Then, I started inserting videos and larger screen shot images to illustrate instructional material. They would bridge across columns, creating a really ugly site with poor usability. It was a theme-specific problem, but it could definitely show up in others. However, the cure for it is a plugin that has some great features for anyone wanting to use excerpts with some formatting ability.

The plugin is Excerpt Editor, and it solved all of my problems, plus gave me some flexibility I didn’t expect.  Once installed, you have numerous setup options, including how many characters of text to use from the beginning of the post for the excerpt.  Check it out.

Then go right into your other text, but you know the reader definitely read the item of importance.  It’s the wp-note plugin for WordPress, and I use it a lot on this blog.  [important]For more examples and the easy code that you insert to make it happen, look in the Premium Content below the Related Articles…[/important]

Related Articles:

{+++}

1. For a simple note, you just enclose the word note in brackets [ ], write the note text, and then enclose /note in brackets [ ] to end it.  [note]I can’t actually type the words in the brackets here, as it will create a note within a note![/note]
2. For an important note, same thing, but with the word “important”  inside the brackets [ ] to begin the note, and “/important” inside the brackets [ ] to end the note.  [important]An important note looks like this….[/important]
3. A tip is green and has a light bulb, and you’re using “tip” and “/tip” inside the brackets.  [tip]A tip looks like this, and you can give them some extra interesting help this way….[/tip]
4. For warnings, just use “warning” and “/warning inside the brackets [ ] to begin and end the note.  [warning]Be careful, finding and using fun WordPress plugins can be addictive….[/warning]
5. Help notes are just as easy, using “help” and “/help” in the brackets.  [help]A help note could be how to do these commands in your text, but omit the “”.  ["note"]note text here["/note"], ["help"]help text here["/help"]

If you blog, and you haven’t been using the Trackback feature, you’re missing a huge opportunity to actually build your own links back to your site from other blogs. WordPress, for one, has a box in the post writing screen where you can enter the URL of a site or blog post about which you’re writing.

Say you read a great blog post somewhere that mentions your area, and you’re a real estate blogger. You like the post, and write one of your own commenting on it, with a link to it in your post. However, you should do one more thing. Enter the URL of their post into the Trackback field in your post screen.

Many blogs will receive that trackback, and without any action on the part of the other blog writer, enter a small excerpt from your post into their comment field with a link back to your post. If they are moderating their comments, they will have to approve it, but they usually do soon.

Trackbacks are a way to interact with other bloggers with material related to yours, or even if it’s just of interest. First, you get a great idea for a post on your blog, then you get the value of an incoming link as well.

Another reality:  it is expensive and rarely worthwhile to pursue content theft for most of us, especially bloggers.  The good news is that there is a great deal of copying of material by those who do not know any better.  It’s a bit like a simple door lock, in that copyright registration will help us to keep honest people honest.  And there is a nice free resource to help you.

MyFreeCopyright.com will take your blog posts from your feed and give them a unique identifier, with dated origination information.  You can display their logo on your page, and it will link back to your protected material on their site, with all protection information.  Some will be deterred just by the logo and visiting the link.  Others, once you locate someone copying your content, can be persuaded to pull it down when you send them a link to the copyright registration of the copied material.

[important]A short video of how it works, and an example from an actual blog, is below as Premium Content:[/important] {+++}

This site is an example, as I use MemberWing to handle my subscriber setup through PayPal, including the automatic creation of their level of access, acceptance of their payment, and removal of their access if they do not renew their subscription.

The best way to illustrate how it works is to give you a bottom level access to see the premium content example for this post.  It won’t get you into my Premium Content on other posts, but it will on this one.

[important]Click on the Login link in the box below, and use   demouser for both username and password to see the content below.[/important]{+}

**Content From this Line is Premium Content as Viewed By Subscriber**

As you can see, the subscriber can see the content designated on this site as Premium Content once they have subscribed and logged in.  Actually, MemberWing allows you to have four levels of access if it suits your needs and content better.

What I did here was to build the demouser as a Bronze level subscriber, the lowest level.  Thus, you can see the content in this post, but not the Premium Content elsewhere on the site, unless I do some more examples like this.

You can also place video here, which I use extensively in my Premium Content for instructional purposes.  Also, the Premium Content box and login pass along with the RSS feed.  There is a free version of MemberWing, so give it a try with your WordPress blog.

• Adding a disclaimer for legal reasons
• Promoting your RSS feed or Feedblitz newsletter
• Promoting an email subscription to your posts
• Anything you would like to add to every post

There is also some capability to insert advertisements this way.  I haven’t used that function, but if it’s like the other plugin features, I think it will work well for you.

