Archive for the ‘Website Tips’ Category
How to repurpose content: Follow 2 easy steps
When it’s time to write a blog post, do you search for fresh ideas — but nothing comes to mind? Here’s how to repurpose content.
If you come up empty-handed, the solution might be at your fingertips. Instead of spending time writing entirely new copy, you can breathe fresh life into EXISTING content — your articles, blog posts, webinar transcripts, book chapters, and worksheets. It’s easy to repurpose your existing content.
Repurposing and “recycling” older articles is perfectly fine — as long as the topics are evergreen (still relevant).
It surprises me when my clients express reluctance to repurpose content they wrote years ago, for example, older case studies or blog articles. If the topic is evergreen, the content may need just a bit of editing — a tweak here, a twist there — to be updated.
Perhaps it’s my South Dakota roots, but whenever I write about the topic of how to repurpose content, the word FODDER leaps to mind.
One definition of fodder is “coarse food for livestock.” Ok, that definition does not apply! But this one does: “raw material.”
When you think about repurposing your existing content, think about the “fodder” at your fingertips!
Here’s why I like the word FODDER …
Early in my corporate marketing career, I figured out how to repurpose content. I had to — it was a matter of survival!
On any given day, I faced deadlines related to marketing brochures, direct mail, public relations, white papers, case studies, tradeshows, sales presentations, websites, online newsletters, and advertising.
Whew!
Since I was juggling so many projects at once, I mastered the art of leveraging and repurposing content to save time and meet deadlines.
Long ago, I began looking at the copy I wrote as much more than one-off content. Instead, I viewed everything I wrote as potential fodder for a future project. Today this skill comes naturally for me.
Are you a solopreneur (professional speaker, marketing consultant, business coach, life coach)? Or do you own a different type of business? Or do you wear the marketing hat for a larger company? If so, there’s a good chance you write a lot of unique content. This means there’s a good chance you have plenty of FODDER at your fingertips!
Follow 2 easy steps to “recycle” and repurpose content.
Step 1: Use this checklist to identify ALL the places your written content exists.
- Marketing tools: Website, speaker one-sheets, brochures, sales sheets, and compiled testimonials
- PowerPoint or Keynote presentations and transcripts for keynotes, videos, webinars, and podcasts
- Handouts, worksheets, tip sheets, and checklists
- Social media posts and lists of discussion topics
- Published articles, case studies, and white papers
- Blog articles
- Email newsletters
- Opt-in box giveaway item (aka lead magnet, opt-in bribe, or freemium)
- Your books
- Your information products
- Other: __________________________________
Step 2: Take a fresh look at how you can repurpose your existing content — the fodder at your fingertips!
Let’s brainstorm a bit to spur some ideas. Take a minute to think broadly about the content you have written, per the above list. How can you “recycle” and repurpose your existing content?
Here’s an example: You could repurpose a webinar transcript into:
- Blog article or article series
- Guest blog article
- Email newsletter article
- Article to be published in a trade magazine (printed or online)
- Chapter for your next book
- Information product
- Opt-in box giveaway item, perhaps distilled into a worksheet or tip sheet
- Raid tidbits and share daily tips on Facebook and other social media sites
Instead of spending time writing entirely new articles, you can repurpose content by breathing fresh life into your existing, evergreen copy.
I’ve been transforming “fodder” — already written content — into polished, vibrant, relevant copy for decades. I’m happy to help YOU transform your transcripts, blog posts, email newsletter articles, presentations, video scripts, handouts, worksheets, and other existing copy into NEW and UP-TO-DATE content.
Do you need fresh ideas and a bit of guidance?
If you need writing or editing support to repurpose your existing content, call me at 719-685-1108 or pop an email to Patrice@PatriceRB.com. Remember, I offer a free, 30-minute consultation.
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Writing marketing content: 3 secrets to make it flow
Business owners who are writing marketing content – website copy, sales landing pages, brochures, speaker one-sheets, and other marketing verbiage – tell me it’s a chore.
They procrastinate, get stressed out, get writer’s block, and suffer through the first draft. Their editing process is more “critical” than “critique.” The words do not flow, and they are NOT having a good time.
For me, thanks to 3 decades of marketing and copywriting experience, writing marketing content comes fairly easily. It’s still a hefty project, mind you. But (thankfully) there’s not a lot of pain and suffering involved.
Right now, I’m immersed in writing several sales landing pages. The copy is flowing (thankfully). I just realized the reason why it’s flowing: Over the years, I’ve internalized these 3 secrets to writing marketing content.
Here are my 3 secrets to writing marketing content:
Secret #1. Follow the “itch-and-scratch” approach.
