Why do you think the majority of people visit your website? Before you answer, let's rule out a few options: It looks really nice It's easy to navigate You have cool photos and graphics You've got a great sales pitch I'm not saying these aren't important. A website should stand out, have all the bells and whistles, be visually pleasing, help you get found, and highlight your products and services. In fact, hiring a website designer rather than doing it yourself ensures you ch

Starting a blog was the best thing I could have done for my writing and editing business. Not only has it kept me top of mind with clients, but it's being shared more as time goes by – putting me in front of potential clients, other writers, and people who enjoy good content. If you're a business owner, it's time to overcome any weird hangups you might have about starting a blog and jump on the bandwagon. When done right, the benefits are immeasurable. Here are 20 reasons why

A few keys to having a successful blog, regardless of what industry you are writing about, is to be consistent, focus on building relationships, have fun, and give readers something of value. And boy, did we lead by example in 2020! We take pride in our library of Edit This® blog posts, which covers practically everything that has to do with the writing and editing industry. From grammar tips to hacks for fellow writers and how to give your small business a voice, we've writt

All writers should blog. But it's not easy coming up with creative blog post ideas week after week, month after month, and year after year to entertain readers. If you're suddenly struggling to find new ideas, I get it. I've maintained a weekly Edit This® blog for four years, and though my "idea well" hasn't run dry, it has taken plenty of planning, thinking outside the box, and a little bit of luck to keep going. With that in mind, I'm all about helping out my fellow writers

You're sitting there late at night, trying hard to come up with a blog topic that customers want to read. Just when you're about to give up, the thought hits you: what are my competitors blogging about? No. I can't do that. Can I? Is it bad to read competitor blogs? Reading competitor blogs may feel like a big no-no and perhaps a little naughty. But so long as you're not copying them, I'm here to tell you there is nothing wrong with this tactic. You can learn a lot from readi

Plenty of clients have asked me for advice over the years on how to start a blog for their small business. And those who did take that leap into the blogosphere have been going strong ever since. But one client did ask recently, "What happens if I stop blogging?" I can't blame him for asking. You've gotta stop blogging at some point, right? No. You don't have to stop blogging. I'm still convinced there are enough topics and quality prompts out there for any company in any ind

As much as I enjoy writing serious and educational stuff about writing and editing, it's nice to let loose every once in a while and write something fun and a little off the beaten path. I think I have proved that over the years with a variety of blog posts that hopefully have made you giggle at least a few times. If not, that's fine, too. I'll just try harder. :) If anything, at least it shows just how much I love what I do for a living. In case you've missed any of those po

Blogs and blogging for small businesses is something I talk about and write about a lot. So it only makes sense to keep all of that useful information in one place so that loyal readers don't have to dig too deep to find what they need. In 2018, I created a roundup of those posts to share with the masses. I updated it again last year, and since then, I've had even more to say on the topic. So here's another updated post with all my blogs about blogging. I even included a few

If you've read my Edit This® blog enough times, you know how important I believe blogging is – not just for small-business owners but for people who like to be creative and just write. With that being said, I'm often asked by clients and friends, "How do I write my blog faster?" As fun as blogs are, it can be frustrating when we spend all day writing one post. Last weekend, I spent nearly five hours working on a blog post. Granted, it was five hours of bliss – because I'm wei

As the weeks of sheltering in place roll on due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most small-business owners (essential and non-essential) are asking themselves a lot of difficult questions about the future of their company. Many of you have likely already taken critical steps to keep yourself afloat until all of us get back to a sense of normalcy. And we all will get through this, by the way! Unfortunately, when it comes to the here and now, I don't have all the answers. All I can d

"Does my small business need a blog?" Yes, it does. In fact, every business needs a blog! Blogs are short, informal web articles (you're reading one now) that you write for current and prospective clients to share ideas, best practices, industry trends, fun topics, etc. Blog ideas would be a fitness pro sharing 5-10 tips on how to lose weight, or a roofing company writing advice about what to do after a hail storm. And the more of them you write, the better. Blogging consiste

At Edit This®, we talk a lot about the importance of giving your small business a voice. One of the best ways to do that while also building relationships with your readers is with blogs, and boy did we lead by example in 2019! We added 52 new entries to our library of blog posts this past year. It was a tough decision, but here are 12 of our favorite blog posts from 2019. Simply click on the individual green-colored links to take you to each article. What to do after you wri

We are continually adding to our already deep library of blog posts. And while the topics we write about run the gamut when it comes to anything writing and editing related, some of our more popular ones according to our readers are blogs about blogging. Last year, I created a roundup of those posts to share with the masses. Since then, we've had more to say about blogging – especially when it comes to the benefits for small businesses. So here's an updated post with all our

You've been consistent with your blog posts and are having a lot of fun writing what you think is useful and entertaining content. But you wonder why no one reads your blog. It's painfully obvious that they don't. Not only do the analytics show that you're getting zero traffic, but you can hear a pin drop every time you share a new blog post to social media. No shares, no comments, and no likes. It's like you're writing to an audience of one – YOU. It's frustrating when no on

Small-business owners who want to blog but admit they need help getting started or staying consistent often ask what that blogging process looks like if they hire a professional blogger at Edit This®. The answer is we write it for you. * No more coming up with ideas by yourself * No more juggling daily tasks with blogging * No more ineffective, error-riddled content Your blogs are written by an expert who knows the business of blogging, can capture your voice and help your co

So you decided to take the plunge and start a blog for your small business. You even came up with a great first topic that is guaranteed to resonate with readers and either wrote a draft on your own in a simple Word document or had Edit This® craft it for you. Now what? What do you do with it? How do people find your blog? Blogging is a pivotal piece to improving a company's online visibility and, if done correctly, will produce immeasurable results. That includes the ability

I wrote 52 blogs for our Edit This® website in 2018. But just because we've all turned the page to another year doesn't mean we can't look back at the year that was. Below are 12 of my favorite blog posts from last year: How To Get Clients To Think Of You First This is what every small-business owner wants, right? I know it's what I want, so why not share what's worked for me? There's plenty to love in this post, the biggest being that it doesn't attempt to over-complicate th

Everyone keeps telling you that your small business should have a blog to engage with customers and increase online visibility, and a small piece of you knows they're right! But for one reason or another, you're still on the fence. Why? Do you think blogging is a passing fad? Does the thought scare you? Are you worried you won't have time or resources to write it? I can totally see how these are legitimate thoughts running through a small-business owner's mind. I will get to

On August 31, Edit This® was voted Best Writing & Editing Service AND Best Blogger in the 2018 Best of Denton County awards. Obviously, that was a few months ago, but now we have our winner's certificates to show off. This blog post is simply to say THANK YOU once again to all our amazing friends, family, and clients who voted and continue to choose us for all their writing and editing needs. Edit This has now been voted Best of Denton County three times (2015, 2017, and 2018

I've written 107 blog posts for our Edit This® website over the last two years. I'm proud to say that library includes plenty of useful information, including everything from writing and editing tips for aspiring writers and journalists to time management hacks, grammar lessons, and the many reasons why small-business owners could use our help to give their business a clear and authentic voice. But I've come to realize the sheer volume of that library can be overwhelming to r