Why Hiring Professionals Prevents Distractions
Is it uncomfortable in here or is it just me?
I hate wearing constricting clothing. I hate it so much that when I'm wearing a tight pair of slacks or a jacket that restricts my arm movements it's all I think about. I can't get any work done because so much of my mental energy is going towards my angst.
I'm not crazy. Studies have shown that multitasking limits productivity. Douglas Merrill over at Forbes wrote a great blog about multitasking and productivity, if you haven't already read about it.
Isn't fussing mentally about something while you're trying to work multitasking? I'm going somewhere with this, I promise.
I'd like you to think about all of the things that makes you uncomfortable.
Are you still with me?
Imagine how hard it would be for a person to concentrate on your site's message or sale pitch if there was something that was bothering them.
Ahh, see I told you all this was going somewhere.
It is important to remove all distractions from your site so that your visitors can concentrate on your message. So what are some things that can distract a visitor? Here are just a few:
Misspelled words
Bad grammar
Cap locks
Poor design
Garish colors
Bad stock photos
You get the idea.
The best way to ensure that your site isn't distracting is to hire a designer to give you a professional, slick site design that focuses on your content and content specialist to ensure that the content isn't distracting from your message. If you don't hire me, then hire someone. Your message deserves a distraction-free environment.
What to Read this Week: March 2-8, 2015
Content packages keep your customers up-to-date.
Every Monday, I will share with you some of the best marketing, content and business articles on the web. Here's what I'm loving this week:
5 Pointless Marketing Metrics You Can Stop Tracking Today
I think a lot of people have gone overboard with tracking, so I love seeing articles like this one by Rachel Sprung. Email opens, Facebook likes, ad impressions, blog comments and the like don't really tell you if you are succeeding at your marketing goals.
Top 15 FREE Internet Marketing Tools To Boost Your Online Business
Nothing is better than free, especially when you are trying to keep up with the big boys on a startup's budget. That's why I love with roundup by Kulwant Nagi. Some of these tools are even useful if you've been in business for years, like me.
Creating and Optimizing a Profile that Attracts Prospects
Okay, so this is watching more than reading, but I wanted to put these videos into this list. The guys over at Linked University are experts in using LinkedIn to make money, so give these videos a look. Everyone could use a little profile sprucing.
Twitter Chat Schedule
Want to make new connections on Twitter? Then join Twitter chats. This Twitter chat schedule tells you when chats are going down and the associated hashtags.
Do you know of any other good articles, pages or sites? Tell me about them!
Glen Hovey RedRain Energy Drink Scam
If you have read this blog at all, you know that I like trolling scam artists, then posting their emails here. I know that there are freelance writers out there looking for side income, so that is why I post scams here.
Today, we have one for wrap advertising for RedRain Energy Drink. Here are the emails that were sent to me. No, I made sure not to send him my bank information. lol
Hello,
Wrap advertising is the marketing practice of completely or partially covering (wrapping) a vehicle in an advertisement or livery, thus turning it into a mobile billboard. This can be achieved by simply painting the vehicle surface, but it is becoming more common today to use large vinyl sheets as decals. These can be removed with relative ease, making it much less expensive to change from one advertisement to another. Vehicles with large, flat surfaces, such as buses and light-rail carriages, are fairly easy to work with, though smaller vehicles with curved surfaces can also be wrapped in this manner. Wrap advertising is available to anybody irrespective of the vehicle you drive.
We are currently seeking to employ individuals world wide as we look to expand our market thus, introducing (RedRain Energy Drink) to every nooks and crannies especially in the USA. How would you like to make money by simply driving your vehicle or banner wrapped for RedRain Energy Drink®
How it works?
Here's the basic premise of the "paid to drive" concept: RedRain Energy Drink® seeks people -- regular citizens, professional drivers to go about their normal routine as they usually do - 'which means there are no OBLIGATIONS whatsoever as to how many miles you have to cover' only with a big advert for " RedRain Energy Drink®" plastered on your vehicle. The ads are typically vinyl decals, also known as "auto wraps,"that almost seem to be painted on the vehicle, and which will cover any portion of your vehicle's exterior surface.
Don't Have a vehicle?
If you don't have a vehicle, you can also participate if you have a bike or scooter.
What does the company get out of this type of ad strategy?
Lots of exposure and awareness.. The auto wraps tend to be colorful, eye-catching and attract lots of attention. Plus, it's a form of advertising with a captive audience,meaning people who are stuck in traffic can't avoid seeing the wrapped vehicle alongside them. This program will last for 3 months and the minimum you can participate is a month.
What is the Contract Duration?
Once the wrap has been installed, minimum term is 4 weeks and maximum is 18 weeks.
Would the wrap/decal damage the paint of my vehicle?
The decal doesn't damage the paint of the vehicle and will be removed by our representative once the contract expires. We will be responsible for installation and removal of the wrap.
