Do you ever get that ‘head-in-hands’ moment when confronted with a new marketing content type to write? It can feel like a minefield, figuring out how to write content for different marketing elements. Especially when you’re pushed for time and also need to write within the remits of your brand tone of voice.
Here are some ideas on adapting your business brand tone, just a little, for your different content marketing types.
Think of it in terms of your verbal communication style changing depending on who you’re with. When you’re at work – with colleagues or in client meetings – I’ll hazard a guess that you tend to act and speak in a specific way; professional yet friendly and inclusive, for instance. But when you're out socialising or spending time with your family, I bet your communication style is far more relaxed. Am I right?
Keep that simple differential in mind when writing your varied digital marketing content types. White papers, case studies and eBooks tend to need a more professional tone, whereas blogs, videos and social media prefer a more relaxed approach. Fun, lighthearted and less corporate.
Digital content types to include in your marketing strategy
Professional communication style:
White Papers – Valuable for building your reputation as a thought leader within your industry, go to town on writing about what you know. These documents tend to be fairly lengthy, so ensure you include a summary or overview at the start, split your content into sections, and add a table of contents.
White papers are ideal for use as evergreen content, as are all the content types in this 'Professional' section.
Case Studies – Good for building trust, your customers will see how others have used your products or services. Keep them short. Highlight the issue, explain the solution and results, and how new users can replicate those results. Finish with a summary.
Case studies are great for highlighting particular applications of your products. It's best not to use technical jargon unless your products are targeted at people who are searching on those keywords.
eBooks – Ideal for earning respect in your industry, eBooks help to increase your brand visibility and grow your contact database (being mindful of GDPR, of course). eBooks can be any length, from five to 55 pages or more, but it’s important that they offer value. So, use no more than 10% of it to promote your products.
eBooks take time to write. To do them well, I strongly recommend using a freelance writer and/or editor. That way, you can be sure that they’re well written and error-free.
'How To' Manuals – Ideal for your website and sharing on social media, keep your 'How To' manuals straightforward and to the point. As for case studies, it's best not to use technical jargon unless your products are targeted at people who would search using those keywords.
Relaxed communication style:
Blogs – An important part of your content marketing strategy, blogs are usually quick to write. Easy to read and share, they are great for SEO, helping to drive organic traffic to your website. Blogs help build relationships, are lead nurturing and help with conversions, and are ideal if your marketing budget is limited.
Post regularly, and always have a CTA – Call to Action. Read more about blog writing here.
Infographics – Great for providing useful product information in a simple, eyecatching manner, infographics are ideal for sharing on social media, using in newsletters and more. Software applications like Canva make them easy to create and help you keep the design clean and simple.
And best of all, you don't need to write much. Content needs to be short and to the point as infographics are more of a visual tool.
Video – These offer fantastic value and are a must for connecting with customers old and new. Use videos as an educational tool, for including within your ‘How To’ posts, or simply for sharing news and info. Keep them short, and use a professional filmmaker if possible. Having said that, for frequent video clips to share in social media, your phone will do.
So, writing scripts will be necessary. They need to be very conversational, so read them out loud to ensure they sound right. Actually, it's helpful to read any content you write out loud – that's a good way of sense checking them too.
Podcasts – Becoming increasingly popular in the business world, podcasts are great for interviewing industry experts, adding value to your customers and helping to position you as an expert, too.
You don't really need to write much for your podcasts as you want them to be a natural conversation. But it would be helpful to have some questions and statements written as a loose script to help prompt you if needed.
Share podcasts via your blogs and newsletters, and/or include a written transcription for those who prefer to read rather than listen.
Social Media – Probably the most obvious digital marketing choice! And one of the easiest to do. You can regularly share loads of information while having fun with your customers, helping them to engage. Start conversations about topics other than your business for people to learn to trust your business. Like what's going on in the area, favourite places to visit, silly things your kids said, or share new recipes. And who doesn't love a silly GIF or meme!
For guidance on the actual writing process, have a look at this blog I wrote on the subject.
To ensure that your writing is spot on for all your digital marketing content, ask a professional writer for help. If you enjoy writing yourself, do get someone else to proofread what you’ve written.
And of course, I'm here! Let me know how I can help by getting in touch today to discuss your future requirements.