3 Tips for Crafting Content to Boost Your Business

Demand for original high quality content continues to grow, due to our insatiable appetite for fresh, relevant information. Because not all content is created equal, the internet is awash with material that’s inadequate at best, and inaccurate and incomprehensible at worst.

This makes it fairly easy to stand out from the crowd.

To craft content that boosts traffic, builds your brand and solidifies your reputation, implement these practical tips:

1. Target your audience. Whether you’re generating content yourself or working with a team, take time to pinpoint your target audience. Are you addressing:

• Long-term customers with experience and expert knowledge?
• Prospects from diverse backgrounds?
• Newcomers who are just learning the ropes?
• Casual readers who have little or no context for the information you’re sharing?
• Passionate followers who are informed and engaged?

2. Produce content your readers are seeking. Based on search trends, the most consistently popular categories:

• Inform. Explain products or services and describe why they’re important, useful, irresistible or valuable.
• Instruct. Demonstrate how to do something using step-by-step tutorials, process models or videos.
• Influence. Provide context that shapes opinions or helps readers make better decisions.
• Improve. Highlight products, services and processes that help readers work smarter, live better or both.
• Inspire. Deliver content that motivates, encourages, supports and stimulates.
• Impel. Provide information that prompts action such as buying products and services or making work/life changes.

3. Follow a few basic rules. At minimum, make sure every article, news blurb, blog post, product release or marketing piece has a clearly identified audience (customer, prospect, casual reader, etc.) and a defined purpose (inform, instruct, etc.). Then follow these rules:

• Keep things simple.
• Be clear, concise and compelling.
• Write in a direct and active voice.
• Avoid insider jargon.
• Revise, refine and rewrite.
• Proof, polish and perfect.

If quality content isn’t part of your marketing strategy and budget, you’re missing a critical opportunity to grow your business. Luckily, it’s an easy problem to solve. 

You can take the time to develop content on your own or work with a reliable provider like Crossbridge. Either way it's a sound investment, because you’ll have a steady flow of fresh material that attracts traffic, builds customer confidence and boosts your bottom line.

Control the Use of Capitals

Capital letters play an important role in communication. They add emphasis to key words and help readers recognize concepts you find important.

Like many useful things, however, a little capitalization goes a very long way.

I was reminded of this during a recent research foray. A pivotal resource site had high quality content. Unfortunately, the over-zealous use of caps made it very difficult to read, let alone deduce what was important and what wasn't.

Lean Writer | How Many Words are Too Many?

A study conducted by the American Press Institute confirmed something most of us already knew: The longer a sentence is, the less readers understand.

The study analyzed comprehension rates associated with sentence length. It found readers understood:

• About 10% of the content in sentences with 43 words
• More than 90% of the content in sentences with 14 words
• Close to 100% of the content in sentences with fewer than 8 words

Two Out of Three

There's an adage in business that with any product or service, you can have two out of three critical things. These are:

1. Price
2. Time
3. Quality

Not familiar with this concept? Here's how it works:

Three SEO Constants

The powers that be refine SEO algorithms and change both the playbook and playing field with alarming frequency.

What's a small business to do? Focus on what works.

From a communications standpoint, three constants will help streamline your SEO strategy. They are:

Mastering the SEO Universe

The business world has been buzzing about both recent  and planned SEO changes.

As we all know, Google regularly updates and refines its search engine algorithms. Others do, too, but Google is the 800-lb gorilla in the SEO universe.

Theoretically, Google’s SEO algorithms optimize the speed and quality of search processes and minimize detractors like spam-based sites. 

If you routinely conduct online searches for products, services or reliable, trustworthy information, you can judge for yourself how well these improvements are working. Or not working, as the case may be.

Spotlight | Moving Manufacturing Forward

This year, I had the opportunity to work with the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association (DRMA) to produce a compact overview of manufacturing in the Miami Valley area.

Called Moving Manufacturing Forward, it addresses the importance of manufacturing from various perspectives:

• Moving Manufacturing Forward
• Manufacturing Works
• Mapping the Industry Landscape
• Finding Manufacturing Talent
• Developing our Manufacturing Workforce
• Securing our Manufacturing Future

Buzzword Bingo Bonanza

Earlier this year, I attended a public meeting devoted to regional economic development.

These issues have a very real impact on all of us, so I was interested in hearing what this group of national thinkers and regional leaders had to say.

Within 10 minutes, a certain amount of repetition had occurred. I started making tick marks on my pad:

Questions about "Qwality"

Recently, a client asked for feedback on a program devoted to quality in business and education.

We talked for awhile, because I wanted to be certain I understood my client’s interest and point of view. Then, I visited the website to learn more.

The program is quite reputable. The website, however, raised some nagging questions about quality.

Education | Closing the Career Exploration Gap

A current TV commercial makes the bold statement that students who have a specific career goal in mind are more focused and successful in school.

I suspect this statement doesn't surprise you at all. As a high-performer, you know that defining clear goals tends to improve performance and outcomes.

This reminded me, however, of an interesting project, the MEtaMorph Career Exploration effort.

SEO | How Findable Are You Online?

Many things have changed in the SEO and internet realm.

To test the real-world effects of these changes, Bob Chapman and I decided to run a quick, informal “findability” comparison.

Working in separate locations from our own office computers, we each searched for “Bob Chapman, Sandler” to see what results appeared. Bob used Yahoo, I used Google.

Manufacturing | Who's Going to Build the Robots?

A vibrant, innovative manufacturing sector is crucial to a healthy economy.

It's possible I've mentioned that before, which may be why a reader, Jonathan Bentz of ProspectMX, shared the following infographic.

Produced by Kuka Robotics, it highlights why robots are valuable in manufacturing and how they help create jobs in the US.

Yes, you read that right: Robots help create jobs for Americans.

Economy | What Employers Really Want

Some years ago, I wrote a book called, What Employers Really Want: The Insider’s Guide to Getting a Job.

What Employers Really Want took the first detailed look at the hiring process from the employers’ perspective.

                                   

The goal was to explain the inside viewpoint to help job seekers understand and navigate the job search to find the right job – and right employer – for them.

Education & Industry | Manufacturing in Action

Mark your calendars, folks. October 5 is Manufacturing Day.

This is a nationwide event and a unique opportunity to see manufacturing in action.

The purpose is to highlight manufacturing’s vital role in national and regional economies and spotlight the wide range of high-skill, high-pay jobs available in modern manufacturing environments.

The Most Successful Company You've Never Heard Of

Northwestern Mutual may be the most successful company you’ve never heard of.

It is, according to CEO John Schlifske, the tortoise not the hare.

Why? Its goal is to move slowly, steadily and surely toward success and wealth creation for the company, employees and clients.

Clearly, Northwestern is accomplishing these objectives.

Economy | Making Words Count

As I mentioned earlier, I recently had the opportunity to attend an event where Steve Forbes, CEO of Forbes Media, and John Schlifske, CEO of Northwestern Mutual, spoke on the Power of a Game Plan.

Forbes is a well-known advocate for simplifying the tax code and implementing a flat income tax.

Strategy | The Power of a Game Plan

Early in May, Steve Forbes and John Schlifske visited a handful of cities to talk about “The Power of a Game Plan.”

You’re probably familiar with Forbes, the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media.

You may or may not be familiar with Schlifske, the chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual.

Manufacturing | Does Reshoring Matter?

The reshoring movement is creating a resurgence in US manufacturing.

Reshoring means some manufacturing jobs, many of which were deemed gone for good, are beginning to return to the US.

Jobs returning to the US? Let's take a look at what that might mean.

Business & Education | Startup Act Update

Are you aware of the bipartisan Senate bill known as the Startup Act of 2011 (SB 1965)?

The bill proposes legislative changes designed to jumpstart the economy and expedite small business startups.

In the past, small businesses have on average created 3 million jobs a year. This is why small business is often described as the engine of the economy, or in recent years, the engine for recovery.

Are you an entrepreneur? Leader in higher education? Small business owner? Investor? You’ll want to take time to get familiar with the proposed changes.

Taxes: What's Luck Got to Do With It?

What does luck have to do with taxes?

Perhaps a great deal. Marc Myers, in the book How to Make Luck, shares some interesting facts.

Briefly, during the thirteenth century, Italy emerged as a vital trading center.

With great ports located on calm seas, Italy was ideally positioned for traders and goods coming from or heading to Europe and Asia, including shrewd and savvy Dutch traders.