Way to ZigZag Path

She said she was a web writer and not a blogger. What’s the difference, I asked. Web writing is structured. Has a start, middle, and end. Blogging is often snippets, fragments, and less formal. Web writing is part of a larger process. For example, she writes a series of online articles that will feed into a hardback ...

positioning

Let's say you want to position a new search engine against Google. How would you do it? What we mean by positioning is that, from a prospective customer's perspective, how would they compare your new search engine against Google. You see this in marketing all time. It's the simplest way to get to the prospect's mind, and possibly ...

Why Me?

June 30, 2012
Mandala 002

Why me? One of the kids shouted out while spawning on Minecraft. Why me and not someone else? Why Me in Kids When we hear this in others, it strikes a chord but not the one (I expect) they’d hope in us. When the kids gets slaughtered on Minecraft or the Xbox, it’s not that [...]

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Friday Book Review: Flann O’Brien’s At Swim Two Birds

June 29, 2012

If I said Flann O’Brien’s At Swim-Two-Birds was better than Ulysses you’d probably smirk. After all, very few have heard of Flann O’Brien outside of the UK, whereas Joyce is a literary icon. But I still prefer At Swim Two Birds. And, if you haven’t read it, you’re in for a treat. It’s hard not to [...]

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Why you should stop saying No Problem

June 26, 2012

…because it implies that the other person created some type of problem. Scroll down for more… Was it really a problem? Probably not. Instead, look for ways to substitute this negative response. How about, it’s a pleasure, delighted to help, or you’re welcome. See the difference? Saying no problem is a reflex. It’s a habit [...]

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Why bad reviews get more traffic?

June 24, 2012
Screaming for help

Why do we relish bad reviews? Oliver James warns, “We want to hear about bad things happening to other people, because it makes us feel better about ourselves.” If you believed the experts, you’d think that the only way to succeed online was to be nice, fair, and generous. The reality is different. I’ve been writing [...]

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How to improve your grammar without hardly trying

June 22, 2012
Word

Like to improve your grammar? Who wouldn’t. We’ve all been caught out by the grammar police. That terrible smile when they remind you of your mixed tenses, clumsy constructions, and split infinitives. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a real understanding of grammar? How to improve your grammar As someone who’s struggled with dyslexia through [...]

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The best things in life are not things

June 20, 2012

Isn’t it nice when you see something that feels just right? I saw this sign outside Gallagher’s pub on D’olier Street last week. It’s a nice twist on the best things in life are not free. But there’s something else that works. Most of the time, not always, but mostly, we look for meaning and [...]

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Why do women make the best murder mystery writers?

June 18, 2012

Isn’t it strange that women make the best murder mystery writers? Well, maybe it isn’t but there is something in me that wonders why women writers have this genre nailed. Why women make the best murder writers? This little story is true. I was in the office many years ago and two of the girls [...]

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How to Improve StumbleUpon’s 404 Page?

June 14, 2012

What’s wrong with this 404 page on StumbleUpon? Before we start, the cats are lovely and SU is a goldmine. Saying that, there’s always room for improvement.  Read how to improve error messages, help, forms, and other crisis points if this topic interests you. What is a 404 Page? First, what is a 404 page? It’s [...]

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How do J.P. Morgan spell JP Morgan?

June 12, 2012

I know it sounds slightly silly but how do you spell J.P. Morgan? Why am I asking this apparently meaningless question? Well, you could be forgiven for thinking there were several firms masquerading as J.P. Morgan if you searched the web recently. There’s: J.P. Morgan JP Morgan and JPMorgan Is any of this important? No, [...]

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PG Wodehouse Tips on (Web) Writing

June 10, 2012

What’s great about this gem from P.G. Wodehouse is that it applies to all types of writing: business, fiction, and web. “Always get to the dialogue as soon as possible. I always feel the thing to go for is speed. Nothing puts the reader off more than a big slab of prose at the start.” Web [...]

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Case Study: How Copyblogger Shifted From Blog Publishing To Product Development

November 3, 2011

Have you noticed how Copyblogger is moving from a ‘traditional’ blog to a solutions provider offering web marketing tools? Some people feel that Copyblogger should have stuck to its roots and built a better blog, but I’m not so sure. As they say, “To stay in business, you need to be in business.” What Copyblogger’s [...]

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Web writing: Write to be scanned, not read

November 1, 2011

Want to improve your web writing skills? This short tutorial will 1) help you break old writing habits that don’t work on the web and 2) show you how to develop a writing style that’s more ‘natural’ for blogging. Breaking bad writing habits Ok, this is a bit harsh but what I want to do [...]

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Eye Tracking – Develop web content based on how readers scan pages

October 17, 2011
Eye Tracking - Develop web content based on how readers scan pages

What’s the difference between writing for the web and writing for a magazine? There’s at least five main differences. Two of the most critical relate to scanning and heatmaps. Why readers scan (not read) webpages? On the web, we scan pages, posts, and tweets. We don’t read every line word by word, unless the writer [...]

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E-junkie v Clickbank – Which is best for selling online goods?

September 11, 2011
clickbank-sell-digital-products-online

Which is better for selling goods online?  Clickbank or eJunkie? You’ve probably heard of Clickbank, so why go with Ejunkie? There are three ways to make money online. Products. Services. Advertising. The real money is in selling products. You own the product, make 100% of the sale, and can setup affiliate programs if you want. [...]

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Social Media – An Operating System For Humans?

September 10, 2011

How do you define social media? My definition? An Operating System for humans. The parallels between a computer operating system’s DNA and how Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms interlink is closer than you’d think. As in The Matrix, because you’re inside, it hard to see how it operates. Why Social Media is an Operating System For [...]

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How to increase your Facebook EdgeRank

September 7, 2011
facebook edgerank

What’s Facebook’s EdgeRank? In short, EdgeRank is to Facebook, what PageRank is to Google. If you’re managing a Facebook business page, you need to monitor your EdgeRank and determine which variables influence your page’s performance. Facebook EdgeRank: What is it? In simple terms, it’s the set of metrics Facebook uses to determine your page’s value. [...]

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5 Alternatives to Clickbank For Selling Goods Online

September 5, 2011
Five Alternatives to Clickbank For Selling Digital Products

Clickbank reputation as a site for selling digital products, such as eBooks, has improved over the last five years. It certainly had teething problems at the start but most have been sorted out now. When John Chow and ShoeMoney use it to sell their online courses, you know it’s got to be good.

But, what if you’re still not convinced? What are the other options for selling goods online?

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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Promoting the SEOmoz Affiliate Program

September 3, 2011

If you like writing about SEO, are looking for a high-paying affiliate program from a trusted brand, then I’d highly recommend that you signup for the SEOMOZ.org affiliate program.

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