Ultimate Website Content Part Two: What’s Your Story
I had a fiction writing teacher in college who used to talk about an old song with the verse, “Don’t tell me you love me, show me you love me.” This was his way of explaining to the class that it was far more effective to vividly describe scenes in a story rather than just talk about them in a matter-of-fact way.
What does this have to do with content for a company website? It’s not like you’re going to create a fictional story about someone who offers great service at a great price. But you can be descriptive about what it is your company does and what sets it apart from the rest.
Take, for example, the two paragraphs below. Which one paints a clearer picture of the company?
1.) Acme Lighting is a well respected industry leader with more than 20 years of experience. We serve seven counties, and our customers rely on us for quality, timeliness and fair prices.
2.) We’ve got bright ideas at Acme Lighting. That’s why folks from as nearby as Cleveland and as far away as Medina have been illuminated by our products and services for more than 20 years. Whether it’s a temporary light display for a sold-out concert at a community park or a lighting design solution for an exciting new company, Acme Lighting has bright ideas at a reasonable price.
The second paragraph gives you visual images of the areas that Acme Lighting serves and the types of projects the company might handle.
It’s not just about fun adjectives or catchy phrases. Telling your company’s story means providing information to readers that helps them see, feel, hear what you do and to clearly understand why you’re the one they should contact for their next project.
It’s, Like, Not Good in Print Either
A recent article in the local newspaper–a front-page, above-the-fold article–told the story of a local politician at an event. The politician handed a treat to a youngster, and the mother somewhat protested. The next line of the article read:
Russo was like, “What?”
Please read that again. If you think the word “said” should have been used instead of “like,” we’re on the same page.
There is absolutely no reason why the word “like” should have been in that sentence, unless it was part of a direct quote. (And even then, I think there’s a way to partially quote the person and leave out the word “like.”)
It’s bad enough that that word is horribly misused in the spoken language. (And I will admit right here that I catch myself using it now and again, and could scream when I hear it come out of my mouth.) “Like,” as it is shown in that sentence, should never, ever, ever be used in print.
There’s nothing wrong with the written word being somewhat more formal than the spoken, especially when your words are going to be read by a lot of other people. If you are writing a business letter to a customer or a blog post on your company’s website, you should use words that are powerful and reflect the professionalism of yourself and your company.
Words create an image in the reader’s mind. If you are using the word “like” when you should be using “said,” a reader can’t help but conjure the image of someone who is not that professional or mature. As the younger generations become businesspeople, they are going to have to be especially careful of this.
Today, I heard a reporter on CSPAN asking questions of an international figure. She used the word “like” no less than eight times in her question, and threw in a couple of “you knows” and “and things.” What do those words convey? The idea that the reporter is young, inexperienced and uncomfortable in that position. There was no sense of confidence and authority.
The same thing happens in the written word. We must use words that convey an image of strength, maturity and professionalism.
