Content Writers as Newscasters

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“Your social security log-in may change,” Elaine Silverstein warns in Kiplinger Personal Finance, explaining that the change is to both simplify sign-in and make the process more secure. For social security recipients, the headline is a grabber.

According to Social Bee, a “hook” is designed to entice readers to keep reading, and might consist of:

  • a credible statistic
  • an inspiring quote
  • an open-ended question
  • a bold statement
  • a figure of speech
  • an emotional connection

At Say It For You, one way content marketers can engage readers is by keeping them up to date with news that has the potential to directly affect them. Like newspapers, business blog content writing can balance feature stories with news. When it comes to content marketing for a business or practice, readers need to know about:

  • new products and services they can now obtain through you
  • any new partners or employees you wan tot introduce
  • your recent or upcoming activities in your community
  • any changes in company (or practice) policy, procedure, or rules that might affect customers, clients, and patients.

It’s very important, I explain to newbie content writers, to present this “news” in a way that appears to be “all about them” – is this going to demand action on their part?  Will their convenience be enhanced or diminished?

 If, in fact, the new information is likely to be perceived as ‘bad news”, offer alternatives that can help readers meet their goals.  End with a goodwill statement focused on the future, Jennifer Kahnweiler, Ph,d. says.

Showing that you are keeping abreast of the latest thinking and developments in your field is the key to earning “expert power”, showing readers that you are in a good position to spot both threats and opportunities. What’s more, as content writers, we must position our practitioner and business owner clients as leaders – not only are they “up on” on the latest developments in their fields, they themselves are helping bring about positive change and growth.

For readers, content marketers serve as newscasters

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For Every Myth, Be a Mythbuster

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Your business or practice may have nothing to do with joint pain, but in every field, certain “facts” are pretty twisted, as Kate Rockwood points out in “5 Myths About Arthritis”  Rockwood’s format of describing each myth, then offering “mythbuster” facts can be highly useful in content marketing on any subject.

Myth: If your joints hurt, it’s arthritis.
Mythbuster: Joint pain can be caused by infection, injury, or bursitis (swelling of the fluid filled cushioning in joints).

Myth: Exercise wears down joints.
Mythbuster: Low impact aerobic exercise doesn’t damage joints; staying active lessens pain.

Myth: Arthritis is an old person’s thing.
Mythbuster: Arthritis can be present at any age.

Discovered a mild case – or an epidemic – of counterproductive thinking when it comes to your industry or profession? Content marketing is the perfect medium for “mythbusting” to dispel that counterproductive thinking. The content offered in your posts gives you the power to clear the air, replacing factoids with facts, allowing readers to see their way to clear to making decisions.

Myth-busting is a tactic content writers can use to grab online visitors’ attention, we teach at Say It For You. Citing statistics to disprove popular myths gives business owners the chance to showcase their own knowledge and expertise.

On the flip side, since one of the purposes of online marketing is to attract potential customers, it would be a tactical mistake to appear as if we’re out to prove visitors wrong. The position you want to take is that sometimes reality is counterintuitive, and that you’re here to help, not do a “gotcha!”. 

You’d think “flushable wipes are flushable”, right?  Simply Green busts that one: Most wipes, including those labeled “flushable,” are made from a blend of materials including polyesters, plastics, and other synthetics. These materials create a fabric-like texture that does not dissolve when flushed.”

You might think washing your hair every day causes hair loss. Natura busts that one – Washing simply gets rid of hair that’s already fallen out.

You might think that employees leave for more money. Alignmark says that’s rarely the cause.Employees would rather stay with their company and grow than go to a new organization and establish their credibility from scratch.

You might think that content marketing involves campaigns. Not true, Ann Gynn of the Content Marketing Institute points out.  Good content marketing is an initiative, not a quick-fix campaign; it should evolve, but never stop.

For every myth, be a mythbuster.

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Unravel Acronyms, Accelerate Engagement

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Some letter combinations are such a familiar part of everyday life that they almost fade into the background. Every day we see markings on food packaging, clothes, water bottles, electronics and elevators, Sarah Anne Lloyd writes in Interesting Facts. Examples include:

UL – The Underwriters Laboratories Company conducts product safety testing on electric plugs, heaters, and smoke alarms.

FCC – Mobile phones, earbuds, and televisions stations are checked by the Federal Communications Commission to make sure devices don’t overexpose users to electromagnetic radiation.

