Are you looking for ways to improve your content? Do you already create good content and want to “take it to the next level,” so to speak? I get it. I’ve been writing content for digital marketing for over a decade now. Always, I’m trying to get a little better, to learn something I didn’t know. These are some of the small tips I’ve picked up over the years working for a digital marketing agency that help our clients quite a bit.
“Yes and Yes”
You’ve already seen my first tip: the opening questions of this piece. Starting with a couple questions that your reader is going to say “yes” to can be a great way to start a blog. You’re identifying their problems while letting them know that you’re going to be able to solve them. That’s all anyone is ever looking for from content they consume online.
In a very real way, putting questions at the beginning is a subtle kind of mission statement. You’re letting the reader know what you propose to do through the course of your content.
You’re connecting to them, bringing them in, all while showing them they can trust you. That’s a win-win-win.
“What Do I Want to Know”
If you’re like me, then you have large amount of content that you need to create which cover similar topics, themes, products, services, and more. It’s very easy to feel that it’s all “stale,” “been done,” or that you’re dealing with “writer’s block.” Those are natural feelings. But, the good news is, there’s plenty of ways to overcome them.
You know that the best is to ask: “what solutions do my customers need?” Even that line of thinking, over time, can lead you to feeling like everything has been said. I’m assuming, if you’re still reading to this point, then you’ve tried that a few times already.
My advice, when you’re really stuck, is to ask: “what would I want to know?” By putting yourself in the customers’ shoes, looking at things from their perspective, you very well may see something very familiar in a whole new way.
If nothing else, you’re engaging your brain differently, which gives you a better chance of success. Instead of thinking: “oh, it’s the same thing, over and over again, what am I going to do this time,” you’re thinking: “oh, what would I want to know about this?”
By shifting perspectives, you open up your own thoughts to new possibilities.
Find the Way You Work Best So You Can Work on Deadline
If you’re anything like me, there are times when you have to create large amounts of content on deadline. You don’t have time to be tired, uninspired, “not feeling the vibes,” or anything else. The work needs to be done and it needs to be done now. That’s the nature of this business and just about every other one.
To be prepared for those times when you do have to work very hard very quickly on deadline, you need to take care of yourself the rest of the time. Throughout the course of the days when i work remotely, I take a nap or two during the day. Not for long, only 15 to 20 minutes. But, by doing so, I’m able to handle an emergency.
If you treat everything like an emergency, if you “run yourself into the ground,” then you won’t be at your best when an actual emergency arises.
Of course, you need to take care of yourself in terms of diet, exercise, and more. The better you take care of yourself, the better you’ll be able to be there for the rest of your team in an emergency.
“Only the Sith Speak in Absolutes”
Yes, it’s a Star Wars reference (and I’m not even that big a Star Wars fan). When I’m writing content (particularly from the perspective of a client) I’m very leery of making definitive statements that the client may not be able to back up.
If I’m writing blogs for an attorney, I don’t say “we’ll win your case.” If I’m writing as a counselor at a rehab/treatment center, I don’t write “you won’t relapse after our treatment,” or anything of that nature. Those are extreme examples, but, all too often, I’ll see that in others’ writing and content.
First, it’s morally wrong. In a very real way, you’re giving people false hope. Beyond that, when I read that, I, for lack of a better word, cringe. I instantly don’t want to keep reading. All I can think is: “if this person is willing to exaggerate to me now, what else are they going to exaggerate about?”
Instead, what I do, I’m definitive about our effort. I am definitive about what we are going to try to do for you. So, if I’m writing as the attorney, I’ll say some version of: “we do everything in our power to win your case.”
If I’m the rehab/treatment center, then I’ll say “we do everything in our power to help you to get sober and stay that way.”
Success is definite. It’s binary. Win or lose. Success or failure. Neither I nor the client can correctly say what the outcome would be. What they can do is their very best. They can do everything in their power to help.
A Digital Marketing Agency in Los Angeles That’s Ready to Help
Those are just some of the tips I’ve picked up over the years. They work for me. I imagine they’ll work for you, too. What’s great about my position (well, one of the things that’s great about my position) is that I’m a member of a team. I have an entire team here that can handle all of the other aspects of SEO, omnichannel digital marketing, web design, and more.
To see how we can help you, schedule a free consultation through our site or by giving us a call.