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Social Media Policy: Keep Your Employees In Check Online

WriterAccess | Aug 20, 2010 | No Comments

Your grandmother is on Facebook, so odds are in your favor that your employees are too. It is inevitable that unless you’ve blocked these sites with a firewall, employees will use some of their work time to visit their various online presences. Managing employee’s social media usage is important to keep them, and your company, out of hot water. Here are a few tips for carving out a policy of acceptable use across various networks.

Define Your Terms

Is an employee’s protected, private Facebook account social media? What about their public blog or deviant art gallery? Specify in broader terms what is and is not social media; since there are new services emerging daily, a definition and not a list of services will be more effective.

Don’t Share Private Intel in Any Form

It may seem private to send a message to a trusted friend or family member, but if their account gets hacked and that information leaked, that employee is still the source. It’s best to keep that information in-house

Monitor Your Brand

Without monitoring, why have a policy at all? Know your employees and be aware of their presence on networks outside of work. No need for irrational snooping, but if a google search turns up an employee’s public blog, it’s public knowledge and a good company keeps passive watch on those things.

If used correctly, there are plenty of workplace social media opportunities that will benefit your company and not harm production.

Lou Perseghin lives in Providence, RI and works for a non-profit managing volunteers, recruiting members and handling marketing efforts.

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Three Secrets to Stickier Content Marketing

WriterAccess | Aug 12, 2010 | No Comments

Have you ever looked with envy at those blog posts that get hundreds of re-tweets and Facebook “shares”? Did you ever wonder how the writers do it? There are several components to creating “sticky” website content that will travel—and stay the course, getting retweets months later. Here are a few marketing tricks to create stickier content marketing.

  • Outbound links. Some companies fear outbound links, thinking that they don’t want to risk sending prospects away from their website. But outbound links draw new audiences to your site. And if your content is worth reading, those visitors who left will come back.
  • Keep it short. Short, scannable, fun. Your readers should know, within the first few sentences, the message your content is sharing. They should be able to scan the rest and leave with a nugget of truth they can apply to their life immediately.
  • Pass the “Wow” test. When I write personal essays, I make sure the topic passes the “Wow” test. I tell the story to a few friends and family members. If they respond with an enthusiastic, “Wow!” or “Really?!” I know the story will make a good essay. Your stickiest content should make people say, “Really?! I didn’t know that.” Then they’ll want to tell a friend—or ten. And that’s how really sticky content, well—sticks.

Dawn Allcot is a full-time freelance writer and blogger. She frequently writes about technology, business, parenting and paintball.

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Why to Include a Blog in Your Content Marketing Plans

WriterAccess | Aug 12, 2010 | No Comments

Will a corporate blog benefit your company? Of course it will, if the blog is set up and managed in an appropriate manner. Corporate blogs should contain useful, professional quality information developed in a manner that is consistent with the principles of effective SEO content marketing. There are many reasons why it’s important to include a blog in your content marketing plans.

3 Reasons to Establish an Active Company Blog:

  • Capture Web Surfers: Potential customers are searching for information online every day. When your content marketing plans include a frequently updated blog populated with information about relevant key phrases, your chances of capturing the attention of the right web surfers is greatly enhanced.
  • Enhance Company Credibility: Blogging is a great way to build credibility for your company and key team members. Publishing a steady flow of useful information is a great way to become seen as an industry leader in terms of knowledge and expertise. This applies to the company as a whole, as well as to team members who can boost their own professional credibility with byline blog content.
  • Link Search Engine Marketing to Social Media: In many ways, company blogs are the perfect way to link your search engine marketing efforts to actively building community via social media. Set your blog up so that new posts are automatically updated on the company’s social media profiles and utilize add-ins that make it easy for blog readers to share information they find beneficial through their own social media accounts.

Mary Gormandy White is co-founder of Mobile Technical Institute, where she works with clients throughout the U.S. as a professional trainer, consultant, and speaker, focusing on topics related to HR, management, and public relations. She has extensive professional writing experience and is the author of 101 Human Resource Management Tips and 101 Successful PR Campaign Tips in the LifeTips book series.

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August 2010

Are You Reading this at Starbucks?

WriterAccess | Aug 12, 2010 | No Comments

The top execs at Starbucks haven’t always made the right moves. After the hubris-fueled development of stores on every corner, hundreds were forced to close in the face of the [...]

Three Reasons to Fear Bid Sites for Hiring Writers

WriterAccess | Aug 11, 2010 | No Comments

If you’re interested in hiring writers for your content marketing, blogging, news releases and more, bid sites may seem like an easy solution. After all, you know you’ll get the [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up!

WriterAccess | Aug 11, 2010 | No Comments

This week’s posts to ponder:
Do you have a social media strategy? If not, a recent study conducted by King Fish Media, Hubspot, and Junta42 suggests it’s probably time to jump [...]

My SEO Education: Goodbye and Thank You!

WriterAccess | Aug 05, 2010 | 1 Comment

 Since becoming an intern for ideaLaunch back in May, I’ve learned more than I ever expected  to know about content marketing. When I walked through these doors, I was pretty [...]

Before You Improve Conversion, Define It!

WriterAccess | Aug 05, 2010 | No Comments

We’ve all heard the adage, “You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” But you can’t measure something if you don’t know exactly what you’re measuring.
What is water?
This question pertains to [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up: Advice From the Front Row

WriterAccess | Aug 04, 2010 | No Comments

Last night I was talking with one of my close friends from school, chatting happily about summer and the looming responsibilities that we’ve been ignoring, when all of a sudden [...]

Small Package, Big Punch: Blog Widgets

WriterAccess | Aug 02, 2010 | No Comments

It’s the little things in life that are most precious, or so it’s been said. In the blogosphere, little things called widgets are great blog tools that augment your blog [...]

July 2010

Does Your Marketing Agency Specialize in Online Content and Social Media?

WriterAccess | Jul 30, 2010 | 1 Comment

The definition of marketing has changed and, with it, the duties of a marketing agency. Marketing no longer means deciding which print publication or TV channel should get your advertising [...]

Spice Up Your Marketing Strategy

WriterAccess | Jul 29, 2010 | No Comments

That’s right. You’ve stumbled upon yet another blog post about the Old Spice campaign. But that, my friends, is the point. The “Man your man could smell like” campaign started [...]

3 Secrets for Creating Effective Tip Centers

WriterAccess | Jul 29, 2010 | No Comments

Are you wondering what is involved in creating an effective tip center? To have a positive impact on your business, your tip center must be based on a sound SEO [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up

WriterAccess | Jul 28, 2010 | No Comments

My favorite ideas and insights of the week:
Spice up your blog! I especially liked Zachary Sniderman’s “HOW TO: Add Multimedia to Your Blog” because he not only offers advice on [...]

Building Your Staff of Writers: It’s About Who You Know

WriterAccess | Jul 28, 2010 | No Comments

With the proliferation of blogging, there are many blooming writers online chomping at the bit to get a piece of the freelance pie. But how do you sort through the [...]

The Benefits of Tip Centers for Content Marketing

WriterAccess | Jul 23, 2010 | 1 Comment

Are you wondering how you can benefit from adding a tip center to your website? When creating quality website content that is designed to attract targeted visitors to your website, there’s no better [...]

How an Editorial Calendar Can Help Your Internal Linking Strategy

WriterAccess | Jul 22, 2010 | No Comments

Internal linking strategy is often the “forgotten middle child” of the SEO content creation world. But a strong internal linking strategy improves your search engine rankings and turns your website [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up: Over the Hump

WriterAccess | Jul 21, 2010 | No Comments

About midway through last winter term, I had a revelation about Wednesdays. I was bogged down by mounds of schoolwork and New Hampshire slush. The weekends seemed ages apart, and [...]

Is it Working: Measuring Your Metrics

WriterAccess | Jul 21, 2010 | No Comments

With brick and mortar stores, it’s easy. If a customer comes in and makes a purchase, that’s a sale. While ultimately that’s still the goal, the process of getting to [...]

