Write On ~ Creative Writing Services

by Lisa Manyon: www.lisamanyon.com

I am exited to add this book to my reference library. Actually, I was honored to get a sneak peek at the book before it was even published. I must say that Susan Daffron does an exceptional job of mapping out what could be quagmire of self-publishing.

If you’ve been considering writing a book, now is the time to do it. We are living in the information age and if you have knowledge, share it.

Publishize honestly answers questions you might have regarding self -publishing and other publishing options as well. Daffron is upfront about the fact that the Publishize method isn’t for you if you want to have the next best seller in major book stores. At the same time, self-publishing has its place, and this book outlines ways to create passive income with your knowledge.

You’ll explore various publishing options and discover:

I’m so excited about the contents of this book that I’ve started writing mine. If you’re ready to join the ranks of published authors, I highly recommend this resource. In fact, it now rests on my shelf right next to Peter Bowerman’s The Well Fed Self-Publisher.
Grab your copy today.
[Tags]www.lisamanyon.com, copywriting, copy, Lisa Manyon, Publishize, Susan Daffron, self publishing[/tags]

by Lisa Manyon: www.lisamanyon.com

I’m celebrating the new year with a brand new Nano iPod and so far I’m loving it! It’s purple of course. Anyway, this means I’ve dug really deep into my CD collection and pulled out some old friends. Currently I’m revisiting The Spin Doctors. My favorite song is Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong. Check it out on Amazon today and if you’re not ready to buy, add it to your wish list here!

[Tags] Lisa Manyon, www.lisamanyon.com, copywriting, copy, Spin Doctors [/Tags]

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[tags] copy, copywriter, copy writer, marketing, advertising, sales, promotion, fee setting, www.LisaManyon.com, www.WriteOnCreative.com, Lisa Manyon, Tom Buford, www.ChargeWhatYouDeserve.com, copy questions and answers, questions about copywriting, interviews, internet marketing [/tags]

by Lisa Manyon:?  www.lisamanyon.com

Want to know how to make your marketing even more effective? Interested in discovering how to get more return on investment for your advertising ? Are you wondering why your promotional and marketing materials don’t pack the punch you had hoped they would?

First I’m going to share the secret to sales success. Then, we’ll dive into the 5 key reasons this secret (which really isn’t a secret) is so important. Then maybe you can re-evaluate how you’re handling things.

The secret to sales success is your copy; the written part of any sales, marketing, advertising and promotional materials. That’s right; copy is the KEY component to increasing sales.

The best illustration of how important copy really is was shared by my good friend and mentor Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She explains that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. I have to agree.

Imagine stripping all of your marketing materials of words. How well would your website, brochure, print ads, sales letters, press releases or broadcast scripts work without words? Not very well.

Here’s one of the biggest mistakes I see business owners making. Sometime you’re tight on time, maybe your deadline is rapidly approaching, and you don’t really want to write your copy. So, you either hire a mediocre copywriter at the last minute or you stuff your campaign (if we can even call it a campaign) full of fluff that merely fills space. Then you wonder why nothing happens… I’m really not trying to pick on you here. We’ve all done it. But, it really has to stop if you want to succeed.

Listen, you are not alone and honestly I know how busy you are. Sometimes you simply don’t have the time to do everything you have to do in your business. This includes paying closer attention to your marketing materials. We all wear multiple hats and one of the most important is the marketing hat. So, why is it we allow ourselves to neglect this important role?

There are 5 key reasons your copy is the most important aspects of your sales success.

1) Although it’s been said a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture alone isn’t going to sell very effectively. Your products or services (or more aptly put, solutions) need to be supported with clever copy. It’s, of course, a great idea to include artwork in your ads but it’s vital to REALLY focus on painting the big picture with wordsmithing talents.

2) Your copy is WAY more than just words. You cannot simply throw just any words into the mix and expect to make sales. Your words (copy or content) need to be carefully selected to build consumer trust, loyalty and ultimately win sales.

3) Your copy is all about relationships. The days of the hard-sell are over. Consumers are savvier than ever. They want more and they expect more. By carefully crafting your copy to build relationships you’re one step closer to closing the deal.

4) Your copy is an extension of you and your business. Think about that for a minute. What you say is just as important as how you say it. What are you saying?

5)  Your copy allows you to offer a solution and really make a difference. When you approach your copy with a new attitude of service and sharing it’s easier to offer the solutions your customers are looking for.

I firmly believe everyone in business should have a solid grasp of the importance of copy regardless of if you plan to write it yourself or not. This means doing a little research, choosing mentors to study, paying close attention to what works with your copy and finally choosing the right copywriter for your business needs.

Your copy counts and actually your sales count on your copy. Speak directly to your core customer in language that motivates action and increases results. What is your copy saying? Take a minute to review your marketing today.

By: Lisa Manyon www.lisamanyon.com

One of my greatest passions in life is helping others see the gifts they have to share with the world. This isn’t a new revelation but the way I approach it is new.

You see I’ve been writing press releases to promote myself and others for many years now. I’ve had to overcome preconditioned thinking that I shouldn’t brag and really embrace the notion that it’s OK to share my gifts with the world. I’ve helped others do the very same thing. But I didn’t realize this was TRULY my gift to the world.

I actually re-framed this while attending both The She Factor and Ali Brown’s last ever Online Success Blueprint Workshop. It was as if I had a gigantic light bulb moment. The energy there was nothing less than electrifying and I was continuously meeting fantastic, talented women who shared their stories. Instinctively, I’d dig a little deeper and uncover even more amazing things they were doing. The natural progression for me was to ask if they’d issued a press release both online and offline, yet. Many hadn’t thought of it. Others were amazed their accomplishments might be newsworthy; others became so excited about the thought that I could see a change come over them right before my eyes.

And, that’s when it hit ME. Not everyone has the passion and the ability to look at business from the outside in, with big picture perspective and pluck out newsworthy gems to help build business and exposure via press releases. AH-HA.

I’m sharing this because even though others have seen my gift for a long time, it took a pivotal event for me to really own it. The pivotal event was being exposed to new ideas and energy which I’ve found is vital to personal and professional growth. Here’s a recent release I issued for my new published author status and pod cast. PR Web Release

This release has already increased traffic to my site, generated new business and I’ve received interview requests from mainstream media ~ so stay tuned for more.

[Tags] Lisa Manyon, www.writeoncreative.com, www.lisamanyon.com, copywriting, press releases, The She Factor, Ali Brown[/Tags]

by Lisa Manyon:?  www.LisaManyon.com

There’s a strong possibility fear could be sabotaging your success. I’m not going to use the tired clich?© “feel the fear and do it anyway”. But, I am going to push you a bit because I believe you can be fearless and embrace the success that is rightfully yours.

Enjoy!

by Lisa Manyon: www.lisamanyon.com

Sometimes it’s perfectly OK to be a quitter.
Yes, this may seem contrary to everything you’ve heard before. At the same time, Seth Godin knows what he’s talking about. In his book, The Dip – A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (And When to Stick), Godin shares insight to help you determine if you’re on the right path and if maybe you should quit or stick it out.

We all know that every new project, career opportunity or even hobby usually starts out with tons of excitement and enthusiasm. Then, somewhere along the line we lose initiative, maybe we’re not as zealous as we once were or perhaps we’re simply stuck in a rut. One thing is for certain. If you continue to do the same thing you’ve always done to get the same results you’ve always gotten that may not be enough to survive let alone thrive in today’s business world.

Ask yourself “Am I doing the best possible job I can do?” Be honest. Chances are there are areas of your performance that really need to be juiced up. Godin poses the question “If you’re not going to put in the effort to be the best possible choice, why bother?”

Why, indeed?

It’s much easier to be mediocre than it is to confront reality and quit. According to Godin, quitting is much harder than you might think. Quitting requires you to realize you’ll never be #1 in the world. At least not at what you’re doing right now. So, it’s easier to put it off, not admit it – it’s easier to settle for mediocre.

Mediocrity is rampant in this day and age. The Dip illustrates lackluster attempts at success such as; ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in a job application, junk mail with misspelled names, salespeople who are eager to open an account but never follow up, doctors who don’t bother to call to see if the prescribed medicines are working. I’m sure you can come up with a handful of examples yourself.

Here’s another question from Godin, “Are you hoping to become a success because you’re the only one being considered?”

If so, it’s time to reassess your own motivation and realize you are not the only game in town. Not only that but the internet has taken business to a global level and you can bet there ARE other choices.

Here’s another thought to ponder. According to Godin, some of our learned behaviors originating from our school days are the source of discontent and even failure. Godin points out “Just about everything we learned in school about life is wrong, but the most wrong thing might very well be this: Being well rounded is the secret to success.”

He goes on to ask, “How often do you look for someone who is actually quite good at things you don’t need them to do?” “How often do you hope your accountant is a safe driver and a decent golfer?”

In a nutshell, it makes more sense to be really good at one thing, your specialty and that will set you apart from the crowd. Chances are you’re really passionate about one thing but can do many. Wouldn’t you be happier focusing on your passion?

There are, according to Godin, three curves that define almost any type of situation facing you as you try to accomplish your goals.

1) Curve 1 is The Dip: The Dip is where the challenges begin. The combination of bureaucracy and busywork you must deal with in order to become what you really want to be. It’s the hard steps you endure to be the best that you can be. Successful people don’t just ride out the Dip, they lean into it, push harder, change the rules and come out on top.

2) Curve 2 is The Cul-De-Sac: This is the French word for “dead end”. It’s the situation where you continue doing the same thing and nothing changes. It’s doesn’t necessarily get better or worse -it just is. That’s why there are positions referred to as “dead end jobs”. When you realize you’re in the Cul-De-Sac you must get out. Because a dead end keeps you from doing something of real value.

3) Curve 3 is The Cliff: Godin likens this to smoking. Smoking can bring pleasure but over time there is a nasty drop off at the end (emphysema). Smoking is designed to be almost impossible to quit, the longer you do it, the better it feels. The pain of quitting gets bigger and bigger. The Cliff is the situation where you cannot get out (quit) until you fall off or fall apart.

The bottom line is, if it’s worth doing there’s probably a Dip. The Dip creates scarcity and scarcity creates value. The Cul-De-Sac and The Cliff are the curves that lead to failure. Godin says if you find yourself in either of these two curves you need to quit. Not soon, but now.

Where are you? Have you found The Dip? Are you stuck in the Cul-De-Sac? Ready to fall off of the Cliff??  Is it time for you to quit or stick?

[Tags] Lisa Manyon, www.lisamanyon.com, The Dip, Seth Godin, quitting, [/Tags]

My friend and colleague Susan Daffron nominated me for The Honest Scrap award. You can check her out at www.LogicalExpressions.com.

Now it?€™s my turn to pay it forward.

First I?€™m required to list 10 honest and interesting things that you might not know about me. They are not supposed to be boring or something you might have guessed. So, you’ll have to let me know how I did.

Second I must nominate 7 other honest scrappers (at least that?€™s what I?€™m calling you). It’s my understanding these are bright, intelligent people who “call it like it like they see it and tell it like it is.”

Finally, I post all the info to my blog and if you?€™re nominated you?€™re supposed to do the same thing.

So, here goes?€¦

10 Honest Things About Me?€¦

1. As a child, I pledged
My head to clearer thinking,
My heart to greater loyalty,
My hands to larger service, and
My health to better living,
For my club, my community, my country, and my world.

I still have my 4-H cap (it?€™s AWESOME!).

2. I?€™m not particularly fond of cats (but used to have 13 at one time when I was a kid)?€¦ Now, I may be becoming the cat lady of wine?€¦(you?€™ll have to ask me if you want to know what that means).

3. I love what I do so much that it?€™s almost scary. I know that I am blessed and I live in gratitude EVERY day (even the bad days).

4. Every once in a while I crave a Quarter Pounder, plain, with cheese only and French fries ON it. Try it.

5. I LOVE playing Wii ?€“ favorites include Wii Play target practice (I?€™m secretly a sharp shooter), Dancing With the Stars and Wii Fit (this in theory offsets the aforementioned Quarter Pounder).

6. Pomegranates are my favorite fruit and I insist upon removing all the individual arils (that?€™s what the individual seeds/fruit inside the bitter skin are called) and carefully placing them in a bowl. I am not allowed to eat a single one until I have finished removing all the arils and then I eat them with a spoon.

7. I have a list of 5 non profits I plan to contribute $10K each to when I become successful enough to do so.

8. I secretly wish to win Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes so I can accomplish #7 even quicker.

9. I am mathematically challenged and sometimes transpose numbers but not letters.

10. Even though I am a spoiled, only child and celebrate my birthday all month long, I cherish experiences way more than things.

