Copyblogger

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How to Discover Your Customers’ Favorite Social Media Platforms

where do your customers hang out online?

Every few months, a hot, new social media tool hits the scene — Pinterest, Periscope, Foursquare, Blab — and some marketing experts make it sound like if you’re not using that new platform, you’re missing out.

That notion gives me a massive headache. Like everyone else, I feel pressured to have a presence on every social media platform, but I can’t possibly contribute to every one — at least not without doing a lousy job on all of them.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could simply focus our social media marketing efforts on one or two platforms we know our prospects use to share content and connect with one another?

But how do you know which social media sites to choose?
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How to Write with Power and Authority, Even if You Feel Like a Nobody

use it! you've got the power

In this overcrowded online world, do you ever wonder why people would listen to your advice?

I used to feel the same way.

I didn’t understand why people would read my writing tips when the web is awash with writing advice from people more experienced, more knowledgeable, and more authoritative than me.

Why would anyone listen to me?

I’ve learned that mindset was flawed.

When I learned how to write well, a new world opened up. I connected with people across the world. I built a thriving blog. People started listening to my advice — and more importantly, they acted on it.
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A Simple Way Out of Your Precarious Freelance Income Problem

freelance-retainer

Freelancing. That’s the life, isn’t it? Total control. Total freedom. Abject terror.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to be said for the freelance life. You’re in charge of your own time. You pick and choose the projects you’ll take on. You select your clients.

When it’s all working the way it’s supposed to, that is.

When you’re not breaking into a sweat as you open your checking account statement. When you’re not wondering how you’ll pay next month’s rent. When you’re not thinking, “Maybe a job with a salary wouldn’t be so bad …”

There’s a simple solution, though. One that will restore a feeling of stability to your freelance life.

It’s nothing you haven’t heard before. But you may not realize how important this solution can be for your freelance business. You may not be taking full advantage of the peace of mind and regular income it can provide.

Let’s get it working for you.
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How to Craft Winning Pitches for Your Service Business

present irresistible pitches that convert

I have an affinity for service businesses.

I love when people:

But I don’t love when these driven individuals make a certain mistake that invites unnecessary frustrations into their workdays and weakens their reputations.
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3 Editing and Proofreading Lessons to Help You Elevate the Quality of Your Content

Copyblogger Collection - build authority with careful quality control

Let’s compare bland content to plain bread.

Plain content bread isn’t going to build an authority sandwich for your business; it’s fairly easy to produce and many other places offer it.

Editing and proofreading are the peppercorn-crusted turkey and applewood-smoked bacon you need to layer on top of your plain content bread.

With peppercorn-crusted turkey and applewood-smoked bacon (and maybe even some Dijon mustard or horseradish mayonnaise), you’re able to craft an engaging experience for readers — something savory, a little spicy, and more robust than all the other plain content bread out there.

Building an audience is hard work because you have to offer people an experience they don’t get anywhere else. The winning details that make your content a go-to resource can emerge during the time you take to edit and proofread.

This week’s Copyblogger Collection is a series of three handpicked articles that will show you:

  • How to objectively review your own writing
  • How to transform your content into persuasive and shareable works of art
  • How to catch more writing mistakes with an underutilized proofreading trick

As you work your way through the material below, think of the following lessons as a mini editing and proofreading course.
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The Perfect Anatomy of a Modern Web Writer [Infographic]

The Perfect Anatomy of a Modern-Day Web Writer (Infographic)

High school was an era of my life I never really want to repeat. Not because it was a nightmare. Yes, there was a little turbulence, but mostly bewilderment and embarrassment.

  • Why do I have to read The Old Man and the Sea while my gym teacher sleeps behind a newspaper?
  • Why do I have to stand in the cold with other lackluster teenagers waiting for a bell to ring?
  • And why am I wearing a white leather jacket with padded shoulders?

To this day, I have no clue why they gave me a diploma:

Me: Did I do something to earn this?

High School: No. Just leave, please.

Hey, not a problem. Happy to oblige. Yet, there was at least one high point during my dim career in secondary school.

Biology class. Specifically, the anatomy portion of biology class.
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