Unlike paid tasks, you don’t get the luxury of an email or phone call letting you know whether you’re on the right track. Instead, comments and backlinks are the lifeblood that feeds your desire to keep pumping out posts.

So it was uplifting to be listed in Odesk’s Top 40 Writing Blogs, alongside such illustrious names as The Copywriter Underground, Copyblogger and Bob Bly (and alongside another 36 excellent writing blogs too).

Now the heat is on to carry on delivering whatever it is that’s earned me such an accolade. With so many writing blogs out there, I don’t take such recognition lightly.

If you’ve arrived here from Odesk for the first time, welcome to The Copywriter’s Crucible.

What you’ll find here are tips on improving your income, building your copywriting skills and how you can make yourself more valuable to clients.

I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my humble blog because it is, after all, you, my readers, that keeps this blog alive.

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I started blogging after being indoctrinated by ‘Naked Conversations‘ and discovering how powerful blogs are at SEO. At the time, I thought I was joining a revolution in corporate communication, and that is was inevitable that blogging about your business would become the norm.

Three years later and there hasn’t been the groundswell in business blogging that I, and many others, had anticipated/hoped for. But that doesn’t mean more won’t be blogging in the future, particularly now it’s been given the more respectable title of ‘content marketing’.

There are plenty of eBooks, studies and surveys on the benefits of blogging for businesses. And one survey receiving a lot of blog posts and Tweets at the moment is that of HubSpot (creators of the popular Website Grader SEO tool). From their data of over 1500 businesses they found that those with blogs attracted:

• 55% more traffic
• 97% more inbound links
• 434% more indexed pages

Whilst these findings are certainly generalised and open to scrutiny, they’re encouraging for us blogging fans and reinforce what I started preaching about three years ago.

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So how do you go about it?

Get WordPress

Unless your web developers were prudent enough to equip your website with a content management system, you’ll need somewhere to post your articles to. My entire website is built using WordPress, so obviously I’m a big fan. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider using WordPress as well:

Easy to use – you’ll need some basic techie know-how to upload the files onto your server and create a database; however, the instructions are clear enough that you should be up and running within an hour. Once installed you’ve got a dashboard interface you can log into from where you can fiddle with the settings and adjust how your blog works and looks.

Customisable - you’ll want WordPress to reflect your branding and feature your logo; there are thousands of free themes you can easily customise or you can pickup a professional looking design for a reasonable price. My own multiple page website is a customised version of Brian Gardner’s Revolution theme.

Plugins – WordPress has a global community of developers diligently creating programs to expand WordPress’ functionality and make it ever more powerful. Popular plugins are available to optimise your blog for keywords, enable your articles to be easily bookmarked and to create an autoresponder for your favourite posts.

Capture email addresses – visitors can easily subscribe by email or RSS to your blog so you can maintain contact and build confidence in your expertise over time. Remember that less than 5% of visitors are likely to buy your product on the first visit, so don’t let all your extra traffic go to waste.

What to write

A common question asked by businesses is what should they write about? Well, you certainly shouldn’t use your blog as a vanity outlet and just talk about yourself. People search the web for answers and advice to assist their buying decisions; they don’t want to hear about office politics or how much money you made last year.

Instead, you should focus on the customer. Provide valuable content which shows empathy for their problems and subtly presents your product as the solution. What are the common questions people ask customer services or your sales teams? What are the hurdles you need to remove in case they trip up a sale?

Along with articles offering advice, you could include case studies of how you’re helped solve a problem, provide insight on the news and discuss wider topics within your industry.

Provide useful, valuable content which is focused on helping the customer, whilst weaving your sales message between the words.

Spreading the news

Unfortunately, running a blog isn’t a case of just building it and they will come. Whilst a few might absent mindedly stumble onto your posts from Technorati or another blog search engine, you need to throw your content out there in order to reel people back into your website.

Luckily, many publishing organisations are getting clued up to the fact that more people are reading their publications online. My advice? Compile a list of the trade magazines in your industry and then see which ones have websites accepting submissions.

