Category: website copy

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Want to create engaging content? Look at your numbers

Engaging content is about more than words - you need to look at your numbers too.

You might not think words and numbers have much in common, apart from co-existing on a school curriculum. However, your analytics can tell you a lot about what content is striking a chord with your audience and helping you achieve your business goals. Here’s my guide to help you look at your numbers and write engaging content.

Plan your business goals

I’m not going to tell you how to set business goals. For one thing, it’s not my department. For another, your version of success might look very different from mine. However, when you’ve decided what targets you want to hit next year, think about what your marketing needs to do to achieve that. Do you need to reach more people, improve your social media engagement or increase your email subscribers? Knowing where you want people to go helps you focus on the right platforms.

Look at your numbers

You can use your marketing analytics to work out what’s working in terms of the marketing platforms you use and the type of content you create. Reviewing your numbers helps you see what’s working so you can do more of it or tweak things to test a different approach. When you talk about your business, some posts get a better response than others, often due to the language you use.

Remember that what your audience responds to can change over time; regular reviews help you stay up to date.

Think about keywords

I’m hearing more marketing professionals say that SEO is getting less effective. While that’s probably true, there’s still a place for it. Google is the first place many of us ask questions, and if you offer a service in your local area, there are still plenty of people searching ‘service + town’.

So, look at your website analytics. What keywords attracted the most visitors? Where did they go next? Did they leave or visit another page? Look at keywords, but think about the customer journey, too. When people land on your website, what do you want them to do next?

Are your sales pages working?

As the name suggests, sales pages focus on selling one product. Everything on there should be targeted towards persuading someone to decide to buy. If you’re getting lots of visitors but not many sales, look at your language. Does it help your customers understand how buying from you will help them? Does it focus on their needs or your product? If you have some sales pages that work while others don’t, compare the words. Spotting the differences can help you update existing pages to improve their performance.

Social media engagement

If reaching your goals means getting more eyes on your content, look at your social media reach and engagement. Reach is good as it means the algorithm shows your stuff to more people. When your followers engage with a post, it’ll also start showing your posts to more of their friends.

Check your analytics to see which posts got lots of reactions and comments. It shows that the post struck a chord and that you used engaging language. You can create more posts with similar subjects and analyse your tone of voice. Are you using a different style on different posts, and how does that affect the response?

If you want to write engaging content that lets your customers get to know you, I can help.  I’ll write blogs, posts, emails and whatever else you need to engage your audience and encourage them to get in touch. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

Or, for regular writing tips straight to your inbox, sign up using the form below. I’m a vegetarian so I hate spam and I’ll never share your details with anyone else.

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Digital product marketing: the basics

Working out how to do digital product marketing

Digital product marketing is the same as any other kind of marketing, but it has its own quirks. I won’t be talking about getting to know your audience here; hopefully, you’ve done that already. Analysing your customer base and thinking about the type of products they need helps you ensure you create the right digital products.

Here are a few things to think about when you’re marketing your digital products:

Create a compelling product description

Good product descriptions help your customers understand what they’re buying and what they’ll get out of it. They’re typically relatively short and are designed for people with a good idea of what they’re looking for and need to know if your product fits the bill. You can offer technical information if relevant but put most of the effort into telling your customer what your product is and helping them imagine using it.

Write a landing page

A landing page is a standalone page on your website focusing on one product. They’re great for digital products as they allow you to expand on the information you provide in your product description for people who might not be sure whether your product is for them. Where product descriptions are for people who know roughly what they want, landing pages help people who know what problem they need to solve but not how to do it.

Plan your launch

Even if you think big launches are too stressful (I agree), setting a target for getting your digital product out into the world is a good idea. It stops you from faffing over whether your product is perfect (there’s no such thing). Even if you choose a random date, it helps you work backwards to build up excitement before it becomes available. You can plan your marketing around your product to educate your audience and build excitement by sharing what’s going on behind the scenes.

