Creating an editorial calendar doesn’t have to be complicated. Sure, for magazines, news organizations, or multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns, there’s a lot of moving parts. But for individuals, small businesses, and startups, editorial calendars can be simple and straightforward. Before moving on, there are a few housekeeping items I want to run by you. First, it’s essential to figure out how much time you can realistically commit to creating content. Your experience, skills, and life circumstances (family, employment, etc.) will influence how much you can create. If you’re just getting started, I suggest starting slow. Get a feel for how quickly you can create content. Adjust your schedule to make room. Discover how your day-to-day life responds. But don’t let this discourage you from creating content. The most important thing you can do is to get started. Take a step. Schedule time. Write a post. Record a podcast. Film a video. The little steps you take today will lead to an avalanche of momentum tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s the nitty-gritty to creating your own editorial calendar. Use this checklist to help you map out blog posts, podcasts, emails, and more.
1. Start with your business objectives and target marketYour editorial calendar should be built on two equally vital pillars: your business objectives and your target market. Before moving forward, you’ll need to determine your goals and clarify your audience. Afterward, you’ll be able to identify what pieces of content you’ll need to create. 2. Create a (realistic) publishing planDuring this step, there are two questions you’ll need to answer:
Before answering these questions, take a deep breath, realistically assess what you can and cannot do, and go from there. In regard to the first question, the types of content you’ll need to create may include one or more of the following:
There are many different types of content, so lay out what you’re going to create. Now, for the second question, you may have an endless source of ideas, but what can you realistically accomplish? How much time can you devote? Do you have a team who can help? Do you have the resources to hire an agency or freelancer? How much content you create and how frequently you publish new material will be based on how many resources (time, personnel, and money) you can devote to your plan. If you’re new to creating online content, I have no problem over emphasizing that you should start slow. Get a feel for things. Kick the tires. See how things work. It’s easy to get started right away. But there are a ton of little details you’ll need to learn as you go along. And it’s best not to overwhelm yourself at first. Remember: A slow trickle of consistent content over time can create a torrent of attention. Before jotting down your plan, there are a few more steps you’ll need to take. So, hang tight! 3. Get a calendarHave a calendar in hand. You can use a pen and paper, Google Docs or Sheets, CoShedule, or something else. Whatever you choose, just have a calendar handy. 4. Mark dates and eventsMake a list of key dates and events for your business on your calendar. Keeping track of these details will help you to keep an eye on upcoming events that will attract the attention of your audience. You’ll be in a good position to create helpful content that will add to the conversations already taking place in your community, region, nation, and the world. Below is a not-so-comprehensive list of categories to help you think through ideas. Look through these categories and brainstorm the various events that take place and which make most sense for you to be aware of.
5. Decide quarterly content and semi-annual contentWhen you build your editorial content, I suggest starting with the larger projects you’re working on in the next 3–6 months. Go ahead and jot down those ideas—e.g., blog series, online class, book, webinar, lead magnet. Prioritizing your most important projects will help you to fill in the rest of your calendar with additional material. This will also help you plan your content around these larger projects. As a reminder, keep your audience in mind. You want to ensure that you’re creating content that they want; in the format they want it. 6. Figure out a publishing rhythmNow it’s time to figure out how much content you’re going to publish. Do you want to write 1–3 blog posts per week? Will you need to record one podcast per month? How many emails do you need to create? Creating a weekly, monthly, and quarterly plan will focus your efforts to ensure that you hit your goals. 7. Put together your workflowA broken workflow is similar to a cracked water pipe. Though some water is able to pass through the pipe, other water is escaping, which can physically damage your home, increase your water bills, and more. In the same way, a broken workflow can lead to work not getting completed, inconsistent messages being delivered, and an inability to accomplish your content marketing goals. For your workflow, here are the key steps you’ll need to take:
These steps, which identify categories of work, stay relatively the same for the creation of any piece of content. The most significant change in each step for different types of content, such as written, video, and audio, is the skill set required to complete the work. Depending on what system you use to help manage your projects, Google Drive used in conjunction with Basecamp, Asana, or another tool is a great way to manage your editorial calendar and workflow. 