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Are People Skipping Your Homepage? Study Says Traffic is Down 17% on Law Firm Homepages

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Are People Skipping Your Homepage? Study Says Traffic is Down 17% on Law Firm Homepages

Back in the day, your homepage was your most important asset. It was the first thing visitors saw and it was what drove traffic to your business. You spent time and a lot of money constructing that perfect homepage. But, now research is saying that homepages are becoming obsolete and that single piece on the web is doing less and less for your business. Where This is Coming From Studies have shown that homepage traffic is on a steady and dramatic decline. As an example, NYTimes.com had less than half of their visits start on their homepage. The Wall St. Journal had 40 percent. Yahoo saw a drop too, hovering at about 24 percent for 2012, according to the National Law Review. How This Impacts Businesses and Service Professionals The study was focused on law firms — a group that focuses on their homepage to bring in more traffic and define their business services. So what was the result? Only 39 percent of the traffic law firms received was from the homepage. There is a 17 percent decrease in homepage traffic from 2012. So What is Going On? While these law firms are seeing a heavy decline in the number of visits to their homepage, they are still getting a lot of page views. But, these views are coming in through sideways surfing. That means that people are finding their site via other pages on the web and visiting the law firm. The two things that are increasing the sideways surfing not just for law firms, but for all professional services are social media and content marketing. So My Homepage is Useless Then? No, never. A homepage is still important for your website and your brand. Just because the number of visitors you’re getting aren’t through the front door doesn’t mean you should throw out the homepage or ignore it all together. People who sideways surf do eventually make their way to your homepage, so you still need to put some effort into that. The homepage is also the most tracked page you’ll ever have on your website. So ignoring it means you could be missing traffic in the future. But, with these numbers on the decline, it’s time to see where all of the traffic is coming from and how using that sideways surfing to your advantage could increase your website’s traffic. It’s All About the Blog Blogs are heavy hitters when it comes to traffic these days. Every blog you post is an opportunity for someone to find your site. It acts like a landing page and when visitors see it, they can be compelled to stay on your site and learn more. Look at your blogs as landing pages. They are there to attract and convert people into customers. If you have 20 blogs posted on your site, you now have 20 landing pages that give internet users another way to find your site. If you have 200 or more, you have even more opportunities for people to find you. Imagine the possibilities! Wait, before you go out and write 200 blogs, you need to realize that a blog isn’t an automatic traffic lifter. You have to use your blog right and market it effectively to really harness the power of these potential landing pages. Create a Style and Tone That Matches Your Business The content you put on your blog ultimately determines the personality you portray to your readers. If you are a professional service provider, getting cheeky and cute in your blogs doesn’t really speak to your professionalism, now does it? But, that also doesn’t mean you need to be so technical and boring that you put the readers to sleep either. Strike a balance between what you do and your own personality. Search Engine Journal recommends really speaking to the reader as if they are a friend or family member. This technique makes it a little easier to write in a conversational style. So, if you are writing on law topics — say the effects of a DUI — discuss those effects as if you were telling your niece or brother. The audience you’re writing for is the only concern here. You know your ideal client or customer — including their age, gender, income, etc. — so you have to write something that appeals to them. Before you write any blog posts, identify your style and tone. It is crucial that you keep that same style and tone throughout your content. If you’re flopping back and forth, readers will see the inconsistencies and never know what to expect from you in the future — and that’s not a good thing. Post Consistently Now, we have told you that 200 blogs is a great way to generate more traffic, because that is 200 ways in to your website. But, don’t you dare go and post 200 blogs today. Flogging the system won’t get your blog and website anywhere. You need to set up a content schedule first. This outlines what topics you’ll cover, how you will cover them and most importantly, when you will write them. The jury is out on how many blog posts a person should release each week or month. While some say you should post consistently each day, others say a blog post per week is just fine. Daily posts do, however, help you get into the groove of writing and help set you up for a consistent routine. When you post daily, your readers know that they can log in or expect an email update from your website on a daily basis. That means your readers will keep coming back for more, because they know there is always a blog post there to see. But, daily posting also has its downsides. It is easy to burn out or run out of topics when you post 7 days a week. Also, when you post daily, your readers could burnout as well. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with a constant flow … Read more

What the Heck Are Internal Cliffhangers?

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What the Heck Are Internal Cliffhangers?

Image credit: Tumblr Grammar Nazis: you have to love them, or hate them. When it comes to grammar phrases, clauses, conjunctions, and all that good stuff, this could bring images of nightmarish English teachers peering over a frosted set of glass to your mind. (However, if you’re one of these people, then it will probably make you think of rainbows and Skittles.)  One phrase in the Grammar Nazi’s book that any typical layman would probably not understand is just what we’re going to talk about today: “internal cliffhangers.” Just what does this curious phrase mean? Let’s take a look at internal cliffhangers with those rascally Supernatural hunters Sam and Dean Winchester as our guides. Cliffhangers: Dean Might Be Going To Hell You already know what a cliffhanger is, especially if you are an avid TV watcher. Supernatural uses major cliffhangers throughout the show and always at the season finale. Is Dean or Sam going to hell? Are they getting out? This is a cliffhanger on the macro level; something we are very familiar with in movies, TV, and books but let’s take a look at the micro level of cliffhangers. These handy tools keep audiences reading your content instead of glancing through and forgetting about you. Internal Cliffhangers: Dean’s Going Downstairs but What’s Sam Doing? Internal cliffhangers are those little statements or sentences that keep the reader’s attention throughout the whole article or book. In the podcast episode for The Lede, Demian Farnworth defines internal cliffhangers as the sentences that piece your story, article, etc. together with emotion or shock to keep the reader interested. You don’t keep watching Supernatural because of the old, overdone cliffhangers of a character going to hell, you keep watching due to internal cliffhangers like wondering what Crowley is up to or if Castiel will ever stop being awkward. These are story arcs that piece the grand story together, but keep you interested until it is time for a massive plot twist and the season finale. Using internal cliffhangers will help cultivate long-term readers and customers, which will help your Google rankings and make your business successful. Utilizing Internal Cliffhangers In Your Content You need to be using internal cliffhangers in your content to help generate buzz and keep the reader’s interest. Cliffhangers can help in many areas and you can find ideas for them everywhere. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1. They Can Help Your Storytelling. Storytelling is a perfect way to keep readers interested in your content. You don’t necessarily have to write a “Once upon a time” sentence, but you can outline your content in story format. Internal cliffhangers work wonderfully for storytelling, as they are major parts of stories already. Get to crafting some intriguing stories for your site and you will see that internal cliffhangers begin to come naturally. Don’t stress too much when it comes to writing these, though. You do not want your content to come across like you are trying too hard. Just write naturally and see what happens! You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get these cliffhangers by just being natural. 2. You Can Gain Inspiration from Other Stories. If you are having a hard time coming up with great internal cliffhangers, try watching a few TV shows or films. This blog is inspired by the CW’s show Supernatural and that show really helped with the outline. The show is a great illustration of the use of major and internal cliffhangers; it also is a fairly popular show that many people enjoy, therefore, keeping the content relevant. 3. Internal Cliffhangers Keep You Relevant. The best way to learn how to use internal cliffhangers is by staying current. Relevant content is what will keep readers coming back and using relevant and fun cliffhangers will help. Stay Inspired, Young Hunter If Supernatural isn’t your thing, never fear; there are so many wonderful TV shows out there that can inspire your writing and give you great illustrations of how to use internal cliffhangers. You can even try to read the latest book series or look to some old, yet incredible, stories. Some great authors who are perfect with internal cliffhangers are George R. R. Martin, Stephen King, and Suzanne Collins. Pick up a book and see how many times you keep reading because you have to know more. Find different things that inspire you and help you craft excellent content. It doesn’t have to be a TV show or another form of entertainment. It can be something as simple as taking a walk or watching how people interact with each other. Stay in school and be willing to learn new tricks every day!    

Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey: 4 Ways TV and Movies Can Inspire Content

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Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey: 4 Ways TV and Movies Can Inspire Content

Image credit: screendwellers.com Are you stuck in a content rut and just can’t get out? Do you like TV and movies? TV and films can be incredible for content inspiration and you may just find yourself able to come up with some great ideas by spending some quality time binge watching your favorite show or having a movie night. So get settled in with a bowl of popcorn and get ready to learn some neat tricks! Exterminate the Content Myths! First off, let’s discuss the myths of how detrimental Netflix can be to writers. You have no doubt seen articles that bash streaming services or movies as time wasters and that in order to be productive you have to avoid them at all costs. The reality is, a television show or a movie might just get you out of a content rut or may even give you a T.A.R.D.I.S full of ideas. Writer’s block happens to the best of us and we all need something that will break the horrible wall in our brains. Here are a few ways TV and film inspire and help your content: 1. Bow Ties and Fezzes … Are Cool. In the age of viral media, you want to be relevant and cool. Watching new television series or films will help keep you up-to-date with what is popular and trending. However, don’t limit yourself to what you think is popular because you may find that there are many older shows or films that are still quite trendy or are rising in popularity again. Take A Clockwork Orange for example – a lot of people in the 70s watched this Kubrick classic, but it became the film of the counterculture. Because of this, it eventually lost mainstream popularity, until now. Now Alex’s signature style and Nadast language is everywhere. People are constantly doing A Clockwork Orange mashups. It is trendy again, and this time it is not just for a small counterculture (though many still argue it is more of a counterculture film and book). The best way to know about classics becoming popular again is to watch Twitter and Facebook to keep up with all the current trends. You’ll be surprised just what all is popular. 2. What Would River Song Do? Do you remember those times in English class where you had to write character comparisons? Wasn’t that fun? When it comes time to write your content you should do just that, compare and contrast things in a way your favorite character would or write it from their point of view. It will provide some unique insight into your product and promote more involvement for yourself and your readers. You’ll find that you have a blast writing content in a different character’s voice; try it the next time you hit a rut. 3. Daleks Are Not Cool (To the Doctor, That Is). If you’re always rolling around with an egg beater for a gun and screaming “Exterminate” readers will leave you faster than the Doctor (9) running away from family dinners. TV and films show that being negative is a sure fire way to lose readers and customers. Sure, you may post a few “do this, not that” posts but try to keep them at least somewhat nice. We write some heavy hitting pieces, but we make sure to put humor throughout to lessen the blow and help make it memorable instead of making readers furious. Also, another uncool move is spoiling things for readers, whether it is your own content or the show you are using as inspiration. Spoilers are a big deal on the Internet right now, and while many have valid arguments on both sides, you don’t want to be responsible for saying who died on that really popular show. 4. Don’t Pull a Moffat. You want to pull on heartstrings occasionally, but it isn’t the best method to make every single piece of content something that will make your readers violent. Stephen Moffat is a prime example of this with both the Doctor Who series and Sherlock. The fandoms are ready to riot after any episode he films, which are usually season finales or other major episodes (Christmas specials and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary). Readers will not appreciate it if you continually try to manipulate emotions via headlines or other content. In fact, people are slowly pulling away from Upworthy titles because they really don’t like feeling manipulated. Keep the emotional posts for occasional use only and you’ll find you have a perfect piece of content  – just like Vincent and the Doctor (not directed by Moffat, but a great example of expertly using emotion). Inspiration Can Be Found Anywhere “But I am not much of a TV person. How else can I get inspired?” Well, you don’t need just to watch TV or films; you can gain inspiration through video games, reading, magazines, museums, and so many other things, Copyblogger writes. Use history as a framework for your next content piece or do a whole month based on dinosaurs. Anything can be used for inspiration; so don’t let the Daleks get you down. In The End, The Doctor Likes To Read and Learn The Doctor has had several adventures that have been pretty fun. Some of these adventures center around authors and, as we find out, the Doctor knows a lot about them. He has read and met Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, and Agatha Christie. Sometimes, he just sits around the T.A.R.D.I.S reading about quantum mechanics. This Time Lord loves to learn and his adventures are made so much more interesting because of it. Take inspiration from the Doctor and read or listen to a wide selection of different authors and on several different subjects. The more you read, the more you learn. Always being willing to learn will help you as you try to write new and exciting content. Learn about science, the English language, history, geography and the world will open up to you. So … Read more

Your Essential Guide to Creating Killer Subheaders for Web Content

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Your Essential Guide to Creating Killer Subheaders for Web Content

This post was updated in January 2019. You spend hours perfecting your web content. You create a headline that’s unique, urgent, and ultra-specific. Like Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel, you carefully craft your content with gentle but passionate effort. When you’re done, your blog is flawless. In fact, it’s beautiful. It answers your audience’s needs, questions, and problems. It’s entertaining. There’s nothing like it online. So why are people still clicking the back button like it’ll save their lives? The answer is you may be doing something wrong that hugely affects your blog’s readability – and that is writing dull subheaders. Your Essential Guide to Creating Killer Subheaders for Web Content – Table of Contents Why Amazing Content Isn’t Enough to Prevent Your Readers from Running How Subheaders Can Attract More Readers to Your Blog 10 Mistakes That Weaken Subheaders for Web Content Five Easy Steps to Compelling Subheaders for Web Content Are Your Subheaders Good Enough to Reduce Your Bounce Rate? [bctt tweet=”You can call your web content the best one you’ve made so far. But why is your bounce rate still high? You might have missed polishing your subheaders! Read this essential guide to creating killer subheaders by @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”] Why Amazing Content Isn’t Enough to Prevent your Readers from Running The web isn’t your local library. And people don’t go online to ponder upon beautifully written sentences. For instance, imagine yourself clicking a website and seeing a huge block of text like this. Source: Amazon Jeet Thayil’s novel is a deep, thought-provoking work. However, it requires a quiet corner and hours of time to read and ponder on. Online, it’s not about reading for pleasure. It’s about finding a solution to a problem in the shortest time possible. So no matter how helpful your content is, people won’t read it if you present it in a long block of text. This is why amazing content isn’t enough to keep readers from bouncing. You need amazing content and an amazing way to present it. The solution? Divide your text into sections with attention-grabbing subheaders. [bctt tweet=”An amazing web content allows people to find the solution to a problem in the shortest time possible. They don’t have the time to scan through a huge wall of text! So it’s important to use subheaders. ” username=”ExpWriters”] How Subheaders Can Attract More Readers to Your Blog Here’s the cool part. Subheaders can do more for you than just prevent your readers from running when they see long blocks of text on your page. In fact, they can get you even more readers! This is because of how Google’s web crawlers work. Users search for information, products, and help on Google using chosen keywords. What crawlers do is come up with relevant sites that have the content these users are looking for. On your part, it’ll help when you add relevant keywords to your content. But did you know that where you put these keywords is as important as which keywords you use? That’s right. Google crawlers pay extra attention to website headings and subheadings. When you plant your keywords in them, you improve your SEO ranking considerably. The result? More people finding your blog and reading it! [bctt tweet=”Besides making your content more readable, subheaders can bring more readers to your site – especially if you’ve added the right, relevant keywords.” username=”ExpWriters”] 10 Mistakes That Weaken Subheaders for Web Content While your first instinct might be to cut up your content and slap on any keyword-rich subheader you can think of above each section, don’t do that. Why? Your subheaders are the glue that will compel people to read your whole post. Think of them as your mini headlines. While your curiosity-piquing headline sucked people into your blog, it’s the job of your subheadings to suck people into every section of your blog. Subheadings have the power to compel your readers to keep reading until the end of your post. That is if they’re done right. But a ton of things could go wrong with your subheadings. Here are 10 of them. 1. Forgetting Your Blog’s Promise Readers come to your blog because your headline promised them something. For instance, take a look at this headline from Healthline. Readers click on this headline because it promises them something specific: They’ll get relief from a toothache without visiting a dentist. Now, see the subheadings listed below? Each one of them is in line with the blog’s promise. Imagine what would happen if you wrote a subheading like The History of Toothaches. You got it. Readers won’t go that far on your blog. 2. Turning Subheadings into Content Spoilers Subheadings can be tricky. You want to keep them in line with your blog’s main promise. BUT you don’t want them to give too much away. Look at this example: When readers see this subheading, they won’t need to read the content you write under it. They already know everything it’ll say. Now, what about this subheading? This subheading still delivers on the promise of your blog. However, it’s just a sneak peek that encourages readers to get into your content. When they continue reading, they learn that the secret ingredient for outstanding subheadings is uniqueness. 3. Being Too Dry Putting emotion into your writing always works. Why? Because readers come to your blog with their own complex feelings. For instance, think of a small business owner who’s going bankrupt. What emotion is he feeling? Maybe it’s fear, hopelessness, or desperation. When he goes online and finds your blog, he takes these emotions with him. What you need to do with your subheadings is to offer alternative emotions. For instance, “The Unexpected Lifeline That Saved My Doomed Business” is full of hope, courage, and optimism. These emotions will keep your businessman reading until the end of your post. If you want to test your subheadings for emotion, try AMI Institute’s Free Headline Analyzer. 4. Overdoing Creativity Creativity is good, but not all the … Read more

5 Irresistible Copywriting Examples

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5 Irresistible Copywriting Examples

Some marketers out there manage to sell land on the moon, while others have a hard time trying to commercialize toilet paper, one of the most common, essential products that you could ever find on the supermarkets’ shelves? In this case, the not-so-secret recipe for success involves a very important element: irresistible copywriting that can turn the dullest product into a hot must-have as fast as you can say “buy me, you need me.” How Smart Copywriting Can Make a Difference in Your Life You need to rely on excellent copywriting to take your products or services to the next level, regardless of your goals, the size of your business or your field of activity. Whether you’re selling cosmetics or trying to promote your small-scale plumbing company, first-class copywriting can get you where you want to be on time and on a budget, by helping you create a long-lasting connection with your audience. To bring whatever it is that you are selling into the spotlight you have to be witty, bravely honest, intriguing or straightforward. Either way, you have to be shockingly different than the rest. Good web copy will help you differentiate your business from the rest, make a name for yourself and stay in the game with minimal effort. You cannot become the master of words overnight, but you can certainly improve your own writing skills and boost your power of persuasion by learning from the best. Let’s face it: some old players just nail copywriting and sell better and faster than anyone else. Others create legends. Here are 5 awe-inspiring copywriting strategies incorporated in calls to action, modal boxes, different website sections and various other structures that have rocked our world, making us believe that we have to buy products that we may or may not need in our lives at this point. 1. Cracked Show Us How to Reinforce Our Social Sharing Widget. Let’s face it: it’s not really easy to convince people to share or like your page. To simplify your mission, you have to get up close and personal with your audience and unleash the creative beast that is still dormant inside you. Be bold, daring and fun. Cracked embraced this approach and reached the outstanding 3 million mark while counting their Likes. The message promoted by Cracked is pretty straightforward: “Choosing to “Like” Cracked has no side effects, so what’s the worst that could happen?” Indeed, a little impulse given to your readers to Like your page doesn’t pose any unwanted side effects and has never sounded better. 2. Apple Is No Stranger to Seductive Copy. According to KISSmetrics, Apple has always played its cards right, at least when goal-oriented copywriting is involved. Apple copywriters give you the chance to justify your purchase and convince the breadwinner in your family that you were unable to live the rest of your life without an iPhone 5s in your pocket. So far, Apple has taught us a few basic things that show us how to perfect our own web copy, make our voice heard and sell big while making the most of cleverly selected words. Apple has given us 3 valuable lessons for this point: We should always use short, concise sentences with a powerful impact to promote readability (example: It’s our thinnest display ever. And it’s the first of its kind) We should boost our credibility by adding essential technical details (example: The back of iPhone 5 is made of anodized 6000 series aluminum — the same material used in Apple notebooks ) We should boost client engagement by telling a fascinating, compelling story. For example, Apple tells the whole world how the Apple EarPods were created and tested. During the testing phase, the subjects had to run on a treadmill and perform different kinds of cardio workouts, while being exposed to extreme temperatures. As a result, the AppleEarPods ensure the hghest level of protection against water and sweat, so they represent a smart investment. Doesn’t this cute little story make you want to get your hands on the AppleEarPods that were tested by 600 people who had to withstand extreme cold and excessive heat? 3. Mozilla Proves That You Can Sell Big with Fewer Words. You don’t have to write an entire book to convince your targeted audience that you are the best player in your sector. You just have to learn how to resonate with your public and come up with a compelling message. Mozilla knows that in terms of copywriting, less is sometimes more. The creative minds behind its web copy are able to say a lot without actually using tons of words. “We are Mozilla. Doing good is part of our code.” Do tell us, how do you ignore this powerful brand that succeeds in delivering its value proposition in less than 50 words? 4. Groupon Gets Bonus Points for Its Funny Email Copy. We will let you in on a little secret: buyers love brands that do not take themselves too seriously. So why not make your prospects laugh a little, by making the most of your funny, reader-oriented email copy? This is the clever strategy embraced by Groupon, the creator of a subject line will definitely put a smile on your face: “Beat the Heat Deals: Half Off Being Less Sweaty”. This subject line responds to the pressing needs of the recipients and stimulates their curiosity and their lust for great deals and discounts. 5. Petco Knows How to Keep Its Prices on a Leash (and brag about it). Ok, let’s face it: clever words that offer the promise of a substantial discount are almost impossible to ignore. Petco is fully aware of this fact. This is probably the main reason why it has created the pet-friendly slogan that we all know and love: Down, Prices, Down!” for their pet stores. It is short, concise, funny and compelling. It definitely helps the brand create a solid connection with pet owners who are constantly looking for quality, decently priced pet supplies. All … Read more

