Shoot For Engaging vs. Catchy in Business Blog Content Writing

The point Ryan Tapak of SunAmerica wanted to convey to us members of the Financial Planning Association was this: “Research shows that spending is highest early in retirement and declines with age.” In fact, Tapak had catchy names for each of three age groups of retired people when it comes to spending needs:

• Go-Go  (ages 55-64)
•  Slo-Go (Age 65-74 )
•  No Go (Age 75 and up )

Cute, even memorable, I thought. He’d given us a sort of “memory hook”. Since business blog content writers like me are always searching for novel ways to present information to online readers, memory hooks are “a good thing” (as Martha Stewart would say).

But for me, the real impact of those categories didn’t hit me until Tapak described the way his parents, his grandma, and his great-grandma are carrying on their lives.

Mom and Dad, both recently retired, are having a good Go-Go time.  Mom almost never cooks; she and dad eat out between activities –they’re busy with clubs, exercise sessions, and trips. They have two cars, and, they’re spending money at a rapid clip, making up for lost time.

Tapak’s widowed grandma leads a quieter, Slo-Go life, playing cards and tending her garden, eating the majority of her meals at home. Grandma cautions the kids not to buy her clothing for Christmas – she’s got too many things in her closet already.

Great Grandma is hardly ever persuaded to leave the house.  She tells Ryan it’s too cold/ too hot/ too wet/ to drive anywhere; she’s content to remain at home watching her shows on TV. She’s the prototype for the No Go phase of life.

The experience I had with Ryan Tapak’s presentation at the Financial Planning Association illustrates a point about putting power into business blogs: It pays to use close-ups for emotional connection and impact. It’s the details –that stimulate emotional responses in readers.

 In fact, as I explain to Say It For You freelance blog writers, blog posts have a distinct advantage over more static traditional website copy precisely because of that close-up effect. And the “closer up” the focus, (and that goes for business-to-business blog writing every bit as much as B-to-C), the greater the impact.

Shoot for engaging vs. catchy every time.  Get up close and personal by introducing real people into the content of your business blog!