What’s in a Number? In Content Marketing — a Lot!

/0 Comments/in , , /by

“What’s in a number?”  In the journey towards 100,000 CFP® professionals that began more than fifty years ago, Lynn McNutt explains, numbers not only reflect the trust and confidence that advisors, firms, and consumers place in the certification, they “quantify the momentum that drives the profession forward”.

“In the realm of marketing, numbers do more than just quantify,” Sowmya S of the ISBR Business School agrees in a LinkedIn article. Odd numbers, she adds, create a sense of curiosity and interest among consumers, while even numbers are associated with balance, stability, and predictability. “Numbers are ‘brain candy'”, Mike Hamers writes, because they automatically organize information into logical order; according to Mark Walker-Ford, using numbers strategically adds clarity and credibility to messaging.

Statistics, I explain to business owners and professional practitioners, can serve as attention-grabbers. In fact, using data in content marketing relates to the theory of social proof, meaning that, as humans, we are simply more willing to do something if we see that other people are doing it.  On the other hand, at Say It For You, we caution content creators to avoid becoming “numbers nudniks”, tossing numbers around for mere effect. Sure, readers may be temporarily attracted to raw data, but they need your guidance in understand what those numbers mean – for them!

In training content writers, I emphasize the value of using numbers (assuming, of course, that statistics are presented fairly and honestly). For one thing, using numbers in titles is a great way to set reader expectations of what kind of information they are going to find. But, where the words come in, I believe, is they put statistics into perspective, helping answer readers’ “So what?” and “So, what’s in-it-for-me” questions.

As is more than evident from social media and referral sites, people are unfailingly interested in who-else-is-doing-whatever-it-is-your-company-is-recommending-I-do. Online readers, in particular, look at what others are doing when making an online purchase of a product or service. Just as Lynn McNutt explained to financial planners, numbers can reflect the trust and confidence that others have placed in what you have and in who you are.

What’s in a number? In content marketing –a lot!

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Is Three Perfection in Content Marketing?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Aristotle taught it. Hemingway used it. Matthew McConaughey still does.  In “The Oldest Rule of Compelling Writing”, Linda Caroll is referring to “Omni trium perfectum”, meaning Three is Perfection.  With the human brain a pattern-seeking machine, the smallest number it identifies is three, Caroll explains.  As an example, in McConaughey’s Oscar acceptance speech, he said that, in life, we all need three things: someone to look up to, something to look forward to, and something to chase.

 

The laminated student guide “Writing Tips & Tricks” by quickstudy.com advises: “Ask yourself what you want the reader to know about your topic….Think of three details or three examples for each idea.”  Quick Study is referring to student essays, typically much longer, much more formal, and more detailed than blog posts. In fact, their sample outline format contains three main ideas, each with three details and examples.

In content writing for business, by contrast, I recommend a razor-sharp focus on just one story, one idea, one aspect of a business, a practice, or an organization.  Other aspects can be addressed in later posts. Focused on one thing, I tell business owners and practitioners, your post will have much greater impact, since people are bombarded with many messages each day. Respecting readers’ time produces better results for your business.

That doesn’t mean blog content writing shouldn’t make use of the “the three-legged stool” idea, with three examples or details supporting the main idea of each post, and using the three elements of:

  • Visual (images and charts)
  • Word content
  • Delivery (expression of the opinion clarifying the difference between the business owner and his/her competitor )

Three may be perfection, but all three of those must support one main concept in each content piece.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

In Content Marketing, Aim for Signal, Not Noise

/0 Comments/in , , /by

With 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created every day, the true test of leadership isn’t managing it all – it’s mining what matters, Jess Carter writes in the Indianapolis Business Journal.  The “noise” tends to derive, she explains, from three sources:

  • Internal (bottlenecks within your company or practice)
  • External (industry hype, competitor activities)
  • Data noise (metrics and un-validated insights)

True leaders do not chase each new trend, instead filtering the noise in search of signals, which tell those leaders either to remain on track to realize their own goals or that a “course correction” might be needed.

This IBJ article reminds me of the importance of including, in content marketing, owners’ opinions along with news and information. Whether it’s business-to-business or business-to-consumer content creation, the content needs to clarify what differentiates that business, that professional practice, or that organization from its peers. When online readers find have found their way to a post, article, or blog, one question they need answered is “Who lives here?” Providing information about products and services is important, but in terms of conveying meaning and offering perspective – that takes sharing opinion. 

At Say It For you, we know that, when we’re telling the story of a business or a practice to consumers, we choose, in each case, to “frame” that story a certain way. Chris Anderson, head of TED Talks, reminds speakers to do a jargon check based on audience research, eliminating technical terms and acronyms that will be unfamiliar to listeners. Beyond that, though, it is the “worldview” of the entrepreneurs themselves that must be “framed” in the content.

Carter refers to the “noise” that is created in any field, with a constant barrage of data and un-validated insights in the form of “news”. When it comes to content marketing, we’ve found at Say It For you, the word “news” can mean several different things:

  1. Your own news: You’re introducing a new employee or partner, a new product line or service. That news needs to be presented in such a way that readers will consider it relevant to their needs.
  2. Community news: You’re giving an update on “what’s-going-on-and-how-do-we-fit-in”.
  3. Industry or professional news that can affect your audience.

While content marketing provides the framework for sharing news, it’s the business owner’s or the professional practitioner’s opinion and perspective that helps readers “hear” the signals and ignore the “noise”.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Getting-to-Know-Me Marketing

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

 

In One Great Speech, veteran speakers’ agent James Marshall Reilly tells compelling stories about dozens of successful speakers, teaching how to hone a message so that other people will pay to hear it… As I noted in this blog earlier this week, as content marketers, that’s precisely what we’re aiming to do – position our clients so that “other people”, namely their target audience, will want what it is they have to offer…

Personal branding is incredibly important, Reilly asserts. Take any of these rising companies (he cites TOMS Shoes and Zappos as examples). and “there are strong leaders in front of the brand”, he says. We feel like we know the CEO personally. “When we like the company or brand’s leader, their businesses do well.”

At Say It For You, we know that getting personal is a huge element in the success of any content marketing effort.  As Practical eCommerce’s Paul Chaney says about blogging, “Blogging consists of one person – or one company – communicating directly with consumers in an unfettered, unfiltered manner.” In practical terms, what that means is that content writers must focus on personal anecdotes and on the personal values of the business owners and practitioners offering products and professional services.

Marketing content may be about business, but it had better be about people as well, and that includes both online searchers and online blog content writers, both buyers and sellers. In fact, “Getting down and human” in business blogs is so important that it becomes a good idea for a business owner and professional to actually write about past mistakes and struggles.

At the same time, as cantata.com/mavinlink cautions, it’s important not to fall into the “TMI” trap, boring or shocking readers with overly personal, trite information. Using first and second person pronouns helps keep the blog conversational rather than either academic-sounding or sales-ey, we teach content writers. In fact, as I often emphasize, whether, as a business or practice owner you propose to do the content writing yourself or collaborate with a professional content writer, the very process of deciding what to include and how is one of self-discovery.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Avoiding the Uncommon is a Common Marketing Mistake

/0 Comments/in , , /by

To be considered for representation by an agency, aspiring speakers have to explain who they are, what they want to speak about, and why they’re qualified to do so, James Marshall Reilly explains in the book One Great Speech . While speaking agents don’t want to listen to your whole life story, Reilly notes, they are looking for something that separates you from the pack. Therefore, he advises, when looking for your magic bullet, consider pieces of information that you aren’t sharing with the agency and should be. Prior to becoming a biologist, were you a touring musician? An Eagle Scout? It’s not that you’re going to lecture about these topics, Reilly says.  It’s just that they help define you in a unique way plus make you relatable.

“Relatable” is the key word here.  As content marketers, we are interpreters, translating clients’ corporate message into human, people-to-people terms. People tend to buy when they see themselves in the picture and when they can relate emotionally to the person bringing them the message. That’s the reason I prefer using first and second person pronouns in blog posts and articles (over third person “reporting”). Marketing content that comes across as intimate, unique, even quirky, makes readers feel they’re connecting with real people. When content is filled with the company’s special brand of energy and passion, it is most likely to engage.

“Getting down and human” is so important, it becomes a good idea for a business or practice owner to actually reveal  past mistakes and struggles. Such revelations are very humanizing adding to the trust readers place in the people behind the business.  Why? What tends to happen is that stories of failure create feelings of empathy and admiration for the entrepreneurs or professional practitioners who overcame the effects of their own errors.

Like powerful speaker resumes, the key to powerful marketing content is to present experiences as accomplishments, revealing your personality, not only what jobs you’ve held. Assuming it’s not overdone, you’ll be rewarded for having a unique and authentic voice, particularly if personal stories are used as a means to an end – with the “end” being solving readers’ problems and filling their needs.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail