. With companies now including content marketing and social influencer strategy in their marketing budgets, bloggers have even more of an incentive to increase their audience with the hopes of securing more affiliates.

Social Media As a Networking Tool

Not only can bloggers use social media to build their brand, increase customer engagement, and even gain sales, but it can be an important networking tool. Before social media, networking consisted solely of attending meetings for like-minded people, connecting with people through mutual contacts, or asking colleagues for referrals. It can be much more time-consuming than networking from the Internet.

Today, bloggers can network with peers who have the same passions as themselves by searching hashtags, joining a group or chat, or reading other blogs that pique their interests. Some social media stars have millions of followers or viewers, many gained through social media networking. In today’s day and age, social media is as strong a networking tool as any other.

Social Media As a Way to Stay Connected

Image via Flickr by LearnerWeb

Providing quality content your audience wants to read is of utmost importance when it comes to blogging. The best way to know what people are looking for is by searching for trending topics on social media. Social media makes the world a smaller place by connecting everyone with the click of a mouse, so both national and global topics are easy to find. If you want to create a hig- quality blog post, give the people what they want to read by checking social media’s trending topics.

Social Media As a Distractor

If you were starting to think social media sounded too good to be true, you might be right. Social media is a great way to stay connected to the world, gain an audience to grow your blog, and market yourself, but when does the emphasis become too great on social media and not enough on writing your next post?

Posting on social media only works if you have a large enough following, and the only way to get lots of followers is to spend time on social media. Sometimes this can take hours each day to promote yourself to the point where people can find you easily. By the time you’re done, you may not want to look at a computer screen anymore. So when can you find time to write a post? Procrastinators might put it off until a month has gone by and their blog hasn’t seen anything new. Now they have the following but not the quality content to keep their audience engaged.

Finding a balance between writing creative content and marketing it on social media can be a slippery slope. A good way to combat neglecting one area is to combine social media and blogs, making sure that for each social media post, you also write a blog post, and vice versa. Additionally, there are some social media helpers that will schedule posts for you, leaving you time to write your precious creative content.

Social Media As an Inhibitor

Image via Flickr by Rosaura Ochoa

Another problem with social media is that every eye-grabbing social media and blog post requires at least one good picture, and bloggers start to see life through a camera lens. This take on life can sometimes stop the focus from being on the topic at hand and become all about how to get the best picture with the best lighting from the best angle. Blogging turns into photography, and when you can’t get that perfect shot, the blog might fall behind.

While a pretty picture is nice to look at and draws attention to the words, it’s important for bloggers to realize that readers are coming for the content, not just the pictures. Remember not to let social media distract you from your true purpose: blogging.

Blogging and social media have become alternatives to traditional media. With the ability to join the online social world with a computer click or phone tap, it’s easier and faster than ever to stay connected. More people are looking toward online social media and blogging presence for information than to television or radio, as they did in the past. As blogs and online presence continue to grow, it’s important to analyze how social media affects blogging.

Social media can have positive effects like being a fast, easy, and free marketing outlet, using time efficiently to network, or keeping you up to date with current trends. It can also cause writers to lose sight of the long-term goal of writing blogs. With social media and blogs becoming increasingly popular in this age of technology, writers must learn to balance these pros and cons when it comes to blogging.

The post Creative Spotlight: Blogging Versus Social Media appeared first on CopyPressed.

Where is your freelancing career now? Where do you project it will be in a year? How confident are you that you will still create content professionally a decade from now? These three questions aren’t ones you considered when you started attacking your inbox this morning, but if you’re not devoting attention to these questions, you’re effectively quitting your job. You just haven’t realized it yet.

Sustaining a career as a freelancer in a constantly evolving marketplace requires focus and planning. Discover some ways that you can stay current as a freelancer.

In the Beginning …

Image via Flickr by Lyn Lomasi

How do you consume media when you’re surfing the Web? Have you ever taken time to consider your own behavior in the most important aspect of your profession? Even if you haven’t, a computer engineer named Jakob Nielsen has you covered. In 1997, he deduced the future of the internet by evaluating the way that others used the nascent technology and then drew several conclusions. He predicated all of them on one innate truth: Basic human behavior is to scan information, not read it.

His knowledge of this behavior led to a series of usability goals. Nielsen maintained that any quality web experience would include five components. These components include highlighting keywords with a hypertext link, a critical element of SEO. He also asked for clarity of subheadings, explicit headers, bulleted lists, and other functionality that effectively turned internet writing into computer programming subroutines.

Nielsen’s most important belief was that each paragraph should include a single thought, a tactic that too few writers use. In this way, he offered the blueprint for mobile internet consumption a decade before freelancers needed the information.

