How to Improve Your Content and Get Results

Your business needs a boost.

Your sales are flat and there isn't that much action coming through the door … or your website.

So you scour the Internet, where there's an infinite sea of articles, blogs and misinformation about what you need to do to get your website up to par and business pouring into your doors … literally and virtually.

Then… you make a quilt of the tens of "10 things you need for your website" articles you've read – stitching together what you think might work for your business.

You decide to revamp or recreate your website – after all, in an ever-changing design world, what looked great four years ago looks dated now, and no amount of quick fixes can get it done.

So you hire a top-tier web designer and you discuss what type of functionality you need to have… where you want to end up on a Google search… and what you want the design to convey.

Your designer goes to work and comes up with an awesome website – crisp, clean and user-friendly.

Then, like many small business owners, unless your web designer brings up content, you are content to just move the information from your brochure or flyers and throw it into the new design.

It's that simple, right? WRONG!

Part of the reason your business might be struggling is that your content isn't reaching the people you need it to reach. It isn't telling your story. It isn't representative of the products or services you offer.

And... it isn't working for you because it lacks the delicate balance of art and science that creates words that work for you.

In comes your copywriter. A professional who understands how to listen to your needs, feel your passion, find your voice and tell your story.

Here are 4 important things to consider when creating your content:

1. Your story

Everyone loves a good story – no matter who they are. Think about what made you decide to go into this business in the first place. Did you always love animals and couldn't rest until you started your own pet grooming business? Did Grandma leave you her secret recipes and you wanted to honor her memory with your own pastry shop? Did your desire to help people find their dream homes, your way, make you leave a real estate conglomerate and branch out on your own? Or were you laid off from your last job and decided it was time to be your own boss? Whatever made you do it is an integral part of your story. You just need to find the right words to tell it.

2. Target audience

You don't have to be a niche business to have a target audience. In fact, even if you're selling the same thing everyone else is selling, you can get the kinds of customers you want if you know just how to reach them. Let's say you own a restaurant and you want to appeal to a mostly high-profile clientele. What would your marketing strategy be? Would your focus be on affordability or exclusivity? What would your website look like and how would your content attract these customers?

3. Brand identity 

Here's where you can really score some points if you do it right. Just around Thanksgiving, my husband and I were watching TV and a commercial came on. Way before it ended or showed any sign of the company, he knew it was Publix. Sure, the entire commercial was centered around food, family and the spirit of Thanksgiving. But while many supermarkets focused on that same theme, everything about this ad said Publix – from the gentle background music, to the soft, slow engaging voice. They have branded themselves so well, that we can recognize them without even seeing their name. So maybe your business is no Publix in size or scope, but you can find that thing that distinguishes you from the other massage and spas, tax preparation companies or whatever it is that you do.

4. Product (or service)

What exactly are you selling? Why do people need it and how do you convince them that they do? Anyone can have a good product, but if it's hidden (a.k.a. not properly marketed) how can you get people to buy it or use it? Sure, you can depend on just word of mouth ... or you can create a winning marketing strategy to define your brand. Just like in showbiz, talent can get you only so far. It explains why in the 90s Britney Spears (who has a passable voice) was way more popular than Christina Aguilera (who has a powerhouse voice). Sometimes packaging makes all the difference.

Are these the only things you should consider? No.

But if you use these four principles to guide you, you're well on your way to having content that sells.

What do you struggle with when you're writing?  I'd like to help. Leave me a comment and let's talk about it.