Posts

Setting the Scene in Content Marketing

/0 Comments/in , , /by

“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.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

My Personal “Old is Gold” Celebrity Experience

/0 Comments/in , , /by

 

When executed successfully, a celebrity endorsement lets you leverage their fame and influence. But, even if all that’s happened is that you’ve met a former celebrity, you can leverage the nostalgia and authenticity it provides. “Brands have long realized that tapping into fond memories isn’t just a feel-good moment; it’s a powerful marketing strategy,” the mediaant.com points out.

Fifteen years ago, as president of my Indiana chapter of the National Speakers’ Association, I attended the NSA Winter Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Country music star Mel Tillis led a breakout discussion, ending by inviting all of us to attend the Grand Ole Opry performance he was hosting later that day.

There are two special points Mel Tillis made during the question/answer session about communicating with an audience (None of us could help noticing his stutter, which he explained would disappear when he was performing music):

  1.  “I’m always coming up with new anecdotes and stories.” It’s important for any speaker to keep coming up with new anecdotes and stories to illustrate each point, Tillis stressed. That’s a lesson content marketers need to learn, for sure, since maintaining high rankings on search engines means creating content again and again over long periods of time. Anecdotes and stories keep the material fresh.
  2. 2. “Sure, I get tired, like if I have to sing ‘Coca Cola Cowboy’ one more time, I think I’m gonna die. But what you need to do is act like it’s the first time you’ve ever done it. After all, every time I walk out there, it’s a different audience.” In “pull marketing” through content, you are attracting only searchers who have a need relating to what you do, what you sell, or what you know about. You may be “tired” of “same old, same old”, but, for most of those searchers, it will be the first time they’ve ever read your content.

 No, I don’t have a celebrity endorsement from country singer Mel Tillus (The singer died in 2017, after performing onstage for fifty-two years), but I wanted to share with my content marketing friends the nostalgia and authenticity of this memorable and inspiring “Grand Ole Opry” encounter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

The Four Elements For Creating Wonder

/0 Comments/in , , , /by


As writers, we can use four characteristics that have the power to inspire a sense of wonder in our readers, Matty Dalrymple explains in Writer’s Digest:

  • mystery and exclusivity
  • a disconnect from reality and expectations
  • displays of specialized elements of knowledge
  • an immersive yet ephemeral experience

Dalrymple, I realized, was addressing novelists, but could those four elements work well for creators of online marketing content as well?

Mystery – by showcasing characters’ use of special elements, “we transport readers to a wondrous world”, Dalrymple says.

In content writing for business, we’ve learned at Say It For You, business owners or professional practitioners want to become valuable providers of information, ultimately persuading readers to use their products or engage their services. There must be no mystery about the fact that searchers have come to the right place. Still, through content, writers can show how things – or causes – their readers care about are in jeopardy, creating wonder about possible paths forward.

A disconnect from expectations – When an aspect of a setting or situation deviates from the norm, that surprises and intrigues readers.

Creating compelling content can – and should – incorporate both people storytelling and product storytelling. The expectation is for the content to tout the successes of the business or practice, but true stories about mistakes and struggles will engage precisely because of the disconnect. People want to do business with real people, and admission of failures and mistakes often surprises and intrigues.

Displays of specialized knowledge – Because the character has such arcane knowledge, readers have a sense of awe at how much exists of which they were unaware.

Content writers aim to have their clients be perceived as subject matter experts offering usable information and insights.  Once readers feel assured that the providers know your stuff and care about offering good information and good service, they might be ready to take action, Bringing in less well-known facts about familiar things and processes “displays” specialized knowledge, making readers wonder how many other “secrets” await.

Immersive experience – While allowing readers to get a sense of being part of the story, the author needs to convey that the experience is ephemeral.

When you’re composing business blog content, I tell writers, imagine readers asking themselves – “How will I use the product (or service)?” “How will I feel?” Your content can offer a “taste” of the benefits users stand to enjoy when using your products and/or services.

While assuring searchers they’ve come to the right place to find the information they need, skillful use of the four story elements can create a sense of wonder, a feeling of “Wow! I never realized…..”

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Stepping Out of Character in Your Content

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

W

 

When the characters in a story seem to act against their own nature, Tiffany Yates Martin advises fiction writes in Writers’ Digest, that can feel jarring to readers, but it can also create interest. The author needs to lay the groundwork so that the character’s later actions will seem plausible, perhaps describing external forces that compel unusual action later on. The concept, as Martin goes on to clarify, is that, properly handled, unexpected and complex twists to a narrative can surprise and delight readers.

While, as content writers for business owners and practitioners marketing their products and services, we deal in fact rather than fiction, I believe that the Writer’s Digest “stepping-out-of-character” model can prove highly effective in capturing blog readers’ interest.

There are a number of companies that exemplify the unexpected by having two totally unrelated business lines, such as:

  • Chemed (hospice care) and Roto Rooter (plumbing)
  • Elxsi (sewer equipment and family restaurants)
  • Guiness (beer and recordkeeping)
  • Yamaha (musical instruments and motorcycles)

Diversification like that can be used as a defense, the Corporate Finance Institute explains. “In the case of a cash cow in a slow-growing market, diversification allows the company to make use of surplus cash flows.”

More to my original point, though, as Julie Thompson explains in business.com, business and professional practice owners often have a variety of hobbies, and interests, and interests. Building content around those interests (perhaps unrelated to the business or practice itself can make for refreshingly unexpected reading for searchers who land on the blog.

Another kind of “unexpected”‘ content focus can be charitable causes favored by the owner’s favorite charitable and community activities. But “the way you go about marketing your charitable efforts can either boost or tarnish your company’s public relations,” Thompson cautions, because there needs to be real commitment, not just lip service on the part of the business owner or practitioner. Still, the more unrelated to the type of business or practice the charitable “cause” appears to be, the more that “unexpecteness” factor will come into play…

Just as some of the most successful businesses represent new twists on old ideas and products, as content writers, we sometimes need to step out of character. surprising and delighting readers with a “twist”!

 

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail

Capturing Conflict in Your Content

/0 Comments/in , , , /by


“Every great story depends on conflict to propel it forward, Jane Cleland writes in Writer’s Digest. The conflict can be one of four types:

  • actual or threatened physical attack
  • emotional
  • spiritual (loss of faith or shaken beliefs)
  • mental (a puzzle or intellectual challenge)

However, Cleland cautions, “if someone doesn’t care about a situation, you don’t have a conflict.” That means, she says, “We need to understand what makes people care“.

When it comes to content marketing, “conflict is a problem that the customer is motivated enough to resolve,” Truss Creative adds. In brand marketing, though, it’s not about the business owner’s origin story or their “disruption story”, but about the customer’s story. Writing effective content, therefore, means identifying the customer’s:

  • everyday annoyance
  • burning desire
  • quiet wish
  • tower foe
  • existential threat

In other words, what does your audience notice, value, want to protect, and want to project to others?

Years ago, my friend and admired sales training expert Tim Roberts told me that, while salespeople try to develop good problem solving skills, he challenges them to  first find, then solve. Finding a problem that the prospect hadn’t considered is what makes a salesperson valuable.

In blog posts, we teach at Say It For You, the opening paragraph is there to make clear not only what need, issue, or problem is to be discussed, but also what “slant” the business or practice owner has on the issue. Then, it’s crucial not to end in a “fizzle”,  leaving web visitors trailing off in a disappointed move. The ending has to resolve the central conflict, issue, or problem you’ve raised, leaving readers with a path to action and positive expectations.

Capturing conflict in your content might be the secret to success.

Facebooktwitterredditlinkedintumblrmail