Back Matter Blogging

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“Writing the end of a story isn’t always the end of the book,” explains Whitney Hill in Writer’s Digest. “Even if there’s no sequel, there’s more to say, and it goes in the back matter.” The “back matter” offers additional value to those readers who enjoyed and engaged with your work enough to read through to the end. That section  adds content and helps readers look ahead to the next book.

Hill lists some standard things found in back matter:

  • acknowledgement of people who helped in the writing and editing
  • personal information about the author
  • praise – awards won
  • a pitch for the next book
  • commenting on a specific change the narrator undergoes as a result of the experience described in the book

But, in addition to these, the editor suggests, authors might like to “call out” situations or new events that are affecting them and their readers.

The Author Learning Center refers to back matter as epilogues, afterwords, or author’s notes.

Can blog content writers use “back matter”? Definitely.

  1. While, in blogging for business, it’s important to offer enough information in each post to convincingly cover the key theme, in order to cover a topic more comprehensively, the material can be divided into several different blog posts relating to that one issue or problem. The “back matter” would explain that a discussion of other aspect of the issue will be covered in future posts
  2. Certainly personal information about the business owner or practitioner might be included in the back matter as well. In addition, suggestions as to where to find more in-depth information on the topic (perhaps linked to landing pages) represent a perfect use for back matter.
  3. Using the back matter to explain how learning the information conveyed in the post actually changed your own (or your blogging client’s) thinking and how that will be reflected in a change in business procedures or in customer service changes.
  4.  At Say It For You, we particularly like the concept of using the back matter to make “a pitch for the next book”. In the age of the Internet, there’s no end, it seems, to the technical information available to consumers. But it falls to us business blog content writers to break all that information down into chewable tablet form! Serving as a “tour guide” or “librarian” for your readers, giving them the benefit of your own searches and information “sorting” is a valuable use for the back matter of blog posts.

The end of a blog post isn’t always the end of the blog!

 

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The E Test for Blogs

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Since the 1980s, Daniel Pink lets us know in his book To Sell is Human: the Surprising Truth About Moving Others, psychologists have used the E test to measure “perspective-taking”. Asked to, with the index finger of their dominant hand, draw the letter E on their own forehead, some will draw the letter “backwards” (so that they themselves can read it), while others will draw the E correctly, with the spokes to the right, (so that others can read it). When confronted with an unusual or complex situation, will that person examine it from only his/her own point of view, or step outside and view the situation from another’s perspective? What’s being tested is the ability to “attune”, bringing one’s own outlook into harmony with other people. When it comes to sales, there’s an important additional element in attunement, the author goes on to explain. Individuals don’t exist as single units; their reactions are connected to groups, situations, and contexts.

When it comes to blog marketing, achieving “attunement’ is all about finding the right timing, along with the right context. Back in 2009, with Say It For You in only its second year, I shared an insight gained from the late advertising marketing guru Eugene Schwartz: As the same promise is made over and over by different providers, the market progresses to a new level of sophistication, and it becomes necessary to market through unique value propositions. And, as prospects achieve the highest levels of sophistication,  Schwarts went on to say, marketers must use prospect-centered tactic (AKA attunement).

Blog marketing itself, of course, is inherently prospect-centered – the only people who are going to notice your blog posts are those who are searching for the kinds of information, products, or services that relate to what you do. Having said that, it’s still crucial to keep your blog posts “attuned” to the frequency and sophistication level of your target audience, not to mention to those of the others in their “context”.

As content writers, we need to ask ourselves – would our blog posts pass the E test?

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Blogging What You Are Not

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“I photograph weddings, but I am not a wedding photographer.,” asserts Marty Moran, owner of Whitehot Headshot. “I photograph headshots, but I am not in the headshot business,” he adds. “I am a relationship builder, strengthening my tribe as I help others strengthen theirs. Give them quality and support, and they will make return visits,” Moran believes.

My networking colleague Ron Mannon often needs to explain that his company, Combustion & Systems, Inc., an industry leader in powder coating systems, does not actually do powder coating or paint finishing. Instead, they provide the equipment and training so that their customers can do their own finishing rather than farming out that part of the manufacturing process.

At Say It For You, we create SEO-conscious content, but do not focus on the science of Search Engine Optimization, believing that blogging is about much more than back-links and “authority”. What do you want to say to your customers today? What will get them excited enough to choose you over the competition? How will you keep them coming back for more information in the future?

In the Harvard Business Review, Madelaine Rauch and Sarah Stanske write about “the power of defining what your company isn’t”. There are times when having an “anti-identity” can be useful in communicating with customers, employees, and investors,” they explain. “We suspect,” the authors say, that companies might experiment with an anti-identity approach, analyzing who they really are and what that implies about what they are not. “No business – particularly a small one – can be all things to all people. The more narrowly you can define your target market, the better,” the staff of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. say.

Of the top 10 mistakes new business owners make, Gene Marks of the Hartford says, #1 is trying to do things you’re not good at. Translating that very sage advice into the field of blog content creation, that means defining in your blog not only the successes and strengths of the business or practice, but defining precisely which products and services you provide – and which you don’t. After all, Since exceeding customer expectations is such a worthy goal, clarifying those expectations and aligning them with reality is a key part of the marketing process. “It is vital,” smartkarrot.com advises, “to put parameters upfront, so that you can honor them time and again.”

Blogging, in short, clarifies what you are, but it is equally important to clarify what you are not!

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How-I-Did_It Business Blogging

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Again, in this week’s Say It For You blog posts, I’m sharing valuable content writing tips from current magazine issues. Reading through the September 2022 Inc. Magazine, I was struck by the effectiveness of the “How I….” series of business leader stories:

  • how I persuaded my mom and dad to let me run our home-grown beverage brand (Boolyte)
  • how I re-imagined the farmers’ market to deliver local food everywhere (MarketWagon)
  • how I built a home care company during a healthcare labor crisis (BarbaraKares)
  • how I got sweaty and muddy and made non-alcoholic beer cool (Athletic Bravery)
  • how I took on the immigration system to help thousands get their green cards (Boundless Immigration)

    “History is something very important, and fundamental even in the way we communicate as humans. Tell a great story on your blog and you can capture the attention, distract, enlighten, and even persuade… and all this in just a few minutes,” explains Paul Kellin of BlogPasCher. Every great story needs a hero who is transformed as the story unfolds, Kellin says. Ultimately, he explains, it’s your customer who is the hero, who will be transformed by your products and services.

Authenticity is powerful in blog marketing. Through how-we-did-it stories, readers can be provided an intimate view of your journey and what went into developing your products and services. In fact, a survey quoted by Sprout Social showed that 72% of consumers want to learn more about the people behind their favorite brands. How-I-did-it marketing needs to also include how-I-failed stories, we teach blog content writers at Say It For You – writing about past failures is important. Remember that true stories about mistakes and struggles are very humanizing, adding to the trust readers place in the people behind the business. Ironically, I often find that business owner and professional practitioner clients of mine are so close to the subject matter of their own business battles, they don’t realize that these stories can actually be used as marketing tools.

How-I-did-it business blogging can prove to be a very effective way to “get it done”!

 

 

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Blogging About Instead-Of Courses of Action

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In this week’s and next week’s Say It For You blog posts, I’m sharing valuable content writing tips from current magazine issues. In this month’s Good Housekeeping magazine, Stefani Sassos talks about foods that are best for fighting fatigue. Rather than merely listing nutritious foods, though, Sassos organized the material in “instead of” fashion, first naming a popular food choice, then recommending a healthier alternative, then offering an explanation of why the “instead of” choice is the more health-beneficial.one.

  • Instead of snacking on potato chips, Sassos suggests popcorn. Reason – “This fiber-packed whole grain can slow digestion and keep energy high.” Sassos then goes on to recommend a specific brand of popcorn.
  • Instead of energy drinks, Sassos suggests sparkling matcha. Reason: “The L-theanine can help slow caffeine absorption to even out the energy lift.”
  • Instead of pretzels, Sassos suggests peanuts. Reason: Unlike pretzels, which have little nutritional value and raise blood sugar levels, peanuts contain energizing protein.

The content creation concept I’m emphasizing this week is this: In marketing a business or practice, organizing relevant and useful information in a structured format is very useful to readers. Notice that, in this Good Housekeeping “grid”, the author first mentions the “status quo”, the typical consumer choice, showing an understanding of her audience. In blogging for business, you must demonstrate that your product or service can do something your competitors can’t (or something yours does better). In order to achieve that level of persuasion, your content must be based on knowledge of your target audience and their habits. Sassos first offers the reasoning behind the change, only then recommending a specific alternative product choice.

Of course, like magazines such as Good Housekeeping, blogs are designed to appeal to specific audiences. In a way, blog audiences “self-select” by typing their “wishes” into the search bar. But once readers have landed, we’ve learned at Say It For You, the secret lies in your having gotten to know your particular audience, thinking about how they (not the average person, but specifically “they*) would probably react or feel about your approach to the subject at hand. For example, 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. Even if your target audience falls in the money-motivated category, for example, they might find appeal in the least expensive offerings. Conversely they might go for the most expensive (prizing luxury and exclusivity).

In either case, in creating blog content that speaks to your target customers and clients, think of blogging about “instead-of” courses of action!

 

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