In August 2011 I quietly decided to start writing my first “how to SEO” ebook for small business owners, solopreneurs and consultants who couldn’t afford expensive SEO services. I fielded questions frequently from SBOs who were frustrated by the technical jargon. Plus, a lot of people come to me wanting to know how I rank on the first page of Google for my keyword, “Atlanta Copywriter.”

Day by day SEO is becoming more small business friendly, and I certainly wanted to do what I could to be part of that.

The idea formulation, research, outlining, and drafting took a solid 4 months. Because my day job (client copywriting project work) has kept me very busy, I restricted myself to working on my ebook only during weekend, evening, and early morning hours. And finally, it’s ready! A few weeks ago I sent it to a proofreader and graphics layout person, and it is finally ready. I’m thrilled with how it turned out! I just uploaded the ebook to E-Junkie and I’m drafting my sales page now.

Here’s a sneak peak at the cover and table of contents:

Cover Image

Table of Contents:
TOC – How to SEO (A DIY Workbook for SBOs)

The ebook will be ready for purchase soon – just in time to kick off 2012. Thanks to everyone for your support!

Related posts:

1. What the Future Holds for Sales and Marketing in 2012

We had a packed room as the workshop sold out all 50 spots pretty quickly, which confirms that SEO is a hot topic. I certainly understand that there is a big need for reliable,understandable information.

Such great things came out of that talk, and one workshop attendee booked me for another SEO related speaking gig in January, which will be great. I’ll start promoting that as soon as details are finalized.

In the meanwhile, here are a few photos from the event. Enjoy!

Related posts:

1. Atlanta Blogging Workshop Review
2. SEO Training – Complete!
3. Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs

Atlanta’s hottest conference on social media, technology and marketing is only a few weeks away. This week-long conference, Digital Atlanta, features multiple free and affordable workshops, panels and seminars takes place November 7-11, 2011.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be a speaker this year. My topic is “SEO On a Budget: Do This Not That.” Designed for solopreneurs and small business owners in particular, the session description is as follows:

If the thought of implementing an SEO strategy seems too daunting for a small business owner like yourself, then this workshop is for you. Rather than tell you what to do, we’re going to show you what to do (and what not to do) through case studies, examples, graphics, and stories. We’ll review the basic fundamentals of SEO and share action strategies that you can take away and implement immediately. Get ready to take notes as we discuss the myths, misunderstandings and must-do action items to start kick-start an effective SEO strategy. 

Here are the session details and logistics:

Cost: FREE
Friday, November 11, 2011
11:00 am – 12:30 pm
Roam Atlanta, 5815 Windward Parkway (2nd floor), Alpharetta, GA 30005
Business Workshop: “SEO On a Budget: Do This Not That”

Although this workshop is absolutely free (score!), RSVP is required. To register, visit http://jmunn.eventbrite.com/. To find out more about the other awesome events taking place during Digital Atlanta, visit the website for the full schedule: www.DigitalAtlanta.org

Bring ALL your SEO questions and concerns so we can get some really good dialogue going. I look forward to seeing you there!

P.S. Right before I hit “publish” on this blog post, I checked the registration list. We’re already about 50% full at 25 attendees. Register today to reserve your space! If for some reason you can’t attend but would like more information, I’m going to try and record the workshop. While I can’t promise that 100% (I haven’t exactly cleared this with the event organizers yet), email me if you’d like to be notified about free access to the video.

Related posts:

1. Atlanta Blogging Workshop Review
2. SEO Training – Complete!
3. The Atlanta Writers Club September Meeting

Here are some interesting takeaways about what clients want from their freelance copywriter. Would you agree with them? This is only an excerpt from the long list of items that clients thought were important, but I’ve included just a few crucial ones here:

• Deliver on what was requested
• Listen!
• Keep me posted that progress is being made through the course of a project and that the deadline will be hit without any problems.
• Just GET it!
• Suggest ways to make my job easier while working with them
• Be reliable and respond calls/emails in a timely manner
• Research our subject matter and audience before tackling assignments
• I want freelancers to tell me when there is a better way to do something than what I have told them to do. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t, but I always want to hear the reasoning behind their choices. I want their expertise.

Source: Freelance Forecast 2011, ©BoomvangCreative.com.

What else would you add to this list?

Until next time!

Related posts:

1. What I Wish I Knew About Copywriting Before I Became a Copywriter…
2. You Know You Need a Copywriter When…(8 Reasons to Hire a Freelance Copywriter)
3. Snuggies and Website Copywriting: What Do They Have in Common?

Talking about my business and how I got started along with the highs, lows and friends I’ve made along the way, made me really grateful for where I am today. I love my job and what I do. Not many people can say that.

And most of all, I love YOU – my clients (former, current and future) for allowing me to keep learning, growing, and sharing in a small part of your business. Thank you!

Related posts:

1. I’m Grateful…
2. What Copywriters Actually Do…
3. Snuggies and Website Copywriting: What Do They Have in Common?

No related posts.

Updates, course overview and takeaways to come soon.

Related posts:

1. Integrating Your Marketing Activities
2. Put Your SEO on Steroids with Blogs
3. 2-Minute Video Book Review: e-Riches 2.0 by Scott Fox

That there is SO much more to copywriting than just “the writing.” Of course, it depends on the size and scope of the project. But in my recent bouts of copyediting and copywriting large corporate websites, it has taken months of organizing, preparing and researching before I’ve even been able to write one word. When copy is being created from scratch, a very time consuming portion of preparing includes contacting, coordinating and setting up subject matter expert interviews for the new content. 

So what’s the big idea behind this and why am I blogging about it? Well, we copywriters pride ourselves on the ability to crank out pages and pages of beautiful copy in a timely and concise manner. Unfortunatley, it’s very rarely the case when we’re handed a project and can begin writing immediately. Also, the word “copyWRITING” is a little misleading as it implies that writing is the only part of our job. 

I am fortunate that I love my work and I love what I do. But the fact that copywriting often involves 80% prep work and 20% actual writing is one of the biggest misunderstandings and myths about my job. 

Thoughts?

Related posts:

1. You Know You Need a Copywriter When…(8 Reasons to Hire a Freelance Copywriter)
2. Snuggies and Website Copywriting: What Do They Have in Common?
3. My Favorite Copywriting Acronyms

As soon as I emerge from some of these awesome copywriting projects that have kept me busy, I’ll be back!

Related posts:

1. More of my favorite quotes

1. You haven’t revised or revisited your website copy in more than 2 years (and you’re embarrassed to share the link with others)
2. You need more leads coming in from online sources
3. You had a recent company achievement or have relevant business news you want/need to share
4. You have no content on your website (helpful articles, resources, press releases, etc.)
5. You’re not offering a free ebook, report, checklist, or tips sheet on your homepage to build your subscriber list
6. Not only do you not have a call to action on each website page, you don’t know what a call to action is
7. You have no full-time marketing/communications/pr employee
8. You need to take your business to the next level

 These are just a few reasons – what else would you add to this list?

Related posts:

1. My Favorite Copywriting Acronyms
2. What I Wish I Knew About Copywriting Before I Became a Copywriter…
3. A Peek into This Copywriter’s Toolbox