How to Squeeze Every Drop of Juice From Your Content

October 30th, 2009

Stephanie Tilton is a member of the blogging team at Savvy B2B Marketing. Earlier this week, I followed the breadcrumbs from one of my LinkedIn groups to her blog post, How to Squeeze the Most Life From Your Content. In it, Stephanie tells us about an Executive Benchmark Survey of B2B marketers conducted by Bulldog Solutions and Frost & Sullivan, which discovered that, “Nearly half of marketers don’t think (or aren’t sure) they have enough content to fill their marketing needs.”

What really caught my attention was a suggestion from Frost & Sullivan’s Director of Global Marketing, “In addition to mapping content to the buying process and buyer personas, you need to understand how long your assets can reasonably deliver value.” According to Stephanie, he divides the general buying process into the following three stages:

  • Gain Permission
  • Overcome Objections
  • Support Decisions

When it comes to lead generation and conversion — which is, after all, the purpose of your content — it turns out that not all information has the same shelf life. At the point you’re attracting prospects, plentiful, frequently refreshed content is critical. When you reach the second stage of the buying cycle — educating prospects to overcome objections — it seems that you can expect content to have a life of approximately 6-10 months. And this is when you’ll be concentrating on producing whitepapers, web content, thought leadership articles etc. The final stage — when your content serves as a call-to-action to convert opportunities — you should concentrate your focus on content like case studies, testimonials and references. According to the article, these content assets can last for years — but you should always update them to reflect changing industry trends.

There’s more great information in Stephanie’s article. Make the time to follow the link and learn how to give your content the squeeze.

Amanda O’Donovan is a Toronto-based freelance content creator who helps B2B clients get the most from their marketing materials. Talk to her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com. 

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Blog Link to Web Ink

October 6th, 2009

Do you keep your valuable content behind gates, or make it free for all to see? The debate continues about whether registration should be required in exchange for content such as ebooks, whitepapers or research reports. Some say that gated downloads produce valuable sales leads. Others argue in favour of making content freely available in order to raise your profile through the viral spread that follows. Take a look at a recent post by David Meerman Scott, who advocates saying no to squeezing your buyers.

Amanda O’Donovan is a Toronto-based freelance copywriter who creates valuable content for a wide range of B2B clients. You can contact her freely at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com

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Posted in Post-Click Marketing Tools | 1 Comment »

Procrastination is the Thief of Content

September 29th, 2009

My last blog post was August 10, which may be a hint that I’m an expert on the subject of procrastination! I promised myself that I’d write this entry before I travelled to Europe for ten days earlier this month. When I returned, I was too busy with paid work to give it a second thought…but, again, I promised myself that I’d get blogging by Friday. When I failed to achieve that, I was convinced I would come up with a fantastic topic before the weekend was over.

Needless to say, when Monday morning dawned, I awoke blogless. “No worries,” I said to myself, “My latest project is out for client review, and I don’t have anything else booked in today.” By mid afternoon, (oops! make that late afternoon) I’d still managed to do everything but blog. What’s my problem? If I’d been working on a client deadline, I would have researched, written, reviewed and delivered the job ahead of schedule. Why is it that when it comes to dealing with what’s closest to us, we find every excuse to divert and delay?

Most of the time, it’s because we think we’re too busy to blog regularly, refresh an outdated website, create a whitepaper, interview for a case study or create a needs assessment. We believe that there are other needs that should take priority. The day-to-day imperatives involved in running a business and responding quickly and effectively to client needs outweigh the necessity to create new materials.

However, in a marketing environment that is increasingly driven by content, procrastination is a risky habit. Because other people are going to get there faster…and, if their collateral or their websites are more attractive, engaging and informative to a prospect, you will have missed the opportunity to make that vital connection. You will have failed to establish (and nurture) a relationship that progressively educates people about the value of what you do, and eventually leads to a sale.

When you finally get round to writing the content you so badly need, it will already be out of date.

So, with recession officially behind us, let’s all make a credible, achievable to-do list, and rank effective, regularly refreshed communication as a priority. Without it, however much you have to offer your clients, however brilliant your technology, however outstanding your customer service, only your closest friends will know!

Amanda O’Donovan helps her clients create current, relevant content. For timely intervention, contact her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com.

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Serve Your Content in Bite-Sized Chunks

August 10th, 2009

 

Forget about swine flu, the next big pandemic is attention deficit disorder. Nowadays, we need superhuman powers to ignore the daily distractions that prevent us ever reading to the end of a page. Smartphone users, Googlers and twitterers are professional skimmers, absorbing a few lines of your carefully crafted content before hopping to the next message. Forget about thinking big or waxing lyrical. Small thoughts are far more digestible!