Content Tools for Success: How to Create & Use a Case Study

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Content Tools for Success: How to Create & Use a Case Study

If you’re a successful agency in any part of the digital realm (web marketing, SEO, digital media, you-name-it) you probably have a lot of success stories to share and happy clients who wouldn’t hesitate to recommend you. All of that is great – but, how useful is it, if you aren’t letting everyone else out there know your existing value and the fact that you don’t need to prove yourself, since you’ve already had successes? This is where a case study comes in. You can send it to new clients, show it off as a downloadable marketing material to new subscribers, send it to anyone questioning your successes (how dare they!), and so much more. 3 Great Reasons Why Case Studies Can Become One of Your Most Valuable Content Tools Creating and publishing case studies is a great strategy, especially if you plan to highlight your authority and build credibility and trust in your line of work. You cannot and should not harvest the fruits of your own labor without letting the whole world know how resourceful, competent, successful and client-oriented you really are. Bragging about your own success stories can take you a long way, as long as all your claims are backed by solid evidence. This is precisely why a case study is such an important content tool these days: it enables company owners to separate themselves from unreliable, boastful competitors who speak very highly about their own affairs without actually being able to list their accomplishments. In this context, there are 3 main reasons why you should invest time, money and energy in creating a case study: 1)      Case Studies Give You the Chance to Tell a Compelling, Factual Story about Your Clients. This will obviously help you attract new customers and/or partners who may need a bit more than a string of fancy words to choose to do business with you. A skeptic may ask you: “Why should I invest in your goods or services?” Case studies provide the shortest, most accurate answer to this question. A good case study should put your selling skills and first-class marketing strategies on full display. Remember that your goal is to seduce both the hearts and the minds of your targeted audience. 2)      Case Studies Help You Gain a Competitive Edge. Whether we like it or not, we live right next to impostors and people who can’t make a single move without exaggerating their positive attributes. In a world where it is still very difficult to separate the ugly truth from an overly adorned lie, case studies can reflect your transparency, sustained efforts and your good name. They can also come in handy if you want to separate yourself from your main competitors who are nothing but talk. 3)      Case Studies Help You Promote and Run a Real Business. Ask yourself the following question: does your business seem real, or does it sound as fantastic as a fairytale with pink unicorns? Case studies can make many people realize that they need your products or services in their lives; a well-written study will highlight your competences, your previous results and awaken a powerful emotion. You can use this valuable content tool to evoke sympathy, admiration, joy or curiosity, based on your end goal and the nature of the facts presented in the study. Either way, a content piece that resonates with your readers, stimulates their empathy and encourages them to take action will work to your best advantage. Don’t know how to draw the line between truth and necessary braggery? In this case, we’ve got news for you: superlatives and exaggerations can hurt your business, as long as all the claims that you make are not supported by solid, 100% verifiable evidence. Case studies can help you keep your feet on the ground, keep track of your success stories and put them to good use to diversify your clientele, boost brand awareness and maximize your gains. Getting Started: How to Write a Killer Success-Oriented Case Study in 6 Easy Steps Even if you’re good and you know it, and you have a virtually endless list of satisfied customers who would vouch for your business at any given point in time, it may still be difficult for you to write a concise, genuine and persuasive case study. Follow these basic guidelines to overcome your own limitations. Leave your modesty and the door and you’ll manage to come up with an awesome client case study in 6 easy steps. Gather the Most Relevant Details Related to the Success Story of One of Your Customers. Focus mostly on quantifiable aspects (like for instance monetary advantages, website traffic increases, improved sales and so on) Opt for a Punchy Headline That Manages to Introduce Your Most Important Accomplishment. Your goal is to explain how your services improved the life of a certain customer in a very succinct, compelling manner. Include Convincing Client Testimonials. Don’t turn your case study into a boring, pointless monologue. This is not a church sermon; it is your best chance to attract new clients, accentuate your best qualities and capabilities and make a name for yourself. Keep things interesting and highlight your realness by including relevant client testimonials that introduce at least 2 or 3 key benefits associated with your brand, product or service. Create Subheads for the Most Important Details Listed in Your Case Study Shed Some Light on the “How” Aspect. Unless you are a mysterious magician who is recruiting spectators for his next show, get ready to talk a bit about the aces up your sleeve. How did you manage to trigger the complete satisfaction of your customers and deliver the promised results? Use powerful action verbs and avoid using passive voice in your content piece; passive voice minimizes your efforts and may make your audience believe that major improvements could have been witnesses even without your contribution. End the Study with a Short, Relevant Quote from a Customer. The quote should summarize all the info presented … Read more

