Substance and Style

    Category: Uncategorized

    • Choose the Right Venue for Your Fundraising Event

      When planning a fundraising event, it’s important to choose the venue early on. After all, some places fill up rather quickly, especially at certain times of the year. You cannot reasonably expect to start planning a June event in April and think you’ll be able to secure a venue, especially one that does weddings. You…

    • Top 5 Places to Find Grants Without Paying to Search 

      Everyone wants grants, but most people don’t want to shell out hundreds of dollars a year to search grant and foundation databases. Here are some places to look for free: Your local government. Start at the town or city level, move on to the county, and then to the state. Most local governments have a…

    • Should your Business Back A Specific Candidate?

      It’s that time again when political signs are everywhere. The stakes are incredibly high; few Americans alive today remember a more politically divided time. It’s important to fight for what you believe in, but, like it or not, you must also watch the bottom line, especially if your business is small. Here are some things…

    • How to Find Networking Opportunities

      Networking is a fact of life for most people who run businesses or nonprofits. Whether we like it or not, word of mouth continues to drive the most sales, and referrals bring the most people to programs. If you’re an introvert, you may prefer to think of it as community building, which it essentially is.…

    • Write More Effective Case Statements 

      Case statements are letters, flyers, brochures, or other literature crafted specifically to garner support for nonprofit organizations. While development professionals usually write them to attract financial support (donations, event sponsorships, etc.), they can also be used to attract volunteers or community partners. Advice about writing them abounds; usually it boils down to using a mix…

    • Use Your Buyer Personas to Create Useful Content

      If you’re running a business, a nonprofit, or a marketing department, you’ve probably already created buyer personas to help you understand your customers. This information helps you guide their buying decisions and keep them satisfied. It can also help you provide useful content, which builds solid relationships and loyalty. When creating content, think about these…

    • We’re off for the holiday. See you next week!

    • Find Clients and Customers on LinkedIn

      A lot of business owners and freelancers rush to have a social media presence, but forget all about LinkedIn. If your customers are other business owners, not having LinkedIn is a missed opportunity. While more eyes might land on your content on Instagram or Facebook, the eyes that land on it on LinkedIn are more…

    • Write Better Web Copy In Five Easy Steps

      Get into the head of your audience. I give this advice for all aspects of marketing, and I know you’ve heard it before. I repeat it so often because it’s the single most important thing you can do. Look at everything you write for your site from the user’s perspective. What have they come looking…

    • Find Your Niche For Personal And Financial Rewards

      Everyone is always talking about finding your niche, and if you’re starting or running a business or freelancing, it is especially important to listen. For one thing, finding a niche gets you back to doing what you like or love, which is presumably why you wanted to work for yourself in the first place. Another…