Posts

Yips and She-Cessioning for Blog Content Writers

/0 Comments/in , /by

 

 

One would be hard-pressed to view the Coronavirus as a positive development, but in one way, the pandemic has added a lot to our lives – via the dictionary. The new term “doomscrolling”, for example, refers to the practice of obsessively checking online news for updates. Just the other day, in Employee Benefit News magazine, I was fascinated a headline using the coined phrase term “she-cession”, alluding to the fact that, during the pandemic, nearly three million American women exited the workforce, accounting for more than half the overall job loss in the country.

According to Merriam-Webster, the term “yips” was referenced by many journalists to describe a state of nervous tension affecting an athlete during the no-spectator Olympics. In fact, the Coronavirus has led to an explosion of new words and phrases, and new vocabulary helps us cope, the conversation.com comments. WFH (working from home) is disorienting (isn’t today “blursday”?).

Since for us blog content writers, words are our tools, we want to use words that capture attention, and often coined phrases do the trick nicely. One reason for this is that people are always look for new things, Neil Patel explains – new software, new techniques, new ways to make and save money. New phraseology commands attention.

Writeonline.io actually compiled a list of “grease-slide phrases” that help create smooth transitions between sentences and between paragraphs. One type of grease-slide is a conjunct. “Similarly”, “first off”, “for starters”, “to top it all off”, and “needless to say” are all grease slide conjuncts that keep the momentum going. “Here’s the scary part” and “It all boils down to this” are phrases that lead to the conclusion…

Prior to the pandemic, word combinations such as “contact tracing” and “essential businesses” weren’t part of our vocabulary, Miami University points out. “Bellyfeel” (blind, enthusiastic acceptance of an idea) and the verb “blackwhite” (accepting what one is told) are both part of “Newspeak” vocabulary, deliberately ambiguous and contradictory language.

While, at Say It For You, we use words to clarify and edify, never to confuse or mislead, we know that the ways in which people express themselves is constantly changing. When a newly minted expression captures a mood or a concept, using that phrase to make readers overcome their “yips” and take notice of your content – all I have to say is “Yippee”!

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Going for the No in Blogging for Business

/0 Comments/in , , /by

 

There are three kinds of yeses, Chris Voss teaches negotiators in the book Never Split the Difference. There’s commitment, confirmation, and counterfeit. People are most used to giving the counterfeit “yes” because they’ve been trapped by the confirmation “yes” so many times. The way to clinch a deal, Voss, believes, is by understanding the different meanings of “no”.

Negotiation, Voss teaches, means making it about other people, validating their emotions, and creating enough trust for a real conversation to begin. He reminds readers that “No” can have different meanings, including:

  • I am not yet ready to agree.
  • I do not understand.
  • I don’t think I can afford it.
  • I want something else.
  • I need more information.
  • I want to talk it over with someone else.Can the insights offered by Chris Voss be of use in content marketing through blogs? Definitely. In a guest post for my Say It For You blog, Karen Sullivan compared shopping to education. That’s particularly true when a buyer is searching for professional services, and wants to “interview” different providers, she explained. Sullivan asks buyers to respect the sales process; it’s dishonest to come to the sales process to get free consultative services.

Since blogging is part of “pull marketing”, the “negotiation” process is based on the “seller’s” skill in providing valuable, usable information, in essence anticipating all the possible “no” reactions, allowing readers to arrive at a “yes” in their own way and in their own time frame.

A second factor to consider is that blogging for business is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time event. With a blog, you can offer different kinds of information in different blog posts. If readers “are not yet ready to agree”, or need more information, you can convey the idea that there are different levels of involvement possible. They may share the blog post, subscribe to the blog, request a list or informational piece. You’re welcoming them to your website, yet ultimate decisions need not be made just yet. Make sure to provide plenty of valuable information for them to mull over, and perhaps “talk it over with someone else”.

To get to the “yes”, go for the “no” in blogging for business!

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Blog Marketing and Job-Seeking – Sisters Under the Skin

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

 

Today’s post was contributed by guest Ruth Sternberg, a coach who helps mid-career professionals more effectively convey their value to employers and entrepreneurs capture more market share with clearer branded materials. She can be reached at Ruth@confidentcareersearch.com .
You can also connect with her at https://www.linkedin.com/in/navcoach/.