This is an extremely useful tool to have in your writing toolkit. Here’s how it works:
THE ITCH: Write the first few sentences of copy to directly address your prospects’ needs, challenges, or struggles.
THE SCRATCH: Write copy that directly speaks to the results – the relief they get – with the products or services you deliver.
Here’s an example:
THE ITCH: Are you embarrassed by your outdated website and mismatched marketing tools?
THE SCRATCH: Team with our skilled designers to create polished, professional marketing collateral, including a strategic website. You’ll enjoy this exciting, stress-free process. And you’ll love the results!
Secret #2. Use the word YOU.
Writing sentences that start with the word “YOU” helps to clearly present benefit messages. This is a must when writing ALL types of marketing content including website copy. (Note that you are “speaking” to an individual person, not a group of people magically reading your content in unison.)
Here’s an example:
In this interactive workshop, your sales reps will learn a proven process to hit their sales goals, month after month.
“YOU” is a hardworking little word. It practically guarantees that your marketing content clearly presents “what you get” – the benefits and results your prospects will receive when they team with you.
Secret #3. Tap into the reader’s emotions.
As I thought about one of the sales landing pages I was about to write, I realized that prospects who need this product are feeling confused, stuck, and overwhelmed. As I wrote the copy, I addressed these feelings from beginning to end. Essentially, I kept my finger on the pulse.
When writing marketing content, take a minute to think deeply about your potential buyers. How are they feeling? What are the emotions they struggle with – the emotions that might drive them to purchase the particular service or product you are selling?
Here’s a helpful list of emotions, as a start:
Frustrated, overwhelmed, confused, unclear/foggy, feeling stuck, feeling pressured to make the right choice, scared, feelings of inadequacy, flustered, floundering, fear of wasting time, fear of wasting money, fear of failure, fear of making the wrong choice
Follow these 3 secrets to writing marketing content for your next project. Hopefully, there will be no pain and suffering – and a lot more flow!
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How to write marketing and website content that is “visual” and memorable
Write marketing and website content that is visual (something the reader can picture) to ensure your message is clear and memorable.
Early in my career, an experienced writer advised me to write copy that enables readers to visualize a picture. I’ve boiled it down to this phrase:
“If they can’t SEE it, they won’t get it.”
In other words, if your readers cannot form a picture in their mind:
- They might gloss over your words.
- They might not fully comprehend the meaning.
- They might not remember your message.
How do you write marketing and website content that is visual and memorable?
Seek to use as much visual language in your writing as possible, particularly in examples, similes, and metaphors – and by using powerful verbs. Try to make your content tangible, almost “touchable.” If you close your eyes, can you see a picture?
Even if you’re writing about a topic that is fairly abstract, conceptual, or technological, you can still strive to make a point with visual words and ideas.
EXAMPLE #1
This copy is for an imaginary speaker who leads workshops to improve team communication and productivity.
Not visual:
“Poor communication in a team contributes to rework, missed deadlines, and conflict. Enhanced communication among team members directly results in enhanced productivity.”
Notice how you gloss over the message?
More visual:
“Poor communication in a team is like tossing a wrench into the works, which leads to mishaps and general mayhem! The results are reworked projects, missed deadlines, and conflict. On the other hand, clear and consistent communication leads to a highly productive team that runs like a well-oiled machine.”
If you close your eyes, can you see a picture?
EXAMPLE #2
Not visual:
“Many personality tests given to teams offer confusing results and advice. This workshop presents a new personality test that identifies key strengths to show how each person is an asset to the team.”
More visual:
“Many personality tests given to teams offer murky results with nebulous advice. This workshop presents a new personality test that shines a spotlight on key strengths, illuminating how each person is an asset to the team.”
2-MINUTE CHALLENGE
It’s YOUR turn. Take 2 minutes to complete this quick exercise. Rewrite the first sentence to make it more visual. Post your sentence on this blog – I’d love to read your idea!
Not visual:
“Personality conflicts in the workplace are damaging and counterproductive – and distract from strategic projects. In this workshop, your team will learn 5 steps to resolve personality conflicts.”
“________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________”
(See the bottom of this blog post for my solution.)
Some final advice …
When you write marketing and website content, don’t use similes and metaphors ad nauseam. Also, avoid mixed metaphors. Here’s an example: “On our cruise, we went overboard on the buffet. To work off the extra calories, we joined every exercise class and sweated like horses.”
Here’s my solution for the EXERCISE:
“Personality conflicts in the workplace can crush team spirit, sabotage productivity, and overthrow strategic projects. In this workshop, your team will learn 5 steps to resolve personality conflicts.”
~~~~~~~~~
Coming up next: How to edit marketing and website copy for visual appeal and to make it more readable
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Get customer testimonials: 5 ways to ask for – and get – GREAT testimonials
It’s important to get customer testimonials – this helps you get new clients.
Testimonials are social proof. Testimonials from your clients prove that your expertise makes a difference. That’s why it’s critical to get customer testimonials, and include them in your website, speaker one-sheet, and other marketing tools. Testimonials DO help to win new clients.
But it can be challenging to get customer testimonials!
Your clients love teaming with you. When you ask for a testimonial, they happily agree. BUT …
- They are crazy-busy, and they don’t get around to it.
- It’s awkward to keep reminding and pestering them.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone! This is a universal challenge for solopreneurs and small business owners.
Here’s the problem: You are giving them an action item.
When you ask for testimonials – and they agree – you are giving clients an action item. They intend to write a glowing testimonial for you. However, that action item is not a high-priority task. It may literally get lost in a sea of scribbled notes on their desk!
Here’s the solution: 5 ways to ask for – and get – customer testimonials.
Capture your clients’ glowing testimonials!
1. Jot down notes when clients rave, then write the testimonials for them – This is my favorite way to get customer testimonials. Often, a client will enthusiastically share comments when we’re on the phone together, such as “Your marketing advice hit the nail on the head…” When your client gushes, grab a pen and jot down notes. You can polish the comments a bit, then email the testimonial and ask for permission to use it.
2. Convert emailed comments into a testimonial – Client thank-you notes make great testimonials! Sometimes, you may need to edit an email thank-you note to transform it into a hardworking testimonial. If so, write the draft testimonial and ask your client to review it. Often, clients will elaborate on the comments and give you an even better testimonial.
3. Request an audio testimonial – Schedule a 10-minute conference call with your client and use the “record” function. Then you (or your assistant) can conduct a brief interview. Add the audio interview on your website’s “Testimonials” page, along with a written snippet or the full transcript.
4. Call and ask for a testimonial, on the spot – This tip is especially useful when you’re updating your website. Simply call your clients, explain that you’d love a testimonial, and ask if they have a minute. Then discuss the project’s results while you write (or type) notes. Edit your notes into a brief testimonial. Ask clients if they want to read and approve the written testimonial.
- Bonus #1: You’ll get enough information to write a case study.
- Bonus #2: You’ll reconnect with “old” clients. You can rekindle your relationship and possibly identify new opportunities to work together.
5. If you’re a speaker, include a testimonial request in your contract – Professional speakers often include a note in their contract, requesting that the meeting planner provide a testimonial after the event. Of course, immediately after your talk, you can capture attendees’ rave reviews on your smartphone’s video camera.
BONUS idea for those who present workshops – Do you give evaluation forms to workshop participants? If so, ensure the form asks questions in a manner that elicits usable testimonials. In other words, you might ask questions such as:
- “What is the most important thing you learned from this workshop?”
- “When you get back to your office, what ONE change will you make?”
- “With the advice you learned today, how will you change the way you do X?”
Use these methods to overcome the challenges to get customer testimonials.
Great testimonials help to win new clients!
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Should you change or edit client testimonials? YES! Edit to polish and add value.
Have you he
ard this advice: “Never change or edit client testimonials.” Not true! You SHOULD edit testimonials so they’re professional and add value. You can polish and edit client testimonials with a light touch. Just be careful not to change the meaning.
Use this checklist to edit client testimonials:
- PROOF – It’s vital to fix typos and punctuation issues. This helps to ensure your website and other marketing tools are polished and professional.
- SHORTEN – Brief testimonials get to the point and are easy to read. Trim long testimonials to 3-5 sentences. Yes, this means sacrificing content. But that’s better than loooong testimonials, which cause readers’ eyes to glaze over.
- REWORK (IF IT’S CONFUSING) – If a testimonial contains good content but is confusing or poorly written, consider rewording key sentences. Be careful not to change the meaning or the person’s intent. Then email the revised testimonial to your client for approval.
- ORGANIZE – I like to place testimonials with the most impact at the top of the website’s “Testimonials” page. When you organize client testimonials, alternate testimonials that address similar challenges.
- INCLUDE LOCATION & MORE – Make every testimonial work hard for you! Include the person’s full name, title, organization, and city/state or state/country. If your business is international, your testimonials from various countries prove that you work with clients around the world. Consider adding the client’s photo, if this is appropriate for your business. Also, if there are privacy issues (e.g., the healthcare industry) don’t publish the person’s full name. Instead use the first name only or initials only.
