Working Through the Holidays

by Elle Ray | Nov 29, 2016 | Small Business Advice

It’s Not Optional for Small Business Owners

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, it’s time to gear up for the rest of the year-end holidays. The December calendar fills up quickly with parties, family gatherings, shopping trips and charity drives. The kids will be home, your home will be chaotic and your friends who work for someone else will be planning holiday trips to warmer temperatures.

But if you’re like most small business owners, you not only make the bacon, you also wrap it up, sell it, cook it and clean up afterwards. It goes without saying that you’ll be working through the holidays.

Working through the holidays? You bet.

Making Choices

This is a great time of year for reflection. And one consideration that’s tantamount if you’re going to get through another year working through the holidays is to remember that you chose this life. If you wanted to clock out at five, take three- and four-day weekends on a regular basis and get paid while on your holiday cruise, then you would’ve stayed working for someone else who maybe gave you those perks.

But you didn’t. You chose to be the boss. When life gets difficult and you’re tired, remember who’s in charge. Whenever you’d rather not be working through the holidays and you think “everyone else” is having fun, that’s when it’s time to remember that this is your choice. (And believe that you’re not alone; “everyone else” isn’t exactly gallivanting from party to party.)

It’s All About Attitude

In addition to taking responsibility for the predicament you find yourself in this December, a different perspective can help you get your fill of ho-ho, merry-merry, happy-happy wishes. Consider:

You must be doing pretty well if you have so much work that you have to keep working through the holidays.
The parties and the celebrating you do in the future are going to be just that much sweeter because you made a success of your business.
You’re the type of person who understands that sacrifice is required for success.
Others can have the madness, the traffic and the drunkards this year; you get a pass.
You’ll stay positive and pay it forward to everyone you meet this month, because you’re a successful business owner with an attitude of gratitude for your work, your talents, your clients, your staff and your source.

And little tricks don’t hurt either. After all, even the most positive, enlightened among us has a bad day once in a while. Even the most successful go-to guru has a bout of the poor-me’s occasionally. To help you get through the downsides of working through the holidays, here are a few tangible tips:

Focus on what’s in front of you. If you’re stuck in front of your computer writing or managing spreadsheets, get through each day by maintaining your focus on the task at hand. If you’re glad-handing new clients, don’t think about tomorrow or next week and what others may be doing. Stay committed to your business.
Stay hydrated, take time to exercise and eat well. When you’re physically run down, it’s even more difficult to maintain a positive attitude, especially when self-pity knocks.
Prepare for the busy end-of-year obligations that every small business owner faces and get some of it out of the way early whenever you can so that you might have time for a cup of cocoa near the fire and maybe a few hours to open gifts with the family.
Take little mini-breaks to call your adult kids or your parents. Pack a lunch with Christmas cookies and turkey sandwiches. Drink hot cider or cocoa to bring the season’s treats to you.
Make plans for a big holiday trip next year. Or plan to take off during a slow time for your business, perhaps in the summer or during the bleak days of February. Give yourself something short-term to look forward to that will propel you through any misgivings you have about working through the holidays.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Ray Access!

Ray Access is a content marketing firm that delivers targeted words to empower your business. Contact us about your specific project to receive a quote or discuss your needs. We write website copy, blog posts, e-newsletters and more. Everything we do is thoroughly researched, professionally edited and guaranteed original.

Writing Tips: Write Like You Talk

by Elle Ray | Nov 14, 2016 | Writing

13 Writing Tips from a Professional Blog Writer

A funny thing happened on the way to keyboard. I became a completely different person.

writing tips - write like you talk

“Who wrote that?” asked my editor. “I did,” I told him, quite proud of the words I’d conjured up — the lengthy sentences that I’m sure were grammatically correct and written in the tone of a scholar that I’d adopted. I believed that I had successfully integrated all the writing tips I’ve ever heard over a lifetime of training into that short article.

But at that time, I wasn’t writing for a group of academics; I was writing for the general public. I had a story to tell, and I wanted regular people to read what I’d written. I had important information to impart to people who would surely marvel at my talent for literary composition.

Boy, was I wrong.

Where’s the Beef?

The lessons I learned from that editor still ring loud and true today. And really, they’re more powerful today than ever. Never before had a few short writing tips hit the mark more clearly. I was humbled, yet resilient. As my editor told me: I had to remember the basics of writing and the reasons for it.

Writing is a form of communication, after all. And if you don’t get your message across — if it gets bogged down in some crazy notion that to be respected as a writer you have to become someone else — then you’ve wasted your time putting the words to paper and wasted your readers’ precious time, too. And through it all, you still have a message to send.

Don’t Get Lost in the Cracks

Whether you’re writing a blog for your company website, an email to a potential client, an article or a book, the best way to get your message across is to write like you talk. The way you talk is the way people listen. Take this example:

“The strange mix of euphoria and revulsion he felt, strategically shielded from the world by the impenetrable tint of his sunglasses, protected his delicate sensibilities and sad longings from the intimate goings-on that surrounded him on a daily basis as he wandered from one desolate, deserted place to another in search of affection and meaning.”

Versus this example:

“He wore dark glasses as he roamed the streets because he didn’t want anyone to see his emotions.”

While the first example might be suitable for a long novel, it can’t be used anywhere else. The actual meaning gets lost when you try to sound intellectual. In most forms of writing, you have to get to the point. And the point isn’t whether you’re smart or talented; it’s whether you can be understood.

Get to the Point

To help with your next project, consider the following writing tips. They’ll not only make writing a little easier, they’ll ultimately help you get your message across, succinctly and to the point:

Relax, you can fix the errors later
Say what you mean
Read — a lot
Read with a critical eye
Use as few words as possible to make your point
Keep sentences short
Avoid industry jargon
Eliminate useless words that sneak in (such as can, will and generally)
Rely on punctuation to control the flow
Write first, then edit
Ask for criticism
Read your writing out loud before you publish
And don’t listen to all the writing tips you hear; just write from your heart

And of course, when all else fails and you just can’t seem to get the hang of easily knocking out your company newsletter in a decent amount of time without taking up your whole day, contact the professional writers at Ray Access. It’s not just what we do; it’s all we do.

Dudes with ‘Tudes

by Elle Ray | Oct 25, 2016 | Communication

How to Avoid Creating an Email with Attitude

Don't send email with attitude

Many people believe the best way to convey a strong or sensitive message in a non-threatening manner is through writing — in an email, a text, a social media post or (God forbid) a written letter. Sending a message in writing may seem to be somehow less personal, less threatening and maybe even less dangerous. Maybe you think you can avoid a scene or avoid an unwanted response like tears or threats.

The fact is that your attitude shows in everything you touch, whether it’s through your tone of voice, in your body language or via the written word. Text messages and email with attitude rank among the greatest offenders these days. Still, these old words stand today:

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
― Winston S. Churchill

Be Careful What You Wish For

Imagine for a moment that you need a client to submit some guidance on a project with a firm deadline, but that client is procrastinating and keeps putting you off. You need him to respond or you’re going to miss your deadline. (Of course, this never would happen in real life, right? Things like content delays are fiction.)

You’ve sent several nice requests through email and had a very pleasant phone conversation during which the client agreed with you while reiterating his need for you to meet his deadline. And then — deafening silence. You wish you didn’t have to go through this. You make a mental note not to work with this difficult client again, but you’re still stuck.

So you decide to write another email, this time a little stronger, expressing your need. You say what’s on your mind in such a way that you infer he’s sabotaging the project and making your life a living hell. He responds rather quickly this time by firing you and taking his business elsewhere. You never came right out and accused him of anything, but your tone was very clear.

Words Matter

The words you use matter. As professional writers for our clients, the team at Ray Access is especially sensitive to the impression that tone takes in a written piece of work. Our writers and editors have been on the receiving end of those messages and lost our share of goodwill through a poorly worded email with attitude. But we’ve learned from those mistakes.

Remember, when you send emails and texts, the person who receives your message can’t see your body language. A slightly titled head, raised eyebrows and conciliatory half-smile go a very long way when you have to deliver unpleasant news. But you’re a blank slate when sending an email. Also, it’s really hard to hear your own voice when you’re upset or angry. The words come pouring out when you’re emotional. You don’t often consider how they’ll appear on the other end.

Tone It Down

Tone is difficult to convey in writing. Ideally, you’d have a partner who’s willing to be honest with you (like we fortunately do at Ray Access) to whom you can send an email with attitude before sending it off to its intended target.

“Wow, that’s not really necessary to say,” a true friend or partner may tell you when you’re about ready to blow it up. “Why don’t you phrase it like this…” These pearls of wisdom can save your skin. A few other quick tips to avoid sending an email with attitude that can ruin an otherwise good relationship include:

Consider your source. If you’re sending a message to someone you know is very sensitive, tone down your words even more and pepper your message with soft-pedaling positivity.
Ask for clarification from someone before sending an accusatory or harmful note. You actually may be the one who has misunderstood a message.
Keep it short. You’re less likely to offend in an email with attitude when you keep the word count to a minimum — just stick to the facts.
Pick up the phone instead. When all else fails, go old school and try a face-to-face meeting. You may be surprised how sharing a meal or even a cup of coffee can set the stage for mutual understanding and respect — just when you thought all was lost.

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

by Elle Ray | Oct 11, 2016 | Blog Writing

How to Tell if Online Claims Are True or Not

Every day, we hear about scams and outrageous online claims. At the same time, we count on the Internet and its vast network of content suppliers to keep us up-to-date on trends and news affecting our families, communities and businesses. Many people rely on the credibility of a blog to make important life decisions.

don't believe all online claims

We’ve always amazed at some of the stuff people fall for. But we question our own gullibility every day. If you believe the horrendous online claims of parents whose children were permanently damaged by vaccines, why don’t you give blog credibility to the likes of third-world country posts that show kids with no teeth who’ve never been exposed to fluoride?

Do Your Homework

As a company that prides itself on accuracy, Ray Access finds this is an especially pertinent question. To find our way through the maze of information and online claims, we take extra precautions to use only reliable sources. For example, to write about a medical issue, Ray Access writers are not allowed to use WebMD as a source. Wikipedia and YouTube are never allowed as credible sources. These sites have zero blog credibility because they are open-source and anyone can add content to them. Others, like WebMD, hire out cheap writing labor to fill their pages.

We might find an interesting tidbit on a site that’s notorious for spreading rumors that aren’t always backed up by science or history or true experts in the field. We may want to believe that little gem of information, but we cannot take the chance that it could be fraudulent. Yet just as easily, it could be the nugget we needed to provide an interesting twist to a blog or a valuable example for a new webpage we’re writing.

The only way we’d use a piece of information from an unreliable source is if we double-checked it against a truly practical, qualified website with substantial blog credibility. For example, let’s say we find a YouTube piece about the latest green material used in the building of popular, trending tiny houses. Before we could include that information in our real estate client’s blog, we’d check it out with a university or government website. We have to be sure it’s accurate before we use it.

writing process at work

One Extra Click

Often, all it takes is one extra click on another website to verify online claims. The more you research and write, the more you understand the blog credibility factor and how it works. If, for example, you read a blog on Business Insider, you can pretty much bet that it’s going to be true. On the other hand, a blog on MedicineNet about a new diabetes drug may need some double-checking because that site is run by WebMD, a site that is not inherently trustworthy.

Discover who owns a website by scrolling to the bottom of the site’s homepage. MedicineNet sure sounds like a good source (and many of its blogs may be very true), but because of its origins, it needs to be verified with one more click to somewhere like the National Institutes of Health or the Cleveland Clinic. Even a medical doctor’s site might be able to give you that extra validation you want (and we require).

Consider the Source for Blog Credibility

The bottom line is that not all online claims are true, but you know that. It’s those questionable sources that really can get you into trouble. Figure that government sites are under pretty strict rules about what they can and cannot print, as are journalists at credible news organizations who always must double-source their stories.

A few more tips to help you decide whether to trust a source include:

Check out the author. When a blog has an author, you’re one step closer to true blog credibility because that person is willing to stake her reputation on it. One click to find out more about the author should seal the deal.
Consider the date of the post. If a blog post doesn’t have a date, exit and find something else. You really need a date to even know whether you should follow up on the information that may or may not still be relevant today.
Look at the domain. It used to be that .org was a pretty good sign that you had yourself some blog credibility, but not anymore. Any nonprofit can claim a .org designation and push their propaganda through it. Instead, look for .edu or .gov for your secondary click. Beware, however, that students often get use of their schools’ .edu domain. Never, for example, use term papers as sources.
Review the website’s design. It can give you clues about how relevant and trustworthy a site is. If it’s garbled, difficult to read and full of weird graphics, its content probably is too.
And follow this grammarian’s rule of thumb: Everyone makes mistakes; that’s the very definition of being human. But too many grammatical and/or spelling errors on a webpage should send up a big red flag.

Ray Access provides authoritative and engaging blog writing services if you want to be sure you’re getting the real deal and not getting taken for a ride.

Buy Local

by Elle Ray | Sep 25, 2016 | Small Business Advice

Is It a Buzzword or Just Good Business Practice?

Call it a trend, if you will. Wherever you live, you’ve likely heard the phrase. “Buy local” is the mantra of the day as we near the end of 2016. You hear it bandied about from boardrooms to back rooms. But do companies that spout the mantra on a daily basis really practice what they preach?

buy local to build the local economy

And though you may espouse the principles, are you willing to sometimes pay a little more for the honor of buying local? Do local vendors get extra points when you put out a Request for Proposals (RFPs)? And how well do you search your local area in support of local vendors?

These questions, and many more like them, represent an interesting exploration for business owners of small and large companies alike. Each question demands an honest answer if you want to join the buy local movement. Keep in mind another common mantra that has ruled the world for centuries: “What goes around comes around.” If you expect to be given consideration for being local, then you must take even greater pains to buy local.

Why Bother

First of all, buying local means that more money stays in the local economy, so more resources are spread around to local businesses — very likely, yours too. Local employment benefits when you choose to buy a locally produced product or service instead of buying a cheaper version online or from a big box store.

If you love your town and cherish your way of life, the only way to sustain that environment is to support local business. The influx of major retailers, for example, is what led to the many downtown ghost towns that dot the country today. And finally, when down times hit, as surely they will, your town and your business are more likely to withstand a recessive economy if the biggest portion of your resources circulates locally.

Hold Them Accountable

While individuals often make substantial sacrifices to support local businesses, the buy local movement also should embrace a cadre of monitors to call out those companies who espouse the practice, but don’t put it into effect behind closed doors.

Questions to ask your boss, your local Chamber of Commerce and your city leaders:

Who did your most recent marketing plan/survey/business analysis?
How many employees have you hired outside of the local area?
Who writes your website content?
Where is your advertising/payroll/recruiting firm located?
Where do you take clients for lunch?
Who created your signs/graphics/logo?

The questions could go on and on; the point is that if you don’t hold your employers, professional business organizations and municipal leaders accountable, they can just continue with the front-end image-making nonsense that they spew to get attention for being “good corporate citizens.” And all the while, they can carry out their business-as-usual RFPs that give local vendors no chance to compete.

Give Them Accolades

At the same time, if you ask your professional colleagues those same questions and you get positive, truly common-sense answers that show how they buy local whenever possible, give them loud kudos. As an advocate for the local economy, it behooves you to call out the hypocrites and congratulate the true visionaries who practice what they preach.

No Sales = No Business

by Elle Ray | Sep 11, 2016 | Small Business Advice

Sales Techniques Every Small Business Needs

So you’ve finally taken the leap and stepped out on your own. You’re great at building engaging websites, creating stunning graphics, building beautiful surfboards, writing, sewing, fixing… you fill in the blank. But are you good at sales?

sales techniques come from many sources

You’re following your bliss and that dream state certainly doesn’t include knocking on doors and asking for business. If you’re like most small business owners, you probably didn’t give much thought to learning:

Where to find new clients
The best opening
How to read a customer
How to approach corporate clients
How to overcome objections
The art of the close
And most basic of all: How to sell successfully

No Way Around It

Maybe you think of used cars or insurance when you think of sales techniques, something distasteful that’s definitely not cool or anywhere on your radar. But unless you have a product that is so hot that everyone is scrambling to find out where they can get it, you’re going to have to tackle the sales issue. There’s no way around it if you want to stay in business.

Even with the next greatest idea, if no one is selling it, your business is going nowhere. And as the maxim states: a business that’s not moving forward is actually moving backward. Ideally, you can hire an outstanding salesperson who can persuade customers to buy what you’re selling.

But for most small start-ups and one- or two-man shows, you are it. You’re the floor sweeper, receptionist, marketing pro, web writer, bookkeeper, salesperson and, oh yeah: the main person who does the service or creates the product.

When you're all there is to your company, you have to do it all

Sales Techniques for Dummies

After taking a few sales tips from those in the know, we’ve plucked the best to share with you. So here are a few sales techniques to master. If you’re really passionate about your service or product and want to spread the word, you’ll enjoy learning these techniques to sell more.

Ask for Referrals
This is by far one of the least intrusive and most underused of all the sales techniques you can learn. A referral is better than any advertising, public relations or marketing you could imagine. When someone loves your work, ask for a referral. Just come out and say, “Do you know anyone else who would like our product/service?” What’s the worst thing that could happen? They could say, No.

