You know your business inside out and back to front. It’s all so familiar that it can make you blind to the possibilities that your everyday, day-to-day business life can offer when it comes to creating content ideas. If you’ve ever struggled to come up with new ideas for your marketing, you might be surprised at how many are hiding in plain sight. Here are just a few.
Answer your FAQs
What questions do your customers ask all the time? If you’ve never written any of them down, start now and answer one at a time in your content. They work well because some people won’t contact you to ask a question, but they will Google it. You can give a short answer in social media posts and a longer one on your blog. If you have an FAQ page, start there or build one as you create more content.
Listen while you network
If you go to networking events, listen to what the other attendees talk about. What are their challenges, and how could you help? I love doing this at face-to-face events, where you might overhear other people’s conversations. I know my granny would disapprove of me eavesdropping, but it works.
Tips
Sharing tips can work in two different ways. Pro tips let you share your expertise and help your customers when they need to DIY a task, so you build trust. You can also make your existing customers feel looked after and appreciated by sharing a tip that helps them get the most out of their purchase.
Share your favourite resources
Sharing some of the resources you use every day has different benefits depending on who your customers are and how much experience they have. For example, a crafting business can help new learners by giving them a beginner’s guide, but you can also show more experienced crafters that you know what you’re talking about. If you offer a service, sharing professional resources lets your audience know that you take your work seriously.
Case studies
Case studies are brilliant because they tell your future customers about people you’ve worked with before and the results you’ve achieved. You can lift stories from your day-to-day life and use them in your marketing. Ideally, get permission from the subject before you write about them, but you can also write anonymised versions if that isn’t possible.
What can new customers expect?
This might seem ridiculously obvious, but good content can sometimes be as simple as describing what happens when your customer first contacts you or walks through your door. If someone isn’t contacting you because they’re nervous and don’t know what to expect, this kind of content can help to give them peace of mind.
How to find the right person
If there are lots of different businesses that do what you do, the choice can be overwhelming for a new customer. You can help them by talking about things to look out for or questions to ask at the first meeting. Use your insider knowledge to help your audience avoid common pitfalls, or let them know what credentials to look for, and they’ll start to trust you.
Do you want to develop new content ideas and create engaging marketing content? I can help with that. I create content that speaks your customers’ language. Book a call to find out how it works.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
One of my favourite things about my work is the chance to learn about the different ways that creative people work. I loved art at school, but I know that there are artists and designers out there that are far better at creating visuals than I am. Hand me a pen and a notebook, and I’m happy. I don’t panic in the face of a drawing pad and pencil, but I might not show the results to anyone. It makes me happy when I see work from people who can make stuff look beautiful.
This means that I was thrilled when I met Christina from Goldfinch Marketing. She creates gorgeous designs, and she’s also brilliant at techy stuff. It all comes together in beautiful websites that Google will love as much as your customers do. She’s also very good at writing; in fact, she’s so talented I would hate her if she wasn’t also lovely.
This may have you wondering why she’d need me, a writer when she’s already good at writing. Read on…
The pandemic
I met Christina during lockdown when everyone was virtual networking; some of us were home-schooling too. She’s based in Dorset, so the chances of us running into each other in person were virtually non-existent. Like many of us, Christina had taken some time during lockdown to evaluate her business and work out what she wanted to spend her time doing.
She’d started Goldfinch Marketing to help her clients with all their marketing needs, whether that was a new website, graphic design or content writing. Her review told her that she loved web design and graphics work but didn’t want to do content writing anymore. That’s where I came in.
The project
Christina had gradually reduced the amount of content writing she took on, but she still wrote blogs for one client. She told me they were lovely people she enjoyed working for and didn’t want to let them down. At the same time, she wanted to free up some time for other projects, so she wanted to see if I could take over writing a blog for them.
Of course I could. Writing their blog was right up my street; they’re a business offering a professional service, so they needed to share their expertise but didn’t want to be stuffy. I read the posts that Christina had already written to follow the same style and suggested some new topics. I also wrote social media edits for each blog post so that the individual paragraphs would work as standalone posts. The client was still happy, and Christina had time for other things.
If you need a new website, I recommend checking out Christina’s work here. Alternatively, if you want to outsource your content writing, either for yourself or one of your clients, let’s have a chat. You can book a call with me here.
Photo by Emma Bauso: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-black-boots-3585819/
Mary watched the fields flash past her window in a green blur as Sam steered the car along the narrow country road. They’d only just left the M1, but she already felt like they were in the middle of nowhere. Bliss. She flinched slightly as the branches of a dark green conifer clattered against the window. The sat nav announced their destination was half a mile on the left. Mary leaned forward in her seat, hoping to see the little house where they’d be spending the next three days.
She tried to forget how her mum had looked at her as they packed up to leave — disheartened and a little bit sad. Mary had known in advance that two days would be enough. Christmas Day with her parents and her younger sister was always fun, and she loved seeing the extended family on Boxing Day, but she knew Sam struggled. Her family’s Christmas centred around eating, drinking and watching TV, and Sam started to get cabin fever. They’d gone for a walk, but a stroll around a suburb was a long way from his childhood, spent climbing the Malvern hills whenever he got the chance.
Mary remembered her childhood Christmases when everyone had stayed together in her grandparent’s house from Christmas Eve until New Year’s Day. It had been heavenly when they were children, but now she wondered how the adults had managed to stay sane. Perhaps that was why her Dad and Uncle John had started drinking so early on Christmas morning.
Next year it would all be different.
…
“There it is!” Sam said, sounding as excited as a five-year-old. He indicated and turned off the narrow lane onto a block-paved drive. Mary sighed happily. The cottage was just as lovely as the photos suggested, with beautiful red bricks and fields stretching away into the distance. She turned to look at Sam, and her smile widened when she saw his face. He looked more relaxed than she’d seen him in months.
“It’s beautiful, Sam.” They climbed out of the car, and Mary stretched her arms upward, lowering them again to rub her back. “Oh, God.”
“What? You OK?”
“Yes, I’m just such a cliché. A little Weeble with an aching back.”
“You don’t look remotely like a Weeble. Much sexier.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Remind me of that when we’ve got a newborn, and I feel like I’m made out of rice pudding.”
Sam looked down and rubbed her belly. “It’s a strange thought, isn’t it? Next Christmas, we’ll have a ten-month-old crawling all over the place.”
“Yep. Weird. Anyway, let’s make the most of the peace and quiet and get inside.”
“Your wish is my command, oh Weeble-ish one.”
Mary laughed, reflecting that Sam was lucky she hadn’t picked up her handbag, or she might have walloped him with it. She watched as he took their suitcase out of the boot, opened the passenger door and retrieved her bag from the footwell. They definitely wouldn’t be able to travel this light next Christmas. She realised they’d have the perfect excuse to stay at home.
…
“They’ve left us some teabags and milk,” Sam called as Mary shut the front door behind her. She smiled at his unerring ability to find the kettle wherever they went and followed his voice into the kitchen, where he was already rummaging in cupboards looking for mugs. “I’ll take the case upstairs when we’ve had a cup of tea. What are you smiling at?”
“The fact that nothing starts without tea.”
“Quite right too.”
She wrapped him up in another hug, stroking his cheek as she kissed him.
“Do I need a shave?” he asked, feeling for stubble.
“Nah, you’re OK.” She groaned as he rubbed her back, then felt him hesitate. “Don’t worry, that was a good groan.”
“Did you see the pictures of the bathroom?”
“With the lovely slipper bath? Yes. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to a proper soak. The only problem is, you might have to hoist me out.”
Sam tried and failed to suppress the snigger. “Sorry. Tell you what, let’s have tea, and I’ll check whether I’ve got a signal in case we need to call the fire brigade.” He ducked away as she tried to slap him on the shoulder.
…
Mary followed Sam up the stairs as he carried the suitcase into the main bedroom. It was glorious, with a king-sized bed and views out over the fields to the woods beyond. The listing had said that there were 14 acres of land across the farm, and they were welcome to walk anywhere they liked. Sam had put the case down and was gazing out of the window. She told him that she was going to run a bath and headed across the landing to the bathroom. The smell hit her before she opened the door. She hesitated, half wanting to know what was behind the door and yet not feeling ready to face it. She realised she was standing completely still with her hand on the doorknob and felt faintly ridiculous. Eventually, she decided to stop dithering and turned the knob, pushing the door open in a single movement.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen a dead body. She’d been there when Sam’s mum had died eighteen months ago when cancer that treatment had held at bay for three years had finally overtaken her. This was different. Emma had looked peaceful. This man’s life had clearly ended with violence. Even if the rope hadn’t been left, tied tightly around his neck, his face would have told her that. Mary had always thought that people who found dead bodies screamed, but she didn’t feel the need. She was shaking, transfixed by the man’s contorted face.
“Mary? Are you OK? Is anything wrong with the bath?”
She almost called back to tell him that, yes, there was a dead body in it. That made her feel ridiculous, and she giggled, clapping her hand to her mouth at the inappropriateness of it all. She turned and headed back to the bedroom. “Don’t go in there,” she said, “because there’s a dead man in the bath.”
“What? Are you kidding?” He turned to look at her and realised that she wasn’t. “God, you’re shaking.” He took hold of her and sat her down on the bed. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
Mary nodded. “We need to call the police.”
…
DI Fitzgerald and PC Jones had been impressively efficient, arriving within an hour of Sam’s call, shortly followed by a pathologist and two forensics staff. Mary sat on the sofa next to Sam as DI Fitzgerald asked her to tell him about her discovery. She’d been surprised at how easily the details came out; the smell, the position of the body and the cord around his neck. Fitzgerald had nodded encouragingly, watching her with his piercing blue eyes. She wondered what it would be like to be a suspect facing that searching look.
“That’s excellent, Mrs Collins, thank you. Can I ask, have you ever seen him before?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“What about you, Mr Collins?”
“I didn’t see the body. I’m a bit squeamish, to be honest.”
Their conversation was interrupted by a cough from the doorway. The pathologist had appeared and asked to speak to DI Fitzgerald. They disappeared into the hall, and when the police officer returned, he was smiling.
“I have some good news for you. We’re ready to remove the body. It looks like we might have a possible ID. You’ll be relieved to hear that I won’t be asking you to view the body, Mr Collins. Hopefully, you can both have a restful night, even if you don’t fancy a bath.”
Mary groaned, “I was looking forward to that.”
Fitzgerald smiled. “A warm bath was the only thing that helped my wife’s backache when we were expecting. The forensics officers have almost finished with the bathroom, so we’ll be out of your way shortly.”
…
Mary and Sam wished the departing officers a happy Christmas as the last cars pulled away from the house.
“Alone at last,” Sam said. “They were a lot quicker than I thought they’d be. Are you OK?”
Mary nodded. “I’m fine, and surprisingly hungry. What have we got for dinner?”
…
A large pizza, garlic bread and ice cream later, Mary lay back on the sofa, rubbing her belly. “I think the baby likes pizza; she’s kicking like mad.”
“Don’t you mean he?” Sam teased, sitting down next to her with a glass of red wine. “I’m sorry you didn’t get your bath.”
“I don’t mind. I’m just happy to be here, just the two of us.” She lifted her glass of elderflower fizz and clinked it against Sam’s. “Here’s to the next adventure.”
“Cheers,” Sam replied. His face creased with concern as they heard a knock at the door. “Who can that be? It’s pitch black out there.” He heaved himself off the sofa and put his glass on the table.
Mary felt a shiver go through her. She felt that something wasn’t right, and got up and followed him, reaching the door just as he opened it.
“Mr and Mrs Collins? I’m sorry it’s taken us so long to get to you. It’s been a busy night.”
The two police officers extended their warrant cards into the light.
“A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline.” ~ Harvey Mackay
I like this quote for its optimism; you can dream, but you only get somewhere when you make a plan and hold yourself accountable for each step. If you’ve planned your goals for the next 12 months, your next step will be creating a marketing plan to help you hit them.
The question is, does your marketing content align with your targets? When you match your marketing to your business goals, you’re more likely to achieve them. Here’s my guide to the types of content that will help you at each stage of the customer journey.
