Tell Your Story – The Most Important Story Of All?

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Do you remember this from when you were young? (You may be too young, if so, enjoy that feeling!)

The tune, the graphics, and the concept have stayed with me, for the whole of my life.

Your Story

We all have a story to tell. What’s yours? Does anybody truly know your story? When you are gone, and let’s face it, that is a reality, what will happen to your story? Will it be lost? I want to be able to tell people’s stories.

Tell Your Story, and Tell it Well

At the moment the stories I am telling are the stories of businesses, of how they began, how they have grown, and of their dreams. I am also lucky enough to be able to tell the story of a very special person I know, it is in its embryonic phase, but it will surely develop into a fully formed being in the fullness of time. Watch this space.

Until then, join me in a trip down memory lane, indulge yourself, ‘there’s treasure in them there memories’. Good and bad, it is the story of what shaped us, in business or personally; we are who we are based on the foundation of our past. Relationships are formed, trust develops and belief begins, when we share our stories.

Browse my article on Belief for the next chapter

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Advertising – Turn On or Turn Off?

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Powerful Advertising May Have The Power To Repel Your Audience

I am looking for a pilates class. You may know this already but pilates is not cheap! I want to know that the class I choose is:

  • Good quality
  • Effective
  • Good value

    Pilates pose Content Marketing My Words Work For You

    Be the business of choice Image credit: Anytime Fitness

Advertising Desperation?

Several classes I have found have a waiting list, I want to go to one of those. I would rather wait to ensure that the class I go to will work. If a class is no good people will vote with their feet. One class nearby is constantly advertising, I mean everywhere you look, on Facebook, on the local business pages, posters, competitions. Today I could tag a friend in their Facebook competition to be in with a chance of getting six classes free, if I am the ‘lucky winner’.  I don’t want to go to that one, not even if it was free.

Advertise How Good You Are

So what’s the point of this article? As a potential customer, seeing increasingly frequent (increasingly desperate?) advertising has a negative effect, it is a complete turn off. What I want is to find a class that is SO GOOD, they don’t need to advertise. It’s a tricky game this advertising malarkey, businesses need to raise profile, remind people they are there, show the world what they offer but there is a fine line to be trodden to do this without implying few people have chosen you.

I am in the fortunate position of not needing to advertise. Like the ‘waiting list’ pilates, people find me through word of mouth, or after seeing my work, not through a Facebook competition! Speak about your successes, share personal experiences of your happy customers and give potential customers  a chance to share in that success with the opportunity to choose you via an elegant and carefully timed campaign.

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Content Writing – A Science of its Own.

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

One of my clients is a thriving scientific solutions company, Stratech Scientific Ltd. Stratech supply the scientific community with pretty much anything required for scientific research (not animals, just to clarify). They have an impressive reputation of being able to reliably import ‘stuff’ that was previously thought of as difficult or impossible to get hold of. I feel proud to be working with them and I’m full of admiration of their success. They are currently experiencing somewhere in the region of 40% growth. I would love to say that is down to my content writing, but that isn’t the case. I like to think it has contributed!

Scientific Content Writing

I was asked to produce an article that would help those scientists in their target audience who were involved in research involving liposomes. I’m not going to lie, I was slightly scared. It has been some time since my degree, and the fast paced world of scientific research hadn’t stood around waiting for me. The process of researching another new topic quickly went from ‘daunting’ to ‘exhilarating’ as I got better acquainted with these awesome little liposomes, they are truly amazing. Have a read of the article here: Liposome Preparation Made Simple for a bit of escapism from work.

Liposomes for drug delivery Scientific Content Writing My Words Work For You

Clever little liposomes, the most effective courier service ever.

The Aim of Good Content Writing

Naturally, the purpose of asking me to write this article wasn’t to fill my day with the excitement of liposomes. Stratech are aiming to provide a service to their thousands of customers. Many researchers are intimidated by the techniques involved in the preparation of liposomes, Stratech wanted me to produce an article that was aimed at that audience specifically. To ‘hold their hand’, to show them that support was available and they didn’t need to feel the prospect was insurmountable. This is a company who are understanding the needs of their audience, speaking with that audience in the right language and being there for them, offering a service/product that will help them in their work. Well done Stratech, your success is well deserved, long may it continue.

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Content Marketing – STAND OUT From The ‘Flock’

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

I had been content writing for my client for some time. Beginning with the website, then the products, my role soon included marketing and communications. I ordered a product so I could see the chain of communications, it wasn’t great.

