Using AI in Your Small Business
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
While doing my research, I found that although AI is faster at producing content than humans, it’s not necessarily more accurate or even more efficient than human-generated content. Overall, human content performs better.
Faster doesn’t equal better. Even though human-generated content takes longer to create, it gets more visitors.
So, what is this advantage that humans have over AI chatbots?
It basically comes down to context and emotion.
AI isn’t capable of always understanding the context of content. Although it can write 2,000-word articles on any number of complex topics, it can’t often fit this information into the context of larger concepts. So, AI-generated content can miss out on nuance and important related and relevant insights.
In order to help readers understand and digest the subject matter easily, human content writers are better able to make big-picture connections.
Another area where AI falls short is emotion and empathy. You can ask a chatbot to write a blog article with a certain tone, but the results can be unnatural and ineffective. People are emotional creatures.
Content writers have life experiences they draw upon to write content that inspires sadness, fear, happiness, or anger because they’ve felt these emotions. They can also be subtle with their delivery, another area where AI-generated content frequently fails.
All of this is not to say that you should avoid using AI. You just need to know when to use it strategically and how to effectively leverage it.
Following are a few tips for using AI in your content creation activities:
Data Collection and Analysis
Although you can’t always trust the data and citations provided by AI, you can trust them with the data you provide yourself. Chatbots are great for summarizing and analyzing data so you can provide more insights to your readers.
Use it to brainstorm. ChatGPT, AnswerThePublic, and other chatbots are able to deliver dozens of blog topic ideas in a few minutes. You can be as specific or general with what you want in your request.
Use it to write a first draft. Although you need to spend time humanizing AI content, you can ask chatbots to create articles by using prompts like the one above. This means adding context, removing redundancies and inaccuracies, and adding to your brand’s voice.
Use it to conduct consumer research. For digital ad testing, content testing, and more you can use tools like Poll the People to conduct surveys and then analyze them.
You can and should use AI freely, but don’t become over-reliant on it. You should view it like any other tool in your digital marketing cache.
Is AI good for keyword research?
If you’ve ever spent hours analyzing spreadsheets, digging through search volume numbers, or trying to predict the best-performing keywords, you’re probably looking for a smarter, faster way to handle keyword research.
AI-powered keyword research can be your definitive SEO partner, helping you to predict trends, discover hidden keyword opportunities, and better understand user intent.
AI isn’t about replacing your expertise—it’s about expanding it. AI now becomes your SEO assistant. It’s about making your SEO strategies more effective and efficient.
You can use AI tools to save time and effort, speed up keyword research, provide smart keyword suggestions, and analyze large datasets quickly.
Among other tasks, you can use AI for search engine results page (SERP) analysis, for searching competitor strategies, and for searching sentiment insights.
AI can automate tasks, but, as stated earlier in this article, it can’t replace your expertise. For best results, combine AI data with your knowledge.
Relying too much on AI tools, without oversight, can lead to errors. Plus, AI tools for keyword research can be costly and they require a learning curve.
From Semrush to ChatGPT, select tools that fit your strategy needs—whether that’s creative brainstorming or deep analysis.
AI is transforming keyword research, making it more accurate, faster, and more insightful than ever before. By using AI keyword research tools to help create your SEO strategies, you can uncover hidden opportunities, stay ahead of the competition, and save time. Just remember, the most powerful approach combines AI’s data-crunching abilities with your unique industry expertise and creativity. Leaverage this technology when and where it makes the most sense for you.
The future of SEO is here. Take your online journey to the next level by using AI in your small business. Continue your online journey and start experimenting with AI tools today— Don’t get left behind.
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Developing Your Digital Marketing Strategy
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
As a marketer, considering the creation of the best marketing strategy, you need to have a clear understanding of your business, product, and demographics before choosing one that will be effective for your needs.
To grow your online visibility, you need a plan for using different channels to do so. In this plan, you should consider factors such as your target audience, strengths and weaknesses, and your competitors.
To help you decide which marketing channels to use or test, check data from across your business, your target audience, and how you want to communicate your… Read Article
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What it Takes to Start a Home-Based Business
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
According to MarketWatch, about 54% of working Americans focus on side hustles or small businesses and freelancing to plan for savings and emergencies and create passive income for normal expenses and planning for the future. The majority of this number is comprised of 71% of Gen Z and 68% of Millennials.
Although launching a business can be exciting, you can easily become overwhelmed without proper planning. Starting a business from your home is like starting any business with one exception. You won’t need to lease commercial space.
If you’re thinking about starting a home-based business, you probably already know the type of business you plan to launch. If not, the first step is to identify your concept. If you have an idea, fine-tune it before launching your home-based business.
What does it take to start an HBB?
Here’s how you should proceed to get your freelance venture or small business up and running:
1. Choose a business concept that aligns with your interests, career background, or newly developed skills.
2. Outline your strategy and create a business plan.
3. Be disciplined and set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals toward achieving your long-term goal.
4. Set up a dedicated workspace and prepare all your essential remote working tools, software, etc.
5. Build your brand identity and expand it through your online presence across social media platforms, and visibility on Google using your website, and through email marketing channels.
6. Before fully launching, prepare to track your finances and business banking.
7. Test your idea on a small group of people, gather feedback, and fine-tune your business model, service, or product offering.
8. Running a business all on your own can be isolating, and mentally and emotionally challenging. Focus on ways to maintain work-life balance and a network with others while operating your business from home.
