See how my friend, Frederique does it on her blog, fffabulous.

It's better than an archive because it's immediately relevant. Plus the widget is free. Check it out at: www.linkwithin.com/learn

Stay Savvy!

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Here's another simple tip for creating more compelling blogs. 

Whenever possible, include an image in your post. This is a very effective way to engage your reader with the added bonus of breaking up the copy so that your post doesn't feel overwhelming (see:

blog do-s and don't-s: short and sweet). Think about the food and kid-specific blogs.  Before you even read one line of copy, the pictures from those posts have usually already pulled you in.  Pictures work.

A good example of using images, is my post on the Snuggie ads (see: 

why those god-awful snuggie ads work.)  So far, it's my only post with a picture and, although in my opinion, it's not as informative as some of my other posts, it's more compelling right off the bat - and notably the only post with comments. 

Although, this should go without saying, I've seen too many blogs riddled with seemingly random images not to mention it here:  make sure the image you use is relevant to your topic.  Random images just confuse your reader.  Also pay attention to placement and size. Your image should be placed close to the beginning of your blog, if possible or very close to the topic it is referencing.  The size should  be large enough to draw the eye and provide impact but not so large as to completely distract from your message. 

Images should be used judiciously to punctuate your message or add clarity to your discussion topic.  If there's no image that will add to your discussion in this way, skip it.  You're better off with no images than with random ones.

Stay Savvy!

(BTW, the above image doesn't qualify as a random since it's the SavvyClick logo.  Now you know.  ;-) )

Keep it Short:
My first few blog posts are glaring examples of one of the biggest blog "Don'ts".  They go on and on and on (see: "the optomistrist and the non-profit "). 

Even when the information is interesting, endlessly scrolling copy is unappealing to the vast majority.  Do your readers a favor and keep it short.  If you have lots of ground to cover, simply break it up.  No one ever said you couldn't do a "Part Deux".  Chunking the content into bite size portions makes your blog much easier to digest.

In keeping with my new rule of thumb, check back for more blog tips in Part II of "blog does and don'ts".  'til then...

Stay Savvy!

Well, low and behold, look what I found in my email this morning:

Yes, it looks like they've expanded their marketing to include email.  Don't ask me how I made their target list.  I admit I've been known to don an extra sweater or two in the dead of summer but being the self-proclaimed fashionista that I am, I would never be caught dead in such an ugly contraption.  I don't care HOW cozy it claims to be.

But I digress.

When it comes to the essence of the ad, you have to admire the agency that put it together and the client who signed off on it. 

Here's what the ad (obnoxious or not) does so well:

1. it leverages its' existing relationship with the TV ads you already know "as seen on TV"
2. the product name and image are front and center
3. the image not only includes people wearing the product, it uses a kid and an attractive woman (I realize this one sounds bad but I learned in my early days at Yahoo! ads with hot chicks, kids (especially babies) and furry animals get clicks
4. there is ONE call to action and it's clearly shown "ORDER NOW" in all caps complete with red button, no less
5. they make the ad relevant by immediately implying that Snuggie can help you "lower your heating bills"
6. finally they throw in the can't miss - "Buy one get one free"
7. and if that didn't get you to dig out your credit card, they're tossing in a book light to sweeten the deal

With all those marketing 101 techniques down, is it any wonder that these ads stay in our heads?  They're the equivilant of the "It's a small world after all..." refrain you just can't get out of your head even as it's driving you completely batty.

As I always say, successful marketing starts with a solid creative brief and it's clear that the folks working on this ad had a good one.  Single minded proposition?  I'd bet:  "Snuggie helps you save money during these tough economic times."

My only question is still, how the hell did I end up on their list!?

1. Utilize email.  It’s cheap and it’s one of the most effective and measurable ways to promote your business.  Make sure your distribution list is up to date and take the time to develop compelling subject lines.  Create trigger emails that are automatically generated when your customers do something specific like sign up for your newsletter or to welcome new subscribers.  Consider sending out holiday and promotional material as email to cut down on traditional mailing and printing cost.
2. Promote your company on everything that’s not nailed down.  Every sticky note, email or piece of paper should either help brand your company or promote your latest offering. Include your web address in your email signature and make sure your staff does the same.  Make sure that your faxes, invoices, envelopes, include your tagline and a clear call to action related to garnering new customers.
3. Leverage “share with a friend”.  There’s no better way to spread the word about your company or services than to use your existing customer base.  If you’ve developed a blog, a website, or a newsletter that people find valuable, they are generally more than willing to share.  Make it easy for them with “share” call-to-actions.
4. Consider surveys and polls.  Not only is this a great way to get immediate feedback from your customers but, if your audience is particularly niched, it’s potentially a new revenue stream to promote to your advertisers.
5. Sell ad space in your emails.  This is an excellent way to help monetize your emails.  Select specific areas where you will allow “sponsored ads” and then determine pricing.  Stay mindful of the ratio of ads to your message, however.  There’s a clear balance that should be maintained.
6. Send out a newsletter.  Once you’ve developed the template, it’s just a matter of creating content.  If resources are slim, start with a quarterly newsletter to showcase your business.  Besides everyone loves getting something for free.  Create content that is fresh and informative and your customers begin to perceive and value your brand as an industry leader.  Remember that it’s not so much about promoting your services as providing valuable insights that your customers can put to good use. It’s also a very smart way to drive traffic to your website.
7. Practice good email etiquette.  As much as we love email, you can easily turn off your customers if you’re bombarding them everyday.  Make sure that you maintain a clean email list (remove individuals who asked to be removed, remove duplicates, and make sure your list is current) and determine a maximum for email sends based on monthly or even weekly criteria.
8. Create link alliances.  SEM isn’t the only solution to search engine ranking.  Rather than purchasing a bunch of keywords - which frankly, should already be included in abundance throughout your web site - take the time to align yourself with companies that are natural allies.  For instance, if you’re a graphic design, you might naturally partner with a printing company.  You then link to them and they’ll in turn include links to your site.  It develops a relationship with peers in your industry and helps increase your ranking in search engines.  The more your site is linked to, the higher you’ll rank.
9. Dive into social networking.  Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to target specific audiences easily and inexpensively.  Their viral quality is an added bonus.
10. Get Savvy. (shameless plug!)  We’ll help you put all these strategies to good use to create exceptional marketing that grows your business.

This made them pretty happy until they started getting feedback from the few users that visited the sites.  "I can't find anything when I'm on your site."  "I keep getting lost."  "Where's the stuff that I personally am interested in?"  "What's the point of this site?"  "If I'd wanted a brochure, I could've picked one up from your office."  You get the picture.

On top of that, on further analysis of the sites (the non-profit in particular), it's clear that not much thought went into creating an intuitive navigation with clear content buckets.  Neither was thought given to the hierarchy of the info tossed on the site.

Savvy Message of the Day:
It's not enough to have any old website.  If it's not helping you bring in new customers or meet a clear business objective, it's a waste of time and money.

Savvy Solution:
Do your homework! 

Figure out what you're trying to achieve.  Ask your customers what they're looking for.  Take a look at the competition.  These are the preliminary steps to making sure your site is useful to your customers and works for you.

From there, develop a creative brief.  For some reason, clients hate to do this.  They find it intimidating and time consuming.  But the fact is, the brief is the basis for your entire web site strategy.  It outlines the reasons why you're doing what you're doing, who you're talking to, how you'll measure success, what you hope to achieve, etc.  Your site is going to look and function vastly differently depending on if you're trying to acquire new customers or if you're looking to create brand awareness. 

If you don't have the time or the expertise to write a tight creative brief, hire someone to do it for you!  Ideally, it's the company you'll use to execute on the info and strategies outlined in the brief.  It shouldn't cost much and the result on your final deliverable is priceless.

Secondly, make sure whoever you're working with gives you wireframes.  Look at wireframes as the bones of your site.  It's the structure around which the skin (the graphical elements like colors and fonts) will wrap around.  Wireframes set the foundation for what goes where - giving you a sense of hierarchy so that it's logical and intuitive to your visitors and gets the stuff that important to you across.  

Of course, there's so much more that goes into developing an effective site, but these are key pitfalls I see clients fall into over and over. 

Don't fall into the trap of skipping steps.  It may seem like the way to get a site up quickly but nine times out of 10, it's a mistake that wastes your time and money.

As the redesign of these sites starts to unfold, I'll share before and after info and pics.  By then, my own site should be live!  :-)  Until then....

Stay Savvy!

The best thing about this particular post is that no one has to see it but me.  It gives me a chance to ease my way into blogging for SavvyClick - brainstorm some content ideas before it all goes live.

So, if I were a company trying to make it in this economy, what would I want to know about marketing?  Number one:  how to make $$$.  That's what it really comes down to, right?  And to make $$$ you have to have customers.  Actually, you need to have a product or service that customers are willing to buy.  Giving tips on how to get customers with basic marketing strategies is one of the key things I'll tackle in the Savvy Blog.

The other is how to show the value for what you're offering.  Regardless of whether it's convincing advertisers that your site is the best site to promote their product on, or whether it's showing how your optometry office provides the best service and eye-wear choices around, you have to stake your claim.  Own it, then prove it.  Customers want to be convinced that they're making the right choice by choosing you over all the other rest.

Third:  I'd want to get a marketer's perspective on what's good and what's not so good in terms of marketing and advertising right now.  What works?  What doesn't?  Why or why not?

This could be fun.

What else?  What else?  We've got tips.  We've got trends.  We've got best and worst of.  And, of course, we've got my uniquely Savvy perspective.  :-)

That adds up to a nice bit of content.  Or at least a good start.