Want to Win a Free Ticket to Summit on Content Marketing (Online Conference)?
In a few weeks, I am going to be speaking at the fantastic online conference Summit on Content Marketing and the organizers graciously gave me 10 free tickets to give away (worth $199 each).
Many conferences are geared mainly towards marketing folks, but this conference has a number of sessions that will be very beneficial to writers. You can check out the fabulous lineup here. The way it works is you can view the sessions live or the recording for 30 days afterwards. One of the things I like best about this conference is that the sessions are staggered. And the even better part is that there are no travel expenses because you can participate from your kitchen (or living room or home office or wherever you work).
How do you win one of my free tickets?
Post your best tip for writing content marketing that is interesting to read and is not BORING. This is the subject of my presentation so I may mention a few of the best tips as well in my talk (with credit given to you, of course).
Also, if you have not subscribed to my blog, sign up using the form on the right side of page. You must be subscribed to be entered to win as well.
I will then do a random drawing of everyone who shares a tip for the winners. All entries must be posted by noon on Saturday May 13. If you enter, be sure to check your email this weekend because all winning tickets must be claimed by Monday May 15 at 8 am.
So tell us, what is your best writing tip for creating interesting content that people actually WANT to read?
Telling a story. Building a scene, creating tension, having a story arc, making the reader care about the people in the article. Writing good content is like writing traditional narrative journalism. Also, having great art to accompany your piece is key, too. And if the piece is online, having a video component, too.
Find a surprising, unexpected angle to the topic.
My advice is old-fashioned and basic: Make your content sound natural. Write like you talk. You’re having a conversation with your audience…make them feel like they’re sitting across the kitchen table from you having a cup of coffee. It’s harder to do than you think.
Always connect what you’re writing about to the reader’s life. It’s the classic technique of sticking to benefits over features – make it relatable, and you’ll actually get people reading through long enough to hit your call to action.
Use references that people can relate to. Is there a scene from a movie or a song lyric that can illustrate some point you’re trying to make? People strongly relate to songs and movies or books or TV shows. Sometimes even references to things currently happening in the news works, too.
Content writing is writing. Approach it as you would any other type of article — and that includes asking how to handle other sources and information that back up the story. Sometimes it is okay and makes the piece stronger.
Never make your client the hero of the article. Comes off as disingenuous, at best, and braggadocious (as Trump would say) at worst.
Start with a person. The person who came up with the idea or adapted the product. What problem did they encounter that precipitated the spark? Or a person a person who used the product. What were they doing before and how much easier was it afterward? People are always the most interesting, so anyway to tell a story from the viewpoint of an individual will make it not, or at least less, BORING.
Or you could take advice that I think Jerry gave Elaine on a Seinfeld “Write something interesting.” 🙂
Whenever possible, focus on people. Tell a story about how an individual person was touched by the topic you’re covering, and give rich details that make the person and the story stand out. For example, don’t just write about a medication that treats cancer–write about a person whose life was saved or improved by that medication. Write about the fact that someone was able to go see her son’s little league playoff game because of that medication. Make it real and make it personal.
Use unexpected metaphors and examples.
Be frank and upbeat. I’ve found I trust writers who seem honest, well read and experienced, and who make me feel that whatever my problem is, it’s nothing that can’t be solved [by X or Y].
I try to focus on the CONTENT rather than the MARKETING, which will take care of itself if whatever it is you’re writing is smart, witty, or authoritative enough to engage the reader and inspire him or her to act (whether that means buying a product or service, or trying a workout, recipe or other tip/trick that’s inspired by the content). People underestimate the power of words to move them. If you know your audience and speak to them in a language they understand, you’re far more likely to move them to action than if you simply tell them how great your product or service is.
I find that when I write content as if I am speaking directly to my audience, with a compelling voice, and a small story including beginning, middle and end takeaway, it works much better than if I am writing facts or research in a stiff formal manner. This applies to any audience I write for, keeping in mind with subtle tweaks what specific audience I am addressing. Sometimes if I talk as if I am having a friendly one-on-one conversation with them it helps even more.
Like any piece of good writing, focus on the deeper story. Make it as personal as possible. Think about how it relates to the reader. What would you want to read? If you’re bored, the reader will be too.
