by Elle Ray | Nov 26, 2014 | Blog Writing
Is That the Turkey or Your Mother-in-Law?
That’s the question we’ve always wanted to ask. That sound — gobble, gobble — could be what turkeys mutter as they voice their displeasure. Or it could be what people (not just your mother-in-law) sound like at the Thanksgiving Day table. Or it could be both. Both, we could argue, represent this holiday.
Perhaps the bigger question is how that ties into the business of business blogging, since that is one of the things we do at Ray Access. It’s not such a stretch when you take the time to consider it. We cover a wide range of topics on this blog, from writing tips to ergonomic office furniture to small business tips to fashion advice (of all things). We can write about Thanksgiving if we want to.
Tying Your Blogs into Current Events
The point is that it sometimes the subject of your blog post doesn’t matter. You want to be able to reach out on your blog to attract a wide variety of readers. Readers who come to your blog are visitors to your website. If your blog is working properly, you are attracting the right audience. For Ray Access, our audience is anyone with a business or a message. So we cast a wide net.
You can do the same. Write about current events, holidays, or popular subjects. Use keywords that people are currently searching for. You may attract new readers and new visitors to your website. Once they arrive, they may decide to take a look around your website, especially if they fit your target demographic.
How to Write Current Event Blog Posts
The trick to tying your blog posts to current events is to find the angle that connects your business to the event or holiday. It’s not that difficult to do. For example, in this blog post, we’re discussing writing techniques for blog posts, but tying it to the Thanksgiving holiday. Reread that last sentence. Taken out of context, it seems like a stretch, and yet this post hits the mark.
Anyone looking for Thanksgiving tips, the sound a turkey makes or complaints about mothers-in-law may find our little blog post and gain some insight about writing. If they are also a business owner and find themselves in need of writing help, they’ll likely remember us.
At least, that’s our evil plan.
You Can Do It Too
All you need is to set aside some time — an hour, several minutes, whatever you can squeeze into your schedule — and brainstorm a few ideas about how to connect your business to current events. It can be a direct tie, as when we wrote a blog post for a gastroenterologist client about the illnesses on cruise ships in the news. Or it could be more abstract, like tying a business-writing business to the Thanksgiving holiday.
If you get stuck, call in the pros at Ray Access. We do this for a living. We can help you attract a wider audience while gradually raising your page rank. Content marketing works, but only if you keep at it. Don’t let complacency drop your page rank; let us help.
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.
by Mark Bloom | Nov 17, 2014 | Website Content
Your Website Should Be Increasing Your Sales
Now that every business has a website, the competition for attention has become fierce. You’ve likely invested time and money (and sometimes a lot of both) into developing your website. Now you want to know if it measures up.
It’s easy to count the sales that come directly from your website, but it’s more difficult to know if your site is aiding those sales or hindering more sales. Unless you’re willing to pay big bucks to an SEO firm to track traffic and conversions — which is a good idea if you can afford it — there used to be few alternatives. Until now.
Website Assessments Provide Perspective
Ray Access has begun offering a new service called “website assessments.” What that means is that we bring our expertise about effective website content, our knowledge about seamless website navigation and our wisdom of a website’s purpose to bear on your site. We pour through your site, page by page, to develop a report that analyzes just how effective your website is to a first-time visitor.
We’ve done many of these website assessments. Every one of the assessments was received with gratitude and accolades. One of our clients, Kudzu Branding, had this to say: “Thank you for your great feedback and comments on our website. I found them extremely useful. We are having a team meeting on Monday to discuss how we can implement some of your ideas.”
How It Works
We look for language issues, like whether the content needs editing to more concisely hit your message. That’s a given, since we’re writers practiced in the art of developing website content. But we do more than that.
We look at a lot of websites. Every day, we are either writing website content or doing research for the blogs we write. As a result, we understand what websites are supposed to do and how they should ideally function. For example, your website should not be a sales pitch. Yes, you want to announce your company online. Yes, you want to claim your competitive advantage. Yes, you want visitors to choose your business. But if you hammer the sales pitch over and over, you will drive business away.
Your website should answer questions and help people. Your website should build trust and start a relationship. Anything less is a wasted opportunity.
For your website assessment, we will review your site, page by page, looking for what works and what can be improved. We will write it all down in a report and deliver it to you. All for one low price, based on the size of your website. What you do with the report is up to you. Often, we can help with an edit or a rewrite, but you’re under no obligation to hire us. A website assessment is a standalone service that we’re happy to provide.
It’s Time for Your Website Assessment
No one uses the Yellow Pages anymore; everyone is online and on the go. Search engines keep changing their formulas. A website design has about a five-year lifespan. Past its freshness date, it begins to look staid and dated. So before you begin a project to update your site, call us for a website assessment.
We can tell you where specifically your site needs improving. We can tell you what a first-time visitor sees when he arrives at your website. And we can advise you on ways to keep that visitor from leaving. The metrics show that the longer a visitor stays on your site, the better the chance that he will become a customer.
And that’s exactly what your website should do: build relationships to the point that visitors want to do business with you. And that’s exactly what a website assessment from Ray Access can help your website accomplish. Schedule your website assessment today.
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.
by Mark Bloom | Aug 23, 2014 | Blog Writing
Because You Want Your Blog to Be Read
Undoubtedly, the best blog topics are those that get read. And read a lot. These blog posts:
- Get passed around
- Generate a buzz
- Keep visitors on your site longer
- Get readers to look through your website
- Turn readers into customers
- Are great reads
- Result in high search engine visibility
Finding Readers
So the big question is: “How do you create those kinds of bust-out blog posts week after week?” That’s what we at Ray Access aim to do, and we know that it isn’t always easy. But there is a method to the madness. By following our own advice, we have seen the results. You can too. Try these tips to turn your blog into a must-read for your clients and potential customers:
- Tap into the news of the day. If, for example, you are a doctor who treats mental illness, write about depression in the week following a celebrity death due to the disease. The celebrity’s name will get you noticed in search queries. If you teach dance, focus a blog post on the big dancing shows on television when they go into their final competitions. Financial bloggers, tap into current events about the Federal Reserve or big Wall Street happenings. Be nimble and ready to post shortly after the news happens.
- Create great titles. The title of a blog post is like the front window at Macy’s. If it’s not compelling and inviting, it won’t draw in shoppers. Good titles also help search engines seeking relevant data to post. Great titles aren’t long, but convey what’s in the article clearly. Beware of humorous or ambiguous titles that may be misleading or misunderstood. Be catchy, but be clear.
- Give your readers something to take away. Pay your readers for completing the article. This is one of the reasons that “tips” and “how-to” blog posts are so popular. Readers expect answers and leave a well-written article with those answers, smarter and wiser.
- Review popular events, movies, products within your industry. Find the connection between the entertainment and your products or services. Make the comparison apply to your intended audience.
- Make recommendations for other services and products, as well as for those that you sell. When you make a recommendation, follow it with a solid argument that goes beyond the typical marketing-speak. Quote users and experts to back up your suggestions.
Get seasonal. Readers look for relevant articles about Christmas, summer vacations, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving topics. Find a topic within your area of expertise that relates to the season and add it to your blog when the time is right.
- Shout out to other companies or people. No man is an island, and you don’t work in a vacuum. Mention others who have made significant contributions to your industry or to the business community you’re trying to reach. If a business organization you belong to recently made a significant contribution to a local charity, use your blog to give them accolades of appreciation. (Let them know when you post, and maybe they’ll put a link on their website back to your blog!)
Finally, write for blog readers. Make it engaging and easy to read. Let your readers know right from the start what they can expect if they keep reading. And then give it to them. If you promise tips, give them tips; if you’re writing a “how-to,” make sure it’s complete. And if you come to the end of your idea rope, contact us — we love to brainstorm titles and do it as well as we write the articles.
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.
by Mark Bloom | Jul 26, 2014 | Office
Improve Your Posture: Advice for Your Office
Here at Ray Access, we are writers and editors who work long hours at our computers. Don’t get us wrong: we love what we do. But we’ve also learned a few things along the way to help us avoid back injury, unnatural curvature of the spine and other deformities as a result of spending untold hours at a keyboard.
So we present five ways to improve your posture and strengthen your back:
1. Buy a Good Chair
The best thing you can do for your back is to sit in a good quality desk chair, one that supports your lower back properly, has a height adjustment to keep your feet flat on the floor and is padded enough to be comfortable. These chairs aren’t inexpensive, we know, but we heartily endorse the investment. What you save in pain and suffering — and doctor’s bills — will make the chair seem like the bargain it is.
2. Don’t Be a Potato
Couch potatoes don’t move once they settle in. If you want to protect your spine and back muscles, you have to stay active. Shift your position every half hour or so. Lean back for a bit. Lean forward for a spell. It’s all about keeping your blood from pooling in the same spot for hours. Even if you’re sitting, you can still be active.
3. Save Your Neck
A stiff neck is an occupational hazard for computer jockeys like us. But we know how to beat it: neck stretches. Your neck moves in 360 degrees; use them. Pull your chin to your chest and hold it there. Raise your chin to the ceiling and hold it. Try to touch your shoulder with your ear, one side at a time. Do these stretches several times a day.
4. Be Aware of Your Posture
This one seems self-evident, but it’s easy to forget how you’re sitting when you’re in the midst of a project. But you can train yourself to remember. The first thing to do is find the correct posture. Don’t slouch; keep your shoulders back. When seated, your knees should be just above your hips. Your arms should fall to the keyboard without having to reach. Be comfortable. Once you know how it feels to sit right, you’ll realize it when you float out of alignment.
