It's OK To Stand Out

In the newspaper world, it’s called pack journalism. In the business world it’s just imitating your competition. When you write your content to the industry standard, you are telling your readers that you are like everyone else.

Why not try and stand out? Tell your readers why your business is different. This is an important step in garnering their attention. It’s ok if your website breaks the mold for the industry standard. It’s ok to write a blog that your competitors haven’t tried yet.

Why would they otherwise expect them to contact you when your services are needed?

Strategize Your Marketing Content

NFL teams across the nation take the field every week for a month in a large-scale dress rehearsal to see how certain players react in pressure situations—it’s called preseason. While it may not always make for exciting viewing, it’s a necessary part of ensuring that the product is at its peak on week one of the regular season.

Your business copy and marketing can be handled in much the same way. While having professional-looking copy and marketing materials is always important, you can always experiment with the best way to win. Maybe it means testing two different versions of website copy, or not being afraid to try something creative while establishing your business’s “voice.”

If your experiment does not work, that is ok. It is better than not knowing. It’s time to keep going until you find something that does work. Finding the best strategies is the only way to make sure your marketing is at its best. 

Four Things We Can Learn About Marketing From Sons of Anarchy

In a few short months, the popular FX series Sons of Anarchy is going to embark on season five. What could you possibly learn about marketing your business from this merry band of motorcycle hooligans?

Sure, morality has been tossed out the window in their home of Charming, California. This is a club of felons that we’re talking about here. Yet there is something about them that keeps us coming back. This show has all the excitement and drama of the Sopranos, this time on motorcycles. What is it that we can learn from them, that doesn’t involve shooting up your competition, or breaking any other laws?

Loyalty Is Huge

The Sons of Anarchy are nothing if not loyal. They showcase it every day in their unwillingness to rat on anyone for gain. You can showcase your loyalty by rewarding the talent that you see in other small businesses, your employees, and freelancers. Keep them in business. Make sure they know how you feel through your words and your actions.

Maintain Your Likeability

Despite their knack for shooting first and asking questions later, the Sons are still a likeable group of criminals that the audience can identify with. This is evident in the richness of the relationships that they hold, and the family life that they share. You can maintain your likeability by engaging with customers and working hard to continuously develop new relationships.

Fight For It

If it’s worth having, it’s worth fighting for. In season three, the club goes to Ireland, fighting to retrieve their vice president’s kidnapped son. For your business, it may be increasing your customer base that you’re fighting for. Don’t be afraid to try new things with your website, blog, social media and other marketing content. Stick with what works.

A Fresh Perspective Is Good

In season five, the club will start out with a new vice president. You don’t need to step down from your business, but seeking others thoughts and opinions is always a good thing. Maybe you can bring in a guest blogger. Maybe it’s just a matter of listening to the suggestions that customers, clients, or employees have made. 

It is possible to learn from a group of outlaws. Putting these lessons in practice will only make your business stronger. 

What's Your Blogging Frequency?

Lots of people have lots of opinions when it comes to how often a business should blog. If you’re looking to continuously increase your visibility, nothing replaces blogging at least 3-5 times in a week.

Now, that’s a lot of work, and I don’t regularly hit that number myself. I’m not telling businesses to do something that I don’t do. I’m telling businesses to find what’s right for them.

If increasing your writing frequency is something you want to try, the quality of your blog cannot suffer for quantity. If it’s between writing three OK blogs in a week or one good one, choose one good one.

Some businesses write less frequently. It is tough to build an active audience blogging less than once a week, no matter the quality of the work. With the 24/7 stream of news and information through social media, businesses need to be regularly writing new material to make a lasting impression.

Some industries are more difficult to write frequently for. Some just require a lot of time. Make no mistake, this form of marketing your business is not going anywhere. Blogs provide a wealth of information to your customer, and are a great asset for your search engine rankings.

If you are struggling with your time or the quality of your writing, consider hiring it out. Find someone who specializes in blog writing services. 

Write a Blog Post In 30 Minutes

Having consistent, quality content is one of the most important steps in marketing your business. It’s what keeps your audience—as well as the search engines—coming back to see what you have to say.

How are you supposed to keep up with your blog when you have so much else going on with your business? Well, you don’t have to write a 1,500-word opus, at least not every time. I’m talking about a 300 to 500-word blog that conveys an idea your readers will find useful.

