Entries Tagged 'Blogging' ↓

Over the last few months, I’ve tweaked this blog a bit and added a few pages.

So I thought it would be good to let you know about them.

1. I removed the “no follow” tags from this blog.

I did this on Fred Black’s recommendation. You can read his post about removing “no follow” tags here: I’ve Removed the No Follow Tag from My Blog — You Should Too!

Basically, what this means is you now have a greater incentive to comment on my blog. Because PageRank will pass to your web site should you include a site when you submit a comment.

2. I’ve added an incentive for subscribing to my blog’s email list.

Earlier this month, I created what I call the “Conversion Booster Check List.” Whenever you write an ad or sales letter, simply use the check list to make sure you haven’t overlooked any obvious ways to boost response.

When you subscribe to my blog email list, you’ll get this check list free. (You’ll also get this check list free if you “Follow Me” on Twitter.)

3. I’ve created a page of Ad Copy Samples.

Every once in a while, a potential client will ask to see some of my copy samples.

In the past, I would dig up past projects, attach them individually to an email, and send them off. This was tedious, so I created the new page.

It doesn’t include entire ads or sales letters (it’s not a swipe file), although it does give you a good idea of my style. The page is located here: Ryan Healy’s Ad Copy Samples

4. I’ve created a “Ryan Recommends” page.

Since I’ve been involved in online marketing for 6+ years, I’ve encountered (and used) a lot of products.

So I’ve built a page that includes some of my favorite products. Some are free, some are paid. Some use my affiliate link, some don’t.

I’ve designed the page with an eye towards making it useful for you. That’s why I’ve written a short blurb about each tool to explain how/why I use it. If you’d like to see what I recommend, go here: Ryan Recommends

(I just added five new tools to my “recommends” page today.)

Enjoy!

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 14% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

After a six-week hiatus, Five on Friday is back.

I took a break for two primary reasons: I’ve been slammed with work and I wanted to bring you five posts from five sources I have not linked to before.

As I began to collect blog posts, I began to notice a trend: everybody’s got Twitter on the brain.

All of a sudden, I realized I had my theme for this particular issue of Five on Friday.

Personally, I don’t really “get” Twitter. I haven’t used it myself, but I’ve read “tweets” mostly through MyBlogLog. Based on my personal observation, I think a great slogan for Twitter would be:

“Bonding with People One Brain Fart at a Time!”

What do you think? Am I right?

Before you pass judgment, here’s what some other bloggers are saying:

Twitter Is Stupid - by Mark Butler

Mark sums up my feelings about Twitter well. If you love Twitter, you might not want to read this rant… I mean post.

Drip, Drip, Drip Goes the Twit - by Seth Godin

This post is not so much about Twitter, but the principle behind the tool: consistency. And consistency is one of the most overlooked secrets of success.

A Message to Twitterers from the Middle Ages - by Lyndoman

Great painting. Great quote. Relevant to any publisher, no matter if it’s through Twitter or some other media.

Signal to Noise - by Seth Godin

Two posts by Seth Godin? Yes. Because they’re both good, and they’re both highly relevant to any discussion about Twitter. Seth writes: “Lately, I’m feeling noise creep.” Me too.

Quotes n Notes: Originality - by Mike Sansone

Some interesting perspectives on originality as shared by Voltaire and Dean Inge. Both quotes, plus Mike’s own spin, made me think. Oh, and this post was prompted by a “tweet.”

Do you have any feelings or opinions about Twitter? Leave a comment and let me know.

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 52% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

This morning I woke up to a nice surprise.

Ed Rivis shared my book promotion with his blog readers while I was sleeping… and entrepreneurs from across the pond turned out in spades!

Turns out, Ed once slipped a couple discs in his back, so he felt obliged to support my “Save a Back” campaign.

If you don’t know who Ed is, you ought to spend some time reading his blog. Here’s a link:

==> Web Marketing Strategy for Small Business Success

In the mean time, I’d like to give you…

Another FREE Gift

A few weeks ago, Ben Settle interviewed me about how to fill seminars. Or “put butts in seats,” as it’s commonly said. He recently posted the interview on his web site.

The interview is only 25:16, but packed with tips you can use immediately to get more seminar attendees. You don’t even have to opt-in to get it. Just click the link below…

==> How to Fill Seminars: Free Audio Download

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 53% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

FeedBurner is the #1 service for tracking blog readers through RSS. If you have a FeedBurner account, you can log-in and track how many readers you have, and whether your readership is growing or shrinking.

You can even publish a widget on your blog that dynamically displays the number of blog readers you have. For instance, Michel Fortin’s FeedBurner widget says he has 22,838 readers today.

Once you’ve got a sufficient number of readers, displaying a FeedBurner widget becomes a good form of social proof, and could possibly encourage more people to subscribe to your blog. (”Hey, if he’s got 250 readers, it must be a good blog!”)

But FeedBurner’s numbers are not always a good indicator of the value of a blog. For instance, FeedBurner says my old Typepad blog has 169 readers today… even though I haven’t posted to that blog since early January!

And for this blog, FeedBurner only reports 13 readers today. (I know those numbers are low based on traffic statistics and my Aweber email subscribers, which FeedBurner doesn’t track.)

So if not the number of readers, how should you judge the success or value of your blog?

I suggest it’s not about how many readers you have; rather, it’s about how loyal and responsive your readers are.

On a secondary level, it’s also about how many people of influence you’re reaching.

When I write a blog post, my aim is to provide value, spark critical thinking, and encourage interaction. And if some readers decide to link to what I’ve written, so much the better.

I would much rather build loyalty with a few influential and connected readers than gain exposure to thousands of disconnected readers with little or no influence.

Said another way, exposure is meaningless, but loyalty is priceless.

The same principle is at work in advertising.

There are many headlines that will grab a reader’s attention. But a headline’s job is not only to get attention. It’s also to drive the reader into the advertisement.

So in the case of an ad, getting attention is meaningless, but getting a sale is worth something.

When I write a blog post, I’d rather attract 15 people who actually read and respond than 100 people who read the headline and leave.

And when I write an ad, I’d rather attract 5 people who actually read and buy than thousands who read the headline only.

I share all this because it is far too easy to become obsessed with meaningless numbers. To place importance on statistics that are of little import.

As you write articles for your blog, adopt a proper mindset. Don’t try to get the most readers or a bunch of transient traffic from Digg. Simply focus on developing a loyal and responsive readership. The rest will fall into place.

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 48% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

As you might remember, I moved my blogging activity from my Typepad account to this Wordpress blog in early January. I’ve been blogging for over three years about copywriting and marketing, so it’s been interesting to monitor traffic levels on this new domain.

According to MyBlogLog, this blog received 1,338 readers in March 2008, and 2,762 page views.

But what I find most interesting is the traffic levels on my other blog (which, by the way, has nothing to do with copywriting or marketing). I started it in October 2007 as an experiment. So it had zero readers starting in October (compared to this blog, which had at least 800 loyal readers when I switched domains).

So during the same time frame (March 2008), my other blog received 2,382 readers and 4,270 page views. That’s 178% more readers!

Is my writing better on my other blog or is this merely a result of being in a bigger market?

I suspect the latter. Bigger markets have more readers.

And I’m learning different markets have different etiquette rules, different phases of sophistication, different interests, etc.

Maybe I’ll revisit traffic levels at the end of April to see if the disparity between this blog and the other one continues.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

Last week I asked, “Does transparency hurt business?”

With a few extreme exceptions, the consensus was no, transparency does NOT hurt business. In fact, it is a good thing in many cases.

But what about a lack of transparency?

What about the fabrication of a “grand illusion”?

Turns out, people respond quite negatively when they discover the truth. Many feel like they’ve been duped–played for a patsy.

Which is why I think you should read this post immediately (and the comments too).

• The Grand Illusion: The Real Timothy Ferriss Speaks

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 64% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

Here are some of the best blog posts I’ve read in the last two weeks.

When Simple Is Stupid - by Robert Phillips

Is your marketing process overly simple? Are you open to being knocked off by a savvy competitor? In this post, Robert talks about the advantages of being complex. (And I totally agree.)

Subscribers and Sales - by Terry Dean

Terry has an uncanny ability to track with the conversation that’s already happening in my mind. We’ve never talked on the phone. Yet he still writes about the issues I’m actively thinking about. Weird. This post talks about how traffic is not the best indicator of success. (Before I read this post, I started the draft of a similar article titled “The Feedburner Deception.” Look for it soon.)

There’s More to Tracking than Conversion - by Michel Fortin

If you test and track the results of your sales letters, then this post will be well worth your time. Is it better to make a free offer or a $1 offer? Michel reveals the answer here.

The Deep Secrets to Success - by Joseph Ratliff

After being in business for himself for quite a while, Joseph has discovered three critical secrets to success. You may have heard of them before; maybe not. I particularly liked the twist he put on the concept of massive action. It’s in Secret #2.

An Interview with Copywriter Stephen “Ebiz” Dean - by Keith Goodrum & Stephen Dean

Keith and Stephen are colleagues of mine. I enjoy keeping up with what they’re doing. Keith decided to interview Stephen when he posted an offer on his blog. It’s a solid interview. I’m sure you’ll pick up at least one or two good tips.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 55% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

After a two-week hiatus, Five on Friday is back. Let’s dive right in…

What You Don’t Publish Defines Your Site - by Maki

This post caught my attention because I stumbled upon it AFTER I had written my post “Does Frequent Blogging Encourage Bad Writing?” Turns out, Maki and I have some similar feelings about blogging and how often you should post.

Maki starts the post with this: “I didn’t write any articles in the last few days on Dosh Dosh because I didn’t feel that I had anything interesting to say. It’s not entirely self-censorship: I just don’t like to write when there’s no way to inject a new perspective on any topic.”

Six Figures Is Chump Change - by Clayton Makepeace

If you are a copywriter, you MUST read this post. Clayton writes: “The freelance copywriting model is insane.” And he goes on to prove it with five well-crafted arguments.

What’s better, he provides an alternative business model that can provide a much better income with less effort and more enjoyment. If you read this post, make sure you read the follow-up as well: Busted!

Perspective, Part 1 - by John Carlton

I really enjoyed this post. John debunks some myths and covers everything from copywriting and marketing to politics… in one post… which he wrote while he was sick.

One of my favorite parts of the article: “In contrarian philosophy, you never, ever, ever follow the crowd. In fact, you USE the movement of crowds to decide your next move — when the crowd zigs, you zag.”

8 Steps to Create Your Internet Business - by Terry Dean

This post is the antidote to information overload. Here Terry gives a bird’s eye view of how to build an Internet business in only eight steps. And it’s much simpler than you may think! If you’ve been struggling to get started (and get some traction), then print this post and read it often.

Internet Lifestyle Video: Can You Work From Anywhere? - by Ray Edwards

My friend Ray is heading down to Sedona, Arizona to have an extended vacation. He’s planning to be down there for about six weeks or so. This post includes a short little video documenting Ray and his wife Lynn’s struggles to get out the door and on the road.

If you’ve wanted to do some extended travel and take your work on the road, then this video will be of some encouragement to you.

Have a great weekend!

-Ryan M. Healy

P.S. Which of the above posts do you like best? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks!

Popularity: 42% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

Ben Settle left a tongue-in-cheek comment on my blog yesterday. He writes:

All I know is I’m getting a little impatient waiting for your “five on Friday” post. I’ve actually started looking forward to it and need my weekly “fix.”

So get your lazy butt off the couch Ryan, and gimme my five, baby!

Of course, I busted out laughing when I read this. Ben has a way with words, doesn’t he?

I told Ben that I would’ve posted a new issue of Five on Friday last week, but I simply hadn’t gathered enough posts to share with you. Not only have I been swamped with projects (which has cut into my leisure-reading time), but I just haven’t read much that has struck a chord with me.

The whole point of this feature is to share with you only the BEST stuff I read. I also try to find sources you might not encounter during your regular blog reading. That means I sometimes link to sites and posts outside the “good ol’ boys club” (if you get my drift).

So, without further ado, here are my five picks this week.

Tools, Time, & Attention - by Chris Crompton

This post is deceptively simple. But Chris makes an excellent observation: tools don’t automatically improve productivity. Why? Because you must first dedicate time to learning how to use that tool. Then you actually have to set aside time to use the tool.

This is a reason I hate any tool that comes with a lengthy instruction manual. If I can’t intuitively figure out how to use the tool in a few minutes, then it probably isn’t worth my time.

I believe the iPod has been successful largely because of its intuitive design. You spend very little time learning how to use it. If it were complicated, it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful.

Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly! - by Daniel Levis

I stumbled on this article doing research for a separate blog post. The article is so good, I simply had to share it with you. Daniel uses some great stories to illustrate his primary point, which is simply this: Don’t be a perfectionist, just take action.

My favorite part of the article is toward the end. Daniel writes:

The secret to success is to swing for the fences, and take multiple concurrent actions. Round up a big bunch of worthwhile projects, roll them up the highest hill you can find, push them over the crest, and run like hell to catch them on the other side.

I love this mental picture!

The Most Popular Layouts of the Top 20 Technorati Blogs - by Natalie

Wondering which blog layout you should go with? What color scheme to use? This post is very helpful. Pie charts and everything. A quick, easy, and worthwhile read.

The One Word That Helped My Blog Grow To 800+ Subscribers in 17 Weeks - by Christine O’Kelly

If there was one word that could multiply your active blog readers exponentially, would you want to know what that word is?

If you’re like me, the answer is “yes.”

If you blog, then you will want to read this post. It’s fairly long, but provides some in-depth material to digest. You might want to drop in on Christine’s blog once a week because that’s how often she posts. And her posts are quite good.

The Unsinkable Andi Emerson - by Ray Schultz

Ever heard of John Caples? Ever heard of the John Caples Awards? Andi Emerson started the Awards in 1978.

This article is a tribute to Andi; she died on Valentine’s Day. I had never heard of her before, but I enjoyed the stories about her life in the ad biz. Apparently, she used to edit Eugene Schwartz’s ad copy, and was friends with both John Caples and David Ogilvy.

While you won’t find practical advice in this article, it will probably give you some valuable things to think about.

Well, that about does it for this issue. Have a great weekend. I’ll “see” you next week.

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 52% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?

I’ve been blogging on at least a weekly basis since 2004. During that time, I’ve written hundreds of blog posts… and I’ve read even more.

One thing I’ve noticed is that most bloggers pay little attention to the quality of their writing. To simply publish another blog post is good enough.

It seems to me, in the “daily grind” of blogging, there is more emphasis placed on the quantity and frequency of posting than the quality of the posts themselves. Now, every time somebody has a “brain fart,” it seems they must share it with the world.

Two schools of thought

I’ve observed two different schools of thought when it comes to blogging.

One says to post no less than once per day, and sometimes more often than that. Following this model, you might need to crank out 8-12 blog posts per week.

Certainly, it is possible to blog this often, especially if you derive your entire income from blogging. But I’ve noticed that the quality of posts suffer from such frequent posting. I usually lose interest or pay less attention to blogs like this.

The second school of thought says to post only when you have something of value to say. This means you might post only once or twice or three times per week, but certainly not every single day.

This is much more achievable. Rather than write about every fleeting thought that crosses your mind, you must go deep with the best thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences you wish to share. As a result, you will post quality articles on a less frequent basis.

Are you delivering value
or demanding attention?

The person who posts once or more per day, seven days a week, demands an unreasonable amount of attention from his readers. It is like a person yelling into cyberspace: “See, I have lots of things to say! Look at how important I am!”

The person who posts on a less frequent basis (say 1-4 times per week) is talking in a normal voice. He commands attention based on the quality of his posts and the value of his content.

He does not need to “yell” to keep the attention of his audience. Rather, he attracts readers because he is focused on delivering value instead of demanding attention.

Which model is best?

Personally, I’ve tried both. And I like the second model better. I’m learning that I prefer to write a few quality posts every week rather than a pile of mediocre posts. In my opinion, less is more.

From observing other well-known bloggers, it seems the second model is also what is most effective over the long-term. I can think of a few examples right off the top of my head: Michel Fortin, Christine O’Kelly, Terry Dean, etc.

I personally believe that posting in-depth articles less frequently is better not only for me, but for my readers as well.

Why?

Because interruptions hurt productivity. The more I interrupt you from doing what is required for you to succeed, the less you get done.

Furthermore, too much information
can become counterproductive.

Can you really absorb and apply even 10 blog posts a week? Probably not. If my gut is correct, you’d be doing well to absorb and apply even one blog post a week.

In fact, I believe too-frequent blog posting can transform an ordinary blog reader into a human version of Pavlov’s dog.

Every time he gets a new blog post notification, he starts salivating because that’s what the blog author has trained his reader to do. And so the reader begins to redefine success by how many blog posts he reads instead of taking action to achieve his goals.

Does this mean the “more is better” model of blogging doesn’t work? No. For some bloggers it works just fine. I just personally find it’s not a good fit for me. Which, by the way, is one reason why I haven’t been posting as often lately.

So which blogging model do you prefer? What advantages and disadvantages have you personally observed?

-Ryan M. Healy

Popularity: 100% [?]

Pssst! Did you know you can get automatic blog updates when you join my email list or subscribe to my RSS feed?