 

 

Congratulations! You have started your own business. You have courage. You have a mission. But how do you know your product or service will sell?

This is the driving question for all entrepreneurs. The same question causes job seekers stress as they hit “send” and wait for a reaction to an application submission. Most of us, whether we are working for ourselves or looking for a job, go about answering the question backwards. We assume that our idea is great, and that our skills speak for themselves. Friends and family have said so. We are sure everyone else will agree, so we adopt the “build it and they will come” philosophy.

We might hit it out of the park, as in the movie Field of Dreams. But will the stadium be empty? Selling anything, whether it be your skills, a product, or your consulting services, requires an understanding of what your customer—or in the case of a job seeker, the employer— needs. It sounds obvious. But in the age of social media and instant gratification, it’s not so simple. Today’s consumers are sophisticated. They don’t take promises at face value. Companies do not hire candidates just because they have the required technical skills.

Today’s “buyer” wants validation. It can be customer reviews, your LinkedIn recommendations, the quantifiable proof you give on your resume, or your social media posts. Top marketing voice Mark Schaefer, author of Marketing Rebellion: The Most Human Company Wins, points out that marketing a product requires a competitive advantage. To sell successfully, you must identify an unmet need and then build your message around that. Most companies confuse “what they sell” with “what the customer actually buys.” A tech company might have a great product. But the customers are really buying the great customer service. Starbucks doesn’t sell coffee; it sells community.

A job candidate might have all the right training and degrees, but hiring managers are really buying the ability to identify and solve problems, get along with different kinds of team members, and grow profits. Think about it: When an ad pops up in your Facebook feed, or when you are perusing Amazon or looking for a roofing contractor, do you just click “buy” without proof that you won’t waste your money?

Today’s consumer faces hundreds of choices and needs some way of differentiating one service provider (or job candidate) from all the others on the market. Here’s what you must do if you want to differentiate yourself in a competitive market:

Identify your customer. Who will make the decision to buy? Is it a mom? A CEO? A hiring manager? What do they prefer? What are their characteristics? What does the hiring company specialize in? What problems does it solve? What decisions does it face?

Figure out where your customer (or hiring manager) is. Is it on Facebook? Reddit? An industry website? Twitter? Maybe your customer supports a certain cause and is part of a Meetup or Facebook group talking about that. Are industry leaders members of a professional organization? Is there a Zoom event that will attract people in your industry? Are you on LinkedIn? Show up where your customer is and contribute to the conversation to find out what you need to deliver.

Decipher what makes you relevant to the buyer. Great service? Commitment to supporting certain values? Have you solved significant problems for your previous employers? What are they? Research the targets. Read articles, websites, and ask insiders.

Determine how to deliver your message of relevance. Content can sell, whether it’s video, social media content, or other avenues. Job seekers know they need a great resume. They also need fully keyword-optimized LinkedIn profiles. Check your marketing materials. Are they addressing the customers’ chief concerns? Create ways to engage! Will you write a cover letter? Post a LinkedIn article? Get seen and noticed!

Measure and adjust. Collect sales data. Look at your social media metrics. Who’s following you? Are they engaging with you? Job seekers: Document your progress as you apply for roles, noting whom they’ve talked with and what responses they received.

Winning the sale or the job offer is not magic. It is not instant or simple. But if you are struggling with your strategy, these tips should get you started down the right path.

.

 

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Embracing the Encouraging Side of Blogging

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Corbett Barr, writing in thinktraffic.net, encourages blog writers to “embrace your encouraging side.” There’s plenty of cynicism and negativity in the world, Barr says, and sometimes readers just want to be encouraged. I heartily agree. In fact, one of the things we tell content writers is that the last thing you want to do in a blog is to be downbeat or attempt to “scare” readers into taking action.

The “press release” aspect of blogging for business dictates that the first sentences of any post must engage interest (with the “or else” being that visitors click away). Different tactics include raising questions in readers’ minds or describing a provocative scene or situation. Your post might play off a topic currently trending in the news, especially one relating to your profession or industry. Now, having gathered information, using it to demonstrate how readers can use that information in their own lives, remember to present the material in reassuring and encouraging words.

