SEPTEMBER 16, 2004
PLEASE FORWARD!
VOL 4, ISSUE 24
 
Recipe for increased sales: mix email + e-newsletter + blog + Web site; add a human voice + useful info + a specific call to action; stir & repeat.
ISSN 1550-1787    
3 tips to banish fear of blogging
I see, you see... text ads, but not banners
Contrarian grammar tips from Suze St Maur
Meet me in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 23rd

Pub Note: Are you in Chicago as you're reading this? I'd love to meet you Thursday Sept. 23rd. See below for details of gratis invite to WordBiz Rountable. - DW

3 tips to banish fear of blogging

Information technology consultant Lois C. Ambash takes an interesting approach to blogging. Don't be afraid of the technology, she counsels. Just plunge in.

She offers 3 excellent tips in her guest article this week, "Advice to the bloglorn: why and how to banish fear of blogging." The article includes:

- her clear explanation of RSS and news readers
- how to get started in the "blogosphere" as both a reader and a writer
- links to more useful resources

Highly recommended - DW

Get the full story...


I see, you see... text ads, but not banners (plus other blog entries)

Intriguing new study by Poynter EyeTrack takes an in-depth look at how people see or read Web pages on news sites. Study notes that only 4 or 5 people out of a thousand click on an Internet ad. But up to 82% will click on a text-only ad.

You can read the whole study on the EyeTrack III site. Covers home page design, headline & font size, navigation, article layout, etc. Applicable to any content-rich site.

Read more blog posts...

Subscribe to debbie's blog for useful tidbits

For between-issues updates with useful tips & resource links, I encourage you to subscribe to my blog. Follow instructions here (it's easy).

Contrarian grammar tips from Suzan St Maur

UK copywriter writer Suzan St Maur is the author of a nifty book: Powerwriting: the hidden skills you need to transform your business writing. She also publishes a useful & entertaining e-newsletter, Tipz from Suze.

Her latest issue features the first of a 4-part article on the nuts and bolts of business writing. It addresses the issue of grammar. To wit, how correct does it need to be when "write as you speak" is a maxim that's perfectly acceptable in the business world (particularly online).

Write as you speak... but avoid "piffling little" grammar mistakes

She writes that informal is one thing. But, according to Suze, you must avoid:

"...the piffling little mistakes you see in some business communication which are simply the result of ignorance and carelessness.

"These are the goofs that separate the professionals from the amateurs. It's the body copy that talks about 'you' in the same sentence as 'them' when referring to the same person.

"It's the long-winded sentence in a business letter or e-mail that has so many dangling participles you could decorate a Christmas tree with them.

"It's the absence of an apostrophe when we're talking about 'it is' and the inclusion of an apostrophe when we're talking about something belonging to 'it.'

"... These small slips and goofs in grammar, punctuation and syntax really do cheapen people's written material... But the bold gestures... the one-word sentence, the verbless sentence, the folkloric use of slang and so-on... these are so obvious that no one is going to think they are oversights."

- Suze St Maur

Bravo Suze

The mistakes she enumerates above happen to be my pet peeves. What about you? Are you a member of the grammar police?? Drop me a line at wordbiz@yahoo.com and let me know.

Useful Links

Sign up for Tipz from Suze

Subscribe to ProofreadNow, my favorite grammar & usage e-newsletter. (Click on the box that says "Opt in to our fre*e Grammar Tip.")

Meet me in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 23rd

I'll be in downtown Chicago on Thursday and Friday Sept. 23rd and 24th and would love to meet you if you're near-by.

Invite to WordBiz Roundtable (gratis)

* Compare Your Online Marketing Challenges *

* Informal Presentation on Business Blogging *

DATE: Thursday Sept. 23rd
TIME: 4 - 5:30 PM
PLACE: B2BWorks, Inc.
230 W. Superior - 7th Floor
Chicago, IL 60610

Please RSVP by Monday, Sept. 20th

To RSVP, respond to wordbiz@yahoo.com with "RSVP Chicago" in your subject line.

Or call me direct at 202.333.2022.

This is a chance for you to share & compare your biggest online marketing challenges and for all of us to meet face-to-face.

It's also a chance for me to thank you for being a loyal subscriber and for you to offer me useful feedback.

Why you should attend

I did a roundtable with a group of subscribers in San Francisco and it was a huge success. Two of the San Fran subscribers who met through WordBiz are now business partners.

Chicago subscribers to WordBiz Report are an impressive group. From major trade associations & universities to Fortune 1000 companies, brand name ad agencies, boutique shops and independent professionals.

Tell me what's important to you

Your feedback tells me what's most important to you and what topics I should be covering in the newsletter and focusing on in teleseminars, workshops, special reports and consulting services.

I'll kick off our discussion with a short, informal presentation on business blogging. Including my take on why I think blogs will soon become an integral part of any company's online marketing & communications strategy.

As you may recall, I'll be in Chicago to speak at CASE's annual conference for Senior Publications Professionals on Friday morning, Sept. 24th.

B2BWorks, BTW, in addition to being a loyal subscriber to WordBiz Report, is a full-service B2B digital marketing & media services firm. I've known their CEO Karen Breen Vogel for several years.

They have kindly agreed to offer a meeting room for the roundtable and to act as unofficial sponsor of this event. You can learn more about them at: www.B2BWorks.net

Hope to see you in Chicago!

Warm regards,



President/Publisher, WordBiz.com, Inc.
+1 202.333.2022 land
debbie.weil@gmail.com or wordbiz@yahoo.com

P.S. I still have one slot left if you're interested in a 1-hour consult (I call it a "brain dump") to review your e-newsletter or Web site or give you specific input on a blog for your organization.

Call me direct at 202.333.2022 if you want to schedule a face-to-face session while I'm in Chicago. I'll come to your office if you're downtown or you can meet me at the Marriott Chicago Downtown.


  
Uncover hidden revenue streams

Do you need a plan to analyze "the big picture" and find ways to create more revenue?

Download your fre*e "Top 3 Tips" PDF report to learn how a creative mind-mapping session can uncover hidden revenue opportunities.

Pub Note: a Digimap (sm) is a marvelous tool! The 30 minutes I spent creating one resulted in 2 new revenue ideas. - DW


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In addition to publishing WordBiz Report, Debbie sells special reports & award-winning starter kits, and produces audio conferences and live seminars. She provides strategic consulting & in-house workshops on how to sell more by integrating your Internet communications: email + e-newsletters + blogs + your Web site. Call Donna at 919.975.1705 to schedule a 1-hour brain dump session. Or email Debbie at wordbiz@yahoo.com.
 
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P.O. Box 3766
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