Take Your Medicine

Remember me? Yeah, I’m the one who writes these blog posts. And if you are reading this as an avid and loyal reader, thank you (Mom). I realized today that I have been neglecting the very thing I teach others to focus on – the blog.

I realized it when I read this great post by Jim Connolly. He talked about how it is a mistake to neglect your blog and only focus on FB and Twitter.

It was perfect. I had written a similar article on my blog! I started to leave a comment that would link back to my “Not So Fast, Twitter” post when I realized something…I had been neglecting my blog. Big time. To the tune of 6 months.

For a copywriter, that’s equivalent to a Paula Abdul commentary on American Idol or the list of recent adolescent literature involving vampires — WAY too long.

I thanked Jim (in my comment) for reminding me to get back to it. I mentioned that medicine always works better when it comes from someone else.

I can’t count how many resource guides I’ve written in the past few months that talk about updating blogs regularly. And I always tell my clients to keep a steady stream of content coming to and from their website and blog. Yet here my blog sits, as under-utilized as a space-heater in Phoenix.

I wasn’t able to step back and see that I was suffering from the same things that were holding my clients back. I was taking that medicine in the little paper cup, hiding it under my tongue, and spitting it out as soon as the nurse left. I had no accountability. I needed someone else to prescribe to me what I’ve been dishing out all along. [Thanks Jim]

It has been too long since I have posted. Period. I have no excuse, either. But things are going to change from here on out. And not the kind of change that comes after you buy a gym membership (where the “change” lasts for 17 days until you start putting in just “10 hard minutes” on the exercise bike and then gradually stop going altogether).

I’ve officially been woken up. Maybe this post will inspire you to wake up and put into action something you know will help your business — whether it be a commitment to your blog, a new system for bookkeeping, a comprehensive social media plan, an eBook, or a revamped website.

Take the red pill. Do it now. Start today.

Please take my advice — I’m obviously not using it.

Not So Fast Twitter…Don’t Forget Your Roots.

We all know that Twitter and Facebook have revolutionized the world. They have brought attention to the whole concept of “sharing.” It’s a concept that we were supposed to learn in pre-school and then again in pre-marriage counseling, but we couldn’t really wrap our heads around it until it was presented to us digitally. [enter Web 2.0 -- stage right]

Welcome to the 21st Century

Right around the time we discovered new phrases like “wardrobe malfunction” and “red states/ blue states,” Web 2.0 came along and introduced us to terms like “crowdsourcing” and “social media marketing.” To say that this new way of communicating has taken us by storm is understating at its finest. Storms eventually end — and when the rain stops and the winds subside, people can rebuild and move on. Web 2.0’s impact is much deeper; it has changed the way we do business.

But let’s not forget that Twitter and Facebook are relatively new kids on the block. The real revolutionary in the area of social media is our friend: Blog. That’s right, Twitter, you are a worthy prodigy, but don’t forget your mentor. Blogs still provide businesses the best way to exchange meaningful information with customers. Sure, Facebook and Twitter get the word out quickly, but they are best used when linking to a blog or website containing the real details. 140 characters isn’t exactly enough to adequately portray your company’s values.

Hey Twitter – Who’s Your Daddy?

In fact, tools like Twitter and Facebook are “micro” blogs (which kind of sounds like an insult you’d hear on a super-nerdy playground). They are smaller versions of a real blog, albeit with their own distinct advantages. But by exclusively using a microblog service, businesses lose out on the real value of disseminating useful information to their customers – information that will build confidence (and your brand name).

The best way to utilize social media is through a collaborative approach. Use Twitter, Facebook, emails, and even print media to send people to your blog where you can post relevant articles, receive critical feedback, and lead customers through the sales cycle. It is tempting to rely solely on easy-to-write tweets as your inbound marketing bread and butter. Don’t! Learn how you can devise a social media marketing approach that will captivate current and future customers.

For help with a complete social media/ content driven system to build confidence in your customers, send an email to matt@peakwritingsolutions.com. I’d love to help you come up with a solution that works for your business. Oh, and when you send the email…feel free to use more than 140 characters.

Making a Difference

A Struggle for “Excellence”

A few months ago, I was driving through my neighborhood when I saw something quite disturbing.  It wasn’t anything life-threatening, but it wasn’t pleasant (at least not to me).  The marquis in front of my daughter’s school boasted the following: “We are an exceling school” [sic].  I was [sic] to my stomach.  How ironic that a school, evidently performing above minimum standards, couldn’t even spell “excelling” correctly.

Now, I’m not one to harp on a misspelled word here or there…it happens to the best of us.  This is just one of the many examples (or symptoms, if you prefer) of the growing apathy toward excellence in our society.  A nation that grew up on Hawthorne, Dickinson, Thoreau, and Twain has suddenly started to tolerate poor grammar, atrocious spelling, and uninspiring words.  I’m not going to let that happen.  I’m here to change the world, one project at a time.

A View from the Top

It’s no coincidence that I chose Peak Writing Solutions for the name of my company.  If you want spectacular views, a great sense of accomplishment, and the respect of your peers, you must climb to the top.  All modesty aside, that’s how I view my writing.  I refuse to create a piece of writing that is mediocre…I deliver only my best, every time.  If you are looking for page fillers, you might want to get back on Google.  If you want the best content/copy available, look no further.  Whether you need a revamp of marketing materials, a fresh article about your company, a captivating blog to spur excitement, or any other writing solution, we’ll reach the top of the proverbial mountain together…and you’ll never look back.

Words that Work for your Business

George Bernard Shaw once said that “words are only postage stamps delivering the object for you to unwrap.” You have an important service, product, idea, or cause that deserves to be unwrapped.  Words, properly organized, will work for you.  I’ve taken the challenge to help many businesses, just like yours, to gain valuable rewards from mere “words.”  Make an investment in excellence today…and stand out above the rest.

I’m excited to have this new blog — I’ll try my best to give you some useful information.   More than that, I’ll try to give you something that will be fun to read.  You have officially entered a “boring free” zone.  I hope you will come back soon.