Ø  Get Straight to the Point

Don’t spend time building to a crescendo. You’ll end up burying your call-to-action at the bottom of a long page, and may find readers aren’t prepared to scroll that far. Instead, spill your candy in the lobby, in full view of everyone. Use the top of the page to let your audience know how you can help.  An attention-grabbing headline and an intro containing your key messages will work wonders. Once you’ve engaged your readers, you can fill the remaining space with all the juicy details.

 

Ø  Learn to be a Ruthless Editor

Write your first draft and then cut it in half. It’s as simple as that!

 

Ø  Tell Your Story in Headlines

Some skimmers only read heads and sub-heads. Make every word count, and use visual tricks to help your headlines pop off the page. That way, anyone who’s just skimming the surface will still leave with the full message.

 

Amanda O’Donovan spoon-feeds her clients with easily digested content. You can contact her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com.

 

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Beat the Recession with Cloud Commuting

July 19th, 2009

Say hello to your newest, smartest resource. The Cloud Commuter is highly skilled, eco-friendly, doesn’t take up valuable office space and won’t be asking for health benefits. California-based elance, the leading site for online work, suggests, “More people are making the online workplace their new office and are logging in to get to work. Three trends have come together to make this possible. Companies are looking for greater flexibility and efficiency, more professionals are choosing to work independently, and managing online work has become easier than ever.”

 

As budgets are wrung dry, more and more businesses are turning their backs on traditional staffing in favour of hiring independent professionals when they need them. Why take the risk of committing to a permanent headcount when you can drink from the talent pool whenever you want to?

 

Whatever you’re searching for, there’s a Cloud Commuter who can provide you with exactly the expertise you need — and, when the job’s done, it’s perfectly OK to say goodbye until the next project deadline comes screaming into view. Think of your relationship with your Cloud Commuter as a date. The first encounter may have you coming back for more, but there’s no obligation to put a ring on it!

 

Feeling liberated? You should be, because when you make a remote hire you keep your fixed costs in check at the same time as you put yourself in the hands of the real experts. What’s not to love? Whether you tap into elance, or Google your local talent, you’ll be spoilt for choice — now there’s a little ray of sunshine.

 

Amanda O’Donovan is a Cloud Commuter who provides her clients with expert communications advice. You can contact her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com. 

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Why you Should Think About Content Constantly

July 3rd, 2009

 

I was reading the latest from Joe Pulizzi at blog.junta42.com when his posting about Content Strategy as the Future of Marketing caught my eye. He talks about a recent presentation by Kristina Halvorson from Brain Traffic, a Minneapolis-based web agency that thinks about content constantly. She advocates that concise, clear, compelling content should be part of a master plan. Structure it well and make it easy to find, as well as impossible to ignore, and you’ll drive sales at the same time as you deepen relationships.

Unfortunately some companies are still completely ignoring the importance of producing a constant stream of engaging content  to attract and nurture clients. And, while others are waking up to the power of establishing an informative dialogue with past, present and future advocates of their products and services, very few understand the strategic importance of content. It’s not just a handy little gadget in the communications tool belt…….it should be the hub of your entire marketing strategy. Ignore it at your peril.

Your audience will only read your content if it’s relevant and useful. Joe Pulizzi suggests thinking more like a publisher than a marketer, hiring a content strategist and viewing your content as a valuable asset that draws on multiple sources to educate and entertain.

For more, take a look at Kristina Halvorson’s presentation on SlideShare.

Content Strategy: The Future of Marketing

Amanda O’Donovan helps her clients plan, structure, present and refresh clear and compelling content. You can contact her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com. 

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Are You Driven to Abstraction?

June 3rd, 2009

If you think that communication is all about words not images, you may find that you’re writing in abstract terms. People remember pictures, not concepts. So, when your talk turns abstract, your readers start to drift — they’re simply not engaged. If there’s nothing concrete in what you’re saying, there’s nothing for them to identify with. Much like passive voice, abstract writing can sound pompous, evasive, vague or muddled. Peppered with confusing strings of abstract nouns, sentences can quickly run out of control, and you’ll find yourself using valuable page space to say nothing at all.

So how do you recognize these abstractions, and what can you do to weed them out of your copy? Let’s look at some concrete examples!

Ø  A Family Entertainment Experience — A wasted phrase like this is likely to have as many meanings as it has readers. Are we talking about watching Grandpa do karaoke or Mom fall out of a canoe? Is this about taking a trip to Disney or experiencing the excitement of Cirque du Soleil for the very first time? Or maybe we’re simply talking about getting in the minivan and munching through a bucket of popcorn while watching a feel-good movie that’s suitable for all ages.

