Jim O’Connor is one of the most talented copywriters I know. He has been writing copy for about 20 years and only came across the concept of writing “content” relatively recently.  At first he hated the whole idea – he felt it went against the grain of everything he believed about the craft of concise copywriting.

Twelve months later with a successful blog Jim’s feelings are totally reversed. He now realises that, when content is truly valuable and well presented, it’s a really smart way for a business or individual to build their reputation. So, what brought about his conversion? Here’s Jim’s story.

Less has always been more

“Studying for a degree in English Literature gave me the opportunity to compare and contrast different writing styles.  I soon developed an admiration for those who could say the most in the fewest words.  For instance, “To be or not to be” (the ultimate choice, summed up in 6 words, only one of which has more than two letters), penned by a man who, in the same play, has one of his characters declare that “brevity is the soul of wit”.  A near contemporary of his described his career limiting (to use the modern jargon) marriage in the single line “John Donne, Anne Donne, undone”.

When I started in advertising I discovered that great copywriters have the same ability, believing that “less is more”.  That’s partly because the medium was “paid for” (press ad, poster tv/radio commercial).  You had to fit your communication into a small space or time slot, like it or not.  Moreover, you had to grab attention, and the simpler you made your communication the more likely it was to go in, and stick.  I worked at Saatchi & Saatchi, where they demanded “brutal simplicity of thought”.

The process of writing copy, to my mind, is one of distillation – you boil off everything that is superfluous until you create a highly refined and flammable spirit.  This is then ignited in the heart and mind of the reader/viewer by further compression and the spark of an idea (rather like the ignition achieved in an internal combustion engine – described more fully in my post “Great copy- can you torque it?”).

Why content and copy are chalk and cheese

Writing for the web, as digital writers delight in telling us, is different.  They’re right – and the difference is that the process is often less demanding!

1. With content the writing doesn’t have to be quite so tight.  You still have to keep it concise, but because the email, or website, or post, is not in a “paid for” medium like press or TV, you have a little leeway.  You can scroll off the bottom of the screen, add more pages, or write a follow up post, without having to find another £5,000, £50,000 or £100,000 to pay for larger spaces or longer commercials.
2. With digital writing it’s often the case that more is more.  That’s because it’s partially written for search engines.  So more keywords per page is good.  More posts is good.  More pages every month is good.  More news items is good.  So there’s less of an imperative for brevity.
3. If more is more, quantity can become more prized than quality – because google doesn’t read, it just runs algorithms.
4. Once quantity is valued more highly than quality, “the words” become a standardised commodity that has a set market price.  Hence the term “content” – words are viewed as “filler”.  That’s the attitude of most web designers.  They create the pages then ask the client or writer to “fill it up” – rather like pulling up at the petrol pump.
5. Finally, now that words have been devalued to this extent, the only criteria for selecting a supplier is how quickly and cheaply they can deliver.

McMarketing

This hunger for content, the quantity rather than quality mentality, and the fact that you can find people desperate enough to do the job for the minimum wage has a profound effect.  It has created a situation where “content” is often served up swiftly and cheaply by unskilled operatives who cut and paste pre-prepared material scavenged from other sites.  The process is as swift and unskilled as assembling a happy meal, and the resulting food for thought is about as appetising, nutritious and satisfying.

Junk content vs valuable content

This is the way I felt about content and copy when I met Sonja Jefferson. She, like a few other marketing people I respected, was passionate about the opportunities offered by content and social media.  Because these individuals were obviously very experienced, and certainly didn’t write rubbish, I listened.

Top 3 reasons why people go online – to get information, to be entertained, to socialise – not to be sold to

They showed me research which indicated that the top three reasons people go online is to get information, to be entertained, and to socialise with others.  The one thing they didn’t want online was people giving them a hard sell – even when they were shopping.  So the smart way to use social media is to create a stream of content that satisfies one or more of those needs, whilst keeping it nice and chatty.  Do that and you get people coming to your site on a regular basis.

The key difference between this type of content, and that which I’ve likened to mental junk food, is this.  Instead of being written for search engines it provides something that people find useful and enjoyable.  This, to use Sonja’s term, is quality content, or valuable content – clearly defined by her and other experts in this excellent post – What makes quality content?

