This section contains helpful information and resources for people who want to know how to use written content to grow their businesses.

ARTICLES:

My blog includes articles and guides on all apsects of marketing with written content, including:

• What is marketing and where do you start?
• 5 things you can do to promote your company better
• How to market your services with written content
• Five questions to help you communicate what you do
• The 4 pillars of a successful business website
• Think content first, then get the web designers in
• One simple step to better marketing: ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS
• How to use LinkedIn to bring in business
• Spotlight on business blogs

You can sign up to receive updates for new articles by email - use the 'subscribe me' button on the blog.

Interesting articles by others:

• 10 marketing lessons from the Barack Obama presidential campaign by David Meerman Scott
• Social media will change your business from Business Week, Feb 2008
• B2B Usability by Jakob Nielsen
• 50 things your customers wish you knew by Sonia Simone
• How can 10 simple articles change your life? by Chris Pearson
• How to write a story that sells by Brian Clark
• Branding is for cattle by David Meerman Scott
• Why most B2B sites fail to convert sales to leads by Brian Carroll
• How to grow your business in 3 months with social media marketing on the MarcomInk blog
• Nine steps to PowerPoint magic by Seth Godin
• The gobbledygook manifesto by David Meerman Scott
• The greatest sales letter ever written on Copyblogger
• BBC 'Web users are getting more selfish' May 2008

BOOKS I RECOMMEND:

See my article: 4 great marketing books for small professional businesses

• Inbound Marketing - getting found using Google, social media and blogs: by B Halligan & D Shah
• Prioritizing web usability: by Jakob Nielsen
• The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to use blogs, podcasing, viral marketing and online media to reach buyers directly by David Meerman Scott
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves: the zero tolerance approach to punctuation by Lynne Truss
• Tribes by Seth Godin
• Small is the New Big: and 183 other riffs, rants and remarkable business ideas by Seth Godin
• Writing White Papers: how to capture readers and keep them engaged by Michael Stelzner
• Making Change Happen: implementing business change - a practical guide by Jane Northcote

WEBSITES AND BLOGS TO READ:

• www.marketingdonut.co.uk (Fantastically useful small business marketing resources from Bristol-based BHP) as well as their sister sites www.startupdonut.co.uk and www.lawdonut.co.uk
• www.remarkable-communication.com (Sonia Simone writes weekly articles on how to communicate effectively on the web)
• www.webinknow.com (David Meerman Scott posts some fantastic articles on new ways to market your business online)
• www.raintoday.com (An excellent resource for professional service companies who want to know how to grow their businesses)
• www.actionplan.blogs.com (This is useful for independent consultants and small businesses who want to become better marketers and attract more clients)
• http://sethgodin.typepad.com (The most popular marketing blog in the world, for good reason!)
• www.copyblogger.com (This site has great articles on how to write for the web)
• www.useit.com (Jakob Neilsen's no frills site gives guidance on how to make websites easier to use)

USEFUL LINKS AND SERVICES:

• Iain Claridge for web design www.iainclaridge.co.uk
• Lizzie Everard for photography, illustration, personal branding and print design  www.lizzieeverard.co.uk
• Jane Northcote for business consultancy www.janenorthcote.com
• Plain English Campaign www.plainenglish.co.uk

KEEP UP TO DATE:

If you would like me to keep you up-to-date with new articles and resources that will help you to win new clients, please contact me at sonja@sonjajefferson.co.uk. I'll add you to my email list and send you useful articles, links and resources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Many thanks to the following people who have helped me with this site:

• Iain Claridge for designing the site www.iainclaridge.co.uk
• James Jefferson at Unity Information Systems www.unity-is.com for building the site using Drupal
• Lizzie Everard for the portrait photographs and blog header design www.lizzieeverad.co.uk
• Rod Hanchard-Goodwin at Blue Fin Art for the wonderful surf image www.bluefinart.com. Original photograph © Ross Fisher, enhanced by Blue Fin Art 2008. 

 WEBSITES I LIKE:

• www.clear-thought.co.uk: packed full of useful content, easy navigation and great writing
• www.ianbrodie.com: great example of blog-based website, written from the client's perspective
• www.3sixty.co.uk: blog-based company website, rich with content, beautifully designed and easy to navigate - lovely!
• www.ibm.com: their home page now engages people with interesting, informative content (rather than bland descriptions of what they do)
• www.thebarbariangroup.com and www.method.com: even design companies, long the home of flashy graphics, are getting in on the content act.
• www.rightnow.com: crm software company with a content rich website based around the needs of their customers.
• www.hoarelealighting.com: lighting design consultancy - great mix of project experience with thought leadership content - articles, training courses, even video