Identify a Need
Remember that sales techniques are not about you. You may feel passionate about the service or product that you can deliver. You may get all pumped up when talking about it. But while your enthusiasm may be entertaining (even contagious), your listeners — potential clients and referrals — can’t get worked up about it unless you first illustrate what’s in it for them. Answer the question about why should they care even before you start thinking about what you can deliver.

Find Out What Makes Your Customers Tick
After you learn to get out of the way of the sales process, the next thing to do is find out what hot button gets your prospects revved up so they want to know more. Is it saving time, making more money, finding good employees, seeing pretty colors or being environmental consciousness? Everyone has a button and once you find it, you’ve got to be brave and push it. This sales technique only works if you are prepared to ask questions and then listen closely for the trigger that needs pushing.

Call on Real Prospects
Whether you’re trying to sell your idea to investors, aiming to recruit the best talent or gunning for new clients, you need to spend your time on potential calls with those are ready for your pitch. They must be in a place where they can help you, either by funding you, working for you or buying your product or service. Pick a region or an industry and become an expert. Instead of just flinging spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks, focus your cold calling to make it more like warm calling or even better — hot calling.

Do your research before hitting the proverbial pavement. It takes more than dumb luck and the latest sales techniques to grow your business profitably. It takes:

Smarts
A willingness to get rejected
Consistent persistence

These sales techniques can work for as well for you as it’s worked for Ray Access. We expect nothing in return for sharing this information, but if you found it valuable, consider sharing it. (In other words, refer this article to your friends who might also benefit from it.)

Email Etiquette Tips

by Elle Ray | Aug 22, 2016 | Communication

Don’t Sacrifice Courtesy for Convenience

There’s been much written about the sheer audacity of cellphone users who refuse to set down their devices when in the physical company of others. Enough about it already. If you don’t understand etiquette, the ways of polite society, enough to understand that it’s rude, inconsiderate and downright wrong to bury your nose in your phone while another person is standing or sitting right in front you, then there is little hope for your future success in any relationship — be it in the personal or professional arena.

bad email etiquette

Instead, let’s review some basic email etiquette boundaries and rules. And we’re going to get personal here; something we rarely do at Ray Access. But as technology takes over our lives, it’s more vital than ever that we treat each other with respect.

Email Etiquette Trumps Texting Time

As baby boomers who have fully embraced email in lieu of talking on the phone, we understand that these days, many people eschew email in favor of texting. We also understand that much of the email traffic occurs on mobile devices, versus the draconian desktops or more familiar laptops.

That’s all well and good; we love the convenience of texting as much as the next person. But texting is not appropriate for long messages with instructions or questions that call for lengthy answers. Even email requires some level of thought and consideration rather than just a quick “Pick you up at 8,” version that’s more suited to text messages.

Anybody Home?

Whatever device you use to receive and send email, the rules of email etiquette are clear and, for the most part, unequivocal. At least if you want any of our business. So do us all a favor and follow these simple rules:

Respond in a timely manner. If we send you an email to ask if you’d like to work for our company, for example, you’d best reply within 24 to 48 hours. Otherwise, you’re toast in our book — black toast that only belongs in the trash. We don’t need an instantaneous reply, but we do expect the courtesy of a response, even if it’s to say, “no way.” And we’re sure other employers feel exactly the same way.
Make sure the subject line matches your email message. Please don’t add us to a 30-message string. Not only does it make us feel like an afterthought, there’s a chance we’ll miss the actual message you’re sending.
Which leads us to another tactless point that email etiquette lovers shiver when we see: Don’t look up an old email and tag on a new message with reply. At least take the time to delete the previous verbiage that has nothing to do with your current request.
Use the important tag only when it really is vital and you want us to look at it and respond immediately. Email etiquette demands that if something is really important, you should call. By calling, you have a much higher chance of an instant response if that’s what you really need. Don’t try to bully us into thinking your message is more important than others.
On our list of Top 5 Email Etiquette Blunders is this one: Proofread your work before sending. If your message is so long that you don’t have time to give it a quick read for errors, then it’s too long for anyone. Consider creating a Microsoft Word document that you can play with, edit and change before you send it.

practice email etiquette

Email Etiquette for Dummies

Once you hit “Send,” your integrity, values, personality and intelligence are out there for the world to see — or at least for the recipient of your email to see. If you want to appear smart, considerate, respectful and polite, think before you click.

Others may have different email etiquette priorities, and you can tell what those are by the way they communicate with you. Some people, for example, believe that it’s rude not to include a greeting and ending salutation to an email. That’s not required for us, but we respect those who practice it. Everyone can take away some suggestions from this blog that yes, is a bit of a rant. Mea culpa. Send us an email if you disagree: info@rayaccess.com.

How to Make Your Blog Go Viral

by Elle Ray | Aug 9, 2016 | Blog Writing

Infectious Blogging Tips That Keep You Healthy

blogging tips for viral posts

Prior to 1999, when you heard the word “viral,” you ran in the opposite direction — or donned a protective mask so that you wouldn’t catch a fast-spreading disease. The word “virus” comes from the Latin work for “poison,” and it has maintained its nefarious definition, even when it comes to computer use. A nasty computer virus can do all kinds of damage to your PC.

When a virus spreads, it is said to be viral, as in a “viral infection.” But today, “viral” has taken on an entire new identity in Internet parlance as a positive adjective (as in a “viral video”) or an attractive idiom (as in “go viral”). In other words, it’s not a disease, but something that’s become popular. Like many other words hijacked by the language of computers and the Internet, “going viral” is a good thing that requires no physician.

Videos can go viral. So can news reports, Twitter feeds and blog posts. In this article, you’ll discover blogging tips that can help make your blog post go viral. Words alone aren’t usually enough, but words provide the best starting point in anything viral-worthy.

Viral In a Broader Sense

In one sense, “viral” is the perfect word because the primary reason for even writing a blog for your business is to spread the word about yourself, garner more name recognition and establish your authority in your industry or on a certain topic. In other words, you want your business to go viral. The more eyes that see your blog and the more decision-makers who read your blog — the better your chances of earning more business.

For a blog post to go viral, it usually must accomplish at least one of the following objectives:

Tap into a current trend, to either add relevant information to the discussion or poke fun at some part of the trend
Hit on a newsworthy topic that reaches the level of “water cooler conversation” (an antiquated term for the first social media mechanism)
Contain hot keywords that people are searching for
Be easy to read, without long, complicated sentence and paragraph structures
Be well written, with no errors — while communicating worthwhile content
Get promoted on every possible social media outlet
Make those who share it look smart, savvy, witty and hip

reading a viral blog

Making a Blog Go Viral

Taking the time to use all these blogging tips and do all the work required to make your blog go viral, the hit-or-miss process may seem insurmountable. And it is considered a hit-or-miss prospect. If it were formulaic, you’d see viral blog posts everywhere. But the public is fickle, and not every well-written blog post captures the attention it may deserve.

You can always invest in a blog post idea you believe in. You could hire writers at Ray Access to provide you with a “viral-worthy” blog post. You could then pass it on to another contractor to promote it to search engines and social media. With enough reach, your blog post could go viral.

Or you could settle on a few of the following blogging tips to make your blog post go viral. It won’t always work, but you might be happy with an occasional viral outbreak:

Carry around a notebook or smart phone. When an idea hits for a trendy topic that your business can tap into, record it. Each week, before you write your blog post, pull out your notes.
Prepare a list of keywords well in advance that have proven worthy. Weave them into your copy at a 1 percent saturation rate, which is once per every 100 words.
Write about controversial subjects (either showing both sides or as a spoof that won’t alienate potential clients).
Use inspiring, funny, fantastic or otherwise eye-catching titles.
Rely on someone with a critical eye to edit your blog post before you publish it.
Use awesome photos or graphics. Images attract the eye. The best images for your blog post may need a clever caption to tie it in.
Set up automatic posting links on your website and on social media.

Don’t Accept Failure

If at first you don’t succeed, keep writing. That’s another reason to blog every week. You keep adding to your website and giving yourself another opportunity to catch a trend that goes viral. Never give up. If you use these blogging tips properly, you should see blogging success in the near future. Contact Ray Access for help going viral.

Size Matters (in Blog Posts)

by Elle Ray | Jul 22, 2016 | Blog Writing

Your Blog Post Word Count Influences Rankings

If you want to help your website move toward the top of the search results page, take all that search engine optimization (SEO) advice and lock it in the closet for now. If you want to make your site more engaging, ignore all those opinions about consumers dumbing down and not reading anymore. If you want to attract more website visitors, put aside any preconceived notions you may have about the Internet, its place in an intellectual society and who’ll read your words.

reading long-form content on a tablet

Internet readers are no longer impressed with a really low blog post word count. Anyone can throw a few words together, but when a blog post contains very little useful information, people are discovering it’s just not worth the time. Short blogs that are obviously designed to grab your so-called “limited attention span” are beginning to be recognized and tagged for just what they are — disguised ads and SEO placeholders.