8. Execute your planAlright, now the fun begins! It’s time to execute your content marketing strategy. Do you run a marketing team? If so, be sure to review Why You Must Build a Marketing Media Company to walk through the different roles involved and the tasks your team members should be responsible for completing. What is more, if you run a team, make sure you run them through the workflow above (or whatever you put together). Your workflow will improve your team’s communication and ensure everyone is on the same page. If you’re individually executing your plan, take it slow. First, focus on creating high-quality content. After you establish a comfortable rhythm, build on the work you’re doing by adding whatever will benefit your audience and business the most. Making this work for youCreating an editorial calendar will help you plan in advance when you are going to spend time creating content. Each week, carve out how much time you will need to create content. Pick a time you’ll sit down and build your schedule. Make this a priority if you want it to be one. Look for ways you can create additional time if your plate is full. Get up earlier. Stay up later. Look for various activities during your week that you can cut out. I know this is a lot. I get it. It is for me too. As I said above, start slow. Don’t allow the idea of an editorial calendar to stop you from creating content. Sit down and create content—today. The post How to Create an Editorial Calendar for Your Business appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/editorial-calendar/
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There’s one common challenge every business faces: Creating consistent content. From the demands of writing blog posts, updating social media, exploring new opportunities, and more, every content team will face the challenge of consistently creating content. This is especially true with marketing media companies. There may be those moments of inspiration—where you or your team conjure up a flurry of ideas. Knock out a few quick ideas. And then … nothing. Your well runs dry. The ideas begin to cease. And the demands of your day- to-day business provide you with little to no time to do anything about it. It doesn’t matter if you’re creating one piece of content per day, week, or month. Every content creator at some point in time will wrestle through difficult seasons of creating content. As a marketing director for a B2B SaaS company, I know this feeling all too well. But there’s one thing that can help you, me, and our teams sustain the work we are inspired to create. And that’s creating an editorial calendar. I know this doesn’t sound inspiring and even lacks glamour, but believe me; there are multiple benefits. Here are nine reasons why all businesses must create an editorial calendar. 1. Increased creativityCreating an editorial calendar will help turn your life and business into a source of content inspiration. Being aware of what you’re going to create will encourage you to view your life and business as a source of ideas, illustrations, and clarity. I personally noticed this change when I first served professionally as a copywriter and content manager. For months I struggled with developing compelling headlines, attention grabbing first sentences, and well-structured material. When I began to schedule my work further in advance, I noticed that this provided me with ample opportunity to research, think about what to say, and allow my ideas to incubate. It’s amazing the level of creativity you can encourage within yourself by simply allowing yourself some time to think. 2. Increased qualityThere’s no shortcut to creating killer content. It takes time. And in some cases a lot of it. An editorial calendar will provide you or your team with the additional time needed to research, write, edit your content, and design whatever you need, which will ultimately increase its quality. Also, creating an editorial calendar will foster a production state of mind. In the words of Jonathan Thomas:
The act of creating content on a regular basis will help you and/or your team become better writers, video producers, speakers, and so on overtime. 3. Increased consistencyMany blogs and websites project the sound of crickets because their content is not up-to-date. An editorial calendar will help you fight away these dreaded crickets by positioning you to create regular content for your business. The thing to remember about having up-to-date content is not up-to-date content. It’s about providing a consistent stream of helpful content for your audience they can drink from. This doesn’t mean you have to publish something daily. All I’m saying is that providing consistent content, whether it is once per week, twice per week, or once per month, will train your readers, viewers, or listeners on when to expect to hear something from your business. Increased consistency will also trigger anticipation within your readers. They will make more of an effort to connect with you and your content when they know what to expect. This leads to the next benefit. 4. Increased engagementCreating consistent content will not only let your readers know what to expect, it will encourage your readers to engage with your content. This is similar to having a party. You’re inviting guests to your house and depending on the event, they expect to be engaged by you to some degree. Their anticipation of your content will lead your audience to return to consume, share, and engage with your content. And their engagement is a key factor in building and maintaining an engaged audience. I know I’m stating the obvious, but it must be said: Respond to your audience. Whether people are engaging on your blog, social media accounts, or business website, it’s important for you to interact with them. If you don’t, then it’s like not responding to someone when they say, “Hello.” So don’t be rude. No one likes that. 5. Increased effectivenessOne of the great benefits of an editorial calendar is ensuring that you’re meeting your objectives while helping your audience. Maybe I’m just speaking for myself, but it’s easy to get off track and share whatever your heart fancies. This is good for your personal journal. But sharing a smattering of random thoughts online is like throwing mud on the wall with the hope that something will stick. An editorial calendar will help you plan, create, and deliver content to your audience. 