Mary Klest | Content for Biz Inc.

The Power of Content Design

Talking with a general contractor recently I witnessed the power of package selling through content design. The contractor flipped open the pages of a Martha Stewart Living™ catalog she picked up at Home Depot titled Cabinets, Countertops and Hardware. She immediately saw what she wanted for a house renovation project. It was a Seal Harbor PureStyle™/Sharkey Gray cabinet, a polished nickel handle, and a Sea Salt Corian countertop.

All three products were displayed together under “Martha’s Selection” in a 7” x 2” space on page 3 opposite the catalog table of contents. In the building business for 26 years, the contractor had never seen a coordinated package of products like this before. She didn’t need to look through the 74 pages that followed. She didn’t need to color coordinate samples, select from varying sizes and shapes of door handles. She avoided the maze of countertop materials and colors. There they were on page 3, endorsed and scrutinized by the design maven herself – Martha Stewart.

This kind of content requires integration and imagination. I see it in a truck dealership where a truck, maintenance and finance programs may be sold together. The package is explained through content that people can readily understand. I see it with software companies like Podio that create scenarios using content to depict how work processes are streamlined for users. Managers can go to the website and choose a packaged selection of apps designed for their work flow.

In each instance, a content developer connected the dots for the buyer and communicated that in a usable way. People respond to good value from a company that takes the guesswork out of the purchase. The buyer can enjoy the practical application of whatever it is they are looking for. Packages built by content creators are finished puzzles that allow the buyer to see the big picture. Customers save time and products are offered in a way not thought of before. Who in your company can put the pieces together?

How Memory & Metaphor Can Help Boost Sales

As business people how do we get our prospects to remember us?

I teach a memoir writing class and now apply some of what I’ve learned about memory to marketing communications. When tied to an emotion, facts and events are more likely to be stored in long term memory. Neuroscientists call the physical manifestation of memory engrams. Stored engrams can be activated by cues or stimuli. In business these can be a graphic logo, an ad, or word of mouth mention. We may not be conscious of the cues, but they are activating our memory and influencing our
buying behavior.

To help boost sales companies can create a customer experience strategy based on how customers feel while interacting with a business or product. As I understand it, the feeling becomes a memory and can then be activated with cues. Customer service and communication are at the center of this. When your customer has either a really good or disturbing experience it will likely end up in their long term memory. Those already familiar with your business or product are likely to remember details better because they are adding information to an existing memory. Accuracy of the recollection decreases over time, so reinforcing a good memory should be part of your customer experience strategy.

Metaphors add another layer to memory by asserting that two things are the same. Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman writes that metaphors help “shape what and how we think.” Interestingly, the more distant the metaphor, the better. He uses an example of a bank that included a Seeing Eye dog in its ad. After viewing the ad, people related feelings of warmth and reliability to the bank. A less distant metaphor, such as a vault, would have less effect.

Understanding how memory and metaphor affect the unconscious mind can help businesses market better. Long lasting memories rely on relevance, mood, emotion, existing concepts, story, distinctness, and other elements that affect recall. For businesses the emphasis remains on how to best serve and add value in a
significant way.

Remember, creating good memories for people is a worthwhile and profitable thing to do. Listen carefully. What metaphors do your customers use when talking about your products and services?

Worst Sentences Fixed

Professional writers can deliver more with less. I reduced the confusion in the following sentence by using 20 words rather than 40.

BEFORE: “Figure what type of product you are going to store, what type of crate are going to be used, and then you can determine how strong of pallet racks you want to install and use in your own storage areas.”

AFTER: Identify the types of products and crates used in your storage area before determining what pallet rack strength you need.

The following sentence is reduced from 15 to 8 words.

BEFORE: “Expanding business can be difficult, but does not mean that it has to be impossible.”

AFTER: Expanding business can be difficult, but not impossible.

Should 24 words be used when 5 can get the meaning across?

BEFORE: “Firstly, one must always remember that the sole purpose of writing the article is to inform people not to promote their business or products.”

AFTER: Articles should inform, not promote.

Do you have an example of when fewer words created a better understanding?

Search Engines Channel B2B Purchase Decisions

Do you understand how potential customers search to find the products or services you offer? Search engines have become B2B buyers’ primary source for finding information throughout the purchase cycle.

A study on B2B search behavior conducted by Enquiro and MarketingSherpa showed that 93.4% respondents use the Internet to research a business to business purchase decision. Where do they go first? Nearly 64% said – search engine.

When do they search? The largest group (nearly 30%) began one month before buying. Next were those who searched two to three months (24.7%) before making a purchase. A lesser number (22.5%) began their search within a week or two. The more expensive the purchase, the earlier the search started.

User research from the Nielson Norman Group shows that when buyers know the company name, they first type that into the search engine address field. If the buyers don’t know a name, they search by product name or model number. If they don’t know either of those, they use keywords that describe their problem or the function of a product or service.

Location may also influence buyers search strategies. They include a city name or zip code in their search. Google, the most dominate search engine used, introduced Google Places in response to this behavior. While Google Places is a free way to advertise and locate a business, the site is owned by Google, not the company.

People trust that the top organic listings are relevant and from competent companies. They figure if the company knows how to rank high on search engines they are probably doing something right with their business. The top three organic search rankings have the highest click through rate. Even the top three sponsored links get the highest click throughs. (Side ads rank higher in click throughs than those listed at the top.)

Buyers are busy. Many seize the search-result moment with quick eyes, scanning until they find what they want. They usually limit their search to two or three companies. Once they get to the website, they are looking to gain knowledge, and then use that knowledge to compare and assess.

They look for signals that a company serves businesses. Content needs to convey this quickly. On the Armstrong website (manufacturer of floor, ceilings and cabinets) the word “Commercial” is prominently displayed with photos that show commercial interiors.

A well organized website exudes competence. Making it easy for buyers to gain knowledge shows respect for them. Buyers will leave websites that are unorganized and self-serving. Remember that while on a business web page, the buyer is still searching. Make finding what they need easy.

In addition to buyers, there are others searching for information about a business. Those may include journalists or someone looking for sourcing potential partners for distribution of a new product. These searches may not result in a purchase, but they can bring something positive to a company.

Getting found requires optimizing every aspect of a business site for search engines as well as high quality writing, great visuals and a creative approach to sharing knowledge. Ensure a gratifying experience by understanding how buyers search. Then help them move from seeker to satisfied.

Package Content in a Favored Format

Which is the best content format for your loyal customers?

Blog
Newsletter
White paper
Video

If you chose Newsletter from the choices above you are correct. This format is favored for loyal customers because when done well, newsletters contain information relevant to an already aware audience. When delivered on a consistent basis, it becomes familiar and anticipated. I just received Jakob Neilson’s Alert Box, a hybrid version of a newsletter from a content usability expert I admire. In it were links to 11 most hated advertising techniques and 10 Web design mistakes that readers loath the most as well as information on how to use PDFs and which content formats to avoid – Pop ups “which are the #1 most hated advertising design.” Alert Box is always worth my time because the topics are relevant and I trust the sender.

Which of the above is the best content format for potential customers? While it depends on what prospects are looking for, in general, a blog post may be your best bet. Prospects may not only be interested in the topic of the post but the reader comments regarding the post are often read. You can point prospects to a particular blog post during follow up or lead nurturing.

What format would you choose to help your prospects evaluate your services or products? A White Paper authored by a credible source offers an effective marketing tool to promote your company, your solutions, and your brand. A White Paper is helpful in establishing your thought leadership and building trust with prospects.

Video is an effective way for prospects to see your company’s brand using tone and personality. It’s great for showing “how to” processes as well. According to a recent Thomson Reuters survey, 73% of communications professionals expect the use of video to increase at their company this year. For a video content format to be most effective, include your website URL and a text summary. Keep it under three minutes in length. Remember, video can be embedded so viewers may find it in other locations besides your website. See this award winning sales Video by RightNow Technologies.

There are other great content formats including case studies, testimonials, podcasts, e-books, articles, social media, and slide shows that are effective when used wisely and strategically to reach a B2B audience. Ideas for each will be shared in later posts.

Understand what format is favored by your audience and you have a content package ready to be opened.