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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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Work, Family, and Melomakarono
What Great Leaders Have in Common Case Win: Leaving No Stone Unturned?
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When Patients Need Legal Aid Cranberry Gingerbread
Are You Making These Writing Mistakes?
BREAK AWAY FROM BLAND How to Write Content That Pops
When it comes to winning over customers with content marketing, many entrepreneurs seem to think, “If we publish, they will come.” That would certainly explain the flood of bland, cookie-cutter blog posts pumped out across social media every day. To win over readers and make the most of your marketing dollars, your content needs to have a personality — a voice. Of course, personalizing content comes with a few pitfalls every marketer needs to know. DON’TWRITE HOWYOU SPEAK Read a few sentences from your favorite book or newspaper. Do you think the author speaks exactly like that in real life? Probably not. Speech and writing are two different mediums with different stylistic needs, and trying to translate one to the other can prove disastrous. For example, many content writers include verbal cues like dramatic pauses … by including useless ellipses. In a conversation, strategic pauses may impress, but on the page, they pull readers out of the article. CONTRACTIONS AREN’T YOUR ENEMY On the other end of the spectrum, some people write like robots. They avoid contractions like “don’t,” “can’t,” and “aren’t,” resulting in stilted, plodding sentences that inflate word counts and alienate readers. Obviously, formal publications like research papers and legal briefs still maintain this archaic ban on mashing words together, but when it comes to marketing content, rules are flexible. Do not fear using these tools.
You cannot go wrong with adding a splash of informality to your writing. Your readers are not going to mind. (Are you still with me?)
SHOW, DON’T TELL This is a big one. So many businesses publish copy with big statements like “We love our customers!” or “Our passion is helping you!” These blanket sentiments come across as shallow. So, rather than tell customers you care about their needs, write content that shows them you understand their needs and want to help address them. For example, we could tell you “we deeply care about your marketing campaigns and want to help them succeed!” But that falls a bit flat. Instead, we chose to show you some ways you can make your content pop!
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