<b> Bold Interactive Inc.

Did you know that there are more neurosurgeons than professional copywriters in this country? Barry Gluck does. And he does a good job of explaining just why copywriters should be paid and paid well.

Not convinced? Then maybe a leading expert in the area of neurodevelopment can convince you. Here’s what Dr. Mel Levine had to say about the art of writing in his book, The Myth of Laziness:

Why is writing such a stringent test of output capacity during the school years? I suspect it’s because there’s no other requirement that demands the coordination and integration of so many different neurodevelopmental functions and academic subskills. Just think about it: writing requires you to generate good ideas, organize your thoughts, encode your ideas into clear language, remember many things at once (such as spelling, rules of punctuation, facts, and instructions), coordinate your fingers so they can keyboard or form letters, plan and monitor the quality of your work, and marshal the materials you need (pencils, reference books, or computer equipment) and your time. Writing also requires a great deal of concentration and mental effort. It takes energy and fortitude to complete a term paper. Intense focus is called for in answering an essay question well. All of those simultaneous demands must then be smoothly integrated and synchronized to achieve writing success.

Too often, copywriters are not properly compensated for their output. And no where is it perhaps more ridiculous than it is for web content. I’ve seen such pathetic offers as $15 for a page. Or $5 for a blog post on a site that attracts 10,000 readers a day!

Often in life you get what you pay for. Are these paltry prices what you’re willing to offer for pages that you need to convert into action or sales?

I think too many people are comparing typing to writing. Good copy involves strategy, planning, and careful editing. Kenneth Davis blogged that the actual drafting takes the least amount of time. I agree.

You may be tempted to think “Well, neurosurgeons should get paid a lot. Your life is at stake.” Well, cheap friend, copywriters should get paid well - because your business is at stake!

Are you BOLD enough to pay for great copy?

via Write Ideas 

Technorati Tags: copywriting, business, neurosurgeons, mel levine, writing, copy, seo copy, online custom publishing

I don’t like Digg. Which is just as fine, since Digg has never put forth any effort to attract internet users such as myself. You know the type, females who like fashion and positivity instead of the relentless antics of 25 year old immature frat boys.

Thankfully, someone out there realized that women want a site like Digg only friendly and feminine. They created Sk*rt. I joined today and so far I like it. Nope, I love it.

So far, I’ve found…

• An e-commerce store with retro bathing suits. My Classic Movie Lounge readers will love this.
  
• How personal scanners are starting to replace the self-checkout line. I can’t wait!
• That women are finally being allowed to insert a feminine touch into hi-tech gadgets

I think this will open up a whole new world for link bait. No longer will we be restricted to headlines praising Google, Mac and World of Warcraft. Now we can talk about 7 Ways to Dress for Your Body Shape and How to Use Scrybe to Organize Your Child’s Homework.

Yes, social media and link building ninjas - now you have the challenge of writing content that appeals to women. And I can’t wait to read it!

via Mashable

Technorati Tags: sk*rt, digg, women, social media, social bookmarking, link building

For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath to find out which laptop will replace my crashed Gateway, I have an announcement to make. After researching my options, I finally decided on a Dell Inspiron 1420. The notebook got solid reviews from CNet, PC Mag, and Notebook Review.

My 1420 will be pimped out with an integrated webcam and a pink, yes PINK, coat of paint. Hey, I work for Bold Interactive. I couldn’t go with a boring old black or white. It’s not a convertible tablet PC, but I decided against tablets because I think it would slow down my notetaking.

Unfortunately, the estimated shipping date for my 1420 is September 12. I knew this was a possibility because Dell is having a hard time finding bargain CPUs. There are plenty of frustrated Dell customers, some of whom have canceled their orders because their laptops aren’t shipped by the estimated date.

And I’ll give Dell a microscopic nugget of credit. They maintain a corporate blog with comments enabled. Hardly any of the comments are positive.

Why would Dell open themselves up to such harsh criticism on their own web space? I have a few speculations:

1. They can listen to consumers. By providing a platform for consumers to voice their opinion, Dell improves its customer relations. Not censoring negative comments is a key component of genuine and transparent conversation marketing.
2. They can address concerns. Dell has admitted, at least with their XPS M1330, that there are significant delays.  They also informed readers when they fixed an error in Linux pricing. Then there was the time they responded to well-publicized criticism from a former employee.
3. They have more control than with earned media. Distributing press releases and pitching reporters leaves their message to be interpreted by third parties. Often news stories will contain snippets and quotes that may or may not tell the whole story. Blogging helps Dell give context and the opportunity to explain themselves fully.
4. Blogging is quicker and less expensive than advertising. Hosting a blog is cheap, especially when compared to television, print, and even online advertising. It’s also quick. Write a post and publish it. With advertising, you have to prepare the creative, and then going through the buying process.

While all of that is impressive, especially in the light of some companies’ fears of foraying into social media, it doesn’t get my Dell shipped to me any sooner.

I chatted with a Gateway representative to see what the estimated shipping date for the 15.4 inch NX570X would be (with similar configurations), and he said 8/30/07 - that’s two weeks sooner sans pink and integrated webcam.

Then he said if I upgrated to a DVD burner it would be shipped 8/17/07. That makes me feel like people who pay more get faster service. If that’s true, it’s nothing that should be revealed to the consumer. But in these new days of transparency, you might want to revisit your company policies and terms of service.

This is the age of conversation marketing. Are you bold enough to handle it?

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, dell, gateway, corporate blogging

Earlier this year, Eric Volz, an American expatriot living in Nicaragua, was convicted of a rape and murder he did not commit. He has been held in a maximum security prison near the capital of Managua, where the conditions are horrible to say the least.

Needless to say I was surprised when I found out he was able to record an audio podcast from prison. He did this using the prison payphone. You can listen to the podcast here.

The internet has been a force in spreading the word about Eric’s cause. While major media outlets were obsessed with the death of Anna Nicole Smith, a judge in a coastal Nicaraguan town caved to the pressure of an angry mob, despite evidence proving his innocence.

At the time, the site Friends of Eric Volz was up and running, and the case was spreading across the States slowly but surely. I found out about it from Leigh Nash’s MySpace blog. I instantly became passionate about it, even having a Google Alert sent to me, which has helped me keep up with the case.

Soon a dedicated MySpace page was formed. More and more bloggers informed their readers and videos outlining the evidence supporting Volz popped up on YouTube. His angry opponents posted their videos as well.

Finally, NBC featured Eric on the Today show. In an ironic twist, one of the mothers of the falsely accused Duke Rape lacrosse players heard of Eric Volz and used her connections with the media to help gain recognition. CNN and other media outlets followed.

While the case has never really received the attention it deserves in traditional media, the internet has provided opportunity where none previously existed. As a result, congressmen and the Nicaraguan embassy have been petitioned to act for justice.

As of July 31st, a Nicaraguan paper announced that the decision on the appeal will be given in two weeks. I hope this will end the nightmare for Eric Volz, but Volz himself encourages the community that has gathered for his case will unite in support of others who are falsely accused as well.

Technorati Tags: eric volz, podcasting, nicaragua, online custom publishing

And then she leaves us hanging. She didn’t tell us what to think. She has the gall to make us think. On a Friday. When Bourne Ultimatum is released.

She asked her readers to consider how you might optimize your non-blog site. One of your strategies might be thinking like a blogger. What does it all mean???

I have some ideas.

Bloggers value community over competition. Site owners might be tempted to first engage in competition, but they could be missing out on valuable traffic and sales if they make it their primary focus.

Let me explain.

DazzlinDonna suggested that her readers look to ProBlogger Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett’s Authority Blogger Forums for inspiration. I have subscribed to the blogs of both dudes for many months and I can tell you the difference between the two. Darren directly monetizes his blog while Chris uses his blog as a platform to market his consulting services - his blog provides him with indirect monetization.

Both are what I consider to be blogging gurus. But both offer something completely different within their niche. And while they both attract many (ok, thousands) of the same blog readers, those visitors will find themselves with an affinity for one or the other depending on their blog goals. For example, I prefer Darren because I like his direct approach. But I still read Chris because he has good content tips.

Think about McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Their burgers are different. Their fries are different. Their milkshakes are different. Yet, they both do well in the fast food industry and share millions of the same customers.

It’s the same with Walmart and Target, Circuit City and Best Buy, Petco and PetSmart, Office Depot and Staples.

What about industries where one company seems to dominate (Google, Starbucks, Microsoft)?

I’m glad you asked.

Bloggers engage in conversations with their readers. And it’s not for show. Conversation includes listening and having the humility and courage to adjust your site accordingly. It requires discernment mixed with common sense, but usually your readers will bring a good consensus to help guide you where they’ll follow.

In the past months, I’ve watched as Darren Rowse and eMom Wendy Piersall have asked their readers what they want. As a result, Darren is attempting more video blogs and Wendy is embarking on launching an e-zine with multiple authors.

The reason Google dominates the search industry is because Yahoo!, Ask and MSN don’t give the results the readers want. They follow the leader instead of carving their own path. Even Ask.com’s latest “algorithm” change is an attempt to be Google instead of being Ask. It would never work for Chris Garrett to try to be Darren Rowse or vice versa. Instead, they are themselves, and it works.

In recent years, we’ve watched Apple start to catch up to Microsoft - and for good reason. They’re developing products that consumers want - (iPod, iPhone), and they’re offering computers that are an answer to the pesky issues that have plagued PCs for years (computers crashing).

What Does This Have to Do With Optimization?

Everything. There is no point in ranking high in the search results if your site offers products or services that people don’t want. And in today’s social environment, people want transparency, accountability and good customer service along with that TV, laptop bag, necklace or whatever material good it is that they have purchased. When your customers have an issue with a purchase, do you make it easy or hard for them? Better yet, are you listening? If not, then who cares about Google rankings. Because it won’t take long for bad reviews to pop up on the front page of results.

Be bold. Engage in the conversation. Listen to your customers. Then you’ll have all the good rankings (as a result of gobs and gobs of links because people LOVE you!) your heart desires, with solid word of mouth and social media campaigns to boot.

Technorati Tags: conversation marketing, seo, bloggers, competition, community, social media

MomGadget has been raising questions on her blog about the pros and cons of article syndication.

On her first post, she looked at it from a publisher’s angle - that taking articles from directories and syndication sites is kinda lazy and used by spammers who have nothing better to do than litter the interweb.

But a comment by  TeaPartyGirl (i love these blog names!) caused MomGadget to re-think the issue from an author’s perspective. Is article syndication ok when the goal is link building?

So let’s break it down:

Using Content from Directories

If you’re desperate for content, so desperate that you can’t find any guest bloggers and no one in your niche is writing anything worth responding to on your own blog, then maybe just maybe, if a nuclear apocalypse has occurred and you managed to access what’s left of the internet on your smartphone, it might be kinda ok to publish content from a directory on your site - and only if you block the search engines from spidering it - lest they think you are a spammy no good decepticon.

The problem with publishing content from directories is that it’s duplicate content. And while it could theoretically entertain your audience when the only alternative is no fresh content, it will be difficult to find content that will carry the voice of your blog or site.

I will admit it’s probably quite possible to use directories for content and build a site around it. And if you’re building a site on a shoestring and have no web savvy - this might be a way to go (or another career might, for that matter). But the BEST marketing for your site is original online content, tailored to your specific message, audience and needs.

Submitting Content to Directories

Now this is a whole different ballgame. The good thing about article syndication is LINKS - and I’m not talking about Zac Efron in Hairspray (though if anyone would like to, leave a comment because I love that movie, I’ve seen it twice now).

The links will not bring traffic. I repeat, the links will not bring traffic. The links are good for helping your site’s ranking in the search engines (SERPs) and PageRank (which is about links, links, and nothing but the links).

Bottom Line

Article syndication is one of many good strategies that should be included in your overall link building strategy. But the rest of your link building strategy is dependent upon fresh, original, captivating content that will attract links naturally. You won’t get that from scraping content from directories.

Technorati Tags: article syndication, article directories, content marketing

Marty Weintraub over at aimClear addresses the problem of using Google Analytics.

Mashable offers up 50+ tools for ebay buyers and sellers.

Yehuda from Israel informs how he became a professional blogger. via MomGadget

Screenwriter John August talks about the new - and strict - rules for filmmaking in NYC. Will this hurt online video?

Andrea Morris takes a look at bold copywriting for the Aussie hair products line. (Disclaimer: I love and use Aussie hair products).

I was checking out the Site Overlay feature in Google Analytics for a blog I have about classic movies and I noticed that people are clicking on a link in the top right corner - the Store link.

The link takes visitors to a subdomain section that uses Amazon’s astore (part of their affiliate program). But no one is buying anything when they get there. I’m not surprised, though. The store doesn’t carry the look and feel of the blog.

I’ve actually been thinking of getting rid of the store because I’ve been reading about the success of ProBlogger Darren Rowse and others who use their own reviews of products with links in the actual posts to drive traffic to Amazon.

But that’s why it’s so important to pay close attention to your niche and your site’s analytics. Here’s what I know about my niche.

• There’s a handful of bloggers, many of them on blogspot (I host my own site).
• There are a bunch of non-blog sites that who’s domains are about 10 years old but the content is not updated as frequently as the blogs. And the designs stem from the 90s as well.
• The non-blog, high ranking sites get gobs of traffic and while the site owners don’t talk about the money they make off the site, it’s apparent that they do make quite alot.
• People who search for classic movies don’t care and may not know the difference between a blog and a non-blog site. And they’re a very different web user than Darren Rowse’s audience.
• My best content are posts about quotes by classic movie stars and when I live blog while watching movies.

So, with that in mind, and my newfound data on where people click. I know that I need to:

• Keep my store section and re-vamp it.
• Keep up with posts that involve quotes and live blogging
• Stick with my plan to review movies, books, etc. to offer even more value

My analytics also have shown me that my young blog is growing, slowly - almost painfully slow, but growing nonetheless. This is fine with me because I view it as a 5 year project where I blog about actors, actresses, directors, films, books etc. and then I can just let it be as an authoritative source on classic movies. I do, however, need to work more on the authoritative source part. But that’s fine with me, because I’ve chosen a niche that I love and am passionate about.

I don’t think my blog would be growing if I didn’t check my analytics. I have tweaked my site so many times as a result. I know where my users are geographically, and I know what content they like. I know where on the site they click and it drives my goals.

Is your traffic aligned with your goals? Have other analytics tricks? Leave a comment!

Technorati Tags: google, analytics

Ever since my Gateway crashed last week, I’ve been using a Mac Powerbook. And I’ve found that some sites aren’t compatible with this operating system and Firefox, my browser of choice.

Sometimes, I’ll check to see if the sites happen to work in Camino or Opera, but they don’t. The funny thing is, on some occasions I’m trying to give these sites money or earned media (by way of blogging).

The surprising thing is that so many designers use Mac, so it’s very surprising to find sites that aren’t functioning on its operating system. It makes me wonder about the people behind the site development and design.

But in the end, it shouldn’t matter what type of computer the site was designed on, as long as it’s compatible with both PC and Mac. How is your site functioning?

Technorati Tags: mac, pc, firefox, browser compatibility