Understanding SEO Content Marketing

WriterAccess | Jul 20, 2010 | No Comments

Are you wondering what separates SEO content from other forms of marketing-oriented written communication? The key to creating effective SEO content lies with recognizing that the information published on your website [...]

Think About the Customer. No, Seriously.

WriterAccess | Jul 15, 2010 | No Comments

I have always been a self-proclaimed daddy’s girl. Growing up, my dad could do no wrong in my eyes, and to a certain extent, he still can’t. The fact that [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up: What to Say

WriterAccess | Jul 14, 2010 | 1 Comment

I was recently trying to explain the merits of blogging to a marketing executive who is just starting to peek into the world of content marketing. I went on about [...]

Give Us Free! The Value of Free Content

WriterAccess | Jul 08, 2010 | 1 Comment

Though long considered the bitter enemy of any capitalist enterprise, the concept of giving something away for free has become a key marketing strategy in recent years.  Give away that [...]

The Wednesday Round-Up

WriterAccess | Jul 07, 2010 | No Comments

Suddenly it’s Wednesday again (don’t you love long weekends?), which means it’s time for another Wednesday Round-Up! My book-marked posts of the week:
The wizard of the web. Just as Dorothy [...]

No Clones Allowed: Hiring a Diverse Team of Writers

WriterAccess | Jul 01, 2010 | No Comments

 When you are hiring freelance writers for your website or blog, you may be tempted to stick to what you know. Say, for example, that you have already hired a [...]

Three Tips for Newsworthy Website Content

WriterAccess | Jul 01, 2010 | No Comments

// Writing blog posts that relate to current events and hot search terms of the moment increases traffic to your blog. It also shows readers that you’re not [...]

June 2010

The Wednesday Round-Up

WriterAccess | Jun 30, 2010 | No Comments

From what I hear through the cubicle grapevine, one of last year’s summer interns had the fantastic idea to post a weekly “round-up” of the best blog posts of each [...]

Use Internet Resources to stand out in a Job Interview: Two places to Dig up Dirt

WriterAccess | Jun 30, 2010 | No Comments

With the ocean of information available with a few clicks, there is no excuse to go into an interview flying blind. Gone are the days of poring over [...]

Enhance Website Content with Visual Appeal

WriterAccess | Jun 29, 2010 | 1 Comment

// Are you looking for website content tips? One of the most important elements of an effective website is visual appeal. After all, when people find their way [...]

Social Network, Activate! Attempting the Call-to-Action

WriterAccess | Jun 29, 2010 | 2 Comments

As you slave away on your blog, or copy and paste the umpteenth link on twitter, do you ever feel a sense of doubt? You may have gone as far [...]

Marketing and the Mom Circle: Facing Social Media Fears

WriterAccess | Jun 28, 2010 | No Comments

Take a minute to reflect on your childhood (or even your adult life), and you will probably realize you are all too familiar with the concept of the Mom Circle. [...]

Why Shouldn’t You Do Content Marketing?

Patrick | Jun 28, 2010 | No Comments

I think of myself as a writer. I started blogging fairly regularly in high school on LiveJournal, or one of those sites. Through the years, I’ve attempted to keep up [...]

Five Services to Expect From Your Content Marketing Agency

WriterAccess | Jun 28, 2010 | No Comments

// When you work with a full-service content marketing agency like IdeaLaunch, you may enter the arrangement with certain expectations. Our team of editors, SEO specialists, writers, project [...]

Using Twitter as a Freelancer to Find and Cultivate Jobs and Leads

WriterAccess | Jun 24, 2010 | No Comments

Finding work as a freelancer on Craigslist or large job boards seems like Lucy Van Pelt hanging out her psychiatrist sign, only yours reads “freelancer for hire.” Instead [...]

3 Tips for Creating Effective Website Content

WriterAccess | Jun 23, 2010 | No Comments

Are you wondering what separates effective website content from other types of marketing communications? It’s a fact that all marketing content is not the same. What works in [...]

How Does Your Business Monitor UGC?

Carolyn McKibbin | Jun 22, 2010 | No Comments

User-generated content (UGC), also known as consumer-generated media, is any content—blog posts, videos, news, images, wikis, reviews, music, tweets—created by end-users and published on the web. It’s the two-way dialogue [...]

Does Your SEO Content Have to Be Grammatically Perfect?

WriterAccess | Jun 22, 2010 | No Comments

Good grammar is highly underrated. We could blame the “leet” speak adopted in instant-messenger programs and text messaging. It’s gotten even worse since Twitter became so popular.
With poor [...]

Keep ‘Em Clicking: How Internal Links Can Improve Your Website

WriterAccess | Jun 22, 2010 | No Comments

Have you ever wondered what makes sites like Amazon and Wikipedia so addictive? When you visit these sites, you can’t stop clicking; one link leads to another, and each page is [...]

Two Ways to Move Your Blog Out of Your Circle of Friends

WriterAccess | Jun 21, 2010 | No Comments

So you’ve just signed up for wordpress, blogger, etc., you have a few posts in the hopper, and a comment or two from your friends. You’re creating interesting [...]

Rely on a Content Marketing Agency for Your Freelance Writing Needs

WriterAccess | Jun 17, 2010 | No Comments

Are you planning to hire a freelance writer to create marketing content for your website? If you want to be certain that you are hiring a professional writer who has [...]

Keep It Human

WriterAccess | Jun 17, 2010 | 1 Comment

As your business grows, you’ll probably find that time flies through your fingers on a daily basis. Maybe you can’t possibly respond to all of the emails bombarding your inbox. [...]

Do You Take Chances with Your Marketing Content?

WriterAccess | Jun 16, 2010 | 1 Comment

A client came to me today and said she wants marketing content that is “like Seth Godin.” Fortunately, I’m in danger of achieving “fan-girl” status when it comes to Seth [...]

SEO Content (and Chocolate Milk)

WriterAccess | Jun 15, 2010 | No Comments


Writing SEO content is like making chocolate milk. This may be a tough metaphor to swallow, so bear with me while I walk you through the steps.

 

Pay attention to quality [...]

Website Content Tips

WriterAccess | Jun 15, 2010 | No Comments

Creating website content can seem like an imposing task. Many factors must be considered when writing copy for a website. These website content tips will help make sure you cover all [...]

Should You Hire a Freelance Writer for Your Press Releases?

WriterAccess | Jun 14, 2010 | No Comments

Is the press release dead? Back when print magazines ruled the world, the press release was king of the castle, one of the top ways companies got important news out [...]

Would You Post That on Twitter? Keep Your Blog on Point

WriterAccess | Jun 10, 2010 | No Comments

140 Characters.  You already get the reference. The character limit for an individual tweet is common knowledge, whether you have an account or not. The rise of Twitter has changed [...]

3 Reasons to Hire a Content Marketing Agency

WriterAccess | Jun 09, 2010 | No Comments

Are you wondering if you should hire a marketing agency to create marketing content for your website or if you should try to tackle this task yourself? While the idea [...]

May 2010

Facebook’s Marketing Problem

Patrick | May 28, 2010 | 1 Comment

This coming Monday, May 31st, the United States will commemorate Memorial Day with a long weekend, parades, barbecues and of course, white outfits. Better yet, the weather has promised to [...]

Is it Ethical to Hire a Freelance Writer for Corporate Blogging?

WriterAccess | May 26, 2010 | No Comments

You’ve made the decision to hire a freelance writer to help with your marketing and SEO content, writing articles and blog posts to represent your company, provide tips for your [...]

Is Your Marketing Content On Task?

WriterAccess | May 25, 2010 | No Comments

When someone is focused on getting a job done, working without distractions to achieve a goal, we say that person is “on task.” In this age of multi-tasking and distractions [...]

Go Green by Hiring Freelance Writers

WriterAccess | May 25, 2010 | No Comments

Hiring freelance writers can save your business money. Even when you take into account the stimulus money offered for small businesses who hire new employees, it’s still less expensive to [...]

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