For Checks and Blog Content, We Need Both Words and Numbers

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Writing a check
When it comes to check writing, business humorist Todd Hunt learned the hard way, words trump numbers. The humiliation will live with him forever, he admits, but he learned something: The bank goes by the amount you write in words (on the line that says “Pay”), not the numerals you write in the box. What actually happened, Hunt explains, is that he miswrote the words, which made his check worth more than he meant it to be…resulting in an overdraft. So, he concludes, words trump numerals.

In fact, to prevent his readers from falling into the same trap, Hunt shares an instructive article about foiling crooks when using checks. The gist of it is, write out the amount using words to avoid fraud and confusion.

“I am a Qualitative Social Scientist,” states Sarah-Louise Quinnell “I believe in that words tell you more than numbers”, she says, She came to that conclusion, she reveals, in researching cognitive processes for her Doctoral thesis.

For example, Quinell discusses a particular statistic:

“85% of students ranked the class a 4 or above”.

That sounds positive, she explains, until you dig a bit deeper and find out that only 30% of the people in the class answered the question!

“Words on the other hand,” she points out, “are harder to manipulate. They also tell you why someone voted a particular way.” To improve customer satisfaction you need to understand the why’s,” she concludes.

Business blog headlines and business blogs themselves are filled to the brim with statistics. In fact, one of the hottest trends in business blogging today is infographics, which is a way of presenting statistics in visually appealing form by combining numbers with graphic images. “Infographics are all over the place nowadays. How do you know which ones to trust?” asks Randy Olson.

In fact, Olson views “data visualizations” or “infographics” with a jaundiced eye. Yes, he admits, they have repeatedly provided us with new and insightful perspectives on the world around us. However, time and time again, he says, “we have seen that data visualizations can easily be manipulated to lie.”

As a corporate blogging trainer, I see a lot of value in the use of numbers in blog posts (assuming, of course, that statistics are presented fairly and honestly).

Using numbers in blog post titles is a great way to set expectations for a post. It tells readers exactly what they’re going to get, and exactly how much of it, says Pamela Vaughan of Hubspot.

But where the words come in, I believe, is that one of the primary functions blogs serve is putting statistics into perspective, so that readers are given the answer to the “So what?” and “So, what’s in-it-for-me” questions.

Payors must fill out their checks with both words and numbers. Business blog post content writers should do the same.

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A Business Blog Needs Words

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emoji

“Blogging has become the best possible way to leverage your online presence and gain traction with Internet searches performed by your potential clients.”(No surprise there, but what I did find surprising is the source of the remark – none other than the National Association of Realtors!)

The realtor website went on to repeat the modern blogging mantra: “An interesting, relevant image is an essential part of your blog post. It’s not merely aesthetic; it’s crucial for boosting your readership and your SEO. People are much more likely to read a blog illustrated with a nice image,” the NAR advises. “It doesn’t matter what industry, topic, niche, or specialty, images matter.”

“Hey!” I sometimes want to shout. “Don’t forget that, no matter what industry, topic, niche, or specialty, the main content of the blog post consists (or at least should consist) of WORDS. Words matter.” Jennifer Olney of bealeader.com knows what I mean. In “Lazy Blogging: Why Your Word Matter,” Olney comments that too many authors rely on visuals to take the lazy way out of writing. Real authors, she implies use adult words and showcase their understanding of the use and beauty of the English language.

“Content comes in many forms, but web copy, articles and blog posts are among the most popular – and effective,” writes Dan Hughes of jtvdigital. Like Olney, Hughes observes that “ Many people overlook words and the power they have to entice their target audience. In this day and age, pictures and video are powerful promotional tools that cater to the attention span of the modern digital consumer, Hughes points out. “However,” he continues, “much like any business, well-crafted web copy is an essential part of success.”

“Words are art, and our ability to convey our message in words helps us be understood without distraction, Olney says. All the emojis in the world could not convey the extent to which I agree!

 

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Business Blog Tidbits Far From Useless

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love and togetherness
So, why do I find seeming “useless” tidbits of information so very useful when it comes to blog content writing? Let me count the ways:

1. Tidbits can be used to describe your way of doing business, to clarify the way one of your products works, or explain why one of the services you provide is particularly effective in solving a problem. It’s interesting when business owners or practitioners present little-known facts about their own business or profession.  In “Keep It Cool,” for example, Mental Floss magazine reviews the history of air conditioning, telling the story of how, when President Garfield was shot and lay dying in the White House, inventors rushed forward with devices they hoped would help, using a contraption to blow air over a box of ice into a series of tin pipes, eventually using a half-million pounds of ice. History tidbits in general engage readers’ curiosity, evoking an “I didn’t know that!” response.

2. One thing I suggest stressing in blog posts is best business practices.  While one goal of any SEO marketing blog is to help your business “get found”, once that’s happened, the goal changes to helping the online readers get comfortable with the way you do business. Mental Floss Magazine highlighted the making of the 1991 movie “The Silence of the Lambs”, in which the serial murderer is obsessed with collecting rare moths.  Animal rights groups might have protested the exploitation of harmless insects just to make a film, but, thanks to animal wrangler Raymond Mendez, the 300 tomato hornworm moths traveled first class, were kept in a room with special heat and humidity settings, outfitted with tiny harnesses during high speed stunts. Blog content writing is the perfect vehicle for conveying a corporate message like this one, starting with a piece of trivia, presented to make a point.

3. Common myths surround every business and profession.  If you notice a “factoid” circulating about your industry, a common misunderstanding by the public about the way things really work in your field, you can use a little-known tidbit of information that reveals the truth behind the myth. In Mental Floss Magazine, I found a cute myth-debunking article about the “Eskimo kiss”. Popular wisdom claims that Eskimos rub noses (because kissing on the lips would cause their mouths to freeze together). The myth started in Hollywood when the director of the 1922 movie “Nanook of the North” saw Eskimo women giving their babies “kuniks”, pressing their noses against their babies’ cheeks and breathing in their scent. Truth be told, Eskimos kiss on the lips just like everyone else. That Eskimo kiss debunk would be perfect for the blog of a lip balm company, a lipstick manufacturer, or a candy company around Valentine’s Day.

For clarifying and debunking, and to add variety and fun, tidbits of information are far from useless!

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Putting Some Fun Into a Business Blog

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laughing Puppy“You might think that humor only works for inherently funny businesses, but any business blog can become more interesting and relatable by lightening up,” KeriLynn Engle of Business2Community reminds blog content writers.

Leyl Master Black of Mashable agrees: “Do you like to laugh? Guess what: so do your customers,” he says. “To breathe life into a complex (or even boring) product, consider putting a humorous spin on how people use it.”

As a corporate blogging trainer, I admit to having mixed feelings about humor in business blogs.  Sure, I like to laugh as much as the next guy or gal, and I’ve no doubt about the humanizing effect of a chuckle.  But I agree with Mark Ivey, who advises, “Be funny at times.  But be careful in doing so.”

“Good humor works because it connects with people at an emotional level,” Ivey says. “But humor has to be handled right,” he cautions. “Just being funny online is not enough, and there are risks.” Tips Ivey offers:

  • Be direct and swift – (avoid long stories leading up to punchlines).
  • Make sure the humor is consistent with your brand.
  • Poke fun at yourself, the weather, and other innocuous subjects.
  • Stay away from political or religious issues.
  • Don’t target any race, gender or group such as senior citizens.

Bill Faeth of Inbound Marketing Agents names at least two good reasons for using humor in a blog:

  1. Humor builds connections because it’s a shared experience that builds trust.
  2. Humor is memorable marketing, creating “aha!” moments in prospects’ minds.

Faeth is in agreement with Ivey in terms of being pithy and creative when using humor, but adds a strong caution about using sarcasm, which he names the most likely form of humor to backfire entirely.

There is a strong tie between humor and marketing, Hannah Kaufman of Savvy Panda points out. But, she cautions, “Before you even think about creating a funny marketing campaign, make sure you align your humor with your target audience. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them.”

Putting fun into a business blog is a good idea, but it must be done with finesse!

 

 

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Effective Blog Writers Establish Structure

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glass and steel structure

 

“Now that you’ve created meaningful messages,” Nancy Duarte cautions professional speakers in Resonate, “they must be arranged in order to have impact. It’s unwise to merely dump a pile of unstructured information onto the laps of your audience.” That’s advice business blog content writers need to keep in mind as well, I couldn’t help thinking.

While our first instinct might be to follow a linear structure, that’s not the most effective way to present ideas in every situation, Duarte explains. To help your audience “see the overarching structure, move out of the linear format and ‘cluster’ content,” she advises.

Duarte, of course, is addressing presenters about offering spoken material to a live audience, using Power Point slides. Blog writers, though, can adapt the technique of varying organizational structures by:

  • spreading a message across a series of blog posts
  • using subtopics with a “read more” format, so readers can select those aspects of a topic most applicable to them

Some of the different ways to structure content – for both speakers and blog writers – include:

  1. Chronological (arranged according to time progression)
  2. Sequential (step-by-step instructions)
  3. Climactic (arranged in order of ascending importance)
  4. Problem/solution
  5. Compare and contrast
  6. Cause and effect
  7. Advantages/disadvantages

A blog itself is a web page made up of short, frequently updated posts that are arranged in reverse chronological order. Complex topics can be broken down into several parts and presented chronologically, sequentially, or climactically. Compare/contrast, cause/effect, advantage/disadvantage structures all help customers and prospects derive the greatest utility out of your information about the products or services you offer.

In creating effective and impactful business blog content, establish structure!

 

 

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