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THIS WEEK
Writing Articles to Market Your Business ... The Different Kinds of Articles
ALSO IN THIS EDITION
Writing Articles to Market Your Business ... The Different Kinds of Articles
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One of the best ways to boost your credibility and expertise in the eyes of clients and potential clients is to share your knowledge with them.
Of course you could do this one-on-one with each and every client, but if you do this it will be a very expensive exercise in terms of your time. If you really want to leverage your time and extend the reach of your marketing effort, then writing articles is a great strategy.
There's no shortage of things you can write about for your business. But why is it when you sit down at your computer all the great possibilities suddenly disappear from your mind faster than the name of the person you just met at a networking event?
For those days when your screen and mind is blank, here are 10 different kinds of articles to get you started.
Start with FAQs
Look at the FAQs people ask about your service or product and consider if the answers could be turned into an article (e.g. 7 Reasons You Need to Regularly Change Your Smoke Alarms).
Tips
Do you have tips or ideas related to your product or service? These could be include tips around the selection, maintenance, repair, troubleshooting of the product, or could be broadened out to tips that are more general (e.g. 10 Tips to Help You Decorate Your Child's Bedroom).
Your take on news issues
Sometimes there are issues in the media that you can logically make a comment on, or give your opinion on (e.g. How to know if you need to throw away your fridge after a flood or if you can save it).
Product stories
If you are launching a new product or improving an existing product, this could be newsworthy (e.g. The Latest Innovation in Kitchen Timesavers).
How to articles
These are generally more in-depth than tips articles, and give people step-by-step instructions on how to do something (e.g.: How to Repair Plasterboard Cracks).
Trends
If you stay abreast of new research or can tap into trends in your industry, you can share the findings in an easy-to-understand way with your clients (e.g. Why More Small Businesses Are Turning to Facebook).
History
People are interested in learning interesting facts about the history of your company or your reflections on your experience. Remember though, this is not therapy and you need to consider the depth of your disclosure (e.g. What I Wished I Had Known Before I Started My Business).
Interviews
You can interview top clients or employees to explore what they like about your company, or discuss information about their businesses/roles that may be relevant to your readers (e.g. How XYZ Helps 123 Stay Profitable).
Myth Busting
If there are myths about your product or service type, then a myth-busting article may be needed (e.g. Do You Own Your Business Words & Images?)
Seasonal
Some articles can be targeted to specific holidays or seasonal events, for example – New Financial Year, Year in Review, New Year's Resolutions, Christmas Ideas, etc. (e.g.: 10 Ways to Spice Up Your Christmas Party).
Of course, it also pays to keep a little notebook in your handbag or briefcase, just to jot down ideas or thoughts when creative inspiration strikes.
So ... what information can you share with your clients or potential clients?
Share
| HR Tip of the Week: Everyone is an Author |
When businesses look at writing articles as a marketing strategy, they often hand them over to the marketing team to write, or delegate them to someone on their senior management team. What they forget is that everyone is an author - you just need to get the essence of their story out of them.
So ... talk with your top salespeople, and ask them the top 10 questions people ask about your product or service. Speak with the receptionist and ask them about common questions they get over the phone about your business.
Talk with your product development team to find out all the neat tricks and specifications from your latest gizmo or gadget. Share a coffee with long-term employees of the company to get them to share their memories about the early days.
See any trends here? Good article writing starts with research. It starts with finding information and a lot of the best information will come from the heads of your team.
Yes, you may choose to use a copywriter to put the key points together for you into an article, but the first step of talking with your team will give higher quality results for both you and your clients. Remember, it is all a people problem & your people are also your solution.
Coming Soon ...
Small Business Marketing Tips -
Transform your Business in Minutes a Day Using These Proven Offline Marketing Strategies |
I am so excited! I am putting the finishing touches on our latest book, packed full of simple and practical marketing ideas and tips for small business.
These ideas are all designed to be done on a shoestring budget, not take a heap of time and are all offline (which means no fancy website coding, social media savvy or computer knowledge is needed!)
To find out more, watch this space over the coming weeks as we get closer to our launch!
Following on from our lead story in relation to what to write about in articles, this blog post looks at the vexed question of giving away too much information to clients and competitors (and ways to get around it).
exuberantly yours
Ingrid
Heart Harmony
Legal stuff: This newsletter is intended as only a general guideline for Australian businesses. You should seek specific advice for your situation rather than relying only on this newsletter
Earnings disclaimer. Some of the content may include advertorial information, which means I may receive financial compensation for the products I recommend. But - unless I know and trust the product first, I will not recommend it.
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