Keep An Idea List

As a blogging business person, ideas are all around you. Think about the conversations you’ve had through the course of the week. Think about the trade articles you’ve read, and the ever-changing developments within your industry. Now write them down. As you come up with these ideas, go ahead and jot a few sentences down, either starting the post, or describing the type of post you want to write. You can always go back and develop these later.

Think About Your List When You’re Not Writing

So you know you want to write your next blog tomorrow. While your schedule is packed today, it’s ok to be thinking about what you want to commit to paper. This will make the process for tomorrow a bit easier. Writing is not a 9 to 5. Sometimes the best ideas come while we’re doing something else.

Express Your Idea

As you stare at a blank screen, keep a couple thoughts in mind as you struggle to get started. What’s your own internal deadline? When do you absolutely want this post published? Sometimes just knowing this will start the information flowing.

As you write, you are simply laying out your argument. You can tell the reader what you hope to accomplish in the headline, or first few paragraphs, and then lay it out in the paragraphs that follow.

Write Short

A blog is not the place for over the top, flowery language. It’s not the place to show off your stellar vocabulary. Remember, if you send your readers to the dictionary, there’s a decent chance they may not come back. Keep it straight and to the point. Don’t use 10 words to complete a thought if five will do. A blog only needs to be as long as it takes to convey the idea. Seth Godin often conveys his ideas in 100-200 words. They’re always thoughtful and well written.

Think Methodically

There’s no need to put yourself under a lot of pressure to meet this time constraint. As long as you can think methodically and understand what you want to say in your blog, you should be able to work through it in less than a half hour. You don’t need to do a full blown outline, but you can always write down the main points you want to hit before you forget them. This can help keep you on track.

Don’t Over Do It

Remember not to let the quantity suffer for quality. If 3-5 posts in a week is just too much writing, maybe concentrate on publishing one really good post. A blog can often be a reader’s first exposure to your business. You’re not going to hit a home run with every post (Just being honest.), but every post can still live up to the professional standards that you’ve set for your business.

How To Defeat Writer’s Block

We’ve all been there. We have an idea that is great in concept, and we want to do it justice when it’s published. The finished product needs to be every bit as good as the concept seems right now.

That’s a lot of pressure. It’s no wonder that when you sit down to write you’re staring at a blank page. So what do you do?

Set an Internal Deadline

Maybe there’s no editor or client staring over your shoulder asking for the piece. If it’s just for you and the benefit of your marketing materials, it’s time for a gut check. Ask yourself: when do you want to publish it? Be honest. Too early may jeopardize quality. Too late may kick your procrastination into overdrive. Once you set the date stick to it. Keep writing.

Shut Your Internal Editor Off

All writers have an internal editor. We’re constantly motivated by making what we create better. It’s a great thing—at least until it gets in the way of our immediate goals.

When you stifle your own ideas to the point that they don’t even reach paper, you’re crippling your own creativity. Go ahead, put it on paper. If it’s not up to publishable standards, you’ll have a chance to go back and improve the idea, or delete it altogether, after you are done.

Step Away From The Computer

Sometimes our greatest ideas come while we’re doing something else. Sometimes we need to be taking a walk, doing the dishes, showering, or organizing our Tupperware collections in order to let our creativity fester. This can help you regain some clarity. Once you’ve regained your purpose, come back and finish what you’ve started.

Organize Your Thoughts

What are you really trying to say? Have you wandered a little too far away from this main point? Maybe it’s time to take a few seconds and jot down the main points that you’re trying to hit. What’s the best way to make those points?

Start in the Middle

No matter what you’re writing, the opening needs to be catchy. It needs to pull people in, and lay out the goals and purpose for what you’re trying to say. That’s a lot of pressure. Don’t be afraid to start somewhere in the middle, and get it down. After it starts flowing, the rest will come.

Ten Ways To Find Blog Ideas

Writing can be a challenging task—especially for those who aren’t fully used to it.

If you have a blog, you’ve pretty much committed yourself to becoming a writer. It can take writing three to five posts a week to drive traffic up and get the kind of readership that you’ve been looking for. You’ll also need strong content for every post as well. That’s no easy feet.