9. Constantly learn and improve, and as your business picks up find methods to work smarter instead of harder and to shorten hours.
In a nutshell, this is what it takes to start a home-based business.
Starting a home-based business can be exciting and rewarding, although there will be challenges as with anything new.
What are the advantages of owning a home-based business?
Some advantages of owning a home-based business:
No Commuting
No Commuting is the most obvious one, as it saves time and bus fare or car expenses unless you have to travel to visit customers.
Lower Overhead
Since you won’t have to buy or rent business space elsewhere or maintain a separate office, you’ll probably only have the cost of business licenses and taxes.
Tax Advantages
Check with your Chamber of Commerce for tax advantages.
Operating a home-based business can be a way to recover your business expenses and sometimes reduce the amount of income tax you have to pay. To qualify for a reduction in income taxes, your office space area needs to pass the “exclusive use” test, meaning you must be able to show that a part of your home is your primary place of business and is used regularly and exclusively for conducting business.
Family Time
If you have children, operating a home-based business can allow you more flexibility with child care and more time to spend with family.
When your children are old enough, you can legally employ them in your business, as long as you follow the rules. There are certain restrictions, especially for children under the age of 18.
Always consult with an attorney before taking steps to employ your children in your business so that you can ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, which may vary greatly depending on locality.
What are the disadvantages of owning a home-based business?
An HBB is not for everyone; there are some disadvantages:
Municipalities regulate home-based businesses, and particular neighborhoods may have agreements against them. If you’re renting, landlords tend not to be home-based business-friendly.
Might Not Work for You
A home-based business might not work for you, even if allowed where you live. Signage, parking, and the need for home-based insurance might make running a home-based business a bad idea. Conflict can be created between other tenants and your landlord who may be irritated at the non-resident traffic.
Isolation
Countless people, who run home-based businesses, suffer from feelings of isolation and being out of the loop. This can be particularly intense for people who have spent much of their career in highly collaborative office areas and suddenly have no one to talk to when they switch to an entirely home-based business career.
Interferes with Family life
Some people find that running a home-based business causes a conflict in their family life. They may find that running a business out of the home means that business needs are regularly taking away family time. This blurring of the lines between home and business means they never feel off the clock even after hours.
Starting a home-based business provides you with a unique opportunity to grow at your own pace, achieve the seemingly impossible in your career, and work flexibly at the same time. It allows strong potential for significant professional growth.
If after performing due diligence and research you decide you have what it takes to start a home-based business, use this information to get started today.
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12 New Trends in Affiliate Marketing
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
Affiliate marketing is a revenue-sharing arrangement where businesses work with content creators and influencers (affiliates) to promote their products or services. Here are the trends.
1. Traditional Advertising Issues
Digital ad spending slowed to single-digit figures for the first time in 2 decades, a trend that will continue. Marketers, using traditional forms of digital marketing, are struggling to succeed in this new environment defined by customers looking for more genuine, humanized content, and personalized support.
Studies show companies are wasting billions on programmatic media spending that doesn’t lead to results. As new user growth continues to plateau, ads on social media channels are not leading to results.
More and more, brands looking for ways to protect themselves from diminishing ROI, are turning to direct collaborations with creators, such as influencers and affiliates. Major brands have all launched large-scale affiliate marketing programs in the last year, tying brand awareness-building activities to tangible financial success.
This trend is expected to continue, which helps to counter platform-dependent risks and rising customer acquisition costs. This relationship also represents a positive shift for creators, who are looking for more reliable incomes, especially since TikTok canceled its creator fund.
Moving forward, companies might need to take a closer look at their marketing budgets and decide where they’re getting the biggest return on investment. If you’re not getting positive results from paid social media and search ads, you might consider switching to affiliate marketing as a great way to optimize your marketing budget.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
As already stated, affiliate marketing is a revenue-sharing arrangement where businesses work with content creators and influencers (affiliates) to promote their products or services.
Affiliates earn a commission for each visit, signup, or sale they make for a merchant.
This strategy allows businesses to outsource part of the sales process and gain a wider reach while affiliates earn income, and customers discover valuable products or services.
2. Cookie Depreciation
Attribution models shift with cookie depreciation. Affiliate marketing has always been a form of performance-based marketing. However, the way companies track affiliate performance will need to change.
Many attribution models, including the multi-touch, last-click, and time-decay models rely on cookies. Google has finally begun denying these third-party cookies in the Chrome browser.
Now, business leaders can no longer depend on cookies to accurately measure affiliate performance. As an alternative, some companies are adopting server-to-server tracking, but many are struggling to get the right technology to enable end-to-end monitoring.
In the future, business leaders will need to leverage technology that not only enables them to track important metrics like conversion rate, click-through rate, lifetime value, and monthly recurring revenue but also maintains a complete view of the customer journey.
New and improved affiliate marketing platforms will deliver remarkable results for business leaders. Intuitive platforms that offer tracking, metric management, and automated payment processing should present businesses with more of the data and support they need.
3. AI Will Influence Marketing Trends
Artificial Intelligence will influence affiliate marketing trends. AI has become deeply integrated into the marketing environment. Businesses are making use of artificial intelligence for everything. It’s essentially the next generation of content personalization, enhanced by artificial intelligence.
If you’re employing an affiliate marketing strategy, find out what concerns your audience has. Avoid using AI to completely eliminate the “human” aspect from the affiliate marketing method, because this will make it more difficult for you to connect with your audience.
