How to woo your audience with killer content this Valentine’s Day!

It might be Valentine’s Day but it’s not just about romantic love! Give your business marketing some love by creating content that will woo your audience. Just like a thoughtful gift or a romantic gesture, well-crafted content can capture the heart of your audience and build lasting relationships.

Great content is about building relationships, after all. Here are my five secrets to writing content (blogs, articles, emails, social captions etc.) that your readers will fall head over heels for:

1. Uncover their deepest desires

It’s not just about the demographics – where they are, how old they are, their gender etc. While these are important, delving deeper into what motivates your audience will help you to understand them better. And this in turn will help you tailor and target your content marketing, so that it resonates better with them.

What are their hopes, desires or aspirations? And what challenges wake them up at night?

The more you understand their motivations, the more effectively you can tailor your content. Go beyond basic demographics and create detailed ‘buyer personas’ or ‘avatars’ that represent your ideal readers. This will help you write with empathy and understanding, ensuring your message connects where it’s needed most.

2 Craft a captivating hook

You only have a few seconds to grab your audience’s attention. Your headline and opening paragraph are like your ‘first date’. Make them intriguing enough to pique their interest so that they want to keep reading.

Your headline (or email subject line) needs to promise value and make your audience want to read more:

• Keep them short and sweet: be clear and concise
• Include numbers or lists: people love numbered lists and “how-to” guides
• Ask a question: engage the reader
• Use emotional language: connect with the reader on an emotional level.

For example: “5 ways to…”, “The biggest XXX mistake you’re probably making”, “Are you making these XXX mistakes?”, “Want the secret to…”

Your first paragraph needs to follow through from your headline and continue the intrigue. The hook can be a question, a surprising statistic, a relatable anecdote or a bold statement. Don’t be afraid to try different ones to find what works best for your readers.

For example: “Have you ever…?”, “Did you know that X% of people…?”, “If you do this…”, “Are you struggling with…?”

Again, keep your opening paragraph (and indeed all of your content) concise. Consider how it will resonate with your target audience. And be sure to connect to the overall theme and use a consistent tone throughout.

3 Tell a story

We all resonate more with stories than we do with cold, hard facts. Stories make the world go around – and we remember them more easily. What’s more, stories are often more engaging and relatable.

The easiest way to include a story is to share an anecdote or personal experience. Set out the scene, say what happened and then explain the result (ideally that you helped with or learned). For example, here’s one of mine:

“I sometimes struggle with blank-page syndrome, despite writing for a living. Fortunately, I’ve learned some tools and techniques to help me overcome that. And so, I’m now sharing them to help you…”

You can also share a client transformation or a case study to illustrate how you help. Reading a client’s story that explains their situation or struggle and how you helped them will connect to your readers on an emotional level. They’ll recognise themselves in the story and then be more likely to contact you for help.

4 Offer genuine value

Ultimately, your content needs to offer genuine value to your audience. Give them something they can learn from, something that’s entertaining or something that inspires them.

Think about the problems your audience faces and how you can provide solutions. Offer practical tips, advice, insightful perspectives or even something funny. The more you can provide value, the more your audience is likely to stick around and come back for more.

5 Be your authentic self

Finally, and most importantly, be the real you and let your authentic voice shine. This is what sets you apart and helps people resonate with you. People buy from people, after all.

Don’t be afraid to inject your own style and perspective into your writing. Let your personality shine through. Embrace your individuality and be yourself. This is key to connecting with your audience on a human level.

So, now you can show your audience some love by creating content that resonates with them. By understanding their deepest desires, crafting compelling hooks, telling stories, offering value and being authentic, you can woo your audience and build lasting relationships that extend far beyond Valentine’s Day!

If you’d like some help planning or writing your content, so that it resonates with your audience, schedule a free call with me or book a Content Power Hour.

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Most Dedicated Content Writer 2024

 

Jane Rogers PR has been awarded Most Dedicated Content Writer 2024 at the SME News UK Enterprise Awards.

Organised by SME News earlier this year, The UK Enterprise Awards celebrate the outstanding excellence of businesses right across the UK. Now in their eighth year, the awards once again received an incredible number of nominations from businesses that prioritise respect, innovation and excellence.

Among this year’s winners, Jane Rogers was chosen as Most Dedicated Content Writer of 2024.

 

Speaking about her award, Jane said:

 

“I was beyond excited to hear I’d won this award! To be recognised as the most dedicated content writer in 2024 is a fantastic achievement for both me personally and for my business. I’m thrilled I was nominated and even more delighted when I heard I’d won! A big thank you to the judges for chosing me as this year’s winner in this category.

“I love writing sparkling content for my clients, as well as sharing my expertise through workshops, talks and training sessions. To have my dedication formally acknowledged is the greatest form of appreciation. And being able to say I’m an award winner is a brilliant accolade for my business and my clients. 