Tell a story

Storytelling is a great way to market anything because it helps your audience engage with what you want to tell them. It shows them you understand what it’s like to be in their shoes. For example, a post that tells a story about the lowest point in your business journey and the revelation that helped you solve it is far more powerful than “I’ve got this brilliant new product, and you need it”. You can use storytelling everywhere: your product descriptions, sales pages, posts and emails. Highlight the pain points and benefits but make it fun.

Think about platforms

If you want to sell products, you need to make it easy for your customers to buy. You can send them to your website or create a shop on Facebook (unfortunately, Instagram only lets you sell physical products just now). You might want to go to a third-party site such as Amazon or Etsy.

The platforms you choose will influence the type of marketing you can do. You’ll have more freedom on your website, but each third-party site has its own rules.

If you plan to add digital products to your business, I can help you create and market them too. I’ll write blogs, emails and product descriptions and repurpose them to make your content go further. If you’d like a chat to find out how it works, you can book a call here.

If you want to add digital products to your Christmas shop, sign up for festive marketing emails here. You can also sign up to receive my monthly emails packed with helpful content writing and marketing tips using the form below.

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5 ways you can blog without needing a website

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/author-blog-create-creative-267569/

You’ve decided to write a blog that’ll stand up on its own or form part of your marketing strategy, but you don’t have a website yet. Maybe you don’t need one at all. You want to start writing and engaging with your audience, but how do you start? Here are 5 ways you can blog without needing a website.

Use a free blogging platform

A free blogging platform lets you start writing your blog without needing a website that you have to pay for. WordPress has free and self-hosted versions so you can choose the option that’s right for you.

It’s worth considering whether you might want to expand your blog into a full website eventually. If you do, it might be worth paying for hosting. That option lets you choose your own URL rather than a link that has the provider’s name in it, so you can build your brand identity from the start.

Write for someone else’s site

Medium hosts thousands of articles on an impressive range of subjects. You can create content and tag the topic to build a following in the same way as you would on social media. There’s a version that pays or you can add links to Ko-fi or Buy Me a Coffee to let readers send you a donation.

To build your business network, you can also guest blog for other businesses with a similar audience to yours. I’ve hosted blogs from everyone from social media experts to nutritionists as they can help my readers with topics outside my expertise.

LinkedIn articles

I hesitated to include this one as you’ll generally get better reach with LinkedIn posts than you will with articles. However, if you’re trying to build a following articles are still worth your time as it gives you more space to share your expertise than you’d get in a normal post. You can also share articles in your main feed and repurpose them to create a LinkedIn newsletter.

I’m hearing from more and more people who are focusing on LinkedIn for their marketing, so if you want a business audience it could be a great platform.

Microblog on social media

If you’re writing a blog to share your views or offer hints and tips you can do that on social media. The only real difference between a standard blog post and a microblog is that the second one is shorter. That means that a limited character count isn’t a problem.

A microblog doesn’t give you the chance to go in-depth on a subject, but it can help you to learn your writing craft and start building a following.

Create a YouTube vlog

I know I’m all about the writing but creating a video blog on YouTube lets you try out content and build a following the same as any other social media platform. You can also transcribe your videos to turn them into blogs and make them accessible to people who prefer other types of content.

Of course, you can always do it the other way around. If you’ve written a blog on another platform and want to help it reach a wider audience, you can create a video summing up the highlights and include a link to the original post for anyone who wants more detail.

Wherever you choose to blog, the quality of your content matters if you want to build a following and promote your business. If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat.

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Do you need a website to write a blog?

The short answer to this is that no, you don’t. The question is, will a standalone blog help you to achieve your goals if it isn’t part of a larger website? Here’s my rundown on the reasons why you don’t need a website to write a blog and why you might want a website after all.

What’s the difference between a blog and a website?

When you visit my website you’ll find lots of different pages about my business, products and services. My blog is just part of a larger whole. The reason I do it this way is that my blog is part of my marketing strategy, not a business in itself.

If you run a business, your website is your virtual shop window. The blog is part of the content that helps your customers to find you.

What do you want to achieve?

If you want your blog to be a business, you might not need a website. However, if you want a site that lets you offer products, build your email list and offer affiliate links you almost certainly will. Some brands will only offer affiliate links if you have a website rather than a standalone blog or social media presence.

It’s also a good idea to think about your brand and the kind of image you want to create.

You can use a free blogging platform

Some platforms let you choose whether to create a self-hosted website or a free blog. WordPress is just one example; you can create a website and pay for hosting. Alternatively, you can have the free version to create a blog.

If you choose the free version you’ll have WordPress in your website URL, which might not look all that professional if you’re trying to build a brand that goes beyond blogging.

Third-party selling sites

If you create products your main source of income might be a third-party platform like Etsy or Not on the High Street whose brands let small businesses reach a wider audience. Building your own website could let you make sales at a lower cost, but you’d have to do the work to promote it and attract visitors.

If you’d prefer to start by creating a blog, you can use it to send visitors to your shop even if it’s on a third-party platform.

You can use another blogging site

There are blogging sites that operate in a similar way to social media platforms. You can create a profile and attract followers who are interested in the topic you cover or who’ve searched for specific hashtags. For content that’s heavy on visuals, Tumblr could be a good option. Alternatively, if you create in-depth written content Medium is a great platform and there’s an option to monetize your content too.

Microblogging

Microblogging is short-form content (like a longish social media caption) that helps you to share your expertise and tell your story. It’s a great way to start if you’re trying to find your voice. The only disadvantage is that you don’t get to share as much detail as you would in a standard blog post.

I tend to create this kind of content by writing a longer blog post and then breaking it down into individual sections.

Wherever you choose to blog, the quality of your writing matters if you want to build a following and promote your business. If you want some help writing in a way that speaks your customers’ language, let’s have a chat.

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How talking about transformation in your marketing will help your customers buy

A woman lies in bed reading an article talking about transformation
Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-reading-a-magazine-in-her-bed-6633697/

When you create marketing content for your business you’re aiming to show your future customers how each product or service will help them. You’ll do that in different ways, whether you’re writing content to build your relationship or copy to convince your audience to buy now.  Talking about transformation and how your products and services bring it about helps your audience see the benefits in action. It’s like a before and after weight loss picture with feelings.

Here’s how it works in practice.

The before

This is often the bit your audience will identify with most. Sometimes it works visually, particularly if you help your customers to achieve a physical transformation. At other times it doesn’t because you need to show that you understand how they feel. Your ‘before’ could be a feeling, like mum guilt, depression, or worry. Use those feelings as your starting point and talk about them in your marketing.

The after

Now comes the part where you show your audience where they could be with your help. You can do this in a blog post, offering general advice to help them see the benefits of your products or approach. This could be something like “why you need to hire a professional will writer” or “how accounting software saves you time”.  You can also offer tips that will give people a practical taster that your advice works and put them into free downloads to encourage sign-ups to your email list.  

The most powerful pieces of content are things like client testimonials and case studies that show your real-world results.

How talking about transformation works

The idea of talking about transformation might seem a bit obvious; you show your customers the before and after and it convinces them to buy. The thing is, it goes deeper than that. Human beings have always used stories to form communities. You’re telling someone a story when you talk them through a transformation. You’re also showing them that you understand. You stop being a business that wants to sell them something and become another person who knows what it’s like to be drowning in paperwork or how important it is to buy your mum a great Christmas present.

Two types of transformation

There are two ways that you can change someone’s life; you can make a physical difference and an emotional one. Good marketing content uses both.

Physical

When you’ve helped someone to achieve physical change, it could be outwardly obvious. That’s where those before and after photos come into play because you can show how much more toned someone is or improvements in their skin. You might not always be able to spot the difference by looking at them. Maybe you’ve saved someone time, helped them get more organised or to achieve a goal that’s only obvious to them. That’s where you need to start writing about it.

