How to Make Marketing your Fiction a Reality

The book market is a crowded one and authors need to keep looking for creative ways to make their books stand out. There are crucial steps you should take so that your fiction can be noticed by a potential reader who probably has other fictional works begging for his attention. In this post, we’ll show you three of them.

Marketing Your Fiction: What and What Do You Absolutely Need to Do?

Create and Enhance your Author Website

Your author website should give readers an opportunity to experience your personality and story settings. It should tell your reader all they need to know about you while equally giving them an experience that will stick and make them long for your work. Use quality artwork and images to give glimpses of your story that will make the reader salivate even more. Here’s an example of a great author website.

Also, if you want to do the best job marketing your fiction, you’ve got to avoid using bland language and instead use fascinating text to tell readers about you from a dramatic point of view. Note that if your website is boring, they will assume your book is boring as well. Also, offer free content like unpublished short stories, video trailers, contests and tour dates. Fans love free stuff!

Newsletters Are Like Love Letters

You know those job sites that keep sending you emails and you really don’t know how to make them stop? Yes, this is something similar but a little less annoying. On your website, there can be a section where the reader can fill in his or her details to get regular updates from you. Now, instead of sending annoying emails making it all about you and your upcoming book, you can make it about them. How? Let your newsletter be reader-focused with articles, short stories, book previews, latest news, etc. Then chip in your book promotion.

In the example below, author Helena Rookwood shares some personal updates to her readers in her newsletter, and at the end she adds some book recommendations – books that aren’t even hers but that her readers would find interesting.

 

This strategy ensures that whenever your readers get a mail from you, they won’t ignore it because they know it is worth reading. You can add social media promotion as well, but do not depend on that alone.

Create That Reality Feel That Readers Can Connect with

Readers will connect more to your story when there is a feel of reality attached to it. Let your characters go through real-life situations that are peculiar to your community and that your audience can relate with – poverty, domestic abuse, tribalism, religious battles, etc. Ask yourself how your characters will fare in today’s world and use that answer to show changes in the society. Then, write articles around your idea and let those articles draw attention to your book. Jump on social trends, unsolved mysteries etc. Build your fiction around a truth that most people can relate to.

If you would love the assistance of excellent professionals in making your fiction a reality, then reach out to SOIPublishing and get started.

How to Stop Being Overwhelmed and Start Writing

Are you dreaming about writing a book but simply don’t know where to start?

Start with a plan! What message do you really want to pass across and what kind of people do you want to reach? Do you have in-depth knowledge of the subject that you want to address or do you need to carry out more research? These are questions you should ask yourself before you even start writing at all.

These bits of information will help you develop a framework that will help you plan your book. If you have ever wondered why many people never finish their books, one of the reasons is that they did not start with a plan. So they run out of ideas or simply don’t know how to proceed after the first few pages.

Now, as important as it is to have a plan, you also need to create systems and structures that will make your writing easier. First and foremost, you need to see your book not as an end in itself, but as part of a larger plan.No matter how successful your book is, it will not by itself provide the income and security you desire. Your plan should be to leverage off of a successful book, rather than retire on its earnings. Having created your plan, you need to devise an efficient way of executing the writing process.

Here are some tips on how to do that.

Approach your book like a jigsaw puzzle: Don’t try to write the book sequentially from the first to the last chapter. Many authors make this mistake of linear writing. Another mistake is trying to get away from everything and drop all activities so that you focus on writing your book. This is called marathon writing. Both methods are not usually effective for all practical purposes, and they usually come with lots of stress.

Instead of adopting linear writing or marathon writing, approach writing as you would approach a jigsaw puzzle. You will not always get the entire picture at once; it will usually come in bits and pieces; hence, you need to develop an effective strategy for harvesting your thoughts. It is also important that you develop a writing regime that will help you write consistently.

Have a writing calendar and follow it. Like Michael Hyatt would say, consistency is more important than frequency. It is better to write one hour every day than to write three hours today, two hours tomorrow and not write again for the next two weeks.

Develop a framework for each chapter: It is easier to write when all you have to do is fill in the elements in the framework rather than starting on a blank page. Don’t expect your first draft to be perfect; just get it done. After getting it done, you can rework and revise until you’re satisfied with the final output.

And mind you, you don’t really have to write. If writing is not your thing, simply speak your book and record it. Then get someone to transcribe it and hire an editor to finish it.

