Is your sales force sending mixed messages? Are your marketing materials gathering dust in the reception area? Do you want your content to sell products? A product demo can generate qualified leads and be shared on multiple platforms including sales team laptops and YouTube. Product demos can help ensure a consistent message and maximize your return on investment by engaging your prospects.
When it Comes to Home Page Design, Think Fast
According to web usability expert Jakob Nielson, website visitors will typically spend less than 20 seconds reading a web page. A serious B2B buyer has no time to spend on irrelevant or difficult to navigate websites. Time is of the essence. As a B2B marketer, you need to make those seconds count. In 20 seconds or less you need to build trust with B2B buyers, communicate what your firm does, and explain how you are different or better than your competition. Here are four ways to make your home page communicate fast.
Use Visuals to Communicate Faster than Words
What markets are you focused on? Who recommends you? What do you want me to do next? These are all questions that potential customers want answered quickly. Visual images communicate the answers faster than words. What is your visual content strategy?Photos can show your involvement in specific industries. Recognizable logos from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau, Angie’s List or trade associations show visitors you are a reputable firm. Graphic buttons and design point the way to the next click.
Cut Your Copy: Concise Copy Performs Better
Who is your firm and what do you do? Leave generic taglines, industry jargon and a lengthy list of services in your briefcase. Be concise and specific about what you do, including the keywords you believe people are searching for. Cut out unnecessary “marketing speak” that isn’t fact-based. In usability studies conducted by Nielson, users found shorter versions of web pages–with 54% less text–more complete than longer versions.
Make it a Quick Read with Copy Users Can Scan
Studies show website visitors don’t read, they scan. To quickly communicate, focus on benefit-laden headlines and keep paragraphs short. Highlight keywords and other information in bold. Utilize bullets or numbered lists to make scanning website copy easier.
Avoid Information Overload
Resist the urge to add more content to an already crowded home page. Instead, reorganize content into easy-to-digest chunks. Keep the 20-second time frame in mind when deciding what should stay and what should go.
Remember less is often more in online communications.
Five Tips on Web Writing That Engages
Web writing that engages allows visitors to quickly find what they need, reduces task errors, is memorable, and leaves the visitor feeling satisfied. When you optimize your content for easy consumption, you entice. When you educate, you build trust. When you differentiate, you become memorable.
The Ethics of Outsourcing Your Voice
Chris Brogan wrote an interesting post last week about the ethics of outsourcing your voice. It bothers him that Ashton Kutcher and others have given up control of their Twitter accounts.
I agree that it’s a bit unsettling to find out that someone’s social communications may be handled by someone else, but according to Julie Ann-Amos, ghostwriting has been around since the written word. If a communication is what a person intends, if they approve the content for the message and tone of the message, does it become less authentic?
I don’t think so, but others such as Dave Fleet, argue for full disclosure in social media. He believes that when you hear speeches or read a book by someone, you have reason to believe a person has approved the words of the ghostwriter. In social media, Fleet argues, it is too easy to deceive.
I believe “outsourcing your voice” can add value to your communication. However, businesses must take responsibility to ensure that the message adequately represents them. A company blog or twitter account may be better a personal blog or twitter account for an executive who doesn’t want to be actively involved in the process of approving content.
When does outsourcing your voice makes sense?
1) You have good ideas, but you don’t like to write.
Just because you don’t like to write or have trouble with it, doesn’t mean you don’t have good ideas that are worth sharing. In fact, you probably have too many ideas. A writer can help you focus on communicating those ideas effectively. All writers, both professional and novice, benefit from proofreaders and editors.
2) Your time is better spent doing something else.
If you don’t write for a living, it may take you two days to compose what would take a professional writer an hour. What is the best use of your time? For this very reason, I no longer try and solve technical issues on my blog. IT problems that would take me hours to research and resolve, can be fixed in minutes by professionals. Stick what you know and get help with what you don’t know.
3) You want to build a professional image and brand.
Quality content is the primary reason why anyone follows you on twitter, reads your blogs or purchases your book. Professional writing will help you showcase your knowledge and build a professional image. Content writers can help you develop quality content that meets the needs of your target audience.
Am I wrong in believing that it is OK to outsource your voice? Are social media ghostwriters so different than ghostwriters of speeches or books? What are the new rules of engagement?
Why Should Contractors Blog?
Should more contractors trade their hardhat in for a keyboard periodically? We think so. We are pleased to announce that we will be launching a blog for Shamrock Tuckpointing, based in Alsip, Ill. I am confident the blog will increase this contractor’s web traffic dramatically. I have been monitoring the company’s website traffic since last Spring, when we launched the site. Analytics reveal that 76 percent of the visitors are finding the site through search engines, primarily through content found in the FAQ area of the site. This tells me there is a lot of potential for search traffic and a lot of questions that potential customers need answered.
More Content Equals More Visitors
The primary purpose of the Shamrock Tuckpointing blog is to direct more traffic to the site. Through blogging the company can more effectively reach both commercial building owners and homeowners who search online for answers to questions about tuckpointing, chimney repair, brick restoration and more. Shamrock Tuckpointing will be seen as an authority in brick and masonry repair. As Hubspot has shown through its research, more quality content equals more visitors. Since none of Shamrock Tuckpointing’s major competitors has a blog, I expect it to provide a real competitive edge for the company.
Content Strategy for Blogs
Don’t start a blog without a content strategy. A content strategy answers the “who” and “what” questions about a blog. Who are we trying to have a conversation with, and what will we talk about? In this case, the “who” is homeowners who are considering brick or masonry repairs or maintenance as well as commercial property owners. The “what” is common problems with brick and masonry, information on the cost of various services, and seasonable preventative maintenance tips related to brick and masonry. Sharing the blog through social media will also drive traffic to the site.
Barriers to Blogging
One of the biggest concerns for this business owner was for the blog to be turnkey. The owner has little time to devote to it. As professional writers and journalists, we understand how to work within the constraints of a busy business owner or executive. We’ll be working with Shamrock Tuckpointing over the winter during their slow season to efficiently capture the information we need to produce content through the year.
Many contractors don’t blog because their competitors aren’t.(Don’t miss: Are the Top 10 Construction Management Firms Missing the Boat on Blogging?) Instead they rely on old marketing methods that simply don’t work anymore. Meanwhile they are missing a huge opportunity to build their online presence and drive traffic to their site. If you are a contractor, take a look at what marketing methods aren’t working anymore and invest those funds into upgrading your website or blog. The Internet is where contractors need to be today, and a blog will help your company get found online.