The same goes for your website content.

You may have an excellent message, one that contains all the right elements (enticing headline, compelling intro paragraph, description of benefits, and a strong call to action), but if it’s hidden in a drab web design or expressed in an obnoxious font, who is going to read it?

It’s time to dress up your web content and increase that curb appeal. Here are a few tips to help you add sparkle.

Think twice about stock photography

Stock photography is easy to come by and inexpensive. However, you are choosing from the same images as everyone else, which means the images on your website may be very similar to your competitors. Look at this photo of the young woman with a head set.

It’s a great photo and one that suits many businesses well. The problem is that many businesses use this photo or one similar to it.

The best option is to hire a professional photographer to take real life images of your business. But if that’s out of the budget, work with a graphic designer who can modify stock photography to match your brand.

Pay attention to length

An ideal length for a web page is somewhere between 200-300 words. However, some pages will be much shorter (e.g., contact us) and other pages will be much longer (e.g., about us, resource articles). Be kind to your readers and allow them to get through a page of content quickly.  Sentences and paragraphs should be brief and you should incorporate lists, sub-headings, and other formatting to break up the text.

Interest the reader

Minimize industry jargon and cliché statements. These words slow down the reader and make it difficult to scan (what a website visitor really wants). Keep the text easy-to-read and add a few unexpected nuggets of text.

Not sure what I mean? Try reading this sentence:

“Using sophisticated twenty-first century computer technology, ABC Company’s team of expert-trained software engineers create state-of the-art network systems.”

If a page of web content were a house and a sentence was paint, the above sentence is peeling and the house needs a new coat. Try this sentence instead:

“ABC Company creates advanced network systems that replace inefficient technologies.”

Text formatting don’ts

• Don’t go too big. Keep the font size reasonable (11-12pt).
• If you are going to use a different color font, keep it to a minimum. Only introduce one or two colors and use sparingly.
• Stick with one or two font types. It’s distracting to look at multiple fonts.

Links, links, and more links

It’s important to incorporate links on each web page, so the visitor can easily navigate the site. The hyperlink color is nice for breaking up text too. But again, don’t over do it. Too many links can confuse the reader on what to do next. Use less than three links within each page of web content (not counting links in your header or outer columns).

Web page design

Work with a website designer to create web pages that are easy to read. Namely, choose a design that includes columns, which help to break up text and improve ease of navigation. Design elements such as pull out quotes and text boxes also make it easy for the reader to scan the page. Most importantly, though, are images. Photos and a logo will take your site to the next level.

These are just a few examples of how to improve the curb appeal of website content. What tactics do you implement to make your copy sparkle?

Are you a Twitter jerk?

You know, are you one of those people who look down your nose at people who enjoy social media?

Not sure? Well, have you ever said: “I don’t understand it. Twitter is for people with too much time on their hands.”

If so, then you just might be a jerk. Maybe it’s time to stop judging and instead learn how Twitter works and how the site might benefit you.

Twitter Defined, Part 1 – The Basic Definition

Twitter.com is a micro-blogging service. Once you create an account, you can write posts of less than 140 characters that include links, questions, and any other bit of information you think relevant to the world around you.

“The world around you” is made up of individuals who like you and like what you have to say. They become “followers” so they can see your updates in their “Twitter Stream” (a/k/a all the updates from everyone they are following in real time).

Twitter Defined, Part 2 – The Blow Your Mind Definition

Twitter is about connecting with people in ways you couldn’t do otherwise. For example:

1. Having trouble finding the right software or an effective resource? Just ask the Twitterverse. I asked for information on collaborative writing tools and the very nice Lindsay Berger responded with her experience on Basecamp.com. As a result, I created an account with the service. How nice is that!
   
2. Citizen journalism is exploding. News is covered in ways the traditional media just can’t do. Ask Ann Curry, she’ll tell you. (Read about how Curry and several others who were recently stuck in an elevator on Gawker.com.)
3. Businesses and customers connect on Twitter. I use the site to stay connected with clients or with people I hope become my clients. There are also opportunities for people/businesses to connect with me, the customer. One afternoon I posted a question about where to find a nice martini in Mid-Town Manhattan. As a result, the Twitter account manager for a local establishment sent me their drink menu. I went to that bar because of that interaction. Thanks Twitter!
   
4. With Twitter, big brands become personable. Customer service improves and accessibility to government and corporations becomes easier. Just look at JetBlue Airways.

Now That You Know Twitter, Here’s What Not to Do

A fellow blogger wrote an extensive list of what not to do on Twitter. Check it out over at WebStudio 13: 50 Things to Avoid When You Tweet. Number 36 is my favorite. “Do not neglect to check if a link is useful before retweeting it out.”

Bottom line: Don’t be a Twitter jerk. Just be nice. Is that so hard?

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This isn’t the first time we’ve discussed Twitter and social media here at No. 2 Pen. Check out some of our other posts:

Twitter Brings Back the Exclamation Mark

The Ethics of Ghost Tweeting

9 Bright Ideas for Your Social Media Account

I’ve decided to take what I’m learning through all this networking and make a Squidoo lens. While nothing revolutionary, it’s a nice way to document the experience. I hope you’ll check it out: An Experiment in Business – How to Build a Network.

While you’re on the lens, answer the polls and leave your feedback. As with all social media, a Squidoo lens is only as good as the dialogue. What do you think?

I’d also like to take a minute and acknowledge a few of the fantastic professionals I’ve met through all this networking. Their talent and ambition is admirable. My hope is that you’ll find their services useful for your own business.

• Sean McVey at Rising Lynx (web design, analytics, and more)
• Jaclyn Beckerman at JNB Coaching (life coaching)
• Jeanine Henderson (illustration, design, and lettering)
• Sarah Bush at Make Great Stuff (taking creativity to the next level)

How do you choose to network and grow your business?

As you gear up for the best-year-ever, consider how your marketing copy can boost your business. Take these three resolutions to heart.

1.    Establish a tagline that you are proud to carry everywhere.
If your business does not have a tagline, now is the time to create one. Brainstorm ideas with friends, colleagues, and consultants to come up with a list of tagline ideas. Once you’ve found three you like best, think long and hard about how your customers will be inspired by that piece of copy.

Does your tagline define what you do? Can you create marketing materials and web content around your tagline?

2.    Give back to the community and let the world know about it.
It’s all of our responsibilities to give back to our communities and the world. Find ways to donate time, products, services, or money to charities and organizations that align with your brand.  For example, a plumber could easily donate time/resources to Habitat for Humanity, and a fashion designer could partner with a local homeless shelter to provide clothing.

After establishing those activities and partnerships, write press releases, blog posts, and web content illustrating all that you’ve done. Give back because it’s your responsibility; publicize your activity because your customers and potential customers should know about it.

3.    Take 10 minutes a day to converse on the web.
If you or your business has a presence on any social network, take the time to make it work effectively or don’t do it at all. Ten minutes a day allows you to comment on blogs, find new Tweeple to follow, answer questions within the Q&A section of LinkedIn, and so much more. Online social networking doesn’t have to be a chore; the web is an opportunity to spread the word about your brand.

What are your New Year’s resolutions?

1. You’ve run out of things to say. When you log on to Twitter, your mind goes blank.
2. In all the time you’ve had a LinkedIn account, you’ve never updated your status.
3. You don’t know what a Facebook “Fan Page” is all about.
4. All of your time is spent in meetings or doing other necessary tasks for the business. You don’t have time to write.
5. The words “Re-Tweet,” “Twitter hash tag,” and “140 characters” mean nothing to you.
6. When you consider the benefits, hiring a social media content writer is inexpensive.
7. If you already plan to hire a writer for your newsletters, blog posts, or web content, then asking a writer to create social media content is an efficient use of your outsourcing funds

No. 2 Pen helps small businesses create content for their social media accounts. This includes blog posts, Squidoo lenses, Tweets, and more. Read our social media content creation page to learn more.

But in the last few months I’ve noticed that the pesky exclamation mark has made its way into my everyday writing. How could this be?

It’s not because I spend time with third grade girls and have become overly excited about mundane issues in life; it’s because of social media.  Enter: Twitter

With only 140 characters to express a thought on Twitter, I don’t have the luxury of using power words to emphasize my thoughts. Instead, I’ve come to depend on punctuation and symbols to get my point across.

Here’s an example of a sentence that I would’ve written months ago:

The movie The Hangover made me laugh so hard I forgot to get up for popcorn during my self-imposed intermission. Actually, I forgot the intermission altogether.

Here’s what I would write thanks to Twitter:

The Hangover is hilarious! I didn’t even need popcorn to enjoy the movie:)

Okay, so maybe my example is silly, but you get the point. With Twitter and other social media platforms, we can communicate more conversationally and with fewer, unnecessary words…even if it is the exclamation mark that lets us do that.

How has Twitter changed your everyday writing?

1.    Read mainstream news and industry news online. If you find a unique or informative article, shrink the link and post it to Twitter or Facebook.

2.    Most professionals love nothing more than a well-written case study or white paper. Write a white paper, post it to your website, and then tell everyone about it through your social media accounts including bookmarking sites, Q&A sites, and LinkedIn.

3.    Tell an appropriate joke, share an insightful quote, or repeat a line from a well-known film. Online readers like to be inspired and entertained. It’s okay to repeat what’s already been said, but do so sparingly and with tact.

4.    Pictures can say more than 140 characters. See a funny sign or a beautiful sunset from your office window? Post the pictures online and share with your networks.

5.    People want to offer up their expertise. Ask interesting questions on Twitter or Mahalo.com, but avoid sounding cliché. Questions such as “How is everyone today?” won’t go over nearly as well as “Looking for a Denver-area web designer. Anyone have a recommendation?”

6.    Make a video about something your business does. Most video sharing sites allow users to leave comments, making it a conversation not a one-way broadcast. What’s more, once you have the video published on YouTube or another video sharing site, you can then post those links to your other social media accounts.

7.    Comment, Re-Tweet, and vote. You don’t have to create new content every time. Give props to those who offer great nuggets of information on the social web by re-publishing (with attribution) or just by commenting on the information.

8.    Pay attention to trending topics. Sites such as Tweetstats.com highlight current conversation trends on Twitter. Pay attention to those trends and jump in on the conversation. In Twitter, you can use the search function to find conversations using a hash tag. For example, search “#iphone” to see thousands of Tweets on the device.

9.    Be an authority. Give free tips, advice, and links to more great tips and advice. Offer your business expertise for FREE through the social web. You may make more sales with goodwill than you will through hard sales.

Not sure what some of this social media jargon means? Check out our recent post: Social Media Dictionary for Small Businesses.

Looking to promote your business through social media, but want to get away from the BIG 3? Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn might get all the press, but that doesn’t mean they are the only opportunities for businesses to participate in social networking.

Blogs

Commenting on a blog is a great way to introduce yourself to the blogger and the visitors of that blog. To really foster a relationship, though, you should visit the blog regularly. Don’t just comment for the sake of commenting either. Read a post and leave meaningful thoughts afterward.

Tip: Search for blogs through Blogsearch.Google.com or create an account on MyBlogLog.com to search for blogs by topic.

Bookmarking

If you are still bookmarking your favorite websites to your personal Internet browsing preferences, it’s time to upgrade. Consider bookmarking your favorite URLs to sites such Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon, and one of the dozens of others that might fit your target readership.

Forums

Search for a forum on a site such as Yuku (ForumFind.com) to find message boards and forums that will ultimately lead you to a network of individuals who share your interests.

Pictures

Photo sharing sites make it easy to connect with other users by commenting on images and by adding individuals as “connections.” Try Google’s Picasa or Yahoo!’s Flickr to see what works best for you.

Questions

Mahalo, WikiAnswers, and Yahoo! Answers are three Q&A sites that offer an excellent way to connect. The trick is to ask reasonable questions and give authoritative answers, otherwise you might just look like spam.

Video

YouTube, MetaCafe, BuzzNet, MySpace, and about 100 other video hosting sites offer an opportunity for small businesses to promote their brand. Just like with other social media sites, most video sharing sites allow you to connect with users and leave comments too.

No. 2 Pen helps small businesses create content for their social media marketing campaigns. Whether you need a video script or ghost Tweeting, we can help. Contact us to find out more.

Does your business care for its social networks the way it should?

Here are 6 signs that it’s time for your business to get off social networks.

1. Google Analytics says that in nine months only 12 people clicked through to your website from your social media accounts.
2. Social media marketing doesn’t appear anywhere in your official 2010 marketing plan.
3. No one in your office can remember the login and password to your Twitter account.
4. The last time you updated the company blog was in October 2008.
5. All you have time to do is post Tweets; you don’t have time to respond to messages from your followers.
6. Your Facebook account was hacked and you didn’t know it for two weeks.

Social networking is not for all businesses. Before you start blogging or open any social networking accounts, research to make sure your clients are there. If they are, then make a plan and stick to it.

One Way to Quit Social Media

Before you give up on social networking, consider hiring a social media content writer to help you out. If that doesn’t work, then maybe it is time for you to hang it all up.

NPR recently featured a company that helps individuals and businesses “quit” social media. The company is called Web 2.0 Suicide Machine. They will de-friend, de-Tweet, and close out all your accounts so you can’t return. They claim to save you almost 9 hours in time.

Friend Request – This vague term is creeping up all over pop culture in commercials and even jokes. Think of a friend request as a method for asking someone to join your online social network.

Hash Tag – A hash tag is used within a Tweet as a way to participate in a particular conversation on Twitter. For example, if you are a fan of the television show Lost, then you could jump into the ongoing conversation by including “#Lost” in your Tweet.

Microblogging – When you post information to the web in small doses. Twitter is microblogging.

Re-Tweet – Re-publishing another Tweet using this text preceding the re-published message: RT @USERNAME.

Shrink a Link – Websites such as BudUrl.com allow you to take a long URL and shrink the link to just a few characters.

Social Media – A million different definitions from a million different people. But over at Duct Tape Marketing they say “[s]ocial media is the use of technology combined with social interaction to create or co-create value.”

Social Network – Locations on the Internet where individuals can contact other individuals, share information, join groups, promote their businesses, etc.

Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 – Web 1.0 is one-way broadcasting, meaning only the owner of the site can publish information. Web 2.0 signifies a conversation between the original author of the content and all those who can comment or participate. Web 3.0 is not clearly defined yet, but the general consensus says that Web 3.0 is about openness and about being available from all devices and from all places. The site ReadWriteWeb explains the concept in detail. Head on over there if you’d like to know more.

Widget – On the web, a widget is a small piece of code that can be placed anywhere on a website resulting in a unique piece of information viewable by the web visitor. For example, I installed a “tag cloud” widget on the left side of this blog.

Viral – When a blog post, video, picture, or other piece of online content is spread by Internet users to many other users. Learn more about viral-ness by reading about Examples of Viral Marketing