Editing will usually be your biggest expense and the stage you are most likely to skip. However, you must avoid the mistake of self-editing, poring over each word and worrying over finding the perfect words for each page. That’s the job of an editor.

Getting a good professional editor is worth the effort. Apart from giving you a better manuscript, you will learn new things yourself. See the cost of hiring an editor not only as an investment in writing your book but also as an investment in yourself as a writer.

How To Be More Creative in Your Writing

Here’s an age-old question: is creative writing an art or a craft?

Artistically minded writers will say that writing is most definitely an art while those who who think more analytically will claim writing is a skill, a trade, and a business.

My answer is that writing can be either an art or a craft, and usually it’s both. You can approach writing armed with learned skills and an ability to string words together in a sensible manner, or you can approach writing as a purely creative endeavor and call it your art or your passion.

Both approaches work, and either one can lead to good, strong writing. However, the best writing is a hybrid. It’s both an art and a craft, a marriage between skill and creativity in writing.

Creativity in Writing

You read almost every day. Words appear on your computer screen, your television, on roadside signs, and product packaging. They’re everywhere, and they all make sense.

But every once in a while, you come across writing that simply dazzles you. Have you ever responded emotionally to the way a writer uses language? Have you ever put down a novel and remarked at how impressed you were with the author’s ability to create realistic characters or a riveting plot? Have you ever read a poem and felt transported to another time or place?

That’s the magic of creativity in writing. It captivates the imagination. It’s transcendent.

How to Be More Creative: Tips and Resources for Writers

There’s an old, outdated belief that creativity is talent; it’s inherent. Some of us are born right-brained (creative) and others left-brained (mechanical, analytical). That’s only partially true. Writing can be learned as a skill, but so can creativity. Sure, some people have a more natural inclination toward creative thinking. But anyone can foster and nurture creativity.

So, how do you foster creativity in writing? Below are some tips and resources to get you started. Whether you’re creative by nature and want to enhance your creativity or think you lack creative skills and want to build on them so you can produce better writing, these resources will point you in the right direction.

1. Marelisa Fabrega’s How to Be More Creative — A Handbook for Alchemists is packed with tools for fostering creative and innovative thinking. It’s one of my favorite creativity resources!
2. Don’t want to spring for the e-book? You will after you peruse the idea-packed creativity section on Marelisa’s blog.
3. Find out how asking questions and encouraging curiosity can lead to creative writing ideas.
4. Head over to the Creativity Portal, where you’ll find tons (and by tons, I mean TONS) of creativity articles, resources, and project ideas.
5. Nothing gets a writer’s creativity flowing like poetry. If you think poetry is relegated to tweens, academics, and literary elites, think again. Poetry can be raw and brazen, and it will open your mind to new creative insight and strengthen your language skills. Read it, watch it, listen to it, and then try some poetry writing exercises.

Where do you go to turn up the volume on creativity in your writing? Do you have a favorite book or website, a quiet place in the woods or a quaint coffee shop in the city that you like to visit? Do you have any favorite creativity resources? Share your tips and ideas for how to be more creative by leaving a comment.

Writing Forward

How To Write for Children

Writing for children is quite different from other styles of writing. Some people might even argue it is harder to write for children than it is to write for adults. Writers tend to put themselves in the minds of their readers, but how do you put yourself in the mind of a child? It is possible but can be quite an uphill task.

Here are some tips on how to write for children:

1. Do not be limited: If you are given a project to write stories for children, you will probably need to do some research on what kids like now. So if kids are into video games, you will probably write about that. But this is a very wrong approach. You need to realize that kids are still learning every day and they are easily drawn to new things and interests. Do not be limited. Write about new stuff and you will grab their interest.
2. Don’t treat them like babies: Yes, you can write about deaths and tragedies. There are limits, but children are tougher than you think. As for the vocabulary, do not overthink it as they can easily understand new words from the context. If they don’t, remember they are learning and can easily search for the meaning. Having a glossary at the end will help as well.
3. Do not sound like you belong: You might be tempted to input things they are familiar with, especially pop culture references. Unless this reference is essential to your story, this will simply sound desperate and will make you look out of touch even more. It gets worse when this reference gets outdated. So do not try to act like you understand what kids like just to keep their interests.
4. Help the kids break free: Kids live in a world limited by the knowledge and rules of grownups. Use your character to create worlds of endless possibilities for them. Let your characters cross boundaries, have adventures, learn new things, and build their self-confidence and sense of independence.
5. Be relatable: While you have your protagonist crossing boundaries, they should not be perfect. They should make mistakes children make so that readers can relate. They should make a mess they have to fix and this would help the kids relate to them more and be inspired.
6. Read More Children’s Books: You need to read what others are writing for you to have a grasp of a flexible and ever-changing age group. Do not be afraid you might not sound original because the more you read other works, the more you find your own distinct voice.

 

Finally, you can always contact The Ready Writers Consult as content creation is our forte. We have a record of amazing ghostwriting services including content for children.

 

Samuel Ejedegba

• AUTHOR
• BOOKS
• CHILDREN
• WRITING

The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Event Management Needs

To outsource or not to outsource? Chances are, if you are responsible for your organization’s meetings, conferences, tradeshows or events, you’ve probably asked yourself this very question at one time or another. The good news is–you’re not alone. In today’s busy climate, many corporations, associations and government agencies, finding themselves faced with overextended staff and shrinking budgets, have re-examined their event strategies and turned to outsourcing for some or all of their event management needs.

So how do you know if outsourcing is right for you? The decision of whether or not to outsource and trying to figure out exactly what services are prime candidates for outsourcing can be difficult and requires a significant amount of research and deliberation. The first step towards making this important decision is determining your needs and gaining an understanding of how outsourcing event management can benefit your organization. To make things a little easier, here is a list of a few of the many benefits of outsourcing event management:

Time Savings. Planning an event can be very stressful and time consuming, especially when you have a small staff that is already working at or above capacity. Outsourcing allows you to leave duties such as site selection, contract negotiation, registration, housing, logistics and event marketing up to the experts, effectively freeing up your staff to concentrate on what matters most to your event–program content. Focusing on the tactical instead of the strategic and trying to do too much with too little often results in an ineffective event that provides little benefit to attendees, exhibitors, sponsors, and ultimately, your organization.

Experience. Typically, organizations may have some knowledge of event planning, but lack the complete set of skills and experience necessary to successfully plan and execute all aspects of an event from start to finish. It would be the same if you were outsourcing for IT Support Services you want to make sure that all parts of your computer systems are covered and taken care of by the company you choose to outsource to so you will have no issues. One of the main advantages to outsourcing is that you are enlisting the expertise of individuals who are well-versed at managing meetings and events of all types and sizes on a regular basis. Seasoned, credentialed professionals who have seen and done it all can proactively suggest ideas, plug in the gaps, and make improvements based on best practices and past experiences to help create the total event solution that meets your goals.

Accountability. Now more than ever, responsibility, accountability and transparency are expected throughout all phases of the event process. In light of the recent GSA conference scandal, there is not only an increased focus on controlling meetings spending, but also on proving the value of the event itself. Meetings are being scrutinized like never before, and working with an accountable third party meeting planner can help to provide metrics and reporting on everything from food and beverage spending to pre- and post-event attendee surveys, allowing you to develop justification and create a course of action to make future events even better.

Buying Power. Everyone wants to cut costs and save money. Having a partner on your side that has established relationships with the biggest and best hotels, convention centers, caterers, keynote speakers, audio/visual companies, content technology providers and travel companies will give you access to suppliers who are affordable, reliable and professional. You’ll never need to shop around for the best provider with the lowest prices and you can rest assured that you won’t have any unexpected surprises when the bill arrives. Maximizing your buying power and getting the most out of your budget can also help you to generate additional cost savings and make enhancements to other aspects of your event that increase the overall event experience.

Integrated Resources. When you have one go-to organization for all of your meeting and event services, you’re never faced with the challenge of managing several different suppliers, contractors or other service providers. A centrally-managed approach makes life easier by coordinating all of your needs through one experienced company.

No Job Threat. Contrary to popular belief, even if you’re a professional meeting planner, outsourcing to a third party for some or all of your event needs does not pose a threat to your job or the jobs of others within your organization. In fact, third parties often act as an extension of your staff and provide an increased level of expertise, service and support that would not be available otherwise. When your event is executed flawlessly, comes in under budget, produces a significant return on investment and creates a memorable experience that attendees can’t stop talking about, you’re going to come out looking like a hero.