Brand awareness
To grow a business, you need to make sure that people have a) heard of you and b) understand what you do. SEO plays a big part here; it lets people find you via keywords that describe your business. Personality-filled, shareable blogs and social media posts will help you to reach more people and stay at the front of their minds.
It’s also worth creating guest posts for other sites and collaborating with other businesses. My favourite local café hosts workshops and shopping events, and it helps everyone involved grow their brand awareness.
Engagement
This is the stage where you want people to move from knowing who you are to having a conversation so they can decide whether they like you. Asking conversation-starting questions works well here. You can do this in your blog, on social media posts or ask for interaction on your Stories. You can also invite viewers to ask their questions on live videos.
People are more likely to buy things that their friends like, so ask people to post pictures of themselves with your products.
Lead generation
Lead generation is just a fancy term for encouraging them to opt into a closer relationship where they hear from you more often and start thinking about buying. Asking people to sign up for your email list is an excellent first step, as you can send them an email series that shares everything they may not have known about your business before. You can offer a helpful freebie, such as a checklist, eBook, video tutorial or a free trial to encourage them to sign up. Sharing case studies on your website and social media can help as they show your results.
Sales
Small business owners often struggle with this, but selling doesn’t have to mean pressuring someone into buying. All the work you’ve done to build a relationship means that your audience knows how you can help them; they just need to take the next step.
Sales content needs to take away any doubts people might have. They might need to understand the process or get more details about the product before they buy. Use your content to talk about the benefits and your process, and include technical information as bullet points in your product descriptions. Sharing reviews and case studies lets them see that you’ve delivered for others.
One final thing. Don’t forget to follow up after the sale to help them get the best out of what they’ve bought. Offering hints, tips, or extra support maintains the relationship and makes you memorable.
Do you want to match your marketing to your business goals? I can help with that. I create content that speaks your customers’ language. Book a call to find out how it works.
You can also sign up to receive monthly emails packed with useful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.
Photo by Cup of Couple: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crumpled-papers-near-a-person-writing-on-a-notepad-6632868/
A blog is brilliant for letting your audience get to know you and how your business helps them, but it only works if people keep reading and take action when they’re finished. Read on for the top 5 blogging mistakes that will have your readers wandering off to your competitors.
Clickbait
I loathe clickbait with a passion, mainly because I’m not immune to it. There’s always a wonderfully intriguing headline (that’s the point). You click through to find pages of nonsense that don’t deliver what you expect. It only works if your business model is based on high-volume content that generates ad revenue when people click through. If you want to build trust with your audience, it’s horrendous.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Do. Not. Do. This. To. Your. Customers.
Walls of text
Most people don’t read a blog post all the way through. They’ll skim it to get the gist or to find the piece of information they searched for. It’ll put them off if they land on your post and find a big block of text with no subheadings to guide them through. It’s a good idea to plan, so you know what you want to say in the post. Then you can have a subheading for each point and separate paragraphs if there are a couple of different elements to each subheading.
Breaking your post up makes it more visually appealing too.
No through line
Sometimes going off on a tiny tangent can give your content more personality, especially if your topic reminds you of something from your life outside business. However, you’ll lose readers if you wander too far from the point. This can hold true even if your off-topic bit is interesting; it wasn’t what they expected.
That’s why it’s vital to ensure that each section refers back to the central theme, so everything is relevant and you have a clear through line running through your post. Planning will help you do this.
Talking down to your reader
No one likes being patronised. Even if you’re an expert in something and your reader isn’t, they don’t want to be spoken to like they’re five years old. It can be difficult to judge what level of knowledge your audience has, but it’s something you can develop over time as people respond to your content or ask questions in person.
You might also work with professionals who understand business but don’t know the technical terms you use. Professional but jargon-free content is your best bet, or you could offer a quick definition if it’s a term you’ll use throughout your post.
No call to action
You’ve written a helpful blog for your audience that’s answered one of their questions or taught them about an important topic. Now what? How can you keep them on the path to becoming a customer rather than drifting away?
The best way to get someone to do something is to ask them; your marketing is no exception. If you want them to offer an opinion, ask for it. If you want them to book a call or sign up for your mailing list, give them a link or a form to fill in. Your call to action (CTA) aligns with your business goals, so think about what you’re trying to achieve and how your content can help you do that.
