Margie Dana

If I Hired a Blogger

If I hired a blogger…

I’ve been a blogger-for-hire for two years already, so I thought I’d hop on over to the other side of the table for this post.

Here’s the skinny on what I’d do if I wanted to hire a blogger.

I’d jump online to sites like LinkedIn and Twitter to see who’s writing about my industry. If I were in the print industry, I’d search by hash tags, including #printmedia. I’d look under Posts on LinkedIn to see who’s writing in my field. I’d conduct a Google search on “bloggers in the print industry” to see what pops up. I’d visit the sites of trade associations to see if they have bloggers. Remember, not every blogger offers blogging as a service. Many blog to keep their names out there. Above all else, I’d want a writer who has experience in my industry and a style I like.

I’d pay attention to top bloggers for several weeks to get a sense of writing style and content quality. These are different. I’d look for consistent quality. And the writing style would be important – that doesn’t change, BTW. I’d do a Google search on the bloggers I really like, to see what else I could find out about them. I’d view their LinkedIn profiles.

After being satisfied I’d found the blogger (or two) that most interests me, and checking out their site/s to see if they offer blogging as a service, I’d get in touch to start the conversation.

In a phone call, I’d find out the blogger’s interest and availability and have an initial discussion about my needs (weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.). I’d ask for pricing and want to get a sense of how the blogger works. I’d expect this information by email within the week, and I’d pay close attention to the quality of this communication (grammar, spelling, format, etc.). It reflects on the writer. I have high standards and am sensitive to errors.

If everything looks good (price, availability, writing style), I’d let the blogger know the good news, and get an NDA signed. A simple Letter of Agreement also makes sense. Because the blogger is unknown (to me, anyway), I’d want a three-month trial to start, so that I could experience the blogger’s writing style, accountability, and evaluate the content itself (naturally).

I’d have a liaison assigned to work with my blogger (presuming it’s not me). This conduit is important. Most of the work will be done by email or phone calls.

I’d be flexible. It could take a few assignments to get into the groove with a new writer. Communication with my blogger (and vice versa) is critical. I’d try to be fair about what I expect and give as much information about each blogging topic as I have available.

Whenever possible, I’d line up blog topics in advance with my blogger and make sure she/he has everything needed to jump in.

I’d give feedback to help the relationship grow stronger, and I’d ask my blogger for feedback as well. If the fit just doesn’t feel right after a few posts (I’d know), I’d summon up the nerve to say as much to the blogger in a phone call and in a professional way.
I’d pay my blogger’s invoices promptly. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s much appreciated.

Have I left off anything important? Would you also have a Plan B ready in case your blogger stops delivering? Do let me know.

I fought Pilates and Pilates won.

After 40 years of taking high-impact cardio classes practically every day, my feet cried uncle. Nothing serious, but tendonitis plus the dreaded plantar fasciitis caused enough pain to shout, “Change what you’re doing, sister!”

I’d resisted the “tamer” (ha!) mat classes for years, preferring the dance-y aerobic workouts, secretly convinced that those quiet classes were too easy. And wouldn’t I be ‘giving up’ by radically changing my workouts?

One year later, I’m a new woman. I did a lot of PT plus at-home exercises. And a modified weekly gym schedule of high-impact classes alternating with Pilates and yoga keeps me pretty much pain-free these days.

What a change from a year ago.

In this situation, being stubborn and competitive hurt me. I learned to accept a physical limitation and try something new. If you knew me at all, this was a big deal.

But the bigger lesson was this: taking Pilates and eventually a yoga class during the week gave me satisfaction in ways brand new to me. Almost immediately, I left these classes feeling a wellness that I hadn’t experienced in any cardio class. Remember, we’re talking 40 years here.

So whatever new thing you’re afraid of trying – or refusing to try, out of pigheadedness – learn from my story that until you give something a whirl, you don’t know if it could be exactly what you need…and turn out to love.

Margie Dana is a ghostwriter, content consultant, and blogger-for-hire. Her specialty is printing & the graphic arts. She writes marketing content that attracts and engages clients’ customers and prospects. She also likes writing case studies – and occasionally posts musings about life in general. Learn more at Margiedana.com.

Surly doesn’t suit you, saleslady.

funny angry young woman When I ordered a salad to go from a neighborhood café, the saleswoman couldn’t have seemed more miserable to be waiting on me if she tried. Later, I learned she’s the manager, which made it worse.

She was brusque. She was curt. Everything a salesperson shouldn’t be.

Customers are sensitive to your demeanor. We can hear it in your voice. We can see it on your face. We can read it in your emails.

If dealing with you is unpleasant, we will leave you, and we will tell other people about you.

If I had sales or service team members, or someone answering my phones, I’d teach them this on day 1. I’d insist they become good actors when necessary, because it happens to all of u: We’re in a rotten mood. Something else is troubling us. When we can’t avoid dealing with customers on such occasions, we need to rise above it for the moment.

There are plenty of other cafés and coffee shops nearby. I’ve already found them.

Through Pith & Skin

There’s a delicious grilled chicken marinade recipe my neighbor Sue gave me, which we really love. It involves crushed garlic and brown sugar, oil and cider vinegar, salt and grainy mustard, and the juice and zest of two limes.

Those limes are the kicker. They brighten the flavor and add a true layer of freshness to the marinade.

But it’s in the zesting of those limes that I prove my love for this recipe. No matter how carefully I go at it, I always grate a knuckle or two. And still, I make this dish about once a month in the summer, willing to shed a little blood in the process.

If we want something badly enough, and we know from experience there’s some risk involved – be it physical, professional, financial, or psychological – we steel ourselves and just go for it.

Taking risks in our personal and professional lives can be empowering and quite often, exhilarating. You’ll kick yourself for not trying something new, or doing something you’ve done before even though it didn’t go perfectly well the last time.

Don’t let small risks rob you of your zest for what you’re trying to accomplish. Push ahead. Experience that sense of accomplishment.

Nothing tastes so sweet.

Margie Dana is a ghostwriter and blogger-for-hire. Her specialty is printing & the graphic arts. She writes marketing content that attracts and engages clients’ customers and prospects. She also likes writing case studies – and occasionally posts musings about life in general. Learn more at Margiedana.com.

7 Tips for Promoting Your Brand-New Blog

There. You’ve gone and done it. You finally launched a new blog for your business, and though you can’t see us, bloggers everywhere are sitting in front of our computers, high-fiving you.

Now what? How are you getting word out that you’ve launched a new blog? Who needs to know about it? Start by answering this question: who are you writing it for and therefore SHOULD know?

Here are my top 7 suggestions for how to promote a new blog:

Post your blog in a prominent spot on your web site. I know, you’re thinking, “Well, duh!,” but trust me when I say that many companies fail to feature their blogs on their own site. This is where it lives. Make sure the blog is easy to spot on your site. Add a form for visitors to sign up and receive notices of new posts.
Share the news with your immediate network. Let’s say you’re a business owner. Tell your customers, your warm prospects, your colleagues, and your suppliers that you’ve launched a new blog. (Of course, all of your employees and sales reps know, right?) Send them an email announcing it with a healthy dollop of hullabaloo. Include a link to your blog, but also copy/paste the blog into the body of this introductory email. Explain what the purpose of the blog is, what you’ll be writing about, and by all means invite them to sign up to get new blog posts.
Let your social media communities know. Are you active in LinkedIn? Twitter? Do you have a company Facebook page? All social channels you use regularly should be the next stop when announcing your new blog.
Publish your blog on LinkedIn. Post your blog on LinkedIn using its publishing function (go to your own profile and look for that little grey pencil icon over on the right). Make sure you add a visual image (every post needs an image), a short bio, and voila! Your blog’s ready to publish once you preview and proof it carefully.
Reach out to key industry influencers. Hopefully, you know people in your industry who are major influencers. Get in touch with them when you launch your blog.
Add it to your business card. It’s one way to make sure you’re committed to this blog for the long term. Go ahead. Do it.
Bonus tip. Add a link to your blog on your email signature. If it’s a company blog, ask every employee to do the same. In this way, you get a little blog promotion with every email sent.

Over time, as you build your own library of blog posts (on your site) and share all new posts in your communications channels, you’ll grow your community, enhance your reputation, and build your business. Not too shabby.

4 DIY Marketing Ideas for Printers

What’s that? You don’t have any budget for marketing? You don’t even have the time to stop and THINK about it? OK, it’s not uncommon. But it doesn’t mean you get a pass on marketing efforts. You can’t just sit there waiting for referrals to materialize and prospects to discover you serendipitously. It. Ain’t. Happening.

It only means you have to figure it out for yourself. What are you currently doing to market your services? Which channels are you using? How do prospects find out about you?

I’m here to help. These are just 4 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas that every printing company can implement. As an added bonus, they don’t have to cost you a penny.

Plump up your email’s digital signature. This goes for all employees, too. Digital signatures should include your LinkedIn profile address and Twitter handle, if appropriate. Adding your site’s URL is a no brainer, and I’d also suggest adding phone numbers and email addresses if you haven’t already. Now, there’s marketing value in every email you send.
Improve your LinkedIn Profile. When I want to check someone out for whatever business reason, I go to that person’s LinkedIn profile and then to the company’s web site. Pretend that every prospect of yours does the same. Now, work on your LI profile so it presents you as the smart, experienced expert you are. Make sure you have a photo there. Take the time to describe your role, your skill set, your experience, and do spell out your specialties. For a good post on this subject, read what HubSpot recommends.
Write down a list of the top 5 challenges or problems your customers deal with. You may need to consult with your sales and service teams. Now go somewhere quiet. Unplug. Take this list, and underneath each problem, while you imagine that a customer’s standing in front of you, write down how you’d fix it. Turn each of these 5 answers into a few solid paragraphs, making a compelling headline out of each problem topic. Voila! You now have 5 blogs and also 5 customer emails and also 5 topics for a direct mail campaign to showcase your smarts. Repeat every few months.
Ask every employee from the top of the management team to the newest hire just learning the trade to take a photo of the one thing about your company that makes them the proudest. It could be another person, a box of samples, a written letter of thanks from a customer, a piece of equipment or other technology, or some sign that you support your community, for example. Have them email you the photo, along with one sentence describing why it’s the one thing that makes them proud to work there. Then take these “Insider Applause” pictures and share them on any or all of the following channels: your site, your blog, your FB page, your Twitter account, whatever. It may be built-in bragging, but it’s the best kind: from the heart.

Маркетинг (marketing). Красное слово на светлой поверхности If you follow this advice and are diligent about using your best media channels, your company’s name and reputation will spread. Your communities will get to know folks who work for you and why they love the company. And prospects and customers will get deeper insights into how you can help them.

They’re all easy to do, and two of these ideas (#3 and #4) can be repeated a few times each year. You haven’t spent any money, yet in a pinch and with little effort, you’re marketing your company with original content.

Do it. Do it now. Do it yourself.

12 Golden Rules of Marketing for Printing Companies

As I’ve developed my marketing business over the past two years, I often find myself giving the same advice to my clients. These 12 tips are some of the most common suggestions I share with print company owners, so I decided to compile them here “in brief” to help other print CEOs who might be struggling with their marketing plans.

Always approach any marketing effort from the perspective of your ideal customer. Get inside their heads. Don’t think like a printer; think like a print customer. What matters to them? What would impress them? What do they need to know about what you offer?
Remember this: what’s common knowledge to you may well be new and helpful information to your prospects. Basic print industry know-how and technical tips make for great content marketing.
If you serve particular markets or distinct types of customers (designers and print buyers and brand marketers, for example), develop marketing messages specifically for each type.
Make your marketing personal. Tailor it to your audience and make it about them. And give your marketing campaigns your personality. Try not to sound like every other printer. Put your own stamp on your web site, your direct mail campaigns, your videos, and so on.
Keep in mind that marketing your company is not about your equipment. It’s about what you can accomplish with it. What are its special features and capabilities that directly affect customers’ needs and/or solve their problems?
Keep in touch regularly with your customers and prospects. Use some combination of these channels: direct mail, email, social media, phone calls, events, videos, and blogging.
Confer with your sales and service reps regularly. What are they hearing from customers? What kudos keep cropping up? What complaints or other issues? This is important information for your marketing.
Load up your marketing efforts with visual imagery. It’s your business, for Pete’s sake.
Your sales reps are not in charge of marketing. Somebody else has to be.
Marketing is not a “one-and-done” situation. It’s a constant. It’s ALWAYS time for marketing.
Your marketing materials need a consistent look. Make them professional and proofread everything a thousand times. Recently I came across a gorgeous magazine ad for a printer. There was an unfortunate typo in the company’s tagline.
You don’t have to be everywhere – find the appropriate marketing channels and develop those muscles. Do what comes naturally and get comfortable with that. Maybe it’s videos, or blogging, or an Instagram account. Create a plan you can commit to and live with for at least 12 months, and go from there.

The late, great Michael Jackson sang “ When it comes to marketing your business, just don’t stop. Period.

*Got you up and dancing now, didn’t I?

Don’t Let the Inbound Marketing Bus Pass You By

I’ve just celebrated my first year of blogging weekly for a key client. They’re based on the West Coast, and they are truly a “dream client” (more on that in a later post).

It’s a big milestone. In 2013 I started a whole new business. For 10 years I’d produced dinner programs and conferences for print buyers, but writing is what I love doing the most.

When I started my new business, I built a new site, sent out a news release, and shared my news in an email with select colleagues as well as with my email subscribers. Then I just started publishing online more regularly and with purpose.

How did my blogging client (and every other new client) find me? From reading something I’d published on the web.

I don’t place ads anywhere, and I don’t send promotional direct mail. There’s no “MargieDana.com sales force” knocking on doors or cold calling. I have never cold called. It’s not my style, and I’m not a fan.

In 1999 I started my enewsletter, because it was cheaper than printing and mailing. Besides, I wanted to grow my list quickly and organically, and email (back then) was a great way to do this.

Then the term “blogging” was born, and with it, so many sites and channels for us solo proprietors to use for sharing content. Now we don’t have to depend 100% on email marketing, or direct mail, or even our web site, to develop an audience and therefore, our business.

You’ve heard this so many times before, from so many marketing experts: you can’t rely on one or two channels to develop new business.

For most small businesses, your web site sits there, acting as a good-looking repository for all sorts of interesting content and facts about your company. It’s the mother ship. It’s where people land when they’re considering contacting you to talk business.

But what gets them to your site is what’s important. Enter the value and the significance of inbound marketing.

By sharing your expertise and your ideas online, your audience will grow. As long as you provide value to your market, you’ll establish a voice in your field. The key? Do it regularly and do it with a passion.

This picture shows a tweet that caught my eye recently. I had to share it. I sent it to a few clients who have yet to dip their toes in the inbound marketing ocean. It’s a picture of a slide from a presentation given by best-selling author and inbound marketing expert David Meerman Scott at Inbound Marketing 2014:

“You are what you publish on the web. If you’re not publishing, you’re nothing.”

Every one of us who’s running a business has expertise in what we do. Share your expertise on the web in blog posts or videos or pictures or presentations. If you’re that good, and if you publish regularly enough and in the right places, new business will find you.

And lest you get discouraged, just know that it’s never too late to jump on this bus.

Do Clients Know What Keeps You on Your Toes?

How do you keep on YOUR toes?

You know what clients and prospects never ask me? “Wanna sing at our next sales meeting?” There’s that – for good reason – and this:

“How do you keep building your skills, Margie?” They ask for writing samples and references. But no one has ever asked what I do for ongoing development.

I think it’s a question to ask service providers. Whether you’re hiring a blogger, designer, printer, website developer – what have you – if you’re thinking of entering into a long-term business relationship with an individual or a company, don’t you want to know how they keep up?

Months ago, I started wondering how doctors stay current. Out of the blue it hit me: once a doctor’s out of medical school, then what? Surely they’re not staying sharp just from caring for patients.

So I asked my friend Marlene, who’s been married to a physician for over three decades. She gave me the scoop. Physicians take continuing education courses, attend conferences that focus on their specialty, and are supposed to read professional journals. (She also shared that the most up-to-date physicians are in academic medicine, affiliated with a major medical school or research organization.)

Funny, I feel better already having learned this.

You’re probably thinking, “Practice make perfect.” Maybe. I know that experience has helped my writing. But I know I can always get better. There are so many bloggers, marketers, and experts I admire. I try and learn from the pros.

This season I’m favoring three. The first is Michael Katz of . I’m liking “Michael Katz’s 45-Part, Solo Professional Video Marketing Course.” It’s truly an excellent investment. (Get his weekly enewsletter. You’ll thank me for it.)

And I’m registered for Ann Handley’s 6-month MarketProfs University – Content Marketing Crash Course. I’m going to love it.

My third skill-building initiative has to do with . I cannot begin to tell you how much I’m learning every day from those smart Hubspot kids. If you care at all about understanding inbound marketing, read their articles.

If your professional development matters to you, it will impress your clients and prospects. If I were a printer, for instance, I’d talk about trade group memberships, conferences attended, books and other publications read regularly, classes taken, industry sites frequented, and whatever else you might do to stay sharp and in-the-know.

For years I’ve advised businesspeople about how to work with the print industry. One question I’ve always included when discussing how to interview printers is this: How do you stay current in your field? I know how much this matters in printing, where technology changes constantly.

The professional development efforts you or your employees undertake is news worth sharing. It says, “We’re not standing still. We work hard at improving what we do.”

You’ll make a great impression. Just maybe it’ll give you the edge you need.

How to Get Your Emails Opened

iStock image

Raise your hand if you’re being bombarded by content from all around you. I thought so. Me, too.

Hundreds of times a day I get alerts about new Facebook posts, new LinkedIn posts, new Google+ posts, new voicemail messages, DMs from Twitter folks, and of course, a hardy diet of emails – the good ones (that I want to read) and the bad (spam and other unwanted junk).

So it was with a steely determination to learn how to improve my emails that I attended Nancy Harhut’s 2014 NEDMA conference session on “The Science Behind Emails that Persuade.”

Nancy is the Chief Creative Officer at the Wilde Agency here in greater Boston. I always get new ideas from her sessions. Once again, she did not disappoint. (Every agency needs a Nancy. Just brilliant.)

My background may be in print buying, but my heart is in marketing – especially with content – so today’s post focuses on email marketing tips. I’ve written this weekly email blog since 1999, so naturally I was most intrigued by Nancy’s session.

Here are the top 7 tips I learned that day.

1. Pay special attention to subject lines.

Subject lines drive opening rates, which is why they matter so much. Ideally, they should be about 35 characters, tops. Nancy said about 54% of first opens occur on mobile devices, so be concise.

2. Use eye magnet words.

They really do “jump out” and attract the human eye. We “skim and scan” these days, so use words that have the power to draw in the reader. Some eye magnet words are “New” or any variation, like “introducing), “Finally,” “Soon,” “Now,” “Secret,” and “Free.”

A definite “eye magnet” word is a person’s name – which is why personalized direct mail also increases response rates. Nancy said using personalization in the subject line gets a 12% lift to the email’s opening rate. Our own name is very dear to us. It’s the “principle of liking” that’s at play here. We’re more likely to do a favor for someone who has our name or a similar name. I know it’s true for me.

3. Position your email message for a fast response.

Something called the principle of urgency comes into play here, so use terms that create urgency. Some examples Nancy used are “deal of the day,” “while supplies last,” “ends tonight, and “last chance.”

Nancy Harhut

4. Take advantage of the ripple effect of the “Consistency Principle.”

I learned the first small “yes” we give to someone easily leads to more “larger” ones, because once people commit, they’re in it for the long term. Nancy used Groupon as an example. “Because you bought…” is commonly used in their emails. Likewise, once you register for a product or service on a site, you’ll get effective emails that use phrases like, “You’ve registered…now enjoy XX!”

5. Using “Social Proof” helps you sell more.

We tend to do what other people do – especially if they’re anything like us. If we’re hesitant about a decision we’re about to make, we may look at the actions of others. If people we know/like/identify with are doing it, we’re much more likely to. Think about a “don’t walk” street sign. Imagine there’s no traffic in sight. Though we initially obey the sign, once others cross the street, we’re more likely to follow.

6. Negatives are more powerful than positives.

We’re “2x more motivated to avoid pain than achieve gain.” So put this powerful principle to use in your emails. For example, “You’ve NO idea what you missed!” and “Only 10 seats left!”

7. Use journalists’ secret: 5W’s and 1H.

It’s funny, I had started noticing how many blog posts open with “Who, “What,” “When, “Where, “Why,” or “How,” – and Nancy made a great point of their power. I use them more and more. Also, use numbers and lists to get your emails opened. Literally use numbers rather than spell out the words (“13 Ways to Improve Your Emails” is easier to scan than “Thirteen Ways to….”)

These are just a handful of the tips Nancy shared. They work as well for blog posts and, I imagine, for a lot of direct mail. Start paying attention to all the emails you get, all the blog posts that pass by your eyeballs, and postcards or other direct mail you receive, and make note of the ones you actually read. What was it that made you look?

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