Technology Drives Media Consumption

A decade ago, smartphones with internet capabilities were in their earliest days. Apple didn’t unveil the original iPhone until Jan. 9, 2007. In the year leading up to its arrival, only 63 percent of teens used a cellphone, according to the Pew Research Center, and fewer teens texted constantly. Today, only 12 percent of teens in the 13- to 17-year-old demographic don’t own a cellphone, according to the Pew Research Center.

How do these stats impact your vocation? Witness the amazing aspect of constantly shifting user behaviors. Seemingly disparate statistics impact your career in subtle ways. In 2006, long-form internet articles were much more popular. Analysts often cite Twitter as the boogeyman for quicker discussions, but that argument misses the point. The smartphone itself forced a change in your writing style.

Early generation smartphones included limited bandwidth and harsh data caps, training the first cycle of users to cycle through information quickly. Attention spans naturally shrank under those conditions, reducing long-form content’s popularity. Even as thought leaders such as Neil Patel show that long-form content ultimately earns more traffic, site managers choose to broadcast to the masses. If you were in the business of verbose content, you lost work through no fault of your own.

Freelancers Must Follow the Money

How could you have avoided such a fate? You could have followed the money. Businesses such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Uber received massive coverage in their early days thanks to the amount of funding each attained from angel investors. Savvy freelancers anticipated business models for each one, understanding that where investment money went, outsourced work was soon to follow.

Perhaps Snapchat is the best example of this scenario. Its current estimated valuation is $20 billion. Only three years ago, Snapchat gained a $60 million round of funding. By the end of 2013, both Google and Facebook had offered multibillion dollar deals to acquire Snapchat. Snapchat was clearly a promising business entity in the minds of Silicon Valley experts, which meant that Snapchat would have offers available for opportunistic freelancers.

The trick was solving the puzzle of how to solve the puzzle of crafting content that literally vanishes after a brief period. A radio host named Mark Kaye found a way. He surmised that a perceived negative of Snapchat was actually a positive. “Unlike Twitter and Facebook, nobody else can see how many interactions you actually get on a particular Story,” he described to The Freelancer.

In other words, every freelancer’s content is equal in the eyes of Snapchat users. Unknown professionals have the same chance to garner attention as seasoned veterans.

Become Ahab and Hunt for Whales

You’re likely wondering how any of the earlier examples help you. After all, each opportunity has come and gone. What’s important is that you understand the underlying mechanics. When mobile platforms moved toward dominance in the field of internet consumption, the proper strategy was to plan your writing around quicker reads. With Snapchat, you needed to find a rising tide and allow it to lift your boat. You’re learning from the past.

Now you need to plan future moves based on what you’ve learned. You’ll always want to follow the money trail. The places where investors are directing sums of capital double as the best upcoming business opportunities for you as a freelancer. You don’t have to get in on the ground floor. You simply need to make inroads before such an industry explodes into corporate ubiquity. Your career will ascend in parallel with growth.

The Next Big Thing

What’s the best way to boost your freelancing career now and forever? The answer is branding. While the turbulent world will never stop changing, your basic skills as a content creator will have the same baseline. You’ll be you. The parts of your personality that make you a promising freelancer won’t change even as you augment those traits with new talents.

Consider all the avenues available to you today as well as emerging ones for tomorrow. Build a YouTube channel for your business that explains who you are and why you’re great at your job. Open an Instagram account specifically for personalizing yourself. Potential clients will react more strongly.

Finally, stay alert for the emerging technologies that can elevate your branding. The medium of note at the moment is Twitch, which the generation younger than age 25 treats like conventional television broadcasting. You can brand yourself to a new batch of customers by occasionally hosting a Twitch channel. Then, upload the clips to your YouTube channel. You’ll double your potential clients while building a permanent footprint of your freelancer brand.

To stay current as a freelancer, you’ll need a few skills. You must understand the history of internet content creation. You need to follow the money trail to find career-making clients, and you should future-proof your career through branding. If you follow these steps, then you could end up writing articles like this one in 10 years.

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Stay Current As a Freelancer appeared first on CopyPressed.

Building authority as an online writer isn’t as simple as writing the piece, hitting the publish button, and waiting for readers to arrive. While it takes some work to build, online authority is very important. As a writer with strong authority in your chosen niche, you gain the trust of partners and customers, which generally leads to more sales. You’re also more active in your field, which can open the door to more business opportunities. If you’re looking to build your authority as an online writer, there are many ways you can do so.