Feedblitz.com provides a service, one that I use on this blog in fact, that sends out regular newsletters with your blog posts.  You set the frequency, and Feedblitz takes your RSS feed and produces the newsletter in a very nice format, pulling images and allowing full post or excerpt publishing.  The one for this blog goes out every Wednesday, subscribe here.  Feedblitz looks at my feed, determines if I’ve published my set minimum number of posts since the last issue, and creates the newsletter, sending it out to the subscriber list.

I’ll give you two links here, one to this blog’s Newsletter, and the other to my real estate site issue.  Since they dynamically generate, you will see whatever is new since the last issue.  So, if you look right after an issue went out, you won’ t see much.  Just come back later and check again:

Gallery Realty of Taos Newsletter that goes out on Tuesdays.

FunctionalTech.com Newsletter that goes out on Wednesdays.

Today’s consumer, or in your case, client, is one who recognizes that they need your expertise.  If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be on the Internet doing searches on key phrases related to the services you provide.  The vast majority also recognize that there are many of you out there, and they must make a decision as to who to hire to help them with their situation.

A few of them may be captured as customers or clients with a “billboard website.”  That’s a site that has some static pages, each touting your expertise.  One might talk about all of your previous happy clients.  Another might talk about how you solve problems for them because you have years of education and experience.

However, now and in the future, most of these consumers will become the customer or client of a professional who actually illustrated their expertise in ways that convinced the consumer long before they actually needed to make the hiring decision.  This is done with freely-offered information based on their search phrases, and helpful to them in various ways.  It may help them to quantify their problem, or just to recognize that they do indeed need help.

The business will go to those who have provided useful information that clearly displays their knowledge and qualifications.  The fact that they could learn more without sales pressure or consulting costs is why they will gravitate to the professional whose site satisfied their information needs.  That’s why blogging will be the best business-generation tool in your marketing arsenal.

photo credit: zolierdos

Blog for Business

Sit in on any group of professionals, consultants, Realtors or mortgage brokers, and you won’t wait long in a marketing discussion to hear about blogging as a strategy. The question is a whole lot broader than websites, blogging or email marketing.

What they are likely to NOT be discussing is the viewpoint and focus of the customer/client when they search for information on the Internet. Let’s face it, the focus is on what we perceive we need to do to generate business. Sometimes, actually many times, this focus is not on target, as our customers have a different focus. When it comes to the Web, this disparity is huge.

Too many consultants and others in sales, information and training businesses place up “online billboards” to push their qualifications at potential customers. Instead, they should be pulling those customers to them with information they value. That’s what you do with a blog.

This doesn’t work.  The power of blogging for attorneys, accountants, Realtors, and consultants of any kind is in the ability to show what you know by providing information your site visitors will value.  You position yourself as an expert in your subject matter by actually talking about it.  You don’t have to “give away the farm,” but you can give out a great deal of information that your visitors want and need.  And, they likely found you via a keyword search that brought them right to a blog post that answers their question.  You provided a service, and when they need more from you, you’ll hear from them.

So, what kind of content, or posts, do you want to write or commission for your blog?

• Take questions you get everyday from your customers or clients and make each question’s answer a specific blog post.  Again, you don’t need to give away your services, just give out information that will help them to realize that you know what you’re talking about.
• For attorneys, give basic broad answers to frequent questions you get in your area of specialty.  Do all the appropriate disclaimers and encourage the reader to contact you for more in-depth and personalized advice.
• For accountants, answer basic tax deduction questions broadly, explaining that most will vary depending on each person’s individual situation.  You’re giving them enough information to see that you are an expert, but encouraging direct contact for their specific situation.
• Real estate agents and brokers should write all about their area of practice.  Show that you know about the local neighborhoods.  Give a lot of statistical information and reports about market performance.  Don’t write the same old stuff seen on static websites, like how to make your kitchen show better.  You can do it if you want, but the statistics and pertinent information they won’t find just anywhere is better to illustrate your expertise.
• Consultants of any kind make their living giving advice and answering questions.  Do the same with your blog, and your site visitors will get a clear picture of your professional knowledge.  They will learn to respect your abilities, and will be more apt to contact you when they feel a need for your services.

In short, blogging for professionals is a bit like being published in trade or professional journals, only online and visible to the world.  Who knows, if you do it well, you may get mentioned in some of the presitgious print media’s online efforts.