Ease in Writing

Name of my e-newsletter, from a quote by Alexander Pope:
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance,
As those move easiest who have learn’d to dance.
Note he (and I) didn’t say “easy writing.” But just like dance lessons can help get you around the floor with your partner more gracefully, the goal for my newsletter [...]

SEO “Grad”

Keywords? Check. ALT Images? Got it.
I just finished the last lesson of an online course on Search Engine Optimization. How strange, and yet exciting, that a field has emerged that can talk about its “history” back in the 1990s or early 2000s.
The course, conducted by the SEMPO Instititute, was good, although subject to the occasional [...]

How Do You Measure Engagement?

A conference at Wharton considered whether offline media is relevant anymore, supplanted by blogs, YouTube, and other online vehicles. (Read about it here.)
One speaker said, despite all the measurements of click-through rates and unique visitors, we still don’t have a useful measurement in terms of engagement and brand awareness. An e-commerce site can measure how [...]

Feedback on Websites

I taught a class through Fairfax County Adult Ed on writing for the Internet. Great group of people–all already quite e-savvy.
Some questions I suggested people consider as they evaluate their own or another website, e-newsletter, blog or other writing:
Name/subject of the piece:
What do I like about this piece?
What is its main message?
What am I expected [...]

Announcement: E-Writing Workshop

Here’s info on the two-part workshop I am teaching through Fairfax County’s Adult and Community Education:
Tuesdays, October 2 and 97 to 9 p.m.Marshall High School, Falls Church
eWritingIs your website a winner or a wash-out? Can a blog boost your business or bog you down? Whether you want to create a new online presence or strengthen [...]

Setting the right course

I am developing a four-hour, two-part course for Fairfax County Adult Ed on online writing. It’s great to have a way to share the bits and pieces of experience I’ve gained, including the mistakes!
Challenge now is how to package it into four hours, provide enough information and time to practice without overwhelming people with bits [...]