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Caring is Sharing: A Not-For-Profit Strategy

Good content (and good marketing) is about solving customer problems.

But... how do you make people care enough about their problems to buy your product or subscribe to your solution?

Contrary to popular belief, marketing isn't about convincing people that they need your product or tricking anyone into buying something they didn't want.

In a perfect world, customers have a problem or need, and companies recognize that need and attempt to fill the gap with their service. Proper marketing is demonstrating how your business' solution addresses that need, and does it better than the competition.

But we don't live in a perfect world, do we? So as marketers we often find that our customers either don't recognize their own need or, if they do see it, just don't care enough to do anything about it. How do you make them care? Can you make them care?

If the root of the problem is caring, then it may be time to take a leaf out of the books of charities worldwide. Think about it! A charity's ultimate goal is to create empathy in people who otherwise neither know nor care about whatever cause they're championing. So how do they do it?

1. Make the audience acknowledge the need
From shocking photos of devastation or starvation to the mournful notes of Sarah McLachlan, non-profits confront their audience with the cold, hard reality. You may not have neglected puppies at your disposal, but you can shock and confront customers with the hard facts of their issue.

Are you a roofing contractor? Use the worst-case damages this winter's record snowfall has inflicted on homes throughout the area. Show photos of collapsed roofs, ice dams, and leaking ceilings. Even for industries not dramatically affected by historic snow, you can find ways to show your audience that a need exists.

2. Demonstrate why it's important
The children will live, the poor country will thrive, the oceans will stay clear. Charitable groups spend all their time and energy explaining to potential donors why their cause is important and what benefit it will bring. You should do the same! As far as customers are concerned, ok sure maybe there's a gap or a problem but.... eh. I'll think about it tomorrow. It's your job to show why it's important right now.

Back to our trusty roofer. What happens if damaged roofs aren't inspected and repaired? Warn of the impending dangers if these problems are not resolved, or how ignoring the problem can make it even worse (and more costly) down the road.

3. Prove your solution is the best solution
Even charities compete for funds. They have to tell their donors why their organization is better than others, even for similar causes. Whether it's religious ties, the way they work with local groups on the ground, or the transparency with which they operate, they state their case for why your money is best given to them. Why are you better than your competition?

So we need to get our roof repaired - you've convinced me. Why should I let you be the one to do it? There are dozens of contractors in my area. The burden of proof is yours to establish why your solution, product, or service is the right choice.

Sometimes, customers can use that extra push to recognize a need in their lives. Give them the nudge they need to take steps towards resolving their problems!

Know Your S-E-Os

Do you know your S-E-Os? 

Site optimization is, without a doubt, one of the most important things you can do to build your business and actually get your website found by customers. But it can also be intimidating, confusing, complicated, and technical.

What do?

It's simple - just practice your S-E-Os!

Simplify your website

• Think 1 page per topic. Your website's inner pages are more than just places to put info - they're landing pages! Make sure they focus on a specific keyword or search term you want people to find you for - and name your pages accordingly.
• Use a clean layout and simple design to make sure your content is distinct and not buried in clutter. This makes your actionable items and calls to action stand out (and more likely to convert).
• Eliminate content that wastes valuable real estate. Make room for quality content! That means info or items that are irrelevant to your audience, blurry or low-res photos, and bad keyword-stuffed writing.

Ensure you're following best practices

• Your meta data has specific parameters that make it effective and worth spending time on. SEO rules are there for a reason! Follow them. Google even has their own guide to best practices to keep you on track.
• Title tags should be fewer than 70 characters (ideally more like 50-60). Meta descriptions should be no longer than 170 characters, and include a CTA so customers can call right from the Google search page if they want to! 
• Remember: spaces count as characters!
• Optimize your images too, with descriptive alt text to help customers and search crawlers find their way to your site.

Opt for original content

• Google knows (and will punish you for) plagiarized or copied content. So make sure your writing is unique, your own, and true to your business.
• Your customers know too, and will abandon you for higher quality sites, also impacting your search rankings. Content can make or break you: make it count!
• Use your content to create (and promote) your brand's personality and voice, give descriptions of your unique services, and to go into detail about what makes your business special (and worth committing to over a competitor).

Now I know my SEOs, let's see how my search rank goes.

Going Meta: The Structure of a Blog, Prescribed

Blogging today can be tricky business for any business. How do you write a whole post of hundreds of words in a way that's lighthearted yet informative, concise yet detailed, straightforward yet interesting and engaging?

It all comes down to style and format. And for that, we're going meta!

Meta, according to Urban Dictionary

Using a bit of "prescriptive content" to show exactly what I mean, here's what your post should look like.

[ Header 1 ]

Nothing bores a reader faster than a wall of text using 20-dollar words and complex sentence structure. People reading online have the attention spans of goldfish, so it's important to keep it short and sweet. A clear focus will help you narrow your writing rather than going too big and diverse.

Simple sentences, skim-able layout, and succinct language are the keys to success, particularly when you're trying to explain concepts that aren't too familiar to your audience.

And short paragraphs are the glue you need to pull your writing together in a bite-size way.

[ Header 2 ]

Using clever or descriptive sub-headings provides readers with the information they need to decide if they want to read further. Designing your content with distinct sections, subsections, and bolded items is a way to allow your audience to see what's most important and where the content is going. 

When content is designed for skimming, it gives people a "Choose Your Own Adventure" reading experience where they decide which pieces they're interested in, and to what depth.

Here's where you put an introductory sentence that leads into an awesome list of points

• Line item 1: and a sentence to explain it, why it's important, and how you can make use of this information
• Line item 2: and a sentence to explain it, why it's important, and how you can make use of this information
• Line item 3: and a sentence to explain it, why it's important, and how you can make use of this information
• Line item 4: and a sentence to explain it, why it's important, and how you can make use of this information

You can conclude this section to wrap it up, or let it speak for itself, depending on what points you're making.

[ Header 3 ]

Since you don't want your blog to run too long, this maybe be a good point to start wrapping things up. Maybe you opened with background and then moved into the meat of the topic in that middle section. That makes this the final section where you summarize the points and draw it to a conclusion.

Regardless of logical flow, your blog should always address 3 main questions, regardless of subject: What is it? Why is it important? And how does it benefit? 

With those thoughts in mind and this prescriptive format to guide you, you're on your way to a solid blog post... or any other longer-form content!

What does it all mean?

What's the point... Why are we here, what does it all mean??

Tis the season when we all fall victim to the occasional existential crisis.

But really, why are we here? What do we, as content marketers, think we're doing every day? Through every blog post, each infographic, countless 140-character-tweets... what's the point?

The Meaning of Life

Content marketing is about delivering quality, useful content to consumers. It's our goal to create interesting writing, clever graphics, and snarky comments to drive that elusive metric, "engagement"

A content marketer's mission, our Meaning of Life, if you will, is to reach and resonate with customers. It's not to drive sales, or get leads, or walk people in the door. Not directly, anyway.

We're meant to elicit a chuckle. Provoke a thoughtful chin-stroking. Maybe even a surprised head-tilt. If you're doing your job right, you'll get Likes, Shares, and Retweets. And if you're really lucky, you'll get site visits, phone calls, and closed deals.

They're Just Not That Into You

We often get lost in the data of marketing, and forget that people don't like ads. No one enjoys being marketed to, especially when it's interrupting their lives (e.g. TV commercials, pre-roll ads delaying your YouTube video, or data-stealing Facebook ads that run as you scroll through your newsfeed on your phone). So then how are you supposed to advertise your business to keep the lights on and food on the table? A marketer's gotta market, amiright?

People don't like being marketed to, it's true. But they do like being entertained. So entertain them!

Treat your customers to helpful holiday tips that solve those pesky problems everyone encounters each year. Create an infographic that'll have them emailing and sharing with the family because doesn't that sound JUST like Uncle Fred last Christmas? Post about familiar things, ideas that are useful, commentary that is thought-provoking. Whatever you do, don't just market at them. Be fun. Be funny. 

New Year, New You

We all lose steam from time to time, especially around the holidays. After a full year of content marketing, it's easy to burn out and lose that creative edge. Thankfully, this time of year is FULL of ready-made wit. It's easy to resonate with your customers with content that speaks to what's on their mind - the holidays!

So take it easy and use the theme of the season to add a little punch to your posts. Then regroup and start off the new year with a bang, feeling refreshed and creatively charged!

Put some content in your content

My old voice teacher had a saying when students were singing, but not giving out that quality, robust sound they could be. She'd shout out, "put some sound in your sound!"

