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Writing and Publishing

Don’t Forget Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on Your Blog

Another blogging tip is to optimize posts for search engines. As we already covered, the post should be at least 200 words long for search engines to have enough content to analyze. Also, making a post scannable helps, too, especially when we use bold or add a headline tag to subheadings (an easy step I […]

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Business

Under the Influence: Making a Difference for Those Around Us

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD My daughter’s a teacher. In her first year out of college, she taught first grade, influencing the next generation. I don’t recall too much about my own first grade teacher. I do know I really liked her. Many times, my parents said Mrs. Frank gave me a great start in […]

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Writing and Publishing

Four Ways to Make Scannable Posts to Attract Readers

Readers are more likely to read short posts. Making posts scannable is another blogging tip to gain attention. Here are four ways to make posts scannable: Use Bullet Points This is a technique I like, as both a writer and a reader. They add clarity without adding words. Have Numbered Lists A numbered list also […]

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Writing and Publishing

How Long Should Your Blog Posts Be?

Another key to successful blogging is to write like Goldilocks: not too long, and not too short, but just right. But how long is that? Although writers often grumble at my answer, I’ve never heard one complaint from a reader. Readers are who we need to please: posts should be 200 to 300 words long. […]

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Writing and Publishing

What’s a Widget and Why Do I Want Them on My WordPress Blog?

Part 4 in the continuing series on using WordPress for blogging: a platform-building, book-selling tool. Last week we talked about WordPress themes. Today, the subject is widgets. If a theme is analogous to a cover or skin for a cell phone, then a widget corresponds to an app. Just as our smartphones don’t need apps, […]

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Telephone Answering Service

Do You Like Snow?

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD In Michigan, as well as in many other parts of the United States, winter has wearied everyone. It’s lasted too long, been too cold, and piled on too much snow. Everyone I talk to longs for this season to end. Even those who adore winter weather have ceased their praise […]

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Writing and Publishing

How Often Do You Post on Your Blog?

Last Saturday, in this series on blogging, I talked about the importance of having a theme to guide content for our blogs. Another critical element is to follow a regular posting plan. On this blog, I post every Saturday morning. It’s a good rhythm for me and regular readers know to expect new content each […]

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Writing and Publishing

What’s a WordPress Theme?

Part 3 in the continuing series on using WordPress for blogging: a platform-building, book-selling tool. Each blog or website needs a theme. There are two ways to understand this. From a content standpoint, a blog needs a theme or topic to guide writing and attract readers. The theme of this blog is book publishing, of […]

Categories
Healthcare Call Centers

The Evolution of Self-Service and Its Effect on the Medical Call Center

An Interview with David Lloyd, CEO of IntelliResponse, By Peter DeHaan, Ph.D. The medical call center has seen many changes in the last few years, especially in the evolving digital and social economy. New technologies have changed the way hospitals and healthcare organizations are marketing and connecting with their main constituents. Some have been reluctant […]

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Healthcare Call Centers

A Tale of Two Calls: Customer Service Despair and Delight

By Peter Lyle DeHaan, Ph.D. I recently experienced poor customer service and great customer service – on the same day, from the same organization. By choice I bank locally. My bank has a main office and two branches. For fourteen years, I’ve always banked at the same branch. When I make a deposit, I use […]