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/author-blog-create-creative-267569/
You’ve decided to write a blog that’ll stand up on its own or form part of your marketing strategy, but you don’t have a website yet. Maybe you don’t need one at all. You want to start writing and engaging with your audience, but how do you start? Here are 5 ways you can blog without needing a website.
Use a free blogging platform
A free blogging platform lets you start writing your blog without needing a website that you have to pay for. WordPress has free and self-hosted versions so you can choose the option that’s right for you.
It’s worth considering whether you might want to expand your blog into a full website eventually. If you do, it might be worth paying for hosting. That option lets you choose your own URL rather than a link that has the provider’s name in it, so you can build your brand identity from the start.
Write for someone else’s site
Medium hosts thousands of articles on an impressive range of subjects. You can create content and tag the topic to build a following in the same way as you would on social media. There’s a version that pays or you can add links to Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee to let readers send you a donation.
To build your business network, you can also guest blog for other businesses with a similar audience to yours. I’ve hosted blogs from everyone from social media experts to nutritionists as they can help my readers with topics outside my expertise.
LinkedIn articles
I hesitated to include this one as you’ll generally get better reach with LinkedIn posts than you will with articles. However, if you’re trying to build a following articles are still worth your time as it gives you more space to share your expertise than you’d get in a normal post. You can also share articles in your main feed and repurpose them to create a LinkedIn newsletter.
I’m hearing from more and more people who are focusing on LinkedIn for their marketing, so if you want a business audience it could be a great platform.
Microblog on social media
If you’re writing a blog to share your views or offer hints and tips you can do that on social media. The only real difference between a standard blog post and a microblog is that the second one is shorter. That means that a limited character count isn’t a problem.
A microblog doesn’t give you the chance to go in-depth on a subject, but it can help you to learn your writing craft and start building a following.
Create a YouTube vlog
I know I’m all about the writing but creating a video blog on YouTube lets you try out content and build a following the same as any other social media platform. You can also transcribe your videos to turn them into blogs and make them accessible to people who prefer other types of content.
Of course, you can always do it the other way around. If you’ve written a blog on another platform and want to help it reach a wider audience, you can create a video summing up the highlights and include a link to the original post for anyone who wants more detail.
Wherever you choose to blog, the quality of your content matters if you want to build a following and promote your business. If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat.
The short answer to this is that no, you don’t. The question is, will a standalone blog help you to achieve your goals if it isn’t part of a larger website? Here’s my rundown on the reasons why you don’t need a website to write a blog and why you might want a website after all.
What’s the difference between a blog and a website?
When you visit my website you’ll find lots of different pages about my business, products and services. My blog is just part of a larger whole. The reason I do it this way is that my blog is part of my marketing strategy, not a business in itself.
If you run a business, your website is your virtual shop window. The blog is part of the content that helps your customers to find you.
What do you want to achieve?
If you want your blog to be a business, you might not need a website. However, if you want a site that lets you offer products, build your email list and offer affiliate links you almost certainly will. Some brands will only offer affiliate links if you have a website rather than a standalone blog or social media presence.
It’s also a good idea to think about your brand and the kind of image you want to create.
You can use a free blogging platform
Some platforms let you choose whether to create a self-hosted website or a free blog. WordPress is just one example; you can create a website and pay for hosting. Alternatively, you can have the free version to create a blog.
If you choose the free version you’ll have WordPress in your website URL, which might not look all that professional if you’re trying to build a brand that goes beyond blogging.
Third-party selling sites
If you create products your main source of income might be a third-party platform like Etsy or Not on the High Street whose brands let small businesses reach a wider audience. Building your own website could let you make sales at a lower cost, but you’d have to do the work to promote it and attract visitors.
If you’d prefer to start by creating a blog, you can use it to send visitors to your shop even if it’s on a third-party platform.
You can use another blogging site
There are blogging sites that operate in a similar way to social media platforms. You can create a profile and attract followers who are interested in the topic you cover or who’ve searched for specific hashtags. For content that’s heavy on visuals, Tumblr could be a good option. Alternatively, if you create in-depth written content Medium is a great platform and there’s an option to monetize your content too.
