Susan Mikolic Offers “Stepping Stones” to Mental Health
Please visit the link below to see my small business profile about Susan Mikolic on coolcleveland.com:
http://coolcleveland.com/index.php?n=Main.CleBizGuardianAngel
Newsletters That Make You Go “Hmm…”
Business e-newsletters seem to be popping up all over the place. Companies have found e-newsletters an economical and effective way to reach customers, potential customers and industry people. What a great opportunity to present industry news and illustrate what makes your product or service great.
If your company publishes an e-newsletter or is thinking of creating one, you might also consider a subtler approach to content, one that when properly executed, can be extremely satisfying for yourself and your target audience. We’ll call this approach “Newsletters That Make You Go ‘Hmm…’”
With this type of newsletter, the focus is actually not on your company but on ideas, books, articles or human interest stories that engage the reader. There is no sales pitch in this type of newsletter, nor is there a call to action. Instead, the content reveals the thought-provoking side of your team. It’s as if you are having lunch with a client or prospective client and saying, “Hey, look at this article I read! Tell me what you think.”
Giraffe, Inc., a talented Cleveland creative design firm, does an excellent job of producing “Newsletters That Make You Go ‘Hmm.’” The company weaves intelligent and fun stories about everything from overused marketing catch phrases to unconventional businesses or business practices. As you read through these stories, you may see a sentence or two about Giraffe’s work with a specific company, but the focus stays on the intended subject and not on Giraffe.
You can see one of Giraffe’s clever newsletters by clicking on this link:
http://idisk.mac.com/giraffesite-Public/Giraffe-NL.pdf
This type of newsletter works on two levels. First, it encourages the reader to think about the subject matter. “Hmm, I’ve never thought about marketing that way,” for example. Second, it subtly entices the reader to want to learn more about Giraffe. “Hmm, this Giraffe seems like an interesting company, and they’re not trying to blatantly sell me anything!”
Giraffe, in turn, uses its newsletters as a way of getting to know its clients and potential clients on a more personal level. “Did you read the article in our last newsletter? What do you think about it?” a Giraffe team member may ask during a business phone call. It helps customers see Giraffe as a group of talented people and not just a company looking for business. Of course, as with any business, Giraffe wants to attract customers! But through it’s newsletters, it seeks to inform first and then lure in new business by gaining trust and communication.
So why aren’t you writing a “Newsletter That Makes You Go ‘Hmm’” right now?
Does Your Web Content Sing?
One of my daughter’s favorite commercials during the recent Summer Olympics had a catchy refrain that she happily sang long after the music had stopped. “This is Budweiser. This is beer,” the voices rang out from the television set. My daughter chimed in every time the commercial ran.
Budweiser may very well have picked up a new patron 13 years from now (much to my chagrin). The point is that the song accompanying this commercial was simple and succinct. “We make beer, and it’s good” was the gist, and my daughter, probably without knowing it, got the message. She may not have been the company’s target audience, but chances are many people of legal age also enjoyed the jingle.
To capture the attention of visitors to a company website, the content must “sing.” That doesn’t mean you have to employ trite slogans. Rather, your website content should be easy to understand, concise and engaging.
How can you make this happen? Here are some ideas:
A.) Use headlines and taglines that grab readers’ interest.
Which headline would entice you to read the history of a small business?
A History of the Joe Blow Acme Company
Joes Blow Acme Company: Lights, Camera, Action
The second headline draws you in because it creates an image of a company on the move. Think about writing headlines and taglines for your content that encourage visitors to read on. What makes your business unique? Find a couple of key words to sum that up, and use them in an attention-grabbing headline.
B.) Don’t tell the whole story.
This can be difficult, especially when you’re really proud of your company’s products or services!
Imagine turning on the radio in your car and hearing the tail end of a song that has a great tune and lyrics. It’s the first time you’ve ever heard the song, and you want to hear more. Thus, you go in search of the song on another station or on the Internet.
Think of web content as a concise–but not complete–overview of your business. Offer important details about who you are, what you can do for customers and why you do it better than anyone else. Make it interesting, and leave them wanting more. If they like what they read on the site, they’ll contact you to hear the rest of the story.
C.) Keep the copy flowing.
Remember reading a school text book that seemed to drone on from page 1 to page 599? The paragraphs were long, the sentences within the paragraphs were long, the words within the sentences were long, and after awhile you either fell asleep or became frustrated because you were unable to grasp the subject matter.
Even if your business is very technical, it’s important to keep the website content interesting and engaging. Use technical jargon when appropriate, and offer easy-to-understand definitions if you feel they’re necessary. If you’re target audience is non-technical people, try to use “layman’s” terms.
Shorter sentences are easier to follow than longer ones. A former editor of mine hammered into my head that a sentence should never be more than about 25 words long. That doesn’t mean you have to count every word, or keep every sentence at 25 words or less. (You’ll see that I broke the rule more than once within this post!) But if you reread a sentence and find yourself losing your place, you can be sure viewers of your website will do so as well.
Try to keep paragraphs between 3 and 5 sentences long. Any longer, and the readers eyes–and attention–will start to wander.
D.) Use pull quotes with meaning.
Take a really special quote from a satisfied customer and show it off somewhere on your company’s home page. (Of course, giving proper credit!) Or borrow quotes (again, giving proper credit!) from famous people in history to inspire visitors to your website.
E.) Be creative when appropriate.
Some company websites demand straightforward, serious content, but many times a website can accommodate a little creativity or levity. Why not add some oomph to your company’s history? For example:
“On a bone-chilling January night in 2003, two young entrepreneurs sat at a dimly lit table in a neighborhood coffee shop and fantasized about how they would revolutionize their industry.”
You can also be creative on an About Us page. Include interesting or little-known facts about your employees; e.g., what clubs they belonged to in high school, any sports trophies they won, their idea of a dream vacation. By including tidbits that don’t directly relate to the business, you’re revealing a human side to the company. And people (i.e., potential customers) like relating to other people.
These are just a few suggestions to help your website sing, and to get visitors to “hum” your catchy “tune” long after they’ve left your site. Now, let’s hear from you. How do you make your web content sing? What tricks of the trade do you enjoy on others’ sites. Let’s share.
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.
Calling All Youngstowners (present and former)
I have been looking at a lot of sites lately dedicated to Youngstown. I am pleased with the pride that all of these people have for their community.
I grew up in Y-town, and even though I left, I carry my small town, working class, ethnic and religious pride with me wherever I go. My family visits Youngstown about once a month. I have to say, in a good way, that there is no place like it in the world. Every time we visit my parents’ church, everyone knows us, kisses our kids, makes us feel as though we live down the street. It’s hard to find that sense of community these days!
Please visit this link to find something truly unique about the Y-town area:
http://shoutyoungstown.blogspot.com/2008/07/return-of-baby-doll-dance.html#links
You’ll see video from the annual Mount Carmel Festival in Lowellville (down the hill, literally, from my parents’ house). There is a very unusual ritual called the Baby Doll Dance. If I try to describe it to you, you won’t believe me. But it’s incredible. There is definitely a story there waiting to be written! I hope to take my family to see it next summer.
Although I’m not in Youngstown anymore, I am very committed to singing its praises and helping in anyway I can with its revitalization.
In fact, I’ve had this crazy idea lately: What if you could create a public relations campaign that would tout Y-town for its small community, sense of pride, friendly neighbors, strong faith, etc.? Aren’t a lot of people hungry for this stuff? It would take some pioneers to settle in from elsewhere and keep the flavor going, but I think it could work. Am I crazy?
The Dictionary, Please
In the not-so-olden days, a writer relied on an electric or even a manual typewriter, some White Out for mistakes and a dictionary. Spell Check was nothing more than a glimmer in some young technical genius’ eye. Instead, you depended on your own keen sense of spelling and grammar, with help from Merriam-Webster. A typo was unacceptable.
Today, we pretty much rely on the Spell Check built-into our software to get us through an important piece of copy. But we shouldn’t place all our faith in that. Just like everything else in life, we’ve got to take some personal responsibility for our writing.
Just the other day, I was writing an article and wanted to describe the large portions of food served at a restaurant. I first wrote down hearty, then switched to hardy, then decided I needed to consult the dictionary included with MS Word. I have to say, I wasn’t totally convinced after reading the definitions provided there.
So I lugged the big red dictionary over to my computer (complaining all the way, of course; what a hassle to have to actually GET UP from your computer station!). I saw that among the definitions for hardy were bold and brazen and inured to fatigue or hardships. I wouldn’t want to eat that type of food, would you? But just to be sure I had the correct word, I flipped the pages to hearty: abundant, rich or flavorful enough to satisfy the appetite. Ah, there we go!
Anyone can get confused with the meanings of words or the spelling of words or how words should be used in a sentence. The dictionary comes in handy for all of that. (As an example, it can–and should!–be used to remind oneself about when to use “its” and “it’s” in a sentence. More on that issue–one of my pet peeves–in another post.) The dictionary confirms our thought or politely lets us know we’re wrong. Plus, it forces us to move our bodies when typing and gives us a chance to hold a great book in our hands if only for a minute.
The dictionary: a must-read for writers, whether they’re doing so for business or pleasure.
The Art of the Press Release
You’ve done something amazing, and you want to share it with the world. Quick, a press release!
Now, here’s the tricky part: Although you want to say EVERYTHING about your exciting news, you need to keep it simple. The old journalism rule of who, what, when, where, why and how can certainly apply. Of course, you can add dashes of intrigue or humor, and sprinkle a few (just a few) catchy adjectives to enliven the press release, if that seems appropriate.
What you don’t want to do is tell the whole story in the release, and leave no questions or curiosity for the reader. You also don’t want to bog it down with inconsequential details. For example, you will probably want to mention if your company has been in business for a long time or has received any awards or special recognition. However, don’t feel the need to launch into a lengthy history about the company or intricate details about the recognitions it has received.
You want the reader to say, “Hmm, this is interesting. I want to know more.” That will inspire him or her to pick up the phone or drop you an email, which could possibly lead to the major exposure you’re seeking.
LESS USUALLY IS MORE
They say that when scanning a newspaper article, readers typically will read the first and last paragraphs to get the main idea of the story. If their interest is heightened through those two paragraphs, they may go on to read what’s in between.
The pattern is not much different for those perusing a company website. Unless they are scanning for specific, detailed information, they may visit a site, read one or two chunks of copy to find out what it’s all about, and move on to the next site.
This gives you, what, 30 seconds to maybe two minutes of time to capture their interest? So brevity, especially on a home page, is crucial. Offering crisp, concise copy that captures the essence of what you do or make is the key to luring new customers, investors and employees.
That’s not to say that you have to leave out important information. Think instead of teasing readers with highlights of your business and then, once you’ve got them hooked, sending them on to pages within the site for more details.
More next time…
SAVE THE DATE:
Cleveland Wine Festival
June 27 and 28
Voinovich Park
www.clevelandwinefestival.com
For $20 (in advance; $30 at the door), you get 10 tastings, a keepsake glass and the chance to buy wines at a discounted price. The festival features 220 wines from around the world and food by local restaurants and caterers
What Your Website Says About You
Have you ever visited a website for information and found yourself scratching your head? “What is this service, exactly?” you may have wondered. “What are they trying to tell me?”
It may have taken you a good chunk of time to navigate the site and find what you were seeking. Maybe you gave up before you even got close.
What’s the problem?
The site might look great, but the words are not conveying what the company is trying to say.
It may simply be a matter of cleaning up, or reorganizing, the site so that it makes sense. Or it could be a little more complex. Sometimes a site doesn’t have the right words needed to get across a point. There might be too little information to explain a business’ product or service. On the other hand, too many words and you bury the main ideas.
How to fix the problem? Stay tuned…..
Why Does a Small Business Owner or Entrepreneur Need Writing Services?
Your company is all about what you do and how you do it better than anyone else. If people see your product or service and experience its greatness, then what more do you need?
The truth is, before anyone can SEE what you make or offer, they have to find out about it, and how do they do that? Through words, of course. Whether it’s your website, a press release or an advertisement, words tell the story of your company. What do you offer? Why is it good? What’s new with your business? Why should people stop what they’re doing and give you a call this very second? Well-written prose gets your story across in a succinct and engaging way.
And if you and your team don’t have time to create witty text, you should find someone who has both the time and the experience necessary to do a great job.
Please check my website frequently, as there will be many additions to it regarding Diane DiPiero, Copywriter!