A priceless new medium (it’s worth a fortune, but it’s free!)

As I began to experiment with creating and sharing valuable content it became apparent that it’s not just valuable for the reader – it’s also immensely valuable to the company providing it.  Not just because it creates traffic and loyal readers who either spread the word or become customers (often it’s both).  But because it gives that company a way to share its knowledge and experience in a manner that just doesn’t work in sales copy.  They become a trusted go-to expert in their field and build long term relationships with people they would otherwise never have been able to reach through traditional media.  How valuable is that?  It’s priceless.

Do it.  Now

So, I’m a convert.  Writing content that has value for people is something I find immensely satisfying – not least because it’s attracting a string of new clients who now appreciate just how I can help them.  It’s easy to be sceptical (I know, I was).  But try it for a few months and you’ll be amazed at the results.”

Thanks Jim. I’m delighted, but not surprised that your investment in creating valuable content is getting you such great results your articles are first class. Do have a read of Jim’s blog here: thought-provoking, educational and really funny – Jim O’Connor’s Stories That Sell Blog. And congratulations on your Valuable Content Award too Jim!

Relevant articles:

• More from Jim’s on the copy vs content debate: Are the words on your website just dancing around their handbags?
• Jim’s post here on Emotion, not logic will get your message across
• What makes quality content?

If your New Year’s resolution is to blog more for your business, then we congratulate you. Creating a steady stream of valuable content really is the best way to carve out your niche and get your message out to the right people.

Once you’ve got into the swing of writing, you’ll come to recognise the euphoria that accompanies the finishing of a great blog article. There will be five minutes when what you’ve just written is the most important thing that’s ever been written in the entire world on that subject. There’s not a moment to waste – you have to share it now, this very second, your life and the sanity of the world depends upon it!

There’s also a drive to be finished with it. Ticking it off your things-to-do list would make you feel better, so you’re itching to upload.

The very best thing to do now is not to press send, but to save the document, close it, and go back and look at again tomorrow with clearer, more cynical eyes.

Just a few hours distance should make you better able to check the piece for the following common mistakes.

5 things to check before you press publish

1. Is your article on target? It felt like it was at the time, but writing can be deceptive sometimes. Ask yourself, is the content genuinely useful for your clients?  It might be that some simple tweaking is all that’s needed to pull it back in line, or it might be that you need to put it on hold for longer. Great ideas are never wasted, but they do need the right format to fly. Don’t be scared of pulling something if you know it’s not right.
2. Have you missed any words out? Easily done when the prose is flying. Check your copy slowly and carefully to make sure it makes sense.
3. Have you repeated words? Again, it’s a common mistake when you’re writing fast. Check again.
4. Is it spelt right? Is it the right word? Spell check picks up most errors – but it won’t pick up mis-substituted words. Don’t let something go out until it makes perfect sense.
5. Is the grammar correct? Developing a natural and engaging tone of voice doesn’t mean you can stop writing proper, like. Inaccurate grammar stops readers in their tracks, and it makes your writing hard to understand. If you’re not sure, ask someone else to check too. Even if you are sure, a second pair of eyes is a never a bad idea.

So, do keep writing, but make sure you build a window of editing and reflection time into your blogging schedule. And Happy New Year!

Related articles:

• How to write a good enough article
• 5 reasons not to blog
• Valuable content will help you sell

December is the perfect month for planning your approach for the following year. Chris Brogan calls it ‘the power month‘ – and I like that. For all us hard-working business owners it’s our secret slowdown: somewhere between December and January we carve ourselves just a little bit of head space to look forward and think back; a good time for letting those creative ideas fly.