Is Your Content Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 4 Steps To Readable Content

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Is Your Content Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 4 Steps To Readable Content

No matter if you’re a lawyer or agricultural field surveyor, your website and your services should be worded in a way that everyone on the world wide web can read and understand it. Ask yourself – Is my content smarter than a 5th grader? Don’t worry – we’re not exactly asking you to “dumb it down.” In fact, we get that you want your content to be smart and informative. This is more about making your web content reader-friendly. Stop trying to be the Charles Dickens of copywriting and begin crafting readable content. What is Readability? First off, let’s discuss what readability is when it comes to web content. You should know a few literacy facts before you begin writing. For example, National Law Review states that the average reading level in the United States is a seventh grade level with 1 in 5 American adults who can only read at a fifth grade or lower level. Creating something that is readable for a fifth grader is not just a catchy title for our blog; it is true. You need to write your content so that a fifth grader can read and understand it. Now, not all of your readers will only be able to read at a fifth grade level, so let’s look at a few ways to make your content easier to read for everyone. 1. Stay Away from the Robo-Boogie. You want your content to rank in the search engine so people can find you, but if you write your content for a search engine you will find readers leaving ASAP. The people you are writing for are not the robots that pop your site up in a search result. If you write predominately for a search engine, your content will not be reader-friendly and will sound awkward because of all the keywords you stuff throughout your content. Don’t do that! Focus on writing on a personal level with a conversational tone. This makes your content easier to read and people can actually relate to you, which is what you want. 2. Jargon-Schmargon. A key part of keeping your content reader-friendly is to stay away from technical jargon. Yes, you may be writing content for legal or insurance companies, but you need to stay away from all the legalese. The general population will not understand most of it, and you want them to be able to relate to what they are reading and to seek out the company you are writing for. If you constantly use technical terms in your content, people will feel like your business will not work well with them and they will look elsewhere. Don’t let that happen! If you have to use institutional jargon, then give brief explanations or say that a friendly associate is willing to help people understand the terms. Make sure people will feel helped. 3. Utilize those Sub-headers. Sub-headers make reading any piece of content a cinch for readers. Copyblogger says that sub-headers engage readers throughout the entire piece and provide mental breaks for them. Sub-headers are like chapters in a book. Your mind knows to rest once you get to the next chapter, so too with sub-headers. You can use sub-headers to grab attention, to tell some information about the paragraph, and to provide an outline for readers. Many readers really enjoy outlines as they can read ahead and know what to expect throughout the article and if the article is interesting. This also helps for the readers who will not read the whole article. They will get the information they want simply by reading your sub-headers. If you don’t provide this, they’ll move on to other content. 4. Lists For the Win! You’ve seen them all over Facebook – lists are an absolute favorite of readers right now and they organize thoughts in short, concise sentences, sometimes offering descriptions. Lists are great ways to get your ideas across to your readers while keeping them engaged. They provide people with enough information and many will read a post in its entirety if it is in list format. Lists are easy to scan and if they are made in a bulleted format, they will stand out from the rest of your content. If someone is scanning your content for the bare information, that bulleted list is going to capture his or her attention pretty quick! FTW – Simple Content Matt Cutts recently came out and said (just this February 2014) that it’s better to write with “content clarity” rather than using technical language. He said to focus on clarity of writing and simplicity in words, rather than jargon or scientifically-important language. Way to back us up here, Matt! By following these steps, you will be able to craft incredible and readable content. You will not have to sacrifice your information or feel that you are “dumbing down” your content because you will still be creating something that is done well. Readability is all about engaging readers, regardless of reading level, and helping them to learn more about your product or services in a simple, yet informative way. It is never too late to start crafting your wonderfully reader-friendly content!    

Sprinkles and Icing Make the Cake: 4 Ways to Create Captivating Headlines

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Sprinkles and Icing Make the Cake: 4 Ways to Create Captivating Headlines

