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AIming to Be an Archive

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“Whereas the Big Five often let their older books fall out of print based on sales histories, some university publishers… think like a library, aiming to be an archive for authors’ books that remain in perpetuity,” Aaron Gilbreath advises in Poets & Writers magazine.

So what about online content? Does the Internet “think like a library”?
“The internet is often called a digital footprint that we leave behind us,” Mia Naumoska writes in internxt.com. Yet websites and social media platforms are constantly updating their algorithms, she cautions, resulting in some content being removed or even lost. Platforms may remove posts that violate community guidelines or terms of service, she adds. In general, though, blogs and articles posted on websites have a much longer lifespan than social media posts, because they are typically optimized for search engines and can be found through search queries for months or even years after publication.

An infographic by Content Hacker illustrates the comparative lifespans of different forms of content posting, ranging from TikTok’s few minutes to Facebook’s five hours, to YouTube’s thirty+ days to blogs, whose lifespan extends for years.

Evergreen content
It’s not only the platform on which content is posted, but the nature of the content itself that is a determinant of longevity, the Digital Marketing Institute explains. Evergreen content is not time-sensitive and can continue to drive traffic long after it is published. Instructional and informational pieces, for example, lend themselves to remaining relevant over long periods of time.

LinkedIn articles vs. LinkedIn posts
Posts on LinkedIn are short messages that can contain text, images, videos, links, and hashtags. On the other hand, LinkedIn articles are longer-form pieces of content, with more in-depth discussions, analysis, and storytelling, with a dedicated “Articles” space within your profile.

“Feature” blog posts
Feature posts are non time-sensitive, and in fact, the goal is to have the material be “evergreen”. (When someone searches for information on a topic, it’s quite possible for them to “matched up” with content written a long time ago.) Good informational content, after all, can have relevance even months and years later after it was first published!

At Say It For You, we’ve learned over the years, blogs and newsletters can balance feature stories with “news”. While we want content to “stick around”, readers need to know about new products and services they can now obtain, new partners or employees we want to introduce, and our recent or upcoming activities in the community.

At the same time, content marketers need to “think like a library”, providing long term value to readers and “aiming to be an archive”.

 

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Can You Be More Specific?

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“Capitalize on the post-holiday rush by driving incremental purchases amongst shoppers redeeming gift cards, taking advantage of longer sales windows or making returns,” the 2024 Digital Marketing Playbook advises. Just two weeks ago, at the Business Spotlight, I recall one of the presenters doing precisely that kind of “capitalizing” on post-holiday needs. When it was Troy Larson’s turn to give a 60-second “pitch” for his Alder Avenue Home Handyman business, he offered to help all of us not-so-handy parents assemble all those Christmas gifts.

“When a business understands their customers’ needs, they can tailor their products and marketing plan to better serve those needs, momencrm.com explains naming five main needs: 1. price points 2.convenience 3.sustainability 4.transparency 5.control/options. However, successful marketing messages are delivered “across channels when and where each person is most receptive”, epsilon.com emphasizes.

Researching and understanding your target market is one of the ABCs of all content marketing. Read, read, read, is my best advice as a content marketer, from local business publications to your competitors’ marketing materials – it all helps you hone your own message, we teach at Say It For You.

Using blog posts and newsletter issues to highlight specific services and product uses is a way to achieve razor-sharp appeal to prospects with an urgent, precise need. Interviewed for the article “Tips From the Inside” in Inc. Magazine, the purchasing agents of mega corporation Northrup Grumman answered: “Be as specific as possible when describing what you can do for us.”

 In Digital Marketing for Dummies, the authors stress that content marketing works only to the extent it is specific; the more specific you are in describing the shortcuts and solutions, the more engaging that content will be. What we have learned over the years at Say It For You is that the benefit of describing specific solutions holds true even if that solution is not one that fits precisely into the searcher’s inquiry – the general impression readers get is that they’ve come to a place where problems get solved!

Assembling the bicycle your daughter received for Christmas is only one of hundreds of different tasks that Alder Avenue handymen perform. But the secret of the “pow” in Troy Larson’s 60-second marketing “pitch” was that it was so very specific.

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Titling to Catch the Ear

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“It’s important to realize a good title is vital — it can make the difference between an editor reading your piece and relegating it to the slush pile,” Estelle Erasmus tells authors in Writer’s Digest. “A compelling headline displays an angle that makes it stand out. Even better if the title evokes emotion or even anger,” Erasmus adds.

Printed content is actually perceived with the reader’s ears as much as with the eyes. Just as the visual cues we get from the face of a speaker influence what we hear (a phenomenon called the McGurk Effect), readers can be “tantalized” by the way the title of your blog post “sounds” to them.

