Reminding Readers of Things They Already Know

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To appreciate a story’s narrative, readers must be constantly updating their sense of where they are in the tale, Amor Towles points out in Poets & Writers. Of course, Towles concedes, as we begin to read a novel, we already know something of what it contains (we’ve read the dust jacket, heard about the book from a friend, or have read other books by that author).

The same is true, of course, for content we post online. Readers will not have found their way to our content unless they have an interest in learning more about that very topic or need help related to our area of expertise. The delicate task facing us in “bringing readers up to speed” before moving on to the new information involves knowing just how much of an update is needed. Too little might cause puzzlement as we offer new information. Too much “review”, conversely, might be seen as repetitive or – worse – disrespectful of our readers’ sophistication level.

Like novelists, in creating regular blog and newsletter content, we attempt to create a cumulative effect. Some articles review the basics; others offer news of recent developments – new products or services, new changes in the law affecting our customers, new community involvements. The option of linking back to former content can be helpful to readers.

But, whether or not you decide to use linkbacks in your message, because blog content remains permanently on the website, with formerly posted content moving “down” a spot to make room, the cumulative repetition of key words and phrases increases the chances for the content to “get found”.

Public speakers should ask themselves how they can “make it personal”, John Maxwell teaches public speakers in his book, The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication, and the best way to do that, he advises, is “to pair what they do know with what they don’t know.”The first part involves learning about the organizational culture of the group, their personal experiences, even their national origin. Then, the “what they don’t know” part describes the insights you’re communicating today about that already acquired knowledge.

For us online content creators, then, the challenge is finding ways to respect readers’ intelligence and knowledge while reminding them of things they already know, setting the stage to offer exciting new insights.

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Test Their Content Reading Smarts

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“Test Your Hearing Smarts” is the title of a page in the Winter Wellness issue of Prevention Magazine. What helps with tinnitus (ringing in the ears)? Is it earplugs, mindfulness, or surgery – or does nothing help (you’re stuck with the problem)? The answer: There’s no known cure, but mindfulness training (using a white noise machine) can actually help in many cases. Which of these foods are good for your hearing? Coconuts, walnuts, and wild rice all contain nutrients that support good hearing.

At Say It For You, we’ve found, quizzes like this are a very good a content marketing tactic. Online readers tend to be curious creatures and “self-tests” tend to engage and help them relate in a more personal way to the information being presented. What’s more, since one of the biggest challenges in writing to promote a business or practice over long periods of time is keeping the content fresh, quizzes help “vary the menu”.

Other positive aspects of quizzes and tests include:

  • “Self-tests” tend to engage readers and help them relate in a more personal way to the information presented.
  • Quiz questions and answers can offer a different perspective on fact sets readers have forgotten.
  • When readers strain to remember something and then find the answer, they tend to repeat that fact set in their conversations with others (perhaps driving those others to check out the website).
  • Our curiosity is most intense when we’re testing our own knowledge, making tests, games, and quizzes hard to resist.

Research done about ads is relevant to quizzes and tests, I believe. A study done at the University of Bath in conjunction with the Nielson company came up with two ways to score ads.

  1. Information Power Score – measures what the consumer perceives as the value of the message
  2. Emotive Power Score – measures if the emotion is going to change feelings about the brand

In a sense, quizzes like the Test Your Hearing Smarts are powerful on both counts – important, actionable information is being conveyed to readers, and that information is very personal in nature.

“All bloggers would like to get more interaction and participation from their readers and visitors,” says vandelaydesign.com.  Tests and surveys engage readers,  we’ve found at Say It For You, making them feel they are part of a conversation with my business and practice owner clients.

 

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People Pleasing Not Always a Good Thing for Content writers

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People pleasing involves not only putting other people’s needs first, but also toning down a strong message for something more palatable, coach Eric Kaufman explains in Real Leaders magazine. That’s not a good thing, he explains, because toning down one’s message limits our own decision-making and squanders our power.

 

While, as content marketers, our goal is to engage readers, that does not mean “pleasing” them by reiterating common assumptions and opinions, we’ve learned at Say It For You. In fact,  whether you’re writing content for a business, a professional practice, or a nonprofit organization, it’s essential to present an opinion, a slant, on the information you’re serving up for readers.

The style needn’t be harsh – after all, you’re out to nurture the relationships you’ve established and welcome new clients and customers to the business or practice, not “turn them off”.

Still, what I’ve learned over the years of creating blog content for dozens and dozens of clients in different industries and professions is that, in order to turn clients and customers “on”, we must incorporate one important ingredient – opinion. As influencers, we need a strong message to demonstrate, rather than squander, our clients’ power to be influencers.