Publishers know they need readers to make repeated visits if they want them clicking on the ads, so they also need a steady stream of fresh content to lure them back with. If they don’t already accept submissions, send them a politely worded email offering free content in exchange for a byline and a backlink.

If you’re a regular Copywriter’s Crucible reader you might be interested in knowing about a few of the places I submit my posts to:

Marcom Professional – create a profile, add your RSS feed address and your posts will be republished automatically

Internet Marketing NewsWatch – you can send them your URL and a brief summary to get a backlink from this popular site

Marketing Service Talk – part of a network of sites where you can register your details and email articles to the editor for publication

Small Business Brief – a business focused social bookmarking website

Business Exchange – Business Week’s social bookmarking site where you can submit marketing focused articles

Junta42 – accepts content marketing focused articles and a new target on my weekly list

The lesson I’ll leave you with is that business blogging/content marketing is a long-term commitment, and you shouldn’t expect a burst in traffic and sales overnight.

However, the nature of marketing is changing and consumers are increasingly demanding useful information in exchange for their time. Providing valuable content can be a differentiater and a key advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

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Do you wish you could do more with posts you spent hours researching and writing only to see them disappear into the dark depths of your archives? Well, now you can thanks to a new autoresponder plugin for WordPress.

Whilst autoresponders are nothing new, the best thing about this plugin is that enables you to create and automatically send out emails from your blog for FREE. So no need to sign up to a monthly subscription if you just want to get more use out of old content by repackaging it as a newsletter.

Admittedly, the free version is light on features (e.g. you can only create one email series at a time) so you might want to consider upgrading to their paid version for more bells and whistles. However, if you’ve got a WordPress blog and would like to start experimenting with email marketing then this gives you everything you need.

So start digging through your archives for the forgotten gems you’d like to see unearthed and given more time in the limelight. A newsletter can enhance the marketing power of your blog because, as any internet marketer knows, the ‘the money is in the list’, and emailing useful content can dramatically increase your website’s sales.

Here are a few reasons why:

Maintain contact – The vast majority of visitors to your site aren’t ready to buy. By some estimates, you’d be lucky to sell to more than 1% of targeted visitors. However, a free newsletter offering useful information enables you to maintain contact with prospects long after they’ve left.

Qualified leads – The opt in form enables you to build a list of potential customers. The fact that they’ve opted in and taken action indicates that they’re already interested in what you have to say.

Relationship building – Providing useful, relevant content on a regular basis enables you to get closer to prospects. People like to do business with those they like and trust, and email marketing can enable you to speak personally and directly to them as individuals.

More personal – An inbox is a private place closely guarded from uninvited intruders. Being granted entry to this personal place means whatever you say will be listened to more intently than the sales pitch on your website.

Conversion – The content you provide enables you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise, which in turn enhances your credibility and encourages prospects to become customers.

Multifunctional – Email is regarded as one of the most potent tools in your internet marketing arsenal (after copywriting of course). It can build relationships, enhance your brand and increase sales.

Next week I’ll share a few tips for writing newsletters and emails that get delivered, read and acted upon.

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The topic won’t be new to regular Crucible readers, but I thought FWJ’s subscribers would appreciate a nudge towards promoting themselves as ‘added value writers’, educating their clients on content marketing and then demanding more money.

FWJ’s Deb Ng has linked regularly to The Copywriter’s Crucible, so I thought I’d return the gesture.

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Regular Crucible readers, and anyone who has read my eBook, will be familiar with my sermons on the need to provide informative, useful content in order to build trust and credibility with website visitors. Whilst giving away free content is a great way of making friends, it’s not going to pay any bills and it certainly doesn’t write itself.

Well, some web publishers have had enough of relying on ad clicks to keep them fed and have moved to paid membership models.

Subscriptions offer greater stability

Over on the Teaching Sells blog, Brian Clark has discussed why a popular eBook and an SEO consultancy have now switched to charging subscriptions for accessing their latest content.

The content they provide is so highly regarded and in such demand that they are now in a position where charging a monthly rate seems the only logical, and sensible, way of compensating themselves for the time they invest in sharing their expertise.

Whilst I can’t see The Copywriter’s Crucible charging an entrance fee anytime soon, I can understand why websites with such a large regular audience and reputation feel that the time is right to evolve from living off a drip feed of ad clicks.

Is there still money to be made from eBooks?

News of the first few sites to switch to subscriptions has arrived just when I’m looking at developing other revenue streams beyond straightforward copywriting.

Since I’ve started reading Skellie’s Anywired blog, about living the jetset remote worker lifestyle, my spare moments are now absorbed in trying to think up a passive business model which can generate income even when I’m not hammering away at my keyboard.

Of the internet business ideas suggested in a recent Anywired post the most feasible for me seems to be that of knocking out a few eBooks and mining some untapped niches.

The principle behind an eBook is the same as any online learning resource – information is freely available on the web and an eBook simply packages it into a coherent format that’s easier for readers to consume.

How can you add value to an eBook?

Perhaps the key to attracting buyers is not only repackaging information, but being able to offer value beyond an ordinary eBook.

This could be in the form of regular updates, personal support or a private forum for discussing the topic – all of which will require ongoing maintenance and support.

For which only a subscription based payment model will suffice.

This is going to need some thought.

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If you’ve started the New Year with a shiny new website, and invested in some copywriting for the landing page, you might be thinking that you can just sit back and wait for the sales to come flooding in.

Well, it’s not that easy I’m afraid. It takes a lot of effort to successfully market and manage an effective website.

You’ve got to find a way to signpost it so your customers can find you and then you’ve got to work out how you’re going to sell to them when they arrive. There are barriers to building trust online; people want to see more than some JPEGS and PayPal buttons before they’re ready to buy.

But fear not because (inspired by a similarly themed post from Junta42) I’ve scribbled down my top ten internet marketing tips for getting your website noticed and building credibility with customers (I’ll give you a hint: it all revolves around becoming a publisher and being generous with your content):

1. Regularly post useful articles that contain your keywords

Preferably articles should be posted onto a blog of some description so you can interact with customers and perpetuate the love affair between blogs and search engine optimisation. The key is to be offering insight and advice which will not only attract the search spiders, but will also help promote your expertise and answer the questions that might be blocking a sale.

2. Let everyone know the traditional way

Tell all your contacts about the new site. An emailed message is too easy to dismiss. So dust off your telephone and call them up to announce your new venture, or send them a concisely worded and designed postcard. Both methods are relatively inexpensive and will make more impact than email bombing as many people as you can.

3. Network online

Find out who the thought leaders are in your industry and then comment insightfully on their blogs to introduce yourself. Many industry news websites have now integrated comment sections, so you should be able to find somewhere to print your name. This will help attract attention to your own site, create valuable backlinks to boost your Google rank and build authority in your online marketplace.

4. Drive traffic with social bookmarking

It might still be regarded as a niche way of searching the web, but social bookmarking can send you a lot of traffic. If you can get enough people to vote for your articles, you can literally attract thousands of new visitors via sites like Stumble Upon, Digg or Del.icio.us, and a host of other services to choose from.

The trick is to integrate yourself into the social bookmarking community by tracking who votes for you and then returning the favour. Over time you can build a network of social bookmarking pals and assist each other in driving traffic.

5. Print your web address everywhere

Get your website address added to every email signature, letterhead and piece of marketing material you send out. Even if you manage to get a leaflet into someone’s pocket at a networking event, if they’re interested the first thing they’ll want to do is check out your website. So make sure they know the address.

Marketing should be an integrated approach with your offline activities linked into your website. You can only fit so many words onto a tri-fold brochure. But there’s no shortage of space to develop your offer online.

6. Promote with online press releases

You no longer need contacts in the traditional media to get exposure for your business. And you don’t need a new product launch to justify a press release. You can use online PR distribution services to publish useful articles offering insight to your target customers. This could be advice to schools on setting up a cycling policy to promote your bike sheds, or the healthiest way to cook chicken to promote your grease free grill.

Press releases push out links back to your website and cement your credibility if you’re providing useful information.

7. Publish on other people’s sites

If you’ve already been networking with bloggers in your field then why not approach them to write a guest post. This will help you attract more attention by showcasing your expertise as well as generating a backlink from a relevant website. If there aren’t enough bloggers around, try approaching your industry’s news sites to see if they’ll accept submissions. Everybody needs fresh content to keep eyeballs occupied.

Just make sure you’re providing useful articles, and not a blatant sales pitch, if you don’t want your submission dumped in the recycle bin.

8. Give away a free eBook

What questions do your customers have before they make a purchase or how can your product make their lives easier? Both can be answered in a free downloadable eBook that demonstrates your credibility, expertise and builds a closer affinity with your customers.

If you’re being useful by giving away free information then you’ll be rewarded with the customer’s increased trust and confidence.

9. Start a monthly newsletter

In this age where everybody expects to get content for free, it might be getting harder to charge customers for words but it has never been easier to publish. So why not take advantage and produce a newsletter to maintain contact with your latest news, articles and product guides long after prospects have left the site.

10. Stick to the plan and don’t expect instant results

Even if you follow steps 1-9 it can still take a number of months to build your Google ranking, attract a steady flow of traffic and build your customer base. However, if you don’t invest in building your web presence then your shiny new website will simply remain hidden away and ignored. So put a strategy in place for regularly generating and promoting your content, be persistent and if you build it they will come.

In this age of niche products reaching global marketplaces, sending a town crier around your local shopping district didn’t make my list. It won’t hurt if you want to attract local business, but it wont be enough to find you customers further a field.

Investing in good quality copywriting for all your pages (including the ‘About Us’ page), and not just the landing page, is the first step. The next stage is to become a publisher and be generous with your content.

Becoming a publisher will boost your Google rank, attract traffic and develop credibility with your customers, who will have more trust in you because you’ve invested time in making their buying decisions easier.

Enjoy this post? Vote for it at Digg. Thanks!

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Whilst the economic outlook might be doom and gloom, the content marketing bandwagon is rolling at full speed. It’s filling up with enthusiastic new supporters at every stop, and gathering pace towards its destination in marketing boardrooms.

The ideas I first encountered when researching business blogging have been picked up, dusted off and given a new set of clothes in the form of content marketing. People are ignoring advertising, so the future is to barter for their attention with content of value.

Add to the equation that the costs of becoming a publisher have plummeted along with the price at which you can sell content. Content itself is now a promotional, marketing tool for building a closer affinity, rather than a way of generating income in itself.

I think content marketing has a bright future and is a future field for copywriters. In my own experience I’m finding more people who not only want words for the search engines, but also words that can provide ammunition to their sales teams and educate visitors.

This week I thought I’d share some of the blogs I regularly read on the evolving demand for high quality, useful content. I’d recommend adding them all to your reading list if you’re interested in where marketing and copywriting is heading:

Copyblogger – what initial started as a blog about copywriting techniques has now evolved into a speakers platform for sharing advice on writing for the web and the need to invest in quality content, rather than hammering out posts as though your PC is about to explode.

Web Ink Now – blog of viral marketing evangelist David Meerman Scott who shares his views on offering content of value and throwing overtly sales tactics in the bin.

Junta42 – a blog dedicated to content marketing. Whose doing it well? Who needs to start doing it? And how can you do it better? All questions dealt with using real life examples. They’ve recently announced their own list of content marketing blogs – so much to read, so little time.

Engagement Principles – blog of veteran copywriter Tom Chandler of Copywriter Underground fame focusing on engaging with content that appeals to people’s desires and interests, rather than blandly bores.

