If you find yourself staring at the computer week in and week out, waiting for inspiration, try these tips:

• Create an editorial calendar. Plan three, six, nine months or even a year at a time. Start by filling in any upcoming events that are important to your business, then your industry, then your community. New location opening in 2 months? Tease the opening now, and devote a full blog post to the new location as you get closer to the big day.
• Be the reader. Think about your target audience and what they are interested in – your content doesn’t have to be all about you. If your business is outdoor gear, write about an upcoming work day at a local park. If you sell pet food, highlight the work of a local humane shelter.
• Get visual. People respond to photos and videos, so use them where appropriate. A “behind the scenes” look at your workplace might be fun, or give a sneak peak of a new product.
• Invite a friend. There’s no shame in inviting a guest blogger to post once in awhile. Your audience might appreciate hearing another voice. Consider an expert in your field, a co-worker from a different department or even a longtime customer.
• Be a resource. Collect information that might be useful to your audience. Try a top ten list or a collection of links. For example, if you are a CPA you could link to appropriate local, state and federal tax agencies.

Keeping your blog content fresh and informative is essential, but with proper planning it doesn’t have to be a chore! We can help you create custom blog content that speaks directly to your audience. Contact us to find out how.

Photo Credit: peteoshea

Once it’s installed on the backend of your blog, Scribe’s program is very easy to use and highlights exactly what you can fix to make your post stronger. The tool even offers suggestions for making your keywords even more apparent.

So how do you use Scribe SEO? Once it’s installed, using the program is very simple! First, put your article together the same way you do now: write the article; add any links and pictures; add categories, keywords, tags and a meta-description; and make sure the post looks the way you want. Then:

Feel free to make changes in your post and then re-analyze to raise the content score. In WordPress, the results are color coded – green, yellow and red – so you know how effective your post is. Obviously 100% is best, but as long as you can keep it in the green, you can rest assured your post is SEO friendly.

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A blog is an excellent way to build your credibility and brand recognition.

At Three Girls, we focus on helping the little guy: small- and medium-sized businesses that need PR the most, but often can afford it the least. While we do offer comprehensive Public Relations campaigns, we understand that not all companies are ready or have the resources to invest in an All-Inclusive campaign, which is why we offer a variety of Al la Carte PR Services to fit the needs of almost any budget.

A blog is an excellent way to build your credibility and brand recognition. Three Girls will research, write and post blogs on your behalf complete with SEO friendly headline, photo, caption and links. We can post a minimum of one time per week or as much as once per day.  If necessary, Three Girls will create a blog template on your behalf using WordPress. Cost: $50 and up per month.

For more information about this Al La Carte PR option, or for other services available, give us a call at 408-871-0377 or send us an email.

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These 5 tools can help you run your business even more efficiently.

Small business owners are busy. Since they don’t always have the time to research handy tools, here are 5 that I find especially convenient and use all the time:

Tool: Google Calendars
What I like: In addition to keeping my meetings in one place, Google Calendars allows you to create and share multiple calendars (Three Girls has one for each client that we each have access to), set email and pop-up reminders, organize tasks and integrate with your smart phone. Google Calendars is also a free tool you can use with your Gmail email account.

Tool: Hootsuite
What I like: This tool allows you to post and update ALL of your social media in one place. You can post updates on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, blog and other social sites all at once, or schedule them to go out at predetermined times in the future. Hootsuite also provides basic measuring – such as showing you how many people click on your links or retweet your posts.

Tool: Email Filters
What I like: Email filters are a standard tool with all email providers I know of; they’re a fantastic way to help you manage incoming messages. If you get a lot of emails that can wait for you to get to, such as e-newsletters or Google Alerts, filters are an easy way to get them out of your inbox so you can deal with them later. Instead of dealing with them as they come in, dedicate 20 minutes a week to going through these messages as a method of time management.

Tool: ScribeSEO
What I like: ScribeSEO is a tool that helps you make sure your blog posts are optimized for search engines by checking your keywords, links, word count, etc. Once it’s installed on the backend of your blog, it’s very easy to use and highlights exactly what you can fix to make your post stronger. ScribeSEO even offers suggestions for making your keywords even more apparent.

Tool: Free Conference Call
What I like: This free tool makes it easy to hold conference calls with anyone in the country; it provides a phone number and access code that you can share with anyone you want to talk to. Once it’s assigned, that number is yours and you can use it at any time. Every time the number is used, Free Conference Call sends an email at the close so you can see who called in when, making it easy to know exactly how long each person was on the call just in case you need to track such things.

See additional tools on Three Girls’ Free PR Resources page.

Never stop progressing, evolving and learning; a Guide to Online Schools will connect you to the best match for your interests and schedule.

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These 6 articles will tell you what your body language is saying, how to jump into social media and more.

Is your body language getting your message across? How should you start using social media for your company? Here are 6 articles to help you with those topics and more:

1. 10 Words That Don’t Mean What You May Think They Do http://ow.ly/4WVQf – English changes little by little over time. This post shares 10 words that mean something different than you may think.
2. 10 common body language traps for women in the workplace http://ow.ly/4TnFa – Is your body language saying something different than you intend? This article shares common ways women in the workplace miscommunicate their message based on how they stand, tilt their head, etc. A quick study of psychology might have some big payoffs.  Check out 50 Mind-Bending Psychology Blogs.  It provides some great advice to further understand your reader.  Never stop learning.
3. Do you run your business or work from a home office? Here are 7 steps to help you achieve work-life balance http://ow.ly/4VYhi – A lot of small business owners work from home. This article shares helpful tips for managin work-life balance.
4. How to jump into the social media pool without drowning http://ow.ly/4YLUI – This is a great resource for business owners jumping into social media. It includes advice regarding which types of media to use and activities you don’t want to forget.
5. Are you an educated business blogger? 12 things every business blogger should know how to do http://ow.ly/544tX – There’s a LOT of advice out there for business bloggers. This post shares a good list of things you don’t want to miss.
6. Life Without Twitter – An Infographic http://ow.ly/4VYi8 – This is a fun infographic of what life might be like without Twitter.

Photo Credit: Rd. Vortex

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These five articles are perfect for small business owners and entreprenuers.

What does your body language say to coworkers and colleagues? Does your online content stand out? Here are five articles I’ve recently stumbled across that can help you with your business.

1. 10 common body language traps for women in the workplace http://ow.ly/4TnFa – One small nonverbal signal can change the dynamics of an entire business interaction. Women are usually the champions in the warmth and empathy arena, but lose out with power and authority cues—mostly because they fall prey to these ten common body language traps.
2. 8 Ways To Make Your Online Content Stand Out http://ow.ly/4UHCS – This article includes 8 ways to consider when creating online content for your business.
3. Five, Five-Second Rules for Delivering Your Message http://ow.ly/4TnBG – 5 tips valuable for getting your company’s message out quickly. These suggestions are great for numerous types of marketing.
4. Integrate Your Brand for Marketing Success http://ow.ly/4Ry3x – This post includes tips for integrating your brand in marketing communications materials.
5. An important concept for small business owners? Delegation! http://ow.ly/4UHAr – Time management and productivity expert Brian Tracy recommends “if somebody can do [a task] 70% as well as you, [you should] delegate it, especially if it is not a major task…. As your business grows, you get someone to do the little things that are of low value so that you can do more of the things of high value.”

Photo Credit: Johan.V.

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Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

Do you want to know how to write killer headlines? Or be happier at work? Here are 5 must-read posts we’ve found around the Web recently.

1. 21 things PR is NOT http://ow.ly/4D0Mx – Public Relations is a lot of things, but it is also NOT a lot of stereotypes people assume go along with the industry. This is a great list from Proper Propaganda of what PR isn’t.
2. 10 everyday decisions for social media success http://ow.ly/4jbp5 – Here are 10 decisions and choices you make daily that will impact your social media relationships, activities, and business results.
3. What makes people happy at work? http://ow.ly/4HFdY – Are you happy at work? This study gives practical ways to be happy at work, from having a flexible schedule to a pleasant physical workspace.
4. The 8 R’s of Twitter for Newbies http://ow.ly/4BwJy – Great advice from PR In Your Pajamas for those just getting started on Twitter.
5. 4 tips for writing killer headlines—from Gawker http://ow.ly/4jbsQ – This post provides 4 tips to help you write better headlines for your blog, Twitter, etc.

Photo Credit: SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget

From website design and content to communication lessons and laws, here are 5 articles we don’t think you should miss.

From website design and content to communication lessons and laws, here are 5 articles we don’t think you should miss:

1. 7 Things That Annoy Website Visitors http://ow.ly/41xw7 – A lot of websites annoy visitors with slow loading times, cluttered layouts and more. These 7 things not to do on your site will help your site even more powerful.
2. 5 useful reminders about communication from a 5-year-old http://ow.ly/43JVT – With all the reading, painting, Disney Princess snap, Dora the Explorer computer games, and splashing through rivers in the forest, communicators can learn a lot from the younger (well, much younger) generation, and their way of viewing the world.
3. 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing http://ow.ly/42kWT – These are 10 helpful rules to understand the social media marketing fundamentals.
4. Ten tips for writing for the web http://ow.ly/3Mjbu – Consumers read websites differently than they read books. This post provides ten tips for writing for websites and blogs including keeping it short, using numbered lists and bullets, adding links and more.
5. Why You Aren’t As Successful As You Want To Be http://ow.ly/46QNL – Words of wisdom from Chris Brogan about why you aren’t as successful as you want to be, including the distractions, worries, etc.

Photo Credit: Frerieke

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Our own Erika Taylor Montgomery will cover Public Relations Basics: How to Get the Most out of a Modest Budget and share several free and low-cost PR/Marketing tools for savvy entrepreneurs. She’ll teach you:

• How to find out what stories dozens of journalists are working on each day and how to reach them
• How to get at least 10 bloggers to write about your company
• How to monitor your online news

Bill Belew, Founder of CosmoFairNetwork (the largest blog network in Asia), who will cover 4 Absolutes to Get Your Site Noticed on the Web. For a preview, read one of Bill’s articles here.

Here are the event details:

• March 24, 2011, 10:30am – 1:15pm
• Just $35 if you register before March 20. $45 at the door. Event fee includes lunch, soft drinks and dessert!
• Venue: Bliss office at Sedusa Studios at 1300 Dell Ave, Campbell, CA

RSVP, learn more about the event and/or connect with the SASSY Networking Group at http://www.chrystalbougon.com/Sassy_March_2011.html.

Here are 5 good marketing reads - writing for your website and more!

From writing for your website or blog and the difference between a press release and media pitch to website design tips and why you should NOT be on Twitter, here are 5 good marketing reads we recently found online:

1. 10 Tips for Writing for the Web http://ow.ly/3Mjbu – Most consumers don’t read website content – we scan it. This article includes 10 tips for writing for an audience of scanners.
2. Press Release vs. Media Pitch: Which One Do You Need? http://ow.ly/3KUQl – A Press Release is not a Media Pitch and vice versa. This blog post helps business owners know which would be best for their news.
3. 7 Things That Annoy Website Visitors http://ow.ly/41xw7 – A good list of things to make sure your website doesn’t do.
4. 10 Reasons NOT to be on Twitter http://ow.ly/3S7ev – Although Twitter is a great tool for most businesses, it’s not for everyone. This list helps potential users decide if Twitter is a good place for them.
5. Social Media Writing: How It’s Different and Why You Should Care http://ow.ly/3S75z – A handy list of suggestions for those writing online content, such as a blog or website copy.

Photo Credit: karpidis

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