Are You Spreading Yourself Too Thin?

For resume writers, this is probably a blog post I should have written in January ... or May ... or even a few months from now, in September. Summer tends to be a bit slower time for resume writers. But while you have some time right now, you can implement some of the tools I mention below ... that way, when the normal "hectic" time comes around again, you'll be ready.

Sometimes the signs that you're doing too much are subtle. Other times there is absolutely no doubt in your mind that you have too much on your plate. Here are a few signs that you're spreading yourself too thin:

• Insomnia — you go to bed and can't get tomorrow's to-do list off of your mind
• Fear and doubt — fears and doubts start sneaking in. You doubt your skills, direction, and purpose.
• Moody — you feel tired, irritable, and frustrated. You may find yourself snapping at your children or family members and then of course feeling guilty about it. 
• Exhausted — everyone gets exhausted from time to time. However, the exhaustion that comes from being overwhelmed doesn't "go away."
• Family members — when your family members start acting out or complaining that they don't see enough of you, then you know you've tipped the scales of balance in the wrong direction. 
• Negative thoughts — when you start thinking, "I'm doing too much," "I can't do this anymore," "I'll never get this done," or "I'm not going to make it," then you're likely spreading yourself too thin.

What Can You Do about It?
Spreading yourself too thin isn't all doom and gloom. It is a very useful sign that things need to change for you. And sitting down and assessing what isn't working is a great way to improve and grow — both professionally and personally. Truth be told, spreading yourself a bit thin can also be invigorating and fun — it's certainly better than being bored.

However, to be productive and to get where you want your resume writing business to be, it's important to regularly assess if your energy is being put into the most productive tasks. For example, if you spend an hour filing and shredding every day, that isn't productive. You ideally want to spend your time on high priority tasks — tasks that make you money — like writing and client consultations.

Tools to Overcome Overwhelm
When you feel overwhelmed or that you're spreading yourself too thin, there are some very effective solutions.

1. Create a schedule. Schedule your day. Put your high priority tasks first. Schedule time with your family and friends. And schedule downtime for yourself. If you cannot take care of yourself, then you can't take care of everyone else.
2. Create a business plan. If you don't have a business plan for your resume writing business, create one. If you do have one, then use it. Set aside time each week, or month, and review where you are and where you want to be. Use your plan to help you stay on track. 
3. Outsource. You don't have to do it all yourself, and — to be honest — you probably shouldn't. Outsource those tasks that you dislike, that take you tons of valuable time or that don't make it to your top priority list. These tasks can include personal tasks like house cleaning or business tasks like social networking. You decide what gets taken off of your "to do" list. (There are an increasing number of resume writers who are using the services of a virtual assistant — like Christine Edick, who calls herself a "Careers Industry Support Specialist".)

Finally, be confident in your decisions and use the word "No" whenever you need to. Don't be afraid to turn down opportunities, requests, and other things that take up time (time that you don't want to spend). This is your life. You're the boss of it and your business — take back your time and regain control!

And if you're looking for ways to improve your efficiency in the actual resume writing process, check out "Write Great Resumes Faster."

The Importance of Prioritizing Projects

When you own your own resume writing business, there will always be a million and one things you can do with your time. Many of these things could seem important today, but -- in retrospect -- won't seem that important after all. Learning to prioritize projects -- and only spending time on things that will have an impact on either your resume clients or your bottom line -- is a crucial skills.

The Key Question
The key question you should ask yourself is this: "How will this project impact my resume writing busines in six months?"

There are many projects that could seem important today, but really won't have much of an impact on your business in the long run. For example, trying to chase down one particular sale probably isn't going to make a long term impact.

On the other hand, there are projects that won't seem to make much impact now, but could have a profound impact on your resume writing business in the future.

For example, setting up an autoresponder system and a rock solid followup system probably won't pay off in the beginning. It takes a ton of effort and the sales conversions won't justify the time spent right now.

However, you know that in order to get your business to where it needs to be eventually, you need a followup system. In this case, it absolutely makes sense to build this system today.

There are always going to be projects that seem urgent. There are always going to be problems that need to be solved "right now."

The challenge for a great prioritizer is knowing when to put these fires on the back burner and instead focus on opportunity. If you can't do this, it'll be very tough to grow.

Prioritize Leverage Projects
Projects that help you achieve other projects better should be prioritized. These include projects that improve internal systems so you can get more done, educational systems so you can help jobseekers be more effective in their job search, and purchasing new equipment.

These rules of thumb will help you prioritize projects so do what'll really help take your resume writing business to the next level.

Content is the Key to Making More Affiliate Sales

Want to earn passive income with affiliate income? One of the keys to increasing your affiliate click-throughs (and purchases!) is through content. Content provides credibility. It gives your visitors the value and information they are looking for online. Some types of content also help put people in a buying mood. And, of course, content is the key to driving traffic to your website. If you have affiliate links on your resume website, more traffic brings with it the potential for more affiliate sales.

So what type of content works best?

Reviews
Some content puts people in a buying mood. And to be fair, when people seek product information and reviews online, they are already looking to make a purchase. Reviews are one of the most powerful ways to promote affiliate products or service -- simply because they help provide that potential buyer with the information, and the link, to make a purchase.

When writing a review be sure to present an unbiased opinion. A prospect won't trust a review that is all good. Be sure to point out any downsides to the product or service. You can then counter it with a positive statement. Consider reviewing features, prices, and any personal experience you have with the product or service.

Be sure to include a link or two to the product sales page so you can earn your commission.

Free Downloads
The most common type of free downloads are reports and ebooks. You can create these yourself or use Pass-Along Materials. Reports and ebooks offer a tremendous amount of value to the reader because they offer more information and benefit than a simple article.

When relevant, you can include affiliate links in your ebook or report. You can also include them again in an appendix dedicated to resources. However, make sure to not go overboard with the affiliate links. Use them only when relevant and appropriate.

In addition to reports and ebooks, consider giving away other downloads. For example, printable checklists or calendars, useful resource lists, blueprints and other easy to use and informative resources.

Email Marketing
Hopefully, you are collecting email addresses and building an opt-in mailing list. This list may be your single biggest commission-generating resource. Each person that signs up for your list is a qualified prospect. They are interested in the information you have and the products and services you represent.

If you don't have a growing opt-in list, spend some time creating your opt-in strategy. This often includes a giveaway with the sign-up. (Once again, you can use Pass-Along Materials for this purpose.) Once you're collecting email addresses, don't wait for a magic number -- even if you only have 15 or 20 people on your list. Start sending them informative messages right away. You can include an occasional affiliate link, or two, when relevant to the information you are presenting.

Test and track the methods that generate the most affiliate sales, and focus on building and growing those tactics. Affiliate marketing commissions will almost certainly increase as you provide more content.

If you want to learn more about how to earn passive income using affiliate marketing, check out the recording and transcript of "Building Affiliate Relationships to Grow Your Resume Business." (Just $5.)