So what do you do when you’re out of ideas? It’s time to expand your creative borders and keep thinking of new and creative ways to express your ideas. There is always something that you could write about.

Carry a Notebook

            You never know at what point in the day inspiration could strike you. If you are taking a shower, or taking out the trash, the perfect idea for the next blog may pop into your head. It’s best to be prepared for this.

            Make sure to use the notebook. If you’re still feeling stuck, try freewriting. No one has to see this notebook but you. Write until you find your next great idea.

What Questions Do Your Clients or Customers Ask?

Has a client recently asked you a really good question about your business? Or maybe it’s a question that you believe more clients may have. You can answer that question in a blog. Don’t be afraid to refer them to the blog after you are done. It’ll make an excellent resource.

Industry News or Developments

Has something recently changed in your industry that your readers could benefit from knowing about? Maybe there’s a new line of product, or the regulations are changing? Now is your chance to keep your readership up to date.

Consumer Tips

What should consumers in your industry be aware of before making a buying decision? This is your chance to shine as an expert, without pushing your own product. Go ahead and tell them why what you sell matters, and what they can do to go through the purchasing process the right way.

Direct Response

If you recently read an insightful industry blog, don’t be afraid to expound on it. You can link to the other blog, and give your opinions and insights on the issue at hand. This is a great way to interact with others in your industry and capitalize on another stream of traffic. Just make sure you have something insightful to say.

Look Outside Your Industry

It pays to be reading materials from outside your industry to continuously expose yourself to new ideas and stay fresh. This is your chance to connect the dots between two areas that we otherwise wouldn’t see the connection. Let your creativity flow. How did what Mozart do impact the world of running shoes? I don’t know either. You explain it.

Who Do You Talk To?

Do you talk with others in your industry or a related industry? What insight have they offered you? If they’ve tipped you off to something you need to consider in your industry, now is the time to share. If you’re going to write about their ideas, remember to give credit where credit is due.  Interviewing them for a post may also be a good idea.

Lists

Readers crave information in short chunks. What kind of industry-related lists can you create to convey information? These are often some of the highest read posts, as well.

Book or Product Reviews

What industry books have you read lately? Were they an excellent fountain of information or an abysmal disappointment? Maybe you should make the recommendation, or warn others off.

Find a Guest Blogger

Know someone providing a fresh look at things in your industry? Now is the time to expose them to a new audience, and expose your audience to a fresh voice. It’s a win-win.

Content You Can Share

I’ve written on numerous occasions about the ways that marketing has changed over the last several years. The transition from phonebook advertising to Google has made a big difference in the way companies do business.

The way that search engine optimization itself (making your website findable on search engines) is also changing considerably.

It used to be that strong SEO was achieved by placing strategic keywords on your page, and that was it. While keywords are still important, social media has brought the human element back into the equation.

Social media creates the backlinks search engines have factored into their rankings for a long time. This is the mechanical advantage that these platforms create for business.

The virality of content is now also at play. This is especially true since Google got into the game with Google Plus.  Search experts SEO Moz called the virality of the content “possibly the most important /valuable factor in the ranking equation because it will produce the highest link conversion rate (the ratio of those who visit to those who link after viewing).”

What Does This Mean?

Write Content People Will Be Interested In.

It has to be engaging. It has to captivate. Write content that needs to be shared. Yes, having the terms you want people to search for is important. But so is writing a post you want people to read.

If your readers place a premium on your content, so will the search engines. Mark Twain made the remark that he’d write less if he had more time. Headlines and tweets take time. It can be harder to write short, than to write long.

It’s worth taking the time to write strong headlines, and become better at Twitter. When you have limited space to grab people’s attention, you have to make it count.

Once you have them, tell a good story. Don’t put them to sleep.

Write Content They'll Remember

In nearly all cases, the first exposure someone has to your business will be through words. This could be your website, social media, articles, blogging, or video. It could also be a sales rep, (satisfied or unsatisfied) customer, or some other form of exposure.

In most industries, these words sound just about the same. There’s a rush to the same middle ground. It’s easy to feel pigeon-holed into the place that your business belongs. It's that same place that the companies you compete with shoot for. 

It’s more important than ever to use these words to set your business apart. What can a customer expect in doing business with you? Why are you different? Why do you care? There are more mediums to communicate this message than ever. Shoot for your unique selling point, like number four on this blog list.

You can be professional and different at the same time. Woot, Groupon and countless of other businesses have proven this. There’s more room for your company to thrive on the outside.

This is where your customers will notice you.

Why Your About Page Is Important

The  about page is the second most important page on every website (after the home page). To understand why, think about how you surf the web. Say you and your family are looking for a way to spend your next free night.

You come across a website for a science museum in your town. The home page has you hooked, but you instantly want to know a little more, so you visit the about page. The home page clues you into the fact that it’s a science museum, but the about page tells you about all the hands-on experiments they offer. The about page tells you about the scientists who demo experiments three times a day for the kids.

As a website reader, nothing is more frustrating than a vague and uninteresting home page with no about link on the website. Had the museum made this mistake, you’d have clicked away and found another way to spend your free day with your family. Vague and uninteresting content with no about page is a quick road to disaster.

Writing Your About Page

Who is your audience? Are you trying to increase your business with your blog? Then you need to think from your readers’ perspective. It’s up to you to figure out what exactly they are looking for—and execute.

What is the tone of your business? Are you looking to keep a professional tone and appearance? If you are targeting high-end business professionals with your copy, you probably need copy that reflects that. If you are looking to set yourself apart from your competition by putting your quirkiness and creativity on display, well then your copy should reflect that as well.

A creative page that makes some people laugh may turn some business away, but chances are it may not be the clients you are looking for anyway. Once you pick a path, go with it. There are no right answers. It’s a personal, individual decision each business will need to make.

I’ve written copy in both directions for businesses. The important thing is that the tone of your copy reflect the nature of your company.

Capture the Detail

Your about page gives the true detail, and tells your reader why they want to do business with you. When I write as a journalist, there’s something called the 5 w’s—who, what, when, where, and why. These are all elements that need to be answered in a good story.

They are also crucial material to cover in your about page. Who are you? What is it that you offer? When did you start in your profession? Where are you based? Do you serve customers locally, regionally, nationally or internationally?

Just as with journalism, the why is possibly the most important piece. Why do you do what you do? Why should your readers choose you? What sets you apart from the competition?

These are the elements of a strong about page. They’re crucial questions to answer if you’re looking for your customers to come back.

Answer these questions in an engaging way, and you’ll be far ahead of the

competition. 

Do You Have a Business Blog?

What’s stopping you from starting a business blog? A blog puts your business in front of potential customers on a regular basis. They increase your scope and your influence within your industry. They increase your bottom line. 

I talk with business owners all the time dragging their feet for one reason or another. Blogs either take too much time, or business owners feel that social media and online marketing will be a fad. It's too damaging to sit on the sidelines right now. That type of thinking will slow your business profits down.

Chances are your competitors are blogging. It opens you to a large pool of potential customers you otherwise would not be talking with. Now is the right time to get started.

What to blog about for your business?

Take a scratch piece of paper and write down the articles that you’ve read about your industry in the last few weeks. What opinions did you have? Why is now the right time for people to buy what you sell? What tips can you offer people shopping for your services? What industry news should people be paying attention to?

The answer to any of these questions will make good posts. It’s time to keep a running list of ideas and get started blogging. It’s important to stick with it and write on a regular basis.

 You’ll notice the benefits to your business.

Write About Your Company

It used to be that marketing meant grabbing a megaphone and garnering the attention of as many people as possible. It used to mean buying newspaper ads, and placing your business in a prominent spot in the phone book. Clever TV ads meant to reach a wide audience were a necessity. Not anymore.

As a small business owner, you need to be a jack of all trades. You need to be a master of accounting, as well as a master of the arts. You can add one more talent to the list of things that a small business owner must be. Like it or not, you will need to be a proficient writer, or hire one. Social media, websites, and blogging all mean content.

If you are the DIY type, you will need to write about your company—a lot. That’s going to mean a few things for you. For one, you’re going to have to start thinking about the big picture for your business, and how you want to communicate your message.

What’s your business’s story? How can you tell it in an engaging and entertaining way? How can you distinguish your business from your competition? In order to answer these questions you’ll need to be familiar with your competition and what they offer. You’ll need to be consistently reading industry related magazines, books, and blogs to keep a good log of what is going on.