Emotional

Showing a practical transformation is great, but it only works if the person seeing it has an emotional response too. You might look at before and after photos and shrug because it’s irrelevant to you. Talking about the feelings that go with the transformation is what motivates people to take action. Get them to imagine what it would be like to feel healthier or less stressed. Show them that they can feel more confident in their parenting skills. That’s the stuff that motivates someone to make a change.

Do you need to start talking about transformation in your marketing? I can help with that. Book a call here and let’s have a chat.

Alternatively, if you’d like writing and marketing hints and tips straight to your inbox every month, sign up using the form below. I don’t do spam and you can unsubscribe whenever you like. You’ll also get a copy of my free guide with 5 easy content marketing tips to help your future customers find you online as a thanks from me!

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Case study – creating flexible packaged services for Fishers Solicitors

Flexible packaged service case study

My work with Fishers Solicitors’ started thanks to a conversation about my packaged services at a networking event. If you’re at all familiar with my work, you’ll know that’s a common occurrence. I’m usually involved in the conversation in question, but this time I wasn’t. That’s the beauty of networking with people who remember what you do. One of the partners at Fishers was talking about marketing and the fact that their marketing manager often needed members of the team to write blogs. The trouble is that busy solicitors generally have more pressing demands on their time. It was proving to be a struggle. I was swiftly introduced for a chat with Chloe, who co-ordinates their marketing.

The challenge

When I spoke with Chloe it soon became clear that they needed more than blogs. Like a lot of professional service businesses, they had access to a bank of articles that they could share but they also needed content that was unique to them. The practice covers a range of different services so they have plenty to talk about. Chloe told me that she gets lots of content ideas from the different teams but that execution is an issue. They struggle with formatting and getting their message across in the right way. She wanted to create a discussion-based blog that is topical and pushes their strategy. They’re also regular contributors to a magazine where they answer a legal question each month and want to add new content to their website too.

The solution

My packaged services are built around creating a set number of blogs each month. However, they can also include other types of content too. While Chloe wants to build an effective blog to build Fishers’ reputation and position them as thought leaders there’s more to it than that. Since we started working together, I’ve written blogs, a new page for their website, a magazine Q&A and a news item that can also go out as a press release. Chloe and I speak once a month and she introduces me to other members of the team so we can have a chat. That means they can just tell me what I need to know in a few minutes, rather than trying to write content in a way that’s completely new to them.

Does your business need flexible content at a predictable cost? I can help with that. Just email me or book a chat here.

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Case study – rewriting website copy for Photography by Jess Iliffe

A baby who's completely oblivious to the importance of good website copy.
Photo credit: Photography by Jessica Iliffe

Jess Iliffe has the best job in the world (obviously I do too, but hers is still fantastic). She gets to hang out with cute babies and their parents all day and take the most beautiful pictures. I met Jess networking (no surprises there) and her passion for her business shines through in everything she does. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone’s eyes light up when they talk about their work. Jess’ enthusiasm could power a whole town. We’d known each other for a while and I’d already written a couple of Facebook posts for her when she was too busy to think. Then, one day, she said “I need to update the copy on my website.”

The challenge

When I looked at Jess’ website, there wasn’t much wrong with it. As a photographer who specialises in photographing babies from birth to one year she has a very visual business and there are loads of gorgeous photos on her site. In other words, exactly what her potential customers need to see. We wanted to let the images take centre stage but still give potential clients the information they need. This included explaining how Jess works and what the costs of her service might be. Jess had also found that people were getting confused about pricing and wanted to make the whole thing clearer.

The solution

I started off by reviewing Jess’ existing website and making some recommendations about ways we could improve the copy. Then we had a chat over lunch so I could get a clear picture of the kind of clients she works with and the overall feel she wanted her new site to create.

Then I went away and wrote new copy. This included creating a friendly call to action that will encourage people to get in touch. I also added new descriptions to her services page and updated the pricing descriptions to make the whole thing clearer.

After a busy Christmas and New Year Jess hasn’t got round to updating her site just yet, but I’ll keep you posted. If you’re expecting a baby and would love to capture some truly beautiful images of their first days, I highly recommend you give Jess’ site a visit.

Does your website need a bit of a refresh? I can help with that. Just send me a message or book a chat here.

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How to write your website homepage

Photo by Monoar Rahman from Pexels

Your website homepage is the main point of entry for new visitors unless they’ve clicked through to read a blog post. It’s one of the most powerful tools you have for attracting new customers but it’s also easy to lose people if you don’t get it right. A website is an ever-evolving thing that you change as you learn more or your business changes, but here are just a few homepage basics to get you started.

Show visitors you have what they need (or not)

When a new visitor lands on your homepage you only have a few seconds to make an impression. It’s important that your headline shows them you can help. It could be as simple as saying who you work with and what you do. If you sell products you could start with images and a bit of explanatory content like ‘beautiful jewellery handmade in the UK’. If that’s what they’re looking for they’ll stay and dig deeper. They’ll leave if it isn’t for them and you’ve only lost someone who wouldn’t have bought anyway.

Show your human side

Even huge corporations have photographs of the people who run the show and it’s even more important when you’re a small business. Showing your face and those of your team (if you have one) helps your future customers to trust you. Include an image along with a brief bio on your home page and you start building a relationship straight away. Your home page shouldn’t be weighed down with too much text so add a click through to your ‘about me’ or ‘meet the team’ page for more.

Make information quick and easy to find

When you write your website homepage, give your visitor enough information but not too much. Put important stuff near the top then work down. (Beyond making sure visitors know they’re in the right place, there are no hard and fast rules. It’s one of those things you can play with and test over time.) Easy navigation is also key. If someone knows exactly what service they want, help them find it. If they need help working it out, signpost them to relevant information; that could be key blog posts, FAQs or a questionnaire.

Include testimonials

If you’re starting out you might not have testimonials yet, but they’re so valuable. They let potential customers see that you’ve helped real people like them. You’re not just telling them you’re good. It works on social media too – you’re much more likely to buy from someone if you can see that your friends like them as well. The technical term is social proof – it’s the digital marketing equivalent to asking around. Start gathering testimonials as soon as you can – I’m rubbish at this so it’s advice for me as much as you.

Contact details

This seems stupidly obvious but make it easy for people to buy. If you have an online shop this should be simple but if you don’t, show people how to book your services. Make it clear and straightforward on your homepage. Also, let people know what to do if they have a question. Give them a contact form. Put your email address or phone number in a prominent place and ask them to use that. This doesn’t just help them – it means that when you get questions you won’t miss them.

Are you trying (and struggling) to write your website homepage (or the rest of your website content)? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

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Writing website content: how you can get started

This image of a computer screen might look pretty but writing website content is equally important.
Photo by Format from Pexels

First, a disclaimer. I know a lot about writing website content, but not so much about the techy side. Let’s just say I know what I need to do to keep everything ticking over. If you want to know how to build a website there are lots of DIY guides out there, or you could just talk to my good friend Clare McCabe at Purple Star Design. She’s ace. So, if you’ve got the technical basics sorted, here’s how you can get started with writing your website content.

Work out what your website needs to do and who it’s for

This might seem obvious, but your website design depends on who you’re trying to reach and what your business does. If you have an ecommerce business you’ll need a shop, product descriptions and a way to take payment. Your website is an amazing tool to help you generate new leads. If you offer a service and get work mostly from referrals you might only need a brochure site that shows your expertise. As with everything in marketing, the language you use depends on who you want to talk to.

Start with basic keywords

Even if you haven’t gone down the SEO rabbit hole yet, it’s worth thinking about keywords early on and getting your site set up to include them from the start. You can keep this simple to begin with. What words might your customers use to find you? This could be the service itself (i.e., hairdresser) or a type of product (children’s clothes). They might ask a question that leads them to you even though they don’t know the name of your service. Start like this and you can build as you go.

Show visitors they’re in the right place

When a new visitor finds your website, you’ve only got a few seconds to make an impression. Your home page is likely to be the main entry point so make sure they know what they’re getting from the start. Share the most important information first and keep it clear and concise. If you have a lot to say on a particular topic, create a separate page and invite visitors to click through if they’re interested.

While I’m at it, keep your page titles simple and clear. You’ll lose visitors if they can’t find what they want because you’ve called it something obscure or overly clever.

Share the transformation

I could write reams on this (and probably will) but the most important thing about writing website content is that is needs to engage your visitors’ emotions. They’ve landed on your website because they’re looking for something. Whatever it is, there is always an emotional need as well as a practical one. It could be wanting to buy someone the perfect present or feeling desperate because their baby won’t sleep. Show them that you understand where they are and where they could be with your help.

Include a call to action

What do you want visitors to do once they’ve found you? Buy something or book a call for a chat? Make it easy for them to do that. What if they’re not ready to take that step? Think about something they could do that’s less of a commitment, that keeps you in their mind while they’re deciding. Offer them any additional information they might need. Invite them to follow you on social media or sign up to your email list so you can keep in touch.

Are you trying (and struggling) with writing website content? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.

Alternatively, sign up to my mailing list for writing and marketing tips straight to your inbox every month.

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How you can start creating evergreen content

Creating evergreen content means making something worth reading.
Image by Suzy Hazelwood via Pexels

It’s all very well knowing that you want to include evergreen content in your marketing. (If you don’t know what evergreen content is or why you’d need it, start here.) The real question is, how do you start creating it? Read on for five quick ways to help you get started.

Know your audience

When you start creating evergreen content, it’s important that you know who you’re writing for. The normal rules of getting to know your audience apply, but when you’re creating evergreen content, you need to go a bit further. Identify the beginners in your audience and what they need to know. Experts will look for the latest news and updates and that’s not what evergreen content is about. Write for the newbies and you’ll be heading in the right direction.

Keep sharing

Evergreen content is great for SEO because it’ll turn up in Google searches for ages after you wrote it. That doesn’t mean you can ignore it completely (sorry). Give it a little boost every so often by resharing it on your social media platforms. You could also include this kind of content in a welcome sequence for new email subscribers. It can work as an introduction to your area of expertise and will help new subscribers understand the work you do.

Creating evergreen content: format ideas

There are a few kinds of content that lend themselves really well to this. If there’s a topic that most of your audience want to know about or questions that you answer all the time, start there. Here are a few examples.

Frequently asked questions

If you already have a FAQ page on your website, you’re off to a flying start. If not, start thinking about the questions you get asked all the time when people first get in touch. These are the kinds of questions that they’ll be typing into Google as well. You can even improve your SEO by linking to these posts from your FAQ page so visitors can head there for a bit more detail.

How to guides

When it comes to creating evergreen content, these are a classic. They’re ideal if you do the kind of work that your audience might want to DIY to start with. My version of this is a series of blog posts that show you how to write your first blog post. (If you’d like the full series straight to your inbox you can sign up here.) Create a guide that walks your readers through a topic step by step and you’ll have created a resource that’s useful for both new and existing visitors.

What to expect

Most people don’t like trying new things. I know that sounds pessimistic, but it’s true. You might have loads of potential customers who aren’t booking because they’re scared what might happen if they do. The best thing that you can do is to talk about what they can expect when they contact you. What happens at the first consultation or after they fill in that contact form? This is different from an FAQ; people won’t ask because they’re worried about looking stupid. Put their fears to rest by telling them what to expect.

Are you ready to start creating evergreen content? I can help with that. Just click here to book your no obligation chat.