- ADD SEO KEYWORDS – When you edit client testimonials, sprinkle in organic SEO keywords. For example, if your name is Jane Doe and you’re a business coach, you can do this:
Replace this statement: “Jane guided me to…”
With this statement: “As my business coach, Jane Doe guided me to…” - MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT – Your website visitors (your prospects) don’t read every word on your website. They skim. That’s why I select one sentence in every testimonial and make it bold.
Take time to edit client testimonials. This adds professionalism to your marketing tools – and adds value for your business.
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SAVE THIS CHECKLIST: How to systematically review your new website before it goes live
Use this checklist to ensure a successful launch for your new (or updated) website!
I’ve been a website marketing strategist, copywriter, and project manager “ever since Al Gore invented the Internet.”
Over the years, I’ve reviewed hundreds of business websites to ensure they were polished, professional, and working properly.
Before a website goes live – and immediately after – I thoroughly review the website. Top to bottom. Using my systematic approach.
Use this checklist to thoroughly review YOUR new or updated website. The goal, of course, is to successfully launch your new, polished, professional website, so you can happily share it with the world!
Here’s my 12-point checklist. Use it to review your new or updated website before it goes live AND after it goes live.
- Test all links – Click the across-the-top navigation to ensure every web page is linked appropriately. Next, scroll down to the footer and click all text links to ensure they’re set up correctly, including social media icons. And don’t forget the site map: open the site map web page and check every link. Next, systematically move from web page to web page testing every link: any text links in the body copy, videos, audios, PDF speaker one-sheet, PDF resume, and all graphical elements (e.g., logos). If the blog has categories and a FeedBurner type of email subscription, check these links as well. Finally, on the interior pages, try clicking on the company logo in the banner – this should take you back to the Home page.
- Complete all forms to ensure they work – Complete all opt-in boxes and contact forms. Put on the “customer hat” and experience the process from the website visitor’s point of view. If there’s a PDF giveaway on the Thank-You-For-Subscribing page (from the opt-in box), click the link. It’s shocking how often this is overlooked! In fact, thoroughly review these behind-the-scenes thank-you pages (developers call these “success pages”). Also, critically look at any Captcha-type spam-control plugin the developer may have added to your contact form. Personally, I find reCAPTCHA beyond frustrating. If you and your website developer decide your website needs a spam-control plugin, select a version that your target market can easily use. Imagine a qualified prospect taking the time to thoroughly complete your contact form, then throwing in the towel due to a frustrating experience, right when they’re ready to hit Submit – you won’t get that lead.
- Now try to BREAK all forms! – What happens if you don’t complete a required field, then hit Submit? Is the “error” dialog box helpful? Or is it cryptic and confusing? On the contact form, can you input a long European phone number in the phone field or does it only allow 10 characters for US and Canadian phone numbers? Spend time trying to “break” every opt-in box and contact form. If there are any issues, it’s best for YOU to find them, not your customers.
- Purchase your product – Whip out your credit card and purchase your book or downloadable product. Check to ensure all pricing and shipping information is correct. Put on the customer hat to experience the purchase from the website visitor’s point of view. Is the purchase and downloadable process easy? Did it work properly? Are all directions throughout the process clear and easy to understand? Jot down any errors – and possible points of confusion – and discuss these with your developer.
- Test all email addresses – Is the main email address on the website Info@ABCcompany.com? Are there other email addresses? Ensure all are properly set up. If they don’t work, you may lose email messages from qualified prospects.
- Test all other features/functionality – Does your website have a search function? Test it. Any other features or functionality? Test these thoroughly, wearing the customer hat.
- Proof every word – Typos slip in … it’s a fact of life. Weirdly, typos seem to “hide out” best in 24-point headlines! Here are my favorite tips to flush out lurking typos and sneaky grammar and punctuation errors. This is an important step to ensure your website meets your high standards of professionalism.
(A) Print every page and proof the old-fashioned way – on paper. This simple trick offers a surprising level of objectivity and is much more effective than proofing at the monitor.
(B) Ask a family member, friend, or colleague to proof your website copy for you. Choose someone who has this skillset.
(C) Hire a professional proofreader.
~~~
~~~ - Critically examine stock photos – If the developer used stock photos in your new website, are the images fresh or trite? Do the images support your message? Ask pointed questions of your developer to ensure you have purchased the rights to use all stock photos and clipart. Finally, you’ll want to ensure photos with people present a mix of male/female, various ethnicities and, depending on your target market, different age groups.
- Check all redirects – For example, if your website address is ParagonConsulting.com and you requested that your developer redirect ParagonCoaching.com, then you’ll want to ensure this is set up.
- Ensure your developer has implemented basic SEO strategies – Like a well, this is a deep subject, given the plethora of SEO strategies and philosophies. At minimum, ensure your developer added a unique meta title and meta description for each web page and incorporated important organic keywords.
- Review using different browsers and multiple mobile devices (both Apple and Android) – Yikes, this is the bane of every website developer – and reviewers! This task can be time-consuming, and many developers do not conduct a thorough review. However, it’s YOUR website so, ultimately, it’s YOUR responsibility. At the time of this writing, there are 5 major browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera. Download each browser onto your computer and test the key features and functionality of your website on every browser (especially email and contact form). Yes, it’s a pain, but this is vitally important. And take time to review your new website on a variety of mobile devices – both Apple and Android. I recently found a significant issue when reviewing a client’s new website on my Android smartphone – an issue he didn’t encounter on his iPhone.
SIDE NOTE: As of December 2014, W3Schools.com listed the most popular browsers (in terms of market share) as:
- Google Chrome: 61.36%
- Mozilla Firefox: 23.6%
- Internet Explorer: 8.0%
- Safari: 3.7%
- Opera: 1.6%
- What’s missing? – I’ve done a ton of professional editing in my career. Long ago, this realization popped into my head regarding the difference between a proofreader and an editor: The proofreader looks at what IS there; the editor also looks at what is NOT there. Step up to the 10,000-foot level and ask yourself: “Is anything missing? Are all photos, videos, and other assets represented in my new website, as planned? Is the contact form robust, so it serves as a hardworking inquiry form? Have we overlooked anything?”
If you have thoroughly reviewed your new or updated website – using this checklist and a systematic approach – then you’re ready to go live. Congratulations!
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Marketing & Branding Views: Use the “Itch-and-Scratch” approach to write your marketing copy
THEME: Use the “Itch-and-Scratch” approach to write marketing copy
TIME: 2 minutes
LOCATION: Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Colorado Springs, Colorado
THE KEY VIEWPOINT: Use the time-tested and proven Itch-and-Scratch approach to write your marketing copy – especially website copy. And see what poison ivy looks like – remember, “leaves of three, let it be!”
CLICK HERE to read the transcript.
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How to improve your writing: My top 2 tips
I just got off the phone with a client; we are teaming on an exciting branding and website project. She truly is an expert in her business-consulting niche. Soon, she will be poised to step up as a thought leader.
We chatted about the importance of blogging, and how her regular blog posts will:
- Support her from a search-engine optimization (SEO) standpoint and help her get found by prospective clients
- Enable her to expound on her topic, educate clients and prospects, and reveal her passion, commitment, and personality
She asked: “How can I improve my writing?”
As a professional writer for 30+ years, I shared my favorite tips:
- Write a short blog post every day or every week. Gone are the days of writing long, daunting, full-length articles for your blog or guest blogs. Instead, write short blog posts (200-300 words). Focus on a key point that is useful or insightful for your readers. Stay on point, and make sure your point is clear.
- Take out your red pen! I firmly believe editing your writing is the best way to improve your writing. Print your draft, then use a red pen (or color of your choice) to edit your content. Read through your copy several times and edit for brevity, spelling, punctuation, grammar and, of course, clarity. Your goal? Copy that is crisp, clear, and compelling!
Speaking of keeping it short…
We have a rollicking thunder-and-lightning storm at my office. Time to turn off and unplug the computer. I hope there are no typos that will undermine my editing advice. :>
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WIFM drives all your marketing activities, including branding your business
Tip: Read the following with an announcer’s voice:
Your clients are always tuned in to radio station WIFM: “What’s In it For Me?”
Over 3
decades ago, I received this timeless marketing advice — the single most important advice in my marketing career.
In marketing, WIFM is your touchstone. Do not lose sight of this.
When I presented my “Nail Your Brand!” workshop for NSA’s Colorado Speakers Academy a few weeks ago, we started the workshop by discussing, and underscoring, the importance of WIFM in all aspects of marketing your business.
Obviously, you use a WIFM approach in advertisements. Plus, it’s the approach to use for website copy, your speaker one-sheet or company brochure, and even your brand.
When clarifying your brand, it’s important to communicate who you are and what you do. And it’s critical to convey what THEY get — the benefits and results your clients, customers, and audience members receive.
No matter what type of marketing activity you’re working on, including clarifying the brand for your small business, keep this in mind: Your clients are always listening to radio station WIFM: “What’s In it For Me?”