If marketing is one of the things you want to improve next year, here are a few ideas to add to December’s thinking pot:

1. Start blogging in earnest – write articles regularly that help your customers do business better and you’ll be amazed at the results – wider awareness, increased trust, easier referrals, more sales.
2. Keep in touch by email. Don’t forget your current contacts in 2012 – if you want to make your life easier, devote time and attention to keeping in touch with those that know you. Communicate with them regularly in ways they appreciate and find useful and they’ll reward you with referrals and new business when the time is right.
3. Produce something really valuable. Take it further in 2012. Produce a piece of high quality stock content with a shelf life – the really strong, valuable stuff – a useful downloadable guide, ebook, whitepaper, research or king of them all – a book. Up the value for greater return.
4. Stop flirting with social media and get stuck in. It’s no longer on the fringes, it’s how many of your customers and clients research, connect and communicate today. Get involved!
5. Make your website a resource, not a brochure. Turn it into a valuable resource for your clients, not just a promotional tool for you. Stop shouting, start helping: put your clients first.

At the heart of each of these ideas is valuable content. Make your marketing all about creating and sharing information that is genuinely valuable to your particular buyers and watch your business grow.

We wish you the best of luck for 2012.

Related articles:

• Five solid reasons to start a business blog
• Use your Christmas cards to change your marketing forever
• RT, @, #, DM? Twenty Top Twitter Tips

You know that writing articles is a sound, cost effective way of building your reputation, and getting more inbound leads to your website. You’ve got a couple of ideas of things you could write, but still, there’s something holding you back. And it’s the big one. How do you actually do it?

This blog was originally going to be called ‘How to write a brilliant article,’ but I realised that  I’d be adding to the pressures holding you back if I threw being brilliant into the mix. So this is a guide to how to write a good enough article, because that’s all you need. Here’s everything you need to know to get you started – a quick checklist to structure your writing and keep it on track. All you need to do is roll your sleeves up, and get writing.

1. Know who you’re writing for.

It helps with relevance, tone and focus. Keep this real person in mind throughout the process – what questions do they have? What issues can you solve for them?

2. Be useful.

Choose a subject and angle that will help your readers with a real problem, and they’re more likely to want to read it.

3. Keep it focused.

The temptation when you start writing is to try and get everything into your article. All those ideas buzzing around suddenly pour out onto paper, and you find you’ve written something that dashes from A to B via L, Z, P and Q.  Tighten your focus, and write clearly about one thing. Save your other ideas for the next one.

4. Use simple words.

It’s not dumbing down to make your writing easy to read, it’s kind to your reader. Pick the shorter word over the more longer one. Make it easy to read, and easy for people to share with friends and colleagues.

5. Beginning, middle and end.

a) Start with a clear introduction – who are you writing for, and why? Set up the question you’re going to answer, or the problem you’re going to solve.

b) Answer it. Structure your thoughts, step by step. Imagine taking the reader with you – you’re guiding them on a journey. Changing track suddenly is like chucking them out of a moving car, so keep things moving smoothly

c) Sum it up. Readers like to know they’ve finished. And they all lived happily ever after isn’t necessary, but it’s a good idea to reiterate your main point again at the end. Add a call to action if you’d like your readers to get in touch. Add a question if you want to keep the conversation going.

6. Basic grammar and spelling matter.

I’m all for freedom of expression and playing with words, but the articles on your website need to demonstrate that you can communicate clearly. If your spelling is a bit wonky, ask a friend to read through and check before you press ‘publish’. Spell check will only pick up mis-spelt words, not mis-substituted ones. Even if you’re confident about your writing skills, getting a friend or colleague to check is still a good idea.

7. Think about headlines.

Your headline is your hook to pull readers in, so give it some thought. (Article on writing headlines for you here)

8. Break it down.

Busy web readers skim using headers to pull them through. Break your writing down with signposts that sum up your points throughout your article.

9. Size matters.

Around 500-700 words works for us as a good length for a website article – room for some useful detail, not so long it’s a chore to read. No longer than it takes to drink a cup of tea is a good rule of thumb.

And that’s all there is to it. It doesn’t have to be perfect, the important thing is to start. (It might make you feel better to know that Sonja and I are both a bit embarrassed about our early blogging efforts – I fell into the trap of trying to say too much, Sonja slipped up on trying to be too clever.) Once you start writing, it will get easier. The more you write the better you get. And once you start seeing results, it will become more rewarding.

So, now there’s no excuse. What are you waiting for?

Other articles you might like:

• 20 Article Ideas to Get You Writing Again (and Again)
• 5 Reasons NOT to Blog
• Writing Rules You Should Break

Here is a list of different types of articles you can write for your website or blog. I hope it gives you a bit of inspiration if you are struggling with what to say.

1. Lists of tips or ideas, like this one. Numbered lists work well.
2. Reviews of books that you recommend
3. ‘How to’ articles
4. Your comment on news that’s relevant to your clients
5. ‘Why?’ articles
6. Articles stating the benefits of your recommended approach
7. Your response to a question you have been asked by a prospect or client
8. Articles that state what your clients should avoid like the plague
9. Add a seasonal twist – refer to a recent celebration or seasonal event
10. An interview with one of your clients or customers
11. A critique of someone else’s article or opinion, with your view on what works or what does not
12. Like a journalist, review what you learned from a recent talk, industry conference or event
13. Ask other experts a question and share their response
14. A case study on a company you have worked with or who can demonstrate success in your field
15. Conduct a survey and share the response (Survey Monkey is simple way to do this)
16. A roundup of topical news for your community
17. Share slides from a recent presentation you have given (Slideshare is excellent for this)
18. Feature guest posts/articles from experts in your field
19. Information on products or services that will benefit your audience
20. Share or create a cartoon or graphic that sums up your argument nicely

Experiment. Mix it up a bit. Help, educate or entertain your clients and contacts in different ways. Variety adds to the value.

Have I missed anything? What type of articles work for you?

Other relevant articles:

• Writers block? Read Jane Northcote’s superb post – Getting Writing Done
• 5 Reasons Not To Blog by Sharon Tanton
• Our ‘Valuable Content Award’ winners have all mastered article writing – check them out
• For more inspiration, download Hubspot’s excellent ebook: 100 Inbound Marketing Content Ideas

You don’t have to write a blog. It’s not the law. Here are five popular reasons not to do it.

1. You can’t be bothered.

Really, what’s the point? Your marketing is working fine, you don’t need any more clients, thank you very much.

If you’ve got a steady stream of leads, and more of the kind of work you want to do than you can handle already, then maybe you don’t need to blog. But if you’d like to pull in additional leads, get referred more, and build your business, then maybe you should give it a go.

2. You don’t want to give information away.

And why would you? You worked hard to learn all this stuff, publishing it for free is a crazy idea.

People buy from people they trust, and it’s hard for people to trust your expertise if it’s all locked away in your head. Sharing some of your ideas and experiences in a blog is a great way to show not only what you know, but your individual approach. Being helpful and sharing pays off. As far as know I haven’t lost any writing work through writing about how to write.

3.  You’ve got nothing new to say.

The internet is awash with blogs. The world doesn’t need another one.

Well, yes, that’s true. But you do have something original to say. Think about the way you solve your particular clients problems and write from that perspective. Don’t worry about being a world authority on your subject, just be the great guy who knows his stuff and gets it done.

4. You’re not a writer.

You’re a lawyer/architect/IFA/designer/*insert your own job title here.

True, but you probably can write well enough. Be clear, to the point, and avoid jargon. Don’t think of it as an essay written to impress, write it as you would say it, and you’ll find your voice. (And if that doesn’t work, you can always cheat and get someone like me to write it for you.)

5. You’ve got writer’s block.

You know you need to do it, but the blank page is staring at you and try as you might, it just won’t work.

We’ve all been there, but the way to get out of it is to take action. Write something silly, write something provocative, write anything. The act of crafting ideas into words will get things moving, and once you’re in the flow you can switch back to the subject you’re supposed to be writing about. Or not. The best blogs sometimes start in the strangest places.

This blog was supposed to be ‘How to write a brilliant article,’ but I was distracted by helpful Twitter responses to my question ‘what holds your writing back?’ That one’s coming next, so watch this space.

Related articles:

• The flip side! 5 Good Reasons to Start a Business Blog
• Getting Writing Done

I’ve just had an email from a good friend. She’s an extremely creative event designer and decorator in the hospitality industry and she’s looking for a new job. She asked for my advice on her CV. I reworked it for her – pulling out the important messages and making sure they were clear, upfront and highlighted. I reformatted it to make it easy to read and gave the wording a quick polish. Her experience all stacks up; the CV is looking pretty good.