The Number Continues to Climb

Just like the woman who says, “Size doesn’t matter, honey, it’s how you use it,” the saying, “Nobody wants to read a long blog” also is a lie. In fact, according to Orbit Media Studios, of the 1,000 leading blogs in 2015, the average length was 900 words, a 10 percent jump over 2014.

SEMrush found in a 2016 study that the average blog post word count for first-place entries on Google search results pages was 1,890 words. And serpIQ found that in 2015, the top 10 pages that consistently ranked high on Goggle searches contained a blog post word count of more than 2,000 words, with the top spot coming in at 2,416 words.

That’s a Big, Big, Big Blog Post Word Count

And if those words are strung together in an entertaining and easy-to-digest manner and if they impart useful information, they give readers a reason to keep reading. When a blog post has a high word count, it translates into a means for keeping visitors on your site for a longer period of time. That’s called “engagement” in the world of SEO lingo.

Blogs with high word counts are called “long-form content” in SEO parlance. Long-form content is identified by at least 1,200 words. Some experts say you need 1,000 and others say at least 1,500, but that’s like saying you need three people for a discussion, when some would argue that two or five make for a better discussion. In other words, the exact line in the sand is flexible.

Put two (or five) SEO professionals in a room, and you’ll undoubtedly get two (or five) hotly debated opinions on what makes for good SEO. The important point here is that the blog post word count should consistently reach long-form status, assuming you want to engage your audience and rank your website.

upset at blog post word count

Who Has the Time?

You reply that you can barely scrape out a 250-word blog once a week. Or your in-house writer isn’t a novelist, but more of a rapid-fire Twitter genius who can put together a decent 500-word blog post when necessary. Or you can’t find enough to say to justify a blog post word count of 1,200 every month. It’s not an uncommon complaint.

But you can find help, and not from a blogger. Bloggers too are a thing of the past — or gradually leaving the scene in favor of true writers with a sense for trends, consumer preferences and marketing necessities. Today’s consumers want to understand and to learn; they’re tired of glib, short answers and incomplete access to the truth. They want full disclosure. To make a place for yourself in the content market now, you need to consistently produce long-form blog posts that have depth and substance. Your readers will find them inspiring, insightful and useful.

Where’s the Meat?

No matter what industry you operate within, you most likely can talk about it and its peripheral issues for days on end. Chances are that your spouse cringes when you get started at dinner parties because once you get started, you can’t stop talking about your business. But sit down at a computer to write about just one aspect of your industry that people might find interesting — and you choke up.

What’s that all about? It’s about being afraid — afraid to make a mistake that will be in print forever. A fear of not knowing the right words, not having a large enough vocabulary to increase the blog post word count confidently and stylishly. So today — right now, in fact — Ray Access is going to share the biggest writing secret of our industry:

“Write like you talk.”

That’s right. You know what you want to say. Speak to your audience as if they were sitting across from you at the dinner table. Anticipate their questions — you know you know what they want to ask — and answer them all. Don’t worry about fancy words. Just speak from your heart — talk about what you know. And then clean it up in the editing process.

Topics Galore

So, back to the issue about professional bloggers. Today, writers like those at Ray Access are not called “bloggers,” but instead are known as “content marketing professionals” or “content creators.” And content creators know how to take advantage of the many different techniques professional writers of every ilk depend on. Some of the skills a professional online content creator brings to the table include the ability to:

Brainstorm a never-ending stream of trending, relevant topics
Dig into the background and foreground of every topic to increase your blog post word count easily
Shape the tone of a blog to suit your specific audience
Sound just like you, as a matter of fact
Tell a story
Twist words to entertain
Get to the point
Elaborate on important points
Drive traffic
Improve engagement

Mix it up, but make sure your content marketing professionals are giving you at least one long-form blog post a month. That’s the blog post word count to count on. Otherwise, you may find your content marketing dollars are ending up like a splat on the ceiling.

Don’t guess what will stick. Ensure your readers stick by giving them content they can’t live without. That’s the kind of content Ray Access delivers.

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