Microblogging
Microblogging is short-form content (like a longish social media caption) that helps you to share your expertise and tell your story. It’s a great way to start if you’re trying to find your voice. The only disadvantage is that you don’t get to share as much detail as you would in a standard blog post.
I tend to create this kind of content by writing a longer blog post and then breaking it down into individual sections.
Wherever you choose to blog, the quality of your writing matters if you want to build a following and promote your business. If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat.
When it comes to marketing, video is everything, right? You might be getting amazing results on TikTok and Instagram is showing Reels to more people than static images. Why would you need written content when you can put everything you want to say into a video? It won’t surprise you to hear that I think you still need to write marketing content. Here’s why.
Social media doesn’t belong to you
Social media platforms are amazing marketing tools and definitely need to be part of your strategy. The trouble is, I’ve seen too many people who only use social media and find themselves with a massive hole in their marketing because they get hacked or banned.
When you have an email list or website, you’re in control because it belongs to you. You can use video but you’ll get better results by using good writing as well.
Sometimes you need more depth
Social media videos need to be short and snappy to hold people’s attention. They can still help you to build a relationship with your audience, but what about the times when they need more than that?
Sometimes you need to write a long post to go in-depth on a subject to help your audience understand what you offer or how you help them. That’ll work better on your website, not just because there won’t be room in a social media caption, but because your audience will be more willing to read.
Your audience might just like reading
Believe it or not, some people prefer to get their information by reading. They might avoid videos because they find the sound intrusive or want to absorb something at their own pace.
There’s also the fact that you can’t skim-read a video. If your audience is looking for a quick answer to a question they can probably find it in a couple of minutes by skimming a blog post. Your one-minute Reel might give them what they need but they’re less likely to search on social media in the first place. By using a mixture of content types you can talk to a wider range of people.
Written content is good for SEO
If you want to rank highly in a Google search, you need words. Google’s search bots can’t scan videos and rely on your written content to decide where your site should rank. Even YouTube likes a reasonably long description to help your video rank.
Having a wide variety of keywords on different platforms will help your content rank more highly so your ideal customers have a better chance of finding you in a search and other content creators are more likely to link to your site.
Writing can help you to make sales
If you have a low-cost product that your customers will buy on a whim, a short video will probably get you some sales. You’ll get even more if you’ve already built a relationship with your audience so they know they can trust you and they’ll get something good for their money.
That starts to change if your product or service costs more. People are less likely to take a chance so you need to make sure they’ve got all the information they need. When you write that down you help them to refer back, check details and then decide. There’s also a chance that they’ll take written content more seriously than a video.
Don’t have the time or the inclination to write your own content? If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat.
Alternatively, if you’d like to get blogging and content writing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, subscribe using the form below. I’m a vegetarian so I hate spam and you can unsubscribe any time you like.
Photo by picjumbo.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-blue-ballpoint-pen-writing-in-notebook-210661/
Every so often, a conversation will crop up in my social media feed about grammar. The person writing the post wants to know how much we all care about it and whether mistakes bother us. Aren’t we all talking more informally now? Does grammar even matter anymore? Here’s what I think.
Your audience matters
When I write my content, I’ll be thinking about you. Not in a weird way, of course. I’ll think about how you balance running a business with everything else in your life and the marketing challenges you might face. It’s the same when I write for my clients. The type of language I use depends on who we’re talking to. It’s not so different to having a conversation when you think about it. A chat with your friends is very different to a meeting with the bank manager.
Think about the kind of person you’re talking to and what image you want to put across. Do you need to be professional but approachable? Could you have a chat with your customers over a cuppa?
Speech vs writing
It can be easy to get the right tone when you’re speaking but writing it down can prove a bit more difficult though. I’ve often advised people to record themselves speaking if they’re struggling to write. The trouble is, they often find that their sentences suddenly look wrong on paper. We start to wonder whether that word is spelt right or if there should be an apostrophe somewhere.