As a content creator, you’ll be able to scale your production efforts, increase productivity and creativity, and also offer access to new tools that support the creation of unique resources like AI images. Keep in mind the fact that there will also be challenges to overcome.
4. Partnerships Evolve
Affiliate, partner, and brand partnerships evolve. B2C and B2B partnerships have grown increasingly crucial. Companies rely more on partnerships for the collection of data, understanding their customers, and building better relationships. In the years to come, there will be a greater focus on affiliate marketing overlapping activities throughout entire organizations.
Affiliate strategies not only drive leads for sellers, but they can help to gain the attention of strategic partners and improve employee acquisition. Then companies will be forced to take a more holistic approach when implementing their affiliate strategies.
Companies will begin to organize joint webinars and events with their affiliates, co-creating content, and studying different revenue-sharing models.5. The TikTok and Amazon Turf War
The evolution of the digital and technology landscapes is one of the major factors driving new affiliate marketing trends. As larger tech companies continue to grow, they’ve started scrutinizing each other for ideas to increase revenue.
So, we’re seeing more overlap between previously dissimilar brands. Amazon was once just the world’s leading shopping marketplace. However, it’s now promoting ad space and investing in new ways to help customers find inspiration for what to buy.
On the other hand, TikTok, used to be a place purely for entertainment, which also offered customers insights on what kind of products they might want to purchase. Now, people can buy products directly from the platform, thanks to TikTok’s shopping features.
These two companies are in direct competition with each other, and both appear to be reliant on affiliates. Affiliate marketing has always been a core part of Amazon’s growth strategy, and TikTok has always relied heavily on its creators.
This new landscape will force brands to rethink their approach to affiliate marketing. Do they want to drive customers to a marketplace like TikTok or Amazon, where they can purchase products? Or do companies want to be sure they’re driving customers back to their actual website to learn more about the brand and possibly make additional purchases?
If companies choose the latter, they’ll need to focus heavily on enhancing the customer experience by creating unique assets, like ‘live shopping,’ only available on their websites.
5. The TikTok and Amazon Turf War
The evolution of the digital and technology landscapes is one of the major factors driving new affiliate marketing trends. As larger tech companies continue to grow, they’ve started scrutinizing each other for ideas to increase revenue.
So, we’re seeing more overlap between previously dissimilar brands. Amazon was once just the world’s leading shopping marketplace. However, it’s now promoting ad space and investing in new ways to help customers find inspiration for what to buy.
On the other hand, TikTok, used to be a place purely for entertainment, which also offered customers insights on what kind of products they might want to purchase. Now, people can buy products directly from the platform, thanks to TikTok’s shopping features.
These two companies are in direct competition with each other, and both appear to be reliant on affiliates. Affiliate marketing has always been a core part of Amazon’s growth strategy, and TikTok has always relied heavily on its creators.
This new landscape will force brands to rethink their approach to affiliate marketing. Do they want to drive customers to a marketplace like TikTok or Amazon, where they can purchase products? Or do companies want to be sure they’re driving customers back to their actual website to learn more about the brand and possibly make additional purchases?
If companies choose the latter, they’ll need to focus heavily on enhancing the customer experience by creating unique assets, like ‘live shopping,’ only available on their websites.
6. New Landscapes
Interest in affiliate marketing grows in new landscapes.
Previously, affiliate marketing was widely respected as a popular choice for B2C companies, focusing on advertising products to a broad audience. That’s starting to change. B2B companies and enterprise-level brands, particularly those in the software space, are also seeing the value of affiliate marketing. In the B2B enterprise world, the growth of affiliate marketing is being driven by the increasing intricacy of the buyer journey.
This trend will continue to gather speed, making it more important for B2B affiliate marketers to help guide customers toward buying decisions. Establishing strong relationships with content creators will allow B2B companies to boost the visibility of their solutions early on and start building trust. These efforts will support good SEO, helping companies draw more traffic to their websites from relevant backlinks.
7. Influencer Relationships
There’s an increasing focus on influencer relationships. In recent years influencer marketing has become a leading strategy for both B2C and B2B companies. Purchasers want to see more real, authentic, content from online creators they already love. There will probably be an increase in companies leveraging influencers and affiliate marketers in tandem to capitalize on this push.
Influencer marketing strategies are already common among 93% of brands, and trends like working with nano-influencers, micro-influencers, and video influencers to boost awareness will continue to grow with the main shift being the type of influencer content created.
Influencers and affiliates will need to take a more understated, relatable approach, and create content for a variety of platforms, including TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube to push the correct results.
There may be more teams co-creating content with other organizations to help increase reach and improve growth and allow affiliates and influencers to create in-depth, educational content connected to the products they’re promoting, thus delivering more value to customers.
8. Content Diversification
Content diversification will be one of the most significant affiliate marketing trends to watch in the future. First, affiliate marketers will need to start creating content for all segments of the customer journey. This means focusing not just on driving sales but on increasing engagement and customer lifetime value with educational content, onboarding videos, and related solutions.
And secondly, these creators will need to test different content formats.
A short time ago, most affiliates relied on blog posts and the occasional social media strategy to promote brands. While these forms of content still have value, the flood of content on the web and changing search engine algorithms connected to written content will require many to take a more all-inclusive approach. For instance:
Video content
Podcasts
Long-tail search content
9. The Community in Affiliate Marketing Trends
Online communities are everywhere, and they represent an incredible opportunity in affiliate marketing trends. They are more niche-focused, and provide access to more engaged users. Using affiliates to drive attention toward communities could help companies collect more valuable, first-party data about their customers, their preferences, and their needs. Developing a community will give companies an excellent way to find more highly qualified affiliates for their team.