Draw on your personal experience to find anecdotes that bring the content to life. For example, for a sponsored article I wrote on behalf of an audiology center, I built on a memory involving my elderly great aunt and her hearing aids for the lead.
Show whenever possible instead of telling. Use dialog, the tool of a fiction writer to create a lively scene, instead of just straight narrative which can get boring. Dialog will immediately bring an idea to life.
Find the personal story that can be your lede .. then add in the guts of the story. Use that person’s anecdote throughout and wrap it up at the end! People need to know that a real person (or real people) are involved …
My advice is also old school, but still valuable in content marketing today. Always use active verbs when you can. The right choice of words can make your content sing.
I tend to gravitate towards sharing a personal experience to help the reader who may be thinking about trying, learning, or purchasing a similar item or experience that I have had. This helps draw the reader in and provides them with information to decide for themselves.
When marketing to a potential client I conduct a Discovery Session©. This is a process of reviewing the client’s need, whether it’s redesigning a website or restructuring a magazine’s layout. Old hat with a new twist? Unsure.
Analyze 1-2 easy fixes uncovered when reviewing their content. Then, give them a solution meant to help quickly improve their existing content. Explain the solution at 30K feet.
Example: ‘Your navigation would benefit from restructuring and rewording. The header is crowded with lots of words and there’s a cryptic title readers won’t understand.’ Now, they want to know the exact fix. They’re tantalized. This demonstrates I’ve researched their content and found a tailored solution.
Yes, it’s giving away my intellectual property (their navigation needs saving). Yet, I believe finding a way to offer an idea to a potential client creates a gain for each of us. They see why partnering with me can provide them value. And, well, like many of you, I get more practice improving more content.
Isn’t that what most writers want?
Jennifer,
Metaphors and personal stories that tie into a teachable moment can help break up dead, dull content. In fact, I did something similar for a real estate article about home inspections. The truth is we’re all saying the same thing or at least have access to the same information – but if you put a personal spin on the content, your audience might stick around.
Content marketing is about creating VALUE for your customer/prospect. Providing insights, facts, survey results, expert opinions, etc. and then applying that to a problem or challenge will make it more valuable to the reader. In addition, you need to infuse humor and personality into what you are writing – write like a HUMAN not a robot… and emojis are fun too 🙂
Get yourself in the mood. You want to convey something upbeat and exciting? Pump out some tunes, do some jumping jacks, shout around (don’t do this at 3 am and if you have thin walls). Want to write something funny? Watch a sketch on youtube or call that one friend you know will make you laugh. Wanna get deep and moody? Meditate. That’s a good one in any case. Whatever you do, think of something that will get you amped enough to be excited to hit those keys. Your readers will notice.
Hi Jennifer,
All the best for your presentation.
Focus on the action you want the reader to take. Give her a specific incentive and make it easy for her to take action [as in this post. :-)] If the action involves more than one or two steps, consider adding a checklist or cheat sheet. And give a deadline.
Tell great stories. No matter what type of writing you’re doing, when you tell compelling, interesting stories, you pull readers in. Combine that with the client’s brand, and you’ve got a winner!
And if you can use humor well, and they want it, that’s a bigger plus 🙂
Start by pretending you know virtually nothing about the topic you’re about to tackle: Aim to craft a story that answers the pertinent who, what, where, why and how questions of a newcomer. Then assess your copy from the perspective of someone more knowledgeable in the subject matter. Is it engaging without being too simplistic? Does it respect the reader without patronizing him/her?
Finding that “sweet spot,” that voice that comfortably addresses readers of all skill sets, can be vital to writing branded content that successfully leads to conversion!
Listen to your audience first. What are the saying on social media? What are they liking, what are they hating, what problems do they have? Then, be a problem solver. Sound real and relatable, not pitchy. Be a reflection of your audience and write content in thier voice.
It’s all about the hero’s (the customer’s) journey – and how your client helped him. Drop your readers into the middle of the action from the start to entice them to read on.
What a great time to be a writer!
P.S. Jennifer is sharing the conference stage with Bob Bly. I am impressed!
Before I write anything, I ask myself this : “What’s in it for the reader?” If it doesn’t help or improve readers’ lives in some small way, it’s not worth writing.