Become a Guest Blogger

Image via Flickr by freeblogphotos

Chances are there are other blogs out there that deal with content similar to what you write about. Your first step is to seek these blogs out so you can reach the type of audience you want. One simple way to find these blogs is to do a Google search for keywords such as:

• become a contributor
• guest blogger guidelines
• write for us
• contribute an article

By adding keywords that correspond with your niche, you can narrow down your search to websites with content you write about.

One obvious benefit of guest blogging is that it opens you up to an entirely new audience. This can lead to increased website traffic, and greater opportunities for additional writing jobs. When you guest blog, you also have the opportunity to share an inbound link that comes back to your website. Link building is an important process because it plays a big role in search engine ranking.

Accept Guest Posts

Just like you want to find websites where you can share your content, opening up your own blog or website to guest posts will help you build authority. Accepting guest posts has many of the same advantages as guest posting on other blogs. When you allow other writers on your blog, you welcome in a new audience, expand your reach, and align yourself with other influential people in your niche. Plus, if readers find your website because of the guest post you accepted, they’re likely to view your own website as credible.

Write Evergreen Content

Evergreen content is content that stays fresh for its readers and doesn’t expire. When you’re trying to decide if your content is evergreen, consider if it will be relevant six months or a year after it’s been published. With this guideline in mind, topics on elections, fashion, statistics, and articles about holidays are not considered evergreen. On the other hand, instructional tutorials, top ten lists, and product reviews are evergreen.

When you’re writing evergreen content, keep in mind that narrow topics work better than broad topics. If you’re writing a large and broad topic, your piece could get too long, and your readers will lose interest. Therefore, while you might be interested in writing a topic about “How to Bake a Pie” focusing on “How to Make a Perfectly Flaky Pie Crust” could suit you better.

Also, keep in mind that while evergreen content is important, you shouldn’t be afraid to write about timely topics. While a topic about the best tips for decorating with Christmas lights won’t get a lot of readers in the middle of August, it will become popular every year around December.

Write Case Studies

A case study involves solving a problem by testing different methods until you find one that works the best. While case studies require a lot more work than your typical blog post, they also carry more weight with your audience because of the research and data that goes into them.

Luckily, finding a topic to write a case study about isn’t that difficult. Many writers choose to do one about a problem they frequently encounter. They simply want to find an easier way to complete a task, and they perform tests as they go until they find one. Once they’re done, they write a case study about their experience.

Even if you can’t come up with a topic for a case study this way, there are other ways to find one. You can also head to forums that are relevant in your niche and browse through the different topics there. Write down the questions you see multiple times on each forum. Now you have an even stronger topic for a case study because you have something you know people are talking about and searching for answers.

Use Social Media Accounts

While you might be active on your personal social media accounts, you should also create accounts specifically as an online writer. You can choose one or two popular networks, or decide to go with all of them. There are many ways you can use social media accounts to build authority. First, social media makes it very easy for people to learn about new content you’ve posted. Additionally, your readers can use links you’ve shared on your social media accounts to spread content they particularly enjoy. Finally, you can use social media to engage in thoughtful and important discussions with your audience.

Host Other Online Events

Beyond writing, there are other online events you can host that will help you build an audience and gain authority. Search for Internet radio shows in your niche and apply for a guest spot. There are thousands of shows that range from parenting, to business, to travel, and guest spots can last anywhere from 15 minutes to a full hour. If you can’t find a radio show that interests you, it’s also incredibly easy to start your own.

Another popular online event is the teleseminar. With a phone and a conference line, you can host a teleseminar on a topic by yourself, invite guests to give an interview, or lead a discussion with multiple guests about a topic. Not only is a teleseminar a good way to grow your authority, it’s also ideal for building an audience and increasing your email list.

If you’re looking to grow your writing business, building your authority as an online writer is the best way to do so. By implementing the above tips, you can become prominent in your own niche and gain more opportunities.

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Build Authority as an Online Writer appeared first on CopyPressed.

Influencer: a person who compels others to act or form an opinion.

Influencers, also known as brand advocates, have power. People listen to them, followers change their opinions based on what they say, and many consumers will buy, or not buy, based on what a trusted influencer says, or demonstrates, is a good product. It’s world-of-mouth advertising gone high-tech.

Leveraging the social media reach of an influencer within your niche is one of the fastest ways to get noticed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or any other social media channel. It can even make your brand go viral. The trick is to find an influencer that your target market already trusts and pays attention to.

That doesn’t sound too hard, does it? Unfortunately, it’s like looking for the goose that laid the golden egg in the middle of a flock of turkeys.