YKK – The Yoshisa Kogyo Kabushikikaisha manufacturing company delivers high-quality zippers, and has become a go-to in the garment industry.

SKU – Stock keeping units are used to keep track of products for sale online, helping sellers be precise about exact color, size, and model of goods.

Many times, authors introduce new acronyms when they develop a novel technique and want to give it a catchy name, believing that this increases the chances of accepting and remembering the technique, Dr. Shweta Murudkar of the Enago Academy.explains. However, one must use abbreviations with caution, Murudkar warns, because overuse may in turn reduce readability, especially for a non-technical or non-specialist reader.

In content marketing, as I explained last month in this Say It For You blog, once you’ve established common ground, reinforcing to readers that they’ve come to the right place, it’s important to add lesser-known bits of information on your subject, which might take the form of arming readers with terminology and acronyms common in your field.  That not only adds value to the “visit”, but increases readers’ sense of being “in the know”.

I remember, more than ten years ago, Vogue Magazine publishing a glossary of terms, teaching prospects to feel like “fashion mavens” who understood the meaning of “boxy” and “dirndl”. Every trade and every profession has its own technical terms and acronyms that are used for the sake of convenience.  Now we content writers can help readers feel part of our client’s “inner circle”, all through unraveling those acronyms and sharing those industry-specific “secret words”.

 

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Would You Go to See “Away We Go” on Broadway?

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Can you guess the original titles of these musicals? Alex Wood asks in Theater Mania, revealing some of the names originally considered for plays that went on to become Broadway hits.  “Oklahoma”, for example, was going to be named either “Away We Go!” or “Many a New Day”. “Mame” was supposed to be called “The Great Confession”, while “West Side Story” was going to hit the theatres as “America”. Recent blockbuster “Hamilton” was conceived as “The Founding Fathers”.

“Whether you are writing a creative piece or drafting a professional document, the words you choose have a significant impact on how your message is received,” Elite Editing stresses, advising content writers to “keep titles short and sweet to maximize readability”. In fact, the authors add, studies have shown that shorter titles receive more clicks and shares on social media.  While it’s important to engage your audience with creative and clever titles, remember that brevity is key.

Focus on one main benefit or point when crafting your title, the authors emphasize. A headline too gimmicky or vague might miss the message, so the trick is to strike a balance between engaging and informative.  For SEO-conscious headlines, use relevant, high-traffic words related to the subject, they add.

In our content marketing at Say It For You, we know that keywords and phrases help search engines make the match with what your business or practice has to offer. But, once you’ve been “found”, you have to “get read”, so the engagement value becomes an important factor. Still, no clever title can substitute for well-written, relevant content that provides valuable information to readers.

Would you have gone to see “Away We Go!” or “The Great Confession” on Broadway? We’ll never know.  What all content creators do know is how very important it is to engage readers “at first sight”. 

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Wide-Awake, Rip Van Winkle Content Marketing

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“Old-fashioned values can enhance your business.” Bruce Sanders tells wealth managers in Financial Advisor Magazine. “Suppose you were cryogenically frozen like the legendary Rip VanWinkle, and woke up in the financial services industry of 2024. Here’s what you’d see, Sanders says:

  1. face-to-face, in-person relationships between advisors and clients
  2. periodic reviews
  3. accountability
  4. advisors plainly explaining the benefits and risks
  5. availability to clients
  6. a relationship based on trust and transparency

“I strongly believe that using, depending on and promoting America’s Traditional Values is extremely important for our society and it’s going to boost sales for you and your business if you start or continue using them,” David Cross writes in Medium.com. Court Bishop agrees: Customer trust is key to driving loyalty and business success, Bishop says. To earn it, companies must understand and respect their customers and provide relevant, personalized experiences.

As content writers, we’ve learned at Say It For You, we can work to inspire three kinds of trust in readers, trust for the business providers and professional practitioner who hire us to convey their message: a) trust in their know-how  b) trust in their ethical standards of conduct c) trust in those professionals’ ability to understand and empathize with their needs.

Whatever the business or practice, those old-fashioned values need to inspire the content their web visitors are going to read:

  • transparency in explaining the benefits and the risks. Check!.
  • ongoing availability of service and help – to real people. Check!
  • periodic updates on new solutions as they become available. Check!

Providing updated, regularly published marketing content is one way business owners can keep their clients – and their business practices “alert” and up to date..

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