Cindy Bidar

How to Write Better

Chances are you learned to write somewhere around age seven. From those first short sentences, through the rambling essays of a pre-teen, to the dessert-dry research papers of college, you've undoubtedly had a lot of practice. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take steps to improve. Next time you write a blog post or an article, keep these tips in mind, and see if it makes a difference in … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Writing

17 Comments

Perception is Everything

Papa Johns, a Kentucky-based chain of pizza franchises is building a mailing list. Offline businesses (and Internet marketers) know that's a pretty smart thing to do. After all, your customers and potential customers are granting you permission to send marketing messages to their email inbox. What's not to love? Conventional wisdom says you need to provide an incentive in exchange for that … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Email Marketing

29 Comments

What to Do When Your Muse Takes a Powder

You're tired. You stayed up too late last night, got up too early this morning, and spent way too many hours working/chasing the kids/cleaning the house/baking cupcakes/whatever. Someone scoured the inside of your eyelids with coarse-grit sandpaper, and your muse has wandered off in search of more hospitable surroundings. You have writer's block. But if you're a professional, or want to be, … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Writing

12 Comments

5 Opening Paragraph Strategies, or Why You Should Stop Writing for Search Engines

Want to know a secret no blogger will admit? Here it is: Keywords don't matter. In fact, keywords may be the most overhyped invention since Google Wave. Sure, they might - and that's a big might - get a reader to your page, but unless YOU do something to keep her there, it won't matter a bit. Unless you engage her, entertain her, shock her, or hijack her mouse, all the keyword-foo in the world … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Writing

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Why Accountability Partners Fail, and What to Do Instead

How's your to-do list looking? Long and out of control? Unfortunately, that's a common problem for work-at-home types. And for those of us who work at home AND somewhere else, it's a nightmare. Too much to do, not enough time to do it, and many, many distractions that - let's face it - are far more interesting than actual work. When there's no boss peeking over your cubicle wall and no time-clock … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Tips and Tools

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Murder Your Darlings

How many blogs do you own? I have five that actually have WordPress installed and at least one blog post up. I have two that are current. I also have multiple other properties set up on Blogger and Squidoo type platforms. And don't get me started on domain names. Just this minute I pulled myself away from NameCheap where I was thisclose to buying yet another domain for a fantastic Amazon site … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Blogging

16 Comments

Squeeze Page Design Tip – Subscribe or Get Out

Your squeeze page design should be clean and have only one choice

Have you ever gone to a restaurant that serves everything from pancakes to tacos to lasagna and has a nine-page menu? How many times did you send the waiter away with "Just another minute, please"? Give anyone too many choices, and that's the reaction they're likely to have. Panic. Anxiety. Fear of making the wrong choice. That's exactly what happens when readers are faced with too many choices … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Website Design