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7 Crucial Tactics for Writing a Radically Successful Guest Post

by The Blog Tyrant on February 6, 2012

image of number 7

We all know that guest posts grow blogs.

But not many people realize that tactical guest posting grows careers.

Most bloggers I see pump out these articles while reciting the mantra “quantity over quality”; there’s no real strategy and there are no real long-term benefits.

In this post I am going to show you the seven crucial tactics for writing a radically successful guest post.

Done right, these strategies will get you more email subscribers, coveted Google ranking positions, and a big head-start on your content marketing goals.

Who am I to teach you about guest blogging?

It seems like the decent thing would be to start this article by flashing my “guest blogging badge.”

At least that way you’ll understand why I’m wearing these high-glare aviators.

For me, the proof was in the pudding, and the pudding was the sale of an 8-month-old blog for almost $20,000 while I was still in University.

Actually, I sold the blog after a year had passed, but I had mostly stopped working on it at the eight-month mark.

That baby was built on tactical guest posts. So were the other blogs I’ve sold for similar price tags, and I’m doing the same with Blog Tyrant.

It’s now almost a decade later, and despite being a mediocre writer I still have success with these strategies.

Hopefully they’ll give you some extra juice for your next guest appearance. With that, I give you the 7 tactical elements of a radically successful guest post

1. A guest post should funnel people to an outcome, not a home page

Every time you do a guest post, you’re given a little space in the post for a biography, with a link (as well as a few in-post links) that can direct readers back to your blog.

The mistake that most newbies make is they don’t give any thought to where they are sending those new readers.

Click away and you’re likely to end up on a home page or some nicely done but relatively unrelated post (usually with a good amount of tweets or comments).

What you need to do is funnel people toward a specific outcome.

Let’s say your goal is to get as many email subscribers as possible. A successful funnel would entail:

  • Creating a niche-specific free giveaway. You’d create an eBook that is centered around a very specific topic in your niche that will appeal to a well-defined group.
  • Creating a landing page or ad for that eBook. The next step is to add that eBook to your blog and give it away as a free incentive for joining your list, using a service like Aweber. If you don’t know how to do this I made a video.
  • Guest posting on closely related topics. Here’s the sexy part. You now go out and guest post on topics that are closely related to your free giveaway. Link back to your landing page/advert if you can, but even if you don’t you will be funneling and pre-selling people on the idea of your eBook.

Sending people back to random posts or a home page is just a waste of time.

Just like filling up your car with petrol, you need to put fuel in the gas tank, not pour it all over the engine. Use a content funnel to direct the flow of traffic toward your desired outcome or target.

It doesn’t matter what it is — a free eBook, product, etc. — as long as you are intentionally directing people there.

Don’t assume they’ll find it for themselves.

2. A guest post should mention big bloggers in your niche

Simply put, one of the fastest ways to grow a new blog is to mention other sites with big audiences in your guest post appearances.

This strategy, while obvious to some, has many benefits.

First, it associates you with those experts.

Second, if you drop a handy email or Tweet before the guest post goes live, you can harness the sheer awesomeness of their contact lists. Most of the time they will at least tweet out your guest post and thus associate themselves with your content. This is also a nice bit of promotion that your “host blog” will appreciate.

And third, it opens a door with those bloggers. When you send them a guest post, they’ll have an idea of who you are, and will be that much more open to taking a look at what you send them.

This type of professional networking is extremely helpful if you want to place guest posts on good blogs. I think of it as giving before receiving.

3. A guest post should be followed up by sister posts

One of the coolest things I ever learned about guest posting was that you can leverage the fame of your guest post to create buzz for your own blog.

I actually learned it in reverse, and a good example is when I did a post about the best About Us pages, and mentioned Copyblogger.

Brian Clark kindly Tweeted my post, which helped me land a big chunk of traffic and some super fast indexing at the top of Google for the key phrase “best About Us pages.”

Since that time Brian has been active on other posts I’ve done. For example, he stopped by here to leave a comment.

Not only does this make me feel all warm inside because Old Man Clark is one of my heroes and has a cool goatee, it also has some pretty obvious and ongoing benefits.

Mention big bloggers in your guest posts, then give them a reason to tweet or promote follow-up posts you do. Don’t just reach out once — create follow-up content that continues that relationship.

Think of it as the second date.

4. A guest post should be aimed at 10 years of results, not 10 hours

Sonia Simone once said that,

The rewards of guest posting are cumulative…. you build more momentum the more you post.

I used to write a guest post and eagerly await the flow of traffic and increase in subscribers that occurs after being published.

I’d to spend the whole day looking at stats and monitoring the progress of the article on all the social networking sites.

But I soon realized the error of my ways. A guest post needs to be a 10-year strategy.

While still important, I now place a lot less importance on the initial flow of traffic and tweets.

Why?

For starters, I am more interested in how the guest post matures. So now I ask myself these questions in order to judge the success of a guest post:

  • Does it rank well on Google< for a keyword phrase that is going to continually benefit my own site and goals?
  • Does it boost my reputation and credibility in the niche?
  • Did it make me any new contacts in the industry?
  • Did it create a discussion on the post or somewhere else?

If you want to write guest posts that produce results for years to come, you need to do some solid keyword research as well as creating an exhaustive post that covers issues — to the point of becoming a timeless resource.

Jonathan Morrow does this extremely well here on Copyblogger. He writes resource-rich, original content that will rank well and get people interested in his upcoming releases.

5. Each guest post should be part of an anchor text strategy

Anchor text is the text you use when you link to a post.

Just above you’ll see that “Jonathan Morrow” is the anchor text for that link to his articles here on Copyblogger.

Your choice of anchor text is hugely important for search engine rankings.

We all know that relevant backlinks help us to rank better on Google, but the anchor text of those backlinks also plays a big role in what exact keywords we rank for.

When you do a guest post, you should have already done keyword research and know specifically what phrases you want to rank for, based on how much traffic they bring and how competitive they are. Remember, you want your guest post to be bringing you love from Google for the next ten years.

Once that post is live, you can then link back to it in the future using the desired anchor text. This will help you elevate your own post on someone else’s website so that it matures well.

Just remember that SEO copywriting has to work for humans first, search engine robots second. Mix it up sometimes, and only link to your article if it is relevant and useful for real-life human beings.

6. Each comment should be answered or used as material

One of the really important things to do when you guest post is stick around and answer every single question that you get in the comments.

It’s in the comments section that long term relationships are built with the readers that you are reaching on the new blog.

It’s in the comments section that you enhance your branding as an expert or fellow traveler or mentor.

I have never tested it, but I would guess that at least half of the loyal readers I get from guest posts left comments that I answered on the day of publication.

If a comment or question is really good, you can take the idea and use it as the germ of a post on your own blog. Announce it in the comments section and see how many people drop on over to see what you’ve done with it.

7. Guest posts should be aimed mostly at beginners

It might seem a little counter-intuitive, but most of the readers who interact with content, subscribe to your list, and eventually buy your products, are newbies.

Think about the entrance paths for finding posts. Most of the time people either Google a question because they don’t know the answer, or click a referral link on Facebook/Twitter/Blog because it’s something they are unfamiliar with.

A lot of any blog’s readers are new to that blog’s topic. And that tends to be where new readers come from — newbies looking for a grounding in the topic.

After a while, the intermediate group often trails off and focuses on their own projects, as opposed to sticking around to learn more skills.

The more successful guest posts are the ones that focus on topics that are well digested by beginners, especially if you are aiming at getting that post indexed well on Google.

Try to write list posts and articles with an instructional tone, full of resources and links.

What guest posting strategies work for you?

I’d really like to hear about what guest posting strategies have worked or not worked for you.

Have you tried anything above with great success?

Please leave a comment and let me know. All ideas are welcome — especially the half-baked ones …

About the Author: The Blog Tyrant is a 25-year-old guy from Australia who has sold several websites for large sums of money and now shares his methods for dominating your blog and your niche. He also answers every comment on his blog. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or sign up for his emails.

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10 Content Marketing Goals Worth Pursuing

by Sonia Simone on February 1, 2012

Image of start of a race

Ever wonder why content marketing works so well for some businesses … and doesn’t seem to do anything at all for others?

Curious about why some content that seems great doesn’t do anything to build the business?

“Content is king” has been an online cliché for years now, but it’s not true. It’s never been true.

Content all by itself — even terrific content — is just content.

It may be entertaining. It may be educational. It may contain the secret to world peace and fresh, minty breath, all rolled into one.

But it has no magical powers. It won’t transform your business or get you where you need to go, until you add one thing …

Content marketing is a meaningless exercise without business goals.

What makes content marketing work?

To make content work, you need to understand your marketing and business goals. Then you can create content that serves those goals, instead of just giving your audience something to pass the time.

Your blog posts, email marketing, special reports, podcasts, advertising … all of it needs to fit into a larger picture.

Now if you blog purely for creative self expression, go ahead and write as the spirit moves you.

But if you’re using content to market a business, you need a strategic framework so you can get the most out of your time and hard work.

Here are 10 of the business goals that drive our content marketing at Copyblogger Media. You might focus on just one or two, or you may use all 10. As you read through the list, see which of these you can apply to your own marketing plan.

Goal 1. To build trust and rapport with your audience

This is the most obvious use of content marketing, and it’s a good one.

When you create useful, interesting, and valuable content, your audience learns they can trust you. They see that you know your topic. They get a sense of your personality and what it would be like to work with you.

Lack of trust kills conversion. An abundance of valuable content builds trust like nothing else.

But too many marketers stop there. In fact, it’s just the beginning.

Goal 2. To attract new prospects to your marketing system

We all had it drilled into our heads by Mr. Godin when we were just baby content marketers: You’ve gotta be remarkable.

Your content has to be compelling enough that it attracts links, social media sharing, and conversation.

Why? Because that’s how new people find you.

No matter how delightful your existing customers are, you need a steady stream of new prospects to keep your business healthy.

Remarkable content that gets shared around the web will find your best new prospects for you, and lead them back to everything you have to offer.

Goal 3. To explore prospect pain

No, you’re not doing this to be a sadist.

The fact is, most enduring businesses thrive because they solve problems.

They solve health problems, parenting problems, money problems, business problems, technology problems, “What should I make for dinner” problems.

When you understand your prospect’s problems, you understand how to help them, and you have the core of your marketing message.

Strategic content dives into the problems your prospects are facing. What annoys them? What frightens them? What keeps them awake at night?

A smart content marketing program leaves room for audience questions. These might come in email replies, blog comments, or you may hold Q&A sessions or webinars specifically to solicit questions.

Listen to the problems your market asks you about, and use those as a compass to guide your future content.

Goal 4. To illustrate benefits

Obviously, we don’t dig up prospect problems and leave it at that.

We talk about solutions.

We talk about what fixes those annoying problems. Techniques, tips, tricks, methods, approaches.

If you have a viable business, you have a particular take on solving your market’s problems. Your individual approach is the flesh and blood of your content marketing.

Your “10 Ways to Solve Problem X” post shows the benefits of your approach.

Your special report illustrates how you solve problems, and shows customers what they get out of working with you.

Strategic content doesn’t just tell a prospect “My product is a good way to solve your problem.” It shows them. And that’s a cornerstone persuasion technique.

Goal 5. To overcome objections

Your prospect is looking for ways to solve his problem, but he’s also keeping an eye out for potential problems.

Strategic content can be a superb way to address prospect objections — the reasons they don’t buy.

Is price a pain point? Write content showing that implementing your solutions saves money in the long run.

Do your customers think your product will be too complicated to use? Write content that shows customers going from zero to sixty … painlessly.

Understand the objections that keep customers from buying, then think about creative ways to resolve those objections in content — often before the buyer ever gets to that sales page.

Goal 6. To paint the picture of life with your product

Ad-man Joe Sugarman was one of the great early practioners of content marketing. He was a master of long-copy magazine ads for his company JS&A (a consumer gadget company), ads that were often as interesting and compelling as the magazine articles they appeared next to.

In his Copywriting Handbook, he described how he might approach writing an ad for a Corvette.

Feel the breeze blowing through your hair as you drive through the warm evening. Watch heads turn. Punch the accelerator to the floor and feel the burst of power thta pins you into the back of your countour seat. Look at the beautiful display of electronic technology right on your dashboard. Feel the power and excitement of America’s super sports car.

Sugarman isn’t describing the car. He’s describing the experience of the driver.

Sugarman was a master at mentally putting the customer into the experience of owning the product … whether that product was a pocket calculator, a private jet, or a multi-million dollar mansion.

It works very nicely in an ad. It works even better in your content.

Storytelling is one of the best content marketing strategies, and it’s a superb way to let customers mentally “try out” your offer before they ever experience it for themselves. Use content to show what it’s like to own your product or use your service.

Case studies are terrific for this, as are any stories that show how your approach to problem-solving works. Pick up Sugarman’s book for lots of ideas about how to create fascinating content for products that might not immediately suggest a fascinating story.

Goal 7. To attract strategic partners

Once upon a time, Copyblogger was one writer.

No software business. No marketing education business. No premium WordPress themes or hosting.

From very early days, the quality of the content posted here has attracted strategic partners — the partners Brian Clark worked with to create every line of revenue-generating business we have today.

Eventually, that evolved into the creation of a new company — Copyblogger Media. The partnership brings together a great complement of skills, and together we can go farther and faster than Brian could have on his own.

Whatever your business goals are, partnerships are often the smartest way to get there. When you’re passionate about creating excellent content, you’ll find that potential partners are attracted to that passion.

Goal 8. To deepen loyalty with existing customers

This one is probably my favorite.

Every company needs to attract new customers. But the biggest growth potential in most businesses comes from building a tighter relationship with your existing customers.

A solid base of referral and repeat business is the hallmark of a great business. Even if you never did any content marketing to anyone other than your customers, you could radically improve your business by improving the communication you have with your customers today.

Create a richer experience for the people who have already bought from you. Make your products and services work better by pairing them with useful, user-friendly content.

Don’t treat the waitress better than you do your date. Give great stuff to the people who have already bought from you, and they’ll reward you for it.

Goal 9. To develop new business ideas

Your content stream is a fantastic place to try out new ideas.

Thinking about re-positioning your key product? Trying to better define your unique selling proposition? See a new problem on the horizon that your customers might want you to solve?

Get those ideas into your content, and see how people react. You can watch what excites people, and what fizzles out.

Business writer Jim Collins talks about firing bullets, then cannonballs. In other words, when you get a new idea for your business, fire off something low-risk to test the waters.

Don’t start firing your big ammunition until you’re sure you can actually hit the target. (And that there’s a target there to hit.)

Content is an amazing low-risk way to try out your ideas while risking very little. Your audience will let you know with their reactions which ideas fire them up, and which ones leave them cold.

Goal 10. To build your reputation with search engines

Lots of content creators think this is reason #1 to create content — but if you put this in the wrong place, you’ll probably struggle with SEO.

That’s because search engines find you valuable when readers find you valuable.

Search engines are looking for content that’s valuable to their users. If you create that type of content, your SEO battle is 9/10 done.

So put the first 9 content marketing goals first, and the 10th becomes a matter of relatively simple SEO optimization.

How about you?

What’s the main thing you’re looking to get out of content marketing? Do you have a content marketing goal you don’t see here?

Let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your brilliant content marketing goals with her on twitter.

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David Meerman Scott on Newsjacking Your Way to Tons of Media Exposure

by Robert Bruce on January 20, 2012

Internet Marketing for Smart People Radio Logo

What if getting big PR and media exposure for your business or idea were no longer out of your reach or budget?

What if you could “inject” your name or brand into a national or international story of your choosing, becoming part of the story yourself?

David Meerman Scott, a veteran PR and marketing expert, has written a book that teaches you how to accomplish that, and more.

Enter Newsjacking, a powerful way to get seen and heard in today’s big media environment…

In this episode, David Meerman Scott and I discuss:

  • How a single blog post brought one company $1,000,000 in sales
  • How to become a Newsjacker with a blog and Twitter
  • What your website must look like in the near future
  • Where journalists are desperately looking for content
  • 3 Newsjacking case studies you can use right away
  • The main goal of Newsjacking and how to achieve it

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

The Show Notes:

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media’s copywriter and resident recluse.

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15 Copywriting and Content Marketing Blogs that Will Make You More Money

by Sonia Simone on January 5, 2012

Image of a globe made of dollar bills

As you may have seen on Tuesday, we were disappointed to see that there were no copywriting blogs in last year’s Top 10 Blogs for Writers.

We think persuasive writers — content marketers and copywriters — are as worthy of cheers and accolades as our fiction-writing brothers and sisters.

So today I put together a list of 15 writing blogs I think you’ll get a lot out of.

I got lots of great suggestions for blogs to check out (thank you all), and it was tough to narrow them down to a manageable few.

When winnowing down the list, I had a few rough criteria.

First, writing advice had to be a key element of the blog.

There are hundreds of terrific social media and business blogs, and they’re wonderful resources, but we wanted to focus on sites that would make you a better writer.

I defined better writer in two ways — either as “a writer who ethically and effectively convinces customers to buy more stuff” or “a writer who’s landing more and better clients.”

We also didn’t include the big “name brand” sites — we wanted to focus on some smaller sites you might not have seen yet. Not surprisingly, we’ve got a good sample of Copyblogger guest writers here, but also plenty of folks you haven’t seen here. (Not yet, anyway).

By the way, when you click through, notice how most of these blogs make great use of their tag lines to tell you exactly how they can help solve a specific problem. Smart copywriters. :)

BenSettle.com
Ben Settle
If you’ve heard Ben speak on our radio show or you’ve read his Copyblogger posts, you know he isn’t wishy-washy. He likes to sell, and he likes to make money. He uses email marketing to do those things, and he has a lot of strong, sharp advice for email marketers. If you’re still nervous about selling, reading Ben Settle might freak you out. Which may be a good and useful thing for you.

Copylicious
Kelly Parkinson
A January post makes us optimistic that Kelly will start writing actively again for this smart, funny writing blog. From her bio: “ … this is not really about copy. This is about improving your whole business.” We couldn’t agree more.

Direct Creative
Dean Rieck
Dean has been one of our most popular guest writers here on Copyblogger, because he knows his stuff. His blog delivers no-nonsense tips and advice on how to improve your direct response copy. If you want to improve your persuasive writing chops, Dean’s site is a must-read.

The Domino Project
Seth Godin
This is a small blog around Seth’s Domino Project, a digital publishing experiment. Seth’s published articles here about digital publishing, ebooks, and how they affect writers and publishing. If you’ve considered publishing a book in this century, you should probably take a look at this site.

Ghostwriter Dad
Sean Platt
Sean has gone from a sweet, enthusiastic fledgling ghostwriter to a sweet, enthusiastic, and really, really successful marketing writer (as well as launching a thriving fiction series. He’s a busy dude). He’s publishing lots of great advice about how he made that journey, and how you can, too.

Good Copy, Bad Copy
Clare Lynch and David Pollack
A charming blog about “good business writing and bad. Especially the bad. Because there’s so much more of the bad.” If you ever help corporate clients communicate with their customers, you need this blog.

Harrison Amy Copywriting
Amy Harrison
Amy doles out copywriting advice for professional writers and businesspeople alike. She has some nice resources on the site, including a good guide on getting your sales page done if you aren’t a professional writer. (Or maybe even if you are.)

Jeff Sexton Writes
Jeff Sexton
If you want to get really good as a copywriter, you have to read Jeff Sexton. He’s not afraid to dive into the thorny, complicated tangle of what makes for truly effective copywriting. Jeff’s a pro, and he writes for pros. This is a great site.

Make a Living Writing
Carole Tice
The name of Carole’s blog says it all — she keeps a tight focus on professional writers and how they can make a better living. Her blog’s got writing tips, business, and marketing advice.

Men with Pens
James Chartrand
The times certainly have changed. For example, now there are actual men writing for Men with Pens. What hasn’t changed is a site that mixes business and writing advice for content marketers, pulled together by James Chartrand’s no-nonsense approach to online marketing.

Success Works
Heather Lloyd-Martin
Heather’s bio describes her as “split between watching the search engines dance and pinpointing the exact direct response copywriting strategies that make people buy.” That dual focus shows up consistently in sharp, well-written articles and videos by her and her team about the art and science of SEO copywriting.

The Rant
John Carlton
The name of the blog gives you fair warning — John Carlton does enjoy the sight of his own voice. But he’s also an excellent copywriter and a terrific copywriting teacher. Look to the “Must Read” and “Popular Posts” sidebars for some classic writing advice, given with a healthy dose of … well, ranting.

RicardoBueno.com
Ricardo Bueno
Ricardo specializes in content marketing for real estate professionals, and he’s got lots of resources for using blogs, social media, and content to create effective marketing for that market. I love this example of a content marketer working within a well-defined niche. (If you’re a writer struggling to stand out, think about the niche you could be serving.)

The Well-Fed Writer Blog
Peter Bowerman
Peter’s written some great books on going from being a starving writer to a well-fed one, and his blog continues that tradition with savvy business advice for professional copywriters. No writing advice here — it’s all about how to build your copywriting business, not your writing chops.

Words That Begin With You
Justin Lambert
Justin combines copywriting insights with content marketing advice, wrapped up in a strong writing voice. We like that! Lots of good articles here on becoming a better content marketer.

And one bonus

This isn’t an active blog, but it’s a wonderful resource that no content marketer or copywriter should overlook … Gary Bencivenga’s wonderful Marketing Bullets.

Gary’s one of the most successful copywriters in the history of the business, and he has a lot of simple (but not always easy) advice about mastering the craft of persuasive writing. We’re big Bencivenga fans and we think you will be, too. I have all of these printed out in a binder, and I refer back to them often.

No, this isn’t a complete list!

This is obviously a very partial list of the best copywriting and content marketing blogs out there — what are your must-reads?

We collected some from you in our post on Tuesday, but if we missed your favorite today, let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is co-founder and CMO of Copyblogger Media. Share your favorite writing resources with her on twitter.

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Zen and the Art of Good Web Design

by Pamela Wilson on December 20, 2011

image of zen master

There are a lot of minimalist blogs cropping up these days.

They’re bare, spare, and airy.

I’m all for zen. I love clean web design with plenty of white space.

But one no-color, minimalist design can start to look pretty much like another.

And I wonder … are all those zen-inspired blogs really built by budding Buddhists? Or could it be that some of them — not all, but some — look plain and uninspired simply because their owners are struggling to figure out how to inject a little personality?

“Clean” design doesn’t have to be boring. And one of the fastest ways to distinguish your blog — minimalist or otherwise — is to inject your personality with a few strategic design decisions.

What’s that you say? You’re not “artistic”? Don’t worry, you don’t have to be. Just follow these basic guidelines …

1. Give your site an edge

That minimalist site of yours will look more cozy and inviting if you add a little color to the background on either side of the content area.

I know, I know: you like white space. I hear you.

Unfortunately, your reader probably doesn’t like it as much as you do.

When they get to the end of each line of text, your reader’s eyes have to make the trip back to the beginning of the next line.

With no background color to give them a signal that the end of the line has been reached, they just continue on, sort of floating into your white background.

You see, we’re used to reading on paper, or on devices. Both of these have edges. When you remove the “edge” from your content area, you’re setting your reader adrift.

So, add a little color.

It can be very, very subtle, and just one shade away from white. If you prefer, a thin outline around your content area will work, too. (Notice the way both of those are used here on Copyblogger.)

Anything that creates an edge and shows your reader where the content area ends will improve their reading experience.

2. Add color to your subheads

Adding subheads to your posts help your reader process your information. They’re like signposts that point the way through your text.

To make them stand out, consider making them bolder and adding some color. If you’re afraid of too much color, this is a great way to dip your toe in and try it out without it becoming overwhelming.

Colored subheads stand out from your body text and immediately add personality to your page.

3. Use compelling images

Yes, adding images to your posts is an extra step.

If you wait to do it when you’re done with your post and ready to hit Publish, it can be hard to find the motivation to do an image search.

But if you’re not taking time to add a compelling image, you’re leaving readers on the table. Our brains process images first, and then text. We react to images with emotion, and on instinct. It’s an opportunity to engage your reader before they begin to read your words.

And there’s no excuse for not having great images. You don’t even have to spend money on them!

If you’re watching expenses, use the resources available to you in the vast collection of Flickr images available under a Creative Commons license.

Be sure to read the terms for each photo carefully. As long as you’re permitted to use it, credit the photographer and add a link back to the original photo.

To easily find Creative Commons Flickr images, try compfight.com which is a search engine designed expressly to uncover Creative Commons-tagged treasures in the Flickr archives.

4. Create a custom header

The English language is read from left to right, and top to bottom.

That means your visitor’s eyes hit the top left corner of a web page, and work their way across to the right side.

The first thing they see is your site header. It’s like the cover of a book, or the opening credits of a movie. It’s your chance to make a great first impression.

But if the top of your site has a plain text header, and the next site does, too, and the site after that … don’t you think they’ll all blend together in reader’s memories after a while?

To make a stronger first impression, create a custom site header. This doesn’t have to be an earth-shattering design masterpiece. At its simplest, it can be a matter of finding a good-looking font and applying it to a colored or patterned background.

This is a good place, though, to invest a few bucks and hire someone. Negotiate with your designer for the right to re-use the image as an email header, email signature image, and more.

One tweak away from a memorable website?

Your site can still have that open, airy feel without settling for boring, forgettable design.

If your current site design is a little too zen for your tastes, choose one of the tweaks from this post and apply it today. It’s a sure path to enlightened visual branding.

How about you? Is your blog a little on the bland side? What area will you tackle first?

Let’s talk about it in the comments …

About the Author: Pamela Wilson helps small businesses build enlightened brands at Big Brand System. Get her free Marketing Toolkit for more great tips on marketing your business with a memorable visual brand.

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