6. Increased perseveranceCreating content is difficult business. An editorial calendar will help you keep your eye on the big picture. When updating your content becomes challenging—and it will—an editorial calendar will encourage you to focus on what’s in front of you. It will shine a light on the next step you need to take in your online journey. Sometimes seeing the baby step in front of you is all you need to continue moving forward. And this level of perseverance is what will separate you from the rest of the crowd. 7. Increased reachFishing teaches us a lot about creating content. Before going fishing, it’s important to know what you’re fishing for. That way you can choose the best time of day, location, and bait to reach the fish you’re trying to catch. An editorial calendar will serve you in a similar way. It will place you in a position to create content that will best reach your target audience. Spend time identifying your target audience. Understand who they are, their needs, and wants. Then prepare to create content that will connect with them where they are—not where you want to be. This would be like fishing for a freshwater fish in a saltwater ocean. They’re not there. 8. Increased relevancyYour content needs to be either timely or timeless. Timeless content is also what people call evergreen or cornerstone content. It is content that has no shelf life. It will not expire. It is relevant today and tomorrow. Now, there are two different types of timely content. First, timely content is content that can have an expiration date. It is content that is connected to a specific event, such as promotional material for a new product, event, and more. Its relevance and usefulness will expire as soon as what it was connected to ends. Second, timely content is content that is written in light of current events. It doesn’t necessarily have an expiration date. But it does have a specific time of helpfulness. For example, there are issues today that were not around one year ago and will not be relevant in another year. Writing content that is based upon your topic, connects with your audience, and intersects a contemporary event will help you better connect with your audience and increase engagement. 9. Increased focusI currently have over 300 content ideas. Some of these are just headlines, others have notes, while others are a crappy first draft. But all of these half-completed ideas tempt me to complete them. Mapping out what I want to write in a calendar has helped me to refocus my efforts rather than chase the various ideas that come to mind. An editorial calendar will help you focus your research, writing, editing, and rewriting. This will be beneficial when you feel like you’re facing some roadblocks. You will be encouraged to press through and finish the job. Over to youAs you can see, if you take the time to create an editorial calendar for your business, you’ll reap the rewards, and any time spent making a plan will be well worth it. The post 9 Reasons Why You Must Create an Editorial Calendar appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/create-editorial-calendar/ There’s more to content marketing than creating content. After all, your work doesn’t end when you hit the publish button. To create a successful content marketing strategy for your business, you have to continue to develop new content, measure the results of your work, and adapt what you’ve done in an ongoing cycle of optimization. If you want your content marketing efforts to succeed, you need an individual or team to oversee the work to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. Not having a group in place with clearly defined roles is a recipe for unfulfilled desires. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to building a content marketing team. Whether you’re a solopreneur, run a small business, or direct the marketing efforts for an international company, you’ll want to build a team that fits your needs. Now, regardless of what type of team you put together, there are vital roles you’ll need to fill. Again, depending on your needs, some of the functions listed below may be full-time positions, whereas other jobs you can outsource to a trusted freelancer or agency. As you think through your content marketing needs, here are seven positions you’ll need to fill: 1. StrategistA content strategist is someone who can build your content marketing strategy. He or she will be able to help you clarify your objectives, clearly see the competitive landscape, and create a winning plan for your business. If the scope of your work is significant, then having a strategist on staff will be necessary. If you run a small business, you may be able to get by with hiring a consultant to provide direction or an individual or agency you retain on a part-time basis. 2. WriterTo create your written content, you need writers who can produce high-quality content. Content that resonates with your audience and compels them to action. At a minimum, you need a wordsmith or journalist who can flat out write. Fight the temptation to write everything yourself or find someone on your team to do the work just for the sake of getting it done. You’ll need a writer who’s adept at storytelling, can write for the web, and knows how to compel people to action. What is more, your writer should be someone who knows his or her way around SEO. However, writers can acquire these this skill and others fairly easily, and it’s more challenging to ask someone to write who doesn’t understand the craft. If you decide to build a team of freelancers, make sure all of them are on the same page. For example, you will want to make sure your strategist and writer regularly communicate and move forward with the same plan. 3. EditorIt’s arguably impossible for any writer to catch all of his or her mistakes. You can use proofreading checklists and follow all of the best editing practices, but it’s difficult for writers to self-edit their work. To double-check the content you publish for the public to consume, you’ll need an editor who can check for typos and grammatical errors, or someone such as a developmental editor who can enhance your writing to make sure it’s hitting its mark. 4. CreativeWhen it comes to the creative side of things, there are several things you’ll need to consider. Do you need to infuse a creative flair in your work? Do you have someone on your team who’s advocating for your brand to ensure everything you produce is consistent in style and tone? Or, do you need one-off graphic images or infographics? For your business, you may need to designate someone on your team who will provide creative direction, oversee quality assurance, and make sure your company’s brand is portrayed clearly. For this role, you may need the help of a graphic designer who can provide you with creative support when you need it. 5. VideographerVideo is an essential part of any content marketing strategy; it’s here to stay and will continue to take on precedence in the future. From using Facebook Live or purchasing b-roll to create your videos, to hiring a team to shoot new footage, you can spend as much or as little as you like. Don’t have the financial bandwidth to create a video? No sweat. Consider taking a blog post, podcast, or another piece of content and repurposing it into a video you can publish on YouTube. For this video, you can use your phone, computer, or camera to record. Afterward, you can find a free or relatively inexpensive video editing software to place the finishing touches on what you filmed. 6. PromotionPromoting content is easier said than done, and this is the part many businesses fail to deliver. To effectively promote your content, you’ll need to have someone on your team responsible for spreading the word or you can outsource this work. Now, if you don’t have the financial bandwidth to pay someone to promote your content, consider creating fewer pieces of content so that you can spend time promoting your message. What you create may be discovered over time, but you can help your work get the attention it deserves by sharing it with others. 7. AnalyticsThe goal of any marketing effort is to produce results for a business or organization. Whether it’s generating new leads, increasing traffic to your website, or enhancing your thought leadership in the marketplace, you’ll need to define your business objectives and content marketing goals to keep track of your progress. Someone with an analytics skillset will be able to tell you if you’re making progress and provide data-driven feedback to infuse into your future content creation and promotional efforts. Making this work for youBe patient when building your content marketing team. As you can see, there are many pieces involved, and it takes time to put together a cohesive team. The post How to Build a High-Performing Content Marketing Team: 7 Key Functions appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/content-marketing-team/ “I have a book in me.” This is what 81 percent of people in America feel. Like you, many people long to write a non-fiction book, share an idea, or capture a moment in history. Every year, many of these people express their desire by writing a book. In 2013 alone, more than 1.5 million books were published. That sounds like a lot of books—and it is. But if you do the math, the number of books published every year is only a fraction of the people who’ve expressed an interest in writing a book—which makes perfect sense. Writing a book isn’t for the faint of heart. It requires more than a good idea. Inspiration will only carry you so far. And endlessly banging away on your keyboard may lead you nowhere fast. Depending upon your schedule, experience, and abilities, it can take several months or more to write a non-fiction book. Not only is the work demanding. But if you’ve never written a book before, then you’re probably struggling with self-doubt. My goal in sharing this with you isn’t to dash your dreams against the rocks. Far from it. Instead, I desire to let you know what you’re getting into so that you can get ready to overcome the challenges you’ll face. If you want to write a non-fiction book, then hear me loud and clear: You can. Since you’re reading this post, there’s a good chance you’re thinking about writing a book or you’re looking for a few tips to help you cross the finish line. In light of embarking on several book projects soon, I decided to review my notes, and share with you the process I use to turn an idea into a manuscript. Below are the four steps you need to take to write a non-fiction book and 24 writing tips you can use to sharpen your craft. Happy writing! Step 1: Prepare to write“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” I can’t recall where I first heard this pithy advice. But it has stuck with me over the years, and it bears a tremendous level of relevancy for writing. Here’s why: Preparing to write is like creating a blueprint for a new home. The time you invest in this step will clarify what you need to write. What points you need to make. What illustrations you need to share. And what change you desire your readers to experience. By skipping this step or not taking it as seriously as you should, you run the risk of your manuscript running off track or completely derailing. Do yourself a favor, take the time to review the tips below, and create a plan. You can thank me later. 1. Choose one big ideaWhat’s the one big idea you want to write about? Make a conscious choice to thoroughly cover only one big idea. Deciding ahead of time what your book is about will help you focus your writing, fight the temptation of pursuing rabbit trails, and help you research your topic. 2. Test your topicTest your book idea before writing your book. You can write blog posts, share ideas on social media, speak on your topic, record podcasts and videos, and survey your audience. These tactics will help you know how well your book idea resonates with people. 