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

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“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!

 

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Would You Go to See “Away We Go” on Broadway?

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Can you guess the original titles of these musicals? Alex Wood asks in Theater Mania, revealing some of the names originally considered for plays that went on to become Broadway hits.  “Oklahoma”, for example, was going to be named either “Away We Go!” or “Many a New Day”. “Mame” was supposed to be called “The Great Confession”, while “West Side Story” was going to hit the theatres as “America”. Recent blockbuster “Hamilton” was conceived as “The Founding Fathers”.

“Whether you are writing a creative piece or drafting a professional document, the words you choose have a significant impact on how your message is received,” Elite Editing stresses, advising content writers to “keep titles short and sweet to maximize readability”. In fact, the authors add, studies have shown that shorter titles receive more clicks and shares on social media.  While it’s important to engage your audience with creative and clever titles, remember that brevity is key.

Focus on one main benefit or point when crafting your title, the authors emphasize. A headline too gimmicky or vague might miss the message, so the trick is to strike a balance between engaging and informative.  For SEO-conscious headlines, use relevant, high-traffic words related to the subject, they add.

In our content marketing at Say It For You, we know that keywords and phrases help search engines make the match with what your business or practice has to offer. But, once you’ve been “found”, you have to “get read”, so the engagement value becomes an important factor. Still, no clever title can substitute for well-written, relevant content that provides valuable information to readers.

Would you have gone to see “Away We Go!” or “The Great Confession” on Broadway? We’ll never know.  What all content creators do know is how very important it is to engage readers “at first sight”. 

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Let Me Count the Ways to Use Numbers in a Business Blog

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numbers in blogs

“Use numerals to express numbers 10 and above, and use words to express numbers below 10,” Paige Jackson of the American Psychological Association reminds writers.
Another writing guidance source, the Purdue OWL, has this to say: “Although usage varies, most people spell out numbers than can be expressed in one of two words and use figures for other numbers.” The OWL offers several examples of each choice:

Words:

  • over two pounds
  • six million dollars
  • after thirty-one years
  • eighty-three people

Numbers:

  • after 126 days
  • only $31.50
  • 6,381 bushels
  • 4.78 liters

When Pamela Vaughan and her colleagues at HubSpot analyzed all there own blog posts to see which titles had performed the best in terms of search results, the top eight each included a number, starting with::

  • “12 Quick Tips to Search Google Like an Expert”
  • “12 Mind-Blogwing Statistics Every Marketer Should Know”
  • “How to Monitor Your Social Media Presence in 10 Minutes a Day”
  • “The 9 Worst Ways to Use Twitter for Business”

Ryan McCready of Vennage.com is even more specific, suggesting, after looking at 121,333 unique articles, tthat 10 is the best number to use in blog titles. The number 5, McCready points out, is second. Avoid using the teens, he adds, and never, ever use the number 2.

Career coaches suggest that using numbers may be one of the most underutilized strategies in cover letter writing. Numbers are a great way to be specific about your accomplishments.  They also show that you pay attention to benchmarks and concentrate on setting and meeting goals.

As a blog content writer and trainer, I stress that numbers can be used in business blogs to “build belief”. For example, statistics can demonstrate the extent of a problem your product or service helps solve.

Whether you follow the APA formatting or the Purdue OWL, using numbers in your business blog is a way to quantify, or to qualify – and get the business!

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