 

And here’s another one: Nintendo describes the Wii as “a unique social gaming experience.” If you’d just emerged from a coma, would you know that the Wii is a video game that gets people off the couch and brings them together in front of their TV screens to bowl and box or play golf, tennis and baseball?

 

Ø  Negative Equity — This means that you’ve borrowed money to buy something that’s now worth less than you paid for it. But, while I think you’re talking about a house with a mortgage, someone else is imagining a car or a boat. If you don’t paint the picture your readers will make up their own story.

 

Ø Our Leading-Edge Facilities — Are we talking washroom, sports arena or hotel? And what makes these facilities so “leading-edge”? For argument’s sake, let’s say you run a hotel and you’re trying to increase room occupancy. You won’t attract any visitors by talking about facilities. You have to give your readers every reason to want to make a booking, so they have to picture themselves as guests in your hotel. Tell them about your new ergonomic beds and luxurious linens. Let them know about the celebrity chef in your restaurant. Give them every reason to want to reserve a decadent spa treatment or challenge themselves to a workout in your fully equipped gym.  

 

If you’re writing for technology markets it’s quite likely that you’re even more abstract than most. We’re in the habit of talking about platforms, systems, solutions, applications, configurations, standalones, bleeding edges, user interfaces, seamless transitions, vertical markets, intellectual property and cloud technology. We dehumanize real people, who we’re hoping will buy our products and services, by calling them end users and customer bases. Isn’t it about time we all started talking to our clients in a much more meaningful way?

 

Amanda O’Donovan works as a freelance copywriter in Toronto, Canada. You can contact her at 416.456.3859 or amanda@amandaodonovan.com.  

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Grade Your Gobbledygook

May 21st, 2009

 

Lexington MA-based David Meerman Scott is a Marketing Strategist and keynote speaker. David has partnered with Dow Jones Insight and HubSpot to weed out tired, overused and cliché-ridden business jargon from press releases, websites, case studies, whitepapers…….and just about any other kind of B2B communications you can think of. Read the posting below from David’s blog — or simply run straight to HubSpot’s Gobbledygook Grader to test your content for over-used gobbledygook phrases. If you feel really passionate about business clichés, you should also head over to Seth Godin’s Encyclopedia of Business Clichés. The list is currently at 360, and you can vote for your favourites.

Top Gobbledygook phrases used in 2008 and how to avoid them

Boston, MA – April 8, 2009 – David Meerman Scott is pleased to announce a partnership with Dow Jones and HubSpot to leverage and focus on innovative solutions for new and improved, next generation, cost effective, world class, high performance, value added outcomes.

Does the sentence above suck or what??

That’s how so many PR people write — using gobbledygook-laden phrases that are so overused to have become meaningless.

I have just completed an analysis of all 711,123 press releases distributed by North American companies in 2008 through Business Wire, Marketwire, GlobeNewswire, and PR Newswire. The project looked at 325 gobbledygook phrases from a variety of sources, with the detailed analysis on the number of uses for each phrase done using Dow Jones Insight.

So how do you avoid using gobbledygook?

Easy! Write using the words and phrases your buyers use. You can also run your press releases, web site text, brochure copy, resume or any other document through the brand new Gobbledygook Grader from HubSpot. The Gobbledygook Grader (released today) will give you a score based on how many over-used gobbledygook phrases you use and suggest ways to improve.

Here are the top 25 gobbledygook phrases used in press releases sent in North America 2008.

Rank Phrase # Uses in 2008

1.              Innovate

 51,390

2.              Pleased To

 48,762

3.               Unique

 48,095

4.              Focused On

 40,964

5.              Leading Provider

 33,101

6.              Commitment

 29,621

7.              Partnership

 28,969

8.              New and Improved

 20,167

9.              Leverage

 19,243

10.           120 Percent

 16,916

11.           Cost Effective

 15,454

12.           Next Generation

 15,371

13.           110 Percent

 13,659

14.           Flexible

 13,656

15.           World Class

 13,407

16.           Robust

 13,309

17.           High Performance

 13,049

18.           Scalability

 11,929

19.           Proud To

 9,877

20.           Optimize

 9,547

21.           Outcomes

 9,329

22.           In Terms Of

9,217

23.           Value Added

 8,725

24.           Easy to Use

 8,398

25.           Metrics

 6,851

Analysis of 711,123 press releases distributed in North America by Business Wire, Marketwire, GlobeNewswire, and PR Newswire in 2008. © 2009 by David Meerman Scott and Dow Jones. Copyright holders are licensing work under the Creative Commons License, Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us/

Gobbledygook terms were drawn from these sources:

 - Informal survey of my journalist friends in order to create The Gobbledygook Manifesto, first published in 2007.

- Suggestions within comments on the Gobbledygook Manifesto blog post.

- Seth Godin’s Encyclopedia of Business Clichés.

- This Paperclip is a Solution: A survey of general business and trade publication editors in September, 2006 by Dave Schmidt, VP, Public Relations Services at Smith-Winchester, Inc.

- The book Death Sentences: How Cliches, Weasel Words and Management-Speak Are Strangling Public Language by Don Watson

Resources:

- Take a look at the results for all 325 gobbledygook phrases

- Analyze your content using the HubSpot Gobbledygook Grader

- Read my original Gobbledygook Manifesto published in 2007

- Learn more about Dow Jones Insight, which I used for this analysis.

Disclosures: David Meerman Scott is on the board of advisors of HubSpot and he provides coaching services to Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group.

Amanda O’Donovan specializes in corporate communications. She lives and works in the Greater Toronto area, writing for clients in English-speaking markets — using as few clichés as possible.

 

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What is Communication 2.0?

May 12th, 2009

 

 

Old world communication was about publication not participation. Small elitist groups delivered their messages to the masses, and remained firmly in command and control. In those days, we hoped people would stumble on our web content and we liked to think they’d find the information useful.

 

In a 2.0 world, it’s our job as communicators to orchestrate information, involving as many people and sources of knowledge as possible, and striking a meaningful, progressive dialogue with the people we want to buy our products and services. New world communication is about intimacy, interaction and innovation. And, while change is refreshing, our message must also be consistent, because many different groups will consume it.

¨

7 Ways to Communicate More Effectively

Teach Yourself to Lose Control

help your customers get what they want, instead of feeding them what you want

 

Talk About Their Problems not Your Products

feel the pain and present yourself as the healer

 

Be Responsive, Authentic and Dynamic

create a conversation, be honest and write energetically

 

Create a Content Democracy

expand your sources and understand that many people consume your message

 

Build an Architecture of Participation

maximize your message by encouraging contribution and harnessing collective intelligence

 

Show and Tell

describe and support your value by creating a connection to positive experiences

 

Balance and Juggle

make use of multiple channels of communication and don’t forget to refresh

 

For a closer look at how to communicate more effectively, download Communicating in a 2.0 World

 

Amanda O’Donovan is a Toronto-based professional writer who helps her clients communicate more effectively with their audiences. 

Posted in Innovation | 1 Comment »

Marketing in a Downturn: Why Content is Crucial

April 28th, 2009

In the current climate, we’re all stretching budgets and making every last cent sing for its supper. It’s a cautious environment that results in a lot of ‘window shopping’ prior to purchase. Decision makers are clinging to the purse strings, carefully weighing their options before making a move to buy your products and services. They’re hungry for information that will help them make the right choices, and you must feed the need by providing them with valuable, relevant, educational content. High on the list of effective B2B lead generators are Newsletters, White Papers and Case Studies. These post-click marketing tools are part of a collection of bright, shiny FREE, informative objects you can dangle in front of online prospects (they’ll also work pretty hard for you offline). And, when the economy finally drags itself out of bed, you’ll have a jump start on all those companies who believed that decimating their marketing budgets would increase their profits.

In various blog postings, White Paper guru, Michael Stelzner, emphasizes the importance of focusing marketing efforts on creating valuable content. He points to a recent study by Junta42 that found, “Even in tough economic times, money is still flowing into content marketing initiatives…More than half (56%) of marketing and publishing decision makers plan to increase their content marketing spending for 2009.” The marketers surveyed said that they would invest in the following content this year:

·         Social Media (other than blogs) — 68%

·         enewletters/email — 60%

·         Blogs — 56%

·         Case Studies — 55%

·         Online Video — 51%

·         White Papers — 46%

·         Microsites — 43%

Did I hear someone at the back mutter that content creation is time-consuming? I’d have to agree with you. I do this for a living, and if you’re going to do a good job, you have to be prepared to put in the time it takes to research, interview, write and review…or set aside budget to outsource the writing. However, the return on investment can be substantial, when your creative, educational content leads to an informed buying decision and gives you a decided advantage over your competitors.

 

Amanda O’Donovan is a Toronto-based freelance writer who creates White Papers, Case Studies and Newsletters to provide her clients with valuable content and a competitive advantage. 

 

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