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Productivity and the 80/20 Rule

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Productivity According to Pareto

According to the the Pareto Principle, 20% of your activity will account for 80% of your results. Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist, first described the principle in 1895:

20% of your products or services will produce 80% of your profits
20% of your customers will provide 80% of your sales
20% of your daily activities will account for 80% of valuable productivity

Spend Your Time Wisely

How often do you spend your valuable time on tasks that fall in the 80% category? The tasks that are easier or more fun, then you find that you have avoided the tasks that will actually propel you towards your goals. As a ‘grade A procrastinator’, I have to discipline myself to get those tasks out of the way first. The other ‘stuff’ is my reward for doing so. I chose the heading for a reason, that valuable time is spent, gone.

Increase Productivity

Organise your time, know exactly what you want to achieve, both long and short term and break down difficult tasks into easy-to-manage chunks. Create a list and put the tasks that will produce the most reward at the top. Think of how good you’ll feel as you add each tick. Feeling like a goddam superhero, you leap forward to the next task, oh yes.

To-Do List Content Writer for small business My Words Work For You

Do the tasks that add value first

How Are Your Reviews?

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Last week I held a snapshot poll my Facebook page, the results are in!

It would seem that while only 25% of people were motivated to buy by the ‘cheapest price’, the remaining 75% of people choose to ‘buy now’ because of… (drum roll)

Great Reviews

This is great news for small businesses and a reminder to encourage reviews. If you’re a small business how are your reviews looking? As a consumer, what impact do reviews have on your buying choices? What motivates you to write a review? For me, I write reviews when a product or service has been exceptionally good, they deserve my review.

It’s All About Trust

When it comes to consumer choice, nothing is more persuasive than hearing how much a friend loves a product. Reviews do that for you, the undecided consumer is convinced to buy when everyone else is raving about it, it works for me.

How to Get Reviews

The simple answer is, ask for them. If you see people face-to-face, ask them if they would be kind enough. Read my post about the dark art of how to get Google reviews. Ask your audience on social media, and set up a review system on your website such as Feefo or Trust Pilot. Find a way to capture your customers’ attention and make them want to help. Here’s a Case Study showing you how I did exactly that for a previous client.

Let me know how you get on and the impact it has on your business. If you are a consumer, consider writing a couple of glowing reviews for the businesses that deserve them.

Posted in Top Tips | Leave a comment

How to Live Longer

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

A quick post today and a departure from my usual Top Tips for small business series

What Factors make You Live Longer?

Today I am writing about antibodies. You may not believe this but part of my research took me on to Youtube, where I spotted this. Before you watch it (and it’s only a few minutes long)…

What factors do you think play the biggest part in helping you to live longer?

An Effort To Socialise

Much of my day is spent in front of a PC which in itself could be problematic. I have no wish to be a hermit. If I think back to this morning as a case in point:

I chatted with people at the pool and bumped into a friend who has asked me to help with his business.
Out with my dogs and I meet the usual ‘doggy people’ who I know and trust, doggy people are usually ‘good sorts’. Today’s conversation: ‘Stick and flick?‘
Throughout the day I am communicating with various people including clients
Tonight is a scheduled Skype call followed by a family dinner.

Without all of this, I would be lonely, frankly. Getting on with people is what makes the world a better place, it is a bit of a bonus then that it also helps us to live longer; worth the effort, isn’t it.

Posted in My Life, My Words | Tagged freelance content writer, Freelance content writer for small business, freelance copywriter | Leave a comment

Small Businesses Unite

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Got Space to Spare? Use it!

Many months ago I came home after using the village post office and wrote a post about it. The local postmaster works long hours and has neither the time nor the inclination to stock his shelves. The space is empty apart from a few dusty, unwanted birthday cards lingering in empty racks, yet people are in and out all day long.

Save Our Post Offices

Village post offices are disappearing at an alarming rate, leaving gaps in communities around the UK. Let’s be honest, not many of us write letters anymore, the three thank you cards I wrote this morning made my hand hurt! We do still need the postal service, if nothing else to deliver Amazon parcels. How many other business owners are there who could benefit from valuable space in the centre of a community?

Sustainable Business Solution

I’ve said before, this idea could be rolled out to any vacant business space, I am hearing examples that it is now happening. The post office/landlord could rent out business space by the shelf, the small business owners run it, the community has a thriving shop and gets to keep its post office, the post office benefit from the additional revenue and stand a chance of surviving. Frankly, the four items I have posted today will each land on doormats around the UK tomorrow for the princely sum of 67p, I’m very happy to keep that service. We could proactively support our post offices as well as local businesses, everybody wins.

Post Office Inside Space Support for Small Businesses My Words Work For You Copywriting Service

Contact me if you are looking for support for your small business.

Posted in Small Business Support | Tagged content marketing, content writer Cambridge, content writer for small businesses, copywriter cambridge, Small Business Support, support for small businesses | 1 Comment

Content Writing for the Science Industry

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

A long-standing client of mine supplies equipment, tools and solutions to the science community. Scientists around the world trust my client to provide proven, reliable, modern solutions to support their research. My job as content writer is to demonstrate that accurately, and brilliantly, to the right audience.

Know Your Audience

The salient point here is, the scientists looking for these solutions are frequently:

Busy
Using English as an additional language

When writing content for this company, I keep it simple. The audience is busy, a lot of their time is spent wrestling with high level research papers written in language that would be unintelligible for the lay-person. My aim is to make their life easier, I speak in a clear, direct tone and support the reader with useful information. I want this client’s site to feel like a refuge, a safe place to be that has everything they need, a place they can trust, the ‘go to’ place for all their research needs. It seems to be working.

Customer Acquisition

I liaise with this particular client to plan a content strategy that works. They know their products and their customers and they understand how to support them. While they are busy being good at what they do, they ask me to produce content that reflects that. In terms of customer acquisition, my client tells me that my content writing so far is bringing in more customers and more sales than anything else the company has done. This success is down to understanding the audience and providing the best solutions for them.

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Content Writing Examples

So, if you find yourself in need of Immunohistochemistry Tips, or at a loss when deciding between polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies, or looking for help with the notoriously tricky Western Blotting, take a look at the links below.

IHC Tips , Monoclonal Vs Polyclonal and Tips and Tricks for Western Blotting (You never know when they might come in handy)

Posted in Blog, content writing | Tagged copy for websites, copywriter cambridge, copywriter for small businesses, Scientific content writer, Scientific content writing Cambridge, Scientific copywriter | Leave a comment

Start The Day Well

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Good Morning! (It is as I write this)

How is your day so far? Monday mornings can be a challenging concept. Our weekend was packed: In London to watch ‘The Last Leg‘, housework and rugby, friends for dinner until late ‘o clock, unusually for me at a weekend, some work to help a client out, followed by a day clearing the house of a relative who has sadly passed away. Monday morning has arrived at break-neck speed.

Get The Day Off To The Best Start

How does this sound for a great start to any day…

Wake early, straight into swimming togs and down to the pool for 80 lengths
Dog walk in the sunshine around the local nature reserve
Cup of tea beside me, dogs at my feet and down to work. Today I am writing about ELISA testing kits used in scientific research, I finished this one last week.

Springer Spaniel Walk Freelance content writer for small business My Words Work For You

Springers in Springtime

The Freelance Content Writer Lifestyle

Civilised huh? I know how lucky I am to be a freelance content writer. And I get to sit here feeling virtuous for the ret of the day. My point really is, life is a balance, if I am in a good place mentally and physically, I am far better placed to produce outstanding work for my clients. Be good to yourself, set yourself up for the day with a great start.

Have a great Monday everyone.

Posted in Blog, My Life, My Words | Tagged content writer, copywriter, freelance content writer, freelance content writer Cambridge, Freelance content writer for small business, freelance copywriter, Scientific content writing Cambridge | Leave a comment

That Job You Hate? Delegate!

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

How’s Your ‘To-Do’ List?

We all have jobs that we don’t like doing. That task that keeps getting filed under ‘later’. The one that just doesn’t go away. The job that is so huge you have no idea where to begin… Sound familiar?

Are you performing any task except ‘that one’?

There will be reasons aplenty to explain why you are not doing it:

It’s difficult
It’s time consuming
It’s boring
I am a first class procrastinator
I don’t know how
I don’t know where to start

The list is by no means exhaustive.

How To Do Your To-Do List

Here is my very helpful little list to help you face your demons and get that task completed.

Familiarise yourself with exactly what is required, it may not be as daunting as you fear
Ask for help
Break down the task into manageable chunks
Brainstorm to get your thoughts onto paper
Delegate to somebody with the right skill set
Allot specific time for that task each day/week/month, and STICK TO IT
Turn off distractions
Set yourself a task/goal reward system (cup of tea and a biscuit after ‘X’ is complete)

Think of the smug satisfaction you can enjoy once you have finished. Go on, you’ll smash it.

Posted in Top Tips | Tagged content writer, content writer Cambridge, content writer for small businesses, copy for websites, copywriter cambridge, copywriter for small businesses, Small Business Support, support for small businesses | Leave a comment

Content Writing – A Worthwhile Investment

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

I need to be quick, today I am writing about a lab technique used for quantifying protein sequences within a sample, it’s going to take time.

Content Writer Available

Within the last few weeks I have been asked to do several things involving words. Here are a few, from memory:

‘Reply to the Laddies on behalf of the Lassies’ at a Burns Night supper
Write a eulogy and order of service for a funeral
Carefully word some wedding invitations to navigate through a potentially awkward situation
Listen to children read at a local primary school, each week
Produce scientific content writing extolling the virtues of various lab techniques and help the researchers who struggle daily with these complicated procedures

I am happy to do all of these things to support various people and events, it brings variety and new dimensions to my world.

The Effects of Weak Literacy

I recognise that being literate has made my life easier. I am giving time to support the children at school who are not necessarily reading much at home to make their adult lives easier. Having worked in education, and in industry, I have seen first-hand how challenging life is for those who struggle with literacy. Misunderstandings, mistakes, miscommunications will unfairly or inaccurately represent the writer / business. Crucially, fair or not, mistakes give people that all important first impression. I see examples of it every day, copy with mistakes that frankly, look unprofessional and lost the trust of the audience.

Copywriting mistakes Content Writer My Words Work For You Content Writer Cambridge

Your Chance to Give a Great First Impression, Use it Well

Play to Your Strengths

The take-home message is this, variation of the species at its finest, we are all good at different things. If words are ‘just not your bag’ but you need words to perform for you, find someone who will bring them to life and open doors. In the world of content writing, well-written words will:

Attract a wider audience
Increase conversions, sales and revenue
Make you memorable
Create loyalty and trust in you and your brand

It is worth the investment. Contact me if you need my words to work for you.

Right, back to ELISA tips and tricks!

Posted in Blog, content writing, Small Business Support | Tagged Content, content writer, content writing, copy for websites, copywriter, copywriting, writing great webcopy | 2 Comments

Mothers Day Marketing – to Everyone

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Mothers Day Marketing

It always makes me chuckle to see it, and this year has been no exception. Why do marketing departments publish Mothers Day marketing that’s aimed at either men or women? Surely we all had/have mothers? I know it might appear that men and women are from different species but honestly, for Mothers Day, marketing needs to include males and females.

Marketing to a Specific Audience

The message to marketers is, when marketing to a specific audience, think carefully about who is in that audience. Speak to them, all of them.

How Is Your Day?

My Mothers Day has been amazing so far. An Alpaca experience gift from both by son and daughter followed by a long cross-country dog walk with the family to test out my walking boots for an upcoming walking weekend. A stop off at the pub for a pint of pork scratchings (no really, a great idea) and an afternoon in front of the rugby, as I write, it’s not looking too good for Italy. I hope yours has been a good day too and that your glass is full.

Pork Scratchings Pint Content Marketing My Words Work For You

Be different. N.B. Some pigs were harmed in the making of this product 😦

Posted in marketing | Tagged content marketing, Content Marketing Strategy, marketing for small businesses, marketing strategy, Small Business Support, support for small businesses | Leave a comment

How To Get Google Reviews

Posted on March 9, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Do Google Reviews Matter?

The short answer is, yes, they do. Any SEO strategy should include increasing the number of reviews and testimonials across all media, including:

Search engines
Website
Social media
Directories
On other relevant websites

How Do I Get Google Reviews?

You do need to ‘play the Google game’ with this one. Google won’t be impressed by a sudden flurry of reviews arriving or anything that looks remotely suspicious. They can ‘smell a rat’ from a country mile away. Any activity on Google needs to follow a natural pattern.

Be fabulous at what you do
Identify happy customers. (Note: The only people that can leave Google reviews are those with a Google/Gmail account.)
Sporadically, contact a few at a time by asking them in person, or writing/emailing; ask how they are and is there anything that you can do to help them.
In writing, ask if your customers would like to share how amazing you are with other customers who might benefit by knowing about you.
Include the link to the page on Google that comes up when you search for your business name.
Ask them to write a review
Thank them profusely (but not in a syrupy way)
Repeat the process at RANDOM intervals