“Now, I’m excited to continue providing my content writing services and developing my workshops, coaching, training and talks to help even more small business owners with their content marketing in future.”

 

About SME News

SME News is dedicated to helping promote and grow small businesses with audiences all over the world. Their goal is to provide useful insights and advice to entrepreneurs and start-ups by providing a reliable platform to gain vital support. 

 

Want to get on top of your own content writing? Book a planning session with Jane or buy her content planner. You’ll also find her monthly newsletter packed with marketing tips useful. Sign up to her mailing list so you don’t miss out.

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At my mid-year marketing review workshop

At my recent mid-year marketing review workshop in June, I held a productive session for a small group of local business owners. We each reviewed our marketing achievements so far for the year. Then we celebrated our successes!

 
Celebrating your successes is so important, don’t you think? How often do you go from one thing to the next without stopping and taking stock? 

 

That’s why I wanted to run a mid-year marketing review workshop, so that it gave everyone who attended the opportunity to think about what they’ve been doing. I recently wrote about the importance of reviewing your content goals, so this workshop was the next step in actually doing so.

 

We started by looking at what had worked and what hadn’t. Then we gave ourselves a pat on the back for everything we’d done.

 

Even when things haven’t gone so well, it’s still worth noting it down. Then you can work out why it didn’t go so well. Perhaps it was lack of time on your part? Or maybe you didn’t have the right tools or knowledge.

 

What have you achieved lately? Write it down and then celebrate it.

 

Goal setting for the next half of the year

After the celebrations, we each set a marketing goal for the remaining half of the year.

From posting more on Tiktok to creating a lead magnet, setting up email marketing or building a website, we each came up with a SMART goal. That’s a goal which is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timebound.

Then, I gave everyone the time to work out the steps they needed to achieve their goal. They each came up with a list and shared it with the group.

 

 

Being accountable for mid-year marketing goals

Sometimes we all need a nudge to get things done. So, I held everyone accountable for the first step they said they would take towards achieving their goal. And then I contacted them a couple of weeks later to see how they were getting on!

I’m pleased to report that everyone was working well towards their goal and that they’d all mostly achieved their first step:

• 2 have already done their ‘one thing’
• 2 are working through it and have achieved part of it
• 1 is in progress

Don’t worry, I shall be keeping up with each of them to see how much further they get!

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National Careers Week: supporting young people with work experience

It’s National Careers Week, this week (7-12 March), so I asked my nephew Josh to write a blog about his work experience placement with me. Read on for his story…

A little bit about Josh

Hello! My name is Josh. I am currently studying at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) for Joint Honours in Media, Film & TV.

As a second-year student, I needed to do a work placement this year to help me decide potential future career paths. A placement would also give me much-needed skills and experience to thrive in a role in the media industry.

Due to the pandemic, my part-time job and travelling to and from Nottingham, I considered an online placement. That meant I could work from home and fit it around my university, job and travel commitments.

My auntie, Jane Rogers, happens to run her own marketing and PR business – so who better to ask for work experience? I would get an insight into what it’s like both working with media and managing your own business.

 

What I’ve done during my placement

Rather than fit everything into one week of full-time work, we’ve split my placement over three months. I’ve been doing a few hours a week, which has helped me support Jane better with her business too.

So far, I’ve tried my hand at video editing, designing web content and even writing this blog. All things I haven’t previously had chance to do or explore as much as I would have liked.

One of the first things I did was to source and create some social media posts, using content on Jane’s website. I needed to ensure my creations were attention-grabbing, clear and concise.

Next, I helped to design a couple of versions of a content planner, using Canva. Here, I sourced content, key dates and photographs. Then I sorted the layout, using Canva’s design tools to ensure a quality, finished project.

I’ve also had to learn how to adapt my writing from academic text to content suitable for marketing and the internet – shorter sentences and paragraphs for a start!

 

The most challenging part

The time I spent video editing was the most challenging yet rewarding. I had to come to grips with software I hadn’t used before and learn how to edit out sections of videos. Then I learned how to insert new sections and ensure the cuts I made were smooth and that the final product had a nice flow to it.

I ran into a few challenges along the way, such as converting the video into an accessible format, losing my progress due to internet connection issues, and trying to edit when the audio didn’t always match the picture.

 

Managing my placement

We’ve had fortnightly calls to keep track of my progress and discuss any support I needed. These have been incredibly useful and made me feel at ease with what I’m doing. Yet, having the freedom to make the edits and design choices myself has allowed me to develop my skills and understanding at my own pace.

 

What I’ve learned

Over the course of the placement, I’ve had a glimpse of what it’s like to work for yourself. I’ve learned how to make the best creative decisions and also how best to manage my time around university studies and a part-time job.

But most importantly, I have also discovered a keen interest in video editing and content creation. This is something I will most certainly keep in mind when thinking about my future career.

