Scott's Blog - Page 41 of 64 - Scott Flood Writing

DOES YOUR BUSINESS REALLY NEED SEO?

July 31, 2013 by Scott Flood

As search engines have become the fastest and easiest way to gather information, many companies have invested a fortune in trying to be one of the first listings searchers see. Research supports the concept, noting that people are far more likely to click on listings near the top left-hand portion of the screen, which just happens to be where most search engines display them.

With that boom in search engines has come a boomlet of search-engine optimization (SEO) consultants. These IT wizards study how the search engines work and then retool websites to make them more attractive. Instead of focusing on the humans who read the information on the sites, they target the crawlers and spiders that lay the groundwork for search engines.

LESSONS ABOUT COPYWRITING FROM MY DAD, THE SALESMAN

July 24, 2013 by Scott Flood

I said good-bye to my father for the last time a couple months ago. His death wasn’t a surprise; his health had been increasingly poor for many years, and despite his doctors’ best efforts, his body just wore out.

Dad was a straight-commission salesman for nearly all of his adult life. In fact, he continued to sell well into his late 70s, when his health got in the way. He sold chemicals for industrial processes and maintenance. When a refinery needed to clean up after an explosion or a steel mill needed to degrease a rolling mill, he got the call. In his later years, most of his competitors were chemical engineering grads, but his customers placed more trust in his practical knowledge, despite the fact that he barely made it through high school. He was an extraordinary salesman, and that’s not just a proud son singing his praises — he received a constant stream of job offers right up until his retirement. (In fact, a salesman from a competitor once told Dad that his boss had instructed him to check the obituaries every morning, and if Dad’s name appeared, he was to target every one of his accounts. That’s praise, disturbing as it may be.)

JUST WHAT KIND OF WRITER ARE YOU, ANYWAY?

July 17, 2013 by Scott Flood

Although nearly everyone knows what writers do, it’s amazing how few people really understand how business writers earn a living. When people find out that I write, most make certain assumptions about what I do and why I do it.

For example, many people start talking about novels and writing books, and assume I must be furiously at work on a novel. When I explained that the writing I do is more prosaic and less about prose, they don’t understand. To many of them, writing isn’t legitimate unless it’s fictional or destined for entertainment.

BEING FORTHRIGHT BOOSTS STOCK PRICES

July 10, 2013 by Scott Flood

Some companies are great for sharing information with stockholders and the market, even when it hurts. Others tap dance around issues and hope nobody notices. Which type of company is a better investment?

According to L.J. Rittenhouse, the investment markets reward companies that are forthright and open. The former investment banker and president of Rittenhouse Rankings studies the effects of CEOs’ willingness to communicate upon the stock prices of their companies.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 7: REPEAT BUSINESS

July 3, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is the last in a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

What’s the best measure of client satisfaction? In most industries, it’s repeat business. That’s also one of the most reliable indicators in the creative services business. After all, most organizations have an ongoing need for services, and if they keep returning to the same provider, it’s a sign that they place a great deal of trust and see a lot of value in that provider. If you notice client relationships that are measured in years, rather than months, it’s a sign that your prospective supplier is doing something right.

Keep in mind that some client turnover is inevitable as client contacts change jobs, or business strategies change. And one-time projects may signal a special need, rather than dissatisfaction with the provider. But if there’s a pattern of long-term relationships, the odds are better that your organization will be happy.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 6: SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS

June 26, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is another in a seven-post series on how to choose the right creative service provider (writer, designer, photographer, etc.) for your business or organization. This advice is based on what I’ve seen companies do the wrong way over the years. Hope you enjoy and find it useful!

In business, most of us are judged not on how eagerly we try, but on how well we perform. You should expect no less from a prospective creative services provider. The primary focus of their work should be to support their clients’ business efforts, not to beef up their own portfolios. That’s why you should ask about challenges the supplier has solved for other clients.

Look for specifics, particularly where results are concerned. There’s a big difference between “I think the ad worked pretty well” and “the ad increased sales by 26 percent during the campaign.” Listen for both candor and enthusiasm. The supplier should be proud of a job well done, and he or she should speak favorably and respectfully of the client.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 5: HOW TO REVIEW A PORTFOLIO

June 12, 2013 by Scott Flood

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 4: CHECK REFERENCES

June 5, 2013 by Scott Flood

Will you be happy with the supplier’s work? That’s the question that many clients ask, and it’s closely related to the one they should be asking — will you be happy with the working relationship?

BONUS POST: A CRUMMY, DEPRIVED CHILDHOOD

June 3, 2013 by Scott Flood

This is a column I wrote several years ago, and thought was worth sharing again.

I guess it’s human nature for people to want their children to have the things they lacked as youngsters. Maybe it’s because we remember how badly we wanted the things our parents couldn’t afford or simply chose to deny us. Or maybe it’s because giving our kids abundance allows us to flaunt our own successes.

But as I get older (and presumably wiser – which my teenagers won’t confirm), I’m beginning to believe that the best way to give kids more is to give them less.

CHOOSING CREATIVE SERVICE PROVIDERS, STEP 3: REALLY A BUSINESS?

May 29, 2013 by Scott Flood

A prospective creative services provider may not need an office address in an expensive downtown tower, but he or she should still follow practices that demonstrate they take their business – and yours – very seriously.