And now, here are my lucky number 7 honest scrappers (in no particular order):

I’m nominating each of them because they’ve touched my life in a special way. Now, the pressure is? on for them to pay it forward to someone else.

1) Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero www.RedHotCopy.com

2) James Roche www.theinfoproductguy.com

3) Christina Merkley www.Shift-It-Coach.com

4) Peter Shankman www.HelpAReporterOut.com

5) Ali Brown www.AlexandriaBrown.com

6) Nancy Marmolejo www.VivaVisibility.com

7) Tom Buford www.ChargeWhatYouDeserve.com

Scrap on, my friends. I look forward to learning some things about each of you that I don’t already know.

[tags] The Honest Scrap Award, blogging, bloggers, Logical Expressions, Think Big, Red Hot Copy, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Michael Port, Christina Merkley, Ali Brown, Peter Shankman, Nancy Marmolejo, Tom Buford, Lisa Manyon, honesty [/tags]

by Lisa Manyon:?  www.LisaManyon.com

“What We Believe We Can Achieve” - This quote sticks with me although the author’s name escapes me.

“If you think you can you’re right and if you think you can’t you’re right.” - This is another quote that speaks to my soul.

Mindset and success are at the forefront of my thoughts after an incredible week in Los Angeles. I experienced 7 days of full emersion learning. The first three days at my friend, mentor and colleague, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero’s She Factor event and the last four at Ali Brown’s last ever Online Success Blueprint Workshop.

Both events far exceeded my expectations – as they always do with either of these remarkable women and I HIGHLY recommend you invest in yourself and get the recordings of BOTH of these events. Or at the VERY least hop on board Lorrie’s ongoing Sterling mentorship and Ali’s Silver level mentorship (you get a free subscription to the new Ali magazine with this investment – that alone is worth it!)

But I digress — one of the most important factors of experiencing these LIVE events was the exposure to new ideas, positive energy and proven tools to improve business, mind and soul. This includes all the amazing people I met, too. The energy was truly incredible.

It’s often hard to maintain that same energetic mojo when we return to our regular environments. It’s especially challenging for me because I live in a rather rural part of Idaho. Please don’t misunderstand, Idaho is absolutely beautiful and I love my home. At the same time, I was saddened to leave my “tribe” of extraordinary women from all over the world, when I left Los Angeles.

While I have a fantastic group of friends here in Idaho, I find that I don’t have the business support and motivation I need to really fuel my business passion on a deep, spiritual level. I find I have to tap into that myself by investing in mentorship and programs with other like-minded, entrepreneurial women.

In fact, I was faced with having someone tell me when I returned that they don’t really think it’s possible to make money doing what I’m doing and that I’m merely living the dream. There was a little more to it but it really shocked me.

I was saddened by this. Mostly because it showed me that this person is stuck in a negative belief pattern. But also because I realized that even though I’ve shared my knowledge and expertise to help others grow, people aren’t always ready to do so and may not want to see me doing what I love and actually succeeding. This subject was one Ali discussed and I found it interesting to be faced with this very same thing the same day I returned to Idaho. I’ve been thinking of relocating and this made me think about it even more.

Then, later in the week I attended a Business After Hours event for the Chamber of Commerce. Again I was told that what I’m doing is fantastic but it’s not for this area. Hmm – - It’s true, a majority of my clients are from out of the area but I do work with local clients who value talent and growth. Once again, I was confronted with a limited mindset.

Regardless of other people’s opinions, I choose to be optimistic, I regularly invest in my craft to be the best that I can be and I know in my heart what I do helps support the dreams of others. I’m not going to allow my success to be thwarted by people who choose to limit their own success.

It may seem like I’m on a soap box here. And, in a sense I am – I believe in my heart that everyone can achieve whatever they put their minds to. What are your thoughts? Are you aware of your limitless opportunities? Are you surrounded with people who support your greatest good? Are you looking at your business with fresh perspective to accomplish new and exciting things that haven’t been done before? I challenge you to experience something different.

[Tags] success, marketing, Lorrie Morgan-Ferero, Ali Brown, She Factor, Online Success Blueprint Workshop, copywriting, Lisa Manyon, www.writeoncreative.com, business success [/tags]