In singing, you can tell when the sound is hollow, and she could tell when we had more to give. It's hard to explain exactly what you needed to do to make it fuller, but that phrase had something to it. You were singing, but there was something missing - you needed more sound in your sound.

Writing can be similarly hollow in its quality and feel, leaving you lacking satisfaction.

Putting lots of words on a page is one thing, but does it really mean anything? Does it say what you're trying to say?

I often find that people write in such a way that the end result is.... empty. Their statements are noncommittal. Their points are never fully made. Their focus is fuzzy. It's such a waste of good writing!

Now, I admit I fall victim to this on occasion myself. It's especially likely when I am writing about something unfamiliar, or I haven't quite settled on an angle to help me dig into a topic. The more undecided or uncomfortable you are, the more likely your content will also be uncomfortable.

Whether you're writing blog posts, ebooks, or press releases, your content needs to have a purpose and say what it's meant to say.

So how can you put more content in your content?

• Have a thesis. This one goes back to the good old days in school. But your English teachers had a point! A thesis creates a focus for your writing, around which everything should revolve. Doesn't tie back to your main argument? Doesn't belong in this post. It's that simple.
• Don't be vague. The death knell of any piece of writing is the lack of any real statements. Sentences dance in circles around a point, teasing at its existence, but never quite saying what they really mean. Spit it out! Don't be afraid to say it outright - your content will be all the better for it.
• Have actual supporting points/statements. Making an argument is great, but can you back it up? A one sentence statement doesn't have the impact or clarity that a statement, followed by supporting information does. Make your claim and then stand by it with good reasons.
• Use concrete examples. On that note, find examples! Nothing makes your case better than a (clearly explained) case study outlining the very situation or cause-and-effect you're trying to discuss.

and most importantly

• Say why it matters. So you've presented an argument, made your case, and supported it with strong statements and clear examples to illustrate your point. Now what? Your great points fall flat if you can't tell your audience why they should care. You should always say it outright when there's a benefit or key takeaway to be had from your point, even when it feels like stating the obvious. It provides a sense of closure (a conclusion!) and you never know when someone may not have followed your sense of reason all the way to the finish line. 

Put some sound in your sound! Make sure your writing is clear, concise, and describes things explicitly. Your customers (and your bottom line) will thank you.

There's no "i" in Content

There's no "i" in content.

Your website, your social posts, your videos... you're the one writing and creating them, but do you have your customer or yourself in mind when you're doing it?

It's natural to have expectations and specific desires for what's included in your copy. It's easy to go from "guided" to "heavy handed" with information that you think is crucial to the point where you're overloaded. When writing, it's important to take a step back and think about what's important to your audience.

Who is your content really for?

It's not for you, certainly. So it must be for someone else (hint: your customers). So make it about them!

Tips for keeping yourself out of your content:

• Avoid "I" and "We" like the plague. Why? Because it's not about you! You should be talking about your customer and what matters to them, not what matters to you.
• You can get away with using "we" in some of your website copy especially when describing your company and your excellent customer service, but otherwise, steer clear. 
• Social media? Forget it - those posts should be 80% about everyone and everything other than your business.
• Your best bet? Talking about your customer and how products/services/etc. can benefit them, their lives, their businesses.
• Follow the 80/20 Rule. Social media posts on any network should be only 20% self-promotional and 80% other content. That's right - 80% not about your business!
• Post about related topics, interesting articles, funny quotes, anything that keeps your human customers engaged and enjoying your posts. That way, when you do say something about an upcoming sale or new product, they're more likely to notice and listen.
• Keep it simple. Don't overload your site or blog with astronomical levels of detail. Your customers don't need it and might not even understand it,
• Save the specs and mechanical intricacies for the in-person explanation when you get to it. Too much up front is confusing, overwhelming, and off-putting.
• You may think all that detail is interesting and important - and it very well may be - but it's just not relevant to your customer. Think about what's most important for them to know right now, at this stage of their buying cycle.

Content, of any type, needs to be designed for your audience or else it's a waste of your time. You already know all that information about your business, you don't need to talk to yourself.

Sometimes it can be hard to take an unbiased assessment of your work. Find someone who knows nothing about your industry and have them review your content for it's value to someone with fresh eyes.

Think of it like gift giving. You don't give someone else a gift that makes no sense to them or doesn't fit their interest, you give them something that is going to suit them. Make sure the information you're giving your customers suits them - the questions they're asking, the concerns they have, and the needs they're looking to solve.