You can now get an actual degree, an MBA no less, in social media, and they’re from accredited schools like the University of Southern California and Rutgers. Suddenly, everyone, whether they’re formally trained or just picked up their skills along the way is trying to be an influencer for pay, and very competitive, highly profitable niches are literally flooded with professional influencers, each one hungry to be seen as an authority.

So, how do you navigate these muddy waters? Here are a few tips to help you find the right influencer for your site.

Narrow Down Your Choices

Image via Flickr by Book Work Laser & Design

Most influencers participate in multiple social media channels as well as write for their own blog, but you don’t want to spread yourself too thin when you first start looking for an influencer. Think about where your target audience spends most of their time. Facebook and Twitter are fairly universal, but if images or videos appeal to your audience, Instagram or YouTube might be better places to look.

Now, it’s time to pick some candidates. Try these methods:

• Search blogs and social media to see who’s already talking about your brand. In addition to looking for your specific brand name, search for keywords, keyword phrases, and relevant hashtags.
• Create Google alerts for your brand and keywords to get a list of new content sent to your inbox daily.
• Use automated tools like SocialMention, GroupHigh or BuzzDash to help you find potential influencers.

Are They Really an Influencer?

Image via Flickr by edkohler

Having a lot of followers doesn’t make someone an influencer. Remember, an influencer drives action or changes opinion. Read through your candidate’s posts, think about how they interact with their followers, and ask yourself these questions:

• Do they make a post then disappear or do they interact with people who make comments?
• Do they have something new to offer or are they only repeating what everyone else has to say?
• Do their followers only like their posts or do they share them? What’s their reach?
• Are their followers talking about using or buying a product based on what they see on the influencer’s page?

An influencer with a midrange following might be better for your brand than a social media superstar. Look for someone who gives a piece of themselves with each post, who has created their own small community within their page, and who seems to really care about both their specialty area and the well-being of their followers.

Look for a Tight Fit with Your Target Market

Not every influencer will be a good fit for your brand. You want to pick one that has a tight fit with your target market. Otherwise, you could get a lot of exposure but very few leads or real customers.

As an example, let’s say you sell automatic bread makers. You’ve identified an influencer with 10,000 followers who’re interested in making bread by hand. They debate the best kneading techniques, some grind their own flour, and a few work in artisan bakeries. If you work with this influencer, a lot of people will see your bread maker, but how many would really buy one? If they did, they certainly wouldn’t brag about it.

You’ve also identified another influencer with 5,000 followers. Most of the followers are time-challenged moms who want to make their family meals from scratch using local and organic ingredients when possible to save money and eat healthier. Bread is just one of the topics discussed, but a good, affordable bread maker solves a problem for many on this page.

In this case, the second option would be the better fit for your brand even though it has less followers. They would not only buy, they would be more likely to share.

Convincing Your Influencer to Work with You

Now that you’ve found a trusted influencer who’s a tight fit with your niche, it’s time to convince them to partner with you to promote your brand. If you have a great product that’s a good fit, it shouldn’t be too hard. Here are a few things to try:

• Free Products – Using our bread maker example, if your influencer likes your bread maker, they may talk about it, share pictures, and reference it when they post new recipes.
• Discounts or Giveaways for Followers – Used in combination with the last tip, this could generate a lot of interest and sharing.
• Commissions or Affiliate Programs – If your influencer is bringing in a lot of sales, there’s nothing wrong with rewarding their hard work.
• Guest Blogging – For sites or pages that are closely related, you could offer to trade blog posts to increase exposure for both brands.
• Pay for Their Support – This should be a last resort, but some influencers expect to get paid in cold, hard cash. You want more than a paid endorsement, so make sure they’re as passionate about your product as they are about the paycheck.

When talking to an influencer, let them know how special you think they are. Tell them how much you liked one of their articles, how one of their posts made you feel, or what you have in common with their followers.

Finding a good influencer to partner with can be challenging and time consuming, but it can also give your brand the social media boost you’ve been looking for to make your traffic and your sales soar.

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Find the Right “Influencer” for Your Niche appeared first on CopyPressed.

Getting travel writing published isn’t easy. You may have a story to tell, but it takes more than just a great idea for a publication to accept your submission. You not only need to be a proficient writer, you have to find a unique story idea, avoid mistakes in your writing, and diligently follow the submission guidelines.

Increase the chances of getting your travel writing published (and decrease your chances of a rejection letter) by avoiding these common travel writer mistakes.

Ignoring Writer’s Guidelines

Image via Flickr by Bianca Moraes

Always read a publication’s guidelines before submitting. This seems obvious, but when overlooked, it can be the difference between acceptance and rejection. Publishers are busy, and they can quickly reduce their workload by putting submissions that don’t fit their guidelines straight into the rejection pile.

A publication’s writer’s guidelines tell you who to send your writing to, how to send it, and how to format it. When you don’t follow these steps, you can expect a rejection letter, no matter how compelling your story.

Writer’s guidelines give you tips on what a publication is looking for, the preferred writing style, and acceptable article length. This will help you decide if you have an idea that is a good fit for a publication.

In the writer’s guidelines, you may also discover what types of writing the publication is not interested in. This saves you time and effort (and rejection) if you have an idea that doesn’t match the publication’s needs.

Spend the time researching to find a publication that matches your style and planned content. When you find one that fits, read the writer’s guidelines carefully before pitching a story, and follow them exactly when you submit your story.

Not Finding a Niche

Publications are always looking for new stories and ideas. To come up with a unique idea and increase the chances of getting published, change your focus to fit different niches. A story can cover a destination from many points of view –such as a foodie, a shopper, an art-lover, or as a history buff.

Avoid pitching articles with general knowledge or general overviews. A specific take on a destination or experience is going to pique an editor’s attention. An article like “A Vegan’s Guide to London, England” is more focused than “Finding the Best Restaurants in London, England”.

When you have a story in mind that will appeal to only a narrow audience, research specialty publications to find a good fit. Match your angle to a niche, and you’ll have more successful submissions.

Not Querying First

Publications often request that writers query or pitch before submitting a finished article (this is usually mentioned in the writer’s guidelines). Writing your story before sending a query might sound like a great idea to save time. Unfortunately, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.

When you write a travel article before sending a query and it’s rejected, you’ve wasted time. Time you could have used to query other publications that might have accepted your writing.

Even if you’re excited to go ahead and write a particular story, always send a query. A proper query saves time and your submissions will have a higher acceptance rate.

Writing Only About Extremes

Using superlatives in your writing, like “best” or “worst” gets attention, but it’s often unnecessary. Readers do want to know about the “best” hotel in Playa del Carmen, but that doesn’t mean that no other hotel is worth writing about.

A destination or experience that made a strong impression on you is a worthwhile experience to share. Targeting your writing to extremes like the “biggest”, “highest”, or “least explored” is interesting. But you have all types of experiences when you’re traveling, and widening your scope helps your writing appeal to a wider range of readers.

It’s also good practice to avoid superlatives in your writing to keep it truthful. For example, it’s difficult to determine where the “most fertile land” is in Myanmar, and multiple sources could have different answers. You could be putting yourself in a position where you’re not being completely truthful with your readers.

Using Boring Adjectives

Pay attention to the adjectives in your writing. General adjectives like “good”, “nice”, or “amazing” don’t mean much to a reader. Writing about the “great” view from Basecamp Everest or the “awesome” feeling you get from scuba diving with whale sharks won’t help a reader connect with your writing. To draw readers into your experience, find specific ways to describe your feelings.

For example, rather that writing about a “breath-taking” Balinese dance performance, ask yourself why it took your breath away. Was it the colorful costumes? The precision of the dancers’ hand movements? The lively music? Describing deeper feelings brings your writing to life.

Try replacing adjectives with a description of your physical feelings – like your heart beating faster or tingling in your stomach. A “delicious” soup isn’t nearly as engaging as a soup that “makes your tongue burn, then leaves a smoky taste in your mouth.”

Describing Too Much

Another common mistake travel writers make is trying to describe too much. You don’t need to write about every detail for your writing to be great. Write about fewer – not more – details to make your writing clear and focused.

To focus your writing, decide which details will help a reader understand your experience. Describing the important parts of your experience in detail (rather than everything) brings a reader into the heart of your story. For example, rather than describing every boat at the floating market, choose a few that made an impression on you and describe those. When you spread a reader’s attention with too many descriptions, trying to describe every detail, your story loses impact.

When writing descriptions, be aware of using too many adjectives. Writing about the “tall, formidable, dark, mountains in Jasper National Park” get tiresome to read. Choose which adjective is most important and remove the rest.

Increase your chances of becoming a published travel writer by avoiding the common mistakes when writing, querying, and submitting. Good writing takes practice and before you have your first successful submission, you may experience some rejections. But once you’ve been rejected a few times, it makes acceptance that much sweeter.

The post Creative Spotlight: Avoid These Common Travel Writer Mistakes appeared first on CopyPressed.

Did you know that your “About Us” page is the second or third-most looked at page on your website? That’s right, after your home page, the “About” page is the first place most customers go to check out who the face behind the business is.