I won’t waste your time with the original chain of emails that each and every customer received; suffice to say, they were no different to any other ‘confirmation of order’, dull.

The Content Marketing Fix

Step 1. Focus on the brand

Step 2. Create an ‘on brand’ story to capture imaginations and stand out from the crowd.

My client was a toy shop, a license to have fun! I created the story of ‘our delivery pigeons’. From now on, every customer chose from a range of delivery pigeons who were introduced on the website and in every communication.

  • The pigeon who doesn’t get out much would deliver within 4 days
  • The pigeon who frequents the gym once a week would be at your door within 2 days
  • The ‘turbo-charged’ pigeon would arrive the very next day.
Turbo pigeon delivery Content Marketing for small businesses My Words Work For You
Content Marketing – be bold, STAND OUT, fly f u r  t  h  e  r

I wove the story into the fabric of every communication from ordering, to dispatch, to requesting a review, we used words and the owner found the perfect imagery.

Order confirmation: The Carrier Pigeon is having his breakfast, ready for the journey.

Dispatch: Great news! The Pigeon who doesn’t get out much (4 days) is on it’s way to you with your carefully wrapped gift …..OK not really, we sent it by Royal Mail, it’s the pigeon‘s day off.

Review Request: So, the pigeon has arrived back safely & he’d love to know what you thought of your {product_name} and of our service.

The Results

Customers loved it and completely engaged with the company, many ‘left food out for the pigeon’

“Corn for the pigeon will be in the shed with the hen’s food!”

“Great communication! Like the language style :)””Is there anywhere I can leave extremely positive feedback????!!!!
Just love the [product] that arrived yesterday….please feed the pigeon some extra seed!”

Another more than satisfied customer
“Brilliant service and the emails have been a delight to read. I will tell all my friends about your fabulous website.”
“I wanted to say thank you for making the whole purchase very memorable. Every single email made me smile, something that rarely happens in today’s hustle and bustle world.”
“…and with brilliant communication that made me smile every time I received one. If there is a way of leaving feedback on the website I will try to do so when I am next around a PC”
Trusted Shops called the owner of the business to ask how we were suddenly getting so many reviews. Would we present a case study for them to show other businesses? The average reviews for most businesses was 5%, almost 50% of my client’s customers were now leaving glowing reviews. 
Why? They loved the company, they had enjoyed the process of ordering and it stood out from the crowd.

5-star-rating-content-marketing-my-words-work-for-you
Leave your customers with a great feeling
Soon after our pigeons took over delivery, the website saw an increase of 1000% compared to the same month the year before. It wasn’t just the pigeons of course, but their imaginary journeys definitely helped this business’s actual journey!
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Search Engine Success – Content is King

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Original, Unique Content

I’ve spent plenty of time reading books and guides that claim to ‘Get you to No. 1 in Google’ etc. Of course, I could get to number one in an instant if I created a site called, I don’t know, let’s call it ‘www.squeakypumpkins.co.uk’ We are going to specialise in selling squeaky pumpkins and we are going to work really hard to get to No 1 so when anyone searches for squeaky pumpkins, they find us.

It transpires, nobody else is selling squeaky pumpkins. That’s me at the top then. Success! 

Google logo Search Rankings Content Marketing My Words Work For You

SEO Be good at content writing to be good at Google Image credit: Google

Oh wait! …How many people are looking for squeaky pumpkins? Any? There I am at No 1, by myself, and nobody will ever know.

See where I’m going with this? Chances are you are in a competitive market and to get to No 1 in Google is going to take understanding, and a bit more effort. It will be worth it.

First and foremost, content is king. Successful content marketing will have the user in mind. Clever content creation will be wise, informative, useful and entertaining. According to Hubspot…

“Links are an important part of your website’s authority…  However, if you have budget to invest in your website, I would say, “Hire someone to write for you.”

5 Tips for Search Engine Success

  1. Think of the UX (user experience) in every thing that you do. Above all, Google is interested in the quality of the experience for your users.
  2. Invest in quality content – Hire a content writer to create great content that has been well researched and well written and will work hard for you in the short and long term. If tyour content is useful, unique and user-friendly it will be read, liked and shared. Product descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, marketing communications etc. will raise your profile and build a lasting relationship with your costomers.
  3. Obtain high quality inbound links -Task your content writer with the production of purposeful guest posts for high ranking publications and organisations e.g. .ac .gov Think of strategic alliances that you could form, reach out to potential business partners with well worded proposals.
  4. Make your meta descriptions work. So you’ve appeared in search rankings, the next step is to make them click on your link.- Get in the heads of your audience, imagine you are a potential customer, what would make you click on your search result?
    1. Fulfil a need – A dog lead that is ‘strong but soft on hands’
    2. Highlight a benefit – A game that is the ‘best fun and speeds up mental maths’
    3. Stand out from the crowd – ‘squeakiest pumpkins to out-squeak pumpkin-kind’
  5. Make your site secure – get a valid SSL certificate so your site begins with https://

I think five is enough to be going along with for now. I’ll be back soon with the next five tips for content marketing success.

Have a read of some of my other articles on here, this one goes particularly well with ‘Know Like and Trust? Aim for BELIEVE’

#bloggingbranding

 

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An Ad that Added Sales

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Advertising – Speak to Your Audience

Content Marketing includes any content, in any form, that speaks to your target audience with an ‘on brand’ message, ultimately leading to increased conversions. But first you have to grab their attention.

I was asked to create an advertising poster for a product. As ever, I focused on the customer and understanding their needs, adults and kids no longer talk, spending far too much time behind a screen. The advertisement aimed to meet those needs with solutions, fun ones! I created an image of the desirable lifestyle they could achieve if they owned this product. Beginning with a hook of the initial ‘I miss you’ , I steered the reader down the track of buying, assembling and riding the go-kart together with their kids, to the end point of buying the go-kart.

Go-Kart Advertisement Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Content Marketing involves grabbing your audience by the heart strings

The aims:

  • Identify needs – Lack of meaningful time
  • Solve problems – Address the lack of time we spend with our children
  • Offer solutions – Spend time together

At the time there were no inspiring lifestyle images available that really portrayed the story I was writing. I used software to transform the transparent image I had to HD, I am no image guru!

If I created the advert again, I would have ‘I Miss You…’ as the focus. The wonderful thing about content writing and marketing is, it is an ever evolving journey and there is always room to develop.

The Results:

  • Increased conversions
  • Increased brand awareness
  • The supplier called to ask if they could use my poster
  • The client had a poster that could be used and re-purposed across all media platforms

Take a spin around my ever increasing Blog, it’s smoother than the go-kart would be.

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Goal Setting

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Set Goals – Know Where To Aim

Know Where You Are Heading

So today I have been challenged to start setting goals. Not the vague, ‘I want to be happy’ kind of goals, but actual SMART goals. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Bound. My previous life as a lecturer has that particular acronym deeply ingrained.

Goal Setting

For me, the goals I am referring to are for my blog. What do I want to achieve? Where, specifically do I want to be? I am Master of my own ship here, its course, speed and direction are down to me and me alone. Goal setting is good practice for anyone, in business and in life. If you don’t know where you are heading, you are left to wander aimlessly with no ‘thing’ to strive for. So if you were to set yourself three SMART goals right now, what would they be?

I am fortunate, my words could be applied to many things. My challenge is to find applications for my work that I love doing. Content writing can be satisfying and exhilarating, if the content is about a subject one enjoys. Conversely, producing content about a topic one has no interest in can be painful and the results may not be the best they can be. I have come to the conclusion that my work will be a far higher standard if I have loved producing it.

And Now, Your Turn

The only thing limiting me is my imagination, if I can think it, I can do it, or at least strive to. How about you? What’s stopping you from just ‘going for it’? Imagine there was no fear of failure, what would you aim for? Grab yourself a pen and paper, no rules, just you and your dreams. Then construct each dream into a SMART goal. How does it look? If you are in business, the goals might include:

  • A target
  • A measure (e.g. percentage, amount)
  • A deadline

E.g. To increase my customer database by 30% by the end of the year. Or…To add five new ‘on brand’ products to my website each week for the next three months.

The result will be more focus, more drive, better performance.

For me, for now, my goals look like this:

  • To write two blog posts that will add value to my audience every week for the next two months.
  • Increase daily visits to my website by 100%, by September.
  • Establish a weekly feature that people engage with within a month. Wordy Wednesdays?

Goal image-Goal Setting_Content Marketing_Business Support_ My Words Work For You

Know where you are aiming? Image credit: Crankshooter

Right, no time to hang around, I have work to do! Let me know how you get on.

#bloggingbranding

 

 

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Know Like and Trust? Aim for BELIEVE

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

How to create content that makes your audience BELIEVE in you

Think of something or someone you believed in, I mean really believed in. Once in that mindset, there you remain. The object of your affection would have to behave REALLY badly to lose your support. Imagine having customers who believed in you…

It requires integrity, in all you do; set your moral compass to ‘high’ and be the very best you can be.  The rewards are customer loyalty the like of which you have never known.

Belief business support poster My Words Work For You

Inspire belief in you for sustainability

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Bringing Content to Life

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

Reinvigorating a Small Retail Business

When I first began work with this client the website was in a ‘bad way’. The content was old, riddled with mistakes, uninspiring and dull. The site or its content were not search engine optimised and the poor user experience was betrayed by its performance. The few people who visited the site didn’t hang around and rarely chose to buy anything.

ORIGINAL ABOUT US PAGE:

Original About Us Page before content writing and re-design by My Words Work For You

Original About Us page before My Words Work For You

Hi, this is me, Paul Warner, daddy to two gorgeous girls and owner of When I Was a Kid…

Founded in 2005, it all came about from a trip to one of the big toy barns with floor to ceiling plastic toys. As a family, we love board games and having ventured over   to Northampton to our local Toys R Us store to buy a new game, I left saddened that the toy industry had become obsessed with plastic, batteries or fad toys… where were all the ‘proper’ toys that I grew up with?

UNIQUE, COMPELLING CONTENT:

Re-written About Us Page Content Writing by My Words Work For You

About Us page re-written and re-designed by My Words Work For You

“Once upon a time… after a soul-destroying family trip to one of the monster Toys R Us stores, I realised a terrible thing had happened; modern toys had lost their magic, the sparkle had simply gone, vanished

And so the dream began.  Children everywhere were in danger of misplacing their imaginations, there was not a moment to lose…. I searched the globe to find toys that don’t have the dreaded on/off switch (you know the type, on goes the screen, off goes the imagination).  The When I Was a Kid ‘toy box’ just keeps filling with fabulous toys, waiting to be loved.”

Content Marketing Magic

The subject was easy; wonderful toys that had value and real benefits for a target audience. They were easy to believe in, easy to bring to life, easy to write about. Each page I wrote performed immediately. People believed in the company and understood the USP. I wrote articles for the Blog that engaged a growing audience and managed to facebook page, increasing awareness and increasing the company’s profile.
People began to get in touch, asking to work with the company, or simply to tell us they loved the website. American Express called to ask the company to supply gifts for their Platinum Card clients. The Forestry Commission asked the company to be their exclusive toy supplier, An Account Manager from Wieden & Kennedy called to tell the owner it was ‘the best copy she had ever seen’ and ask who wrote it (he didn’t tell her).

The Results:

Every product I wrote immediately began to sell. For the first time, people added multiple products to their baskets. Sales, conversions and trust all increased as an unheard of percentage wrote glowing reviews for all to see. The previous record of 9 consecutive days of sales grew to hundreds, profits soared. The company thrived. I was happy, the business owner was very happy.
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Content Creating Conversions

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Nicola Dunklin

How Content Can Increase Conversions

Content writing for a cleaning company is a dirty business. It tests a content writer’s ability to bring content to life and make it work hard for the client. One of the services offered by this client was mould remediation, they were struggling to get conversions. I suggested a ‘four-pronged’ approach.

  1. Create unique content thatis useful, purposeful, findable and would have long term value.
  2. Contact universities in the area and offer to produce useful articles for their students on how to deal with mould. The universities will be able to provide a useful resource for their students. The caveat was, for each university to include a link to my client’s website. High authority links = a massive SEO win.
  3. I re-wrote the ‘Mould’ landing page.
  4. I added FAQs to the page, increasing SEO and improving the user experience.

This four pronged approach had many positive effects:

  • It demonstrated specialist knowledge, portraying my client as an authority.
  • It created trust from their target audience.
  • Results are short and long term; the optimised content will continue to appear in search results.
  • The links from high authority websites will continue to elevate my client’s website in search rankings.

The Results:

The client called to ask me to stop producing content about mould (phew!). Their sales team were inundated with calls and unable to handle the volume.

Mould image Increase Conversions Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Content Marketing Cleaning Up Conversions

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