I also gave her some advice (I just can’t help myself these days); I’m pretty sure it will make a real difference to her job search (and hope she appreciates it!). My advice is this: 

“To prove how passionate and knowledgeable you are in your field, how about setting up your own blog? Your posts could be photos of design ideas you like, recent events you are proud of or just visual elements that inspire you. 

A blog like this is a great way to record your ideas for posterity and build a bit of an archive to remember for your next project. It’s also a fantastic way to prove your expertise and interest in your work, something that I’m sure would really wow a potential employer.”

My talented web designer friend and associate Iain Claridge does exactly that – he collects and posts image of design ideas that inspire him on his brilliant design blog:

• Check out Iain’s design blog - http://www.iainclaridge.co.uk/blog/

Iain set this up originally as a personal ‘brain dump’ for ideas: a repository for snippets of code and chunks of creative inspiration that he found whilst browsing the internet – important information that would otherwise be lost. The fact that others would find it equally useful as a source of information and inspiration was a bit of a surprise for him.

Iain’s blog is now recognised as one of the best design blogs around, with 78,000 unique visitors every month and an incredible 12,417 inbound links. It has been featured in design blogs such as grafik, surfstation and siteinspire and won Iain numerous design assignments – most notably from NASA! 

Iain’s blog is a perfect example of the approach I teach my business clients – get your passion out there, prove your expertise and commitment by producing some really ‘valuable content’. It’s a superb way to show a potential employer or customer that you are serious, knowledgeable and committed to what you do.

Valuable content works.

Many different types of business now benefit from running an active blog as part of their online marketing mix. Blogs have become mainstream in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean that all business owners understand the benefits they can bring. I’ve written a blog for a couple of years now and though it might be helpful to share my experience – the results have really surprised me.

Here are my five top reasons to add ’starting a business blog’ to your to do list:

1) Blog articles are the kind of information your potential buyers benefit from

People go online predominantly to find answers to their problems. A helpful blog article can answer their questions. Give your buyers value by publishing this type of information on your blog - ideas, tips, techniques that help them be more successful – and you’ll position your company as a knowledgeable resource, proving your expertise in what you do.

Recent research from Hubspot found that 71.4% of users say that blogs affect their purchasing decisions “somewhat” or “very much.”

2) A blog shows the human side of your business

This is important: people want to do business with people and they want to be sure that they can work with you. A blog gives much more informative than the ‘corporatese’ they find on pure, brochure-style websites.

Show your enthusiasm for what you do, give your opinion on the things that are important to you, put your passion online (in the right way!), engage with people and you’ll demonstrate the type of company you really are – the type of company people WANT to do business with.

3) Google loves blogs

Posting regular articles increases inbound links and site traffic and pushes up your natural search rankings.

“If you want to use the internet to market, you need to be found in search. If you want to be found in search, you need to create content regularly.” (Hubspot)

I found out something new on this subject from Matt Lambert of www.conversationware.com recently – search engines actually ‘value’ blog content more than static!

“Google applies something called QDF, Query Deserves Freshness in their google machine, and as blog posts are published like news, they often push to the top of the rankings, sometimes within minutes of posting.”

4) Blogging gets you better business results

• Increased awareness – more visitors through search and sharing of good content
• Increased trust which delivers more leads
• More referrals – it’s the type of information your contacts and fans find it easy to share
• More sales – write a blog article on a subject that you’ve been discussing with a prospect and it can help to close the sale more quickly (see: Write articles for your clients and shorten the sales cycle). Try it – it really works!

5) Blogging will make you better at what you do

More ideas, more thought and structure around your expertise, more clarity on what you know and what you love to do: blogging will help you develop and build your brand.

My blog really does help me get more clients. I hope this article gives you a bit of clarity on the real benefits your company could see too. It’s a genuinely valuable tool for any business.

If you have a business blog do share your experience. What has worked for you?

Related articles:

• Write articles for your clients and shorten the sales cycle
• 5 reasons NOT to blog
• How to write a ‘good enough’ article

In his article ‘Why 8% of sales people get 80% of the sales’ marketing expert Robert Clay reminds us of the importance of good ‘follow up’. His research shows that only 2% of sales occur at the first meeting; the other 98% will only happen once a certain level of trust has been established.

Incredibly, only 20% of sales leads are ever followed up – that’s a shining pile of potential opportunity lost without a trace. You may be well aware of the power of keeping in contact but it’s often hard to know where to start. After that initial enquiry or sales meeting how exactly do you keep in touch? What information should you send? What tools can you employ to prove that yours is the solution that your prospects need?

Many companies get follow up badly wrong and lose the good will of potential customers in the process. Effective follow up does not mean pushy closing and constant demands for orders or appointments. It takes a different mindset: an ongoing dialogue; gently building rapport and proving your expertise, not bashing down doors.

At the heart of this approach is good content - meaningful, useful communication that helps to build trust in the eyes of your potential customers, keeping you top-of-mind.

Here are 5 examples of useful content you can use to keep in touch.

• Articles: get your expert opinion and ideas down in writing - on the web, in magazines, on blogs (your company blog and/or other well-respected blogs in your field). Write for your customers: write articles that show them how to solve their business problems. Include these in regular newsletters or emails to keep in touch.
• Newsletters/e-newsletters: inform and educate your contacts on a regular basis with valuable content – news, views, research and case studies that they’ll find of interest.
• Educational case studies: show how other customers have benefitted from the type of approach you’re proposing. These powerful sales tools help you capitalise on past success. They turn your claims into evidence and open the reader’s eyes to what is possible if they work with your company.
• Whitepapers: somewhere between an article and an academic paper, these persuasive documents contain useful information and expert opinion, promoting your company as a thought leader and helping solve customer issues.
• Third party evidence: send your prospects articles and research by others that back up your proposed approach and lend weight to your argument.

This is where good marketing can really help sales. Develop customer-focused, helpful information that customers will find valuable. Your sales teams can use these to keep contact with potential customers until they are ready to buy. This is the most powerful way to build trust and warm up the relationship with your prospects: prove your worth and boost sales success.

Hi all,

Thank you very much for checking out my new site. Like most web projects it has taken time, effort, a lot of soul searching and some very late nights to make it happen. There is still work to do but, playing by the 80:20 rule, I thought I’d launch now and tweak later.

Why change to a blog-based site?

In the past I’ve had two sites: a ‘corporate’ website and a separate blog. With this new site I’ve amalgamated the two. My intention is to place content that is valuable to my clients at the very heart of the site – to make it more useful hub and less ‘me, me, me’ sales pitch.  With this in mind, regular blog articles on all things content now march upfront, with supporting information bringing up the rear.

I’d really welcome your feedback

What I’d love to know is whether this works for you. I wrote an article last year on the four elements that people look for in a business website (see The 4 Pillars of a Successful Business Website). Based on this approach:

• Value: does it provide content that is of value to you – information that would help you solve your business problems?
• Trust: does it build up a better picture of me – my background, experience and credibility?
• Usability: Is it easy to find your way around? Can you get to the content you want?
• Presentation: does it look professional?

I’d really appreciate your feedback. You can leave a comment below, email me sonja@sonjajefferson.co.uk or tweet your ideas www.twitter.com/sonjajefferson.

What do you think? I look forward to your views.

Thank you to…

• Chris Pearson for the fantastic Thesis theme for Wordpress that powers this site
• Web designer Iain Claridge www.iainclaridge.co.uk for tweaking the theme to fit my (sometimes demanding) requirements
• Lizzie Everard for the lovely wave header: www.lizzieeverard.com – it cheers me up and makes me dream of the sea
• Sharon Tanton www.sharontanton.co.uk for her ideas and interview questions for the tricky ‘About Me’ section of this site
• Ian Brodie for the original inspiration to create a blog-based site – I really liked his: www.ianbrodie.com. You can read my article on the reasons behind Ian’s switch to this type of site here: ‘The power of valuable content – a case study’.

Sonja