When online readers find their way to blog content, one question they need answered is “Who lives here?” “What guidance is being offered as I face purchasing decisions?” Providing information about products and services, even aggregating information from other sources, can be useful – even “pleasing”   to readers, but in terms of achieving Influencer status – it takes opinion.

“Although being kind and helpful is generally a good thing, going too far to please others can leave you emotionally depleted, stressed, and anxious,” Kendra Cherry of VeryWellMind emphasizes.

 

In content marketing, while it’s important to tell readers what our clients can do for them, it’s even more important to show readers who those owners are!

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Content Writers Help Readers Find the Quiddity

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In content marketing, you might say, it’s all about the quiddity, the essence of what you do, what you know how to do, and who you are that makes you different from any other. And, while Merriam Webster offers synonyms such as “center”, “core” and “heart”, vocabulary.com explains that politicians and lawyers sometimes use quiddity as an evasion technique, bringing up irrelevant and distracting points to avoid direct answers. 

“Capturing your brand essence succinctly involves distilling its core values, unique selling propositions, and emotional connections into a brief, impactful statement,” Alex Bundalla advises on LinkedIn. One way of expressing quiddity is Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, Bundalla explains.  Three concentric circles represent the “why” (values and principles), the “how” (methods), and the “what” (products and services) of your brand. Another visual expressing quiddity is the Brand Pyramid, showing levels of customer relationship with a brand, from experiential to symbolic and intangible.

At Say It For You, we often refer to blog posts as the sound bites of the Internet, in which we help business and practice owners convey t readers the essence, the “quiddity”, of their accomplishments and intentions. Hardly a simply task. You know your product, service, or company is amazing, but they don’t know how it works or why it’s so great, Brant Pinvidic writes in The 3-minute Rule. “You need to give them more knowledge in less time,” the author explains.

But what about those vocabulary.com “politicians and lawyers” who use quiddity as an evasion technique? It just doesn’t work for very long, is the answer. Putting a unique “twist” on a topic, in contrast, works extraordinarily well, I believe. Taking some good old ideas and using an individual approach to those ideas is no evasion, but a way to a. mark your content as uniquely yours. 

“The one that stands out is in essence the one that is not like the rest,” onsightapp.com agrees. “When people cannot distinguish brands from each other, they cannot form reliable relationships with those brands.” Not only does an effective brand have a well-outlined target audience, it may even offer a service or product exclusively to that target audience.

The essence of content marketing is finding – and communicating – the quiddity!

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Helping Prospects Deal With the Stranger Come to Town

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Offering advice to writers, in a Writer’s Digest article Sharon Short suggests a “trope” or model to consider called “a stranger comes to town”. The protagonist of your novel, Short tells novelists, are doing quite nicely where they are – until a different, perhaps threatening, fish plops into their pond.

The “stranger” might be a shark (think “Jaws”), a tornado or other weather event, a detective, or a space alien (think E.T.). That “stranger” can be shooed away or cause the local fish (or ‘townspeople”) to learn from the stranger and embrace new ideas.

“Unique blog ideas not only help carve a niche for yourself but also engage your readers in a way that generic, overused topics often fail to do,” is the advice offered by Webstart Ventures. Unique content does more than merely rehash existing topics, but offers a fresh perspective, a novel approach, or explores uncharted territory, the author explains. Where do these “stranger” ideas come from?  “These ideas often stem from personal experiences, insights, and creative brainstorming, fueling content that is not only informative but also captivating and engaging”. 

When it comes to content marketing for businesses or professional practices, we know at Say It For You, positioning our clients as Subject Matter Experts is a worthy goal. We might be able to go one better, though, moving them to a position of  thought leader. Mere semantics?  Years ago, I read an article in Speaker Magazine in which Neen James presented the following definition: A Subject Matter Expert or SME (pronounced “smee”) knows something; a thought leader, in contrast, is known for something. They are the “strangers in town who “shift conventional wisdom.”

Do we then, in our content marketing efforts, position our owners and practitioners as the “strangers in town” bringing new ideas and a fresh outlook? Perhaps not. After all, readers were guided to the content because what they needed corresponded with what those practitioners and owners sell, what they know, and what they know how to do. Those owners and practitioners inspire trust by demonstrating that they are keeping up with the latest developments, helping their readers filter the new ideas the “stranger” is bringing to town.

While the focus of a business blog will always be on the trusted “local leaders” along with the services, advice, and products they offer, the content can reflect current happenings in the world, and “threats” posed by “strangers come to town”.

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