How Do You Want Your Content to Make Them Feel?

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Hobbies present an escape, helping you get out of your head and calm down, associate professor of health psychology Matthew Zawadzki explains, but it’s important, in choosing an activity, so ask yourself how you want it to make you feel. Should the hobby result in your feeling:

  • mentally engaged?
  • distracted?
  • socially connected?

“Marketers aim to understand the needs, wants, and behaviors of their target audience in order to effectively promote and sell their products or services, Official Insights remarks on Reddit.com.  “This often involves researching and analyzing data on consumer demographics, psychographics, and buying habits.”

One study conducted by professors at Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found that content inspiring awe, surprise, or humor is much more likely to be shared. But audiences differ, and, as content marketers, we need to know our target audience’s pain points, desires, and frustrations, in order to understand what emotional context we should include in our content, contentwriters.com cautions. Going even further, emotional context actually includes phrase and word choices, even terms, and acronyms with which your readers are familiar.” BrainyGirl Kim Garnett points out.

The best way to “make it personal,” Maxwell advises in  his book, The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication, is “to pair what they do know with what they don’t know.”  Learn the organizational culture of the group, their personal experiences, even their national origin, then communicate the insights about you have about that already acquired knowledge.

Our Say It For You content writers have come to understanding that our purpose is not to  admonish, warn, frighten, or even inspire online readers, who have arrived at our site on a fact-finding mission, looking specifically for information The tone of the content should assume that with information presented in a way that mentally engages them and forges a connection, they will move forward with action.

As we plan our content, while we aren’t aiming at presenting an readers with an escape, we do want to make them feel both mentally engaged and socially connected – with our business owner and professional practitioner clients, that is!

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The Reader’s Digest Approach to Content Marketing

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Although reading is a way to keep you mind sharp, finding time to read can be a challenge,” Jason Buhrmester, Chief Content Officer for Reader’s Digest concedes. We can help,” he assures readers, alluding to the service Fiction Favorites, groups of four novels, hand-picked and shortened, delivered to readers’ homes.

As content marketers, I teach at Say It For You, we can take the same approach in offering content to our clients’ target audiences. I encourage freelance content writers and business owners alike to curate, meaning to gather OPW (Other People’s Wisdom) and share that with their readers, commenting on that material and relating it to their own topic.

Truth is, to sustain our blog and newsletter content writing over long periods of time without losing reader excitement and engagement, we need to constantly add to our own body of knowledge – about our industry or professional field, and about what’s going on around us in our culture. Business blogging can serve as a form of market research in itself, and through curating material we find and then adding our own original thinking about what we’re sharing – that brings our readers the best of both worlds.

Three cautions concerning content curation:

1. Communicate armed with facts from reliable, trusted sources. 
Linking to a news source or journal article, for instance, adds credibility to the ideas you’re presenting in your post. Having guest bloggers explain their point of view and share their specialized knowledge. Make sure to include material only from trusted sources.

2. Communicate seeking to inform, comfort, and connect. 
The tone needs to be relationship-building and interpersonal communication. as your content helps visitors judge whether you have their best interests at heart.  Even if you’ve come across as the most competent of product or service providers, you still need to pass the “warmth” test.

3. Always attribute.
While quoting someone else’s remarks on a topic your covering can be a very good thing, reinforcing your point, showing you’re in touch with trends in your field, and adding variety, it’s crucial to give “credit where credit is due” by attributing the quote or comment to its author. Even if you’re not quoting an author directly, but using another person’s thoughts or ideas that are not your own or mentioning statistics you didn’t collate yourself, it’s crucial to acknowledge the source.
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Add value to your content by using the Reader’s Digest approach!

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Unlocking Success: Search Engine Optimized Content and its Impact on Your Business

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Claire Wentz, of Caring From Afar…

As we navigate the digital age, small businesses must seize the opportunities that technology presents to remain competitive and prosper. The internet, a dynamic and ever-changing platform, provides countless avenues for small businesses to broaden their customer base, increase operational efficiency, and enhance customer satisfaction.

Integrate Seamless Online Payment Processing

In the realm of digital commerce, the ability to process payments online is a crucial aspect that small businesses cannot afford to overlook. By integrating an efficient online payment system, businesses provide customers with a secure and comfortable platform to transact. This not only improves the overall customer experience but also simplifies the payment process, thereby relieving business owners of administrative burdens and freeing up valuable time to concentrate on other vital aspects of their operation.

Harness the Power of SEO Content

In today’s digitally-focused landscape, the significance of search engine optimization (SEO) cannot be overstated. By having expert craft content that is optimized for search engines, your website’s visibility can be greatly amplified, leading to a substantial uptick in organic traffic. You can also learn many key principles via online guides and tutorials and implement strategic practices yourself. This surge in visibility has a domino effect, potentially resulting in increased sales and a thriving business. 

Keep Content in a Managed Hub

With website updates and social media marketing campaigns, staying on top of your content can quickly become a challenge. There are content management systems (CMS) you can put to work for you in organizing your material. Such a system is key in simplifying a business’ digital presence, as you can edit, schedule, and publish from one tool, rather than constantly juggling individual pieces of content. Look for an option that integrates seamlessly with your other web-focused tools. 

Prioritize Mobile-Friendly Design

Considering the prevalent use of mobile devices to access the web today, it’s essential for small businesses to prioritize a mobile-friendly website. A website with a responsive design that seamlessly adjusts to different screen sizes greatly improves the user experience, which in turn can cultivate customer loyalty and potentially boost conversion rates. Furthermore, Google also factors in mobile-friendliness when ranking websites, meaning having a mobile-optimized site can significantly improve your search engine visibility, attracting more potential customers to your business. 

Ensure Website Accessibility for All

It’s of utmost importance for small businesses to guarantee their websites are universally accessible, including catering to individuals with disabilities who may utilize assistive technologies for web navigation. An accessible website does more than just expand your potential customer pool; it aligns with legal requirements and demonstrates a dedication to inclusivity. It can enhance your brand’s reputation and credibility as a business that values all its customers, thereby fostering a more robust relationship with your audience. 

Put Optimization to Work

Embracing web-based updates can transform the trajectory of small businesses. From facilitating online payment processing and crafting search engine optimized content to ensuring mobile compatibility and website accessibility, these updates can significantly elevate your online presence. Implementing effective email marketing campaigns and leveraging social media platforms can further enhance customer engagement and drive sales. Additionally, utilizing data analytics tools can provide valuable insights into customer behavior, helping to refine strategies and improve overall business performance.

Search engine optimized content is a must-have for success in today’s business world. Putting funds, time and energy into making your content more search-friendly offers a potential return on investment that makes it worthwhile. Stay abreast of technological advancements, remain relevant, and witness your small business flourish in the digital landscape.

 

 

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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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The Four Elements For Creating Wonder

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As writers, we can use four characteristics that have the power to inspire a sense of wonder in our readers, Matty Dalrymple explains in Writer’s Digest:

  • mystery and exclusivity
  • a disconnect from reality and expectations
  • displays of specialized elements of knowledge
  • an immersive yet ephemeral experience

Dalrymple, I realized, was addressing novelists, but could those four elements work well for creators of online marketing content as well?

Mystery – by showcasing characters’ use of special elements, “we transport readers to a wondrous world”, Dalrymple says.

In content writing for business, we’ve learned at Say It For You, business owners or professional practitioners want to become valuable providers of information, ultimately persuading readers to use their products or engage their services. There must be no mystery about the fact that searchers have come to the right place. Still, through content, writers can show how things – or causes – their readers care about are in jeopardy, creating wonder about possible paths forward.

A disconnect from expectations – When an aspect of a setting or situation deviates from the norm, that surprises and intrigues readers.

Creating compelling content can – and should – incorporate both people storytelling and product storytelling. The expectation is for the content to tout the successes of the business or practice, but true stories about mistakes and struggles will engage precisely because of the disconnect. People want to do business with real people, and admission of failures and mistakes often surprises and intrigues.

Displays of specialized knowledge – Because the character has such arcane knowledge, readers have a sense of awe at how much exists of which they were unaware.

Content writers aim to have their clients be perceived as subject matter experts offering usable information and insights.  Once readers feel assured that the providers know your stuff and care about offering good information and good service, they might be ready to take action, Bringing in less well-known facts about familiar things and processes “displays” specialized knowledge, making readers wonder how many other “secrets” await.

Immersive experience – While allowing readers to get a sense of being part of the story, the author needs to convey that the experience is ephemeral.

When you’re composing business blog content, I tell writers, imagine readers asking themselves – “How will I use the product (or service)?” “How will I feel?” Your content can offer a “taste” of the benefits users stand to enjoy when using your products and/or services.

While assuring searchers they’ve come to the right place to find the information they need, skillful use of the four story elements can create a sense of wonder, a feeling of “Wow! I never realized…..”

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