Sharon Hurley Hall

It’s always interesting to decide how to present my work to clients. A couple of weeks ago, I was referred to a client wanting web copy for a site in the health and fitness niche. I booked a short meeting with the client and took along this short presentation of four sites I’d worked on recently, a few main points about each of them and the process of working with me. Overall, I was pretty pleased with it – as it was simple and effective and proved that I could do the job. I’m now working with those clients on their web copy. For some reason this won’t embed, but here’s the link if you want to take a look.

Presenting work to clients

The first quarter of the year has been a busy time for me. Since my last update on my guest blogging and blogging gigs, I’ve had quite a few posts published – and some of them have had a great response.

The most commented, tweeted and shared was a post I wrote for Unbounce comparing Google+ and Facebook (a topic close to my heart), but here’s the full list of posts published recently.

• Why Google+ will Kick Facebook’s Ass for Business Marketing – Unbounce
• How to Improve Conversions by Increasing Page Speed [Tips & Tools] – Unbounce
• Startup Spotlight: Numecent – Podium Ventures
• Could Your Business Survive Without a Blog? – The BlogShop
• Why Freelance Marketing is Important and How to Do It Right – DoNanza
• How to Create a Stunning Freelance Portfolio with Pinterest – DoNanza
• What Type of Communicator are You? – Wrike
• 5 Things They Don’t Tell You about Becoming a Location Independent Writer – About Freelance Writing
• Want Winter Warmth? Try Barbados – Living Better at 50+
• The Biz of Writing – Interview with Anne Wayman- Living Better at 50+
• Scoop.it – A Great Content Marketing Tool – PRWave
• JustRetweet Keeps Twitter Sharing Simple – Basic Blog Tips
• Kindle Touch Review – Authopublisher
• The Scoop on Scoop.it – Social Web Tools
• USA Ranks 4th In World Cloud Computing Report – IBM Midsize Insider
• Cloud Computing Lowers SME Business Entry Barrier – - IBM Midsize Insider

I’ve also written dozens of other posts for clients. Check out more posts from me on my list of blogging credits or my Contently profile.

Image: Sean MacEntee

Why Google is Kicking Facebook’s A** for Business Marketing

A picture is worth a thousand words. I was commissioned to write this article for the Unbounce blog. I wish I could take credit for the title (it was the editor’s idea), but the rest of it is all mine. It’s deliberately a bit argumentative and has had plenty of social media love as a result ( I think the StumbleUpon figure is a bit high, but you never know). Here’s what you get when you hire me to blog for you:

• A professionally written, search engine optimized post (and usually, I’ll come up with the title myself)
• Suitable images to accompany the post, which I’ll make sure you’re allowed to use (from Wikimedia Commons, Flickr or anywhere else with Creative Commons images). I’ll even create my own screenshots.
• If I am the bylined author of the post (I also do ghost blogging where you get the credit), I will respond to comments (and I won’t be fazed by trolls either).
• Ideas for follow-up posts.
• Sharing with my own social networks (admittedly not as large as the ones on Unbounce, but still pretty respectable).

And this isn’t a fluke. I’ve been blogging for 7 years and writing for far longer than that. I’m a professional and I work equally well on my own or with an editor.

December was one of my best months ever, not just because of the work I did, but because of the interest people expressed in using my services in the New Year. Those people have started to come back to me now and I’m confidently expecting to work with a couple of new people on ebook writing and publishing and blog editing and management. Since those are some of my favorite things to do, I’m excited about the opportunities they present. I’ll tell you more when they become a reality, but until then, Happy New Year, and have a wonderful and productive year.

Dear clients and friends, thanks for a great 2011. I hope you enjoy this holiday greeting:

I recently completed some web copy for a new client, Arleene McFarlane, who is in the process of updating her website. The new copy will be live in the New Year.

“I hired Sharon to breathe some life into the contents of my website, as I wanted to make it more engaging and reflective of what my job entails.

I found her very methodical and organised. She responded quickly to my mails, met the deadlines set, and most of all, I found her flexible; she willingly tweaked my copy (more than once), offered many solutions to problems encountered and I felt involved and at the centre of the project.

I am very happy with the results and would not hesitate about hiring her for another project should the need arise!”

Thanks, Arleene; it was a pleasure working with you, too.

November was a busy month, with some of the posts I wrote spilling over into December posting. Here’s a roundup.

Authopublisher

• Ghostwriting: Does It Matter If You Don’t Get The Credit?
• Google+ For Writers and Self-Publishers, Redux

Basic Blog Tips

• Six Reasons Why I Won’t Be Blogging on Your Site
• Seven Reasons Why I Won’t Share Your Post on Twitter

Growmap

• Key Aspects of Your Business Website for Writers (and Small Businesses and Others)

Live Without A Job – interview

• Location Independent Freelance Writer: Sharon Hurley Hall

Live Your Love

• Twimbow – Reviewing The Rainbow Twitter Tool

Living Better at 50+

• Business in the Cloud: Is it Really Workable?
• Winter Weight Loss: Slow Carb Dieting for the Long Haul

Simply Stated Business

• Cloud Computing

Successful Blogging

• 7 Stress Free Ways To Run Your Blog

The Blog Shop

• Business Blogging: Why Your Business Should Guest Blog

Writing It Right For You

• Working From A Coffee Shop: Pros and Cons

Posts for Clients

• Scotland’s History and Culture – A Snapshot
• Chocolate: A History of Innovation
• A Whisky Tour of Scotland
• Five Favorite Scottish Foods And Drinks
• Cheap Airport Parking – Two Top Tips
• Five Things To Do in Scotland
• Looking For Luxury At Christmas? Try a Scottish Hamper
• Give the Gift of Coffee
• Zero Waste: Can We Achieve It?
• How To Save Water Around the Home
• Water: Four Questions Answered
• Five Things Brazil is Famous For
• Five Famous Colombian Exports
• Greener Business – A Call to Action
• Scotland – Cool Climate, Warm Welcome
• How To Select Self-Catering Accommodation
• Five Reasons to Choose A UK Cottage for Your Next Holiday
• Raining on Your Vacation? Don’t Be Depressed
• Four Reasons to Book A Short Term Rental
• Five Areas to See When You Visit Edinburgh
• Four Trips You Can Take from Edinburgh
• How to Prepare to Study Abroad
• Leaving University? How to Get Ready
• How to Get the Most Out of University Life
• and many more. These are just a selection.

In addition, I have several posts on the Global Good Group site and the RAG New York site and I’ve been writing travel posts for a site that hasn’t launched yet. If you want to see posts like these on your site, you know what you have to do – hire me!

I don’t usually brag, but I had great validation for my resume writing services from a recent client who started his first day on a new job today. I’ll be getting a proper testimonial from him soon, but here’s what he said.

A couple of months ago he was sending in his resume and wasn’t getting far. I took a look at it and translated his technical qualifications into a list of identifiable skills and attributes. I even threw in an extra version which was a British style CV.

After I revamped it, he sent the resume into one of the companies that had rejected his old one and got an interview and call back for a second interview.  That’s proof that it was the resume change that made the difference, because he’s the same person with the same skill set. The same happened at another firm – and now he’s got a job!

He’s doing the happy dance – and so am I!

I recently did some work for one of my long-standing clients. I’ve worked with her intermittently for three or four years. Here’s the testimonial she gave me:

“I hired Sharon for her editorial services. She delivered excellently and on time. She was very thorough as always. That’s why I keep going back to her. I have used her services a few times and will definitely use her again” – Shahida Rahman.

Thanks, Shahida.

A couple of weeks ago I helped a client with a series of articles for an email marketing campaign. Here’s what he had to say:

“I’ve worked with Sharon for a couple of years now on different projects and her articles are always knowledgeable, of a very high quality and require no editing. Sharon’s a superb writer – she comes very highly recommended by me” – Charles Cridland.

Thanks, Charles.