Setting the Scene in Content Marketing

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“Sometimes, the setting creates the story,” is Moriah Richard’s observation in Writer’s Digest. To practice, she recommends, try writing a narrative paragraph about something happening:

  • in the middle of the night
  • in the evening
  • at noon, at dawn
  • at twilight time
  • mid-morning

 

To translate that concept of “scene-setting”  into marketing terms,  we realize at Say it for You, rather than merely listing features and benefits, the content writing challenge lies in telling a story, actually “painting scenes” in which a product or service is in use solving problems and improving  unpleasant situations. And, as Moriah Richard is stressing to novelists, the more specific the setting in our marketing story, the greater will be its effect on our readers.

“When it comes to stories, brands that tell more, sell more,” Sam Killlip of Attest explains. “Storytelling marketing is all about using a narrative to get your message across. The goal? Make your audience feel something. “The author cites Nike’s “Winning Isn’t Comfortable” campaign that zooms in on settings – lonely early mornings and slow climbs up stairs.

“Meal kit providers can drive growth by targeting young adults, health-conscious consumers, and lower-income households,” eatfreshtech explains. But, in addition to sharing recipes and creating educational content, scenario-based marketing would  involve stories with settings:: “It’s 6 PM, the kids are hungry, and you’re exhausted from work…”.”Paint a picture of how your product or service is the hero that solves the main character’s  challenges,” Agility PR advises.

In online content writing, the opening lines of a post or article establish that readers have come to the right place to find the information they were seeking, and also establish the general “setting”, which means clarifying the “slant” of the post – how will readers find “how to” information:? Will there be a list of sources for products? Cautions and “don’ts? General definitions and categories?

 

Success in content marketing  depends on pinpointing the “when” (in what time of day or night your story takes place), the “who” (the people who created and who are delivering the product or service), and even the “why” (the need in the marketplace), with all of these combining to “set the scene” for success.

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The Convenience Factor in Content Marketing

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This week, in our Say It For You blog, we’re sharing insights from the book Prove It, in which authors Melanie Deziel and Phil M. Jones teach readers how to use content as a tool to earn audience trust… 

Even before you get to the “proof” stage in your marketing, according to RevLocal, there are five pieces of primary information that consumers use to either learn more about a business, or reject it out of hand. These include price, products and services offered, the availability of both, customer service, and (for services in particular) – location. Coupons and special offers may be important, the authors add, as are testimonials and reviews.

“Claiming to be convenient is making a promise that customers’ interactions with you will be frictionless,” Deziel explains, quoting statistics from the National Retail Federation showing that 9 out of 10 customers choose a retailer based on convenience, with that observation holding true for groceries, electronics, personal care items, and pet supplies.

As head of a team of content marketers at Say It For You, I found those observations about convenience especially important. Creating a steady stream of content takes time and patience, which is precisely the reason many entrepreneurs employ ghost writers. “Winning back time” is the way Doug Karr and Chantelle Flannery, co-authors of the book Corporate Blogging for Dummies describe the big advantage for business owners, or professional practitioners in “hiring it done when it comes to composing, researching, and editing content”.

 

On the other hand, what I’ve experienced over the past eighteen years is that, if the content is to succeed in demonstrating that the business owner or practitioner is staying in touch with what’s happening in the community, as well as in his or her field of expertise, the process  of creating content cannot be a matter of  “do-it-for-me-and-wake-me-up-when-it’s-over”. Even as they offer maximum convenience to their customers, the owners themselves should not expect to enjoy the “convenience” of non-involvement in the process of creating content.

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