Blog Archive — Rough Draft Solutions

Business owners are some of the busiest people in the world. It’s no secret that you’re juggling a million things. Often, writing content for your website, blog, newsletter, and social media platforms probably isn’t high on your priority list. But if you’ve been around here very long, you know how vital content is in enriching your customer's experience.

The truth is, as business owners, we have the tendency to put too much on ourselves. This isn’t because we don’t trust our staff or don’t know how to prioritize. It’s because we want to do the best we can for our business. But if you’re anything like me, you need to remember you can’t possibly do it all and it is okay to get help.

PostedOctober 18, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsCopywriter, Content marketing, Ghostwriting, Copywriting

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This week was one of the best lately! To start it off, I had a splendid long weekend with my family and friends in MN. So good to unplug, refresh, and refocus on what is most important.

Even though skipping work for a few days made my week a bit squished/rushed, I was able to plow through the work I needed to finish. We edited several articles for a client's newsletter, wrote a few client blog posts, and got through the final content implementation for a client's website! Woohoo!

PostedOctober 14, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

TagsA Weekly Dose

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You’ve got a blog, you’ve scheduled the time to write, and now you just need one more thing. A blog post idea to write about.

Even though you’re an expert in your field, sometimes the hardest thing is to figure out how to capture your knowledge and ideas into a pretty little blog post. How do you balance sharing what you know and answering the questions your customers have?

PostedOctober 12, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Content Marketing, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging Tips, Blogging, Writing Tips, Small Business Owner

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Do you ever wish you could hire someone to write blog posts for your business and still get the credit?

Kind of feels like cheating on a test, right? Thankfully, it’s not. In fact, it is a recommended practice that will not only save you time but provide value to your customers.

A ghostwriter is someone who will take on your tone, style and persona and use it to write content for you, under your name. Not all successful small business owners are skilled writers, nor do they have an abundance of extra time. A ghostwriter can write your blog posts and newsletters, giving you the freedom to focus on the work you love and need to do.

PostedOctober 4, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsGhostwriting, Copywriting, Copywriter, Editing, Writing

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I'm currently enjoying a steaming cup of coffee while looking out the window at this dreary rain. But I totally love it. There is something about a rainy week that makes me hunker down and get stuff done! This week really felt like fall, and I'm pretty happy about it.

PostedSeptember 30, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesA Weekly Dose

TagsA Weekly Dose

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As a small business owner, your biggest concern is probably not your blog. You’ve got clients to please, products to produce, services to refine, and a whole lot more. And yet, blogging is vital to the growth of your business and the support of your customers.

Your to-do list may seem endless, but you cannot afford to ignore your blog.

If you’re disenchanted with writing for your business blog, it’s important to refocus, shake things up, and find your mojo again.

PostedSeptember 27, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Blogs, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging tips, Blogging Lansing, Small Business Owner

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So, how did your week go? I feel like this week was a week of progress. Our client work consisted of writing and editing blog posts, writing new website content, and drafting a brand promise. We also sent out a few proposals to new potential clients. I am excited about the opportunities ahead! I still have a long list of things I want to get done before the weekend so today will be a full day!

PostedSeptember 23, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesA Weekly Dose

TagsA Weekly Dose

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Recently, I've heard a few people say email is dead. They are wrong.

Even in the world of overflowing inboxes, it is still worth your time to reach out to your customers through email.

Email campaigns are an effective way to provide value, connect with your customers, and share more about your business. With an email campaign, you are sending out marketing content on a specific schedule with the intention of increasing your customer’s awareness, trust, and interest in your business.

PostedSeptember 20, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesEmail Marketing, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsEmail campagins, Email marketing Tips, Email

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This week definitely had its ups and downs! Sunday was a beautiful day spent with people I love - and I even got to visit Lake Huron for the first time! I'm always so impressed with the Great Lakes - they are so vast.

PostedSeptember 16, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesA Weekly Dose

TagsA Weekly Dose

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Writing is one of those things that small business owners either love or hate to do. And as someone who falls into the love-it camp, it's still hard for me to find enough time to write for my business.

PostedSeptember 15, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Small Business Owner, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWriting, Small Business Owner

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This week was refreshing. Whatever was going on last week (major negative vibes) is officially gone! The last few days I've been especially thankful for encouraging collaborations and consistent progress. We are working on some exciting partnerships and new developments for the website/blog!

PostedSeptember 9, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesA Weekly Dose

TagsA Weekly Dose

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If you’re a small business owner, content marketing needs to be a part of your daily business strategy.

Still scratching your head and wondering what content marketing is exactly?

oe Pulizzi defines the concept in his book, Epic Content Marketing, as “the process of developing and sharing relevant, valuable, and engaging content to a target audience with the goal of acquiring new customers or increasing business from existing customers.”