Teleseminar Basics for Resume Writers

As I mentioned in this month's call, "Teleseminars on Teleseminars: How Resume Writers Can Use Teleseminars for Promotion and Profit" these types of calls are a great way to build trust with an audience, make sales, and facilitate two-way communication.

Before launching your first teleseminar, you need to make sure you're prepared from both a presentation perspective and a technical perspective. Here's a brief checklist to help you do that.

Make Sure Your Line Can Handle the Volume

If you have over 100 guests, make sure you check your teleseminar provider to see if your line can handle the volume. The kinds of providers you need for a teleseminar with 100 people, 1,000 people and 10,000 people are very different services with different technical requirements.

Prepare the First 60 Seconds
The first 60 seconds of the teleseminar is the most important! This is when people will decide either to leave the teleseminar or to stay on. In the first 60 seconds, clearly spell out what's going to be covered and what they'll get by listening to the call. Practice your first 60 seconds several times before the call.

Invitation & Follow-Up Schedule
At a bare minimum, every teleseminar should have one invitation and one follow-up email before the actual call. You will want to carefully plan out your sales process around the call and you use several emails to "sell" prospective attendees on coming onto the teleseminar.

Make sure to plan out the whole process before you start promoting the teleseminar.

Get Familiar with the Technology
Whether you are doing a teleseminar or webinar, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the technology before you do a live call. This is especially important with webinar software, because it can be tricky. Try running a test seminar with just yourself and a test computer beforehand. Learn how to switch between screencasts and presentation tools. Learn how to mute and unmute visitors and how to take questions. You don't want to be trying to figure these things out while on a live call.

Test Your Recording Devices
If you want your call recorded, make sure you test that as well. Most teleseminar services offer recording as part of the service, but I also recommend a second recording as a backup. I use Audio Acrobat to record my teleseminars, because it allows me to provide the recording in numerous formats, including downloadable MP3s as well as streaming audio on my website.

Prep for Most Common Questions
Before the teleseminar begins, try to predict what kind of questions people will ask you. You can do this by going through past emails prospective or current clients have sent you or by browsing related forums on the Internet.

By having an idea of what to expect before going into the seminar, you'll be able to answer questions in a more informative, authoritative way. You'll also be able to research any questions that you might have trouble with.

These are some of the most important things to cover before you launch a teleseminar. Make sure your line can handle the volume, check your recording equipment, test the software, prepare your first 60 seconds, have a solid invitation and follow-up system, and prep your Q&A beforehand.

For more information on using teleseminars to get more clients for your career services business, purchase the "Teleseminar on Teleseminars: How Resume Writers Can Use Teleseminars for Promotion and Profit" -- just $5 for the MP3 and transcript.

Project Management for Resume Writers

Although most resume writers work individually on their work, every once in a while, you get a chance to work collaboratively with other careers industry professionals -- for example, on a book project.

Whenever you kick off a new project, you should do so starting with a "new project meeting." In this meeting you'll lay out the objectives, the methodologies you'll be using, the various roles in the team and last but not least, the ground rules. The ground rules are the operating agreements that keep the project on task as things move forward.

Here are some project management guidelines that can help you make sure you keep your team of careers industry professionals on track.

If Something's Off Course, Let the Group Know
It can be very tempting to try and hide things that aren't going well. It can be especially easy to do so if all the person has to do is not mention it. They're not "lying," they're just neglecting to share something.

This undermines the team. Instead, aim to create a culture where people honestly share mistakes without blame. People should feel comfortable bringing up problems and resolving them as a group.

One Person Per Task
Every task or project should be owned by one person. That person is ultimately responsible for that task being done on time.

This person is free to bring in outside help to help get things done on time. They can even "outsource" aspects of the task to other team members or people outside the team.

However, if mistakes happen or if the task doesn't meet a deadline, that person is still responsible for it.

Ask Before Going Off Course
You should have a game plan for the project as a whole. The game plan should include what IS and what ISN'T included in the project. If someone wants to do something that isn't included in the project, ask first.

This helps prevent time and money from being spent on things that aren't integral to success. Sure, having more things done is great, but make sure they should be done first before spending resources on it.

Have a Clear Chain of Communication
Who is keeping track of the communication? Who manages reporting? Who sets up the meetings? How are disputes handled? Whose permission is necessary to go above budget?

Lines of communication should be clarified before you begin any project.

Setting these ground rules for operating the project before you get started can help you save a lot of time and energy in the long run.

Quick Ideas for Resume Writers to Maximize Your Online Profile

I'm a bit of a social media "junkie," and wanted to give you some ideas for maximizing your online presence.

First off, your personal Facebook profile is where you're likely to get most of your initial business. After all, these are your friends and family, and maybe former colleagues, neighbors, etc. (depending on your personal policy about accepting friend requests andyour privacy settings). But sharing job search-related tips on your personal profile (as well as talking about projects you're working on for clients) can be a good way to spark some referrals. (I average a couple referrals a month from my Facebook friends...from my personal profile!)

The next step is to set up your Facebook Business Page for your resume writing business. It can be tricky to get your business page Profile picture and Timeline cover graphic to look just right, but you can find someone to help you on a site like Fiverr.com (and it's just $5). You'll find that it takes time to build your "Likes" to your Business Page (most resume writers average around 75 "likes" for their page -- but there are many with as few as 5 "Likes" and a few with 100+). While "quantity" is your eventual goal, quality is a great way to start. Share tips and ideas, link to interesting articles (don't just post the link -- comment on it!), and share your client success stories (not by NAME specifically unless your client says it's ok -- more like: "Just got a call from Ann K. who received three calls for interviews within 2 days of sending out her new resume. Nice!"

On the subject of getting the most out of your social media presence, there's Twitter. As I remarked to a colleague today: You either love Twitter, or you don't understand it. A lot of people set up Twitter profiles and don't do anything with it. The key with Twitter is: The more you do on Twitter, the more you'll get out of it. I admit, it has kind of a steep learning curve to begin with. There's the whole follower thing (i.e., you can Tweet at anyone with an unprotected Twitter account, but you can only get Direct Messages from someone you're also following) ... there's "Twitter-etiquette" -- like acknowledging retweets (RTs) and mentions (MTs), the phenomenon of #FollowFriday (and the whole explanation of hashtags #) and how/when to use them ... and, of course, how to manage the Twitter stream (as it relates to time management).

The easiest thing to do with Twitter is to set up your Twitter account to interface with your Facebook Business Page (it's quite easy, actually) and have everything you post to your Facebook Business Page automatically post to Twitter. Also, check in for 10-15 minutes a week on Twitter to respond to Tweets and DMs, follow people who are following you, etc. You can also set it so that Twitter automatically posts to your LinkedIn account.

You can learn more about how to use social media for client acquisition in my "Introduction to Social Media for Your Resume Writing Business" special report, available to Bronze members on BeAResumeWriter.com this month (June 2012).

Using Article Marketing as a Client Acquisition Strategy

I was inspired to write today's blog post by a request for help in the LinkedIn "Resume Recipes for Success" forum for careers industry colleagues. Krista wanted to know:
"Has anyone published online? I am almost done with a blog that I think could be an article. Is there a website that anyone recommends?"

You can read my response to Krista's question here.

But I also wanted to share some ideas for other resume writers who are looking to use article marketing or article publishing as a client acquisition strategy.

Content is king! Jobseekers are looking for information to help them navigate a difficult job search. People looking for a job just can't get enough information on various subjects related to their search -- writing resumes and cover letters, salary negotiation, company resource, using social media -- the list goes on and on. Providing this kind of information -- through articles -- is a great way to drive visitors (traffic) to your website.

You can use a keyword suggestion tool like the Google Keyword Tool to see how many searches are done for certain keywords. WIth these keywords are typed into search boxes of search engines like Google and Bing, indexed websites containing those keywords are displayed. And these links can provide traffic to websites ... including your resume writing business website!

Here are some benefits that writing articles can give your resume writing business.

1. It's absolutely free.
All you need is your thoughts, your computer, and your hands. If you have those, nothing will stop you from typing words that will make you complete that article for your website. Sure, it takes your time, but if you're not currently working on a resume project, you should be spending some time on marketing!

2. Your website can be noticed in a short period of time.
Submit that article of yours to article directories that get the most web traffic and in no time your web site will be "crawled" or indexed, because you'll have included your link to your website in your "resource box," the 2-3 lines at the end of the article that tells a little bit about you and your resume writing business.

3. You can obtain backlinks automatically.
When you submit your articles to directories, they can be published by any other website or blog, as long as you are given attribution, including the link to your website (if you provided one -- and you should!). When the article is published on other websites, it exposes it to people who haven't heard about you, and they can click through your your website (these are backlinks, because they "link back" to your site).

4. Improve your reputation.
Sometimes, it can be a challenge to convert resume prospects into clients. You need to increase your "know, like, and trust" factor with jobseekers. And what better way to do that than by writing articles that will teach jobsearchers how you can help them, and how knowledgeable you are.

If you are looking for more information on how to use content marketing to acquire new resume clients, check out the "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients" -- teleseminar recording and transcript. Just $5 from Resume Writers' Digest.

Resume Writing in the Summer Months

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Summer is right around the corner and that means summer vacation. Children are home from school. Vacation plans are pending, and resume clients begin to alter their schedules too. Some jobseekers take the summer off from looking for a job. Here are some thoughts on preparing your resume writing business for the summer months.

Step #1:  Take a Look at Your History
What happened last summer? Did sales go up? Did profits decline? Did you have trouble relying on subcontract writers? Did you have way too much free time on your hands? History often repeats itself. If you can document what occurred last year by looking at the data and your analytics, then you may be able to use that information to plan ahead.

Most resume writers report that the summer months are slow for them. After the push of Spring graduations, there's usually a lull until late August. Some of that is due to the resume writer taking some time off, but it's true that many jobseekers (especially those with children) cut back on their job searches during the summer.

Knowing this information, you can plan ahead. You might launch a special offer during the slow months, or use that downtime to take a vacation. You can also use slow periods to build your mailing list, update your website, or create an information product to generate passive income.

Step #2: Schedule Ahead and Automate
If you’re busy during the summer months, then scheduling ahead is extremely important. And there are many things you can do right now so your summer is relaxed and easy. For example, you can write your blog posts now and schedule them for the summer. You can do the same for your email messages and social media communications (using a service like Hootsuite). You don’t have to lift a finger.

Step #3: Get Help
You can also simply schedule downtime. Many solo resume writers simply take a hiatus or time away from their career service business. You can also bring on a subcontract resume writer to help with the workload while you take a break, instead of taking an extended vacation. You run the risk of losing clients if you’re gone too long.

Summer will be here before you know it. Taking steps now will help you enjoy the warmer months while still growing and managing your resume writing business. It’s smart business and it’ll save you future stress and anxiety.

How to Use Evernote In Your Resume Writing Business

I was inspired to write today's blog post by a thread on the Career Thought Leaders Consortium LinkedIn Group.

The more I use Evernote, the more I grow to love it. If you're not familiar with Evernote, it's a system that enables users to capture information and store it in one place. I use Evernote on my laptop and on my iPhone, and when I enter information in the app on one device, it syncs and is available on *all* my devices. (There is also an Evernote website that you can sign into, so you can access your information anywhere you have a web connection, too.)

According to the developers, “Our goal at Evernote is to give everyone the ability to easily capture any moment, idea, inspiration, or experience whenever they want using whichever device or platform they find most convenient, and then to make all of that information easy to find.”

You can capture web pages, photos, handwritten notes, old resumes – just about anything you can imagine, you can collect in Evernote. 

One thing I use Evernote for is content planning. When I'm putting together information for future blog posts, public speaking opportunities, teleseminars, special reports, and Pass-Along Materials, I start an Evernote "Note" for each project. 

You can also use Evernote to create a monthly content plan for marketing your resume writing business. A content plan is an organized list of the articles, blog posts, newsletters, emails and other business content you’re going to publish each month. It includes keywords, publication date, purpose/goal, and audience information.  You can do an Evernote "note" for each month.

Using Evernote
Evernote allows you to create Notebooks and to tag each note with searchable keywords. This makes content planning, creation, and research extremely efficient. With Evernote you can:

• Store content ideas – blog posts and headlines that you read online can be stored. You can also take notes on each idea and store them with the link. For example, maybe you’re planning a series of blog posts on using LinkedIn in your job search. You might add various articles and tips to your notepad labeled “LinkedIn blog content” or “July 2012 blog post content.” You can also add your notes to each article.
• Store keyword research – you can also add your keyword research to each month’s content plan. All your relevant ideas and keywords in one key location.
• Content – have you ever been out and about and had an idea for a blog post or article? You sit right down, grab your notebook or smartphone, and start writing. Then what? With Evernote you can add it to your content file and you’re good to go. 
• Content research – in addition to content ideas, you can store your content research, including sources and references in the same location you store your content. It makes it very easy to find everything you need. When I'm researching a new topic, I copy-and-paste links to articles I'm using as research, screen shots, PDFs, and my own notes and thoughts.

Evernote also lets you store images. If you’re collecting images for your blog posts, then you can keep them in the same folder with your content. (I recommend Fotolia for inexpensive graphics to illustrate your blog posts.)

Another unique use of Evernote (not business-related) is to store health notes for family members. I know I'm not the only resume writer who is part of the "sandwich generation" -- taking care of our parents and our kids. I use Evernote to keep track of my dad's doctor's visits, my mother-in-law's cancer treatment, and my aunt's health information. I can take notes on my laptop at doctor visits, and then reference the information anytime on my iPhone. (Note: Evernote does require a password for access, but it is not an encrypted site, so don't include sensitive information like social security numbers, passwords, or insurance information.)

Getting Started on Evernote
Evernote is free. They also offer a premium version that allows users to add others to their account. It also provides more storage space, the ability to use your info offline and many other beneficial features. It’s just $45 a year or $5/month. If you struggle to consistently plan your content or you haven’t found a good organization system, consider Evernote. It also works on mobile devices so you can always have it with you.

I'm just starting to use Evernote Hello ... I may blog about it later. If you're using Evernote, I'd love to know how you're using it in your resume writing business! Leave a comment below!

Guest Blogging for PageRank

You may have heard of the term "PageRank" as a measure of the popularity of a particular website. PageRank is an algorithm (named after Larry Page) and used by Google to measure the "status" of a website based on links, especially links from other sites deemed to be "important."

The higher your PageRank, the more prominence given to your site in organic search engine results. Guest blogging (as outlined in last week's "Guest Blogging How-To" series) can be a great way to build your website or blog's PageRank.

You can check the PageRank of a blog or website using this tool:

Check Page Rank of your Web site pages instantly:

This page rank checking tool is powered by Page Rank Checker service

How do you get PageRank using guest blogging?

The Easiest Method To Boost Your Blog's PageRank
The easiest method to get PR 2 to PR 4 guest blogging backlinks is to use MyBlogGuest. (I talked about them on Day 2 of the series, in a post on "Finding Blogs Seeking Guest Bloggers.")

In short, MyBlogGuest is a free forum where webmasters who want guest bloggers go to look for guest bloggers. Guest bloggers who want to write for other people also use the site to find sites to blog on.

Check the PageRank of the sites seeking guest bloggers before contacting the webmaster. Also take a look at the number of other links the site is linking to. Assess the level of quality of the content. Is this a site you want to be associated with?

With PageRank-oriented guest blogging, you'll be playing a numbers game. Instead of always going for quality, sometimes you just want to get as many PR2 and PR3 links as possible.

Systematize It!
The bottleneck for generating medium PageRank links from guest blogging won't be a lack of webmasters who'll let you guest blog for them. Instead, the bottleneck will most likely be your production capacity -- how many blog posts you can produce.

It's not at all unlikely that you could get as many as 10 webmasters to agree to let you guest blog for them every week. That's 40 PR 2 to PR 4 links every month. Keep that up for a few months and your PageRank will skyrocket.

However, you'll have a tough time keeping up with that kind of volume unless you're dedicating yourself just to guest blogging.

It's not just the writing of articles. It's also continually browsing MyBlogGuest for new opportunities. It's pitching your site. It's keeping track of who's replied and who hasn't. It's writing the actual content. It's then tracking all your pieces of content to make sure the site owner actually put it up.

Instead of juggling all this work, systematize it. Create a list of all the active "connections" you have with the other site owners. Make notes about who you've contacted and where you are in the process of getting linked to.

Guest blogging for PageRank is all about systematizing the process of getting moderate and occasionally high PageRank links.

Guest Blogging Versus Other Methods For Getting Traffic To Your Resume Writing Business Website

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After writing last week's series about guest blogging, I got even MORE emails from resume writers wanting to know more about guest blogging. In today's blog post, I'll answer one common theme:

"How does guest blogging stack up against other methods to get visitors (traffic) to my resume writing business website?"

Guest Blogging versus Pay-Per-Click Advertising
Many resume writers are familiar with "paying" for traffic (visitors) to their website, using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising -- like using Google's AdWords or Facebook ads or similar services.

Guest blogging usually precedes PPC. They aren't mutually exclusive. Most resume writers use blogging to drive "free" traffic to their resume writing business website, while PPC ads are "paid" traffic.

In order to succeed in paid advertising, you need to have a very streamlined conversion funnel. (It needs to be clear how prospects can become resume clients; otherwise, you're driving visitors to your site, but not turning them into clients.) In other words, you need to know that for every $1 you spend on PPC, you're earning $1.20 or more back from the lifetime value of that customer -- even if you lose money for the first few weeks or months. Otherwise, paid advertising can quickly consume a lot of your money.

Most guest blog posts won't get you as much traffic as PPC. It won't be as consistent either. (You'll likely get an initial surge of traffic, and then it will fall off.) However, the traffic you'll get will be targeted and -- most important, it's free.

One great strategy is to use guest blog posting to fine-tune your funnel and make sure you can convert before you move onto paid traffic methods.

Guest Blogging versus Article Marketing
This is one of those rare cases where there's a clear winner. There's just no question about it: guest blogging beats article marketing, hands down.

Guest blogging can get you on some of the top blogs in the industry. It'll help build your reputation and send real people to your site. As I mentioned in my "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients," the advantage of guest blogging is "Go where the people are." If you guest post on a popular blog, you're going where the people are (and you know what kind of people they are!). Article directory sites can draw a lot of traffic, but it's not targeted traffic. (And even when your articles are reposted, they're not always on related sites. I've found my careers-oriented articles posted on all kinds of irrelevant blogs.)

Article marketing will get you into article directories and perhaps a few small, low-authority fringe sites.

Guest blogging will help you build massive PageRank, while article marketing won't do much for your PageRank at all.

If you're going to go through the trouble of writing articles, you might as well do it right and go the guest blogging route.

Guest Blogging versus SEO
Should you focus your attention on SEO or on guest blogging? The best answer is to make guest blogging part of your SEO strategy.

It's true that guest blogging may not be the fastest way to build backlinks. However, the guest blog post you write will bring in real traffic, while the links you generate purely for SEO probably won't bring you much traffic at all.

This real traffic could result in both sales and additional backlinks. Furthermore, people often underestimate Google's ability to figure out what a real backlink is.

In short, you don't have to make guest blog posting your exclusive tactic. Use it as part of your SEO strategy to bring in real visitors to your resume writing business website.

Guest Blogging How-To: Landing a High Profile Guest Blogging Gig

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In Wednesday's blog post, I talked about "How to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities" -- but the resource I mentioned, MyBlogGuest, focuses on middle Pagerank sites. What if you're looking for the big time? Today's blog post is about how to get a post published on a high profile blog.

High profile guest blog posts are the holy grail of guest blogging. Sure, you can blog for small blogs all day long, but that won't have nearly the impact of landing just one high profile guest blog post.

So how do you land these high profile guest blog posts?

Make Your Own Site Top-Notch
When someone lets you guest blog for their site, they're implicitly endorsing you. They're not going to do that unless your own website is truly top notch.

In other words, make sure the content on your resume writing business website provides immense value. Make sure your design looks highly professional.

Make sure someone who sees your blog will think of you as an authority and would want to partner with you.

Look for Sites That Have Accepted Guest Posts In the Past
If a site has never accepted a guest post in its history, you might have a hard time convincing them to accept yours. On the other hand, if they've been consistently publishing one or two posts by other authors every month, you might have a very good chance.

One simple way to figure out whether or not a site accepts guest posts is to type in [site:urlname.com "guest post"] in Google. This will bring up all entries that have the words "guest post" on a specific site. If there are no results, try a few more queries like "guest author."

If you can't find any guest blog posts, it's best to focus on a different site.

Start Building a Connection
While you can just approach a blog site owner out of the blue, it's often better to try to build a connection first.

Start commenting on their blog for at least a month before you want to request a guest blog post. Answer their questions and aim to become an active member of their community. Contribute.

Do the same with Twitter. Retweet things that they tweeted. @reply to them when they ask a question.

Get yourself on their radar.

Landing the Guest Blog Invitation
Finally, send them a short email outlining your proposal.

Try to come up with three topics that you think their audience will love. Tailor each request to the blog specifically. Come up with topics you think their specific audience would benefit from.

Let them know that it's easy to publish your article and that it won't be republished anywhere else. All you ask for is a link back to your website.

Remember that blog authors need content as much as you want to get content published. By giving them a high quality blog post, you're saving them as much as a day by not having to write their own content.

What you're proposing is a win/win, as long as you have enough trust and quality.

That's how to land high profile guest blog posts!

Bonus: Read this great blog post about what a blog owner is looking for in guest posts (and some great additional tips)

Guest Blogging How-To: What to Write In Your Guest Post

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This is an issue that can stump you while you're blogging -- whether for your own blog or when guest blogging. When you're stuck in the "I don't know what to write" trap, here are some ideas to get you started.

Tips Articles
Guest posts with a specific number of tips often do very well. For example:

• 7 Tips for Improving Your LinkedIn Profile
• 12 Things NOT to Include On Your Resume
• 5 Ways to Get Your Resume In Front of Hiring Decision-Makers

Make sure you pick a specific number of tips and place it in the title. Odd numbers seem to work better than even numbers.

How-To
How-to titles are another popular blog post topic. For example:

• "How to Make Sure Your Finance Resume Gets Read"
• "How to Write an Effective LinkedIn Headline"
• "How to Get a $10,000 Raise When You Interview For Your Next Job"

Ask yourself, "What does my target market want to know?" Then write a "how to" for them.

Pitfalls and Mistakes
Talk about the common pitfalls and mistakes people make when jobseekeing. For example:

"The Seven Deadly Mistakes Career Changers Make"
"The #1 Mistake New Graduates Make in Their Job Search"
"3 Common Pitfalls of Networking for a New Job Online"

Tell a Story
Telling a story is a great way to attract an audience and communicate a message. (As a resume writer, you already knew that!)

One of the most famous direct response ads in history had this headline:
"They Laughed When I Sat Down At the Piano, But When I Started to Play..."

The piece then went on to tell the story of how nobody thought the main character could play -- and were then shocked when he did.

Use stories to invoke emotions, convey a point, and connect with your audience.

Share a Success
If you helped a jobseeker negotiate a $10,000 pay increase with his new job, share how you did it. If you helped a client write a LinkedIn profile that drew dozens of calls from hiring managers and recruiters, tell what was in the profile. If your clients get interviews within a week of sending out their resume, tell their story.

People love to read success stories, especially if they're filled with nuggets they can use in their own lives.

Image Tutorials
One great way to bring real value to someone else's blog is to create an image tutorial for them. Creating image tutorials, which involves step-by-step pictures, takes quite a bit of effort. Most bloggers won't go through the trouble.

That's why if you're willing to do it, they'll be very grateful.

For example, if you're writing a tutorial about how a jobseeker can research a company using LinkedIn, use screen shots of the process.

Controversial Opinion
Finally, you can share a controversial opinion. Most people won't expect to read a blog post from a resume writer titled, "This Resume Writer Says You Don't Need a Resume." (Now, your strategies may end up showing that a resume isn't needed for some situations -- but is for others.)

If you're ever at a loss on what kind of guest blog post to write, try using one of these ideas.

Tomorrow: "Landing a High Profile Guest Blogging Gig"

Guest Blogging How-To: How to Make Your Post "Most Read"

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This is the third entry in this week's series, "Guest Blogging How-To" and it focuses on how to write a killer blog post that will get people to visit your site, generate social media traffic (shares, tweets, likes), and that will generate repeat invitations from the blog owner.

So how do you make a guest blog post the "most read"?

Get to Know The Blog and Audience
Start by reading the blog you want to guest post on -- get a sense for who their audience is and what kind of style the blog owner has. Also, check for other guest posts. An owner who has allowed other authors to guest post in the past will be more likely to allow future guest posters.

Who tends to read their blog? What kind of attitude do writers on this site have? What kinds of topics do they address? Is there a common train of thought prevalent on the site?

Read through the comments of past posts. Get a sense for what kind of questions people have and what kinds of posts they tend to respond to.

Try to get a handle on what kind of material people like. Is it step-by-step guides? Do they like success stories? Perhaps they have one specific problem that they want to resolve?

Figure Out the "WIIFM"
Before writing your blog post, figure out the "what's in it for me" (WIIFM) that users should walk away from your post with.

Should they understand a certain concept better? Should they know how to do something that they didn't know before? In what direct way will your content impact their lives?

Then begin your article by telling them this "WIIFM" statement. Make it hard-hitting and compelling and really get them excited about your content before you deliver it.

Add Personality, Share Your Experience
The best blog posts are those where the writer really shares his or her experience. Don't try to come off as a stand-offish "professional voice." Instead, really add your personality to the mix. (Want to see examples of this? Check out blog posts by Julie Walraven or Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter.)

In addition to making your content land better, this also does one other thing. The more personality you have in your writing, the more curious people will be about you. At the end of the article, that makes it more likely for them to click on your link.

Sit On It
After writing your blog post, let it sit or a few hours or preferably a few days before sending it in for publication. (Make sure you know the deadline given to you by the blog owner, though!)

By going over it a second time, you'll often catch spelling mistakes or be able to reword your sentences in a more powerful way.

In other words, give it your all and try to make it perfect before sending it off.

Writing a top-notch guest blog post takes a lot of effort. You'll have to refine and refine the post, as well as pour your heart and soul into it if you want it to make an impact. Your reward will be an increase in targeted traffic to your own blog or resume writing business website.

Tomorrow: "What To Write In Your Guest Post"

Who I Am

I was inspired to write this post by an "introduce yourself" thread on the National Resume Writer's Association (NRWA) LinkedIn group. What I wrote ended up being too long for that forum, so I've printed it here.

My name is Bridget (Weide) Brooks. (The "Weide" part is my maiden name ... pronounced "Why-Dee.") I live in Omaha, Nebraska with my husband and business partner, Jon.

I've been writing resumes since the age of 12, when I wrote one for my dad, who was unemployed at the time. He got a job with the federal government, and I had found my new career! (Well, not really. Yet. And actually, I refer out clients wanting federal resumes nowadays. Hmm. Hadn't thought of that connection before.) Anyway, I revived my interest in resumes when competing at Nebraska's State Leadership Conference for the Future Business Leaders of America. In the "Job Interview" competition, high school seniors would prepare a resume and cover letter for a fictional company ("Merit") and then participate in mock interviews with real business leaders from the Omaha area. I was a pioneer in the tactic of actually targeting my resume and cover letter to Merit's needs. (Most people just wrote generic resumes and cover letters, because they didn't know what Merit did. I gave Merit an industry, market niche, and backstory and made that clear in the cover letter, so the interviewer could "play along" -- making my interview much more effective than my peers.) I ended up being "Runner-up Ms. Future Business Leader of Nebraska" that year (1991).

