Content Writing With No Need to Doubt

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buyers' doubts in blogs

During the winter months, look to the frozen food aisle. Says the Daily Meal. And for those doubtful concerning the loss of nutritional value through freezing, no worries. A research team at the University of California, Davis tested blueberries, broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, peas, spinach, and strawberries, finding that “good frozen produce is essentially a head-to-head toss-up with good fresh produce.”

Anxiety and doubt about any decision is an autonomic nervous system response hard-wired into every human being, the Real Estate Realist reminds us, part of our instinctive reaction to sensing danger or threat in the wild. Salespeople must recognize that, in the final moment of indecision, their customers are likely to experience what’s known as “buyers’ doubt”, and you need to eliminate, or at least minimize the risk factor, advises Shaqir Hussyin of Wealth Academy. Two of the silent questions floating around the prospect’s mind, explains saleforcetraining.com, “Can you prove it?” and “Who else says so?”.

“When you’re writing to attract customers, what you’re really doing is persuading them to choose you over someone else. People tend to take action when they’re presented with facts, not assertions,” Amy Pennza of the Content Factory asserts. At Say It For You, we absolutely agree. Searchers arrive at your blog already interested in your subject, but to move them to the next step, you need to prove your case by offering:

  •  statistics about the problem your product or service helps solve
  • “reverse proof”, comparing what you are proposing with alternatives on the market
  • “credential proof “, sharing your experience, degrees, and articles you’ve written

The Daily Meal article about frozen veggies was using a fourth type of proof, “evidential proof”, by citing the research done at the University of California. Just last month, in Who-Else-is-Doing-It Blogging for Business, I suggested yet another way to remove doubt and move readers to take action is using “who-else-is-doing-it” proof. According to the theory of social proof, as humans we are more willing to do something if we see other people doing it.

Answering those “silent questions” can prove to be one of blog content writing’s biggest strengths. Yes, we can prove it, and yes, there is somebody else who says so!

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Content Meant for Mature Palates

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blog content for mature palates

 

Decades ago, USA Today columnist Tammy Algood remembers, olives were always placed on the relish tray that only adults enjoyed, and no self-respecting kid ventured anywhere near the dish. Now, however, olives are a regular part of meals during the week. Algood goes on to explain that the olive is technically a fruit and, because it is remarkably bitter when it comes straight from the tree, it must be “cured”.

(WordPress.com defines “mature content” as content containing text, images and videos  contaiing nudity, offensive language and mature subject material, and marks that material Mature in its system.) Algood’s use of the term “mature” had no such connotation; her discussion of olives implied that they might appeal to the more sophisticated palates of people who have progressed beyond the basics of culinary information.

The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn describes ways to help content appeal to readers with more “mature palates”:

  • Choose a topic that is at the intersection of your knowledge and your customers’ needs.
  • Be thorough and definitive, covering all the angles and corollary topics as well.
  • Use outside experts to add credibility.

“Niche is a poor substitute for a defined audience,” writes Pratick Dholakiya in BigCommerce.com. If you’re a landscaper, he says, your target audience isn’t a bunch of landscapers, he says, but people from all walks of life: engineers, managers, marketers, and homemakers. You don’t teach people about landscaping he says, but talk about whatever it is they care about. Once you’ve defined your audience, you’re free to mix and match ideas from a wide variety of subjects and apply them to the problems your target audience cares about, Dholakiya says, helping readers see something in a new way.

To be perceived as not only a provider, but an influencer, I teach at Say It For You, you need to formulate – and clearly state – your opinions. Sophisticated consumers may already know a lot about the subject that drew them to your website, which means that content meant for those “mature palates” must offer direction, even when that direction goes against conventional thinking.

Even true olive lovers will find the fruit remarkably bitter and in need of ‘curing” in the form of guidance. Content meant for mature palates goes beyond the relish tray!

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Most People Want a Story in Their Blog

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power of story

 

“Most people want a diamond ring for their 50th anniversary. I chose a titanium knee,” begins a Community Health Network advertorial, sharing the story of patient “Pat G.”, whose sole purpose in undergoing a total knee replacement was to dance with her husband at their 50th anniversary party. “At age 75” the story continues, “her next goal is to outlive the 20 years warranty on that new titanium knee.”

“The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller,” says Matthew Luhn, author of The Best Story Wins. But, if the story is not about the hearer, he will not listen, as John Steinbeck famously said. As a blog content writer, I realize that not everyone who sees that Community Health Network piece will be “shopping” for a new knee, but the story about Pat G. makes readers think about what might help them fulfill their own dream for a healthy, active retirement.

Story is passion, Luhn teaches. “The emotional juice in a story all comes back to the fears and/or deeply rooted passions that drive a character. Using the anecdote, rather than just touting the advantages of Community Health Network, is what gives the advertorial its impact. “People read, watch, and tell stories not because they are enthralled with the story structure, but because they are invested in what will happen to the characters in the story.”

In blogging for business, what’s going to have the greater likelihood of converting searchers to buyers: writing about the product or service, or writing about the business owners and service providers? I recommend including anecdotes about customers, employees, or friends who accomplished things against all odds. That shifts the focus to the people side of your business, highlighting the relationship aspects of your practice, plant, or shop.

Be sure your content includes not only HOW your product or service benefits users, but WHY. Tell the story behind the place, the products, and the people. Most people want a story with their blog!

 

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What If You Saw Only Half the Blog?

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Ticket revenue covers just half of what it costs to produce world-class professional theatre at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, theatergoers learn while scanning the program booklet. So???

As John Pullinger puts it in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, “statistics provides a special kind of understanding that enables well-informed decisions. As citizens and consumers we are faced with an array of choices. Statistics can help us to choose well.” But the first choice that people make when presented with a statistic, is whether to take any action at all. From a blog marketing point of view, that IRT statistic in and of itself was a nonstarter. In other words, as a theatre patron, I didn’t feel moved to do anything relating to the funding shortfall. On the other hand, that question – “What if you saw only half the play?” Now, that had “punch” enough to make me reach into my pocket.

“Research shows that people are persuaded to take action or change their minds when you speak to both their heads and their hearts”, says Dr. Stephanie Evergreen, author of Presenting Data Effectively: Communicating Your Finds for Maximum Impact. Numbers give us quantifiable information, but when it comes to communicating how things will actually impact our real lives, some form of humanizing or grounding the data is often effective, Barnard Marr explains in Forbes.

Citing statistics is, without doubt, one tactic blog content writers can use to capture readers’ attention.  But my experience at Say It For You has shown me that statistics, even the startling sort, aren’t enough to create positive results for any marketing blog. What statistics can do is assure readers they are not alone in their need for solutions, plus assure them they’ve come to the right place for help. Still, the “so what? Will need to be addressed.X

It’s simply not good enough to just throw out a statistic demonstrating a need. In corporate blog writing, it needs to be about them, the readers. That means the “because” needs to be presented in terms of advantage to the reader for following any call to action. What if you only saw half the play?

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Stretching a Business Blog Just So Far

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Lasting just over an hour, Dumbo is Disney’s shortest feature-length movie, Stacy Conradt writes in Mental Floss magazine. When Walt Disney was advised to extend the storyline, here’s what he said: “You can stretch a story just so far and after that it won’t hold together.” Interesting – the newest Dumbo movie, just released this yet, is an hour and 52 minutes long, and the story “stretches” beyond the original tale…

In blogging for business, just how far can you “stretch the story” and still have the content “hold together”? The Nielsen Norman Group examines that precise question in “Long vs. Short Articles as Content Strategy”. Jakob Nielsen explores the question in terms of cost/benefit ratios. Cost relates to the amount of time it takes to read an article, while benefits represent the value users stand to get from the online information.

One conclusion is clear, the author says: people prefer to read short articles – people tend to be ruthless in abandoning long-winded sites; they mainly want to skim highlights. But, when the assumptions change, Nielson explains, that changes the metrics. Readers who want to know everything about a problem will find value in longer, more detailed articles. Still, most of the time, short articles contain more value per word. Want many readers? Focus on short, scannable content. Want readers who really need targeted solutions to complicated problems? Focus on comprehensive coverage. The very best content strategy, Nielson concludes, is one that mirrors users’ mixed diet.

Whether it’s a Dumbo film of business blog content writing, it’s all about the value you bring to your target audience. “This is why it’s so important,” Nielson stresses, “to optimize your content strategy for your users’ needs.

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