The content on Smallbiztechnology.com has for years been produced almost exclusively by Ramon Ray (who you know). While Ramon will continue to produce much of the content, it’s time to go into a new phase of more, smart, from the heart, keeping it real, informative, insightful content for the Smallbiztechnology.com audience.
Laura Leites is the new (and first) Assistant Editor and Event Coordinator of Smallbiztechnology.com and will be making this all happen. (laura at smallbiztechnology.com or laura at workstationbs.com)
Why write for Smallbiztechnology.com
- You will receive a personal profile page – such as https://www.smallbiztechnology.com/writer/laura . This profile page will be developed after your second article is published and we know that you will be a regular writer.
- You will receive a boost in traffic to your own web site and added visibility for your business overall
- Journalists will see you as even more of an industry expert and may call upon you (as they are increasingly calling upon Ramon)
- As a writer for Smallbiztechnology.com you might have access to events and opportunities that you might not normally have (some of you have this access already – but many of you might not)
When writing keep these things in mind:
1. Smallbiztechnology.com helps small businesses (from 1 – 100 employees) use technology as a tool to grow their business.
2. Think with the mind of a busy and smart small business owner. Keep articles concise, to the point, clear, informative and high-level (a bit entertaining is most welcome).
3. Your article should serve as a general guide and/or roadmap to help our audience know what technology product, service or concept they should consider for their business. Smallbiztechnology.com articles are not 5,000 word research papers filled with “everything including the kitchen sink articles” but instead are guides the reader can take to their local consultant for implementation and further discussion.
4. Every article should have cost of product/service; benefit to small businesses; who else sells a competing product; why this product is important; how it was installed; how easy it is to install for the owner or is this something an expert should handle
5. Smallbiztechnology.com is all about offering it’s audience technology tools they should consider using to grow their businesses!
One unique aspect of Smallbiztechnology.com has been the content “connects the dots”. When writing about Microsoft Office Live for example, through Ramon’s years of experience the article also can touch on the increasingly competitive market; the issue of software as a service vs traditional software; how Google is moving to make applications available offline while Microsoft is moving to make them available online!
Writing Specifics
- You’ll either be assigned a topic to write about or you will be asked to suggest one. Every article has a due date and post date.
- The article should be 500 – 700 words. More is fine, but not more than 1,000 words
- If an article is assigned it will most likely be prompted by a pitch from a PR company on behalf of their client – to have them mentioned in Smallbiztechnology.com.
- Please do not submit an article that has been published before. We are looking for FRESH information for our audience.
For example, a company might have a new cell phone that works underwater. The headline we would create would be something like “Cell Phones for Wet Jobs” or something like that. Your article would focus on what mobile technology small businesses could use for jobs out of a traditional office, using your expertise to mention other products (such as the Panasonic Toughbooks). The main article could be about the company and product in the PR pitch.
We also VERY, VERY much want articles that you suggest. You are industry experts and we want the day-to-day interaction with clients, customers, products, projects to come out on Smallbiztechnology.com. Our audience will benefit from the mistakes you’ve seen made and/or the successes you have. Share this with our audience.
If you are contacted directly by companies or the PR companies who represent them please direct all queries directly to Ramon Ray. Smallbiztechnology.com, daily, receives many pitches for coverage from PR professionals and receiving pitches twice would be over whelming.
A few other important things
Some of you are consultants and have clients others you work with that may compete with products you review. Please a) disclose this to us and in your writing b) be objective c) write honestly and focus on tools/issues that help small businesses grow their businesses.
At times you may speak to company executives and/or their PR representatives. Please keep focused on the article you are writing for smallbiztechnology.com and be absolutely professional. Kindly do not mix your personal business or issues with the interview or emails between yourself and the subject of your article.
When writing for Smallbiztechnology.com your relationship is that you are a free lance writer for smallbiztechnology.com. Your professional affiliation should also be stated. “I’m John Doe, CRM Consultant for Spunk Industries and I’m writing an article on “Why CRM Fails” as a free lance writer for smallbiztechnology.com”
Please send Laura and me a full page bio (up to 500 words), a shorter bio (3 – 5 lines) and a good quality photo of you (it need not be professionally produced (if you can do this, it would be good) but should be very clear, not taken with a cell phone or something and clearly show your face.