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The Blog
WordPress and Facebook oEmbed Support
Many of us who have been blogging for years are completely used to being able to post a link to a Facebook or Instagram post and it magically appearing. That is from the oEmbed support from Facebook’s API. The old oEmbed endpoints end October 24, 2020. They have new Facebook oEmbed endpoints. The developer requirements,…
Email the Right People — Don’t Just Build a List
When it comes to email marketing, it’s tempting to have a large list. This is mostly for your vanity. Let’s face it. Do you want to be able to say that you have a list of 10,000 people or 72? Bigger is Not Better You’ve most likely read at least ten articles on how to…
Which new platforms should businesses be on?
I asked my audience what they’d like me to address sometime back and this question was posed: “Which new platforms should businesses be on?” I’m not sure people will like my answer, but let’s go for it anyway. My quick answer is stop chasing new. Be consistent on what you have. Further, I was asked…
Shallow – The Unfinished Song
The song Shallow in the recent remake of A Star is Born is simply an unfinished song. As a former songwriter and musician, here’s my analysis. Why am I writing about songwriting? I’m normally more vocal about marketing and copywriting. It’s true. But Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradly Cooper is really just two unfinished…
What do I Need to Build My Small Business Website?
It’s 2019. Your small business definitely needs a website. Yes, your brick-and-mortar shop needs a website. Yes, your online store should be your website. Now that we agree, what happens? To build your own small business website, you need to get all of your figurative ducks in a row first. This means branding and content.…
About Page: Hire a Copywriter
It’s pretty tricky to write an about page. It’s hard to write this yourself. Either we’re too clinical or too coded. It’s even weirder if we have inside jokes in our online bios. Let’s fix that. How did I start writing About Page bios? It may seem weird that I do copywriting for web pages.…
Your Business Marketing Should Include Twitter
Yes, your business marketing strategy should include Twitter. It’s one piece, albeit a large one, of any successful branding campaign. If I’ve said it once, I’ve tweeted about it ten times. I may have even written an article or two. Okay, maybe more than two. Twitter is the best platform for B2B marketing. It serves…
Productive Procrastination: How To Stop It
Procrastination isn’t always being lazy sitting on the beach. For those of us who work for our own businesses, it can be much more productive. I’ve talked about procrastination before. I never saw myself as someone who would procrastinate. After all, growing up I would do my homework during class. I always did my school…
How Do You Manage Client Work?
As a freelancer, how do you manage client work? When you are a freelancer, you often have to assimilate into your client’s pre-existing systems. It can be nerve-wracking. One client uses Asana, another communicates with What’s App. Three of your clients use Slack but one prefers email. Do you create your own Trello board and…
What Does Social Media Engagement Look Like?
Everyone talks about engagement. But what is it? How do you do it? What does engagement on social media really look like? Short answer: it’s a conversation. A back and forth of exchanges. Someone has to start the conversation. Someone has to keep it going. Firstly, you should respond to your audience: whether it is…
Top Tips for Staffing A Sponsor Table at WordCamp
Staffing a sponsor table at a WordCamp can be overwhelming for those new to the scene. Here are some of the tips I learned along the way. Staffing Your Table: Prepare Before WordCamp One to two weeks ahead, look at the attendees page to get an idea of who will be there. Follow the hashtag…
Good Design Produces Results — A Case Study with Fat Dog Creatives
Good design produces results. It’s that simple. I had an okay design and okay results. After Rhonda from Fat Dog Creatives redesigned my home page, my bounce rate went down 10% — overnight. (This was for 2019’s redesign.) Quick Lessons I have never felt so loved and empowered as I do right now. She understands…
Are One-Word Comments Really That Bad? TL;DR No
So many people rant and rave about comments that aren’t “valuable.” Are one-word comments really that bad? TL;DR: No. It’s called small talk. All comments on your blog and social media posts are valuable including one-word comments. Comments are reactions to posts. Have you read this? Why a single word comment is next to useless…