Don’t Just Blog There – Engage!

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

 

Kudos for the most-watched Netflix series used to be based on how many households had watched a particular movie or show, Mental Floss magazine explains. But watched is a loose term. Anyone who who clicked “play” on a title would be counted, even if they made it only 10 seconds into the material, the authors explain.

When Netflix’s switched its popularity model (where only subscribers who’d watched a show for at least two minutes (and only then within the first 28 days of the show’s release) were counted, there were dramatic shifts in the popularity rankings, Mental Floss authors explain…

When it comes to blog marketing, getting found is most certainly a primary goal, but even after searchers have “found” your blog site and clicked “play”, the job of engaging those readers has just begun.

Steve Mehler of Techsling names things blog readers “really want from you”, including:

  • timely topics
  • a simple read
  • information
  • problem solutions
  • entertainment
  • visuals
  • emotional connections

“The definition of engagement has changed slightly over the years.” Jim Henshaw of Raventools explains. While early measurements focused on Bounce Rate and Pages per Session, that’s not enough (users may keep clicking on different links because they can’t find the content that interests them!) Truly engaged readers continue reading through to the bottom of the article.

Online publishers have spent the last few years trying to attract as many visitors to their website and apps as possible, but were later forced to rethink their online strategy and to put greater focus on maximizing loyalty and engagement, Jorrith Schaap observed in Crowdynews. Enhancing audience engagement is important, Schaap explains, because engaged users:

  • are more likely to trust the publisher’s brand
  • return more often to the website
  • visit more pages during a session
  • are more inclined to sign up a newsletter or RSS blog feed
  • are more likely to become customers and clientsAbove all, do not annoy your readers, Nick Stamoutis of BrickMarketing warns, with:
  • Slow loading
  • Cluttered design
  • Confusing navigation systemSo, don’t just blog there – engage!
Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Blogs are Flip-Flop Interviews

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

In the book Stop Hiring Losers, Minesh and Baxi devote an entire chapter to a list of interview questions employers should pose to job candidates. “Why are you leaving your current job?”, for example, is designed to identify past problems a candidate might carry over into a new job. On the positive side, that question can reveal the fact that the candidate sees the new position as an important forward career step.

When you think about it, blog posts are interviews, too. But, in the case of blogs, things are “flip-flopped”, because it’s the blog reader (the “candidate”) interviewing the business, rather than the other way around. At Say It For You, we teach content writers that searchers have some sort of need and are recruiting help!  Just as in a face-to-face interviews, those searchers read what you put out there in your blog posts and evaluate that content in light of their own needs.  Their scanning your blog is the equivalent of them interviewing your business to see if you’re a good fit for them.

Many of the questions Minesh and Baxi recommend that employers pose to job candidates are those blog readers are mentally posing to you when they are reading your content:

  • Why should we employ you rather than one of the other candidates?

Your unique selling proposition (USP) is a succinct, memorable message that identifies the unique benefits that are derived from using your product or service as opposed to a competitor’s. Your blog offers you the chance to constantly refine and improve your USP.

  • What would your co-workers say about you?

Testimonials and client anecdotes in your blog are ways of answering this question.

  • What contributed to the best working conditions you ever experienced?

Your blog posts should include stories about how you successful solved clients problems in the past, expressing the satisfaction you gained from helping customers overcome obstacles. Offer advice about how users can gain the greatest benefits from your product or service.

  • What is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made in your career?

I teach freelance blog writers to include stories of their clients’ past mistakes and failures. Such stories have a humanizing effect, engaging readers and creating feelings of empathy and admiration for the business owners or professional practitioners who overcame not only adversity, but the effects of their own mistakes!

  • What are you most proud of on your resume?

Although at Say It For You, I remind owners and practitioners that blogging is not boasting, it’s good to offer “credentializing proof”, alluding in blog posts to your years of experience, weaving into the text mention of your degrees, quoting articles you’ve written – and even citing awards you’ve won. In addition, people tend to be comfortable associating with professionals and business owners who give back to their community.

When you think about it, blogs are nothing more than flip-flop interviews!

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Great Beginnings for Business Blogs

/0 Comments/in , , /by

 

 

 

“Set the hook with great beginnings,” Sharon Short teaches in Writer’s Digest. Standard pieces of advice include:

  • Immediately grab attention
  • Don’t start with description – especially weather!
  • Don’t jump right into dialogue or action

Take some pressure off yourself, Short advises writers – openings will emerge when the theme of the project becomes clearer, she says, noting that there are 5 characteristics of a great story beginning:

  1. Immediacy (readers need an immediate reason to care)
  2. Tone (light-hearted, wry. Comedic, serious, informational)
  3. Suspense (teasing readers’ curiosity)
  4. Specificity (provide context right away)
  5. Fair play (consistency of style as the piece progresses).

It is the five specific techniques that Sharon Short describes that I believe are especially applicable to business blog content writing:

1. Dialogue – We all love to eavesdrop just a little.
Any good narrative should contain some dialogue and sensory details. In blog case studies, incidents from the news, folklore, including actual quotes and dialogue makes the material more real for the reader.

2. Superlatives – Describe an event or item as the least, biggest, most, smallest, first or last.
Superlatives in headlines “sell”. “The most successful people”, “The happiest people”, “The most interesting people” – these are people we want to know more about. Readers enjoy discovering, learning, and challenging the details behind blanket assertions.

3. Thematic statement – State the premise or thesis of the entire book – what you are about to prove.
Putting a summary or conclusion at the beginning of a piece of writing certainly sounds like a strange thing to do, but the pow-opening-line idea I teach in corporate blogging training session focuses on that very sort of “descending” writing structure.

4. Voice – Hook readers’ empathy with a compelling voice, making each reader feel as if you’re in a conversation with her alone.
In your business blog, while viewers are reading, not hearing, the “voice”, it’s important to have “voice variety”. That can come from writing some of the content in I-you format, with other posts written in third person. If a company person or a customer is being interviewed, the can be written in the “voice” of the interviewee or that of the interviewer.

5. Surprise – Shock the reader, even in a small way.
Beginning with a startling statistic is certainly one tactic blog writers can use to bring a point to the forefront of readers’ minds, then illustrating that point with specific examples.

Set the hook to each blog post with a great beginning!

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Plain Language for Feds and Blogs

/0 Comments/in , , /by

 

“The Federal Government’s writing must be in plain language/ By using plan language, we send a clear message abut what the government is doing, what it requires, and what services it offers. Plain language saves the Government and the private sector time, effort, and money.”                                                                                                                                 – 1998 memorandum from President Clinton

Clinton specifically mentioned four characteristics of logically organized, easy-to-read documents:

  • common, everyday words, except for necessary technical terms
  • “you” and other pronouns
  • the active voice
  • short sentences

At Say It For You, I’ve often mentioned each of these recommendations, because “easy-to-read” is obviously a quality to be desired in blog marketing:

Basic, common language:
When it comes to blogging for business, keeping it basic means using understandable language. Only to the extent that you’re providing a very specialized service aimed only at \ professionals in your field, should you use industry jargon.

“You” and other pronouns:
While, in a way, all blog content writing is about the “you”, the targeted readers, and their wants and needs, as a corporate blogging trainer, I stress the importance of first person business blog writing because of its one enormous advantage – it shows the people behind the posts.

The active voice:
“Grammatically speaking, voice refers to whether the subject of a sentence is on the giving or receiving end of the action, As a general rule we bloggers need to focus on “staying active” in our content, using sentences that have energy and directness, using the active voice.

Short sentences:
Why, generally speaking, is it better to use short sentences in blogs? Short sentences have more of a “pow” factor, can be quoted and shared more easily on social media sites, and tend to keep readers’ attention on the message. That said, varying the length of your sentences adds interest to the writing.

Today’s communication has become less formal than in the past, Tony Rossiter notes in the book Effective Business Writing. That does not mean that written communication is any less important, the author hastens to add. And, with more than 7 million blog posts being published every single day, our challenge as business blog marketers is to get read, saving both ourselves and our readers time, effort, and money.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

In-Your-Neck-of-the-Woods Blogging for Business

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

 

Listening to the morning weather report on TV, I often hear Al Roker say, “That’s what’s going on around the country. Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods”.

In blogging for business, that Roker model is a good one to follow, we teach at Say It For You. Your blog is a way to educate leads and customers by helping them stay generally informed on industry trends and developments, Hubspot explains. Once you are perceived as an expert or “thought leader” in that industry or profession, you can then go on to explain your own products and services, and your very own “neck of the woods” approach.

Hubspot offers examples of blogs that describe the general industry climate before bringing matters down to a local level:

Manufacturing
Manufacturing blogs are used to inform readers about best practices news, and trends in manufacturing, supply chain distribution, and logistics. The Marlin Steel blog, for example, talks about what robotics and automation mean for US manufacturing jobs (national picture), but also provides information on how to use specific steel tools.

Healthcare
In Six Month Smiles’ Chair Time blog, industry experts, doctors, and hygienists write about developments in their field. Potential customers can learn about specific services they may be interested in paying for on a local level.

Ecommerce
The M.M. LaFleur blog discusses general issues of women in the workplace, but then narrows down to specific advice about what to wear to different business occasions.

In fact, the function of “news” in blogs is to inform readers of “what’s-going-on-and-how-do-we-fit-in”. In a blog post, you might cite material from the news story, relating it to new developments in your own industry or field. The idea is not to regurgitate what’s already been said, but to showcase your own expertise and experience, offering a new perspective on that topic.

According to strategist Neen James in Speaker Magazine, a Subject Matter Expert or SME (pronounced “smee”) knows something. A thought leader, by contrast, is known for something. In their blog content, business owners and professional practitioners can first bring their audiences up to speed on general industry issues and developments. Through “in-your-neck-of-the-woods blogging for business,” they then become known for translating that knowledge into usable, actionable steps their readers can follow.

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail