The Future of Our High Streets

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

This is our local High Street. Behind the rather quaint façade of these properties with character is potentially, a tale of foreboding.

High Street Royston Future of High Street Retail Business Support

Retail cannot remain in the past, can it?

Image Credit: Hertfordshire Life

Is Retail Set to Fail?

We moved to this area almost 20 years ago.  The truth is, this particular High Street wasn’t terribly exciting then. The town is in a constant state of flux. A few of the outlets have stayed the course, mainly branches of multiples, another independent is closing its doors this month. I visited last weekend, there are now a plethora of barbers shops, charity shops and coffee shops with a definite scarcity of people. The giant out-of-town supermarket has now opened up an ‘Express’ outlet within the town, the final nail in the coffin?

Bricks and Clicks

Of course now, ‘Bricks and Clicks’ is de rigueur. A well run shop needs the backing of a well written, high functioning website and both need to be managed with wisdom and expertise. But is there hope for the small indies who don’t follow the crowd? Some outlets simply don’t lend themselves to online, the ‘Glazed Creations‘ ceramic decorating shop, the beauty salons, the art gallery, you really need to be there, but they still need to advertise. Retail outlets can do a lot to improve the experience for their customers to draw people through the door. That starts with the greeting as you walk in, the attitude of staff, it doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune on gimmicks and props to try to stand out, it can be far more organic.

Potential for Improvement

Around 13 miles away is the thriving market town of Saffron Walden. Received wisdom is that once upon a time, Saffron Walden was in a similar state, now it is a bustling town centre with a stable retail backdrop. It’s a ‘destination’, the kind of place that one goes for a trip out. The retail outlets enjoy the support of an affluent community and the backing of town planners who carefully vet the type of outlets they allow in. There are plenty of glorious independents with desirable offerings, they are quite simply ‘getting it right’. Many of the outlets are nowhere to be seen online, I dare say that may change but for now, they have no need.  I’ll finish this post here, I need to go shopping, I would love to support my local town but the truth is, I won’t find what I need there and the experience won’t be great.

Your suggestions?

What will become of the High Street? Is it time to re-purpose? What are your suggestions? Do we need to be thinking outside the box or going back to tradition and promoting the ‘tried and tested’? Maybe town planners need to swallow their pride and learn from towns who are clearly getting it right.

 

 

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How to Keep Google Happy – Quality Content

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Search Engine Optimisation

In a previous post, ‘Search Engine Success – Content is King‘ I talked about ways to keep Google happy, including:

  1. Why the UX (User Experience) is a priority
  2. How the quality of your content directly impacts SEO
  3. The importance of high quality inbound links
  4. Why meta descriptions still matter (for your click-through rate)
  5. Why your site should be secure.

Here, the focus is on content, why quality matters and the benefits it will bring.

Content Writing Matters

Your content is your voice, your conversation with existing and prospective clients, your image, your message, your ethos, the face of your organisation. How well does it speak of you? How appropriately is it dressed? How easy is it to understand?  What impression does it give? Is your content the best it can be?

User Experience

Google’s algorithms get cleverer by the day. No longer can keywords be stuffed in to poor quality copy to get results, hallelujah! Apart from the mechanics of your site (speed, pop-ups. navigation, links etc.), Google focuses on how your content affects the user experience. Is it clear, concise and easy to read? Does it make you STAND OUT? Does it tell your story and that of your offering?

Content Writing Tips

  • Headlines – 4-9 words that sum up the writing beneath
  • Naturally written – Google’s RankBrain is watching (and reading)
  • Unique – Google will penalise you for copying
  • Helpful – Does it inform/help the user?
  • Readable – Why make it inaccessible? Nobody has time for that

Well-written content will reach the user on a deeper psychological level, inducing loyalty, and  inspiring belief in you and your products/services that will inculcate a near unshakable bond.

Content Writing – a Long-Term Investment

Below is a graph of the results achieved purely from writing great copy for one of my clients. The impact was instantaneous and continuous.

Content Marketing SEO Copywriter Cambridge My Worfd Work For You

Quality Content Reaps Rewards

Your aim? To attain and retain customers. Accurate, relevant and useful content that informs, clarifies and assists will continue to work hard for you long into the future. Good quality content will represent and serve you well, it is surely worthy of investment.

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The Story of Lost Literacy

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Once upon a time, I constantly read to, and with, my two beautiful children. Two ‘square days’ a week meant time could be spent with TV/gadgets, on other days they played, we read together, we talked. Thankfully they have both grown up to be literate adults who function well in the workplace. Admittedly, their domestic skills are more questionable but that shouldn’t have a hugely negative impact on their prospects.

Story Time

Now we occasionally find ourselves babysitting for friends. Last night our three young charges ranged from three to seven, we had fun. Ignoring a large pile of recently acquired birthday gifts, the children were desperate for me to read a new arrival, ‘The Detective Dog’ by Julia Donaldson; what a tremendous book.

The Detective Dog Book Storyteller Content Writer My Words Work For You

Discovering The Joy Of Books

Julia uses beautifully lilting rhyme to tell the story of how our protagonist saves the day by hunting down missing books with the children who loved them. Detective Dog cleverly walks the reader through a world where the smell of books and joy of reading are cherished. Spoiler alert: The story winds up in a library…

“Thousands of books from the floor to the ceiling. The books gave the thief the most heavenly feeling….You can join if you want to – there isn’t a fee, and then you can take lots of books out for free”

Page of the Detective Dog Storyteller Literacy Matters My Words Work For You

Magical Words and Illustrations

The Importance of Books

Under-used libraries are closing down in front of our eyes. Children have so many other pulls on their time and attention, parents have less time. Schools educate children using an ever increasing number of electronic resources, books are slowly being pushed aside in favour of instant gratification devices, after all, there is a lot of effort needed to turn pages.

What’s the result? This list is by no means exhaustive

  • Reduced vocabulary
  • Diminished attention span
  • Inability to focus
  • Less mental stamina
  • Weaker literacy
  • Poor spelling ability
  • Impaired conversation skills
  • Quality time impacted

Content Writing

As a content writer, words are king. The ability to express myself clearly is vital for me and my clients. I use words to conjure images and thoughts in the readers’ minds, it is inherent in everything I do. I am ever grateful for a childhood spent with ‘my nose stuck in a book’.

The Future

I cannot imagine children of the future will experience a reverse in the trend. So what does the future hold? As generations of book-deprived children enter the workplace, we will never be able to measure the impact of the time spent with electronic devices rather than in the magical world of books. My guess is, employers will certainly notice the ramifications.

Have a read of some of my other blog posts, this one on storytelling is particularly relevant.

 

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Small Business Marketing -It’s a jungle Out There

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

We have had the tremendous honour of being made ‘Guide Parents’. Close friends who are non-religious have chosen us to be ‘back-up’ for their most treasured and valuable possession, their child. We love her, we have a great relationship and the feeling is mutual; nothing in life tops that.

And so to the point…

A Trip to the Zoo

This weekend we ‘moved in’ and became proxy parents as our friends took a weekend off to remind themselves of why they are a couple; everybody was happy, ‘win-win’. We excitedly planned a trip to a small local zoo, just right for our young charge. I’ll be honest, I hate zoos. I feel anxiety as I watch pacing animals, trapped in enclosures that are a long way short of ‘Africa’. For years I have tried to avoid anything less than a safari park, this weekend my eyes, and my mind, have been opened.

Zebra in a Zoo Marketing Strategy My Words Work For You

What will attract your target market? How can you stand out?

Supporting Small Businesses

Linton Zoo was born in 1972. Beginning as a family’s small private collection, today it has evolved to be a member of the International Breeding Programme  and is playing a vital role in the preservation of endangered species. I now appreciate the vital work they do. This family have seen change. No longer can they be assured of visitor numbers allowing them to carry on their good work. Since 1972 the competition has evolved, new and exciting experiences tempt young minds. Like many businesses, this small zoo has an uphill struggle. No longer can their primary focus be animal care, they have to focus on standing out from the crowd and attracting a good share of the market.

The Need to Stand Out

So when finances are stretched and you have a team that excels in the dietary requirements of an Eastern Quoll (see below) or the mating habits of a Snow Leopard, what do you do? This business needs to thrive, the Quoll, and all the other species at the zoo depend on it. The pressure is immense, the quoll was extinct in Australia, snow leopard numbers have dropped by 20% in 16 years, time is running out. Every penny of their budget is needed for the upkeep of the animals yet they need to attract visitors, increase revenue, be a visible presence in the face of high-tech, new and exciting offerings.

Quoll carniverous marsupial Small Business marketing Support My Words Work For You

Like The Quoll, This Business Needs to attract attention

Playing to Strengths

With little or no marketing budget…It might be that there is hidden talent among the staff,  a creative individual who is able to write regular blog articles. Guest articles in local magazines, competitions to win a trip to the zoo, features in local newspapers…What resources are at their disposal? Local businesses could sponsor an animal, providing funds for its care. Gift packages of high perceived value ‘Keeper for the Day’ etc could be auctioned at events, raising funds and profile. These are all temporary fixes, the park needs to come up with a solid, pragmatic and long-term content marketing strategy, a holistic approach that will improve SEO, attract visitors, increase funds and enable the Linton Zoo family to do what matters most, conserve and care for the diverse and precious species we have managed to endanger through our greed and neglect.

Reach Your Target Marketing

An experienced, knowledgeable marketer would develop a content marketing strategy to create revenue that can be re-invested. Recognise the target market and appeal to them, what else could be on offer? Begin to think outside the box, get in the heads of your potential customers, what would they love to see/do? What resources do you have that could be repurposed? (See my article) What could be developed that will ensure repeat business?

Marketing Strategies

Clever marketing involves imagination and creativity, not necessarily ‘big bucks’. Bolder marketing strategies need to include long term aims akin to producing own-branded merchandise, national awareness, social media engagement promoting the story of the brand and all that it has to offer. Each animal at the zoo has a story; its origins, its struggles and triumphs, its daily life, its future. I am seeing story books of each animal ‘Quincy Quoll Saves The Species’… OK, that was off the top of my head, but with backing from Quantas or similar, who knows, it could happen!

Good luck Linton Zoo, you are a treasure that deserves preserving.

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Are Your Customer Relationships Flying High?

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

This week I have booked over £5,000 worth of flights with a well known British flight operator. Myself and a client will be travelling to the United States, twice in the next two months. Usually, if I fly for personal travel, I am happy to book with one of the budget airlines, squeeze my belongings into a tiny bag and squeeze my back-side into a tiny seat, which I expect to pay extra for. Now here’s the thing…

Customer Expectations

As I was paying around quadruple the price for the pleasure of flying with a well-known airline, I fully expected the extras to be included. In fact, if I am paying around £1,500 for my ticket, I kind of expected my seat would be part of the deal, not an extra; standing is not an option. I am aware that the budget airlines charge for the bare minimum, then add for every single crisp (obviously not peanut) that one eats.

Customer Relationships Best Content Marketing and content writing My Words Work For You

Leave Your Customers on a High

Managing Expectations

So I arrive at the stage of the booking process to choose my seats , exciting…until I realised that my seat would cost a minimum of £22, each way! I can understand why this particular airline would not publicise the fact that once you have shelled out for your ticket, you are then invited to pay for your seat, but I do think I would be less ‘put out’ if I had been prepared.

Customer Satisfaction

Imagine if the price of the seat had been included in my ticket price. The airline are already making a fortune compared to other airlines, yes a meal is included, but the cost of that won’t be eating much into the ticket price. I would go through the process of booking without experiencing the sting in the tail as I fed the scorpion my money. I would feel OK.

Present Your Offering Well

How is your customer experience? Do they get ‘what it says on the tin’? Or are there nasty surprises? Go through the process of buying, really imagine how your customers feel along the way. I am feeling more than a little disappointed, so much so, I wrote this article…that can’t be good for PR for this well-known British airline!

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Radio Uplift #mentalhealthawareness

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

I have had an idea! I have lots of ideas, some good, some less so, some exciting. This idea has got legs…

Radio 2’s ‘Pause for Thought’ this morning was in response to someone choosing to extinguish the lives of 22 children and parents at a concert in Manchester. My thoughts are with all those affected, wishing you courage, strength and support in the time ahead.

The Need For Support

This morning it got me thinking about support, and the important role radio plays by including features like ‘Pause for Thought’. I had a friend who began to suffer from depression, it was a long time, and a huge struggle before it was diagnosed. In that time my friend’s behaviour changed, judgement was impaired, a catalogue of poor decisions and irrational behaviour led to the deterioration of business and relationships. In self-imposed isolation, my friend had little or no support.

Hands together Support For All My Words Work For You

A Constant, Freely Available Resource For All

Wide-Reaching Support

Here’s my idea, ‘Radio Uplift’ (or similar). A radio station that is dedicated to provide a positive source of support. Not cheesy, over enthusiastic DJ’s with corny, superficial lines, I mean a constant, ever-present, ubiquitous source of support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With a massively over-stretched NHS and severely depleted mental health resources, turning on the radio could be a valuable and viable option available to everyone.

How Would ‘Radio Uplift’ Look?

Musical notes heart Small Business Support Radio station for mental health support My Words Work For You

Support Through Music Image Credit: High Definition High Resolution Wallpapers

  • Purely Music with a positive message
  • Guest spots with relevant professionals
  • Stories of Hope
  • Examples of human kindness
  • ‘Tried and Trusted’ – what has worked for others
  • Take Action – Positive Steps
  • Publicity for support mechanisms/groups
  • Listener input
  • Content driven by need…

My radio station would need to be an under-stated source of calm that provides a blanket of warmth and kindness for anyone who needs it, for whatever reason.

  • Non-judgemental
  • Non didactic
  • Informed and informative
  • Trustworthy
  • Reliable
  • A safe place

How Do You Start A Radio Station?

So, all we need is some available bandwidth, some volunteers with skills, a bit of PR/advertising…What do you think? Know anyone who could help? Watching my friend suffer has been painful, I was unable to help. This problem isn’t going to go away, if tuning in to a radio for a 10 minute boost could make any difference, it has to be worth it.

“Thousands of people are suffering in silence; we could fill that silence with positivity.”

Please Like and Share, this could become reality.

#headstogether #mentalhealthawareness

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Why Product Personification Increases Sales

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin
personification
pəˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/
noun
  1. the attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something non-human, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.
    “Peter heard the last piece of pie calling his name”

Product Personification

I’ve seen some cool examples of personification recently. Before the customer has had time to think, that ordinary skirt has leapt from the screen, right into their psyche because it isn’t just a skirt, it’s a ‘sassy skirt’… It has attitude.

Why are you more likely to buy a sassy skirt? You can identify with it, it speaks

product description Joe Browns Personification Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Allow your customers to identify with your products

to the inner you, (who secretly, would love to be ‘sassy’). Giving products a personality brings them to life and evokes emotions in the buyer. Name them, add some adjectives, give them a character that ignites a spark…. anyone can sell a skirt, not many think to sell a sassy skirt. Joe Browns is a company that does it well, I have fallen for the charms of their products on more than one occasion, and I should know better!

Persuasive Content Writing

As a Content Writer, much of the work I produce aims to persuade potential customers to click/buy from/call my clients. My words need to capture the readers’ attention, to be emotive, reaching them on a subliminal level, creating a bond between the customer and the product, and ultimately, the customer and my client. I have learned over the years, it is far easier to write for something I believe in. If the product or service I am writing about has something to show off, it is very easy to give it a gregarious personality.

Let Customers Identify With Your Products

For one client, I simply gave names to a particular range of products as I put them online, sales increased. These products jumped out of the page and off the shelf. My emotive words evoked a human response, a bond between this now animated object, and the customer. The supplier noticed the dramatic increase in sales, it stood out from any other seller, they loved it. It doesn’t have to be names, adjectives and descriptions that give a product ‘personality’ will work too. Let’s give it a try…

Bold, daring, quirky, cheeky, strapping, fun, adventurous, mighty, outrageous, attention-seeking…

This coffee machine longs to grace your worksurface and be admired.

The shirt that shouts, ‘This guy’s got style’

More ideas to support small businesses can be found throughout my Blog, here’s one to be going along with… How Attractive is Your USP?  Enjoy!

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Do People Believe in You? Why?

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

In case you have missed Simon Sinek’s inspiring TED Talk (18 minutes very well spent), he cleverly brings our focus to ‘Why‘. Over 32 million viewers have watched Simon as he guides us to realign our thinking, and our sales strategies!

The Need to Believe

We all have a need to believe, it’s human nature. Years ago, for the vast majority of the population that need was satisfied by faith/religion. This is far less important now to many people, leaving them bereft and in need of something. Fads come and go: Tupperware, Soda Stream, Friends Reunited, Aerobics, Facebook…We need the assurance that we are valuable, purposeful and the ever increasing number of social media platforms feed the need for instant gratification. We need to be liked!  https://www.facebook.com/Mywordswork/  Go on, fill your boots, like away!

Content Marketing

In content writing, communicating the why of each client is fundamental in almost everything I write. Communicating your why, your core beliefs is something that grabs the attention of potential customers, and holds it there. ‘People buy why you do it’. Beyond ‘know, like and trust’, I aim for ‘belief’. Wait until you’ve read this and have  a read of this article

Customer Belief Content Marketing My Words Work For You

You know that feeling, when you really BELIEVE in something…

“When you find your why, you lose the need”

Let it Come From Within

The ‘Golden Circle’ illustrates how customer loyalty isn’t borne of shouting about what we do, or how we do it. Why should anyone care? Mecca lies in communicating our ‘why‘. Customers, clients, followers choose to believe in us when they understand our core beliefs, our purpose. If people share your beliefs, they will care, and will form near unshakable loyalty.

Simon’s ’10 years on’ film below talks about the pain he went through of living an existence he no longer believed in. He recognised that his ‘why’ was missing, he had no idea why he was doing what he was doing…so he stopped. He followed his dream, and followed it well, then people followed him. Why? Because they shared his beliefs, as do I. ‘Share, give, inspire’. Well done @SimonSinek  I would love to talk with you some time.

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A GOOD Telling Off

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Are We Losing The Art of Conversation?

This weekend, after months, no years, of thinking I really should go and visit an aunt and uncle, I made time. In my head, I have genuinely been busy, work to do, clients to keep happy, friends to see…etc.

There were subliminal reasons that prevented me from just making the journey, they don’t matter here, in fact, they don’t matter. The point of this post is, in this relationship, I had lost the art of conversation.

Turning Misunderstandings In To Understandings

The warmest of welcomes awaited me as I arrived, a tour of the magnificent and ever-changing garden and a journey down memory lane. During what turned out to be a deep, and yes, meaningful conversation, a golden opportunity arose. The opportunity to bring misunderstandings to light, and turn them into understandings. The moments were precious, so very important and ultimately, healing. Far more than a band-aid on a sore, the words that flowed between us healed from within.

The Trouble With Social Media

First of all, my telling off was well deserved. I had left it too long to have the conversation. Truthfully, I had avoided having it at all. When it finally happened this weekend, it was something of a wake-up call. We discussed why I haven’t been, and how I spend my time. My aunt’s words were wise, poignant, topical and bleedin’ obvious…

“You could have spent the time talking to me instead of on Facebook”

My accomplished aunt is of a generation that has escaped social media, she lives a full and productive life instead. She makes a very good point that, not only is so much time wasted by so many people, the opportunity for conversation is also being ignored. With social media being at the end of our fingertips from morning ’til night, it is no effort at all to interact with our ‘friends’ on the other side of that screen. Perhaps more significantly, these are superficial interactions that don’t deal with challenge, or face difficulties; our Facebook lives are perfect, aren’t they?

The Path of Least Resistance

How long will it be before we lose the art of conversation? Like electricity or water, it is human nature to choose the path of least resistance. Metaphorically speaking, how much easier is it to waste an hour on social media than to make the journey to real friends and relatives, and spend time talking. It’s easy to post click bait on a social media account and therefore feel popular, it’s not as easy to tackle a challenging situation, discuss it positively to resolve it and end up with enriched, enhanced and more meaningful relationships.

Make The Effort

I have always been mindful of the words of a dearly loved friend, “Hang on to the young generation by the shirt tails, or they’ll go without you”. Conversely, this weekend taught me to hang on to the older generation by spending time with them, or you will lose each other”. Thank you dear aunt for the valuable telling off; my life will be the better for it.

Holding Hands Story Teller Content Writer My Words Work For You

It’s not until you listen, that you begin to hear

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Time to Repurpose

Posted on May 6, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Carpet grooming has become something of a Saturday morning ritual for me.

Why? I hear you cry. Hear me out…

Identifying a Need

Despite the claims of effectiveness, I am yet to find a vacuum cleaner that removes the hair of two Springer Spaniels woven into my carpet. It’s not as bad as you may think, whilst on my hands and knees I am sneaking in some Pilates exercises and feeling smug about not getting ‘bingo wings’ yet. I don’t know anyone else who does this, but then, I thought of it. This brings me to the purpose of this article.

Finding a Solution

Dissatisfied with the performance of another ‘pet hair removal’ vacuum, I began to problem solve. It wasn’t difficult, it just required pausing for thought, and thinking ‘outside of the box’. What is there that could grab the hair and pull it out?

Zoom Groom dog brush Repuropsing Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Eureka! Grooming, Not Just For Pets Image credit: Kong

It wasn’t long before I was buying my second Zoom Groom, having worn down the first. It struck me, if Kong marketed this as a ‘Carpet Groom’ © My Words Work For You, they could significantly increase sales and revenue. Their target market is their existing audience, there waiting, ankle deep in pet hair. Kong have a solution in their hands to meet an everlasting need; the exciting part is, many people are yet to identify that they have that need at all. All Kong need to do is help their buyers realise; the power of suggestion.

  1. You have unhygienic pet hair festering in your carpets.
  2. We have the solution you need.
Zoom Dog brush for carpets Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Show People How To Think Differently

Grow Your Market, Who Else Could Benefit?

In a company I worked with previously, many of the products that were being marketed purely for children had validity for a completely different audience. Toys and games that entertain and stretch young minds serve our older generations equally as well. When writing content for each product I introduced the idea in the audience’s minds of all of the people that could benefit from each product. Thinking like this could double the target market, potentially reaching an audience with a greater need and more disposable income.

What Could You Repurpose?

Repurposing is relevant to products, content and people. Look around you, what could have greater potential? What needs could be met by repurposing something that exists already. Like with the Zoom Groom, it may need adapting (if it was vulcanised it would last longer, but that could be part of a canny sales strategy), it may need re-marketing, but the chances are, there is no need to re-invent the wheel, just attach your wheel to a different mode of transportation.

Discover Gaps in the Market You Never Knew Existed

Not suggesting that if you sell xylophones you should begin marketing to chicken farmers, but you get the idea. Chickens may not be your niche market, identifying what is brings focus and drive, as well as, well, a new audience who are totally ‘in to you’. Have a quick read, ‘Niche Marketing, Are You Brave Enough To Get Kinky?’.

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