The next time you’re tasked with putting together a meeting, conference, event or tradeshow, don’t be afraid to consider outsourcing. When used correctly, outsourcing can provide significant time and cost savings for your organization while simultaneously elevating the event experience for everyone involved.

Culled from Experient

Post Tags:#event marketing#events#management#Marketing#outsourcing

Why You Should Have Good Writing Skills

Writing skills are an important part of communication.

Being able to write can open lots of doors for you and make you communicate with people you can’t see. A good writing skill to some extent is tied to the level of success you are likely to have.

For instance, having good writing skills can help you achieve good academic results. You can land a career in writing or even gain access to some companies through some proposals you might have written and sent. Having good writing skills comprises knowing the correct spelling of words, using the right grammar, using grammatically correct words, using the right punctuation, and organising words appropriately.

Mind tools.com gives some tips on how you can structure your writing and get your message clearly to your audience. Some of the tips include to:

• Start with your audience – Remember, your readers may know nothing about what you’re telling them. What do they need to know first?

• Create an outline – This is especially helpful if you’re writing a longer document such as a report, presentation, or speech. Outlines help you identify which steps to take, and in which order. They also help you break the task up into manageable pieces of information.
• Try some empathy – For instance, if you’re writing a sales letter for prospective clients, why should they care about your product or sales pitch? What’s the benefit for them? Remember your audience’s needs at all times.
• Use the Rhetorical Triangle – If you’re trying to persuade someone to do something, make sure that you communicate why people should listen to you, pitch your message in a way that engages your audience, and present information rationally and coherently. An article on the Rhetorical Triangle can help you make your case in the most effective way.
• Identify your main theme – If you’re having trouble defining the main theme of your message, pretend that you have 15 seconds to explain your position. What do you say? This is likely to be your main theme.
• Use simple language – Unless you’re writing a scholarly article, it’s usually best to use simple, direct language. Don’t use long words just to impress people.

It is important to know that your writing skills can be tied to your vocabulary and consequently the extent of your intelligence, which is why it is advisable for one to regularly improve your writing skills.

• WRITING

The Five Stages of Publishing Your Book

I’ll start with a disclaimer and some credentials; I’m involved in the submissions and editing process for Grimbold Books, my publisher. It’s a small indie press, which in many ways is wonderful – anyone involved gets to do a bit of everything! But it’s really made me realise that when I first started submitting writing to publishers, I had absolutely no idea of the process that goes on once your writing has hit the submissions inbox. Surely they just…read it? And then publish it?

Well, yes…sort of. But it’s a bit more complicated than that.

So, before you do any of this, go and read 5 Questions to Ask Before Submitting a Short Story. It applies to novels, too!

Stage 1: Submission

1. Read the subs guidelines! I know they’re annoying and it’s a pain to have to format (I submit too, so I have a lot of sympathy for the never-ending task of re-formatting things) but it really does make reading easier.
2. And on the same note, please send the amount asked. If the guidelines say 10,000 words, a little under or over is fine…but don’t send your entire manuscript.
3. Having a synopsis is nice; it gives us some idea of how the story unfolds. We often won’t have time to read the entire thing, so the first 30 pages and a synopsis is excellent.
4. Tell us something about you; you don’t have to seem quirky, but just some insight into who you are is nice. However, your work will speak for itself, so if (like me) you’re fairly self-conscious when it comes to showing off, you won’t miss out by not giving a huge bio.
5. And lastly (again) – read the guidelines! You want to make the publisher’s job as easy as possible – and that means sending what they’ve asked for. Yes, it sucks when every single submission wants a different style and set of information, but them’s the breaks. Just do it.

Stage 2: Waiting. And waiting. And more waiting.

However, there is quite a lot going on behind the scenes…

1. Slush-pile read; this is simply someone working through the submissions. At this stage, if you get rejected then you’re likely to get a form rejection. It sucks, but take it as a learning opportunity. Was there anything you could have done better? Did you submit to a publisher who might not want your genre or type of story? Are there better forums for your work? Or, put bluntly, does your work stink? (Most awful writers seem to believe they’re amazing, so if you’ve got a healthy dose of self-doubt then you’re probably fine.)
2. The deafening silence. If you don’t get an immediate rejection, take heart; they’re considering your work. Most publishers will have guidelines for when you can bug them; please do remember that reading takes time, and the publisher might have 50 or 100 things to read!
3. Request for a full manuscript. Yay! They liked it!
4. Acceptance or rejection! You may get more feedback at this stage; most publishers are too busy to go into much detail, but they won’t lie – so if they say they liked it, then they liked it. Usually the choice simply comes down to tone or style. Again, treat it as a learning opportunity; was there anything you could have done better? What could you improve?

Stage 3: Editor’s read

Your story will get read by The People Who Matter – usually the editor(s). The manuscript may come back to you with comments; you might need to change a lot or a little, and then it goes back to the editor. This could be repeated multiple times, and you might find that it’s a repeat of your alpha- and beta- process…but this is up to the individual editors, and up to you how much you want to change your story. Again; you are the author, and you have the final decisions on changes. Take their comments into consideration, and weigh up how much you want to be published against how much your story is changing. Hopefully, your story is good enough that the edits will be minor!

Stage 4: Book creation

This involves quite a lot of administration, usually involving external services. The big publishing houses will have in-house copy-editors and cover-artists, and it’s rare that the author is involved there. With a smaller indie press, more of this work is done externally, and there’s more chance for the author to be involved.

• Copyedit & proofread (again!).
• Typeset – and you’ll usually get a pdf proof at this point to check on the typesetting.
• Cover produced
• Manuscript sent to printers, and – if you’re doing hard copy – a proof is produced.

Stage 5: Publication!

Hard copies get distributed to shops, and records get created in electronic stores. You’ll be given a release date and whatever copies you’re entitled to; you may get paid at this stage if it’s a flat fee, or if you’re getting royalties then they will trickle in. And you get the wonderful satisfaction of seeing your book in print or on the screen; it’s out there for everyone to read.

And if you’ve got this far, congratulations! You’ve got a piece of your writing published!

Would you like a straightforward editing process? Let’s turn your ideas into a bestseller. Contact SOI Publishing now to begin.

 

Culled from Almond Press

Get Rid of These 25 Phrases and Words From Your Content

In online writing land, clarity is your best friend. The clearest prose is the type anyone can understand, learn from, and enjoy.

Stuffing your sentences and paragraphs with filler and fluff – words and phrases that add zero meaning to what you’re trying to say – is the opposite of clear writing.

It bores your readers.

It complicates your ideas.

It waters down your message and makes it less impactful.

Online content needs a lighter touch to succeed. Internet users are notorious for their short attention spans, and most of them aren’t reading in depth but scanning for meaning.

Cutting filler words that bloat your online writing is how you hone it to a sharp point. It’s how you ratchet up your words’ value for readers (because clearer content is easier to understand – period).

This list of words and phrases includes the common culprits. When/if you use them, check yourself and ask, “What is this word/phrase adding to what I’m trying to say?”

If the answer is “nothing,” cut it.

With that in mind, let’s get to the list:

1. In order to

This is one of the flabbiest phrases I see in writing. People use it, but not one sentence stops working if “in order to” is deleted (or replaced with “to,” which has the same meaning). This one small change makes the statement clearer.

2. Really

“Really” clogs your content. Think of it this way: If you’re saying something is “really” tall, you’re missing the mark. How tall is it? Quantify it. If something has “really” improved, readers want to know how much. Qualify it.

While the purpose of “really” is to exaggerate something, readers respond better to text that gets more granular in its measurements. With that in mind, swap this vague term for a more accurate descriptor. If you can’t be more descriptive, delete “really.”

3. Believe and think

“Believe” and “think” imply something is opinion or indicate doubt in its validity. Both are bad for your copywriting. People are more interested in the facts and hard information than they are in vague thoughts. Even if you’re writing an opinion piece, readers should understand that based on the context, making “I think” a needless phrase.

These two words also pop up when a writer isn’t sure about the statistic or fact, and that is dangerous. Again, readers want information, and merely “thinking” a statistic is true isn’t enough to get it past the firing squad. Don’t include a fact if it needs to be qualified as a thought or belief.

4. A lot

“A lot” is similar to “really” in terms of vagueness. Saying something is “a lot different than it used to be” robs your readers of an experience. While they understand something has changed, they don’t know what it was or how much it’s shifted. They want more specific information to make good decisions and to connect with your writing on a deeper level.

Instead of using these vague phrases, replace them with hard-and-fast statistics. Go for percentages, pounds, solid units of measurement. Those quantifiable terms perform better than the old standby “a lot.”

