Blogs Give a Quick Take

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Every half year, Bloomberg puts out a mini-magazine called “Quick Take”, designed “to give readers and even-handed explanation of the context behind the latest developments in economics, finance, geopolitics, and society”. Examples of the rather weighty topics include”

  • Can central banks tame inflation without triggering recession?
  • Why It’s Hard for Europe to Rearm
  • Why Copper is the New Must-Have Metal

In presenting its streaming video business network (also named “Quicktake”),Bloomberg explains that its purpose is to help viewers “make sense of the stories changing your business and your world”.

“When you think about your ideal reader, you may naturally think about demographics (age, gender, geography) and psychographics (beliefs, values, goals)—and those qualities are important to understand so you can connect with your readers,” Karin Wiberg writes in clearsightbooks.com.But also consider their current knowledge level about your topic.

The marketing team for the book Moneyless Society, Wilberg explains, identified two main audiences:

  1.  people who are interested in but relatively new to the topic
  2. people who are familiar with the topic and want to share the ideas but struggle to explain them to others

A useful tip she mentions is that, If you are writing for an audience well-versed in the topic, it may be appropriate to jump right into using professional jargon. But, if you define a term early on and then don’t use it for awhile, consider repeating the definition or putting it in a “callout box”.

According to the Writing Center at The University of North Carolina, “In order to communicate effectively, we need to order our words and ideas on the page in ways that make sense to a reader”. Assume your readers are intelligent, the authors advise, but do not assume that they know the subject matter as well as you. Using familiar words and word combinations gives readers a sense of comfort and “wellness”.

When it comes to blog marketing, the goal is to attract the “right kind” of readers (those with an interest in our topic and who will value our products and services and be willing to pay for them), In creating content, we remember that people are online searching for answers to questions they have and for solutions to dilemmas they’re facing. It’s all about them as potential customers and clients, never about the business owners and professionals for whom we’re posting.

As the Bloomberg editors so clearly understand, our purpose is to help readers “make sense of it all”.

 

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The Four Elements of Query Pitches and Posts

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“You’ll need all four elements in your tool bag over time,” Amy Collins tells book authors in the Writer’s Digest 2024 Yearbook, referring to statements authors send to agents and publishers about their books. When it comes to blog marketing, content writers can use all these elements to attract and maintain the attention of blog readers.

1. Loglines:
These answer the question, “Would I like this book?”, using culturally relevant references to give the reader a chance to identify their potential interest.

The reason so many online searchers return to a particular search engine to find products, services, and information, is that they’ve found what they “would like” on that site before. The organic search process is the “logline”, delivering readers to your blog post who are most “likely to like” the information you’ve provided.

2. Elevator pitches:
These answer the question “What’s the book about?”, giving the reader “an idea of the premise and the stakes”.

When it comes to blogs, the “elevator pitch” is the title. We want the searcher to click on the link, and of course we want search engines to offer our content as a match for readers seeking information and guidance on our topic. More than that, though, a blog post title in itself constitutes a set of implied promises to visitors. In essence, you’re saying, “If you click here, you’ll be led to a post that in fact discussing the topic mentioned in the title.

3. Query pitches:
These add a few more compelling details to convince the agent that your book is different from – and better than – others in its category. What does your book add to the game? What are your future readers buying and reading right now?

To achieve success in content marketing, your having gotten to know your particular audience is crucial. While you may point out that your product or service can do something your competitors can’t, that particular “advantage” may or may not be what your audience is likely to value

4. Plot synopses:
These answer the question, “Does this book have the elements needed to be successful?” Here is where the author tries to prove that “the plot is not derivative or dull”. Collins cautions authors to focus on the main character arc and the story arc without over-cramming details. Just as “cramming everything about your plot into your synopsis will not help convince an agent to read your book,” cramming everything about your product or service into a single blog post is not going to help convince readers to take the next step.

In a sense, focus is the point in blog content writing. At Say It For You, we firmly believe in a razor-sharp focus on just one story, one idea, one aspect of your business, with the message geared towards one narrowly defined target audience.

Very much like authors pitching their book ideas to agents and publishers, at Say It For You, we know that the secret of success lies in skillfully using Amy Collins’ four elements.

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Blog to Give Them a Taste

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“New Garfield Park business Skosh seeks both coffee fans and home décor shoppers,” the IBJ reported last week, looking for customers “who appreciate a pour-over coffee while in the mood to buy a couch, lamp, or piece of art”.

Appealing to one or more of a prospect’s five senses is a great way to increase sales, Tru Vue marketing analyst Audel Ortega believes.

  • Sight – a well-structured layout of a store will guide customers, and showcase the most creative aspects of the merchandise.
  • Hearing – music should fit the brand identity.
  • Taste – offer finger food and drinks during events and sales.
  • Smell – candles, flowers, and fragrance oils can enhance the visitor experience.
  • Touch – It’s very important for buyers to feel the texture of a product.

The Skosh store gets all that and then some. “Skosh encourages you to embrace the art of slowing down, presenting an authentic blend of craft beverages and lifestyle furnishings for a unique experience.”

Product demos are a great way to give prospects a taste of what your product or service can do for them by showing them how it works and what benefits they can expect, Anibal Mijangos writes in LinkedIn. Similarly, we teach at Say It For You, think about how online visitors are going to experience your blog posts, and how your content can offer a “taste” of the benefits they stand to enjoy when using your products and/or services.

Just as visitors to a coffee shop need an “experience” – crackle, aroma,and  color, (and as visitors to a furniture store experience plushness, dimension, design, and color), online visitors to your blog need to get a sense of what they are likely to experience as a customer of yours. Word tidbits, unique points of view, special how-to tips, links to unusual resources, humorous touches, and particularly success stories –combine to make a blog post visit an “experience” for readers..

Coffee and lamps? For Skosh, that works. Can a similar tactic work for your blog marketing? In his book, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk points out that content writing doesn’t always need to be about your brand, but can explore other topics, making unlikely, but interesting and memorable connections.

To give a blog that needed extra boost, for example, the content can reflect topics trending on social media, using marketing touches, or “jabs” to establish connection between entrepreneur and reader, giving them a taste of the relationship to come.

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Proving Your Concept – to Blog Readers or Banks

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At a recent Westfield Chamber of Commerce meeting, I heard Spencer Russell of the American Bank of Freedom talk about his work with applicants for SBA loans. All too often, Russell lamented, individuals asking the bank for Small Business Administration-backed loans fail to qualify for help simply because they fail to prove their concept and communicate their “Why”.  Since “proof of concept” is precisely what we help our Say It For You clients achieve through content marketing, it seems natural to review the salient points of Russell’s presentation….

 

 

“Many buyers of a business applying for SBA financing simply don’t know how to tell their story, addressing things bankers need to know,” Spencer Russell laments. Too often, he points out, a handsomely bound, pages-long printed submission leaves bankers wondering why the most key questions have gone unanswered:

  1. Exactly why is your new franchise or business formation going to work?
  2. What in your past work history demonstrates experience relatable to – and transferable to – this new industry or enterprise?
  3. Just why might you be a good risk for the lender?
  4. What training have you had or plan to have by way of preparing yourself to handle this new venture?
  5. Are your projections based on historicals?

As content writers, we are telling the story of a business or a practice to consumers, framing that story in a way that addresses precisely those things online readers need to know.

In order to “prove the case”, a business owner can use:

  • factual proof – statistics about the problem this product or service helps solve
  • reverse proof – comparing one’s product or service with others on the market
  • credentializing proof – years of experience, honors or awards, degrees earned
  • evidential proof – clinical trial or field test results, testimonials from users

Just as it’s important for loan applicants to prove their concept and explain their “why?” to the bank, business and practice owners can use content marketing to prove to online searchers that they’ve come to the right place to find the precisely the products and services they need.

*For more information about American Bank of Freedom and SBA loans, contact srussell@myamericanbank.com or call 636 384 0182.

 

 

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Putting Questions in Readers’ Mouths and Minds

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The tactic of using questions in titles is one I’ve often suggested to blog content writers, because often we can help searchers formulate their own questions by presenting one in the blog itself. It’s best to focus on the expansive and productive type of question, such as “What’s possible?” “What are my choices?” “What’s useful here?”

The Pole Position article “5 Questions Every Nascar Fan has Asked at Least Once” comes at the matter of readers’ questions from an entirely different direction, actually listing – and then providing answers to – “five questions we know everyone’s asked before – out loud, into a search engine or both”:

  1. How do NASCAR drivers go to the bathroom during a race? (Answer: They hold it or – they just let go.)
  2. Is there a reason why NASCAR races run counterclockwise? (the driver’s seat is on the left side; patterned after horse racing, which is counterclockwise.)
  3. What state has the most NASCAR fans? (North Carolina)
  4. Do NASCAR vehicles have air conditioning? (No, that would add weight.)
  5. What do drivers eat before a race? (Oatmeal, grilled chicken, and avocado toast.are some faves.)

In content marketing, you’re often providing answers to questions that your potential customer might ask. The specific genius lies in forcing readers to recognize their own uncertainties and need for answers. But, before you can successfully convert blog readers into customers, Neil Patel explains, you have to know what they’re worried about.

Are there five questions that your prospects and clients tend to ask the most? Remember, just as consumers would not be searching for the right auto shop/ jewelry store/ plumber/ healthcare provider, etc. unless they already felt the need for that service or product type, searchers who land on your blog are already interested in and have a need for what you offer.

By answering questions, providers make prospects feel understood, D. Forbes Ley taught salespeople in training years ago. Even if those searchers haven’t specifically formulated their questions, as content writers, we can do that for them by presenting the answers to frequently asked questions.

It’s not so much a matter of “putting” questions in readers’ mouths and minds, as acknowledging the questions already there and providing answers that can be key to closing the sale.

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