One thing writers always say is to read good writing. I’ll take it an additional step. Read writing that will push your boundaries. Don’t just read business books. Read books about creativity. Read some fiction and non-fiction. Read some books you might disagree with. The important thing is to just read.

From there, it’s time to put your own stamp on the material. Keep a notebook of ideas. Don’t be afraid to tweak your website content. Blog about your business as much as you physically can. And engage with your friends and followers via your social media channels.

When you do these things right, they’re not just good internet marketing, they’re good marketing. So open up your word processing software, brush up on your grammar and dive in. Do things right, and it can pay off to write about your company.

Know Your Audience

When you blog or write website content, it’s important to know your audience. You need an understanding of their knowledge base, and talk to them where they are at, and not in a way that will send them rushing out for the dictionary, because they won’t come back. Your customers may not have the industry vocabulary that you have.

This is one lesson I’ve learned as a journalist. Sometimes you have to translate the technical for your readers. You don’t want them to consult another resource, because you’ll lose them.

Business owners who are blogging could learn a lot from this. You simply want to be friendly to your reader.

A basic, conversational language will go a long way. This means not using five words when one will suffice. You don’t want to tell your readers that there are approximately five of something, when you could say there are about five. For example, “apparently” is shorter than “It would appear…” etc.

You’re not writing an inner-departmental memo between scientists or doctors. You’re writing to someone who has a lot of other choices for what they could be doing on the internet, and doesn’t have the same industry vocabulary that you do.

Product Features Vs. Value Statements

When I worked in retail, I had the difference between a product feature and value statement drilled into me. One is an excellent component for dinner table geek talk. The other can help sell a customer on the benefit of your product.

This is an important distinction to make as you write about what it is that you sell. Cars are an easy example. What you have to consider is what the feature means for your customer.

If you tell your customer that a car gets 35 miles to the gallon, they may not completely understand what that means. If you tell them that they can drive nearly 500 miles between fill-ups, well now you’re speaking their language.

While a V6 engine excites gear heads, you can achieve that same level of excitement in any driver by telling them about the increased pickup, and the ability to enter traffic when it was otherwise not advisable.

It's not a matter of the brand new feature that your product or service includes. How does what you sell improve your customers’ lives? That’s the question.

Try Being Useful

             Scrolling through your email box can take a lot of patience. The important message that you’re looking for may be nestled directly between a monetary offer from a Nigerian Prince, and a surefire way to improve a piece of anatomy that you may or may not possess.

            With your Facebook feed it can be even more frustrating. If your feed isn’t dominated with what your friends ate for dinner, it’s asking you to support their latest venture—meaning they need something.

            Everyone knows how frustrating sifting through this information can be. So don’t be that person. It’s better to actually be useful.

Conversational Content Sells

            Why don’t you try something else instead? Write with a conversational tone. It will get you farther with people online. How do you do this?

            First of all, your content does not have to be one giant call to action. You don’t need giant “buy now” buttons decorating the page. You can simply write engaging content, and invite people to respond.

As a business owner, you possess a wealth of knowledge about your industry. Why not tell people who are potentially interested in your product or service something that they need to know?

            You can do this casually. You can do this conversationally. You can do this in a way that won’t send them to the top of the screen to close out the window.

            Next, you don’t need to impress them with your tremendous vocabulary. If they need a dictionary or Google to define a word that you’re using, they’ll leave your website and likely never come back.

            Keep it simple and keep it friendly. Write how you talk. It doesn’t need to be any more formal than that.

How To Give Your Customers What They Want

The coffee is ready. The inbox is bursting with unanswered emails. There’s two phone calls to return, and the kids need someone to drive them to baseball practice.  Only then, can you begin with today’s official order of business.

It’s no secret that small business owners are defensive of their time. So when marketers are telling them that they need to be utilizing social media and blogging in order to increase their business revenues, their posture is a little understandable.

Your Customers Crave Conversation

            No one wants to be spammed. That’s the bottom line. If all you do is try and sell to them, they will see right through that and walk away.  Instead, they’re looking for a likeable resource.

            If you can continuously prove your worth and your value while being likeable and friendly, in the long run, you’ll win. How do you do this? Provide them with helpful content through your blogging platform and social media. In the long run, they'll thank you for it. 

Find The Time To Blog About Your Business

            It’s possible to come up with a good blog post in about 30 minutes. Sharing an article that you find interesting, or interacting with another’s post only takes a matter of seconds.

            These are the things that will accumulate more business. It may not happen right away, but somewhere down the road, new jobs will start to add up as you meet more people online. Just keep at it.

            I’ve recently picked up a few jobs from LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s about knowing how to use these tools in a social way, and taking full advantage of what’s in front of you.

           

Know What You Want To Do Then Do It

            Remember all those projections you made about your business? It’s the small and daily tasks (like blogging and social media) that add up to your monthly totals. You don’t get there simply by thinking big. You have to produce quality marketing content. Period. 

            It may take waking up a half hour early. There are programs out there that will block your social media and email notifications for a given time, so that you are better able to use that window productively. Shut the office door. Use headphones. But come out with something concrete. You’ll be happier for your efforts. 

How a Copywriter Makes Money For Your Business

So you decided to invest in a website. You had a professional designer build the whole thing and it looks absolutely gorgeous. It’s an exciting time for your marketing and your business.

If the designer built things right, your site should also be highly functional. There should be a well thought out architecture and page structure to your site, making it easy for people to use.

At this point you’re halfway home. Don’t stop here!

You’ve attracted attention to your website. From this point it is up to your copy to sell your product. It does not matter how pretty the design is, if you use the wrong “your/you’re” in a prominent home page headline, people will take note.

You only have a few seconds to grab a customer’s attention. If you do it with a grammar or spelling mistake, they will click away. A good copywriter understands this. A good copywriter has spent time mastering the craft, and will have a portfolio of samples to back it up. 

An engaging, attention-grabbing headline written with action words and mistake-free is your best bet to bring people in. In fact, it’s the only way to turn eyeballs into paying customers. This will turn an average website into a good one, and make a good website great.

Copywriting For People

At any one time, there are thousands of forces vying for people’s attention. Your website viewers are no different. If they don’t find precisely what they are looking for, they’ll move on. With new technology, everybody is fickle.

A good copywriter understands this. A good copywriter looks at your brand, your website, and sees the opportunity to tell a story. It’s through that story, and the engaging copy, that people will interact.  

There is a lot of discussion on the web about SEO copywriting and writing for people. Both are extremely necessary, but it is people who will buy your product. So ask yourself a simple question: If you were surfing the web, would you invest the time to read your own website? Be honest. If the answer is no, it might be time to rethink your website copy.

A good copywriter will know how to tell your story, and also how to get the word out across the web.

Copywriting For The Search Engines (SEO Copywriting)

You’ve got the good story. It used to be that you buy a newspaper or yellow pages ad, and wait for the foot traffic. That’s not how people are finding their information anymore. There’s a reason Google has become a verb.

A good copywriter knows to hone in on the story first. After all it’s people that will buy your product. But if you ignore the search engines, traffic will be difficult to come by. That's where SEO copywriting comes into play.

You have to think of the words and phrases that you want people to find your business by, and find ways to incorporate them into the headlines and the copy on your page. These words and phrases should be backed up by keyword research.

The search engines are continuously changing their ranking algorithms, and what they are seeking in an informative website. Some of these changes have to do with design, but many have to do with copy as well. It’s vital to have a basic understanding of search engine optimization if you want your website and copy to travel well online.

Forget buying a print ad. When people want information on a business, the search engines are where they find it.

Final Copywriting Thoughts…

Writing for people and the search engines at the same time is the perfect storm for bringing in more business. This equates to more sales, or an increased client base for your business. Here’s the bottom line:

Quality copywriting geared toward today’s marketing world = more money in any business owner’s pocket.

I wrote this blog around the website example because a website should be your marketing hub. It’s the place on the web that is totally yours. There are no space limitations, and you can fit everything you want about your business right there, within its confines.

The same principles apply to any form of marketing writing, however. Tell a good story. If we are talking about online writing such as blogs, articles or social media posts, gearing them for the search engines still applies. Brochures should still be peppered with engaging content designed to attract attention.

There are many talented business owner-writers out there. If that is not you, or you are looking for the extra SEO push, do not hesitate to hire a quality copywriter to help your business make money.

How To Create Content That Brings In Business

Your company is unique. There is something about you and your work that makes it different from what your competition is offering. The sooner you understand that, and are able to convey it in your marketing efforts, the better off your business will be.

