Rembrandt’s Blog

If you are a busy entrepreneur, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with answering e-mails, accounting work, and other simple tasks. But if you are not careful, this “busy work” can cause profits to decline and physical illness.

To stay on top of things, try to remind yourself about the things that are truly important to your overall business success.

Before you start the day’s work, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What do I need to finish today?

2. What am I working on today that will help me reach my future goals?

3. How am I going to avoid distractions today and work smart?

Just by reminding yourself that you have specific goals to accomplish and setting priorities each morning, you will get more done.

Plus, you’ll avoid spending too much time on simple tasks and move towards your overall goals faster.

These simple questions help me, and I hope they help you.

And feel free to send me your comments, questions and suggestions below or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Stay tuned for more online copywriting and PR tips….Thanks!

I don’t know about you, but I really think the word “amazing” has lost its power and true meaning. You hear it all the time now:

“Bob’s garage repair service saved me $500.00 over the competition. That’s amazing.”

“Billy ate his cereal all by himself this morning. That’s amazing.”

“I just ate an entire large pizza by myself. That’s amazing.”

Is it really?

Please. We once used the word to describe something really incredible… 

If a man fighting cancer wins an Olympic gold medal, that’s amazing.

Or how about a local hero who throws herself in front of a bus to save a child? That’s amazing.

How often do you use it in a sentence or as a common response in conversation?

You get where I’m going here. So with this in mind, please refrain from using the word in your copywriting.

Try to use active verbs and adjectives that “pop” and focus on the benefits you have to offer.  This way, you’ll stand out and get people to take notice of your message.

And if sales spike in just a few days from changing a few words, that will truly be amazing!

What words are you sick of hearing? Please feel free to share your thoughts below or send me a note via www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Did you know that it’s prime publicity season? Not only will media members be talking about the political campaigns and the economy, but holiday stories will start appearing soon too.

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to prepare and take full advantage of all the publicity opportunities available. To start, you can:

Figure Out Your Pitches
Take a look at current news stories (and future events and holidays) and try to think of ways your products and services fit into these types of news stories.

Then, create unique story pitches pertinent to targeted media members who cover these particular beats.

Remember, many reporters and producers plan stories in advance so you want to pitch to the right people at the right time to beat deadlines…and the competition.

Prepare a Holiday Package
Is there some way you can create a unique gift package to sell during the holidays?

Think of ways to offer gift certificates, discounts or time-limited offers specifically for the holidays. This way, you’ll have time to prepare your marketing materials, update your website with the appropriate sales landing pages and prepare your publicity efforts around your new, holiday packages. 

Review Your Site
When was the last time you updated your website?

If you are not making changes to reflect the current benefits of your products and services on a regular basis, your site needs to be a priority.

Update your newsroom with all of your current stories, product benefits, testimonials, photos, events, etc.

Also, look for ways you can talk to your customers via blogs, newsletters, surveys, online forums, and more. Find out what they want. Then, make it as easy as possible for them to find what they need on your site and make a purchase.

You will probably be surprised at how just a few changes can make a big difference in sales!

It’s Time
Now that summer is coming to a close, it’s time to get back into full work mode and provide your best efforts.

After all, times are tough. And if you don’t prepare and pursue all of the promotional opportunities available, you can bet someone else will.

Thanks for reading, and if there is any way I can help you optimize your website for sales and boost your publicity activities, please write to me below or visit www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!