10. The Metaverse in Affiliate Marketing Programs
Already, many companies building their own metaverse experiences with a focus on enhancing customer experience and increasing brand loyalty. Soon, many more companies will see the opportunity to leverage affiliate strategies for promoting both physical and virtual products.
It’s hard to know what affiliate marketing in the metaverse will look like. Still, the rise of metaverse experiences is likely to have a major impact on affiliate marketing trends and business growth in the future. The largest challenge for businesses is likely to be in finding affiliates who are familiar with the metaverse, and digital landscapes.
11. More Affiliate Content
Many companies investing in affiliate marketing have been cautious, In the past, about promoting how frequently they invest in ‘paid sponsorship.’ Many companies want the recommendations made by affiliates on their social media channels and blogs to seem like genuine, user-generated content.
Most consumers won’t buy the idea that someone would post a 20-minute video about a new email marketing platform or set of wireless earbuds without any reward. Also, many areas have imposed new regulations that require affiliate marketers and influencers to label their content as ‘sponsored.’
That represents an opportunity for brands to earn the trust of their customers through honest, transparent disclaimers, and it also means companies don’t have to back away from promoting affiliate content on their platforms.
12. Publishers Demands
Publishers will demand greater support from advertisers.
One of the most significant affiliate marketing trends, going forward, is the demand for greater support from advertisers. Brands that want to drive excellent results from their affiliate programs, will need to give creators a greater level of assistance.
They’ll need to support these creators with everything from figuring out how to navigate the new SEO landscape to ensuring they understand which types of media to use for different promotions.
The challenges facing affiliates are growing just as the demand for affiliate marketing might be increasing in a complex promotional environment. Business leaders can’t expect to provide their affiliates with a custom link and leave them on their own anymore.
Comprehensive affiliate marketing strategies will require that business leaders build ‘enablement resources’ to give affiliates more of the tools they need to succeed. This could include providing them with digital marketing training tools, branded photography, pitch decks, and more.
They’ll also need to rethink the commission structure. Building a tailor-made arrangement that prioritizes retaining and rewarding your best affiliates will ensure you can constantly scale and optimize your program.
Adjusting to the 12 new trends in affiliate marketing discussed here will require taking a comprehensive approach to changing strategy. However, investing enough time and effort into a holistic plan for modern affiliate marketing success will pay off.
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How Long Should Your Blog Articles Be?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
You shouldn’t be overly concerned about word count when writing content. The quality is what really matters.
Due to recent algorithm updates, shorter articles are ranking better. But this is also related to changes in the way we consume content. The ideal length also changes significantly across industries.
Tech websites use fairly short articles that are commentaries on a product, technology development, or an event.
Fashion is another industry that uses short posts. These readers don’t care about the history of a trend or how garments are made. What you’re going to see are thousands of articles about which looks are hot and how to recreate them.
Job recruitment topics usually range from 900 – 1,000 words. Job hunters don’t have the time to read thousands of words. They want to find new employment quickly.
Food Bloggers can use around 1,200 words to cover an introduction and an in-depth recipe.
Finance, sales, and healthcare are some industries that still benefit from the comprehensiveness and depth of long-form content. As these industries cover fairly complex topics, it’s almost always necessary to go beyond 2,000 words in order to satisfy readers’ interest.
Retail, manufacturing, marketing, food, and travel use mid-length articles of 1,000 – 2,000 words to cover information. This remains the most common article length.
Keep your target audience in mind at all times, as you choose your blog topics and how much content to write for each. If you know their needs can be met with less than 1,000 words, don’t waste their time with fluff.
While doing research for this article, I came across this quote from Ryan Velez, freelance writer and editor:
Ideal blog length has always evolved over time. As a response to the wave of 750-word content, things expanded to be a lot more comprehensive, 2,500 words-plus. Now, with the wave of AI-generated content flooding the internet, word count doesn’t guarantee quality to the same degree. Combine that with the ‘TikTok Effect,’ and ideal content size is smaller now and quicker to get to the point. Think 1,500 to 2,000 words.
What is content marketing?
Content marketing is a long-term strategy used with the goal of building relationships with your target audience by methodically delivering high-quality, relevant content that educates and ultimately makes sales.
Long-Form Content vs. Short-Form
Web users are becoming smarter. Searches using long-tailed keywords increase daily. These users want specific answers to specific questions. So, your content strategy needs to match their increasing knowledge.
Creating content with a high word count allows the you to feel a sense of achievement you don’t get when writing 500-word articles. Marketers are feeling like they have to create long-form content to get a toehold in the SERPs.
But the times are changing. Users are falling in love with short-form content. It’s part of the reason U.S. adults spend up to an hour on TikTok.
Over 50 percent of business videos are less than two minutes long.
Combine these statistics with the fact that more and more adults believe attention spans are getting shorter, and it’s easy to see why consumers are placing greater emphasis and trust in concise articles that quickly answer their questions.
So, back to the question, how long should your blog articles be?
Two decades ago, the average article length was between 500-800 words. By the mid-2010s, articles were in excess of 2,000 words.
There are multiple reasons for this which include the way readers scan articles online and the psychology of equating length with quality.
Now, more concise articles are the trend. Although these aren’t quite as short as 800 words, they are short enough to quickly answer readers’ questions.