Seth Godin – Seth is constantly preaching on the need to tell authentic stories and to be more remarkable in a world filled with mediocrity. His massive fan base of disciples will be the ones pushing content marketing when Seth gives them the nod.

Chris Anderson – the editor-in-chief of Wired will soon be releasing a new book on the internet’s economics of giving away for free so you can profit in other ways. If it has the same impact as ‘The Long Tail’ then expect to see it referenced in the national media sometime soon. Here’s a link to a speech he recently gave on the subject to whet your appetite.

So there you have it. It’s not just be banging my drum but a whole orchestra of bloggers playing the content marketing tune. We write about it every week knowing that eventually our combined noise will be loud enough to penetrate corporate marketing boardrooms everywhere.

Hopefully this will then lead to a bright new world in which freelance copywriters and article writers are called upon to drive their content marketing campaigns, and not just think up their next ad’s tag line.

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Last year, I attended a small business exhibition in my home city of Milton Keynes to distribute leaflets on the benefits of blogging for businesses. I’d hoped it would be a new area in which I could differentiate myself and ride the crest of the wave of the revolution in business communication.

Unfortunately, my attempts to extol the virtues of posting articles once a week were met with glazed eyes and furrowed brows, before I’d even mentioned RSS. Suffice to say, I left the exhibition with few new leads and a hundred or so leaflets that are still gathering dust in a drawer.

Well, a year on it would appear that UK businesses have now started taking blogging seriously, and it’s growing on a rapid scale.

This week, Inferno PR released the results of a survey of 300 businesses with 250+ employees, which even reached the national news [links found via The Marketing Blog].

50% had undertaken blogging in some form and of those nearly 90% said it had generated new business.

Other findings included:

• 64% of UK corporate blogs have been launched in the last 6 months
• 66% of managers in the survey have visited blogs in the last 12 months
• 80% of blog users visit blogs during working hours
• 33% of blog visitors will access a blog on a daily basis
• Amongst purchase decision makers, blogs were second best source for influencing buying decisions, after industry reports

Inferno MD Grant Currie commented:

“The research shows that blogging in the UK is fast becoming a serious business tool…UK companies are now beginning to adopt blogging as part of their business strategy and those that have done so are pointing to specific business success and opportunity being created. It seems the hype is over and the real business of blogging is on its way.”

Whilst the findings are very positive, many businesses still need to learn that they need to be providing useful content of value, and not using blogs as a direct sales tool. The survey found that any business creation was because of greater engagement and relationship building, not one way marketing messages.

Grant Currie said:

“Businesses shouldn?t view a blog as another billboard from which to shout their corporate messages. Starting a blog is essentially starting a conversation and as in verbal communication, conversations have conventions, rules and boundaries. Those businesses in our survey who have derived new business opportunities from their blogs, will have found that these successes came indirectly from the blog, rather than directly. A blog is not the place to sell and businesses should get suitable advice before embarking on their blogs.”

One person who could give such advice is Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director of the CMO Council in California.

In an interview on this week’s B2B Marketing Podcast (which I’d recommend anybody interested in the changing rules of marketing subscribes to) he discussed how there’s a sea change occurring in how marketing promotes products and services.

No longer is it just about peddling the feature, benefit story. But about building authority leadership and trust in how your products solve a customer’s particular need. You achieve this through your content, syndicated to third party sites as well as your own, and developing an ‘advocacy agenda’ for your products:

“Leadership starts off with creating an advocacy position that you know will help drive adoption and use of your solution. So before you get out there with the product sell, you’ve first got to paint a mural. You’ve got to provide a scenario situation.”

Donovan assessed that an effective, cohesive approach to marketing should be about:

“The whole notion of setup. The whole notion of enabling your channel and your sales organization to be provisioned with value selling content.”

Marketing officers now have a greater responsibility to push content publishing as a major part of their marketing mix, and not just pouring more funds into advertising and direct sales.

Marketing is about building trust and confidence through thought leadership and the provision of content of value. Exactly what an intelligent business blogging strategy should be all about.

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