Content marketing is all about persuasive writing and your ability to get into the minds (and hearts) of your readers.  As easy as this sounds, a lot of companies will try to be persuasive by using all the wrong techniques.  However, this is your opportunity to get a leg up on your competition and start writing effective content for marketing with 3 simple rules.

Give Them Reasons To Act

If someone at my gym tells me, “You should really do that exercise”, there is a pretty good chance that I will completely ignore them unless I was already doing that exercise.  However, if that same person tells me, “You should really do that exercise because it’s excellent for your overall strength”, I am more likely to do it.

The same holds true with your content marketing; if you only tell someone that the product is in existence you will completely miss the target (productivity and revenue).  On the other hand, if you let them know why they should use that product you are more likely to get their business.  And get this, you have a higher opportunity for success as you describe more and more benefits for them.  So, as you create your content, make sure you answer the question of “Why” with as much beneficial detail as possible and you will have a start to efficient content for marketing.

Empathize and Resolve

Have you ever had problems getting into the “zone” when you write?  If you have, you are definitely not alone because it is a feeling that I (and a lot of other writers) have often.  You know what’s even more frustrating is when distraction after distraction keep popping up unexpectedly just as you are about ready to write!  However, if you can find a quiet place and let your family know that you will be writing and need to concentrate you may have better success.

Now, I hope I didn’t scare anybody off with that last paragraph because I wanted to simply show you what I meant in the title by “Empathize and Resolve”.  As you write your content, you want to identify the problem that faces your clients (make sure it’s relevant to your product.  Second, empathize with the reader; remember to show them you understand how they feel and why they feel that way.  Lastly, write a resolution to the conflict that is frustrating them with your product/service as the focal point (and, of course, outlining the benefits).

Metaphors, Similes, Analogies

As you create your content you need to rely on your three best friends: similes, metaphors, and analogies.

  • Similes are some of the easiest comparisons to make because they use words such as “like” or “as” which aids in the description of a certain thing.  For example, “The water was like ice today”; this is a simile that is telling us the water is cold.
  • Metaphors are the king of persuasive writing.  And, that first sentence was an example of a metaphor; it was a comparison of two things without using “like” or “as”.  Typically, metaphors are a bit stronger with regard to efficient writing, but not as many writers use metaphors as similes (unfortunately).
  • Similar to metaphors and similes, analogies compare two things, but they go into more detail with the comparison.  In other words, instead of making a single comparison, multiple characteristics are matched between the two things.  By using an analogy, the reader gets a more in-depth look at your message.

Now, when you use a comparison, you can either compare two like things or two different things.  Either way you choose to implement the comparison, you need to make the comparison as strong as possible to deliver your message clearly.  Remember that as you make the comparison that you want your product/service to shine as brightly as possible while providing as many benefits as possible as well.

In summary, persuasive writing is a skill needed by all business owners and marketers because efficient content marketing is a strategy that will significantly boost your productivity.  If you use comparisons (similes, metaphors, and analogies), empathize and resolve issues with your readers, and provide a number of significant benefits you will be able to capitalize on the opportunity and create effective content tomorrow.

If you should need help creating content for your marketing, don’t hesitate to contact IMPACT today.

Need Help?

If content creation is something that you are interested in but don’t know how to get started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis.

Sources:
“The Essential Step-by-Step Guide to Internet Marketing”-E-Book
SlideShare.net
Image Source: HubSpot, “The 2011 State of Inbound Marketing”, E-Marketer.com