How Website Content Writing Supports Social Engagement

Where do customers go to get information when making a purchasing decision? There are lots of ways for them to engage with a brand on social networks, but the top choice for information seekers is still the company website. In a recently released report by social marketing firm Get Satisfaction, 89.3% of potential purchasers went directly to the company website.

Website content writing positions the company or brand quickly on the Home page with a concise statement: what it does, its purpose and how the website visitor can benefit. Performance, value and social approval are important aspects of customer decision making.

SteelMaster Buildings is a good example of construction writing that supports social engagement. They are seeing success by integrating their website content with social networks and vice versa. SteelMaster manufacturers steel and pre-fabricated metal arched buildings. Here’s an example of social engagement on their Facebook page that is re-directed to the website.

Judy: Any photos of folks actually living in these steel structures?

SteelMaster Buildings: We sure do! I’ll see what I can dig up for you.

SteelMaster Buildings: Here is a link to a page on our website that shows the exteriors and interiors of our buildings used as homes.

On the website page Judy can click on links to see the company’s feature projects, home plans and step-by-step construction photos. She can also download a free Steel Homes Product Guide. From the website Judy can get a building quote or call to talk with a building specialist. She can also see photos of existing steel arched buildings in the state where she lives.

The company website affirms the value and performance of its products with stories of actual events and customer experiences. Their long history in the building industry is front and center on the Home page. Their business blog writing is done in part by a freelance writer who portrays customer stories. One gets the feeling this company is building more than metal arched structures. They are building customer satisfaction and reputation.

When website content writing reinforces social engagement on networking sites a good visitor experience occurs. Nurture those good feelings with website content writing that answers questions and builds relationships.

Do your prospects, fans and followers find the answers they need on your website?

Six Things You Can You Learn from B-2-B Publishers

You’ve heard that everyone is a publisher now, so what can you learn from successful publishers.

B2B publishers have made a living off their ability to deliver audiences, initially through print and now online. Long before there was SEO, publications knew that great content would bring them loyal readership. Publishers continue to be go-to sources for information on industry trends, news, leaders, research and best practices. And with more competition for a reader’s time from all sorts of sources, today’s leading publishers are working harder than ever . The draw is still great content. However, many magazine websites have been transformed from online versions of the print product, into rich sites that fully embrace multimedia and social networks.

Now that you are trying to win over your own audience online with content, it makes sense to try and learn what you can from the pros.

1) Keep the needs of the customer/reader first and foremost.

It’s not about you and your company, it’s about your customer. What are their problems and how can you solve them.

2)Be fair and factual.

Your audience knows you are trying to sell something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a credible, reliable, source of information. Stick to the facts and avoid “ad-like” promises and sales jargon.

3)Hire professional writers.

Subject matter experts who can also write are few and far between. They are usually too busy with other jobs to write. Instead of trying to rely on them, hire a professional writer who knows how to pull the information from your sources and present it in a useful, usable and interesting format.

4)Keep a schedule.

As a reader, I know when my favorite industry publication will arrive each month, and I look forward to it. The same is true of my InBox. Whether you decide to publish content on a daily, weekly or monthly frequency, stick to a schedule. Be aware that there’s a direct correlation between frequency of content and website visits.

5) Look for the best way to tell a story.

Does the story lend itself to video, radio or text? PMQ’s Pizza TV is used to demonstrate a technique for rolling a pizza crust over the shoulder. It just wouldn’t be the same in print.

6)Add value with social sharing.

Today’s publishing websites include more ways for audiences to connect and share ideas with each other. PMQ Pizza Think Thank forum is a reminder that your customers and prospects can create your content. On techrepublic.com, social stats are front and center, helping the audience find useful content fast.

As a content marketer you need to know how to succeed in publishing. Examine your favorite industry magazine websites with a fresh eye. What do you like about them? How can you use that information to engage your audience? What do you see on consumer magazine websites that could translate to B2B?

What to Do When Your Company Blog is Failing

Did your company jump into blogging without a plan? Has it been months since any content was created? Are your subject matter experts failing to create the content you need? It’s not all that uncommon. But don’t give up before you have tried these tactics.

Get Blogging Training

As you have probably discovered on your own, there is a lot more to blogging than meets the eye. The more your corporate bloggers understand about your goals and objectives, keywords and other blogging basics, the better job they will do. A boot camp for bloggers will empower and reenergize your team, build camaraderie, and demonstrate management’s commitment to the blog.

Hold a Content Creation Brainstorming Session

Devote a few hours exclusively to developing content ideas for the blog. Invite a professional content manager to lead a discussion using your keywords as a jumping off point. Do you have content related to every stage in the buying process? Can you make your customers the stars? What information lends itself to video? Consider a series of posts related to a specific topic. Get input from bloggers, customer service and sales and other departments. By the time the meeting is over you will have plenty of ideas to fill an editorial calendar. But don’t stop there. Assign various topics to your contributors. Realize that some content takes longer to develop. Choose quality over quantity, but also recognize that there are benefits to frequency.

Start Reviewing Results with Your Team

Share analytics and help your team identify those posts that are drawing traffic and response. Can you elaborate on hot topics or create similar posts using different examples? Identify trends in keywords. Reward bloggers who successfully engage the audience.

Build Your Social Networks

Understand your audience and encourage participation of employees in industry-related social networks so you can share your expertise and introduce potential customers to your blog. Know where your blog traffic is coming from. Create a plan for promoting posts online, generating inbound links and more. Share links with older posts as well.

There is no doubt business blogging requires a big commitment, but the rewards do appear to be worth the effort. In a study conducted by HubSpot, the average company that blogs has 55 percent more visitors, 97 percent more inbound links and 434 percent more indexed pages.

Can we help you get your blog unstuck so you can reap the benefits?

Storify Content Tool Gathers Social Media Reactions

Storify, a content curation tool, went public today. Storify allows you to search multiple social networks including twitter, Facebook, and YouTube from one site, grab entries, and organize them into a story. Businesses can compile customer reactions to products, services or events. Go to the Storify website and open an account or sign in using your twitter account. Add a title and brief introduction text, then start selecting entries from social networks. Click on the embed story button and insert the code on your site, much the same way as inserting a video from YouTube. Here is what I created in just a few minutes time.

Included are some tweets, a blog post, and a video from YouTube. See what you can do or ask a content writer for help in creating a story for you. A content writer can add context and help you choose what entries are best for meeting your business goals.

Content Expands Customer Experience

ConversationAgent.com brand strategist Valeria Maltoni posted: Does Your Brand Have the F-Factor? Referring to friends, fans and followers. The influence of social networks on buying preferences is becoming so pervasive and persuasive that marketers are looking for F-Factor possibilities.

Maltoni writes: “The biggest opportunity for brands is still to provide content that expands and improves the experience around a product or service. To build relationships with the people who choose to be inside that experience around what the brand makes.”

Who Follows the Ordinary?

How do I create content for a client that provides an ordinary, everyday service but later surprises me by naming well known celebrities and professional athletes who have used their services? The possibility for endorsements is limited because celebrities don’t want to be associated with an ordinary, everyday service. Their privacy is of concern to my client as well.

I focus on making potential and repeat customers feel good for making the right decision. I offer some pizzazz by including names of high line brands used with the service. Next, I find social footprints of people who follow these brands on Twitter and Facebook and listen in on some forums to help my client see the possibility for sharing and increasing the company’s F-Factor.

Become Extraordinary

Unfortunately for some marketing managers and companies the time factor rules out the F-Factor. This doesn’t need to be the case because outsourcing is available at a reasonable rate. What I like about my client is their openness to try something new. Also, they are trustworthy and care about quality. Their ordinary, everyday service becomes extraordinary through the care and craftsmanship they offer.

I am excited now. I want my client to prosper from a friend’s recommendation, share praise from a fan, and know why followers appreciate their insider news. The relationship is expanded and improved for both company and customer. How are you working on building your F-Factor?