I am incredibly grateful to Jane for this opportunity, and I hope to work with her again somewhere down the line.

Look out soon for an Instagram interview with Josh! Find out more about my support for National Careers Week here and, if you know a young person, tell them about the virtual careers fair running this week!

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How do you create content your clients will love?

Follow my 5 top tips to help you create the best content to keep them coming back for more.

1. Get to know your audience

Remember, you do not sell to everyone! If you haven’t already worked out who your audience is, or if you haven’t reviewed it for a while, spend some time on this now! I can’t emphasise how important it is to know your target audience. Be specific – the more detail you capture and the more you know your audience, the easier it will be to attract them.

Things to consider include their:

• Age
• Gender (if relevant for your products/services)
• Location
• Interests
• Goals they have / what they want to achieve
• Pain points – what problems or issues are they facing that you can resolve? See tip 2 below.

By gathering this information, it helps you to build a picture of them. That way, it’s so much easier to know exactly who you’re trying to reach with your content marketing. And you can then create content that will appeal to them specifically.

You will probably have more than one audience type, so do this exercise for each one. If you buy my Comprehensive Content Planner, one of the templates in it will help you work out your audience types.

2. Work out their pain points

I think this is the most important aspect to work out for your potential clients. Knowing the answer will help you frame your services or products as a solution to their problems. Put yourself in their shoes and consider:

• What do they most struggle with?
• What makes them scratch their heads?
• How do you solve their problems specifically?

Focus your content writing on what they need and talk directly to them. If they can see you’re addressing their challenges, they’re more likely to read on and be tempted to buy from you.

3. Plan & create informative content

Now, this is the juicy bit! It’s where you can get creative and come up with useful content that engages them.

Your content might teach them something, show them your expertise or explain how you address their pain points. You could include things like:

• Tips
• Advice
• News
• Industry info or data that’s relevant to them
• Case studies or testimonials to show how you’ve helped people like them.

By addressing each pain point that you can help with, you’ll make them feel like they’ve learned something of value. This can inspire them to consider using your services, as you’re showing them you know your stuff.

4. Keep your content simple

This is soooo important! You need to make it easy for people! Don’t over-complicate it or confuse them. Here’s how:

• Keep your sentences short
• Stick to one idea per piece of content
• Break your content down into smaller chunks – such as tips or bullet points
• Use simple language and active voice, e.g. “Here’s how I can help you” rather than “You will be helped by…”

Above all, think “Will an intelligent 10-year-old understand what I’m talking about?” If not, change it so they do!

5. Put your client front & centre

And last but not least, remember it’s not about you; it’s all about your client!

• Talk directly to them
• Write as if you’re only talking to one person
• Use ‘you’ rather than ‘we’
• Make them feel loved and included.

Not only is this friendlier but it’s also easier for them to understand. It’s like you’re having a conversation just with them. It will help them value your content and keep coming back for more.

How else can you create more love for your clients in your content? If you’d like my help, buy my Comprehensive Content Planner or book a Content Power Hour with me.

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As a small business there are so many ways you can improve the quality of your website’s SEO. We have to face the fact that there isn’t a one-stop fix to get you to the top of Google’s first page of results. However, the good news is that every small change and tweak you make to your website is going to have a positive impact. Here’s some great ways all local businesses can adopt the written content of their websites to help themselves be found online.

1. Location, location, location

Search engines are very capable of finding local information, and today about 50% of all searches made online have some degree of local interest. So, it’s your job to make it clear where your business is located. Think about the size of area you serve. Perhaps you’re a Kent-based business that services all of the South East. Explain this at various points across your website and don’t rely on just your address to explain where you reach.

Make sure your business name, address and phone number (NAP) are correct on your site, and if you are listed on Google My Business don’t forget to request an update when any of these change. Help Google more by adding your location(s) to your website’s footer, so it appears on every page. Also, if you’re using a serviced office in another location make sure that address is also added.

2. Know your keywords

Whatever you may hear to the contrary, keywords are still one of the most important elements in helping Google find your website. No longer do you have to put strings of single words and phrases into the back-end. Instead, the challenge is to incorporate them naturally into the written content on the public-facing page itself. You’ll also want to repeat them about three times every 100 words so that Google will recognise them as being significant.

When researching keywords, think as laterally as possible. Consider what you already know about your products and services. Check in the Acquisition area of your Google Analytics to discover what words people are searching for when they come to your website via a search engine. You’ll also want to draw up a list of synonyms, to find ways to describe something that will suit a broad range of search terms.

3. Worth chasing the Long Tail!

The concept of long-tail keywords has been a factor for improving SEO for many years and was first coined in an article in Wired Magazine in 2004. Today’s interest in local searches means that they are now probably more important than ever before. Long-tail keywords are much more targeted than the general keywords that every page needs to have. They answer a very specific information request and can be used by people who know what they are looking for and therefore are nearer to a conversion.