5. Rise to the Occasion
If you know you have a long day at the desk ahead of you, plan to get up and walk around, even if it’s just around the office, every hour. Five minutes will do, while you’re thinking. Two minutes an hour is still better than feeling chained to your computer. That little bit of movement will keep you pain-free for years.
Linda and Mark are both past age 50. Both have been doing this work for (dare we say it?) over two decades. Both of us, however, are still active. We can both garden or swing a golf club in a pinch. You can do it too. Start today, and your back will thank you for the rest of your life.
If you have any of your own posture tips, send them our way.
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.
by Elle Ray | Jul 21, 2014 | Blog Writing
Ideas for Your Blog Can Come from Anywhere
By now, most investors know that you get the biggest bang — and lessen the overall risk — by investing your money in diversified funds. The old adage of “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is true in many arenas, including the blogosphere.
The more authoritative your articles, the better, of course, but the more people you can reach, the better your chance of becoming recognized as the go-to expert in your field. To that end, we at Ray Access are taking our own advice and beginning to diversify our blog topics.
Writers Write
We are first and foremost writers. And we tout our uniqueness by also wearing editors’ hats with every post, blog, webpage and press release we create. As professional writers, we believe that no writing should ever be published that isn’t first read by another set of eyes, preferably a professional editor with a keen sense of tone, voice, grammar, style and sass.
Because that’s our strength, we’ve been devoting our informational blogs to the art and science of writing online — and getting your writing read by the right people. At least up to this point. As we continue to share our expertise through this blog, we now will begin diversifying to bring you articles and insights we believe important and interesting to all business people, including bloggers.
Mix It Up
In addition to writing about writing for the web, with topics like “why you need an image on your blog” and “what plagiarism does to your page rankings,” we’ll mix it up with articles about networking, health, decorating and fashion. With this new mix, we hope to give you interesting and informative topics to share with your friends and colleagues, to post on your own social sites and to raise your awareness.
You’re going to see us more frequently online too, as we deliver the fresh, insightful thoughts that are making us famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective). Our goal is to make the Ray Access blog a must-read for anyone who ever writes a post, reads a webpage or trolls the Internet for fun or profit — in a nutshell, nearly everyone.
Off the Path
OK, we admit that we’re being a tad shameless with this new direction that we’re taking our blog. But we want to increase our own visibility, too. The more informative, unique and important our blogs are, the more traffic we’re going to generate. We want our website to increase its online presence as our business grows. And it is growing.
We tell our clients that the more they post, the more they will increase traffic to their site. We want to lead by example. So don’t be surprised if you start reading articles related to a season, holiday or special event. Asheville, North Carolina, constantly presents us with interesting twists of the news. Maybe we’ll cover those too. We might even pop in an opinion or two. At the same time, you can expect more information about the art of writing for the web and all that it entails.
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.
by Mark Bloom | Mar 30, 2014 | Website Content
5 Tips That Can Help Your Site Right Now
Websites matter. A good website draws people in and coverts them into customers. The question everyone asks us is: “What makes a website good?”
So let us answer this question for all of you at once so you can improve your website. We’ve written — and rewritten — many websites. You can see several examples of our work in our Portfolio. We believe that if your website isn’t making you money, then it’s costing you money. And if that’s where you are, then you have two choices:
- Invest in your website to make it the marketing engine it could be.
- Use your website just as a Yellow Pages entry, listing your company name, phone number, hours and address. One page should do it, even if you add a pretty picture.
If you decide to go with option #1 above, here are five steps to get you started:
1. Update the Design
Nothing turns visitors away faster than a design that looks straight out of the 1990s. Technology has changed; so should your website. Hire a designer who listens to what you want and can make specific and helpful recommendations. Find a programmer who can make the vision work. This is an investment in your company, the same as redecorating a storefront.
2. Brand Your Look
If necessary, update your company logo. Choose a few colors for your website. Select a couple typefaces. Use them consistently throughout your new website. These things help establish your brand.
3. Place Contact Info
This is really the number one thing we see wrong with many websites. Your contact information — email address or telephone number — should appear on every single page of your website. In the age of search engines, your visitors don’t always enter your website on the Home page. Make it easy for them to contact you. This seems like a simple thing, but you’d be surprised how many websites get it wrong.
4. Simplify Your Message
Each page of your website should focus on one thing: who you are, what you do, where you work, how you work, what sets you apart. Whatever the purpose of that page, it should be clear and easy to discern. Don’t try to be clever. Be clear and concise, and you’ll win converts.
5. Add New Content
Once you’ve accomplished the previous four steps, you’re ready to tackle this one. Adding fresh content, on your website pages and in a consistent blog, does more to get you noticed than anything else. The other steps are important so that when new potential clients arrive at your website, they aren’t immediately repulsed, but this is the step that gets them there.
This is also the very thing that Ray Access can help you with. This is what we do, and we’ve helped other businesses improve their reach and their success. We can help you, too. Contact us if you want to learn more. We’ll assess your website and provide an honest, objective appraisal.
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.