You will be compensated with $300.00 per week which is essentially a "rental"payment for letting our company use the exterior space(excludes your windows and windscreens) on your vehicle and no fee is required from you. RedRain Energy Drink® shall provide experts that would handle the advert placing on your vehicle and also the removal. You will receive an upfront payment of $300.00 in check that will be sent to you via a registered courier service for accepting to carry this advert on your vehicle or via DIRECT DEPOSIT.
It is very easy and simple no application fees required. Get back with the following details if you are interested in this offer.
For check payment please fill in the information below:
Applicant information:
Name :
Full Street Address(not PO BOX) :
APT #:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Age:
Bank Name:
Routing #:
Account #:
We shall contact you as soon as the required information is received. Please note that you do not need to fill in the Direct Deposit details if you wish to be paid with check.
Best Regards,
Glen Hovey harriettk@hotmail.com
Hiring Manager
RedRain Energy Drink®
Hello,
Thank you for your swift response and willingness to participate in this Ad progam. To this effect, you are advise to check your email regularly for updates on your upfront payment and the Graphic Artist information.
1) The first payment will come as a check in the mail. The check payment will cover both the installation, removal fee and the $300.00 accrued to you. We will be responsible for any cost incurred during the course of this program . You are to deposit and cash the check payment as soon as you receive it for the decal wrapping of your vehicle, deduct the $300.00 accrued to you as your up-front payment and, the rest of the funds will be paid to cover the Graphic artist payment for the decal installation and removal on your vehicle.
Nevertheless, it is paramount for you to confirm the acceptance and understanding of this email. Please note that the graphic artist payment covers the installation and removal fee of the wrap on your vehicle. The installation and removal process will be done at your address and will only take up to 2-3hrs. Subsequent payment of $300.00 will come in the mail every Tuesday of the week.
2) You will pay the Graphic artist as instructed, Details of how to make payment will be related to you as soon as you receive payment.. The Information which you will make payment to will also be emailed to you soon.
3) We'll like you to confirm Information about your car as below:
i) Type of Automobile and Color :
ii) Model/Year :
iii) Present Condition and the Mileage:
Note: Please confirm that you receive this message so as to process payment that would be sent to you for the Ad program.
All other instructions will be related in due course.
Please confirm below that you received and understood the content of this email:
I....................Confirm to have received this email and understand the content.
Best Regards, Glen Hovey Hiring Manager RedRain Energy Drink®
Alina,
Report reaching my desk this morning has is that the check payment in the amount of $2450.00 will be delivered to your address today for the decal wrapping of your vehicle. Kindly confirm and track via USPS.com with the tracking number 9405503699300488826160.
Proceed to deposit the check into your bank account as soon as you receive it. Funds will be available for withdrawal 24hrs after the check is deposited.
I will be waiting for a confirmation message immediately the check is deposited.
Further instructions on how to make payment to the graphic artist will be emailed to you shortly.
Kindly confirm in your response if you have
* Received the check in the same amount stated above
* Deposited the check yet, if YES
* Please confirm the day of deposit
The same graphic artist will be responsible for the installation of the decal and also the removal of the decal when the program is completed.
The decal installation will be done at your address. A telephone appointment will be made with you prior to the installation to stipulate a convenient day and time for the installation process.
You will review and sign a copy of the contract that will be handed to you by the graphic artist indicating how long you want your vehicle to be wrapped for, and giving us full consent to wrap your vehicle for this Ad program.
Kindly send me an email or text message as soon as the check is deposited today.
Do not hesitate to email or call me if you require additional information. Acknowledge receipt of this email immediately and looking forward to your email with status update.
I'll await your swift response.
Best Regards,
Glen Hovey glenhovey2@msn.com
RedRain Energy Drink®
Alina,
Report reaching me this morning has it that funds have been authorized on the check payment in the amount of $2450.00 that was sent to you for the decal wrapping of your vehicle.
You are to deduct $300.00 which is accrued to you for the first week and forward the balance to the graphic artist head office via Westernunion transfer. A LOCAL graphic artist will be assigned and sent to your address to install the wrap on your vehicle.
The same graphic artist will be responsible for the installation of the decal and also the removal of the decal when the program is completed. Below is the name of the receiver. Kindly get back to me with the transfer information (MTCN # and the exact amount sent).
All transfer charges should be deducted from the remaining balance.
Please visit www.westernunion.com to check agent shops close to you and make transfer through them.
Transfer charges/cost $30 and should be deducted from the remaining funds after you must have taken the $300.00 accrued to you.
Below is the Graphic Artist Western Union Transfer Details to send the Money to:
Graphic Artist Head Office Rep. Receiver's Information:
FIRST NAME: XIAOQIAN
LAST NAME: DENG
ADDRESS: 8 Huguang Middle St
CITY: CHAOYANG
STATE: BEIJING
COUNTRY: CHINA
EMAIL: redrain@graphic-designer.com
Kindly get back with the information below once the transfer has been completed.