People like to buy from people they know, like, and trust. This is common knowledge in sales, but when it comes to websites, the number of people who overlook their “About Us” page is surprising because they consider it a background page that people don’t often look at.

Nothing is further from the truth. Creating a personal brand, or “selling yourself,” is as critical today as it’s ever been if you want to create a foundation of trust.

Plus, it’s fun. There are many things you can do with your “About Us” page to make it more engaging, such as telling a story, providing social proof, or making a fun video. But first, let’s look at the number one sin website owners commit when writing their “About Us” page copy.

You Make the “About Us” Page all About You!

Take a look at any small business’s “About Us” page and you’ll probably find it’s is all about them. You might not find this very surprising. It is, after all, an “About Us” page. Remember, people visit your site because they are looking for something. They have a problem that needs to be solved, and they are looking for something that solves that problem.

People are pretty self-centered by nature. This is especially true when it comes time to hand over cash for something. If your page doesn’t address their problems and present a solution, visitors are probably going to ignore it because your customers don’t care about you, they care about what you can do for them.

Enough About Us — Let’s Talk About You

Image via Pixabay by geralt

Imagine you see this example on a website for a local business, “We are a professional team of hole diggers who have been digging holes for over ten years.” Now compare it to the example, “Summer’s coming and you really want to give the kids a kiddie pool. But there’s simply no time to do the preliminary digging. No problem, we at Holes R Us have you covered.”

The second example is by far the better one. Why? Because they have identified a common problem their typical customer has, and have directly stated how they can solve it. You can talk about yourself a little after you have established yourself as the problem solver. After having their own issues addressed, most people will want to know a little about who is actually going to do the work.

Know Your Why

Simon Sinek, author and leadership consultant, said, “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The goal is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.”

Share with your customers why you’re in business. The purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you to do what you do can resonate deeply with other people, and once you form this deep connection with others, they’re more likely to be loyal to you. When customers form this kind of attachment to a brand, it becomes difficult to separate themselves from that brand and form an attachment to another one. The easiest way to do this is to share your beliefs or values.

Statements like these resonate with people on a deep level and foster a sense of trust in you and your brand.

• “We believe small businesses are the backbone of the economy. They can be at the forefront of innovation and be a force for change.”

• “We believe every child has potential, which is why we offer programs for some of the most disadvantaged children in the country.”

• “We believe access to healthcare is the right of every American.”

Find Your Unique Voice

You don’t need a therapist to tell you that you are an individual, so don’t disappear into the ether with a lot of corporate speak that hides your true personality. Let it shine. Most people, however, find it difficult to talk about themselves, let alone discover their unique voice. A simple trick to help you get past that is writing as you speak.

Remember when you started your business and went around passionately telling everyone about what you did? That’s the voice you want to capture. Practice speaking with a close friend before you start writing and get some feedback. Once you move your mind away from “I have to write an About Us page,” you’ll find the ideas start to flow.

These things also work in your favor:

• A sense of humor is nice, but don’t overdo it. You’re showing that you’re easy and approachable, not a stand-up comedian.

• A personal story about what made you start your business can work really well, but you need to craft a story that works. Marie Catribs’ page is an excellent example of good storytelling.

• A video of yourself speaking directly to your audience is especially effective. It can be you speaking face-to-face to the camera, or you can use Animoto to create something even more visually appealing. However, don’t rely on video exclusively.  Your carefully crafted words combined with video will have a better effect on the audience.

• Infographics are all the rage, and they have great visual impact. CopyPress has its own infographics service that is great for summarizing quick facts or creating timelines in a beautifully visual way. Simple banners are also good for jazzing up an otherwise boring photo of yourself.

But Where’s The Proof?

Social proof is one of the most important things you can have on your “About Us” page. If you have helped others achieve success and/or you have facts and figures to support your business, include them. These are best presented using either an infographic or worked into the theme template. It’s proof of how great you are without you having to brag.

If you think of your ‘”About Us” page as your pre-sales page, you’ll realize what an important job it has to do. However, if you treat it as a chore, it will come across in your message. Follow these guidelines and have some fun with it. Remember, if you still have trouble writing one of the most important pages on your site, you can always hire a professional to do it for you.

The post Creative Spotlight: Why Your “About Us” Page Isn’t Really About You At All appeared first on CopyPressed.

Whether you are a startup getting off the ground or a seasoned business, one of the toughest tasks for a company is to find someone to create content. To lessen the costs of adding another desk and payroll, companies turn to freelancers for projects such as creating logos, posting updates on their websites, or organizing email campaigns. Unfortunately, there are thousands of people who all raise their hands for the job, so it’s hard to know who to turn to. If you want to hire the right freelancer, use these seven tips to help you out.

