The volume of rubbish content on the World Wide Web is increasing and I believe it is mostly the fault of SEO consultants, and DIY marketers.

Not all DIYers and SEO experts of course, but there are a number of practitioners who are producing content simply as a vehicle to get their keywords and backlinks out there – regardless of the quality of the content.

As a result we are inundated with millions of pieces of junk writing that are cluttering the World Wide Web, a bit like the millions of plastic bags in the ocean.
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‘Because Y’s a crooked letter and neither you nor I can straighten it’. Remember that expression? 'Why' is a very powerful device for content marketing and copy writing. Here's why...
_{Photo by renjith krishnan}

You already know that the Internet is a very powerful marketing medium.

After all, 93% of New Zealanders will research their buying decisions online
(that counts for business to business too).

You may also know that some companies are making a bundle of sales off their
Internet traffic, while others are getting nothing – not a sausage. Zip.

Which one are you, or are you in the middle? And, why are some companies so successful and others so dismal?

Photo By Stuart Miles

If you need to drum up business fast you have to take marketing and sales action now. However, while your choice of methodology will depend on elements like target markets and budget, there is just one effective strategy that gets results fast.

Photo By Ambro

I had somebody ask me recently what he could do to establish how his business was performing – lead conversion, how inquiries  were being handled, customer service etc. – because he was so involved in the operational side of the business he had lost track of what was happening in the sales and service areas.

If you are more involved in operational matters and you’re worried you’re not keeping your fingers on the pulse of the customer sales and service, it is incredibly important to first make sure that you have put in place processes and procedures for staff to follow.

If they’re clueless and dropping the ball, you have only yourself to blame.

That’s a given. If you’re too busy, outsource it.

Read on for some tips on how to find out what's really going on in your business...

Photo by Ambro

Today’s customers – both consumers and b2b decision makers – like to research their buying decisions… and those companies that provide them with good quality, objective information which helps them better their lives or business, are the companies they are most likely to buy from.

How has the Internet has changed human behaviour?

Photo by Africa

We’re always looking for that unique idea. That something that has never been done before – the one thing that will differentiate us from our competitors and catapult our business into the stratosphere. But is a new idea, such a good idea?

I’m not sure introducing unique or different products or services is actually the holy grail many of us think it is (although I concede it depends on the service or product).

Sometimes sticking with the traditional fish and chips is a surer way to business success. Let me explain…

Photo by: Franceso Marino

I wrote this for my clients at http://www.gopher.co.nz/ - a good bunch of people with the best online directory in the country...

Feel like David going out to confront Goliath? Living in the shadow of big competitors? Heck, are other competitors plaguing you like a swarm of gnats?

No longer. The Internet is the great leveller. The ultimate equaliser. Any business can punch above – way above -- its own weight… provided they understand some secrets – little known things that can propel your business into the stratosphere!

The secret is this: If you try to compete on brand names with the bigger companies, you’re in for a hiding to nothing.

But, if you compete on benefits, well then… whose top dog now??

Photo by Luigi Diamanti

Why local business journalism mostly fails to connect with readers and how good content marketing and public relations can fill the gap by helping to inspire, motivate and lead customers through stories of triumph and human character.

Photo by: Stefano Valle

Is this story compelling proof that what you say is even more important than what you do?

By Colin Kennedy

In a time when all beer was marketed as ‘pure’, copywriter Claude Hopkins created a campaign that told the story of how Schlitz Beer was actually made. It rocketed Schlitz Beer to number One!

By Colin Kennedy

“90% of consumers online trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust opinions of unknown users.” -- (Econsultancy, July 2009)

The most significant point of this statistic is that your prospects and customers trust the recommendations of people they have never met.