Here’s an example of how you can use keywords to produce long-tail keywords. Let’s imagine you have a website offering ukulele lessons. General keywords may be ‘ukulele lessons’ and ‘ukulele lessons Bromley’. Then longer keyword phrases could be ‘ukulele lessons for beginners in Bromley’, ‘take ukulele lessons if you’d love to play an instrument’, ‘easy to learn ukulele lessons taught in Bromley’, ‘learn music the easy way and have ukulele lessons in Bromley’.

4. Be the Authority

There are a great many ways you can positively impact the authority of your website. Having incoming links to your website from trusted listing websites will improve your website’s Domain Authority ranking – a score of quality that each website is given. The higher it is, the more it positively influences you reaching the number one position on Google. Ensuring you’re describing your company consistently across your business will grow your Brand Authority.

And the authority doesn’t stop there. The quality of the content on your website helps show Google that you are an authority. Make sure your page content is genuine to you. Don’t be scared of writing too much, but don’t ramble. Around 300 words per page is about ideal or write more to a length that’s appropriate if the topic demands it.

If your website is primarily a portfolio of images, make sure that you include at least one paragraph of text, with keywords, at the top of each page. The search engines prioritise information gleaned from page content over any image naming conventions.

5. Manage the back-end of your website

Hopefully, we’ll soon be at a stage where every website is running a Content Management System (CMS), allowing you easy access to change the text. The other great bonus feature of a CMS is its functionality for setting up key SEO assets such as Title Tags, Alt Tags, naming images and creating page URLs. Follow the guidance your CMS gives and don’t leave any of these fields blank. They really are an important part of helping the search engine understand what your website is about.

If you’re using a WordPress site (like this one), then make sure you activate the Yoast SEO plugin (formerly known as WordPress SEO by Yoast). It’s easy-to-interpret health-check feature assesses a broad range of factors and scores them as Red, Amber or Green for SEO. This makes making improvements really fast and effective.

As you can see, there are so many ways you can improve your on-page SEO and help your business. However you start, start today.

 About Rachel…

Rachel Hodges has been a copywriter for many brands including luxury retailers Harrods and Selfridges and managed and improved websites for organisations in a variety of sectors including online retail, B2B consultants and the professional service industries.

Through training and consultancy in SEO and content writing, Rachel supports SMEs to achieve greater understanding and improved results. She works with businesses building their first website or those wanting to take their current site to the next level.

If you’d like to chat with Rachel on anything related to content writing and strategy email: rachel@rachelhodges.co.uk, call 07961 543 597 or visit www.rachelhodges.co.uk.

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My recent survey on small business PR and marketing habits has revealed that more than half of micro businesses lack a PR strategy or marketing plan for promoting themselves.

Survey respondents revealed that 60% do no planning for their marketing or PR. However, the good news is that, among those who do plan, some 20% say they review their PR strategy regularly.

The survey also revealed that most micro businesses in the Bromley area (those with 1-5 employees or sole-traders) do their own PR or marketing (80%) and that the main channels they use are social media (100%), their websites (80%) and business cards (73%).

Considering that most small businesses, especially one-man or one-woman bands, are pushed for time and resources, it’s natural to want to do their own marketing. While this approach will save money, it means their marketing might be haphazard and therefore not as effective as that done by a specialist, ultimately affecting the bottom line.

Failing to plan is planning to fail

The big risk when doing your own marketing without a strategy is that you might find you’re only pursuing new clients when you need them. This means you could miss out on opportunities to grow your business. Instead, planning and investing in a constant stream of activity will help to keep your business ticking along nicely and avoid those peaks and troughs.

Planning how you will promote your business is key to helping you raise your profile and generating more leads. Knowing what you’re going to do and when helps you stay organised and ensure you’ve a constant flow of marketing activity happening. It also helps you deal with the unexpected.

The survey results

Here are the key figures broken down in more detail:

• Most do their own marketing (80%)
• Most don’t have a strategy (60%), however those that do and review it regularly 20%
• 100% use social media, 80% a website, 73% business cards, 46% blog, 40% email marketing
• The most popular social media tools are: Facebook page, Twitter, LinkedIn & Pinterest
• Businesses are interested in: strategy development (50%), blogs, social media support & developing materials (each 35.7%)

Competition winner

As a thank you for responding to the survey, I held a prize-draw for a free PR planning session with me (worth £160.00). I’m delighted to announce that the winner of that session is Jane Altree of Altree Rose baby massage and reflexology. I look forward to working with Jane and giving her some constructive ways to help her promote her business.

Want to get on top of your own PR and marketing? To book your 2-hour PR planning session with me, contact me now. You’ll also find my monthly newsletter packed with PR tips helpful. Sign up to my mailing list so you don’t miss out.

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