The birth of any great blog post is a messy business.

For professional bloggers, writing is a labor of love. For business owners, however, it can be a painful, intimidating process that’s just not worth the effort.

The conception of great ideas to share with your blog audience is usually pretty easy and fun. The delivery of clear, concise writing, though, that’s a different story.

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When Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of his dreams for America in one of the most influential speeches in all of history, he knew how to incite action from his listeners.

Not only was the content of his speech provocative, his delivery could have moved mountains.

King challenged tens of thousands of civil rights supporters in Washington that day to move toward change and never give up. King so moved Americans of all races that they accepted the challenge back in 1963 and continue to do so today.

Delivering this speech, King used classic call to action techniques to inspire and motivate. By analyzing King’s speech, business copywriters can discover an effective approach to motivate even the most resistant readers.

As we celebrate his birthday, let’s take a look at what made his speech so inspirational.

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Love ’em or hate ’em, New Year’s resolutions tempt you every year.

You may make them (and break them) faithfully every year, or you might be someone who gave up resolutions long ago.

Do as you please with your personal resolutions to meditate (who has the time?), to work out more often (who has the energy?) or to eat less chocolate (who has the willpower?). But don’t overlook business resolutions, and certainly don’t break them come Jan. 2.

Before heading back to the office after the holidays, take inventory of your business writing. Changes in the past year mean your website and marketing materials need an update. So resolve right now to take stock of what’s working well and what needs a face-lift.

Let’s take a look at a few areas you should reevaluate.

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Your website might be missing a very important page.

If you don’t have an About Us page, you haven’t introduced yourself to your website visitors.

They’re looking for you, and you’re nowhere to be found.

Your site has no personality. But you can fix that.

No matter whether you overlooked it or just didn’t know how to write it, if you don’t have an About page, you need one. Let’s learn how to write it.

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“Almost everybody in the advertising business will tell you that there are more efficient ways to influence the consumer than writing copy.

But here’s something else that almost everybody agrees on: It has gotten harder and harder to build brand, move merchandise, convey a message, leave a lasting impression.”

– Michael Wolff, award-winning writer and contributor to Vanity Fair

Though it seems to state the obvious, the assertion that copywriting requires a copywriter is not a widely believed principle.

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