Content marketing efforts are increasing all over the web. More companies are catching on and blogging, producing videos, and writing white papers every day. So how do you make yours stand out among the heaps of content thrown up on the Internet daily?

The best answer is to add value. Make sure that people are learning something from the content that you produce. Tell your clients why what you do is important. Why is your industry so vital? Breaking down the industry speak into something everyone can understand is a valued skill, and will resonate with your audience.

Of course, you’ll need to write interesting content. Think about how fast Twitter streams move. Your blog headline needs to catch someone in that split second interval. Otherwise no matter how valuable your content, it’ll be passed up.

Your blog writing and videos need spark. They need that burst of personality to carry people through from start to finish. Whether you write 200 words or 2,000, you’ll need to give people a reason to get to the end.

That means strong, punchy writing. Read what others in your industry are doing. That will provide a wealth of ideas. Make sure to keep reading outside your industry as well. This keeps you fresh, and thinking outside the box.

Don’t be afraid to join a writer’s group, take a class or hire a freelance writer if that’s what it takes. Your content is a great way to expose new people to your business. It needs to solve people’s problems in a fun and engaging way in order to succeed.

Five Tips To Improve Small Business Marketing Copy

In today’s marketing world, writing is an intricate part of communicating your message. If you have decided to take that aspect of your business on yourself, you should be setting aside the time, and learning the best ways to communicate through the written word. Whether it is website content, blogs, articles, white papers, or social media posts, these five tips can aid your small business marketing copy.

1    Know What You Want To Achieve—Before you pick up the pen and paper, or sit in front of the computer, you should know what you want to achieve. Are you trying to write something educational, or is the goal of the piece to sell product? What’s the desired end result? Knowing this before you begin can help keep you focused.

2    Know Your Audience—It’s always good to know who you are writing for. Writing for doctors will be vastly different than writing for healthcare consumers. If you know where your audience is at on the issue, you’ll be able to relate a whole lot better.

3    Check Your Spelling and Grammar—It only takes a few minutes to learn the difference between they’re/their/there. Use it wrong in your copy and potential customers may leave forever. A tiny brush up on your English will make a large difference in your copy.

4    Find Your Unique Selling Proposition—Your competition does what you do, so what makes you different? What will someone gain from doing business with you instead of them? Your closest competition will be right there with you in the Google search results. It’s up to you to keep your viewers engaged.

5   Write Like You Sell—If you are in business for yourself, chances are you are passionate about what you sell. You probably have your sales pitch down. Now it’s time to transfer that passion into your copy. If you can transfer that same passion and enthusiasm into your marketing materials, it will serve your business well.   

How To Think Like A Writer

So you’ve set up your blog. Maybe it’s a business blog, maybe it’s personal. You want people to read. You’ve declared to the world that you’re a writer. Now what? You have to think like one.

You don’t want to disappoint. If you are looking for a following in today’s market, you better write. Do you have enough ideas to fill blog posts at least once a week, probably more? You’ll want to start finding blog ideas in every aspect of life that you can imagine.

Writers find ideas in all walks of their life. Why not carry a small notebook with you? When inspiration strikes, take it out of your pocket. Put this thought, quote, or idea on paper so it’s there when you need it.

You can also find all sorts of inspiration online. You are reading what your competitors are doing, right? It’s best not to blatantly rip them off, but you can find something inspirational. Industry blogs, websites, magazines, newspapers and books are all great factories of ideas.

Find the power button. Live a good portion of your life offline. Pay attention to the people in your life, and if they give you inspiration or ideas, write it down. You never know when you might need it.

Austin Kleon suggests that working on a computer puts a piece of glass between you and everything that you create. Computers are ideal for publishing. Sometimes a paper and pencil is all you need to create. Don’t be afraid to go analog for a while.

Creative people sometimes get a reputation for being lazy, and that’s not the case. Always showing up late and taking smoke breaks every five minutes doesn’t make you better at what you do.

Don’t be afraid to step away from your work every once in awhile, however. Take five minutes before you publish your blog. Step outside, unload the dishwasher, whatever it takes. Make sure your ideas are sound. Make sure you didn’t misspell anything. Sometimes those short breaks bring the clarity you need.

Happy writing.