When browsing through your Facebook and Twitter feed, you are inundated with headline after headline. Some are trying too hard and some not hard enough, but when you come across something called “13 Celebrities with Voldemort’s Nose” you just know you are going to click on that. Who wouldn’t want to see James Bond morphed with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? How do you go about creating captivating headlines like Voldemort’s nose? Whether funny or serious, this blog explores a few short things to consider when creating great headlines and captivating audiences before they even read your article. So, let’s look at a few things you should consider when writing your blog: 1. Education is the New Sexy Do you want a headline that will grab the reader’s attention? Then educate them before they even get to your article, SEOCopywriting.com writes. If your headline does not provide a small lesson, a lot of people will pass you by. People like to be educated and they like to show others how educated they are. This means, they will read and share an article that has a smart headline that gives enough information to entice them, but not too much information to spoil the article. The reader will then expect to see a solid article to back up the creative headline. 2. Get Into a New Groove Don’t be afraid to try something new with your headlines. Readers are overwhelmed by all the headlines out there that talk about something being the “best ever” or headlines that are overly long and complicated. Incorporate words or phrases that many people still won’t expect to see in the headline, this will grab the reader’s attention while also informing them that they are about to learn a great deal about your chosen topic. 3. Pay Attention to the Internet’s Reactions The Internet is great for gauging what kind of headlines will grab people’s attention and which will throw them off. For example, while many of Upworthy’s headlines get lots of clicks and shares, several on the Internet are getting annoyed with Upworthy style headlines. People have even created a list of what a classic book’s title would be if Upworthy had written the title. You can still do similar headlines, but keep in mind that you shouldn’t have an overly long headline. Just place yourself in the position of your targeted audience and think about whether or not your headline would grip them, or if it would even grip you. If it wouldn’t grip you and entice you to read it, then don’t use that headline! If you are stuck on trying to find a great headline, don’t despair. Many writers will go through headline after headline before they decide on the best one. (We even went through a few for this article!) You can also go to a few successful websites to see how they fashion their headlines. A few are: Buzzfeed The BBC Mashable Huffington Post 4. Never Forget After you have crafted an excellent headline, don’t forget to craft amazing content. You want your content to strongly backup and support your headlines. Once you have created amazing captivating headlines and content, you will see your readership growing and will watch as your content begins to go viral. Remember, headlines are the glorious sprinkles and buttercream icing that top a yummy cupcake!    

7 Reasons Why Good Copy Is Your Most Powerful Tool

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7 Reasons Why Good Copy Is Your Most Powerful Tool

Have you ever played a game entitled “Good Copy, Bad Copy”? The rules are simple. Oh wait; there is actually just one rule: you have to create good copy to promote your online business and stay far away from bad copy that can compromise your image, make you lose prospects and help you put a smile on your competitors’ faces. Most people will sigh and exclaim: “if only things were that simple…” They are. Even though you may think about copywriting and picture a rainbow of colors and flying unicorns, things are really black and white when it comes to creating fantastic copy: you’re either good at it because your copy sells or you’re not and your copy is a mere waste of time and money. The bad news is that good copy that is also persuasive requires lots of things, including excellent writing skills, extensive knowledge, patience, passion, research and empathy. The good news is that as long as you play by the book and do everything in your power to boost your copywriting skills, you can actually obtain excellent results in the long run. But what exactly should you work on to be able to see the first signs of improvements in the long run? The Good, the Bad and the Damn Ugly of Copywriting So we’re clear, copy overstuffed with keywords is not good copy. As a matter of fact, first-class copy should reflect your creativity, originality and ability to see things from a different perspective. If should accentuate your desire to resonate with a large, diverse audience and your ability to address the specific needs and requirements of all your categories of readers. Moreover, it should indicate the fact that you have a vast knowledge and can anticipate, analyze and explain new trends and concepts faster and better than any of your main rivals. In short, great copy shows that you’re good with words and you know it. On the other hand, bad copy is a clear indicator of the fact that you are lazy, sloppy, ignorant, unmotivated, untalented or all of the above. Bad copy is web writing with absolutely no value, which doesn’t stimulate the curiosity and the interest of your readers and doesn’t make them want to land on your page a second time. You may be wondering: how could I improve my copywriting efforts? According to an article published by Search Engine Land, sometimes SEO rules are meant to be broken. An obsessive focus on SEO can kill your copy. You have to ignore or your current SEO strategies at least when it comes to developing: A)      Titles and Magnetic Headlines Can you actually create compelling, magnetic, attention-grabbing headlines and still include as many keywords as you want in them, to attain your optimization goals? It’s possible, but very unlikely. Readers are very savvy and know how to distinguish high-value content from what appears to be a piece of cleverly disguised written trash. B)     Shareable Content Can you actually ask a team of writers to come up with insanely creative, readable, original, client-focused content and still force them to incorporate a huge number of keywords in it? Obviously, the answer is no. Great copy goes beyond keywords. Naturally, great copy is built around popular queries, to anticipate and address the needs, expectations and demands of a certain audience, but it does not employ aggressive SEO strategies that are visible to the naked eye. Here are a few rules that you may want to follow, to come up with fabulous, shareable copy: a)      Be engaging, transparent and empathetic to favor an emotional response from your readers b)      “Write tight” This means that you should keep it short and simple; organize your content piece into small well-organized paragraphs to improve readability. Otherwise, your readers will get bored to death, no matter how amazing your copy really is c)      Ditch second-hand material that you were planning to recycle one more time and conduct expensive research to spot new info and the most influential trends. You can rely on social media networking sites and special tools (Twitter, Facebook, Google Trends) to keep yourself up-to-date with things and facts that may interest you d)      Turn your posts into visual masterpieces by adding a fair amount of quality, relevant images, while preserving an ideal balance between text and images. Make no mistake: your refusal to upgrade your copy writing skills will cost you. According to an infographic introduced by Ragan.com, site performance, keywords and content are 3 of the most important factors that influence your SEO rankings. According to the same source, companies that blog obtain up to 50% more traffic than the ones that do not count on this strategy. 7 Reasons Why Fabulously Good Copy Really Matters We have managed to come up with 7 great reasons why good copy is an incredibly powerful ally for all people who run any kind of business on an online market. 1)      Good Copy Sells. First-class copy tells an enchanting story. It entertains the readers, resonates with them but also compels them to take action. Good copy gives you the opportunity to promote your products in a highly effective manner in front of a vast audience that is ready to listen to what you have to say. A successful copywriter has amazing selling skills and could probably convince an Eskimo to buy a bathing suit. Different writers employ different selling tactics. The only way to find out which ones would work best for you is through a trial-and-error process. Test different selling methods and see which ones are the best bait for your prospects. 2)      Good Copy Creates a Long-Lasting Bond with Your Audience. Great copy gives you the chance to improve your relationship with your visitors, by responding to their questions, needs and concerns and by cultivating their feedback. Whether they are looking forward to buying a luxurious 8-bedroom mansion or a box of cereals, consumers want to feel that their seller strives to be on the … Read more

17 Ways to Get Creative and Not Spin Out Old Content

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17 Ways to Get Creative and Not Spin Out Old Content

“I’m sick and tired of people saying that we put out 11 albums that sound exactly the same. In fact, we’ve put out 12 albums that sound exactly the same.” – Angus Young, AC/DC No one wants to listen to the same songs on repeat for years. Television shows that go into syndication eventually stop being shown entirely. Repeating content can be dangerous business. Some people make a career out of it but most of the time it simply doesn’t work out. And, really, if you’re churning out the same content day in and day out, you’ll get incredibly bored. It’s like repeating a word over and over again. Eventually it just becomes meaningless. And think of your audience. If you’re in the business of making guitars and you put some content on your website about how to play popular songs and every week you put up some variation of “Smoke on the Water” then your audience will quickly go somewhere else. The question becomes clear: how do you avoid putting out the same content? Funny you should ask. Actually, it’s not really that funny; it’s probably what you came here for. 17 – The Educational Series According to Copyblogger.com, the educational series is commonly thought of as how-to guides but it can be any number of things that teach the reader or viewer about an aspect of your company that they otherwise may not have known about. If you’re a clothing company then you might talk about the material that your clothes are made out of or how your company was founded. One of the best ways to get ideas for topics is to allow your customers to come up with them for you. Good creative ideas include Q&A videos that will allow you to have new content that actually addresses real questions and concerns your customers may have. After all, PlayStation did it and is your company bigger than PlayStation? 16 – Conversation There is no reason that you can’t have a down to earth conversation with your customers. The most common way that companies do this is by getting on social media and really getting an interaction going with their followers. Notice the words “conversation” and “interaction.” You don’t want to treat your social media presence as this huge, untouchable, unknowable thing. You’re not the monolith at the beginning of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Your company has a persona and a way that it interacts with the world, even before you get it on social media. After that, you should accentuate that personality. Make your company human by talking directly with customers via Twitter conversations or even Reddit AMAs. It will give you an idea of your market and give them an idea of who you are as a company and what you stand for. 15 – Relevance Look in the news. Take inspiration from current events. Every so often there is an outbreak of some kind of disease on certain types of foods. Salmonella is usually the disease in those cases. Regardless, if your company grows tomatoes and this is the year for a salmonella outbreak on batches of tomatoes then you can quickly talk about how to prevent the spread of disease on your food as well as the requisite “our product doesn’t have salmonella” post. Frankly, if that happened and a company didn’t have that post up then they would look mighty suspicious. 14 – Podcasts FDR began a weekly tradition during his presidency of addressing America every week on the radio. Your podcast can be kind of like that (if you want to think about it that way). Creating content through podcasting gives your company a sense of humanity that it may not otherwise have. As far as creating original content, having a few people banter about issues related to your product or industry may allow new topics to naturally come up that wouldn’t have been brought up otherwise. Quite a few podcasts and radio shows rely on just those types of organic topics (while obviously having an outline of other points if necessary). 13 – Old Content, New Sides Just because this article is about bringing out new content for your readers doesn’t mean that you can’t deliver old content with a new twist. Entertainment journalists do this all the time when they look back at past media with a new perspective or if they get new information on an old piece of work. There are endless stories about products and services if you look at it from the point of view of everyone involved. 12 – Before and Afters Before and afters aren’t just for weight loss products anymore. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling or doing, you can create content using before and after photos, videos, or stories. There are the obvious transformation stories: home damage repair, the aforementioned weight loss products, or exfoliating creams. But that’s just scratching the surface of documenting a transformation. It doesn’t just have to be your customers in the transformation. You can show your product in phases or even the company itself at pivotal points of its life cycle. Car and Driver has done product retrospectives for several different car manufacturers over the years. Why? Because their readers are fascinated by the inner-workings of vehicles and the way that they are improved upon over time. 11 – Presentations Surely someone at your company is a great writer and great presenter with amazing ideas that can be shared with the world. Maybe they’ve shared some of them with the company through a PowerPoint presentation. You might even be able to put that kind of presentation on video and broadcast it to your readers. Moz does this type of thing a lot with Whiteboard Fridays. We can’t definitively say that it stems from a presentation that someone gave to their peers, but it has that presentation feeling to it because of how it’s structured. 10 – Contests Providing content doesn’t necessarily mean providing pure information. … Read more

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