As a retired financial planning practitioner myself, I really appreciated what financial psychologist William Marty Martin advised financial planners: “How you communicate can serve to eliminate, decrease, or exacerbate panic experienced within yourself, your family, your team, and your clients…Words have the power of providing comfort, or generating panic, or even helplessness.”

One interesting perspective on the work we do as professional blog content writers is that we are interpreters, translating clients’ corporate message into human, people-to-people terms.  That’s the reason I prefer first and second person writing in business blog posts over third person “reporting”. (I think people tend to buy when they see themselves in the picture and when can they relate emotionally to the person bringing them the message.)

The idea that little things can mean a lot when dealing with difficult circumstances is reinforced in an article in Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge newsletter. “Even as COVID vaccines begin early deployment, pressure on leaders continues to mount to engage in ‘Big C’ change.” But, “instead of questioning everyone and everything I a crisis, leaders should create an atmosphere of trust and confidence.”

“Empathy is the key to gaining readers and followers in all kinds of writing, says Karen Hertzberg of grammarly.com. “from blogging to marketing to social media.”

Embrace the encouraging side of blogging!

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

5 Marketing Strategies Your Business Needs to thrive in the COVID-19 Era

/0 Comments/in , , /by

       Today’s post was contributed by guest Amy Collet, creator of Bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. She is also the author of the upcoming book, You, Exemplified: The Role of Personal Branding in Your Professional Life. 

While thousands of companies have had to pause or close their businesses during the COVID-19 lockdowns, many have opened those doors back up. As exciting as this is, there are still a lot of challenges ahead.

Small businesses have been asking: How do I keep my customers safe? How can my business stay afloat if we encounter another round of lockdowns? How can I re-engage my customers now that we are back in business?

Of course, let’s not forget the most important question of all: How can I boost my business on a budget? Even with grants and stimulus checks, many businesses had to tap into their cash reserves to survive. Here are five budget-friendly marketing strategies to keep business flowing during the pandemic.

Hire marketing help.

If your business closed at all during 2020, then you may need to start your marketing efforts from scratch. Say It For You has been providing traffic-driving content and marketing strategies for businesses for years. You stand to benefit when you partner with such a professional — who can revamp your website, deliver quality blog content, kickstart your social media campaigns and engage your customers with paid social campaigns. Keep all these within a smart budget by hiring small businesses, freelancers, contractors, or interns looking to build their resumes.

Be sure your legal ducks are in a row.

A lot has changed with regard to business legality since the pandemic first hit. Sadly, some people have discovered that they weren’t able to apply for grants and loans because their businesses weren’t properly filed. Prevent that from happening to you by forming a limited liability company (LLC). Not only will that give you access to any future COVID-19 relief funds, but it also qualifies you for tax breaks and other benefits. Regulations vary from state to state, so do thorough research or enlist the help of a formation service to guide you.

Reward your loyal customers.

The customers who stuck with you or came back deserve a little extra TLC. Most business owners know that retention and loyalty are the foundation for successful business growth. Customer Service Magazine suggests doing something simple, like delivering loyalty rewards to their email inbox.

You can also go the extra mile by opening up your store for solo shopping or offer them sneak peeks of new merchandise. If you provide a service, offer how-to webinars to help them advance their own livelihoods with your insider knowledge.

Keep your customers confident.

If you have a brick-and-mortar building or meet clients face-to-face, be sure to follow all of the CDC’s guidelines for safety. While COVID-19 is not a deadly illness for most people, it can shut down entire communities if all aren’t careful and cautious. Remember that the sooner we beat this, the sooner we can get back to normal — and we all have a part to play.

Don’t give up.

Things have been hard — that’s an understatement. You may have to act differently or think broadly about what you do and how you do it, but a little creativity can go a long way. The point is to persevere. There are no easy answers these days and the business world has a long way to go to recover. You’ll have to do some long-term planning in the face of uncertainty, which is hard, but not impossible. When all else fails, turn to your customers — ask them how they are feeling and how you can better meet their needs — then go from there.

Small businesses have a long road to recovery ahead, but it’s also very hopeful. Businesses are opening back up and many are thriving from the support of their communities. Take the time to explore some of these tips to launch your business back into success.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail