The bad news: it takes time and thought and talent to write engagingly. The good news: there are ways to expedite the process. In this post, I’m going to show small businesspeople how to get great content using less time and energy.
In a previous post on blogging, I said that writing about what you do validates your expertise and gets you 'found' in search results. It’s also value for potential customers, who will use it to determine if you can provide what they are looking for. If your writing speaks to their needs, they will be halfway to a sale before they ever interact with you.
"But I'm not a good writer,” you say.
That may be true, but you do have valuable things to say. Doubtless, there are dozens of subjects specific to your industry you talk about every day. Single out the ones on which you have unique perspective or expertise. That is what you should be talking about on your website blog, and in white papers, case studies, and articles.
Here’s the easiest strategy I’ve found for producing compelling content:
1. In point form, jot down the answers to these simple questions: Why you are writing the piece, how it is relevant to your readers, and what is it all about? Then, find some examples to back up your points. Read it over, twice, and add in the most important industry keywords you’re talking about. Be judicious with how much jargon you use, however: too much of it will alienate your reader.
2. Dump it into EtherPad.
EtherPad is a service that enables you and another person (or group of people) to see and edit the same document, at the same time, over the Internet. It’s really easy to use. It’s like being in the same room as your editor, but the two of you can be in any two places in the world. Go to the site, click Public Pad and paste your outline into it. (Here's a sample document.)
3. Share your EtherPad with your secretary, kid, aunt, uncle, friend – anyone you know who’s an ace writer. (You do this by emailing them a link to the document, which is online.) With the outline, you’ve given them the meat, and in very little time your writer should be able to give you 250 words of plainspeak, peppered with your insights. (Can't find anyone? Talented writers are everywhere, just waiting to make you look smart. Hire some muscle cheaply by searching on Twitter or Craigslist for a capable English major or underemployed journalist or copywriter.)
4. An hour after you’ve sent the link, go back to the EtherPad and see what they've done. At this point, you can cut out what "isn't you" and do a quick spellcheck. Voila: you're ready to publish a great piece of content that informs potential customers, and gets you found in search results.
If you want to be known for something, write about it – a lot. Your high value customers are looking for answers, and the solution is simple: provide them.
