Tag Archives: blog

The Importance Of Research Before Production When It Comes To Blog Post Content

The key factor to any successful blog is content.  No matter how much advertising or promotion of your blog you do, without great quality content that engages with your audience, your blog is going to be, at the very least, a completely forgettable place – if not something that has a negative impact upon your brand.

A blog without great content – or almost no content – is exactly the same as a shop without suitable products (or any products at all).  Sure, you may consider taking a look once, but if there’s nothing there of interest, why would you ever consider returning?

As we discuss regularly, the problem is effective blog post content isn’t easy to write.  It’s not something that can be produced quickly, as a substantial amount of research needs to go in to ensuring your blog posts are as beneficial as they can be – and it’s this research aspect that we want to elaborate on further today.

Differences when writing other copy

When you’re creating a press release, you know what you have to do.   Your first paragraph needs to not only explain what the entire press release is about, but it needs to give the reader enough information to make them want to continue reading, without bombarding them with masses of details.

Generally speaking, you also need to keep a formal, professional tone to the piece.  You can of course sway from this requirement and you may see some success, but when most have an expectation for formality, it’s a risky move.

Covering just a few points that need to be taken into consideration when writing a press release, the important point to note in this situation is that there’s no research required.  Your topic is relatively fixed, so there’s no leeway there.  Your audience have set expectations, so you can’t deviate much from them (without risk) and you have no need to change any other aspect to ‘keep up’ with your competitors, as their press releases will be very similar to yours.

A lack of ‘blog content rules’

With a blog post, you have no fixed guidelines that you have to follow. You have no rules that you need to be abide by.  You can’t even directly replicate your last blog post’s style without a sufficient amount of analysis.

And it’s for these reasons why research is such an integral part of the blog post content creation process.

With research needing to take place at all stages, it varies in its complexity and time required, often in a way that is surprising to many.

For example, you of course have the somewhat obvious research requirement of topics, ensuring you have something worthwhile to talk about on your blog.  Initially, this can seem like a relatively quick process – a few of your keywords in Google or on Twitter might throw up half a dozen suitable ideas within a matter of seconds.

Once you have your initial ideas, you then need to look at your competitors to see if they have produced content on a similar topic recently.  If they have, it doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t, but you need to be careful not to simply replicate what they’ve talked about.  It’s also worthwhile researching how successful their blog post was – if it appears to have fallen flat on its face, you either need to try and discover why or simply avoid the topic altogether.

In addition, it might seem obvious, but it’s important you research your previous content.  With your new ideas, if they’re similar to past blog posts, are you simply rewording old content or can you offer something new that’s of value to your audience?

Your audience and the SEO impact of your content

Researching your audience is also an extremely important part of the blog post content creation process.  You might believe you have the best topic idea in the world, but if you take a look at the type of content your target audience is reading and engaging with and it proves to be world’s apart from your idea, it could be beneficial to hold off on the topic temporarily.    Of course, someone has to start new trends and discussions within the industry, but this is often best done through linked ideas and developed conversations, rather than trying to start something that’s poles apart from what is currently ‘in vogue’.

You can’t forget the SEO aspect either, as just because you’re trying to focus on ranking highly for one or two keywords, it doesn’t mean they’re the best ones for the piece being produced.

As part of our business blogging services, we always carry out an in-depth keyword analysis for our clients.  The result is a document that provides a range of different keywords which would be beneficial to utilise in blog post content, meaning there should usually be at least a handful of keywords able to be used in most company-related topics.  However, if there isn’t, we don’t simply use the closest keyword to the topic we’re discussing.  Instead, we research specific keywords for the blog post.  It might turn out that we just need to use a slight variation on a keyword we’ve used previously or there could be a need to use a new keyword we haven’t focused on before.  This is all discovered through further research, ensuring the most suitable keywords are able to be utilised – for both company and reader – throughout the blog post.

It’s surprising for many of our clients to hear that more time is often spent researching than actually writing blog posts.  Whilst our bloggers do a fantastic job producing the highest quality content for our clients, they rely heavily on the research that’s carried out before they even start to put pen to paper (or more appropriately, fingers to keyboard!).

The focus of all effective blogs is the reader.  The content is produced for them, continually engaging and interacting with them.  Although you might get lucky and be able to write a quick blog post that is well-received without any type of research, your blogging strategy shouldn’t rely on luck – and if a sufficient amount of research is carried out during the content creation process, there really isn’t any reason why it needs to.

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MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TIPS

Here are some tips that will effectively make your trip more affordable; ways in which you can enjoy a vacation without having to spend a lot of money.

  • Booking airline tickets could be a bit challenging if you’re on a budget, but there are tricks on how you could be ahead of other customers. Most airlines will tell people about their promos by sending emails, so register in the airline of your choice (preferably a budget one) and wait for the announcements in your inbox. This is usually a battle of who can log-in first, so always being online is a plus.
  • Booking during holiday season or in dates where there are famous events happening will result to expensive fares, so you may want to set your next trip in off-peak dates. In terms of flight schedules, booking for a late night trip would be more affordable, as more people want to leave in the morning; and weekend flights are more likely to be pricier because more travelers prefer these days for their trips.
  • There are also promo bundles of airfare and hotels that would be offered in the airline, so don’t ignore these. Compute the money you have to spend on accommodation and see if the airline-hotel joint promotion will save you more cash–sometimes they actually do.
  • When booking for a hotel, it is best if you do it with online booking websites. Sites such as Agoda, Expedia, and BackBid have more affordable rates to offer, so choose this over having a direct transaction with the hotel of your choice. Both budget and luxury accommodations have tie-ins with travel booking websites, so you will be in good hands.
  • Check accommodation status before departure – There have been stories wherein guests would arrive at a hotel and find that it’s fully booked, so after you’ve paid and received confirmation from the booking website (do this a day or two before you arrive), contact the hotel and ask if your reservation has already reached them.
  • Cut down on the beers. This does not mean that you should stay sober the entire time–a drink or two is always good, especially if you’re trying to socialize with new people.  Skipping those two bottles could already give you enough money for a filling lunch, so try to have some self-control and know what to prioritize. Besides, it’s always a better vacation if you can actually remember what happened the night before!
  •  This would make you have an idea of the money you should set aside for food. Look for recommendations and reviews of restaurants, bars, and cafes near where you’re going–you don’t want to end up in a place that would charge you triple the cost.

Apply these steps for you to have a wonderful time in another country and not have to spend all your life’s savings. Preparation is key–if you don’t rush things out and you plan early, you will have a lot of time to do arrangements and research. Good luck, and plan wisely!

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How to buy a printer for your office of home

Buying a new printer may sound simple, but once you get to the shop, you’ll be faced with so many choices that you may have to go back home and do more research, or worse, spend a longer time at the store while the staff explain lots of complicated stuff to you. Here are some things that will help you narrow things down–tips on how to figure out what printer is best for you.

1. You should be aware of your needs. The two choices that you’ll find are inkjet and laser, and you need to know what type of function your activities require. Here are some of the main functions and advantages of each:

Laser

– Ideal for those who are printing black and white texts–lasers are still unbeatable when it comes to speed.

– There are two types of laser printers: the monochrome laser printer, which will produce excellent text and line graphics; and the color laser printer, which prints fast and print quality color and black and white texts and images.

– Perfect for those who are printing large / high volume print jobs (this is one of the reasons why lasers are common in offices).

Inkjet

– Produces quality images i.e. photographs from your camera, images from the internet, colored charts and graphs for reports, etc.

– More flexible than lasers, because they produce both good images and text.

– Most inkjet printers have smaller sizes, so they’re usually preferred by those living in dorms or apartments.

2. Know where you’re going to put the device. Going home finding that your printer won’t fit in your workspace will just make things hard for you, so before you make the purchase, see to it that you have an idea of how big your printer space should be (providing exact dimensions will  help a lot).

3. Read online reviews.  In order for you to arrive on the best model, you should read reviews of experts or users who have bought the product. A good place to start is pricespy.co.nz or amazon.com (for reviews and comments)

Once you’ve done the finger work. Pop down to your local store such as Noel Leeming or Bond & Bond – speak to their staff about the printer(s) you are interested in buying.
4. Ask about the warranty and service. Know the coverage of repairs, services, part replacements, and the overall warranty that goes with the product. Also think twice before purchasing an extended warranty (especially for the cheaper models, which could expire in a span of just two to three years), because sometimes it will be more economical to buy a new one than have an old model repaired.

5. Last but not least is to know whether the printer will be compatible with the computer you’re using. Take note of your operating system and ask the experts at the shop if your device will have no problems installing the model you want to purchase.

Not having enough knowledge on printers in the market today could lead you to purchasing the wrong product. Take note of these things and do further readings in order for you to find the exact item you’re looking for. Good luck, and choose wisely!

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HOTEL ALL SEASONS AUCKLAND

Hotel All Seasons Auckland is consciously aging and aging with grace. For some reasons, a lot of its amenities are either defective or under repair.  Because other than those few hitches, All Seasons Hotel Auckland is otherwise a great accommodation with quality service and a cordial and extremely friendly and helpful staff.

 

Perhaps compensating for its obvious problems on physical and sometimes functional aspect, All Seasons Auckland has built up a local/domestic reputation of being superbly friendly to its guests. It has made it a point that guests’ expectations are met and whatever disappointment they may have during their stay shall be covered by a good impression on service.

 But as you climb floors you will not only get the peace you want but also a nice view at the harbor horizons and the city lights at night. All the 141 rooms have different view and environmental relationship to its surrounding environs depending on the angle it affords with respect to the sceneries, the distance from the streets and the functionality of the surrounding amenities.

Rooms feature a kitchenette and wash nook, with a simple TV and radio set serving the entertainment requirements of guests. High speed internet connectivity is also available.

Located at a spot that is easy for Auckland adventure travelers and with a price that is most reasonable, Hotel All Star Auckland is right where it should be and with the right upgrade, it has the potential of attracting more guests.

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ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME FLYERS

Flying could be complicated if it’s your first time. The processes you’ll have to go through in the airport alone could already be stressful, as you’d have to go through different windows and security stops even before you get to the aircraft.

 

Don’t let these things scare you. With proper preparation, you will be able to get to your destination smoothly. If you’ll be taking your very first airplane ride soon, read on. Here are some tips that will help you  have a trouble-free trip.

1. Research before you leave.

Each airport / airline is different, and you should get to know the rules days before you fly. Go to your airline’s website and look at the rules and regulations. For example, if you are departing from Auckland International Airport, then you should checkout the Airport Information section (of their website). This is where you’ll find the things that you should and shouldn’t bring. Some of the most important details that you have to pay attention to are: luggage requirements and weight limits (how many carry-ons are allowed, how many bags can you check-in without additional charges), and rules on liquids and gels (hair products, perfumes).

2. Make sure you have all the necessary documents for the flight ready (print extras, too).

Aside from your passport, ticket, and itinerary, you should also have at least two I.D.s with you (most check-ins would require identification with photo). Print extras of all your important documents and put them in different bags so you’ll instantly have back-up in case you misplace a set.

3. Wear clothes you are comfortable for your flight 

Most airports will require you to take off your shoes, jacket, and accessories (or other forms of metal such as keys), so dress up in comfy clothes to make the process move faster.

4. Arrive at the airport early.

Frequent travelers would usually be in the airport two hours or less before the flight.  You will most likely ask questions on where to go and what to do when you get there, so you’ll need more time. Here’s the usual process in most airports:

– Show ticket and passport to security at the entrance.

This is also where you’ll be assigned a seat (window, center, or aisle).

– Go to the check-in terminal and go through inspection / scan by security.

– Go to your gate and wait until they call you for boarding (if you’re there early, you can go around the airport, eat, and maybe do some shopping).

5. When you’re already in the plane, put your carry-on in the compartment and take a seat. Listen to the safety video and watch the flight attendants demonstrate all the security measures.

6. It’s normal to be nervous on your first time on an airplane, but try your best to relax. If listening to music, reading a book, or watching a movie will help you ease up, take some with you. Entertainment will be provided in most flights, but it’s better if you bring your own. If you’re feeling uneasy, you can let the flight attendants know that it’s your first time–they would check up on you every once in a while during your flight. Also, do not forget to ask questions. The crew will always be ready to help you out.

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How Far In Advance Should You Schedule Your Business’s Blog Posts?

No matter which business blogging strategy you look at, the one constant between them all is the production of quality content on a regular basis.

The topics will change from organisation to organisation and the style, tone and general approach can all vary massively.   It doesn’t matter what type of content it is, however – the most effective blogging strategies are the ones that deliver quality consistently several times a week.

To the reader, it can seem as though the blog post was written and published immediately that day.  There is nothing to indicate otherwise.

However, the business blogs that see the most success are very often the ones that not only utilise a long-term content strategy, but the ones that schedule content ahead of time.

Having an array of benefits, one of the questions we often get asked is just how far in advance you should schedule your blog posts.  A content strategy might be accurate for the next twelve weeks, but does this mean you need to have twelve week’s worth of blog posts scheduled and ready to go live?

Generally speaking, the answer is no.  In fact, with all of our business blogging services, we generally work one week advance.

Meaning we can produce content that’s topical or on trend with the latest discussions, getting the content ready a week in advance also ensures that any changes that need to be made can be done so with enough time from our point of view and the client’s.  It could be something small, such as a quote has been made that now needs to be included or it could be something similar to a full rewrite, due to a change in the news that has brought something new to light.

Imagine that happened if you weren’t scheduling your blog posts.  It’s never a good idea to edit an already published blog post, so you’d simply have to keep it unchanged, something that could potentially have a negative impact.

Whilst one week in advance is a good guide, it shouldn’t be stuck to rigidly, as for some organisations and in some general situations, more flexibility is required to meet the different needs.

One of the most common examples of this is when we are unable to work with a client for a temporary period in regards to messaging or content approval.  It could be a client’s internal project which is going to mean they won’t be available or it might be that they’re simply going on holiday.  In these situations, we often need to schedule blog posts two or three weeks in advance.

It does mean the blog posts won’t be as topical as they could possibly be, but for a temporary period, that doesn’t have to be too much of a problem.  It’s simply a matter of taking the time to develop content that will make readers not miss the topical feel – a ‘How To’ series, for instance.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are some organisations who are almost unable to schedule their blog posts any more than a day or two in advance.  Perhaps they have a technology blog or they simply like to provide the most up-to-date information within their industry, something that their readers have come to expect.

In these instances, although one week is unlikely to be a possibility, there should still be procedures in place that stipulate a blog post needs to be scheduled in advance, whether that’s by 12 hours or two days.  If nothing else, it ensures there is sufficient time to make any last-minute edits before it gets published to an audience of what could easily be thousands.

All blog post content should be scheduled in advance.  There might be the very rare occasion where a last-minute post needs to be published, but these occasions are few and far between.  Giving you a tremendous amount of control over the content that’s being produced and delivered to your audience, scheduling your blog posts should never be the question – instead, it should be ‘how far in advance?’.

And although all organisations’ needs vary, a good rule of thumb is one week.  For the majority, anything less is likely to be unnecessary and anything more could result in content that isn’t as topical as it could be.

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TIPS ON HOW TO PACK WHEN TRAVELING LIGHT

Having two or more bags for traveling is not a problem, as you just need to throw in just about any stuff you think you need in your luggage. Sometimes, however, if you need to travel with just one bag, things could be way more complicated–careful choosing and deliberation must be done, as you will need to squeeze in all the necessities for the small space you have. 

Why travel light. …?

Before we give the tips, let’s enumerate some advantages of traveling light.

1. It’s cheaper – By having just one carry-on bag, you don’t have to pay the fees for excess baggage (this varies, so better check your airline for rates. By traveling with a single bag, you will also get to skip the usually-overpriced taxis and private vehicles and take public transportation like trains, buses, and shuttles instead. You won’t also be obliged to give tips to porters who will carry your other luggage.

2. You won’t have difficulty moving – mobility is one of the most important parts of travel, and if you don’t have much stuff to bring, you’ll easily be able to explore more places. Small bags will also save you from end-of-the-day back pains and throbbing arms. There’s a reason frequent flyers travel light…they have learnt the hard way that lugging a huge suitcase across a crowded airport terminal isn’t much fun, nor is dragging it in and out of taxis, buses and hotels. And unless you go upmarket you will be doing a lot of your own lugging!

3. It saves time – Having only carry-on luggage means you don’t have to wait for your other bags to go ’round and ’round the airport conveyor. Also, because you never know what will happen to your checked-in stuff while you’re in transit, you will not be at risk of waiting for delayed (and possibly damaged) luggage.

After choosing a bag (make sure that it fits the airline height and weight requirements for checked-in luggage–it’s usually 20lbs per bag), lay out all the things that you want to bring. Before packing, check everything twice, and only put them in the bag if you really need them. Don’t bring bulky items (big shampoo bottles, boxes of snacks) that will be available in your destination, and avoid bringing too many thick items of clothing.

Opt for doing your own laundry.

If you’re up for doing some laundry, bring a small pack of detergent with you. This way, you could wash your clothes immediately after you use them–these won’t feel like a chore, as you’d be washing them in small batches. If you don’t want to do your own washing but would be willing to shell out a small fee, you can ask the hotel to do it for you (they would usually give it back after 24 hours or less).

Roll your clothes.

This tried and tested way of packing will allow you to store more things in your bag. Aside from saving space, rolling clothes (many travelers even roll two items together) will also cause less wrinkles. This method will also allow you to easily find what you’re looking for–folded clothes will give you a harder time if you don’t want to take everything out of the bag.

Leave room for purchases/souvenirs.

Last but definitely not least: save some space for your purchases–pack your bag about two-thirds full so you’ll have extra storage. If this is not possible or if you think you’ll need a bigger space, you can also pack a separate light nylon bag that you can easily carry on your way back home.

Packing light won’t be difficult if you don’t rush, so take your time in listing/packing what you need. Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to having less headache and hassles when you travel.

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NETWORK MARKETING, A DOOR OF OPPORTUNITIES

Network marketing indeed is a legitimate business model wherein, you get to make money not from an office but from home or outside with people. It is originally a small business concept of overcoming the prohibitive cost of traditional marketing and focusing instead on the flow of information in social settings as means to propagate a message.

 

The mistake of many who have tried network marketing is they treat it as “get rich quick” project. Aside from winning the lottery, nobody really gets so rich quick. Like in most meaningful endeavors, you have to invest time and effort in network marketing to make it work. Getting yourself fully devoted to your “business” will in no time result into a gold find. That’s the quick part.

A constant learning process, networking demands attention and presence of mind when you our talking to people. Each contact with a prospect is a learning experience and each sale or deal closed is a story of success. As much as its monetary returns, networking will also make you rich socially and psychologically. The richness of person to person contact in networking will eventually sync you with how the human mind works. Depending on your level of being, that can actually turn you into a very powerful person.

One common concept of ordinary networkers is to compete in bringing in the most people. For a while this can work. But over time the routine can wear you down. The idea then is to focus instead on helping people. That way each successful transaction is not a pure moneymaking stunt but an act of love, in a way. That way, instead of wearing you down, it can actually inspire you more.

Offer something new. That’s not always easy to do but that would always get people to listen and be interested in you. Actually you don’t have really find a new thing. Reinventing something old and presenting it in a new exciting manner will do. Once you achieved in capturing their imagination, you can actually tell people the choices they shall be making.

There are a lot of network marketing outfits in operation nowadays. Many of them are upstarts that are still starting to build confidence on their products and some are just out there swarming on whatever prey they can get. A key to choosing the outfit to join is how you feel about what they are selling and the system on which they sell it. It’s a personality thing. If after a researching about them and they check out and still the outfit still feels right, it is a sign that their program could work for you.

Today even large companies resort to network marketing to reach a larger audience and to expand their market by penetrating into market segments that traditional marketing cannot. The few bits about networking we discussed above are just a lead away for you to try the system out.

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How to shop abroad

Shopping is one of the most fun things to do when traveling. Before you start haggling and shelling out some hard-earned cash, however, you need to be take note of some guidelines on how to make the most out of your shopping experience. In no particular order, here are the things that all shoppers must keep in mind:

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Do some research before you leave.

There are two main shopping-related things that you must research on when before you leave home: the places where you can get the best deals and the local crime rate. Famous shopping destinations are easy targets, so you should be extra careful and be aware of the theft situation.

And once you arrive talk to the concierge at your hotel (eg. the Sofitel in Queenstown), they’ll be able to give you some insights into the local shopping scene and some local knowledge to help you snag some bargains.

Speak their language.

Learning how to speak in the country’s language would also help a lot. In addition to simple greetings and courtesies, you should also learn phrases like “how much?” or “can i get a discount?” to make the bargaining easier for both you and the seller.

Haggle.

You will not get a good deal if you do not haggle. In local stores or markets, you will really need to exercise your bargaining skills in order to save money. You must see to it, however, that you’ve already done your research about the haggling strategies in the the place you’re visiting, because these things vary in every country. Also, haggling should be a healthy transaction–you will not be able to get a good deal if you start raising your voice or start insulting the merchant.

Keep it simple.

Dress in simple clothes and do put that much jewelry on you when you go shopping. You will most likely have a more difficult time getting a good deal if you wear flashy outfits, because the sellers will instantly infer that you can easily afford what they’re selling.

Put your cash in different pockets.

This is one of the most common rules for traveling, but many forget or simply get too lazy to do it. If you’re going shopping, it’s a must to have small amounts with you because the chances of theft are higher–so place your money in different places like pockets, bags, purses, or wallets.

Go to different stores before you buy an item.

If you’re going to bazaars or markets, there will surely be competition, so it’s always best to walk around and compare prices first. Before you purchase anything, make sure that you’ve already hopped on several stores selling the same thing (this is one of the reasons why rushing will not be a good idea if you want to get the best deal).

Consider the space you have left on your luggage.

You’re on the other side of the world and you really want that vintage lamp or huge painting–they all may look wonderful and they’re way cheaper compared to the ones sold back home, but can you actually take it home with you? It’s possible to ship some extra or fragile items, but it would not be cheap. If shipping is not an option, however, you should be aware of how much space you have left in your bag and base your purchases from there.

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