Stepping Out of Character in Your Content

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When the characters in a story seem to act against their own nature, Tiffany Yates Martin advises fiction writes in Writers’ Digest, that can feel jarring to readers, but it can also create interest. The author needs to lay the groundwork so that the character’s later actions will seem plausible, perhaps describing external forces that compel unusual action later on. The concept, as Martin goes on to clarify, is that, properly handled, unexpected and complex twists to a narrative can surprise and delight readers.

While, as content writers for business owners and practitioners marketing their products and services, we deal in fact rather than fiction, I believe that the Writer’s Digest “stepping-out-of-character” model can prove highly effective in capturing blog readers’ interest.

There are a number of companies that exemplify the unexpected by having two totally unrelated business lines, such as:

  • Chemed (hospice care) and Roto Rooter (plumbing)
  • Elxsi (sewer equipment and family restaurants)
  • Guiness (beer and recordkeeping)
  • Yamaha (musical instruments and motorcycles)

Diversification like that can be used as a defense, the Corporate Finance Institute explains. “In the case of a cash cow in a slow-growing market, diversification allows the company to make use of surplus cash flows.”

More to my original point, though, as Julie Thompson explains in business.com, business and professional practice owners often have a variety of hobbies, and interests, and interests. Building content around those interests (perhaps unrelated to the business or practice itself can make for refreshingly unexpected reading for searchers who land on the blog.

Another kind of “unexpected”‘ content focus can be charitable causes favored by the owner’s favorite charitable and community activities. But “the way you go about marketing your charitable efforts can either boost or tarnish your company’s public relations,” Thompson cautions, because there needs to be real commitment, not just lip service on the part of the business owner or practitioner. Still, the more unrelated to the type of business or practice the charitable “cause” appears to be, the more that “unexpecteness” factor will come into play…

Just as some of the most successful businesses represent new twists on old ideas and products, as content writers, we sometimes need to step out of character. surprising and delighting readers with a “twist”!

 

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“What-Just-Happened?” Content Marketing

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“Write a short story in which a person wakes up to find the world outside the front door has changed dramatically. What can they figure out in the first hour of this new situation?” Writer’s Digest contributor Amy Jones suggests to authors looking for fresh ideas.

Problem solution selling is a sales approach that aims to solve customer problems rather than just focusing on selling a product or service, Breakcold explains. “It requires a deep understanding of the customer’s pain points and challenges, and the ability to present a tailored solution that addresses those specific needs.”

While, in this Say It For You blog, we’ve often stressed how very important it is for content creators to understand the needs and concerns of the target audience, I think Amy Jones’ “What-just-happened?” approach goes a step further. When marketing a product or service that those prospects might very well have a need to use in the event of a future catastrophe or scarcity, the content marketing goal is to spur preventative action now.

Certainly, “disaster preparedness “ a set of actions before an event, can “avoid or at least lessen negative outcomes”,  but the challenge in marketing preventative tools – from back-up generators to regular HVAC checkups to long term care insurance — lies in evoking that “what-just-happened?” short story in readers’ minds.

“Agents must get customers to focus on the risks they face and the appropriate coverages, not on the price, Insurance Thought Leadership cautions.” .Without getting prospects to visualize “expensive emergency repairs and premature failures” , the advice given by an HVAC company to its prospects packs minimum power.

As content writers, we cannot position ourselves (or our clients) within the marketplace without studying the surroundings for our target audience. And, for content pieces to be effective, they must serve as positioning and differentiating statements to let readers know who’s asking for the action. That “action”, however, is unlikely to take place until and unless prospects are able to visualize that “what-just-happened?” scenario.

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Transform Into a Marketing Maven: the Art of Handling Your Own Business Marketing

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(image via Pexels)

Today’s guest post was contributed by Claire Wentz, creator of Caring From Afar. Through her writing, Claire hopes to inform caregivers, offering them peace of mind. Here Claire shares valuable marketing  insights..

In today’s competitive business landscape, mastering the art of handling your own business marketing is crucial. As a business owner, you know that effective  promotion of your products or services can significantly boost your reach and profitability. This guide equips you with the essential steps to take charge of your marketing and transform into a self-sufficient marketing force. By adopting these strategies, you ensure your business not only survives but thrives in the market.

Revisit Your Current Marketing Strategy

The first step in handling your own business marketing is to thoroughly assess and revisit your current marketing strategy. What tactics have been effective? What hasn’t worked as well as you hoped? This initial audit will help you identify the successful elements that you can build upon and the areas where you need innovation. By understanding your past performance, you can make smarter decisions moving forward, ensuring that every marketing dollar counts.

Elevate Your Expertise Through Education

Consider enhancing your expertise by going back to school for a business degree to sharpen your business and marketing skills. Earning a degree in marketing, business, communications, or management equips you with valuable skills that boost your business’s performance. These programs cover essential aspects such as strategic planning, customer engagement, and effective communication. Online degree programs offer the flexibility to continue managing your business without disruption.

Identify and Understand Your Target Market

Effective marketing starts with a crystal-clear understanding of your target market. Delve deep into identifying who your ideal customers are — their needs, preferences, and purchasing behaviors. This focus allows you to tailor your marketing strategies directly to the people most likely to buy from you, increasing your efficiency and effectiveness. Use tools such as customer interviews, surveys, and demographic research to gather this vital information, making your marketing efforts more focused and impactful.

Refine Your Marketing Message

Once you know who you are targeting, refining your marketing message is the next crucial step in handling your own business marketing. Your message should clearly articulate the value your product or service offers, tailored to resonate with your target audience. It should be compelling, concise, and consistently reflect your brand’s voice across all platforms. This consistency not only reinforces your brand identity but also strengthens your relationship with your customers, making your business a preferred choice.

Evaluate and Adapt Your Marketing Channels

In handling your own business marketing, it’s essential to constantly evaluate and possibly adapt the marketing channels you use. Whether it’s social media, email marketing, content marketing, or print advertising, each channel offers unique benefits and reaches different segments of your audience. Stay open to exploring new avenues and technologies that can connect you to your target market more effectively. Regularly analyzing the performance of each channel will help you optimize your strategy and allocate resources to the most productive tactics.

Track and Measure Marketing Effectiveness

A key pillar of handling your own business marketing is to track and measure the effectiveness of your efforts. Implement tools and techniques to monitor the outcomes of your marketing activities. Metrics such as conversion rates, website traffic, and customer engagement levels are invaluable in understanding what’s working and what’s not. This ongoing analysis not only helps in fine-tuning your marketing strategies but also ensures that you are getting the best return on your investment.

Handling your own business marketing is a dynamic and rewarding endeavor that requires continuous learning, strategic thinking, and proactive adaptation. By revisiting your current strategy, enhancing your skills through education, zeroing in on your target market, refining your message, reassessing your marketing channels, and tracking your effectiveness, you can turn your business into a marketing powerhouse. Embrace these strategies, and watch your business grow as you expertly manage your marketing in-house.

 

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Tell Them What They’re Getting for Their 1%

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Over time, in the financial planning industry, advisors went from phoning clients and executing transactions to fee-based money management. “It’s becoming a 1% business,” one advisor grumbled, noting that sometimes clients don’t “get” the total value of the relationship and the many ways planners can help their clients. Don’t those clients ever ask, he wonders, “What do I get for my 1%?”

The author, Bryce Sanders, proceeds to discuss different tangible benefits effective advisors can offer their money management clients, including

  • a dedicated advisor with whom you can meet face to face
  • a live person answering the phone
  • someone to help measure your progress towards your goals
  • college planning, retirement planning, and even some estate planning advice
  • referrals to specialists when needed

Sanders conclude his article with a point I find highly relevant to the work we do in content marketing: Advisors who seek to build long term relationships with clients, he emphasizes, “need to bring substantial value to the table to make this case. If the client feels they are getting substantial value, cost often becomes secondary.”

That is precisely the reader reaction we are after as business content writers, we realize at Say It For You. Content writers must learn to become value creators, and blog content is all about value, not pricing. . “People like to know how much stuff costs,” Marcus Sheridan of social media examiner.com warned. Still, at Say It For You, we don’t think price is the No. 1 consumer question on the minds of web searchers who land on our clients’ content. Instead, what the writing needs to do is provide value – answer questions, offer perspective and thought leadership.

Yes, inquiring minds want to know, and searchers need to know they’re being introduced to a business or practice where they can find value. Rather than emphasizing the 1%, tell ’em what they will be getting for their 1%!

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Can Nature Journaling Help Your Content Writing?

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“As you begin to explore a regular nature journaling practice, your skills will improve…You’ll aspire to write with more clarity, draw with more accurateness and learn about the flora, fauna, and natural phenomena that you’re observing,” Christine Elder tells kids and teens.

Nature journaling can help your writing in general, Marie Bengston asserts in Writer’s Digest.  “We need to conjure our written world with evocative, multi-sensory detail that immediately resonates with our reader,” she suggests.

For us creators of marketing content (our topic may or may not be related to nature), I think Bengston’s Three Prompts will prove particularly helpful: 

  1. I notice that…..
  2. I wonder if…..
  3. It reminds me of….:

I notice that… it’s essential for blog content writers to focus on a target audience, showing readers you’ve “noticed” them and have taken note of their unique preferences and needs.

I wonder if…In content marketing, the goal is to induce “wonder” in searchers who found their way to your site. Your post should have served up just enough food for thought to make them wonder if, after all, there are even more ways in which what you have to offer is exactly what they have to have! 

It reminds me of…In writing for business, the variety comes from the details you fill in around the central themes. Different examples of ways the company or practitioner helped solve various unusual problems in the past help reinforce the core advantages being offered.

  For content marketers, “journaling” might take the form of an “idea folder”. This could be an actual paper folder which we stuff with newspaper and magazine clippings, a notebook kept in a purse or pocket, or a digital file on a phone or tablet. Since at Say It For You, we train freelance content writers to “learn around”, the material they save up in that folder can help them keep track of what they notice, what they wonder, and what those tidbits call to mind.

Could getting into a journaling habit help your content writing?

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