Common Writing Mistakes--Part 2

Image via Wikipedia

This is the second and last part of our 2 part series about some of the common mistakes people make when writing articles, web site content and email.

Last week we talked about 3 common types of improper word usage.

This week we'll discuss the punctuation rules and recommendations for online writing.

11 Punctuation Rules and Recommendations for Online Writing

7 Rules:

1. Periods, exclamation marks, question marks and commas always go inside of quotation marks.
   


2. There is never a space before a period or before a comma.
   


3. In hyphenated words there are no spaces on either side of a hyphen.
   


4. Use a question mark only after a direct question.
   


5. If the last word in a sentence ends in a period (a.m.), do not follow it with another period.
   


6. There is never a space before or after punctuation marks included in a number ($2.97, 1,234, 10:05).
   


7. There are no spaces before or after an apostrophe used in a contraction (don't).

4 Recommendations:

1. Only 1 space only is required after every punctuation mark (period, exclamation mark, question mark, colon, semicolon, commas, etc.), including bullets and numbers.
   


2. Don't use Excessive Punctuation (!!!!!) in the content of your articles and web page content. Headlines and Sub-Headlines may violate this rule occasionally but not too often.
   


3. Only use 3 dots when doing this "..."
   


4. When using dashes, use two in a row like in the title of this tip.

Unfortunately HTML editors and word processors won't help you catch punctuation errors. I typed "this is a test to see . if twenty - five" into both Frontpage and Word and neither of the violated rules (2 and 3) were caught.

The best way to verify your punctuation is to carefully proof read what you've written and check your punctuation marks.

Remember, when writing for the web you want to write as if you're talking to someone however you must also remember they are actually reading your words. And to have them read what you're saying you must use the correct words and punctuation.

If you liked today's tip or would like to add to the list please leave a comment. - Thanks.

To Your Success,
Susan

Tags: proof read, punctuation errors | mistakes | rules, common writing mistakes, word processor, frontpage, nvu, conversational writing

Common Writing Mistakes--Part 1

We've all been told that when you write something for your online readers you write as if you're talking to them. And while it's good advice it's not as easy as it sounds.

You see, when you talk to someone you don't have to worry about how things are spelled or what punctuation to use. However when you write you don't want to throw your reader off with a lot of glaring mistakes.

Now no one is perfect and we all make make an occasional writing mistake. I know because I've not only seen the occasional error on others' sites but I've also had some of mine pointed out to me by my readers. And although we're all going to make a few mistakes the goal is to keep them to a minimum.

So this week and next week I'm going to go over 2 areas where the most common online writing mistakes are made. This week we'll cover 3 of the most common types of improper word usage.

3 Types of Improper Word Usage

1. Contractions that sound like other words:
   
   There - Their - They’re
   
   * There indications a location.
   
   * Their is the possessive version of they.
   
   * They’re is a contraction, short for they are.
   
   Its - It’s
   
   * Its is the possessive version of it.
   
   * It’s is a contraction, short for it is.
   
   Your - You’re
   
   * Your describes the possessor as someone else.
   
   * You’re is a contraction, short for you are.
   
   Were - We're
   
   * Were is the plural version of was.
   
   * We're is a contraction, short for we are.
   


2. Sound alike words:
   
   Know - No
   
   * Know is usually a verb meaning to understand.
   
   * No is a negative reply, refusal or disagreement.
   
   To - Too - Two
   
   * To is a function word to indicate relative position.
   
   * Too can indicate excessiveness or in addition to.
   
   * Two is the number 2.
   
   A lot - Allot - Alot
   
   * A lot is an indication of amount.
   
   * Allot means to distribute.
   
   * Alot is not a word.
   


3. Common misused words:
   
   Loose - Lose
   
   * Loose is an adjective, the opposite of tight or contained.
   
   * Lose is a verb that means to suffer a loss.
   
   Choose - Chose
   
   * Choose is a present tense verb meaning to select.
   
   * Chose is a past tense verb meaning to select.
   
   Effect - Affect
   
   * Effect is usually a noun meaning result.
   
   * Affect is usually a verb meaning to influence.
   
   I.e. - E.g.
   
   * I.e. means in other words.
   
   * E.g. means for example.

You may think that using a good HTML editor or word processor will help you catch these types of common mistakes. Actually an HTML editor won't help at all and a word processor will help but it won't catch or fix all of them.

For example, I found that my version of Word:

• caught and automatically fixed the your - you're usage


• caught and highlighted the chose - choose usage but didn't fix it


• didn't catch the were - we're usage

And neither FrontPage or Nvu caught any of them.

So the next time you're writing an email message, article or web page remember to use your tools to check your spelling and word usage and then carefully proof read what you've written. Making an occasional mistake is 1 thing however making lots of mistakes or the same mistake several times can really hurt your credibility.

If you liked today's tip or would like to add to the list please leave a comment. - Thanks.

To Your Success,

Susan

Tags: improper word usage effect on reader, common word usage mistakes, word processor, frontpage, nvu, proof read

The Answer Is ...

Image via Wikipedia

In my last post I added the following in my P.S.:

"P.S. I used an example within this article however the article itself is an example of something that's done often online. However when it's done correctly you usually can't tell. Do you know what it's an example of?"

Well I must have done it correctly since no one ventured a guess.

Now before I give you the answer click here to see another example.

Have you figured it out yet?

Are you ready for the answer?

Here it is -

I used private label rights content for both! No, I don't use PLR content very often however I've used it to get ideas and as the starting place for both articles and free reports.

Did you know that PLR products are extremely popular right now because they make content and product creation so easy. In fact there are 2 very popular PLR membership sites where many savvy PLR users get their content: Simply PRL and Monthly Content. Now I have to admit that I'm not a member of either since I get a lot of PLR products from another membership site, Crazy Membership. And while I can't personally recommend either of the PLR specific membership sites I did do some research and found only positive reviews for both. As for Crazy Membership, I use it as 1 of my primary resources for my own monthly membership site so yes, I do recommend it as a good site to pick up products.

Now unfortunately some people don't know what PLR products are and of those who do most don't know what to do with them. That means they either

• don't get them


• get them and don't use them


• get them and don't use them correctly

However when you use PLR products the right way it means:

• You don't have to worry about duplicate content


• You don't have to suffer from writers block


• You have a supply of ideas for articles, reports, ebooks and more


• You can reduce the amount of time it takes to create your articles, reports, etc.

It for these reasons that I' m making PLRBrainstorm available here and I'll be adding these video tutorials to the training section of my monthly membership site soon. They're that good.

So now you know what my earlier article was an example of. I hope you learned something both from it and by me revealing my secret about where the content came from.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Tags: brainstorm for writing, private label rights free reports, how to use plr articles content, time writing tips, how to write a newsletter article

"Are You Boring?"

If you're writing classified ads, articles, blog posts and emails and still not making any sales or getting anyone to join your list the reason could be ...

You're boring! Well, not you personally but rather your writing.

I know you don't want to use a lot of hype or make false claims but still ...

You do want to get your stuff read.

In last week's tip item #6 said, "Focus on your headline because your headline is…an ad for your ad. It's your headline that convinces people to read your advertising or not."

Let's expand that item to include things like articles, blog posts and email. In other words, when writing an article or blog entry, focus on your title. Likewise, when sending an email, focus on your subject line. Titles and subject lines are what gets people to read your articles and open your email.

Let's look at a couple of examples to see what I mean.

Say you write an article about the importance of sleep while trying to lose weight. You could write a title like:

"The Importance of Sleep To Weight Loss"

Now if someone is looking specifically for the importance of sleep to weight loss and yours is the only article they find then you've got a reader. But what about all those who are just looking for a good article on weight loss and they come across an article titled:

"Lose Weight Sleeping More"

Don't you think more people will stop to read the article?

Now what if you're sending out an email about a new product you're hoping your readers will buy. You and 10,000 other online marketers are flooding everyone's inbox and you're all using the same subject line:

"Would You Turn Down 10,000 Subscribers?"

How many of these emails do you think are going to get opened and read?

So why not shake things up a little and use a different subject line like:

"Have Your Own Giveaway Next Month" or
"Why The Big Boys Hate Giveaway Manager 2"

Think more people will open those emails?

And when they do, don't disappoint them by offering the same pre-written sales letter.

The important thing to remember when you're writing titles for your articles and blog entries and the subject line for your email is to think like a marketer and not like an author. You've got to grab the attention of your potential reader. If you don't then you won't make any sales.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of this tip.

Tags: article writing, blog post, email, get people to read your article, get people to read your blog, get people to read your email

"The Power of Article Marketing

The power of article marketing is that it is 1 of the best free traffic generating methods to get people to visit your web site. Yet many don't use the power of article marketing because they think they can't write. And many of those who do write articles don't write them correctly.

To use the power of article marketing correctly you need to do these 3 things:

1. Pick a topic

Since you've picked a niche for your web site you should be writing articles that pertain to that niche. Writing an article about how to improve your golf swing for a cooking site just doesn't make any sense. Even if the article is really good and does drive traffic to your site, it's very doubtful that the reader will be interested in what your site has to offer so they will just move on.

When you pick a topic make sure it's something that people are looking for information about. Article marketing is about providing information people want. If you write an article that doesn't provide any useful information then those who read it probably won't visit your site.

2. Write a "good" article

Most people who don't use the power of article marketing are people who think they can't write. If you're one of those people let me ask you a question?

Can you talk?

If you can talk and you can talk about your niche then you can write!

Article marketing isn't about writing a paper for school. It's about having a conversation with someone. When you write, write like you talk. Sure you don't want to make a lot of glaring spelling and grammar errors but the internet is much more forgiving than your English teacher. (Hint: Some people use a mini-recorder to record what they want to say and then write what they've recorded.)

When using article marketing you must also provide useful information however you don't have to write a book. You only have to write a short 250 to 600 word article and that isn't long enough to tell your reader everything you know. So don't try to prove you're an expert and tell them everything. Just show them you're a credible resource and tell them a little.

The real power of article marketing comes when you write your article correctly and this doesn't mean good spelling and grammar. It means you've written an article that has good keyword density. Keywords are those words people are searching for and density means you've used those keywords enough times in the article to make the search engines think your article is relevant. Just be careful about the number of times you use your keywords because if you over use them your article could be considered spam and ignored. For optimum keyword performance and to get the most from the power of article marketing, keep your keyword density around 4% for the total number of words in your article.

Having a conversation with your reader about something in your niche, providing useful information and having your search engine keywords sprinkled throughout is what makes a good article. (Hint: A catchy title containing your keywords will also help.)

3. Use your resource box

Your resource box is the key to driving traffic to your site with article marketing because it's where you put your link and the compelling reason to click it. You should state your name, a statement with some of your business/personal information along with an offer containing your link.

In other words, say who you are, why they should care about what you have to say, where to go to get more information and your link to get there.

The power of article marketing is under-used and misused by most online marketers. Yet it's one of the best free traffic resources online. Article marketing is a free way to:

• Get your article (with your link) a good search engine ranking


• Get backlinks to your site (when others put your article on their site they have to include your resource box)


• Get your name branded as a credible resource

By using the power of article marketing correctly and often you'll be able to drive traffic to your web site.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. Today's tip contains some of the information in the article marketing discussion from "How Can I Get Visitors to My Website: Traffic Generation Techniques Explained." Feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts about this tip.

Tags: the power of article marketing, article marketing, free traffic, backlinks, branding, keywords, keyword density, free traffic, get traffic with article marketing, get free traffic with article marketing

How To Write Free Online Articles To Get Free Traffic To Your Website

You've undoubtedly heard that writing free online articles is 1 of the best ways to get free traffic to your website. Unfortunately, while free articles are 1 of the best free ways to get traffic, many people either don't write them or don't write them the correct way.

So how do you write an effective free online article that will be read and get you some of that free traffic to your website?

As you probably know, there are 5 things all free online articles must have:

1. Article Title
2. Introduction
3. Article Body
4. Conclusion
5. Resource Box

But did you know that there are 4 very important elements that must be included within those 5 things for every free online article that you write to get free traffic to your website?

And the 4 important elements to get free traffic to your website are:

1. Keywords and Keyword Phrases
2. Keyword Density
3. Good Content
4. A Link to Your Website

Let's examine each of these elements and how to use them effectively in your free online article.

Keywords and Keyword Phrases

Before you write your first word for your free online article you should find some keywords and keyword phrases that are relevant and use these keywords and keyword phrases within your article's title and text. The use of keywords and keyword phrases makes your free online article search engine friendly and easier for people to find.

Keyword Density

Keyword density is the number of times a keyword or keyword phrase is used within the title and content of your article. The number of times you use your keyword or keyword phrase will vary depending on the length of your article and should not be too high or too low. If you use your keyword too few times the search engines may ignore your free online article. If you use your keyword too many times the search engines may consider it a spam article and not display it.

Good Content

Obviously no one is going to take your free online article seriously if it doesn't contain good content. Likewise, you need to check your spelling and grammar. If you want readers to believe and trust you, you must provide good information in a well written way.

A Link To Your Site

If you're writing a free online article to get free traffic to your website then never, ever, forget to include a link to your site. For articles placed on your site, blog or social networking page, you can include your link within the text of your content. However, many free ezine article directories don't allow links within the article's content but do allow you to place your link in your resource (bio) box that appears at the end of your article. When people read your free article and like it some will click the link you've provided.

Writing free online articles is 1 of the most effective way to get free traffic to your website when done correctly. And doing it correctly isn't hard. It just takes knowing how and practice.

To Your Success,
Susan
http://www.friendswhocare.us/newsletter

P.S. When I write an article to get some free traffic to my website I use a tool that helps me find my keywords, research the topic, measure the keyword density and submit the article to ezine directories. You can read more about this tool at http://fwcreviews.blogspot.com/2007/05/instant-article-wizard-vs-article.html

P.P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment about this tip.

Tags: free articles, ezine articles, free traffic, website traffic, write articles to get free traffic, how to write articles to get free traffic

A Secret Way To Get Traffic With RSS

You've heard of RSS, Really Simple Syndication, and know that RSS feeds allow you to keep current on the latest content on your favorite site.

But did you know that it's possible for you to have your own RSS feed without doing anything technical?

How?

Well hopefully you write articles and submit them to article directories. I mean, writing articles and submitting them to directories is 1 of the best ways to get free traffic so surely you're already doing that.

And if you're already writing those articles then you're already doing the hard part of getting your own RSS feed.

You see, many article directories like EzineArticles.com provides their article submitters with their own RSS feed. That's right, they provide a feed to your articles so people can get them with their favorite feed reader.

And there's more to RSS feeds than just making them available so people can automatically be informed when you've provided a new article. You can also use that RSS feed to get some new traffic and here's how.

1. Join EzineArticles.com if you're not already a member. I recommend this directory since it's 1 of the oldest and does provide a free RSS feed to its authors.




2. Submit a few articles if you haven't already.




3. After your articles have been accepted go back to the directory and do a search for your name (The name you used as the author.)




4. When the page with your articles comes up, click the Expert Author link.




5. Find the RSS feed icon on your Expert Author page. It's orange and a yellow feed information box will popup when you hover over it.




6. Click on the orange XML icon at the top of the yellow popup box. The URL it goes to is your feed.




7. Copy and past your feed (the url you went to when you clicked the XML icon). It will look like:
   http://ezinearticles.com/members/rss/Susan-Carroll.xml




8. Go to your favorite pinging service and enter your name and put your RSS feed into both the "Blog URL" and "XML Feed" boxes. Then click the ping button. I usually use Pingoat.com.

Now in case you're not a blogger or one who doesn't know about pinging, pinging sends a notification to several news syndication services that you've updated content on your blog or your website. Savvy bloggers always ping after they've posted new content because they know that the “blog and ping” strategy increases your Google Page Rank (this correlates to a higher search engine ranking), increased traffic and more exposure to your content.

What most people don't know is that pinging is not restricted to blogs and other types of social networking sites. You can ping any source that provides an RSS feed.

You can ping your own article RSS feed!

So the next time you post to your blog or submit an article to an article directory that provides RSS feeds, take an extra minute and go ping it.

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. Please leave a comment.

Tags: traffic, free traffic, rss, article, article directories, ping, pinging, blog and ping

An Article Source You May Not Know About

2 of the problems I hear the most often are:

1. I can't write.
2. I don't know what to write about.

And up until recently my first recommendation was to use article directories to either find content or to do research.

However, I recently discovered an article resource that provides more flexibility when using articles authored by someone else.

As described at Wikipedia, Creative Commons is "a non-profit organization devoted to expanding the range of creative work available for others legally to build upon and share. The organization has released several copyright licenses known as Creative Commons licenses. These licenses, depending on the one chosen, restrict only certain rights (or none) of the work."

So what does that mean to you?

• If you're looking for content, it means that now you can find articles that may be used and modified for your own commercial use by using the Creative Commons search service because it finds content across the web that is tagged with a "creative commons license".




• If you're a writer looking for traffic, it means you can put a Creative Commons License on your articles to get more exposure. There are 6 types of licenses to choose from and all you have to do is copy and paste a little code onto the page that contains the content. Just make sure you give some thought to the type of license you want on your article because Creative Commons licenses are non-revocable.

If you're looking for content or have content you're willing to share, Creative Commons may be just what you're looking for

• It's 100% free. There's no fee and no registration.

• It finds content that can be modified and used for commercial purposes.

• Articles do not have to be submitted to a directory to be found.

• Authors have control of how long the content is available. (Just remove the page and it's gone.)

So before you discount having a list or a blog because you can't or don't know what to write, give Creative Commons a look and see if it can solve your problem. For a real example see the CC logo in the right margin.)

To Your Success,
Susan

P.S. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Tags: creative commons, content, article, article directory, copyright license, traffic