New Media

My Vancouver-based SEO website copywriting company now has a referral rewards program. If you’ve got a buddy with an old, crappy website that isn’t getting found in search engines, tell them about me.

Why should you do that? Because a quick email, tweet or phone call to a friend that takes about 30 seconds could be worth $100 to you. Next time, it’s $200. Easy money, people.

You don’t actually need to know me to refer your friends. But feel free to do some due diligence and check out what I can do. Here’s a quick overview of my SEO website copywriting process

For those who follow this blog and didn’t know, I’m a Vancouver-based SEO website copywriter and all-around business communications wonk. Sure, I use this site to sound off about politics and social media and all sorts of weirdness. But I do actually have a busy job as a guy who writes content for websites, newsletters, blogs… you get the picture. And now I’ll be sharing some of the nuggets of expertise I’ve gained about business communications that helps build your business with the Better Business Bureau. Here’s a marketing blurb for my upcoming presentation:

How does your company get the word out? From websites and blogs to newsletters, brochures, direct mail sales letters, case studies, white papers and press releases, you’ve got plenty of tools. But different tools are used for different purposes. Learn how to use them to reach different target audiences effectively.

Sounds interesting? If you’re a business owner or marketing professional, and you’re in Vancouver, I recommend you check it out. Seriously. It’s going to be AWESOME. Register for my presentation here

Just a quick update for my family, friends and colleagues about what I’ve been up to professionally. I know, I run too many blogs. Well, if you’d just start using Google Reader, you could keep up-to-date instantly. That’s assuming you care.

You do care, right? Here goes:

• Time For Writers To Take A Stand
• Someone Needs To Fire Their Media Liaison
• How To Write A Bio For Your Website

By the way, my website copywriting company also just got accredited with the Better Business Bureau of the Lower Mainland. Take that, San Fransisco!

Need someone to write all the content on your new website, or hook you up with some dynamite newsletters or press releases? Look no further. I’m with BBB, baby! Check out all my nifty web copywriting services

Ever thought about starting up a business and selling it two years later for $20 million? Here’s how you might get started.

From an article I wrote for SFU Business on BC entrepreneurs who presented their big ideas at a New Ventures BC seminar series:

One key theme of this year’s seminars was planning to succeed. When you put together your business plan, according to seminar presenters, don’t be skimpy with the details.

“Many companies can describe where they want to be in five years, but less can describe what they’re going to do to achieve this in the next year and a half,” says Rocketbuilders’ Thomas. “To plan well before you go to market, you have to have good market research.”

So what do you focus on? First, “how big is the marketplace?” Thomas says. “Is it growing? What are the trends? How do you divide it into segments?”

Understanding the customer pain that your product will solve is also key. And get a handle on how people normally buy your kind of product.

What about capital? How do you get investors to show you the money?

First of all, maybe you don’t need pesky investors getting their hooks into you after all. “Bootstrap,” says Vancouver-based angel investor Dr. Basil Peters. Dr. Peters was an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Sciences at SFU from 1985 to 2000. “The most spectacular start-up business models started with no capital. Most companies today really don’t need very much capital.”

“Plenty of Fish got started in an apartment,” he points out. “MetroLyrics (the online lyrics database founded by SFU Business EMBA graduate Alan Juristovski and undergraduate Milun Tesovic) started with no capital and is probably worth tens of millions of dollars. The world has changed. You’ve got resources even if you’ve got no money.”

For my entrepreneurial colleagues, my latest business newsletter went out this morning. If you ever wanted to launch (or re-launch a website, send out a newsletter, engage customers with a blog, or combine all of these efforts into a campaign, I’ve got some tips about what to think about before you get started.

Check out How To Develop A Big Picture Communications Strategy

On a somewhat related note, I’ve occasionally touched on social media and privacy issues in this here blog. I get into it again on Techvibes: Another Reason To Worry About Facebook Privacy: Alimony

Cheers.