1. Ask for Recommendations

More than likely, someone you know has used a freelancer, especially if they’re in the same field as you. Or, you can ask friends or family if they know a person who would be great at producing content. Having someone recommend a freelancer to you is easier than searching through job boards and online portfolios.

Don’t have someone to ask? LinkedIn just released a feature called ProFinder. This connects companies to freelancers directly, which is easier than looking through job boards.

2. Check Out Their Online Presence

If you’re unable to ask someone if they know a freelancer, hit the web. As you’re looking through online freelancer portfolios, keep a few things in mind. Check for accurate grammar and language usage. If they look good, that’s one good sign you have found a reputable freelancer. However, it’s best to move on if a website looks disorganized or disjointed.

Also, find out if they’re active on social media. Freelancers must create a brand for themselves to get hired. Are they updating their profiles consistently? Even having one social media profile helps you see how often they post online, and what kind of content they post. Social media changes often, and they need to keep up, especially if you’re looking for someone to manage your profiles or introduce you to new ones. You want to work with someone who helps get your content shared all over the internet.

3. Look at Their Samples and Resume

Image via Flickr by librarianidol

If their home page looks great, check out their samples. They should have a portfolio page showcasing their best work. It should look completed, and their role in the projects should be clear. If they worked for a major publication or company, double-check the information is correct.

There are people who are transitioning from a corporate job into freelancing, and haven’t worked independently yet. They want a web presence, so they use their previous skills and create samples of potential work. This is helpful for the employer looking for a freelancer. It shows the ability they have to create content for your company. Also, freelancers usually have their resume on their about page. Make sure it’s easy to understand and the kind of style you’re looking for.

4. Read Their Testimonials

So the samples and home page look great, but an added bonus for a freelancer is having testimonials. Some have a page dedicated to satisfied clients, or they give you references to contact. It’s a sense of security that someone is trustworthy.

Don’t pass over a freelancer if they don’t have testimonials, however. As stated earlier, some are just getting started in their career and may not have testimonials to show. If their samples stand out, ask for references from their previous employer. These insights on how well someone performed shows what attributes, positive or negative, they may carry over into their new field.

5. Pay Attention to Communication Skills

When you’re ready to interview a freelancer, do they respond immediately? Or are they replying days later? This might sound odd, but even how someone responds to an interview request might show you how well they communicate with you and your team. A reliable freelancer comes across as professional in email replies, listens to your needs, and provides insight on how to meet your goals. When interviewing a freelancer, notice if they talk about their work in great detail, or how their biggest assets will generate growth for your company. Move on if they give short or vague answers.

6. Notice Their Understanding of Your Needs

Speaking of needs, just because a freelancer who replies quickly doesn’t mean they’re the right one for you. Their job is to make sure they understand your vision. It doesn’t matter if they’re writing a newsletter or creating a graphic design. A worthy freelancer works with you and delivers a product that you are happy with. Make sure you’re communicating all your needs, including branding or the company’s tone.

If they are arguing with you over what they’re delivering or turning in work late, cut ties with them. Have them send you a sample to look over. You’ll see if they understand what you’re looking for before hiring them for work.

7. Listen to the Voice Inside Your Head

Even after checking their website and social media profiles, interviewing them, and receiving a sample of their work, listen to what your gut is saying. Do you get a positive vibe from this person, or are you questioning how they’ll work with your company? Just because someone looks great on paper doesn’t mean they’re the one to hire for your company. It’s key to have a freelancer you’re comfortable with. This creates a great working relationship with them, so when you need another project done, they’re the first person you call. Having a go-to freelancer means less stress for you. You won’t have to find another freelancer and showing them your style.

Freelancers are here to take tasks off companies’ hands, but not all freelancers are the same. Hiring a freelancer requires not only good references, but someone who understands your needs, has a legitimate online presence, and communicates well with you and your team. Use these tips to start your hunt for the perfect freelancer.

The post Creative Spotlight: How to Find the Right Freelancer for Your Company: 7 Tips for Businesses appeared first on CopyPressed.

Author: Meghan Williams

Meghan is a freelance writer with a passion for creating effective content. She holds CopyPress certifications in CopyPress Writer, Copywriting, Infographic Writer, and Product Copy Writer.

When it comes to developing blog content, selecting good images to accompany your text is one of the best practices of modern content management. The reason? Images make blog posts look better, improve readability, increase search engine traffic, and in many cases, help reduce website bounce rates. If you regularly write blog posts, here are six tips to help you ensure that your content always features awesome visuals.

1. Use Relevant Keywords to Find Images

When searching for images, get in the habit of using keywords that relate to the content of your post. Are you writing about black and white photography? If so, some relevant keywords might be “photography camera,” “photography equipment,” or “photographer.” How about hot air ballooning in New Mexico? In that case, try your search using keywords like “hot air balloon,” “hot air balloon new mexico,” or “hot air balloon festival new mexico.” Whatever your topic, make sure your keywords are specific enough to target the best images, but not too specific that they overly narrow your search results.

If you ever have trouble identifying appropriate keywords, try using a keyword search tool like Google Keyword Planner or Keyword Tool.

Only Select Images Related to Your Post

As you consider potential images, make sure they relate to your content. It’s not imperative that the images be literal representations, but the connection between them, the blog text, and the headline should be clear. If you’re ever struggling to find blog images, you can gain some inspiration by doing a Google Image search to see how others have illustrated the idea.

You can also tweak your posts’ headlines to include words that have distinct imagery associated with them, like “slice,” “shatter,” and “ignite.”  It’s sometimes easier to find illustrations that relate to these words even if they don’t literally relate to your blog content.

Only Select High-Quality Images

Image via Flickr by xumet

This may seem like an obvious tip, but with the abundance of low-quality images floating around the web, it’s easy to select a visual that fails to illustrate the topic of your blog post optimally. Avoid this by choosing images that are crisp, clear, authentic, and interesting. Your chosen illustrations should always be high-resolution (though not too high) and never have plain white backgrounds, poor lighting, or clashing color schemes.

Keep in mind: If your blog images aren’t high-quality, you will risk losing the blog’s credibility and your own authority as an online writer, so choose carefully.

Make Sure Images Are Sized Correctly

Although you can usually adjust the size and aspect ratio of images using a photo editor, it’s always better to select illustrations that are close to your desired proportions. Will your blog post look best with a large picture that’s in portrait orientation? Or maybe a small picture with equal dimensions? Or maybe even an image with a width that’s much larger than its height? Try to find a great image that already fits these size specifications, if possible, so you won’t have to do lots of editing later.

Another important consideration: Image size directly relates to the speed at which your webpage loads. The average webpage visitor will abandon a page if it doesn’t load in three seconds so steer clear of very large images unless you know how to properly optimize them for the web.

Make Sure Your Images Are Visible Across Devices

These days, an increasing number of Internet users are accessing the web from mobile devices. According to The International Data Organization, an estimated two billion people worldwide will use a mobile device to surf the Internet in 2016. Even more shocking? That number will likely rise by two percent every year through 2020. For this reason, you must choose images that aren’t just clearly visible on computer screens, but also on smartphones, tablets, and more.

Ensure that you’re using the right images by selecting ones that are at least 200 pixels x 200 pixels, but not too large that they affect webpage load times, as mentioned above. Be especially careful when inserting screenshots or images with text overlays, as these are not always visible across devices. If your blogging platform lets you preview your posts on different screen sizes, take advantage of this feature before submitting your work.

Be Aware of Image Copyrights

When you’re on the hunt for illustrations, it’s tempting to pull them directly from a Google Image search. Don’t do this. Many images found on Google are copyrighted and if used illegally could land you in serious trouble. Instead, you can pay for photos through sites like Shutterstock or get them completely free (but provide attribution) through sites like Flickr Creative Commons. If you absolutely must use Google, you can filter the search results to only display those that are “Labeled for reuse.”

You can also avoid potential copyright issues by hiring a photographer to take your photos, by taking them yourself, or by creating your own custom blog images online.

Optimizing Images for Search Engines

Once you’ve chosen awesome blog images, you still need to optimize them for search engine rankings. After all, what good are stellar visuals if they don’t help you attract readers? Start this process by giving your illustrations accurate and keyword-rich file names. This means that the default “some number.jpeg” name won’t cut it. Always rename your images based on what you want them to rank for and use hyphens between words.

Once you’ve uploaded your image to a blogging platform, there are a few more SEO optimization steps to take:

• Add Alt text: The Alt text, or alternate text, is what appears in place of your image if it doesn’t load. The Alt text should accurately describe your image and be keyword-rich.
• Use captions: Captions appear directly below images and are a great place to describe the picture or give credit.
• Place images strategically: To improve readability, place images appropriately throughout the text. They don’t just have to appear at the top.

Choosing the best blog images is crucial for the success of your blog. By following these six tips you’ll not only select images that look awesome, but also ones that will help your blog posts perform better from a reader and search engine perspective.

The post Creative Spotlight: 6 Tips for Selecting Awesome Blog Images appeared first on CopyPressed.