MTCN Number & Total Amount Sent
FAQ:
-Why am I sending money to China?
The head office of the graphic artist is China. In addition, the decal wraps are produced and manufactured in China. Cost of sending to china is less than sending within the state that is why they prefer all funds directed to the head office (China). As soon as payment is acknowledged by them, a local person (graphic artist) in your zip code will come to your house and install the decal wrap on your vehicle. An appointment will be made with you over the phone to stipulate a covenient day and time for the installation process.He will also come along with the contract and all other document including preview pictures on how your vehicle will look when installed.
-How do I receive subsequent payment?
Payments will be mailed to you address weekly once the wrap is installed on your vehicle.
Do not hesitate to email or call me if you require additional information. Acknowledge receipt of this email immediately and looking forward to your email with status updates.
I'll await your swift response. Best Regards, Glen Hovey glenhovey2@msn.com RedRain Energy Drink® (817)523-8956
Spring Clean Your Website and Make it Shine
clean your website
Just like your home, your website needs a good scouring every now and then, too. As spring slowly inches its way into the present, clear out your site's cobwebs, dust off your content and polish your visuals.
Tidy Up Your Cobwebs
Over time, your site collects cobwebs that need to be periodically cleared out. Take the time to clean these little buggers out, and your site will rank better.
Old code is something that can accumulate and make your site slower. Joe Foley has a great tutorial for cleaning up old code: 10 Quick Ways to Clean Up and Optimize Your WordPress Site
Another thing that can accumulate like cobwebs on your granny's front porch is broken links. Broken links not only frustrate your readers, Google doesn't like them either. You can manually go through all of your pages and posts, check each link and delete the broken links. Another option is installing a plugin to WordPress sites that clears out bad links for you or, if your don't have a WP site, you can use software. There are many software programs and plugins that can help you sweep away your bad links in a jiff, for free. One good plugin is Broken Link Checker.
Do Some Content Dusting
dusting
If you haven't touched your site's blog posts or articles since they were published, they're covered with a fine layer of dust. The dust is all of the things you missed adding when you first published the post or things you need to update to make it search engine friendly. Revisit them and squirt them with a little cleanser, then wipe them down:
Add H2 headers to sections.
Add a couple of great images, complete with meta, descriptions and captions.
Be sure that your post has a meta description.
Check for any misspellings or typos.
Add bullet points to clarify any points.
Remove excess keywords, links and ads.
Add Tweetable Text. Here's an example:
[bctt tweet="Cleaning out your site's cobwebs make it rank better. Get rid of broken links and old code. #sitespringcleaning" via="no"]
Look! Your content's all pretty, so share it again! In fact, tweet it to me @alinabradford and use the hashtag #SiteSpringClean.
adam lambert cleaning
Polish that Sucker 'Till it Shines
Finally, add some little touches to your site that makes it just a little snazzier.
Change your font so that it is easier to read. Take a look at Avoiding Font Failures: Choosing the Right Fonts For Your Website for tips.
Add links to your social media accounts so your visitors know where they can follow you.
Simplify your menu so that it is easier to use.
Mmm, smell that fresh, piney scent? That's the smell of a clean website.
Get Better at Business in Just 90 Seconds
Please enjoy today's guest post.
90 second business tips
The average American worker puts in 5.2 more hours per week than the average French worker, 4.1 more than the average German, and 2.6 more than the average Brit, according to a recent study by two European Economists at the Center for Economic Policy Research 1.
"We're a nation of strivers," said Jim Fannin, a success coach who has been coaxing peak performance from blue-chip professional athletes, Olympians, and C-Suite executives from many of America's best-known companies for more than 35 years. "The great tragedy is that so many Americans of genuine ability never ask themselves the single most important question that would help make them happier at home and more productive at work."
Those hungry for success would be wise to consider what true champions do differently than their less successful counterparts, he insists.
"Can you think and work less while producing more at work and home? Absolutely. That's how the best in the world do it," Fannin said.
Having coached an abundance of MLB All-Stars, NFL All-Pros and world-ranked golf and tennis professionals, Jim Fannin has made a life-long, detailed study of the champion's mind.
"What surprises many is that an average performer can become outstanding by strategically investing just 3 percent of his or her day in focused 90-second bursts," said Fannin, who developed many of his 90-second tools and techniques while coaching seven professional tennis players - top 0 world ranking - to use the minute and a half between sets to get in the Zone.
Fannin's private coaching clients have used the dozens of 90-second tools and techniques that are part of his thought management system to prevail in the moments that matter most. Fannin's powerful, proven rules have transformed an error-prone rookie shortstop into MLB's highest-paid player. They have helped an LPGA player to win her first major tournament.
Five of Fannin's 90-Second Rules have also been quietly applied by ordinary Americans to rejuvenate marriages, restore strained relationships between parents and children, and create lives of simplicity, balance and abundance.
Here are some tips that you can implement into your own work life.
Breathe Like a Baby
When you need to clear your mind and slow the game down, use this technique. Unhinge your jaw. Relax your shoulders. Place your palm on your stomach, inhale and exhale deeply. Feel the tension melt away as you count your breaths for 90 seconds.
Go to Higher Ground
True champions do not let challenges in one arena of life affect performance in the other arenas. "Going to higher ground is a focused, 90-second weekly review of the written goals for each area of your life so that you have clarity and keep challenges in perspective," Fannin said.
Isolate the Essential Skill
True champions think deeply about their craft so that they can enter the Zone. "The essential skill for a hitter in baseball is to hit the ball solidly with the barrel of the bat so that the ball gets past the defense before they can field it," Fannin said. Because they have isolated the key skill, every baseball player Fannin coaches steps into the batter's box and uses a simple affirmation. Just ask recent Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas and he'll respond, 'I hit solid.'
Be the Palm Tree
When seconds count this tools works. True champions must sometimes absorb negative energy to stay in the Zone. "In the winds of a hurricane, the palm tree bends, but it does not break," Fannin said. "By visualizing a palm tree staying strong in the rain, a champion can keep harmful emotions in check."
Jim Fannin
ABOUT JIM FANNIN
Jim Fannin coaches champions. He has personally coached many of the world's best athletes and top business leaders for more than 40 years. From 26 MLB All Stars to Fortune 500 executives, Jim's client list is a who's who that includes best-selling authors, Hall-of-Fame pro athletes, Olympic medalists, and innovative business leaders. He is the author of S.C.O.R.E.® for Life, Pebble in the Shoe™ and 90-Seconds To A Great Relationship™ and the creator of the 90-Second Rule thought management system. To learn more, visit www.90secondRule.com .
Make More Money: Master Classes for Freelance Writers
Are you a freelance writer that wants to give your career a boost? Want to make more money? Join my Master Class for Freelance Writers.
On my work site, I recently set up content creation classes for those who want to learn how to write interesting articles and blogs for their brand's website. It occurred to me that freelancers may be interested in signing up, too, so I am announcing a master class for freelance writers.
This week-long class will feature:
-How to hook a client without selling out
-Make your call to action sizzle so your readers can't wait to hire you
-Twitter tricks for sharing your business that no one has told you
-A full critique of an article that you wrote with ways to improve your writing style
-An analysis of your writing brand and tips on improving it
Why should you take a class from me? I have been a freelance writer for almost two decades and have worked with big brands such as Angie's List, Zappos and StubHub, as well as big publishers such as Prevention Magazine, USA Today and more.
Does RantLifestyle Pay its Writers?
If you are thinking about applying at RantLifestyle, you may want to hold off. This is an email I just received about their pay:
Hello, thank you for contacting me. My name is Chris Gamble and I am the Hiring Manager for RantLifestyle. RantLifestyle is one of the fastest growing websites on the internet with over nine million unique visitors over the last 30 days and over 200 million page views during that same span.
To start, all writers must start as unpaid contributors. There is no quota to meet but writers are working to improve their writer’s score to join our paid staff. If your writer’s score is good (we rank writers on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best) you could be asked to join our staff as a paid writer. There are two tiers of paid writers. The first tier makes $25 per month with a 50/50 split of the advertising revenue from page views that also comes with a quota of 25 articles per month that must be met in order to be paid. The second tier can be paid anywhere from $150-250 per month plus the 50/50 split of advertising revenue. The second tier comes with a quota of 40 articles a month.
Articles have to be at least 200 words and generally no longer than 750 words. Writers are given the freedom to come up with their own ideas but we do offer suggestions and have some slideshows that our authors sign up for on a first-come, first-serve basis. Slideshows are where authors make the most money when it comes to revenue share since each slide counts as a page view.
If this interests you please send me a writing sample and we can move forward. I look forward to hearing back from you. If you have any questions please let me know.
100 Content Marketers to Follow on Twitter in 2015
Hey, that's me!
For the second time, I have been named a person to follow on Twitter. This time, I was named one of the 100 Content Marketers to Follow on Twitter in 2015 by Witty Parrot. A while back, I was named one of the 50 Content Marketers to Follow on Twitter by Cision. If you are interested in learning marketing tips, I highly recommend following some of my peers on the list.
Oh, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter, too! I'm @alinabradford .
award witty parrot
Business Goals for 2015
Happy New Year's!
Today, I'd like to talk a little bit about goals. Every New Year's I set new goals for my business. Why goals and not resolutions? I feel like resolutions makes things sound trite. My business isn't about wishy-washy resolutions. Business is serious. If it wasn't, it would be a hobby. Also, resolutions are seen as something that can be broken. Goals aren't broken; they are something to strive for. [bctt tweet="Even if I don't succeed in a goal, the attempt moves me forward and progress is always good."]
So I set goals.
My 2014 Goals
My 2014 goals went incredibly well. Here is what I set out to do in 2014:
Quadruple my earnings from 2013. (Yup, check!)
Sell one of my websites for a profit. (Check, check! Plus, I sold extra content to the company that bought the site.)
Break 1,000 followers on Twitter. (100% organic. No bought followers!)
Revamp my website. (Look around! It's awesome!)
Business goals
My 2015 Business Goals
I not only accomplished my goals in 2014, I exceeded them. I want to continue the momentum into 2015. Here are my goals for the new year:
Create fantastic, helpful content for the readers of this blog and post it every Thursday. (Make sure to subscribe so that you don't miss a post! Just add your email to the form on the right.)
Quadruple my income from 2014. (I quadrupled my income from 2013, so why not do it again?)
Increase my online following.
I'll probably add more goals to my list as the year progresses. I like to reevaluate things as the year gets underway and add extra goals.
What are your business goals for 2015? Tell me here, or tweet me @alinabradford.
Don't Tweet with the Crowd
best tweet time
I've written 100s of tweets for my clients, but I had never been a big user of twitter for myself. Until recently.
No doubt, you've seen a lot of infographics that say that you should tweet from 1 to 3pm to get the most views. While the most people may be using Twitter during this time, that doesn't mean your tweet is getting any notice.
My daughter told me an interesting story that she learned at school the other day. Fish swim in large groups because staying in a group makes them less likely to get eaten. The predator won't be able to decide which one to eat if they all look the same and swim together.
The same is true for your tweets, or any social media post. If you are doing the same thing as everyone else, readers won't be able to pick you out of a group. People widely believe 1 to 3pm is the best time to post, so Twitter feeds are going to drowning in posts. Your post may get a few more glances during this time, but I doubt many people will click because there are too many choices.
This is why I post when experts tell you not to. Your post stands out! When I was doing tweets the "right" way I wasn't getting any likes or follows. As soon as I went against the flow, things started to happen. With each tweet I have gained at least three new followers.
5 Tips for Getting Really Good at Twitter
content marketing award
Recently, I was named one of the 2015 Top 50 Content Marketers to Follow on Twitter. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised. Before the summer of 2014, I never really bothered with Twitter. I concentrated on Pinterest, Google+ and Facebook. I struggled with Facebook after they've made so many changes and I realized that it may not be the best social media site for my type of business. So, I decided to give Twitter a shot. I mean, I had an account, I just wasn't using it. I've done plenty of Twitter work for clients. Why wasn't I using it for my own business? Well, that decision was a fantastic move. I now have more than 1,000 followers and I didn't buy a single one, either. What did I do to get so many followers and to get named as a person to follow?
1. Start Thinking Like a Follower
getting twitter followers
One of the best things I did was change my way of thinking. I'm hard headed, so this was a challenge! I stopped thinking like a business owner and started thinking like a follower. When I started posting the kind of tweets I would like to see, people took notice.
2. Don't Think too Hard
Some people can spend 30 minutes composing a tweet. No need to be fancy! Sometimes, you don't need to think too hard about a tweet. Just post the name of the article you are linking to, if the title's good. No need to reinvent when things are already great.
3. Hashtag, Hashtags, Hashtags
Always use hashtags on Twitter.
ALWAYS use hashtags. I can't stress this enough. Hashtags are how people find you. Without a hashtag your tweets are only going to be seen by your current followers and you won't pick up any new ones. Make sure your hashtag is a keyword or phrase that people are actually searching for, though. You don't want to have a useless hashtag taking up precious character space.
4. Post Throughout the Day
Post at least once in the morning, once in the evening and once at night. I find this is a good practice to catch people who visit Twitter at different times.
5. Ditch the Follower to Following Ratio
Don't worry about your followers / following ratio. Once upon a time, marketing gurus told you that your following number should be way less than your follower number. A small following number made it seem like you're an authority and people were coming in droves to follow you without any reciprocation. Notice how I'm using past tense to describe this tidbit of advice. It is no longer true.
I've found that if you don't follow back, you will get unfollowed in less than 24 hours for every 1 out of 10 follows. There are apps that allow people to find out who isn't following them back and lets them to unfollow those people with the click of a button.
I'm not saying you need to follow every single person that follows you. That would make your feed full of stuff you don't give two shriveled bananas about. If you like someone's tweets, though, follow them! You might just learn something from them.
Got any Twitter tips you would like to share? Tell me on Twitter! My not so clever Twitter handle is@alinabradford .
Cision’s Top 50 Content Marketing Influencers On Twitter List Released
One of my marketing tweets.
Here is a press release that talks about how I made it onto the top 50 Marketing Influencers on Twitter list. Make sure you follow me and the other good people listed.
By analyzing current conversations, keywords, hashtags and trending topics on Twitter, Cision identifies and ranks the most influential content marketers in the U.S.
CHICAGO (Dec. 08, 2014) – Cision, a leading provider of cloud-based public relations and social software, today released its Top 50 Content Marketing Influencers on Twitter list. According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing consumer behavior.” It’s one of the most prevalent modern marketing and PR tactics used by brands today, with nine out of 10 organizations utilizing it, according to a Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs study.
With the vast majority of brands implementing content marketing, experts in the field are shaping strategies and driving tactics for millions of brands worldwide. This list outlines the 50 most influential content marketers on Twitter in the U.S. as identified by Cision’s “Influencer Search” tool. This real-time tool analyzes current conversations, keywords, hashtags and trending topics on Twitter to identify and rank individuals’ influence by topic.
Influencers featured on this list have diverse professional backgrounds and includes content marketers, public relations practitioners, entrepreneurs, marketers, freelancers and more. Their combined expertise has created best-selling books, highly-respected blogs and inspirational conference keynotes that help push the public relations industry forward.
“Content marketing is a foundational component of modern PR,” said Cision Chief Marketing Officer Mark Thabit. “With audiences suffering from an overwhelming amount of content fatigue, it’s those PR pros that do content marketing right who will stand out in 2015. This list allows practitioners to easily follow, learn from and engage with the leading content marketers today.”
The top 50 social media marketing influencers on Twitter (in alphabetical order) are:
Jay Baer
Bernie Borges
Alina Bradford
Michael Brenner
David Burn
Brian Clark
Gini Dietrich
Bryan Eisenberg
Meryl K Evans
Bob Geller
Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt
Alexis Grant
Ally Greer
Lin Grensing-Pophal
Ann Handley
Ryan Hanley
Kathryn Hawkins
John Haydon
Kristi Hines
John Jantsch
Jeff Korhan
Shelly Kramer
Joe Lazauskas
Rebecca Lieb
Geoff Livingston
Kari Lloyd
Stephanie Losee
Michelle Manafy
Drew McLellan
Tabitha Naylor
Michael Neubarth
Syed Noman Ali
Lee Odden
Steve Olenski
Nancy Shonka Padberg
Ryan Petersen
Lisa Petrilli
Joe Pulizzi
Mark Ragan
Francisco Rosales
Barbara Rozgonyi
Ruben Sanchez
Mike Sansone
Neal Schaffer
Bill Slawski
Ann Smarty
Mari Smith
Stanford Smith
Denise Wakeman
Peter Winick
To learn more about each content marketing influencer, read the full analysis here.
About Cision:
Cision is a leading provider of public relations software that enables professionals to plan, execute and measure influencer-oriented campaigns in one integrated platform. Communication professionals use Cision to access the world’s largest pitchable media and blogger database, distribute press releases, manage influencer outreach, measure social media activities, and analyze the effectiveness of campaigns. Cision, which recently combined with Vocus, also represents the Gorkana Group, Visible Technologies, PRWeb, Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and iContact brands. Headquartered in Chicago, Cision has over 100,000 customers and maintains offices in Canada, England, France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and China. For more information, visit www.cision.com or follow @Cision on Twitter.
Page Views Don't Define Your Site
Your pageviews don't mean anything.
Usually, when you ask someone how their site is doing, they will say, "Oh, it's doing great! I'm getting (fill in the blank) page views!" That doesn't really answer your question, does it? But you probably do the same thing when someone asks about your site.
Let's get one thing straight. Large page view numbers doesn't ensure that you sale a lot of product. It doesn't guarantee ad clicks. The only thing it really helps is to sale ads to companies. If that isn't your focus, then you shouldn't try so hard to increase your page views. You can still make a lot of money with low page views.
stop talking about page views
You won't believe how many times I've visited SEO forums or webmaster forums to see dozens of posts that basically say the same thing: "I have more than 30,000 views per day, but only make $.17 from AdSense." It makes sense that these people are complaining or looking for help. That's big numbers with very little reward.
There are a few reasons why these website owners aren't making what they think they should be from their site.
The Revenue Style is Wrong
I've been in the content business for almost two decades and I've found that:
Content + the right revenue style = earnings
Some audiences are more responsive to ads while others are more responsive to book sales or product offers. It's possible that a site that isn't making a profit, but still has massive page views, is using the wrong revenue system.
For example, sites that focus on money saving tips do really well with ads. It seems like people who want to save money are ad clicking machines. On the other hand, sites about history or other educational subjects do really poorly when it comes to ad clicks, but they may do well selling study guides or tutoring sessions. Experimenting with the revenue methods on your site can make a big difference in how much you earn, regardless of how many clicks you get.
Their Site is Full of Crap
say no to click bait
Another reason a website owner may have great numbers but awful earnings are that the site is useless. For example, say Fred sets up a site about medical solutions for the elderly. Instead of providing helpful information and then selling a product, Fred advertises his site using click-bate tactics. Once the interested person clicks on his site, they realize that it is just a bunch of ads and useless crap. His click-bate tactics may have gotten people to his site, but they didn't click on any ads or buy a product because they could tell he was shifty in the first few seconds. People are smart. They know when a site is just there to grab their money.
You Don't Need a Lot of Page Views to Earn a LOT of Money
So you may be saying, "Okay, now I get why sites with a lot of page views may not make a lot of money, but I don't get a lot of page views. Can I still earn money from my site without impressive numbers?"
Yes! The site you're on right now is a great example! Take a look:
low pageviews
Believe it or not, this site only brings in 35 to 100 page views a month, but I have earned thousands from it this month. I bet your eyes are darting around looking the site over. Yep, there are no ads. I don't make money from ad clicks. I'm selling a product, which are my content writing services and website consultations. With such a great conversion rate I don't need to worry about how many people are coming to my site.
The reason I make so much money from such a small amount of visitors is that the people coming to my site are a highly targeted audience. I draw them here by advertising in very specific places where I know my audience lurks.
For example, I write articles for sites where web owners look for SEO and website tips. Then, I add my bio with a link to my site to the bottom of the article. Those readers who want to take their site to the next level with the help of an experienced content creator follow the link and hire me.
I also make sure to link to my site in my post signature on webmaster forums. You wouldn't believe how successful that technique has been.
The main point I'm trying to make here is this: you don't need a lot of page views to make money. What you do need to do is find a targeted audience that is craving your product, and then dangle your site in front of them as the go-to place for answers.
Trust me. It works.
Need help with your site? Take a look at what I offer or send me an email.
Tips to Make Writing Easier
I must admit. I’m a speedy writer. Not to say I don’t work hard to get stories in by their deadline, research new markets and craft queries. I just don’t like wasting time. I want to get it done and move onto the part I love, the actual writing.
Here are some ways I get to the fun part.
Reference at Your Fingertips
Everyone knows that you need a good dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and, of course,
The Writer’s Market
. But thumbing through these can waste huge masses of time. Besides, why buy these reference books when you can easily access them on the web? This saves time
and
money!
has a dictionary and thesaurus that are quick and easy to use. All you have to do is type your word into the box on the left-hand side of the screen. The site will give you the correct spelling, synonyms, definition, and a list of related words.
Merriam and Webster Online not only has a dictionary and thesaurus, but also
Encyclopedia Britannica
for a small monthly fee. This site also helps you with research related to the words you look up by providing helpful links.
Another great reference site is Writer’s Market.com. The digital version of this long time writer’s staple offers instant access to thousands of editors and agents just for $29.99 for a six month subscription. This is a great time saver because it is constantly being updated. No more getting returned query letters because of address changes or business mergers.
Speedy Research
Doing research is one of the biggest time eaters there is for writers. Going to the library can take up a whole day. And typing random terms into search engines can be just as time consuming. Finding several sure fire research sites is the best way to maximize writing time. The key is to stay focused on your topic. Say you are looking for information on the best places to go salmon fishing. You find several great articles on salmon fishing, but a few pop up about salmon recipes. Even if you are tempted, don’t stray over to other topics that may pique you interest. Stay focused! It saves precious time that you need to write your story.
Need really detailed information like statistics or government documents for your story? Don’t shlep to your local government agency. Turn to sites like Fedstats.gov or Firstgov.gov. Fedstats.gov has statistical data, statistical profiles of states, counties, cities, congressional districts, and federal judicial districts, while Firstgov.gov has just about any other kind of information you could want related to government agencies and policies.
Do you want to have just
one
website bookmarked where you can find all the research help you could ever need? ProfNet is the ultimate online guide to Internet research. The site includes links to expert advice, reference facilities, and news, as well as help and advice columns.
Speedy Inspiration Spawners
Expending too much time and energy trying to think of ideas for the stories themselves? The Story Generator, at Freelance Writing.com, can give you the inspiration you need with the click of a mouse. Weekly it provides new ideas in the form of the latest surveys and facts. These bits of intriguing information may inspire you to give your character a new pastime or occupation, or may give you the perfect idea for an article. A recent survey about mothers getting information from the Internet gave me the idea to write an article called “Moms on the Web.”
Another terrific place to find ideas is the covers of magazines. Standing in front of a magazine stand is a great way to jog an idea loose if you are a nonfiction writer.
Try this: Go down the rack of publications and randomly pick one. What subject does the publication specialize in? Think about that subject. Say you picked the magazine
Cat Fancy
and you want to write a children’s book. Do the characters in your book have pets? Could the character be a pet? A cat? You get the idea.
Better yet, for instant inspiration, go to
and choose a number at random for quick inspiration.
Swift Enlightenment
For most of us, going to seminars and workshops is a wistful fantasy that we put off until “we get more time.” Well, the time is now, thanks to online courses that are just as easy to attend as reading an email. Many courses simply come to your email, letting you complete each lesson at your ease. Best of all, many of them are free!
Make Time Your Own
Just remember to actually
write
. The worst problem with using the internet for research is getting so distracted with email, games, and forums that no real writing gets done. Remember to focus, and to turn your web connection completely off when you are done. Leaving it on is a temptation to procrastinate. And procrastination is the worst time waster of all.
Pinterest Tip: Less is More
better pinterest marketing
Posting photos, illustrations or infographics on Pinterest is a great way to build interest and traffic for your site. Like any great seduction, though, less is more. Leave a little to the imagination. Keep those viewers wanting more so that they follow the Pinterest post to your site to feed their curiosity, ya know?
[bctt tweet="Like with any great seduction, less is more. #Pinterestmarketing tips"]
When Too Much Is Detrimental
There is a very famous women's magazine I subscribe to that uses
consistently. Usually, this would be a boon for site traffic. The magazine makes one fatal mistake over and over again, though. They make a slide show for their articles and then proceeds to pin every single photo. Folks don't need to click through to the site because they've already seen every point article had to offer.You don't have to pin all of your slideshow to make this mistake.
Infographics are a very popular item to pin. People love those suckers! The problem is that if you pin the whole infographic to Pinterest, pinners won't follow the pin to your site. Why would they? They've already read the infographic and moved on.
Become a Temptress
pinterest sharing
The answer to over sharing is to be coy about your pins. For most articles, pick a great photo and add a great description that lures the pinner to read more.
That's it!With infographics, it is as simple as this:
1. Take a screenshot of the infographic
2. Crop out 1/3 of the infographic screenshot using a photo editor
3. Pin the edited screenshot
This will make readers click through so they can read the rest. Make sure you say in the description, "Click this pin to see the whole infographic."
The next time you use Pinterest to advertise your content, just remember to ask yourself one thing:
Pinterest tips
Am I sharing too much?
Need help with social media or online content? Contact me.
What All Businesses Need to Know Before Hiring a Content Writer
link building
Want to get better ranking on search engines? Content writers can help, but there are some things you need to know. Check out this article by Erin Everhart: 7 Things I Wish Execs Knew About Link Building
How Sidekick by Hubspot Can Help You Find Work
Right now, as I'm writing this, I'm watching alerts pop up on my screen. They are telling me that a potential client is actually opening and clicking on links in the email I just sent her. I love not needing to wonder if my emails get opened and if my clip links get clicked on.
How am I spying on my clients...or anyone else I send an email to? I installed the free app Sidekick by Hubspot into my browser. It sends me alerts when people open my emails, tells me how many times they open the email and what links in the email get clicked.
This is incredibly useful because I can see what email subjects work to peak a potential client's interest, what clip links attract the most clicks, etc.
Start using this puppy right now. You'll be glad you did.
P.S. I don't get anything for telling you about this app.
384 Free Flat Icons for Your Site
Here's a little something for your site for free.
Nothing jazzes up a site more than interesting icons. Here are 384 that you can use for free on your site courtesy of Elegant Themes.
Don't say I never gave you anything.
To download them, click on the link at the bottom of this post.
Free flat icons for your website or blog.
Dynamic Views? More Like Dismal Earnings
How to make money with blogger
I like to mess around with my personal blogs to find the best way to earn. This knowledge benefits my blogs and my customers. Recently, I have been toying with Blogger's Dynamic Views blog themes.
Here's what I've found.
Your Blogger Pageviews Skyrocket
I switched from using the generic template to the Blogger Dynamic View template. These templates look very professional, so I figured they would be a great way to spruce up
. My views went up 400%. That is a fantastic jump. There's just one problem.
Your Blogger Earnings Plumet
My earnings all but stopped. I ended up just making a couple dollars per month. Pageviews are great, but not when you aren't making any money.
The earnings dropped because when you use Dynamic Views, Blogger doesn't let you add anything to the sidebars other than one Adsense block. So you can't add affiliate advertising, links to your favorite blogs, in-line advertising...nothing. I tested my earning/views with Dynamic Views on one of my other blogs (that had a completely different audience) and found the same results.
Reboot
Just to make sure this whole thing wasn't a fluke, I tried the experiment one more time. I switched back to a basic template that allowed me to customize my Blogger blog the way I wanted. The earnings went gone up 1,088% in just a week's time. Keeping with the previous results, the page views dipped to down to 1,200 per month.
So, if you also write your own blog you may want to avoid using Dynamic View templates if you want to have control over your earnings and your sidebar information. If you want more pageviews, Dynamic View is the way to go.