Sometimes it’s a “Work Out”!!
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What is Relevant Content
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Oct 8
Relevant content sounds like one of the latest social media “buzz words” to consumers and businesses. It is. However, the reality is that relevant content is nothing new, and yet it remains extremely important to any business, organization or individual wanting to keep an advantage in a competitive market.
Relevant and updated content comes in many shapes and sizes. A resume for example, must stay up to date in order to position an individual for a career move or promotion. Updating Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn statuses seem completely second nature in the world we live in. As routine as it may seem, those updates are a form of keeping content relevant and up to date. Email newsletters and blog updates are one of my favorite forms of providing relevant content to your customers and prospects for one reason. Your content lands in their inbox and you have an opportunity to engage them in conversation. Nothing boosts lead generation and conversions like a well thought out, relevant email campaign.
Why is Content Important?
- Positions you or your company as a trusted advisor in an industry or niche
- When was the last time you spent any time on a website that hadn’t been updated in 3 years?
- Relevant Content not only provides useful information to your readers, but can be a powerful form of lead generation
Content Ideas
- Educational Materials
- Videos and Presentations
- Newsletters
- Social Media Updates
- Blog Entries and Web Updates
- Industry Interviews
There is no doubt that keeping content relevant is important to the success of your business or brand. The time spent coming up with the content can be brutal. After all, you have a business to run, the content can wait. Can’t it?
Click on the Testimonials link to see how I’ve helped many others that may be in your position. I created F5 Interactive to assist individuals, businesses, and organizations create content that will get results, and help with the “I’ll get to it later” syndrome. Let me know when I can help you.
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So you want to start a business?
By Leave a Comment
Sep 24
Do you have what it takes?
Today’s newsletter will be more personal than usual. So fair warning, stop reading now if you are looking for writing tips and tricks.
I love the “idea” of being a business owner and always have. I’m 33 years old, and now have my dream x 2. This should be a moment of great celebration and something to be proud of, right? Almost.
Until recently, the last 4 months to be exact, I have treated owning a business as more of a “status symbol” and less of a way of life, and a hard one to boot. Candidly, I have been more in love with the idea of owning a business than I ever have been with running one, let alone two. I love the freedom I am provided from owning my business. Freedom from my corporate shackles, from having to answer to anyone other than my customers, from punching the proverbial clock. It all seems so… euphoric. It’s also living with your head in the clouds.
The truth of the matter is that I have had to work harder in the last 4 months than I ever dreamed I would. I have had to create a strict daily schedule, policies, procedures, market, sell, pay bills, interview potential employees, build websites, update blogs – and a myriad of things that seem extremely mundane to list, but still take time. Oh and I almost forgot, provide excellent service to my clients, and do virtually 100% of the work I am contracted to do.
With freedom comes sacrifice, and a great deal of it. Am I closing up shop? Absolutely not. Then why am I writing this? Really for myself, and to encourage others. I’ve learned that owning a business is much more than a name or a status. It is blood, sweat, and tears while creating something GREAT! Something your customers find valuable! And finally, something you are proud of!
I love being a business owner, but the landscape and scope of work has changed drastically!
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Why F5 Interactive? Why Now?
By Leave a Comment
Aug 29
If you have been a follower of “J Brandon Foster Creates” on any social media channels, you may have noticed that I have changed the name to J Brandon Foster Creates F5 Interactive!
Why a name change?
Candidly, I had a friend tell me that he didn’t think J Brandon Foster Creates was very “creative”. I had to agree with him after a laugh. The conversation didn’t stop there. He was very inquisitive, asking why name a business after my given name? He asked me challenging questions like “Did you name your business after yourself because of some kind of ego thing?” Followed by – “Businesses come and go, what if you DON’T succeed?” I had never really thought about either of the questions until I was challenged. I figured it was time to make a change before any permanent branding occurred. F5 Interactive was born.
Why F5 Interactive?
Another great question. I didn’t want to spend months or even weeks agonizing over what the business would be named. Trust me, there are many more important things (like making money) to be going into detailed “naming” strategy sessions. However, I didn’t want to minimize the task like it wasn’t important, because it was. I enthusiastically chose F5 Interactive for a few reasons. First off, it just fits my personal brand. F5 is short for Foster 5. Anyone who knows me well knows that the Foster 5 is the nickname for my family. F5 is also short for “refresh” in nerd speek. The F5 key on a keyboard will automatically refresh a browser without having to have to click the “refresh” button at the top of the page. Interactive means I’ll be interacting both socially, organically and as a trusted advisor to my clients and friends. Again something that just seemed to fit well with my personality and skill set. I actually bought the website http://f5img.com which you’ll notice just defaults to this page. IMG doesn’t stand for image, like I’ve been asked several times. IMG stands for Interactive Media Group, but for now I think F5 Interactive will do over that mouthful.
Are you still doing freelance writing projects?
Absolutely! I still provide the following writing services:
- Guest blog entries
- E-mail marketing campaigns*
- Newsletters*
- White papers
- E-books and short stories*
- Drip marketing campaigns (e.g. 3-5 articles sent out over time) *
- Resume writing, re-writing
Advanced Services – Please e-mail for pricing structure
- Grant writing services
- Request for proposals
That’s about it really! I wanted to share the vision for F5 Interactive moving forward! Please leave a comment below for your next writing project! Ask about September specials.
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The Importance of Editing
By Leave a Comment
Jul 31
The scene is familiarly set. You are watching television, your children are talking and your dog steps on the keyboard. Before you know it, you have hit publish without properly proofing your work. There are so many distractions built into our lives today that keep us from editing. « Continue »
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Removing the Fluff
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Jul 24
I have been told I can squeeze a 30 second story into 30 minutes. Depending on the atmosphere and audience, this can be quite annoying. If you know me well, you are likely laughing out loud right now. If a point can effectively be made in 30 seconds, taking 30 minutes to orate is not necessary. When writing, it is much more important to be concise, because your audience does not have to be rude to exit the conversation. He or she has the option to politely stop reading.
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I use two spaces after periods
I have been updating blogs and writing newsletters for three years now, with a styling conundrum that keeps me scratching my head. After periods (.) I have been trained to space two (2) times. « Continue »
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Hey J, that’s a great idea
Today’s edition discusses commonly misused words or phrases in everyday communication.« Continue »
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Affect vs Effect
This duo can be dreaded by some, and is completely avoided by most. Does this scenario sound familiar? You find yourself writing an e-mail and can’t remember if what you are writing is going to affect your reader or effect them, so you usually just opt for another word.« Continue »
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