Why People Use Your White Paper Expertise, But Take Their Business Someplace Else

January 24, 2014 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

“Wow, that’s a smart company.” Is that what you want your reader to take away from reading your white paper? There’s nothing wrong with that.

Hire someone to write smart business copy. They’re around. They do good work.

Some companies want and need to put out white papers to make them look smart.

But for those entrepreneurs who would be just as happy with a phone call, a click, or a sale instead of just impressing them with your braininess, beware of sounding too smart.

(Even if you are.)

Being smart is NOT a negative. You want to show you’re competent, knowledgeable, and current with trends and technology related to your industry. People expect it.

But if the focus is on showing all that you know at the expense of the one reading your words then you’re shooting your entrepreneurial foot. Sounding smart for its own sake delivers short-lived results and rarely fosters engagement with buyers.

All you end up doing is making the case for a product or service, and lose the actual sale to someone else… someone who shows a human side and a genuine willingness to work with their customers.

When your copy merely informs, you only help your more personable competitor close the sale you helped groom. As that salesperson receives that contract, they’ll thank you for educating their new client for them. (One less thing.)

Most products and services don’t just sell themselves. Consumers need a little background and education about why they need it, why it’s important to their job, life, family’s happiness, health or well being.

A white paper is a great place to lay it all out. Injected with a spark of, well, YOU (and/or your company’s culture), and some seriously friendly follow up; that white paper does its job of educating an interested prospect.

As long as you remember…

People feel good about doing business with companies they like.

They remember them, they open their emails, and they trust them.

But first they have to like something about them. It’s personal. You could say it another way; they need to feel like you’re on their wavelength.

Authority is one thing. It gets you a lot of respect. Maybe even a lot of subscribers and a readership. But authority without warmth hardly nudges the needle.

Authority WITH warmth embodies charisma people want more of. And that’s crucial if you’re a business that serves clients over the long term with relationship services, coaching programs, products requiring service contracts, etc. If the idea is that you’ll be seeing a lot of each other, then your copy will need to gently (if you’re shy) or overtly (if you’re not) express your true colors.

Use a voice; the one that comes easy. Put some heart into it. Information is practically free these days, almost worthless without a personality behind it. So it’s okay to show at least a little of yours.

Relationships, now there’s the value. Liven up your copy with friendliness and authority. Here’s a thought…Smile while you write. It works on the phone; why couldn’t it work as you write? Try it and see.

Then…be sure and ask for the next action. Ask your reader to download something, ask for the sale, ask for feedback or comments…ask for something.

Which reminds me. Will you join me on Facebook today? Head over there right now if you want to chat about copywriting for the web, social media, anything related to making connections with people, human behavior (all these weird things that make us tick) and some other stuff I can’t predict yet. You just never know.

See you there.

Writing Your Book In 2014

January 1, 2014 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

The new year holds your story – the next 365 pages of it. You get to choose what to include and what to leave out.

Want to grow your business, reach more people with your message, or branch out into a new segment of your market? Want to change the course of your life this year?

It’s all in how you tell your story, to yourself (your internal voice is important!) and to your customers:

What you say
What you share
The words you choose
The social sites you use to communicate
The pictures you show
The comments you add to discussions
The emails you send

All those little parts contribute to the cohesive story you tell each day about yourself and your brand. Honor those “baby steps” because they get you closer to your goal.

Resolutions are fine, as long as you break them down into little manageable pieces. This philosophy works whether you are creating content for the web — one page, tweet, or post at a time — or creating a life you want to lead and reaching personal goals. They are connected.

It’s the little things that make a big impression. You don’t always have to produce perfect white papers and fancy reports, although they speak volumes to the right people when they need that information from your company.

People notice when you dribble out the essence of your brand in tiny portions, consistently and with enthusiasm and commitment.

One page at a time. That’s how you write your book this year.

Commit now to create something good; something worthy of your purpose. I’m rooting and praying for your blessing to reach the world.

You get to begin with a beautiful blank page today.

Happy New Year! May 2014 be filled with small, fulfilling moments so that your big goals spring to life. Every page matters.

By the way, that’s my daughter in the gif above. I had her flip though 365 pages of a book. (Thank you, Katie, for humoring me!)

Fight or Flight: Web Content Triggers Your Reader’s Survival Instincts

November 4, 2013 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

I spent my extra hour this weekend on a brisk walk with our dog yesterday. The guys had just come in from a cold deer blind on the first weekend of deer season. My daughter was still sleeping. I couldn’t get anyone but Rosie to come out and enjoy the morning.

It’s OK. She’s good company. Conversation is overrated sometimes.

The flow of information, words, images, digital requests for attention at every minute…sometimes it’s good to just get away from all that for awhile and see what happens when you look up, and breathe.

Digital content and copywriting should engage you, not make you want to stick up your dukes.

After unsubscribing from dozens of email lists a couple of weeks ago, I am hyper aware of the digital barrage. If you hope to protect your health and sanity you must arm yourself with tools and tips for managing the influx of information. If you’re the type whose goal is “inbox zero” and high productivity, you can even counter the stress of a digital lifestyle with a treadmill desk, the ultimate, healthy work environment for multi-taskers.

Now how about turning the tables on the people who are sending all that mail. Yours truly included. If only everyone who sends email or markets online had a deck of these content creation cards, the web might be a happier place.

Not that it’s bad, but marketers can always learn to do it better…

Make better connections and get higher open rates and click throughs — even if it means with fewer people. (Did she really just say that?)

With every great advance in technology comes the opportunity for its misuse. The Internet enchants and creates possibilities for useful, even powerful connections. It allows businesses to thrive and people to extend their platforms beyond what they even dreamed was possible a few years ago!

But it’s also a beast that can sink its teeth in and toss you around if you don’t know how to manage information. Why am I even talking about this with you? I’m a marketer, for goodness sakes, a copywriter who writes web content! You could say I’m part of the problem. However, the numbers don’t lie.

Because I’m aware of the junk, I consider it my job and mission to take a different tack and create real connections that feel as good as a walk with your best friend.

Continue reading to find out why the email I send consistently gets 42 – 57% open rates…

There’s a phenomenon called “screen apnea,” a term coined by Linda Stone that refers to the shallow breathing of people when they read email. It’s a physical reaction related to the fight or flight mode the body assumes before a battle. Here’s the thing: as a marketer and writer, I genuinely care about my readers. No way I want to contribute to a breathing condition that makes you fat and stressed out! But here we are….

Check and see. Notice if you are calm or if you go into “battle mode” when you open your inbox or article feed. You may be holding your breath now, as you decide what to read, save, delete, retweet, etc.

Your customers experience the exact same thing. Have mercy. Be present.

Some ideas on conscientious marketing and writing quality web content:

If you want their attention, give your readers the attention they deserve. As you write, focus on them exclusively.
Close your applications, email, Facebook notifications — everything — and open a simple blank screen to write. I’d even suggest getting away from your computer altogether and sit with a pen and a pad of paper. Write as if you’re writing a friend.
While in the process of writing, don’t even think about your number of followers, fans and friends. The only important person is right in front of you. (How’s that for a white elephant?) Think your reader can’t see you glancing over their shoulder for a new interesting face in the room? Oh, they can tell. Like the disgraceful social faux pas we’ve all experienced, writing with an eye on an ulterior agenda isn’t pretty. FOCUS.
Picture her face, what’s going on in the background, her next meal, what’s stressing her out. Consider the distractions and cares she’s stashing into some corner of her brain as she gets through her inbox or newsfeed.
Don’t try so hard to “stand out” in the inbox. If your focus is on your reader, it just shows. When they see your name, it’s your reputation that makes people open your email or read your article. A genuine connection contributes less to that shallow breathing the precedes a battle. When they see your name, they’ll relax and take a deep breath because they know you.
When you make an offer, or ask someone to take action — the famous “call to action” so important to copywriting — go all in with your reader. Ask for an authentic “yes” or a resounding “no” and you’ll serve your customers better than giving them the excruciating and deceptively easy out: “Maybe, when I get around to it.” There’s nothing easy about that! Putting off a decision only adds to their stress. Wouldn’t you rather have a real commitment? Yeah, so would your customer. Make your CTA clear and strong.

Would you like an easy way to consistently be that person your customer actually wants to see in their inbox? I use my content creation cards every week and consistently see a 50% average open rate. See why you need these, too?

Why not grab your deck right now and keep them in your desk drawer or car; wherever you have some time to jot your thoughts to your clients and customers.

There’s no big secret to connecting with your customers. You already commit to your customers with products, information and solutions that have the potential to change their lives.

You have the wings. All you need is loft, the air to push you up. For example, today I used the three of clubs.

See what I did here?

Use this same tool as part of your marketing and content creation… Get it today.

The Lucky deck is for you if you struggle to frame your message and influence the outcome of your marketing efforts. I’ll ship one today, if you like.

Your relationships with your customers are constantly evolving. Get in there and be a part of it. You get what you give.