As you can see, longer is not necessarily better, neither is shorter. There is no one correct answer for blog article length. It’s dependent upon the industry. Your focus should be on quality not quantity or rankings.
Focus on top-quality content and promote it effectively rather than on how much to write.
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13 Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid in Writing
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
It can be embarrassing when somebody else finds a grammar mistake in your work, but don’t let it get to you. We all make grammar mistakes.
What is a grammar mistake?
A grammar mistake is any incorrect usage of a word or a deviation from established grammatical rules.
As language continually evolves, a phrase or word choice that’s used today may have been a grammar mistake in the past.
We’ll view 13 common grammar mistakes to avoid in writing so you’ll know how to identify, fix, and steer clear of them.
Your goal is to have clear, polished, mistake-free writing. So, we’ll look at 13 common grammar mistakes and show you how to fix them.
1. Who vs. that
Use who when referring to a person. That is used for inanimate objects.
Example My brother is the one who wrote the book.
Example I bought a purse that is light to carry.
Example They’re part of an organization that promotes organic farming.
2. Affect vs. effect
Affect is a verb that means to cause something to happen. Effect is a noun that indicates a result.
Example How will the continuous rain affect construction?
Example The increasing layoffs will have a major effect on the economy.
3. Who’s vs. whose
Who’s is a contraction of who is. Whose is a relative pronoun; a possessive form of who.
Example Who’s ready to go?
Example Whose bookbag is this?
4. Who vs. whom
Who is the subject in a sentence, while whom is the object.
Example Who will be going to the banquet this weekend?
Example To whom shall I address the package?
5. Less vs. fewer
Less is used to describe an abstract or otherwise uncountable amounts of items. Fewer is used for countable numbers of items.
Example The students had less time to practice today.
Example If fewer people used disposable water bottles, there would be less plastic in landfills.
6. I.e. vs. e.g.
I.e. which is short for, id est, is used to clarify statements. E.g., short for exempli gratia, is used to provide examples.
Example I’ll be off again tomorrow, (i.e., I’m still very sick).
Example I’ve read lots of books over the past year (e.g., Undaunted, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and How Green was my Valley).
Always add a comma following these abbreviations, and enclose them in parentheses.
7. Then vs. than
Then indicates when something will happen. Than is used to compare things or people.
Example First we’ll have lunch; then go to a movie.
Example All my brothers are taller than me.
8. Each and every
Each refers to two items or the individual items in a group. Every refers to three or more items or to the group as a whole.
Example Each of my children came to visit me this year.
Example Every one of my coworkers is going to the restaurant.
9. May vs. might
May is generally used in the present tense to ask for permission and to indicate something that is likely to happen. Might is used with the past tense and to describe things that either didn’t happen or are unlikely to happen.
Example May I bring a guest to the party?
Example There might have been time for review, but the fire alarm went off.
10. Farther vs. further
Farther refers to literal distance. Further means “more.”
The mountain looked farther away than ever.
We’ll have no further communication.
11. Past vs. passed
Past can be a noun, an adjective, a preposition, or an adverb. It refers to something that has already happened. Passed is a verb.
Example My cousin told us stories about the past.
Example The bus passed on our right side.
12. Passive voice
While not inherently incorrect, many writers use the passive voice when the active voice would be a more correct, clearer choice.
Passive voice: The layout was prepared by me.
Active voice: I prepared the layout.
13. Possessive nouns
Possessive nouns are versions of nouns that show ownership. They often use apostrophes.
Example That’s John’s letter opener.
For a plural possessive noun, the apostrophe goes after the s.
Example The marchers’ instruments.
There are different schools of thought about what to do when a singular possessive noun ends in the letter s. Some say the apostrophe goes at the end, without adding an s.
Example That’s Jonas’ car.
The Chicago style requires that when a name ending in s becomes possessive, you add an apostrophe and an s.
Example That’s Jonas’s car.
These are just 13 common grammar mistakes to avoid in writing, but there are many others that people make. Practice, reading extensively, and using grammar-checking tools will help you spot mistakes and make corrections. With time, practice, and patience, you’ll be able to improve your grammar skills and become a more confident writer.
I recommend Grammarly as a checking tool. It’s free.
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Creative Writing Content Niches
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
When it comes to content writing, finding the right topic and angle can seem almost impossible.
If you’re balancing a lot on your plate and facing tight deadlines, you can feel stumped and uninspired. Here are some trending content writing topics to keep your writing rhythm going.
Why is having content writing topics important?
Having content writing ideas is important because it:
Saves time – if you pre-plan your content there’s time to research and write more effectively, thus, saving time and effort.
Avoids writer’s block – To avoid last-minute decisions, have a list of topics beforehand which eliminates stress and keeps your mind clear to focus on creating quality content.
Ensures variety – To meet various preferences and needs and to create diverse fresh content, keep sample topics for content writing ready.
Boosts productivity – When you have a clear map of topics, you can work more effectively promptly produce high-quality content.
Builds topical authority – You can build trust and authority in your niche by planning your content around specific topics that allow you to dive deep and showcase your expertise.
Improves scheduling – If you have content topics in advance, you can create a content calendar, which makes it easier to consistently schedule, write, and publish.
Content writing includes a large blend of niche-based topics that offer you many options to explore.
What are some niche content writing topics?
Here are seven creative writing content niches:
Science and Technology
Cybersecurity Trends And Tips
Breakthroughs In Space Exploration
Machine Learning Algorithms
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Gaming
How Robotics is Changing Industries
Latest Renewable Energy Innovations
How Blockchain Works
Advancements In Medical Technology
The Possibility of Achieving Immortality Through Science
Future Transport: Electric Vehicles, Self-Driving Cars, And Hyperloop
Fashion and Lifestyle
How to Find Your Signature Look
The Evolution of Streetwear Culture
How Clothing Impacts Our Mood and Confidence
Tips For Mixing And Matching Patterns In Fashion
Must-Know DIY Fashion Hacks
Beauty Routines For Every Skin Type
Fashion Icons of The Decade
How To Build A Capsule Wardrobe
Seasonal Wardrobe Essentials
How To Make Mindful Purchasing Decisions
Budgeting Tips And Strategies For Financial Wellness
Ways To Design A Cozy And Functional Home Office Space
Health and Wellness
Tips For Reducing Screen Time
How To Maintain A Balanced Diet
The Science Behind Intermittent Fasting
Healthy Meal Prep Ideas For The Week
The Importance Of Sleep Hygiene
Healing Herbs For Everyday Use
The Power Of Positive Thinking
Home Workouts For All Fitness Levels
The Benefits Of Yoga For Stress Management
Natural Healing Through Ayurvedic Practices
Mindfulness Practices For Busy Lives
Travel and photography
The Impact Of Travel On Personal Growth
How To Travel on A Budget
Traveling With Kids: Family-Friendly Destinations
Packing Essentials For Different Climates
Top Destinations For Adventure Seekers
Tips For Solo Travelers
Astrophotography For Beginners
Drone Photography Essentials
The Beauty Of Capturing Culture Through Photography
Landscape Photography Tips
Food and Recipes
Healthy Snacks For Busy Days
The Role Of Nutrition In Healthy Eating
Meal Planning And Prepping For Busy People
Seasonal Recipes For Fresh Produce
Cooking With Alternative Ingredients
Desserts You Can Make In Under 30 Minutes
Creative Plating Techniques For Home Cooks
Restaurant Recipe Hacks
Cooking For A Crowd: Tips And Tricks
Baking Tips For Beginners
Business and Finance
Steps To Start And Launch Your Own Business
Personal Finance Tips For Millennials
Emerging Trends In E-Commerce
The Future Of Remote Work And Its Impact On Businesses
How To Improve Your Credit Score
The Importance Of Networking In Business
Investment Strategies For Beginners
The Role Of Digital Marketing In Business Growth
Inspiring Stories Of Female Entrepreneurs
Sports and Entertainment
Upcoming Sports Events To Watch This Year
The Rise Of Women In Sports And Media
Unforgettable Moments In Sports History
The Best Sports Documentaries To Watch
How To Stay Fit Like Your Favorite Athletes
Celebrity Athletes And Crossover Careers
The Impact Of Streaming Services On Entertainment
Behind The Scenes: The Making Of A Movie
The Evolution Of Stand-Up Comedy
These content writing topics will help excite your readers enough to get them to open and further explore your blog.
Once you have suitable content writing topics lined up for your upcoming blog articles, it’s time to create a blog outline for logical content structure.
This outline should include:
Title – should be appealing enough to let reader know what your blog is about and why they should spend their time on it.
Intro – Follow the title with persuasive introduction ideas that paint a clear picture of what your blog topic will cover and what can be expected from it. Make sure to add ideas that make the reader stay instead of leaving.
Body and Headings – Identify main sections or key points you want to cover in your blog article. These sections form the bulk of your post and should be in logical order.
Divide them into main headings and subheadings. These sections will form the core of your blog article, each addressing a specific portion or idea related to your topic.
Conclusion
You need an engaging conclusion to nicely wrap up your content. Your outline must signal you to recap all the key takeaways from when you actually write the article.
To keep them reading use the following blog post best practices:
Create an Engaging Title
Understand Your Target Audience
Incorporate strategic Keywords
Use Tools to Proofread Your Content
Leverage Internal & External Linking
Check out the aforementioned 7 creative writing content niches trending topics and find the best one for your niche and write about it. Each topic holds its own potential. It’s your writing style that adds a distinctive touch and gets your content to the level of being top-ranked on Google’s search engine results page.
Types of Copywriting to Use in Your Business
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
What is copywriting?
Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. Copywriting is aimed at selling products or services. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or group to take a particular action. Copywriters help to create billboards, brochures, catalogs, jingle lyrics, magazine and newspaper advertisements, sales letters and other direct mail, scripts for television or radio commercials, taglines, white papers, website and social media posts, and other marketing communications. All this aligned with the target audience’s expectations while keeping the content and copy fresh, relevant, and effective. Wikipedia
This article discusses several types of copywriting you can use in your business.
Businesses have always needed to reach prospective customers and effectively communicate what they offer.
In our modern information age, Continue
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Five of the Best Blogging Platforms for Beginning Bloggers
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links posted on this website. There is no expense to you.
What is the best blogging platform?
Through research, I’ve found the following list to be five of the best blogging platforms for beginning bloggers.
There are many popular options to choose from including Wix.com, Tumblr, Weebly, Blogspot, Joomla, Typepad, Ghost, Squarespace, and others.
We’ll focus on only five (FREE) platforms for beginning bloggers.
1. Medium
How to get started
Medium has several ways to register.
Go to Medium.com, and to avoid having to remember yet another password Click the “Get started” button.
Choose to sign in with Google or a social media account then click “OK.”
For $0 you get a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) minimalist blogging platform.
After you join, click the avatar (floating head) and select new story. You’ll land on an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor.