When our eyes process information, we attach meaning and reasoning to it, while, when we listen with our ears, we are paying attention to the tone of the speaker’s voice and whether it is loud or quiet, an essay in Cram.com posits. In fact, as a team of neuroscientists revealed in 2018, our ears make a subtle noise when our eyes are moving.

The role of blog post and newsletter titles in attracting readers is crucial. It’s the first thing that your audience will see when they come across your blog or open your e-newsletter, and it’s what will determine whether they will click on your link or move on to the next thing, aicontentfy advises.. Whether in monthly newsletters or or social media posts, it’s the titling that determines whether the reader progresses to the content of the piece itself.

Visual and auditory senses play a crucial role in receiving information and remembering content,” the National Library of Medicine explains. Poets might use sound devices such as onomatopoeia (words that imitate sounds), so that reading the poem aloud recreates an auditory experience.

Years ago at Say It For You, I began calling attention to the idea of using certain literary devices in  titles with an eye to making them more “catchy”.  In addition to alliteration (repeated consonants) and assonance (repeated vowel sounds), one creative writing technique is “threesomes” such as “right fit, right place, right now” (from WorldBusinessChicago.com).

Not only should your newsletter or blog post title be eye-catching – – in order to tantalize, make it “ear-catching” as well!

 

 

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Featuring the Seconds-to-None in Your Blog or Newsletter

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“Secondary characters add depth and interest to the world your main character inhabits, helping to make the tale more memorable,” Ellen Bulkema writes in the writersinthestorm blog. As a source of support for the protagonist of a novel, secondary characters can also be used to present an obstacle or challenge, or to serve as teachers or guides. Supporting characters don’t need as much detail as you’d give to primary characters, Bulkema admits, but can help clarify the mindset and relationships in the setting.

In a business or practice, the employees, who, while seemingly “secondary” to the business owner or practitioner him or herself, are key to the customer experience. Featuring those players in blog posts and newsletters help humanize a company and create loyal fans. As Disney Parks’ Thomas Smith explains, “…we like to go behind the scenes to show the dedication and inspiration that make our park experiences so magical for our guests.”

A corporate blog is the “space for your company employees to help prospects , providing customers with practical solutions,,” greatcontent.com explains. “It will help customers relate to you even more because they will see human faces and names behind the blog posts.” Sproutsocial agrees. “Real people are the key to authentic relationships,  Consumers want to learn more about the people behind their favorite brands.”

At Say It For You, our writers understand that, because the employees are the ones in the field and on the phone with customers and clients, they know the strengths and best uses of the company’s products and services and it is they who can best supply the anecdotes that are so useful for marketing content. One way we involve employees is to highlight specific accomplishments in a blog or newsletter. When readers learn about an employee’s enthusiasm and how that person put in extra time and effort in serving customers, that cements the customer’s relationship with the company or practice.

Featuring those “seconds-to-none” employees in the company’s or the practice’s communications can be a gift that keeps on giving.

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“Facing Up” Blog Content is a Great Idea

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Webpages with lists of staff are often one of the most-viewed pages on a company’s website, yet some companies don’t have any people represented in detail, Karen Carlson of LRS Web Solutions regrets. “They say it’s too much work to maintain, they receive spam emails, or that they’re worried other companies will pilfer their best employees.” While acknowledging those very risks, Carlson emphasizes that “The bigger risk is leaving your business faceless.”

AARP editors agree, recognizing eight senators, among them Thomas TIllis of North Carolina caretaker for his grandmother, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, caretaker for her son who has cerebral palsy. The photos, along with the stories, serve to make real legislators’ tireless efforts to improve the U.S. healthcare system.

“Today’s users want to do more than just purchase from a company,” Carlson explains. “They want to put faces with names.” At Say It For You, we translate that into “authenticity blogging“, using the content to provide readers an intimate look at what goes into providing your products and services. After all, it’s the employees who are in the field and on the phone with customers and clients. Although often employees see blogging as just one more task to make their work load heavier, my team members want to interact with those employees and, in fact, highlight their accomplishments and insights along with their photos.

For some business or practice owners, a combination blogging plan turns out t be just right, with my Say It For You team providing professionally written content, thus maintaining the regularity and research needed to win search engine rankings, but with employees providing their very special touch when their time and their regular duties allow.

Blog content marketing based solely on the features of products and services is simply not likely to work. Yes, for blogs to be effective, they must serve as positioning statements and describe a value proposition. But blogs cannot do that without connecting. Showing the “faces” and the people behind those faces has the power to “amp up” the connective power of marketing content.

“Facing up” your blog content is a very good idea!

 

 

 

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