5. Always and never

These two aren’t flabby, but they are seldom true. If you say, “Marketers never consider their clients,” you’re horribly off base. Applying an all-inclusive adjective paints with too broad a brush and is reckless. Instead, opt for “few” or “rare” if you need to quantify but don’t have the numbers. The same thing applies to “always.” Instead, opt for words like “most” or “many.”

6. Stuff

“Stuff” is an unprofessional term that harms your content. It’s not descriptive or specific. Instead, define what that “stuff” is. Consider these two headlines: “Stuff You Should Do for a More Successful Blog” or “5 Writing Tricks for a More Successful Blog.” The specificity and clarity of the second headline is more helpful to your readers.

7. Just

The only time “just” has a place in your content is when you’re talking about something being “fair.” For example, “The trial was just.” Uses of “just” to imply something small or inefficient (e.g., “She just couldn’t do it.”) don’t add anything to the sentence. In most cases, you can remove the word “just” without affecting the sentence’s meaning.

8. That

“That” may seem like an inoffensive word, but it’s usually not necessary. For example, “It’s the most delicious cake that I’ve eaten” could easily be “It’s the most delicious cake I’ve eaten.” In similar instances, remove it for more streamlined content.

9. Then

“Then” makes your writing stammer, which is the opposite of what you want. To smooth your text, remove the word “then” whenever the sentence makes sense without it. And don’t start sentences with “then” because it makes them clunky and difficult to read.

10. Literally

People frequently misuse the word “literally.” It means exactly. Whether used correctly or incorrectly, the word often is superfluous. Get rid of it or replace it with something more descriptive and precise.

11. Virtually

Virtually means nearly or almost, or by means of virtual reality technique. In most cases, the sentence makes sense without this flabby addition. Unless you’re talking about someone who works remotely, “virtually” has no place in your writing.

12. Completely and entirely

You can remove “completely” and “entirely” from your sentences without affecting their meaning. To emphasize or visualize completeness, use more descriptive terms. For example, “the cup was filled to the brim with water,” works much better than “the cup was filled completely with water.”

13. So

“So” is another word that doesn’t do much. Despite this, many people use it, particularly as a transition or explanatory word. Delete it without affecting the sentence’s meaning.

14. Got

“Got” is a lazy word because it doesn’t tell people much about how or why someone got something. Instead, use words that add power such as “obtained” and “earned.”

15. Often

“Often” teases readers by telling them that something happens frequently without being clear. Replace “often” with specific descriptions such as “five times a week” or “every year.”

16. Very

Perhaps the laziest descriptive word of all, “very” can be deleted in any sentence without taking away the intended meaning. Where you might use “very” plus an adjective, replace the combination with a single, stronger adjective. For example, instead of saying “very beautiful,” use “gorgeous.” Instead of “very intelligent,” say “brilliant.”

17. The fact of the matter, as a matter of fact

“The fact of the matter” can be deleted in any context, as well as the phrase “as a matter of fact.” Both emphasize a point about to be made, but there are more creative ways to do that.

18. The thing is

“The thing is” is another unnecessary phrase you can eliminate without harming the meaning of your sentences. If anything, “the thing is” weakens your sentences because it sounds and looks strange and can be grammatically incorrect: “The thing is is I never got the memo.”

… Huh? (My point.)

19. Absolutely

In many cases, you can leave out the word “absolutely” because it’s redundant. For example, “The conclusion she reached was absolutely final.” Final IS final – it can’t go further. Or, “You have absolutely no reason not to try.” Last time I checked, “no” is absolute. It doesn’t need a useless adverb to make it stronger. Consensus: Ditch “absolutely.”

20. Anyway

Want to know the laziest way to change the subject? Use “anyway” as an introductory word. Get rid of it and work on making your transitions sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph flow better.

21. It, here, or there plus to be verb

“It was a sunny day.” “There was no good reason for the mistake.” “Here we have a beautiful rose.” While these sentences look fine, the convention of combining “it,” “here,” or “there” with a to-be verb like “is” or “was” in a sentence is called an expletive construction. This phrasing adds no meaning and makes sentences unnecessarily longer. For instance, let’s rewrite the above sentences so they’re tighter:

“The day was sunny.” “The mistake was avoidable.” “This rose is beautiful.”

22. Kind of, sort of

These filler phrases make your writing sound uncertain. Something either is or isn’t. If you say, “Her behavior was kind of rude,” what do you mean? Is there a scale of rude behavior? Did she score a five out of 10? Say what you mean without hedging: “Her behavior was rude.”

23. Thing

A common, fluffy way to write about an object is to refer to it as a “thing.” For example, “A lily is a thing of beauty,” or “Feeling embarrassed is a thing we can all relate to.”

“Thing” is a nondescript, non-committal word that takes away from the strength of a sentence. Find another word descriptive of your subject or remove “thing,” e.g., “We can all relate to feeling embarrassed.” “Lilies are graceful blooms.”

24. Obviously, undoubtedly

If the point you’re making is obvious or indubitable, then why do you use one of those words? You don’t.

25. When it comes to

This sneaky phrase creeps into even the most skilled writer’s sentences. It’s not incorrect, but you can use fewer words. For example, “When it comes to ice cream, strawberry is my favorite” can be shortened to “Strawberry ice cream is my favorite.”

Strive for stronger writing

To improve your writing, aim to cut or replace words that act as filler. They add nothing.

The best way to weed them? Edit without mercy. As you read each word or sentence, consider whether it adds to the meaning. If not, get rid of it.

As you get rid of the fluff, you can build up the muscles in your content:

• Use action verbs.
• Limit the use of adjectives.
• Avoid clichés and overused phrases.

When you write in a way that’s easier for people to understand, your content is likely to attract more readers. It’s a surefire way to achieve greater results for your content marketing.

Culled from Content Marketing Institute

Post Tags:#Content Marketing#Marketing#Social media#words and phrases#writing tricks

Playing Smart: How to Make the Best Use of Social Media for Business Opportunities

One visible difference between a 20th-century and the 21st-century marketplace is the ability to play smart in the latter.

To work hard was fashionable advice given to business owners to get them to promote their business in the old time. But now, this advice has seen better days and working smart is the new normal.

A necessary skill that every entrepreneur – whether greenhorn or expert – needs in the 21st-century business space is the ability to play smart in the digital space. And playing smart requires learning and acquiring vital information to help you maximise the digital space potential and be relevant. Social media in particular is crucial to business success.

To this end, below is some relevant information that you need to have about some popular social media applications in order to be a smart digital market player.

Facebook

Facebook allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and videos, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.

Marketing on Facebook holds a lot of opportunities. To be a relevant player on the platform, you will need to be a constant creator of good content. You will also need to actively relate and interact with people who engage your posts. Prompt response to queries is especially important for attracting customers.

Facebook allows users to create profiles for business marketing, political movement, companies, individuals, products and services.

Facebook’s Primary Audience

Facebook is simply too big to be ignored as an enduring social media platform for business digital marketing communications campaigns. Worldwide there are currently 2.93 billion monthly active users (MAU) on the platform. There is a 9% increase in Facebook’s MAUs every year.  It has over 26 million monthly active users in Nigeria alone.

Facebook has users from all age demographics, making it one of the most diverse social channels. Users spend more time on Facebook (at least 40 minutes daily) than on any other social media platform. The platform can be an effective tool for small business owners to build an audience and image for their brand and business.

Optimizing Posts on Facebook

• Highest traffic occurs mid-week between 1 pm and 3 pm.
• Engagement is 18% higher on Thursdays and Fridays.
• Posting only 1 or 2 times a day attracts the most engagement.

Uses of Facebook for Business Marketing

• Building an audience and following for your brand.
• Interact with customers and fans by being there to answer questions and start discussions.

Drawbacks

Facebook can be a hard platform to stand out organically, as it has a fancy algorithm which is constantly changing. The algorithm favours content based on fans’ usage habits and past interactions. So just because you have X number of Facebook fans, that doesn’t mean all those fans are seeing each thing you post. It’s likely only the fans that interact with your page on a regular basis will see it since they have shown the most interest in your brand.

 

Twitter

Twitter allows users to send and read short (280 characters) messages referred to as ‘tweets’, with the possibility of grouping tweets into threads.  The platform currently has over 750 million users and it is a great channel to engage with other users and make new connections. Many Twitter users are more likely to buy from brands or third-party influencers they like or follow on Twitter, so this can be a great and necessary tool for start-ups and small businesses.

Twitter marketing strategy is centred around creating, publishing and distributing short, valuable content for followers. Concision and brevity advertisement is very important on Twitter because of limited character permission. This makes messages digestible and brisk enough for deals to be sealed quickly.

Twitter’s Primary Audience

• Twitter’s largest demographic is young adults and has a pretty equal gender breakdown globally.

Uses of Twitter for Business Marketing

• Following and engaging with other users who would be interested in what you have to offer.
• Interacting with your fan base and answering questions, resolving complaints and so on.
• Building relationships with current and prospective customers, partners and people within your network.

Optimizing Posts on Twitter

• For Business to Business (B2B), weekdays provide more engagement than weekends.
• For Business to Customer (B2C), engagements and clicks are highest on weekends and midweek.
• A minimum of three tweets a day is recommended for optimal engagement.

Drawback

Unlike Facebook with a complex algorithm that determines the lifecycle of your business’s content, Twitter has a very short lifecycle. A tweet only has about an 18-minute lifespan, meaning that if you aren’t active and regularly posting, your content could be completely missed.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is designed for the business community to network and connect. The site is clearly a popular one among the professional community. Linkedin allows you to set up a company and personal profile and connect with other professionals you may know or would like to know.

You will be notified of status updates of the profile of your connections. LinkedIn is an essential site for a successful digital media marketing campaign. At present, it has over 690 million users from over 200 countries. It is known to be the most professional of the major networking platforms. Because it focuses more on B2B, it accounts for more major business leads on social media.

LinkedIn’s Primary Audience

LinkedIn is one of the only social networks with a majority of users who don’t fall between 18 and 29 years old. It is more popular among those that fall between 30 and 65 years old, ranging from those who are college graduates, higher income-level young professionals and high-net-worth individuals.

Uses of LinkedIn for Business Marketing

• To showcase a workplace and what it’s like to work there.
• To post new job opportunities and recruit potential employees.
• To connect and engage with other business professionals.

Optimizing Posts on LinkedIn

• One post per weekday allows you to reach approximately 60% of your audience.

Drawback

• Since LinkedIn is a business-oriented platform targeted at the middle-aged and older generations, it won’t provide much value to businesses that have a younger target market (think those that haven’t finished college yet) or aren’t business-centric. For example, it may be a great place for a web design company to be because they’ll be seeking new businesses as clients, but as a small ice cream shop, it is likely not going to provide much value.

Instagram

Instagram is an online mobile photo and video sharing social networking platform that allows users to share photos and videos and interact with other users. The platform has over 300 million users sharing over 60 million photos each day.

On estimate, about 1 billion people use Instagram every month. And the business potential on the platform is around 25 million. It is a good social media platform to stimulate sales and reach career goals.

Instagram’s Primary Audience

• More than half of the age demographic for Instagram users is between the ages of 18 and 45.

Uses of Instagram for Business Marketing

• Publishing and viewing visually appealing content such as videos and photos.

Optimizing Posts on Instagram

• The best time to post is in the evening when people are ending their workday or in the early morning when fewer people are online and publishing.
• Publish two posts per day.

Drawback

• Instagram doesn’t allow for links to be embedded in regular organic posts, therefore this platform isn’t great if you are trying to lead your customers elsewhere, like to a specific page on your website.
• If you don’t have highly visual, quality content you’re sharing, you aren’t going to have much success on the network.

WhatsApp Business Application

WhatsApp Business is an app which is free to download and was built with the small business owner in mind. With the app, businesses can interact with customers easily by using tools to automate, sort and quickly respond to messages.

Uses of WhatsApp for Business Marketing

• It allows you to create a business profile with helpful information for your customers like your address, business description, email address, and website.
• It also lets you organize your contacts or chats with labels, so you can easily find them again.
• It allows you to access important metrics such as how many of your messages were successfully sent, delivered and read.
• It allows for the creation of automated messages. Set an away message when you are unable to answer so your customers know when to expect a response. You can also create a greeting message to introduce your customers to your business.

 

Final Note

If you’ve read through this post carefully, you’ll understand that it is not enough to just set up a social media account, snap or type your advert in it, because it seems seamless.

You need to know how to do the right thing at the right time, in the right place, and for the right target in order to achieve the right objective. Knowing and deploying the information we’ve given you will massively increase your chances of attracting prospects for business objectives.

 

Temidayo Babatunde is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Information and Strategy Management (CIISM) and can be reached via his LinkedIn (chatwitdayo@gmail.com).