Pulizzi further explains, “Content Marketing is about delivering the content your audience is seeking in all the places they are searching for it. It is the effective combination of created, curated and syndicated content.”

PostedSeptember 6, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesSmall Business Owner, Writing, Content Marketing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsSmall Business Owner, Content marketing, tips

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Who doesn’t want their blog to be more successful? Nobody.

As business owners and marketers, we are all looking for ways to increase readership, enhance engagement, and ultimately, get more mileage out of the blog posts we write!

A couple weeks ago, we published a short video “4 Ways to Make Your Blog More Successful.” We totally appreciate all of the wonderful feedback you gave! We wanted to provide a more in-depth look at these tips and share a few more tips we think you need to take your blog to the next level.

These are the tried-and-true strategies we have been using for the past year. Enjoy!

PostedAugust 30, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Small Business Owner, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsBlogging, Blogging Tips, Writing, Editing, Small Business Owner

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Public speaking is one of the most critical forms of communication in the business world. It comes in all shapes and sizes, from introducing yourself at a networking event to being the keynote speaker at workshops and seminars.

Whether the speaking engagement is small or large, it can cause us to feel extremely nervous. According to Psychology Today, most people fear public speaking more than death! That is a lot of fear.

Sometimes we put so much pressure on ourselves to speak perfectly that it causes us to overthink things.

PostedAugust 23, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesPublic Speaking, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

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Most of us recognize when it is appropriate to write emails in a formal or informal tone. At work, we are told to error on the side of being too professional when communicating with coworkers, our boss, and our clients. We’re given the impression that it’s better to be safe than sorry and to be careful not to come off as too casual or worse, disrespectful.

But once you’ve formed strong relationships with coworkers and clients, wouldn’t it feel weird to be strictly professional in your emails? Shouldn’t your communication style reflect the connection and trust you’ve built over time? So, how do you walk the line between being professional and personable in your emails?

PostedAugust 16, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesInternal Communication, Strategic Communication, Tips, Writing, Small Business Owner, Personal Branding, Communication, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsEditing, Writing, Email, Small Business Owner

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I may be a little late to the podcasting craze, but I’m hooked. I recently got a new phone because mine jumped off a cliff (figuratively, not literally). When I got my fancy-dancy new phone, I got a free pair of Beats Wireless headphones (sadly, not sponsored!). New gadgets = revolutionized morning routine.

PostedAugust 9, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesInterview, Leadership, Marketing, Personal Branding, Small Business Owner, Rough Draft Solutions

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The truth of the matter is that some of us started blogging because someone told us we had to, and others started because they wanted to talk about their products and services. But those are not the right reasons to blog.

Watch our most recent video clip and learn about the top three blogging mistakes we encourage you not to make! Businesses who make these three mistakes are simply adding to the mountains of irrelevant content online and disappointing their customers by not offering the solutions they so desperately want.

PostedAugust 2, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesBlogging, Blogs, Communication, Video, Writing, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsVideo, Blogging, Blogging Tips

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What’s your home page saying about you? As the most viewed page on your website, your homepage should leave your audience intrigued and informed. What they should not be is bored, confused, or unsatisfied. If you don’t capture your current and potential customers’ attention quickly, they will leave. Seems like common knowledge, and yet, we come across poorly executed homepages every day!

What you include on your homepage sends your audience a message about what you think is most important for them to know, your approach to customer relationships, and why they should do business with you. Your homepage should direct your audience to where they should go next on your website and how they can get more information.

Your homepage is your 24/7 sales tool. Don’t screw it up.

PostedJuly 26, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesWebsite content, Writing, Tips, Rough Draft Solutions

TagsWebsite content, content development

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Last week, we got to know Amanda, the owner of Rough Draft Solutions. This week, we wanted to focus on the two other team members of the business, Emily and Maddie.

These two ladies have added so much value to the work we do at Rough Draft Solutions. They are skilled writers and editors, and we are excited for you to get to know them a bit more!

PostedJuly 19, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesContent Marketing, Interview, Writing

TagsInterview, Editors, Writing, Content Marketing

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In the world of small business, we must take ownership of our story. We must speak out, share our experiences, and open up about our struggles. By doing this, we can inspire and encourage one another to keep the dream alive. We are continually inspired by the hardworking business owners who are bootstrapping it and making things happen!

This week we’re interviewing our very own Amanda Washburn, the owner of Rough Draft Solutions. We hope it gives you a bit of insight into our company and why we’re committed to empowering other businesses to communicate with their customers! So, grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile!

PostedJuly 13, 2016

AuthorAmanda Washburn

CategoriesInterview, Writing, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner

TagsInterview, Content Marketing, Small Business Owner

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