More important, I came back to my high school for the next seven years and taught resume writing and job interviewing to each successive year's class of seniors competing at the State Leadership Conference. One highlight was when my younger sister won "Ms. Future Business Leader of Nebraska" and placed fourth in the national "Ms. Future Business Leader" event. (I also helped prepare approximately 120 graduating seniors for their future job searches!)

I began dating my now-husband, Jon, when we were seniors in high school. We dated all throughout college, and when it came time to graduate (both of us received a bachelor's degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1996), we decided to start our own business. We decided to focus on the emerging "SOHO" (Small Office, Home Office) market, helping other self-employed folks with their marketing and promotion. I also wrote resumes (a natural tie-in to the business, since it was helping individuals "market and promote" themselves). While we eventually changed the focus of the business from SOHO professionals to somewhat "larger" small businesses, I have continued to write resumes throughout all 16 years of our business. During that time, I also subcontracted as a resume writer for another resume writer and also for CareerPerfect (a national contracting firm).

In 1999, I started a trade newsletter (in print format) for resume writers -- Resume Writers' Digest -- because I had questions about the industry that I wanted answered, but the information I wanted wasn't available from the professional associations serving the market. I wanted concrete data about pricing, revenues, busy times of the year, services being provided, etc. -- so I initiated the Resume Writers' Digest Annual Industry Survey. I interviewed resume writers on topics as varied as operating a resume service from home (at a time when most resume writers -- including me -- had business offices), working as a subcontractor, and numerous marketing and promotion topics. One of our most popular features of the print edition was "conference coverage" -- working with a team of freelance writers, we'd give you a sense of the key takeaways in brief write-ups of the major sessions from professional association conferences.

Although we had several hundred subscribers, I discontinued the print publication in the Spring of 2005. I brought it back as an online-only newsletter in the Fall of 2007, publishing 2-4 issues annually. I've been blogging about topics of interest to resume writers since June 2007 (wow--coming up on five years now!). And, in September 2011, I launched a membership site for resume writers -- BeAResumeWriter.com -- offering access to all the back issues of Resume Writers' Digest, monthly teleseminars, and forms and templates for resume writers to use in their business. Plus, each month subscribers get a Special Report (like "Write Great Resumes Faster" and "Website Traffic Secrets for Resume Writers") and Pass-Along Materials, which is content you can put your name on and 'pass along' to your own resume clients and prospects. (These have been very popular -- previous topics have included Jobseeker's Guide to Salary Negotiation, Getting Started With LinkedIn In Your Job Search, and Jobseeker's Guide to Online Reputation Management). There is also a "Free" level option -- you get access to streaming audio recordings of previous teleseminars, special reports, and the current issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

I'm still writing interview-winning resumes -- although mostly for past clients these days. I'm also going to be speaking at the National Resume Writer's Association conference in Charleston in September on the topic of "How to Create Passive Income and Recurring Revenue for Your Career Services Business."

That's "Who I Am"!

Connect with me online:
Facebook: Resume Writers' Digest and BeAResumeWriter
Twitter: @RWDigest
LinkedIn: Bridget (Weide) Brooks
Website: Resume Writers' Digest, BeAResumeWriter.com, Image Building Communications

Guest Blogging How-To: Finding Blogs Seeking Guest Bloggers

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This is the second installment in this week's series on guest blogging. You can read yesterday's post here: "Guest Blogging How-To: Five Days to More Traffic and Higher Visibility"

One of the most frequent questions I get about guest blogging is:
"How Do I Find Guest Blogging Opportunities?"

The easiest way is to contact the owner of a blog that you already read. That way, you're familiar with the content and style ... and, if you've been commenting on the blog, the owner might even recognize your name when you email him or her!

If you are looking to widen your audience for guest blog posts, however, consider a site like MyBlogGuest.

MyBlogGuest is the largest marketplace for guest bloggers to meet with people who want guest posts. Landing a guest blogging gig on this site is extremely simple: just contact a blogger who is looking for the kind of topics you write about, make a pitch, and you're done. Best of all -- it's free!

Keep in mind that MyBlogGuest is best for landing moderate PageRank or moderate traffic sites. High profile blogs like TechCrunch or LifeHacker simply aren't on MyBlogGuest. Instead, to land first and second tier blogs, you should go directly to the blog's author and make your pitch.

However, for moderate rankings and PageRank sites, there's nothing easier than MyBlogGuest.

The "Looking for a Guest Author" Section

Start in this section. This is where bloggers who want to look for guest authors go to advertise. Start with the "Business and Edu" section.

Look at all the listings by webmasters. Pick out the ones that make sense for you, based on what your site is about, their site's traffic, and their site's PageRank.

Contact them and make your pitch. If you have a good site and a good pitch, chances are you'll get the gig!

Use the "Search" Function

Begin by selecting a sub-category. You can start with the "Business and Edu" category and then use search terms, like "Career" "Jobs" "Resume" and "CV" to narrow it down. Click through and look at the site and see what kind of blog posts they publish.

The "Looking for a Blog" Section
This section is where you, the guest blogger, can post your own ad. The best way to get a high volume of writing requests is to post in this section, as well as reply to posts in the "looking for a guest author" section.

Look through other people's posts and see what catches your eye. Write your post in a manner that's both attention catching and informative.

The Articles Gallery
The articles gallery is where you can post your own pre-written articles for other webmasters to use. All they need to do is attribute the article to you in the signature.

This is different than article directories, in that each article can only be used once. Once a webmaster puts it on their site, the article is removed by the articles gallery. There are no duplicate content issues.

The best way to use MyBlogGuest, as with any other community, is to become an active member and contribute. Build your reputation and use the site to rack up lots of backlinks to your own resume blog.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post: "How to Make Your Post 'Most Read'"

Guest Blogging How-To: Five Days to More Traffic and Higher Visibility

© Alexandr Mitiuc - Fotolia.com

Earlier this month, I wrote about "Why Resume Writers Should Consider Guest Blogging" -- and I got several emails from readers wanting more information. So this week, I'm putting together a five-part series on guest blogging.

With so many different possible ways to promote your resume writing business competing for your attention, it can sometimes be tough to figure out exactly which techniques to implement and what to skip. Guest blogging is one of the most powerful marketing tactics out there. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider this tactic in promoting your business.

Targeted Traffic
When you write a guest post on someone else's blog, anyone who clicks through to your site is going to be highly targeted traffic. Writing a post for another high traffic website is all it takes to get a flood of high quality web traffic coming your way.

I talked in my "Using Content to Capture Career Clients" teleseminar about how posting on other people's blogs (where your ideal clients hang out) can be a great way to get visitors to your site. The key is finding blogs that your target clients already read.

PageRank and SEO
Getting backlinks from guest blogging checks off just about every item on a "SEO" checklist: The links are targeted. They're from real sites. They're (often) in-context links. You can control the anchor text. And if you're writing for high traffic blogs, the links will naturally have both PageRank and authority.

Many sites have gotten higher Pagerank rankings purely by getting dozens -- if not hundreds -- of backlinks through guest blogging.

Building Relationships in the Industry
Having relationships in the careers industry will help you advance your resume writing business in many different ways. When you're launching a new resume service (LinkedIn profile writing, anyone?)  and need bloggers to write about it, who do you turn to? The people you have relationships with.

When you're looking for referrals to the media, who do you turn to? The people you have relationships with.

Relationships, relationships, relationships. Guest posting helps build relationships. If you provide something valuable for their audience, they'll be eternally grateful. You can write for other resume writers -- or for affiliated career bloggers (recruiters, HR professionals, association websites, etc.).

Increase Your Reputation
Another way guest blogging can help is by increasing your reputation. This is especially the case in the careers industry, which is like a "big small town" in many ways.

Let's say someone frequents four different career blogs. On all four blogs, they see guest posts by you. Just the fact that you're all over the different websites in the careers industry is going to do a lot for building your reputation.

When you guest blog post on someone else's site, that's an implicit endorsement from them. It also gets you more exposure, which builds credibility.

Helps You Explore Different Ideas
Guest blog posting also helps you expand your own ideas.

If you're invited to guest post for a Fortune 500 company on job search techniques, that's going to require a different line of thought than writing for a small association blog.

When you guest post, you have to stretch your ideas, concepts, and identity to bring value to people who are slightly different than your typical market. This helps you develop and grow your ideas and concepts.

These are five of the main benefits of guest blogging. It's one of the highest ROI activities any resume writer who regularly blogs could take on.

Coming up in this week's series:
Part II: How to Find Guest Blogging Opportunities
Part III: How to Make Your Post "Most Read"
Part IV: What To Write In Your Guest Post
Part V: Landing a High Profile Guest Blogging Gig

Here's What You're Missing...

If you’re not a member of BeAResumeWriter.com, here’s what you’re missing right now… (for only $10/month you get EVERYTHING on this page)…

Latest and Greatest Learning Opportunities
First, there is a monthly training webinar that you’ll get the recordings for -- AND transcripts -- as part of our "Expert Interview Series." Here's the recordings currently available on the site:

• "Building Affiliate Relationships to Grow Your Resume Business"
• "The Employment Game: How Are You Preparing Your Clients" with Janine Moon
• "Feed the Media: How to Get Publicity For Your Resume Writing Business"
• "Using Content to Capture New Career Clients"
• "Five Keys to Generating New Business With Online Marketing" with Mark McLaren

Click here to get access to the recordings of all the teleseminars above -- PLUS, keep reading to see what else you'll get!

AND...

Each month you'll get a new Special Report, helping you be more effective in your resume writing business:

• Write Great Resumes Faster (sells for $14)
• Resume Writer's Online Marketing Guidebook: 21-Step Guide to Taking Your Resume Business Offline to Online (sells for $14)
• Maximizing Your Cash Flow: Subcontracting and Referral Relationships (sells for $10)
• Making Money Writing E-Books
• Referral-Based Marketing Strategies: How to Generate New Clients For Your Resume Writing Business
• Website Traffic Secrets for Resume Writers
• Time Management and Productivity Strategies for Resume Writers
• Emotional Marketing: Connecting With Resume Clients

(The previous month's report is removed when the next month's Special Report is added. You can purchase some of the previous reports separately -- see the links above.)

Plus additional BONUS special reports each month (these are changed out monthly). Currently, the bonus special reports available are:

• "Using Google Checkout In Your Resume Writing Business"
• "101 Productivity Principles For Getting Things Done"
• "Advanced Features of Microsoft Word: Document Review"
• "Twitter Tracking & Analytics"
• "Practical and Creative Online Business Branding"
• "Membership Sites and Partnerships"
• "Offline Advertising and Promotion"
• "Marketing Ideas for Business"

Click here to get access to this month's special report -- "Emotional Marketing: Connecting With Resume Clients" and the bonus special reports listed.

AND...

You'll also get access to Pass-Along Materials -- brandable, ready-to-go content you can use with your resume writing clients. These are articles, checklists, and special reports provided in Microsoft Word format that you can simply stick your name on and use "as is," or edit and/or rewrite into new content. These resources will help your clients be more effective in their job search, but you don't have to take hours and hours to write them. Each month, you have access to a unique PAM content package.

Here are the topics addressed:

• "Do You Have Any Questions for Me? The Question Every Candidate Should Be Prepared to Answer In An Interview" (October 2011)
• "Getting Started With LinkedIn In Your Job Search" (November 2011)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to References" (December 2011)
• "Job Search Advice: 365+ Ready-To-Go Tweets and Facebook Posts" (January 2012)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to Salary Negotiation" (February 2012)
• "Jobseeker's Guide to Online Reputation Management" (March 2012)
• "Getting Started With Facebook In Your Job Search" (April 2012)
• "What To Do Next With Your Resume" (May 2012)

(Previous Pass-Along Materials packages are removed when the next month's PAM content is added. You can purchase some of the previous PAMs -- see the links above.)

Click Here to Join BeAResumeWriter.com and Get Access to the "What To Do Next With Your Resume" Pass-Along Materials Report. I've Nicknamed it, "You've Got Your Resume: Now What?"

You'll also get access to the ENTIRE BACK ISSUE ARCHIVE of the Resume Writers' Digest newsletter. This is literally hundreds of pages of great articles and information dating back to 1999, including recaps of conference sessions on resume writing, marketing, and business management.

On BeAResumeWriter.com, you also get access to "Business Forms & Templates" you can use. Here's a quick list of what's available (new forms are added regularly!):

• Resume Critique Form
• Instruction Sheet for Final Files
• Company Profile Sheet
• Backup Resources
• Resume Writing Business Checklist
• Subcontractor Tracking Form
• Business Expense Budget
• Monthly Trending Report
• Promotional Calendar Template
• Conference Budget Form
• Conference Quick List

You'll also have access to an Enhanced Membership Directory -- and your listing on BeAResumeWriter.com is searchable by prospective clients looking for a resume writer. (You'll find a link to the BeAResumeWriter.com Directory of Professional Resume Writers on Google.)

Have you heard that blogging can build your business? Check out our 10-video series on "Building a Better Business Blog" -- currently available for Bronze members. Previously, we had a 10-video series on "Web Marketing Intensives." These resources are changed out periodically.

Speaking of "resources" -- check out our Public Relations Resources. Building on the information offered in the "Feed the Media" teleseminar (available for download or streaming audio on the site), you'll have access to:

• 12 Timely News Release Topics
• 25 Reasons to Send a News Release
• News Release Ideas from A to Z
• Sample News Releases

All that ... for $10/month. Seriously -- is there a better value for your dollar?

JOIN TODAY.

"Crossing the Generational Divide"

Last week, I helped out at a three-day conference for insurance and financial professionals. One of the sessions I was most looking forward to sitting in on was "Crossing the Generational Divide," with Preston Swincher of The Center for Generational Kinetics.

I had watched a video on YouTube of Swincher presenting on the topic of generational differences, and I thought he was both insightful and hilarious. (I've also included the video at the end of this post ... see if you agree.)

Swincher helps people understand how generational differences affect the workplace and specifically, communication issues. He started with an exercise where he asked the participants in the room (approximately 100 insurance agents and financial professionals -- most of whom were between the ages of 40 and 70) to think about the most menial job they ever had, how old they were when they started that job, and how much they earned at that job (by the hour). This being Nebraska, the "best" response was $.12/hour or a penny a cow for milking cows. Both of those respondents would surely be breaking child labor laws if they were doing it today, of course.

He pointed out, however, that even if the individuals made 75 cents or less an hour in that first job, "you still saved (part of that) money." Audience members nodded. They laughed when he said, "I'm part of Generation Y. If we earn $30,000 a year, we spend $50,000. It's the new math."

Swincher pointed out that — on average — Generation Y workers go to work at 3-5 years older than every other generation started working. He said, "That changes things. It changes how you look at work, and how you look at responsibility." He pointed out that Gen Y workers are entering the "work" stage at a different "life" stage compared to other generations.

He drew another knowing laugh when he said, "It's our very first job ... so we're probably ... 27."

Swincher asked audience members to think back to all the things they learned from that first job. He asked, "If you could offer one sentence of advice for that generation (Gen Y), what would that advice be?"

The answers included:

• Hard work never hurt anybody.
• Remember who are customers are … they are the people who actually pay you.
• Take pride in what you are doing.
• Show up and be on time.
• Act on your commitments, not your feelings.
• Be different in order to be superior.
• Be willing to pay the price; get over this feeling of entitlement.

© antonbrand - Fotolia.com

Swincher said the best piece of advice he's heard so far, from an audience in Dallas, was from an older gentleman who contributed, "Pull up your pants."

Swincher noted that people want to be motivated — they want to be led from their personal life experiences.

When they look at this generation of workers, older generations don't see what's in front of them — instead, they see themselves when they were the same age. The young worker sees his parents, "who may or may not need help restarting a computer." More laughs from the audience.

That separation of perspective is a huge challenge for some people.

Swincher noted that for the first time ever in this country, we have four generations working side by side all at the same time.

Swincher's employer, The Center for Generational Kinetics, looks at what shapes people and how it influences behavior in the marketplace and how we can forecast that.

You can find out more about what Swincher had to say in the next issue of Resume Writers' Digest.

Check out this video with Preston Swincher -- and let me know what you think in the comments:

Motivating Resume Prospects

Yesterday, I wrote a blog post "Before You Can Motivate, Seek to Understand Your Resume Prospects." I'd like to talk more about motivation today.

I'm reading a book, "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive" (I'm only on page 44, but it's very interesting reading so far...) and wanted to share some ideas on using copywriting principles to motivate prospective resume clients into buying from you. Of course, many of these same ideas can be used in your actual resumes too.

One way to look at copywriting is as the art of creating motivation using the written word. The written word carries profound power to persuade. How do you use this powerful tool to create motivation? By mastering and implementing these five principles.

Principle #1: Using Benefit-Driven Language
Most resume writers focus a lot of attention on telling consumers why their resume writing service is the best. Yet at the end of the day, that's not what consumers care about.

Consumers care about what you can do for them. They don't really care that you have three certifications or that you offer a 30-day guarantee. They don't care that you've been in business longer than anyone else, but they do care about reliable service. Most important, however, is that they care that your resume can get them interviews ... and ultimately, the job.

Translate statements from "about me" to "about what we can do for you."

Principle #2: Use Power Words
Power words or action words are words that pack an emotional punch. Instead of saying that the new resume will help them get interviews, say that the resume will help secure more interviews and job offers. Instead of saying their resume will help them get more job interviews, say their phone will be ringing off the hook from prospective employers wanting to hear them.

Power words create mental imagery and have an emotional tone that helps sell your product.

Principle #3: Proof, Proof, Proof
Prove every claim you make. People today are extremely skeptical -- and rightly so. There are so many people making bold claims that promising a benefit simply isn't enough anymore.

Prove what you're promising, then prove it again and throw some proof on top. It's much better to solidly prove that you can help someone get more interviews than it is to loudly proclaim that you can help them get interviews without proof.

People won't feel motivated unless you can prove that you're the real deal. And unfortunately, many resume writers don't follow up with clients to be able to gather supporting data needed to provide proof that their resume services work.

Principle #4: Removal of Risk
Doing business with a company for the first time is very risky for consumers. They don't know if you'll fulfill your claims, they don't know if your resume writing is any good, they don't know how good your service is — they really don't know much at all about you.

That's why risk removal is such a powerful way to get people to act on their motivation.

Risk removal doesn't actually create motivation. Instead, what it does is remove barriers to getting people to act on their desire for your product.

Add a powerful money-back guarantee to your resume service to reduce and remove risk.

Principle #5: Urgency
When people think they're going to miss out if they don't act, that's a powerful motivator. It's called the "Fear of Missing Out" or FOMO for short.

Learn to leverage FOMO in your copywriting and you'll be able to motivate and generate real action. Use it to take people from wanting your product to actually buying it.

Before You Can Motivate, Seek to Understand Your Resume Prospects

Before you try to motivate someone to become a resume client, the first thing to do is spend as much time as possible really understanding who they are and where they're coming from. Your customer doesn't care that you want to motivate them to become a customer. They just want their problem solved. (They simply want a job. Or, if they have a job, they want a new job.)

Speakers and business owners who focus on trying to motivate people often fail. Why? Because wanting to motivate someone is inherently a self-centered desire. "I want to help people find a job," or "I want to build my resume business," or "I want people to buy," are all "I-focused" statements.

Instead, successful resume writers don't start with what they want. They don't start with wanting to motivate jobseekers; they start with what the customer wants.

The Magic Question: What Do You Want?
When it comes to business, what the customer wants is king. If the customer wants something that's different than what you want to provide, you'll have to ask yourself which is more important — the success of your business, or going the path you chose.

The most successful businesses in the world almost all undergo a drastic change and revamping at some point:

• Pixar started out as a company designed to manufacture 3D rendering technology. They lost money until they realized the market was in actually creating the movies themselves.
• IBM was one of the world's largest computer manufacturers for years, until the personal computer revolution. They then realized their customers just didn't want what they had to offer anymore, and had to reform their company into one that did consulting instead.

The same applies to resume writers. People often get into business with one set idea of what they want to provide, without asking questions or understanding where their customers are coming from first.

Deeply Understand ... and Motivation Will Come
If you want to motivate jobseekers, first start by understanding them better than anyone else does. If you can understand your audience better than your competitors, you'll be able to motivate them better than your competitors.

What is the real pain point with your target audience? Why are they willing to spend money on your resume service (instead of doing it themselves)? What is it like to not have a solution to their pain yet?

How do people decide on how much they want to pay? Is it based on price, as is a commodity? Or is it based on how likely they believe you'll be able to solve their problem, as it is in consulting?

Try to understand how your customers decide on a solution and why they haven't picked any of your competitors. Try to understand what they want more than anything else.

When you speak, if customers get the sense that you've really taken the time to understand them, they will respond.