I’ll admit that I’m a grammar pedant. Even if my clients are relaxed about grammar, I want to get it right. Having said that, there are times when bending the rules can make your message more effective because it’s the sort of language your audience would use. At the same time, I’m not going to judge anyone for getting it wrong. I know some highly intelligent and creative people who struggle with grammar and spelling. In the grand scheme of things, it’s more important to get the message across.
When does grammar matter?
There are forms of communication where every comma matters. Legal and financial documents must be precise. They have a language all their own.
It’s important to strike a balance. Say, for example, you’re a financial adviser who wants to start a blog. You need to create the right impression. You’re intelligent, experienced and (most importantly) you know what you’re talking about. However, none of that will matter if your potential customers don’t understand a word you’re saying. Your tone needs to be formal but accessible.
If you’re a mum making baby clothes to sell to other mums, they’ll still want to hear about the quality of the product but your tone can be much more conversational. You’re having a chat with someone who shares your experiences.
Listen to people talk
Conversations are going on all around you. Some involve you, others don’t. If you want to start tailoring your language to your audience, start listening to how people speak. You can start with your customers and the people you meet at networking events but eavesdropping can help too. Think about how the language you hear in a business-focused setting differs from the conversations you overhear in coffee shops or on public transport. Ask yourself whether the person you can hear could be a potential customer. Different groups of people have very different speech patterns and learning about them can help you to write for your audience.
Is grammar important to you? If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat. Alternatively, use the form below to receive writing and marketing tips straight to your inbox every month. I won’t share your details with anyone else and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-reading-a-magazine-in-her-bed-6633697/
When you create marketing content for your business you’re aiming to show your future customers how each product or service will help them. You’ll do that in different ways, whether you’re writing content to build your relationship or copy to convince your audience to buy now. Talking about transformation and how your products and services bring it about helps your audience see the benefits in action. It’s like a before and after weight loss picture with feelings.
Here’s how it works in practice.
The before
This is often the bit your audience will identify with most. Sometimes it works visually, particularly if you help your customers to achieve a physical transformation. At other times it doesn’t because you need to show that you understand how they feel. Your ‘before’ could be a feeling, like mum guilt, depression, or worry. Use those feelings as your starting point and talk about them in your marketing.
The after
Now comes the part where you show your audience where they could be with your help. You can do this in a blog post, offering general advice to help them see the benefits of your products or approach. This could be something like “why you need to hire a professional will writer” or “how accounting software saves you time”. You can also offer tips that will give people a practical taster that your advice works and put them into free downloads to encourage sign-ups to your email list.
The most powerful pieces of content are things like client testimonials and case studies that show your real-world results.
How talking about transformation works
The idea of talking about transformation might seem a bit obvious; you show your customers the before and after and it convinces them to buy. The thing is, it goes deeper than that. Human beings have always used stories to form communities. You’re telling someone a story when you talk them through a transformation. You’re also showing them that you understand. You stop being a business that wants to sell them something and become another person who knows what it’s like to be drowning in paperwork or how important it is to buy your mum a great Christmas present.
Two types of transformation
There are two ways that you can change someone’s life; you can make a physical difference and an emotional one. Good marketing content uses both.
Physical
When you’ve helped someone to achieve physical change, it could be outwardly obvious. That’s where those before and after photos come into play because you can show how much more toned someone is or improvements in their skin. You might not always be able to spot the difference by looking at them. Maybe you’ve saved someone time, helped them get more organised or to achieve a goal that’s only obvious to them. That’s where you need to start writing about it.
Emotional
Showing a practical transformation is great, but it only works if the person seeing it has an emotional response too. You might look at before and after photos and shrug because it’s irrelevant to you. Talking about the feelings that go with the transformation is what motivates people to take action. Get them to imagine what it would be like to feel healthier or less stressed. Show them that they can feel more confident in their parenting skills. That’s the stuff that motivates someone to make a change.
Do you need to start talking about transformation in your marketing? I can help with that. Book a call here and let’s have a chat.
Alternatively, if you’d like writing and marketing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, sign up using the form below. I don’t do spam and you can unsubscribe whenever you like. You’ll also get a copy of my free guide with 5 easy content marketing tips to help your future customers find you online as a thanks from me!