There’s no trial and error or guessing.
Medium’s pros:
Built-in audience of over 60 million readers!
Good for all blog types
Your blog looks professional
More business-friendly than WordPress.com
Monetization is possible with the Medium Partner Program
Medium’s Cons:
Little to no customization. Your blog will look like all other Medium blogs. Medium offers stats, but you can’t link to your Google account to use Google Analytics
2. WordPress.com
How to get started
Go to WordPress.com and click the “Get Started” button.
Enter your email address, a username, and a strong password.
For step 2, enter some details about your blog.
In step 3, enter an address for your site.
Start typing and you’ll get a list of options. Select the “Free” one.
Then, pick a plan. Again, select the “Free” option.
The “free for life” plan has numerous features.
For $0 you get:
A free WordPress.com subdomain
“Jetpack” essential features
Community support
Dozens of free themes/templates
A domain is what comes after the https:// at the top of your browser.
In the case of WordPress, the domain name is wordpress.com.
So what’s a subdomain? If the domain is the parent, the subdomain is the child. Anything between the “https://” and the domain is a subdomain.
Some examples:
alumni.harvard.edu
braves.mlb.com
finance.yahoo.com
So, if I wanted to start “Marketing Success Review” on WordPress.com, my subdomain might be
marketingsuccessreview.com.
Readers would type marketingsuccessreview.com.wordpress.com in their browser to browser to view my site.
If you’re a business blog, this is not a good look. But for a sandbox blog where you’re testing ideas, it’ll be okay.
Jetpack Essential Features
Unless you upgrade to their “business” plan, WordPress.com doesn’t permit third-party plugins. So, if hear about an amazing SEO tool plugin, you’re out of luck until you upgrade to a self-hosted version.
Nevertheless, the free plan does come with many built-in WordPress plugins that offer everything from spam protection to contact forms.
Community Support
Perhaps WordPress.com’s best feature (beyond the pricing) is its extensive support system and knowledgebase.
You can find practically anything you need to know about using their free platform in WordPress.com’s Support section. To call their collection of how-to articles merely “extensive” would be an understatement.
At the WordPress.com forum, you can see if anyone else had you same question. If you can’t find the solution, post the question yourself.
Free Themes
WordPress has dozens of free themes from which to choose for design flexibility that isn’t available with Medium and the other free platforms.
Although WordPress.com offers so much for free, it is not for anyone who wants to present a professional business blog.
WordPress.com Pros:
Suitable for a variety of blog types
Solid support articles and forum
More design options than other free platforms
Shorter learning curve if you choose to transition to self-hosted WordPress later
Website builder that’s good for more than just blogs
Premium plans are available, for those interested
WordPress.com Cons:
Not ideal for businesses
You can’t install premium or free WordPress themes and plugins (or another blogging tool) from third parties
Lack of community makes it difficult to build an audience from scratch
WordPress advertising and banners may appear next to your blog content
3. LinkedIn
How to get started
Go to LinkedIn.com
Enter your name, your email, and a strong password. Then click the “Join now” button.
You’ll be asked to answer a few more questions.
For zero money you get a free-to-use publishing platform that’s focused on professionals and business contacts.
If you’re already a LinkedIn member, publishing content will be easier than WordPress.com, Medium, or any other blogging platform, because it’s built right into your LinkedIn profile.
Click the “Write an article” button and start writing.
LinkedIn Pros:
Clean, simple design
Good for professionals and business blogging
Built-in audience of like-minded professionals
Ease of use — publishing platform is built right into your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn Cons:
Very few customization options
Only good for professionals and businesses
You can’t schedule posts for future publishing
If you want to write posts to reach professionals and business, LinkedIn is the best free blogging platform available.
4. Instagram.com
How to get started
On your personal computer, go to Instagram.com where you’ll see the log in page.
Enter your phone number or email address, your name, your desired username, and a strong password. Then click the “Sign up” button.
Or, if you have a Facebook account, skip all that and click the “Log in with Facebook” button.
You could also do the above using the Instagram app on your mobile device.
For $0 you get a very popular social media platform that’s perfect for microblogging.
An example of microblogging is:
Uploading a great image such as a photo from your camera or a Creative Commons image that fits your current mood.
Upload your image to Instagram.
Then write a short blog post stating what you want about the image.
Anyone who focuses on highly visual topics should use Instagram.
You can have great success using Instagram as a microblogging platform if you can combine impressive visuals with short posts that pack a punch.
Instagram Pros:
Great for visual topics
Ideal platform for microblogging (short posts)
Great if your target audience primarily uses mobile devices
Instagram Cons:
Limited to 2,200 characters
Limited to one hyperlink (in your bio)
If your target audience isn’t on mobile, it’s less than ideal
5. Guest Blogging
How to get started
The best platform for building your authority is guest blogging.
The first way to get started is to determine if the blogs you like to read, (that are relevant to your niche) accept guest post submissions.
Browse their “About” or “Start” pages. Try their “Contact” page. Sometimes, they’ll make it easy and have a “Contribute” or “Write for Us” link in their navigation menu or footer.
The second approach involves using Google’s and Twitter’s search capability.
You can query a topic (for example: “blogging”) together with a search phrase (“write for us”).
Not all sites are worth your effort. Click on the results that look promising, browse them, and see if they’re a good fit. Skip the ones that aren’t and bookmark the matches.
Continue with similar queries.
Do the same on Twitter.
Type “guest post”, “guest blog post”, “guest article”, etc. in the search box. Twitter will give you a list of tweets where people used those exact phrases.
For $0 you get the chance to put your words in front of already-existing, relevant audiences and a chance to acquire fans for life.
You should guest blog if you want to build credibility and boost your authority.
You should NOT if you want to build up your own blog.
Guest blogging is no longer a great way to increase traffic to your blog.
Guest Blogging Pros:
Write for interested, targeted audiences
Fastest way to build your authority and reputation
Guest Blogging Cons:
Fastest way to destroy your authority and reputation
Not an efficient method for getting traffic to your own website
Getting published on quality sites is hard work
Time-consuming — may be hard to fit into busy schedules
WordPress.org
Technically, there’s one more free option.
WordPress.org software — the same software used by WordPress.com — is also free for everyone.
However, WordPress.org’s software isn’t actually free once you add up the other expenses.
To use the software you’ll need a blog hosting provider (aka web hosting services), you’ll need to register a domain name (some hosting providers give you a free domain, but you should keep your domain registrar and web host separate), you’ll have to install WordPress on your own web host, and you’ll also need your own domain name. All of these cost money.
This is something you’ll eventually want to do, but not right now when you’re just getting started.
So how will you know when you’re ready? One source recommends making the switch once you reach a 20% outreach success rate.
The best blogging platform depends on what you want to accomplish. There’s no one platform that fits everyone.
This article has covered Five of the Best Blogging Platforms for Beginning Bloggers.
It all boils down to what suits your needs and situation.
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Blogs Are Still Relevant or Are They?
by Rahimah Sultan
Advertising Disclosure: Marketing Success Review may be compensated in exchange for featured placement of certain sponsored products and services, or your clicking on links on this website. There is no expense to you.
Blogs are evolving even as video content is gaining more attention. They’re not stagnating, just adapting by offering a fuller experience that may now include:
Podcasts
Videos
Infographics
This keeps readers engaged and offers different content preferences. Offering a media mix helps people find the detailed information they want.
Blogs have a continuing place in the digital world. Millions of people still read blogs every day, including younger generations. Even with the advancement of AI and other technologies, they aren’t going away. They’re adapting and staying relevant.
Some benefits of blogging are:
Boosting Your Visibility with Google
Blogging is essential to get noticed. Google holds over 90% of the search engine market where most people start their online journey. You can rank in top positions with a blog and receive more organic traffic, as blogs sit in the top five spots about 23% of the time, according to Search Engine Land. This means more eyes on your brand and more organic traffic.
Building Trust with Your Audience
A blog is a powerful way to show your expertise by sharing well-researched and insightful content that positions you or your company as an authority. This is essential in a digital environment where people can’t see or touch products before buying. Blogs clear confusion, answer customers’ questions, and build trust.
Creating Community Loyalty
Although community engagement is key, as companies with solid communities see more customer loyalty, social sharing and encouraging comments turn your blog into a place where readers can connect with you, your brand, and each other.
As loyal customers are worth more over their lifetime, it’s vital to keep them engaged.
You can extend your reach and deepen relationships by sharing blog content on social media.
Leveraging Networking and Collaboration
A trustworthy blog can provide new opportunities. Influencers, industry experts, and like-minded professionals often want to collaborate with authoritative businesses and a compelling audience.
This can lead to:
Guest posts
Joint ventures
Interviews
Expanding Your Reach and Building Relationships
To diversify and bring new voices into the mix, you can collaborate with others, which broadens your reach and creates more growth opportunities. Your blog can become a hub for industry knowledge and thought leadership which makes it a valuable tool for building lasting professional relationships.
Establishing Thought Leadership
Blogging is a unique opportunity to show your expertise. Your blog is your place to share your knowledge and perspective on business advice, product insights, or DIY tips.
Publishing relevant and valuable content helps you become a go-to source for information in your niche. This authority turns into higher sales, stronger customer loyalty, and better engagement.
Customers are more likely to buy from brands they trust, and a blog that consistently provides value can build that trust without being too focused on sales.
Enhancing User Engagement
Blogs offer an in-depth method of engaging with your audience, while short videos and social media posts grab attention quickly. Blogs allow you to showcase your personality, explore topics more deeply, and create meaningful connections.
Readers can have a more immersive experience with blogs than video or social media alone. They can engage with your content at their own pace, explore related articles, and re-read sections that interest them.
Building Lasting Impact
This degree of engagement makes blogging especially valuable for businesses looking to create a lasting impact with their content. A well-written blog can resonate with readers on a deeper level, fostering long-term loyalty and trust in your brand.
Do people still read blogs?
Although AI like ChatGPT is surging, blogs remain important players in the digital world. They’re not out of the picture but are thriving. Blogs are assets for building brand awareness and connecting with consumers. They offer a way to put out content that feels genuine, unlike the polished nature of news articles.
Why do people still prefer reading blogs?
Blogs are efficient, user-friendly, and accessible, which keeps them popular. When people need information, reading is sometimes quicker than watching a video. Users can skim through headings and skip to what they need, which is how people naturally use information. It’s easier to click around for more details or to go back to certain sections. This keeps them popular.
Blogging is profitable although it’s not a shortcut to success. When launching any business, you must have dedication, planning, and consistent effort.
Your blog can be a powerful platform for promoting products or services, developing a stream of revenue, and building an audience. Making money through blogging takes time and commitment. You have to invest hours writing high-quality content, optimizing for SEO, and building an engaged community. But, blogs are still relevant.
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