Rembrandt’s Blog

Ok. So it’s 5:00 a.m., and I walk to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee with my eyes half open.

Ugh! I forgot to put coffee into the machine last night, and there is just a pot of hot water waiting for me. Oh well. I’ll make a fresh batch and use the bathroom while I’m waiting.

Ugh! The toilet overflows. Where is that plunger?

I take care of this and proceed to dress for my day without any issues.

The new coffee is done brewing, and it’s time to sit down and work. I’m excited about helping a new client bring in more sales with some SEO copywriting. But then…

Ugh! My keyboard slides right out of my desk onto the floor, and the momentum causes my coffee cup to go with it. Ball bearings roll everywhere, and my mouse track-ball rolls across the floor to join the dust bunnies hiding under my filing cabinet. (a few profanities are uttered…)

I grab some tissues to soak up the coffee and then reach down to recover my track ball. Next, I crawl around looking for the ball bearings wedged into the carpet – all over the room. Yuck! Each one is covered with sticky grease!

I collect as many as I can find and try to settle back into work. Fortunately, I’m able to get some projects done over the next few hours. What a morning!

But then, here comes the afternoon. I decide to take a break and look at the day’s mail…

Ugh! My client missed their payment deadline and their check is not “in the mail.”

Ugh! It seems I owe more taxes, and there is an error in my account that I need to fix…
and wait… it gets better…

Ugh! I’ve been called into jury duty!

Well, this is actually how it went a few days ago. More things happened, but I don’t want to bore you with the ugly details. And at this point, I was just shouting, “bring it on!” After all, my day was not going very well, and I might as well deal with al the “negative” stuff at once. And even though this was a particularly bad day, I’m thankful. After all, I have my health, family and friends, a great career, and I feel truly blessed. I always know that no matter how bad things get, there are still people out there who have it much worse.

How about you?

Even though things are in turmoil right now in the world, what are you grateful for? Quick… name 10 things.

Do you feel better?

Since it’s Thanksgiving, it’s the perfect time to think about all of your blessings and thank those who have helped you succeed… so if you haven’t done so yet, take a moment to reflect on all of the good things in your life.

And if that doesn’t help and you still feel cranky, go ahead and share your “worst day” experiences here. It may help you to vent, and you may help others think their day isn’t that bad!

With this in mind, I’d like to thank all of you for reading my blog. I love sharing tips and information with you. And if you need help boosting sales, awareness and credibility, please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Many new clients tell me that they have a blog, but no one is reading it. Other clients ask me if they need a blog.

Well, if you have a blog, or are wondering if you need one, you may have these questions:

• What’s the point?

Before you start writing, figure out why you want to have a blog. If you are just trying to jump on the social-media bandwagon, that’s not a good reason to start a blog.

However, if you are trying to share information, build communications with your customers or build buzz, a blog may help you. If this is the case, figure out what you want to accomplish with your blog, and create an action plan, or editorial calendar of pertinent content, to fulfill that purpose. Then, monitor results and make changes as necessary.

• Why aren’t people reading my blog?

Well, there may be several reasons for this.

First, do people know about it?
If not, send out regular e-mail announcements telling people about new entries. Check out www.aweber.com, www.webmarketingmagic.com, www.myemma.com, and others for help with automating this process.

Second, does your blog contain valuable content? Do you help your target audience get answers, information or current news? If not, it may be time to revise your copy and focus on the benefits you have to offer.

 Third, are you optimizing your blog for the search engines? By including keywords your target audience is searching for online within your blog’s headline and body, you’ll attract a lot more readers. Also, list your blog with www.technorati.com and other sites that search for new blog entries.

•  Is your site user friendly?

If you are using a content service, your blog may just be a bunch of sentences running together – making it very difficult to read.

People have a lot to review during the day, and if your competitor’s blog is more user-friendly, guess who is going to get the site visits?

Try to write short sentences and paragraphs. Help readers get the information they need quickly and easily.

Now, these are just a few quick tips to help make your blog activities more worthwhile. After all, a few simple changes may be the difference between building customer relationships and wasting time and effort on content no one reads.

Do you need help with your public relations and SEO copywriting to boost sales, awareness and credibility? Please let me know here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

If you want to increase your level of returning customers, there is one major thing that you need to take care of at the very beginning of every relationship – Expectations.

This may sound simple, but if you don’t spell out what you are going to provide for the money, you can run into major confusion and complications in the future. And it goes both ways. Your customers need to tell you what they expect too.

With this in mind, here are three key tips to think about when you begin to work on any new projects or customer sales:

1. Communicate goals.

Before you exchange funds, products and/or services, talk about final outcomes and what you both expect out of the relationship. You should understand potential issues, tactics, budget constraints, potential results, and any other important details prior to working together.

2. Get it in writing.

Whether it’s a stream of e-mails or an official contract, write down exactly what you will provide and what the customer or client can expect from you. Even if you have a casual relationship, this will help clarify actions, fees, deadlines, and potential results.

3. Stick to your plan.

Once your relationship is underway, be sure you provide what you promised. Stay in touch with your customers, and be sure they are aware of any changes or problems. And to build a solid customer base and good word-of-mouth, go above and beyond customer expectations. Provide personal attention and extra services whenever possible.

By being honest and upfront with customers, you will reduce stress, meet deadlines and avoid unnecessary surprises. And if you make the extra effort to provide customers with additional, unexpected services that exceed their expectations, you’ll be well on your way to surpassing the competition and boosting sales.

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Do you need help boosting sales, awareness and credibility with public relations and SEO copywriting efforts? Please write to me here or at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Thanks!