3. Identify your target audienceWho are you writing for? Knowing who your target audience is will help you answer their questions, focus your writing, and ensure your writing style best connects with your reader. 4. Create an outlineOrganize your book by identifying the major topics you need to cover to make your point. Now, look at your topics and determine what you need to cover within each topic. Use this material to create an initial chapter outline of your book. 5. Prepare your writing placeBefore you start writing, prepare the place you’re going to write your book. Identify a place not only practical but inspirational. 6. Create a backup systemMake preparations to regularly save your writing. There are a ton of options to choose from, but some of the most popular are Evernote, Dropbox, Google Docs, or an external hard drive. 7. Prepare your notesCreate a file system to help you collect ideas, notes, and research. You can use a Moleskin journal, Evernote, or your computer’s desktop. Regardless of what you choose, prepare a system that best works for your life’s rhythms. Step 2: Research your topicYou want to share something new, original, or fresh, right? Then don’t start writing too much—yet. Before you dig into writing your non-fiction book, it’s best to take plenty of time to research. Reading broadly will make your opinions well-rounded, provide you with plenty of material, and place you on the path of adding new value through your words. Know what else? During this time, you’ll discover how you can best position your book in the marketplace, as well as fill any gaps you identified in similar book titles. Follow these seven tips to uncover everything you need to write your book. 8. Read, read, and readBefore writing your book, it’s important to read, read, and read on your topic. In the words of New York Times bestselling author, Tim Keller, “You should read 20 or 30 good books on the subject carefully and skim another 20 or 30.” This depth of reading will help you best grasp your subject matter, add new insight, and avoid repeating what others have said. 9. Determine your research needsYour book topic, outline, and initial reading will show you how much research you’ll need to conduct to complete your manuscript. Use the outline you previously created to identify specific areas you’ll need to research. 10. Create a research to-do listDetermine the articles, books, and illustrations to research. Identify the priorities based on what you need to know to complete your manuscript. One of the best places to identify research material is to check the resources authors in your field refer to. 11. Examine best sellers in your nicheRead the best sellers on your topic to see what it is about these books that resonate with readers. Is it the author’s writing style that connected with readers? Did the author shed new light on the topic? Was the story engaging? These questions and more will help you understand how to craft your book to best connect with your reader. 12. Review similar titles for marketabilityWhat books in circulation are similar to yours? Identifying what’s available will help you differentiate your book. You can also examine reviews of comparable books and look for questions left unanswered, topics not explored, or weak points. What’s more, examining comparable titles will also give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of sales. Observing the sales rank of comparable books is a good litmus test to see how well your book will or will not sell. 13. Interview expertsInterviewing experts on your subject matter is a great way to add primary research, additional examples, and credibility to your book. If conducting interviews is a tactic you want to employ, schedule these far in advance before the completion of your manuscript so that you avoid having to wait for a key interview just to finish your book. 14. Review your notes and outlineYour topic, outline, and individual subpoints may need to be adapted after your reading, research, and interviews. You may discover your one big idea is not supported by research, your outline needs to be rearranged, or you need to conduct additional research to fill in gaps. Step 3: Write your bookNow it’s time to get to work. After you review the tips below, there’s one essential point I want to highlight: It takes a long time to write an average size non-fiction book. As I mentioned above, it can take several months or more to complete your manuscript. During this step, take a realistic look at your schedule (e.g., work, family, friends, children, school) to make an accurate estimate of how many words you can realistically write. 15. Determine your due dateIt’s been said before, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” The same holds true for writing a book. Determine ahead of time when you would like to complete your manuscript. This will help you make time in your schedule to write your book. 16. Set a writing scheduleFirst, estimate how many total words you need to write to explain your topic. Then, determine how many words you need to write every month, week, and day to finish your book manuscript and hit your due date. 17. Make time to implement your writing scheduleCreate time in your weekly schedule to write. How much time you need to set aside to complete your book will depend on how quickly you want to complete your manuscript. It’s important to be realistic in what you can accomplish. Be creative. Identify activities in your life you can replace with writing—e.g., watching TV, playing video games, or extended lunch breaks. Also, consider staying up later or getting up earlier to squeeze in extra writing time. 18. Write—don’t editYour goal at first is to write, write, and write. Don’t worry about editing … at all. If you stop to edit, you’ll lose your train of thought and waste time. Pour yourself out. Don’t hold back. Your first draft is for you and you alone. You can worry about editing your writing later. 19. Crush writer’s blockWriter’s block is a common challenge faced by many—if not all—writers. But the primary way to overcome writer’s block is to write … anything. You can also consider doing something physically active, spending time with family or friends, reading a book, listening to music, or watching an inspirational movie. The idea here is to take a break, step away from your writing, and come back refreshed. Step 4: Review your bookThis step can be the most challenging for many writers. This is when you or a professional edit your manuscript, which can be an uncomfortable experience. Regardless of what you think about editing your manuscript or having someone else review your work, punch whatever fear you’re feeling in the face, take time to review your book, and highly-consider working with a professional editor. For this final step, you may not have to wait until your manuscript is complete to have it edited. Depending upon the style of your non-fiction book, you may be able to submit one or more chapters at a time versus waiting until the end. 20. Read your book out loudReading your book out loud places you in the seat of your reader. It enables you to get a feel for how your book will be read by someone else. This is also a great way to improve your writing style, identify typos, and check the structure of your book. 21. Write another draftWrite a second, third, and even fourth draft of your book. The goal is not to rewrite your book, but to make your writing better. Review your outline. Make sure your chapters support one another. Look to see if your paragraphs are clearly connected. And take a look at your sentence structure, grammar, and style. 22. Solicit feedbackGet the feedback of family, friends, or an editor after you have written and rewritten your manuscript. Generally, avoid receiving feedback on your manuscript before it’s ready for the public, aside from having a quality editor or writing coach help you shape the content. 23. Two free tools to help you self-edit your bookThere are two free tools you can use to help your writing: Grammarly and the Hemingway App. Grammarly will help you discover overlooked errors, enhance your writing, and make you feel like a world-class wordsmith. The Hemingway App will help your writing to be clear, crisp, and clean. 24. Have your book edited and proofreadEvery book is made better by a great editor. A professionally trained editor can ensure your book’s topic is focused, your structure is well-organized, and your writing style is clear, smooth, and engaging. To ensure your book is ready for publication, consider having your book content-edited, copy-edited, and proofread. These checks and balances will best prepare your book for publication Over to youWriting a book is difficult. What I shared above are simple steps you can take and writing tips you can use to guide your writing. In the end, you have to do the work, and I believe you can. To write a non-fiction book, you’ll need to make it a priority. You’ll need to …
Writing a non-fiction book is challenging. But trust me, it’ll be rewarding in the end for you and your readers. The post How to Write a Nonfiction Book: 4 Steps and 24 Writing Tips appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/how-to-write-a-nonfiction-book/ Stories are a powerful copywriting tactic. You can use stories to …
… your target market. This isn’t some sort of pop-psychology hack, either. The latent power of stories is not only proven in their ubiquitous existence in every culture throughout history. There are scientific benefits to storytelling and a truckload of anecdotal evidence. For example, Buffer increased their reader engagement 300% when they incorporated storytelling into their content. When telling a story to promote your business, people don’t want to hear about your company. Instead, they want you to relate with them in their own words. To connect with people in such a way, you must know their problems, understand their fears, and show them how your business can empower them to fulfill their aspirations. There’s no perfect example you should emulate. There are multiple ways you can use storytelling in your copywriting to connect with your projects. Here are 10 angles or ideas you might take:
Regardless of the angle you take, good copywriting begins with a customer in conflict—not your business, product or service, or features. As a copywriter, you must place yourself in the shoes of your target audience, identify with their problem, and amplify their internal conflict so that their life becomes unbearable without the resolution you have to offer (think “Problem-Agitate-Solve”). If you want to connect with customers and grow your business, fight the temptation to tell them about yourself. Instead, swim within the current of their life by guiding them to the successful destination they have in mind. Show them how your product or service will help them reach their goals. The post 10 Storytelling Tips Every Copywriter Should Know appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/copywriting-and-storytelling/ Writing persuasive copy is challenging. Your time is limited. You have multiple writing projects you need to complete. You don’t have sufficient time to prepare. You struggle with self-doubt. I get it. I’ve been there, done that, and on many occasions, I still do it today. Thankfully, you—(and I)—don’t have to wallow in self-pity. There’s a really practical way you can …
This isn’t a course, book, or Snake Oil I’m peddling either. It’s a simple copywriting formula you can learn today, and it’s called “problem-agitate-solve” (PAS). I’m telling you—this isn’t complicated. Here’s how simple it is to understand:
There are many copywriting formulas you can use. But mastering this one technique will set you well on your way to writing clear, concise, and compelling copy. In this post, I’m going to break down these individual points in detail. Afterward, I’ll share some examples and show you why this formula is so powerful. Let’s get started!
#1. Know the problemAs a copywriter, it’s essential to place yourself in the shoes of your target audience. You want to …
This isn’t some sort of pop-psychology tactic you can use to pull a fleece over the eyes of your readers. Empathizing with your prospect’s problem is essential to writing succinct and compelling copy. To really understand the problem your target audience faces in relation to your product or service, do these three things:
Let’s take a look at these in turn. a. Know your productThe first thing you need to do is to know your product. Without this baseline knowledge, there’s no way you’ll be able to compel anyone to action. You’ll simply lead people to fumble over your words. Regardless of what product or service you’re writing about, you must do your homework first. Get it. Use it. Study it. Learn everything you can about it. I know this sounds like a lot of work, and if you’re like most people, you probably have a ton of writing projects to complete. But you can’t skip this step. In the words of David Ogilvy,
After you become a master of the product you’re promoting, it’s time to turn your attention to your prospect. b. Identify your prospective customer’s problemDuring your research, identify your prospect’s problem. It’s the force you’ll leverage to compel them to action. To harness this power, you’ll need to know:
As you ponder your prospect’s problem, you’ll identify several emotions and desires related to their problem. When this happens, you’ll be tempted to knead all of these insights into your work. But don’t succumb to this temptation. Instead, focus on the one desire that’ll best resonate with your prospect. As Eugene Schwartz, the author of Breakthrough Advertising, says:
For whatever you’re writing (e.g., Facebook ad, blog post, email newsletter), choose the desire that will best resonate with your prospect today. There’s one thing I need to point out about this: The problem you choose needs to be a profitable market. Remember, the problem you’re solving is the problem your product or service solves for your prospect. Sell it! c. Relate to their problem in their own wordsDo you know the best way to relate to your prospects’ problem? Use their words to talk about their problem. Think as they think. Feel what they feel. Talk like they talk. To ensure the readability of your copy, you’ll want to …
After you’ve worked through this list, it’s still a good idea to test your copy. Apart from having a volunteer or paying someone to review your work, you can test the readability of your content by using the Flesch-Kincaid readability test. There are several online tools you can use to measure your Flesch-Kincaid score, and the results will help you see how easy it is to read your copy. Your turn: What’s the one problem you’ll highlight in the words of your prospect? Take the time now to brainstorm a variety of options, and then choose the one emotion or desire you’ll leverage as the problem you want to solve. #2. Agitate the problemAfter identifying your prospect’s problem, it’s time to turn up the heat. To do this, share the additional pain your target market will experience if they don’t solve their problem. Here are a few techniques you can use:
As you agitate the problem, your prospect will feel a sense of urgency to resolve their situation. What is more, you’ll establish credibility since you’ve done such a good job empathizing with your prospect. They will see you as someone they can trust. With this in mind, don’t spend too much time agitating your prospect’s problem. Your goal is to eventually resolve their problem, and you can’t do this if your prospect is left in a fetal position in the corner of a room unable to respond because you made them feel so terrible. Your turn: Choose one of the four techniques above and practice agitating your prospect’s problem. If you run into a creative wall, try practicing with the different techniques listed above. #3. Provide a solutionIt’s now time to save your prospect from their problem. You’ve placed yourself in their shoes. You’ve empathized with their problem. You’ve led them to feel the urgency in resolving their situation. Your prospects are open to hearing what you have to say. So now it’s time to offer your solution. To help your prospect avoid the pain of their problem, you can …
The option you choose really depends on the context. For example, if you’re writing copy for a Facebook ad, and your goal is to lead people to give you their email address by signing up for a lead magnet, then you have the flexibility to write a short, punchy call to action (CTA). Now, let’s say you’re writing long-form copy for a landing page, then you can take your time to further build your credibility. Regardless of how you choose to solve your prospect’s problem, be sure you make the action you want them to take clear. According to an older study, 70% of small business B2B websites lack a call to action. You don’t want to make this same mistake. Your turn: Select one of the suggestions above and write a clear call to action that solves your customer’s problem. Examples of problem-agitate-solution (PAS)Here’s how the PAS method looks in practice:
The initial question immediately identifies your target customer: shy, timid people. They’ll answer “yes” to the question. Then they’ll get punched in the gut when they discover the consequence of ignoring their problem. Bam! But don’t let them stay slumped over misery for long. Provide them relief. In this case, a book with a secret to conquering insecurity in less than a month. Here’s another example I borrowed from Copyhackers: Why is problem-agitate-solution so powerful?This copywriting formula has stood the test of time, and there’s no slowing it down. There’s one simple reason why this is the case: Everyone (including you and me) wants to avoid pain. Think about. We try to prevent discomfort at all costs. We take pain-relief medicine when we have a slight headache. We sidestep potentially difficult conversations. We bury our heads in the sand when things feel overwhelming. (I’ll admit, this is somewhat autobiographical.) This isn’t eccentric behavior. This is rooted in human nature, and it’s a fundamental part of who we are as people. In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky captured this innate desire in a theory they called “Prospect Theory.” Sharing their research, Donald Miller, author of Building a StoryBrand, says:
Did you catch that? The people you want to influence are primarily motivated to avoid pain when making a decision. When you use the PAS copywriting formula, you help your prospect avoid the pain of their problem with the solution you offer. Taking this approach in your copy will make whatever you have to say that much more compelling. Making this work for youReady to master this copywriting formula? It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. There’s no way to learn this technique without practicing—a lot. Demian Farnworth, who founded Copybot, mastered this technique while writing product descriptions for a world-famous televangelist. With limited space to write and the need to quickly complete his assignments, Farnworth worked fervently, experimenting with different ways he could apply this formula in his work. As for me, it was 2012. I had to write nearly 100 short articles (250 words or less) for a parental training curriculum. For every article, I had to quickly capture my reader’s attention with a clever hook, provide a digestible lesson, and add a clear call to action at the end. If it wasn’t for the PAS formula, I’m not sure if I would have ever completed that project. What’s the moral of the story? Experiment with this copywriting formula. Use it in the blog posts, email newsletters, or social media updates you write. If you don’t have an assignment from work or school, find your favorite e-commerce site and rewrite product descriptions until you’re blue in the face. This is just one way you can put in the practice. However you practice, be sure to put the formula to work and you’ll be well on your way to writing persuasive copy. The post Problem-Agitate-Solve: The Best Formula for Writing Persuasive Copy appeared first on Copybot. from https://thecopybot.com/potent-little-sales-formula/ Amazon almost killed Best Buy. Then Best Buy learned to Be a little more Like Amazon and it is doing great. You too can Be Like Amazon while not being like Amazon. Any business, retail or services, online or brick and mortar can learn from these principles. Build relationships, help people buy instead of focusing on selling them, understand your employees & customers’ motivation. Find ways to remove the friction in the experience through innovating your current processes. The post Physical Retail Is Not Dead Yet! appeared first on Bryan Eisenberg & Jeffrey Eisenberg. from https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/physical-retail-is-not-dead-yet/ Do you want to get paid less for any value you bring to your customer? Obviously not! Do you prefer to pay more for products than they are actually worth? Today Payless announce they are closing all their stores. I want us to step back too late November/December of last year (yes only a couple of months back) and take a look at what we can learn from the PayLess disaster to understand how we need to adapt to stay ahead of our customers. What do I think is the future of local retail?Could Amazon offer you /ride sharing as part of Amazon Prime? Is the battle for brands over private labels really a big issue? I chat about this and more with Tyler Kern on today’s MarketScale podcast. (function(p,l,a,y,e,r,s){if(p[y]) return;if(p[e]) return p[e]();s=l.createElement(a);l.head.appendChild((s.async=p[y]=true,s.src=r,s))}(window,document,'script','__btL','__btR','https://player.backtracks.fm/embedder.js'))A short interview by InRiverI had the privilege to sit down with the wonderful content team at InRiver to discuss revenue blind spots and my upcoming keynote at the InRiver PimPoint Summit on the 4th of April in Malmo Sweden, The post Does it Payless to pay less? appeared first on Bryan Eisenberg & Jeffrey Eisenberg. from https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/does-it-payless-to-pay-less/ SEO Burlington – Hi, I’m Kanwar Manoria and I would like to assist you in ranking your company on the first webpage of Google this means you can produce more site visitors and profits. 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Regrettably, you’ll find lots of people that dabble in Search engine optimization and really do not possess the qualifications necessary to effectively rank your website. In fact, non-professionals can actually do harm to your website. By carrying out tactics that aren’t really search engine friendly, your site might be penalized. This will finally result as part of your website becoming unsearchable in preferred SERPs. There are many benefits of choosing a Burlington Search engine optimization qualified personnel for your company. Just give us a call and leave everything on our shoulders. As a Search Engine Marketing expert, we would teach you the best way to turbocharge your organization. The post SEO Burlington appeared first on Kanwar Manoria Digital. source https://kanwarmanoria.digital/seo/burlington/ from https://kanwarmanoria.blogspot.com/2019/02/seo-burlington.html Our companies are nothing but the collection of action every one of our employees take. What beliefs do your employees have about the organizations goals and vision? In Alan Stein, Jr. new book Raise Your Game he quotes a famous Inc. magazine survey that first asked executives what percentage of their employees could name the company’s three top priorities. The executives guess 64%. When the researchers conducted the survey of the employees, the actual number was a sadly, only 2%.
It is vital for an organization to align their values and beliefs into an internal narrative that can be shared through the power of storytelling. When we left our agency almost a decade ago this is what we discovered was the trait that almost all of our past successful clients and students had continued to leverage in their careers. They mastered the ability to tell the story of their customer’s journey though their customers eyes in a way that made it empathetic and relevant for the whole organization. Today we lead workshops helping teams get in alignment. P.S. I had an opportunity to jump on a call with my friend Chris Brogan recently. During the conversation I made some bold predictions, I wonder what you think of them. The post Every Action is an Expression of Belief appeared first on Bryan Eisenberg & Jeffrey Eisenberg. from https://www.bryaneisenberg.com/every-action-is-an-expression-of-belief/ |
ABOUT MEHello I am Felicia 29 years old living in Toronto, Canada. I love reading and watching videos about SEO. I am planning to start my own SEO business. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |