An opinion of a friend of mine caught me off guard recently. He said that if you don’t have anything to say about the business that you’re in once per week or even daily then you shouldn’t be in it. It was an interesting statement because I find so many business owners unsure of what to post on their blog or even content for their website, so it goes to the bottom of their to do list.
Marketing products and services on Facebook without good content is like cooking without oil. People don’t realize that content is a critical part of the sales process, not an afterthought. Facebook acts like a lever for people to amplify their content out to thousands of people.
The clients that I work with that are the most successful with Facebook advertising are the ones that are passionate about their profession and they definitely have an opinion! As a result, their articles are so fascinating and attract an audience more readily than my other clients who consistently get writer’s block. Here are the perks that the content experts are experiencing:
- More cost effective {they pay less for clicks and conversions}
- More free/organic engagement {likes, comments & shares}
- More website traffic
- Faster growing Facebook fan base
- Better results/sales
If you feel stuck at times when it comes to blog article creation, here are tips for you to break through your writer’s block:
Use a different perspective on a popular/trending topic
It can be so easy to join the herd and take on the same opinion as everyone else about current issues. For example, the perpetuation of public shaming is the true injustice. In many cases the ‘criminal’ was also a victim at one time or even currently is and could use our compassion instead of our criticism. Your writing could shed light on a new way to perceive the situation that others have not thought of or even considered because they’re so caught up in the hype.
State your opinion instead of sitting on the fence
One surefire way to create a bland article is to be beige on a topic. People don’t want to read articles by fence sitters. They want to see different opinions that will challenge their perspective.
Focus on a niche for the application of your product/service
When you can envision the exact person who you are writing for, it makes your writing flow more easily because you are familiar with their likes and dislikes. When you start digging into a niche market for your product/service, it activates the word of mouth marketing for your business because you’ve deceased the size of the network that you’re working in. These smaller communities are familiar with each other’s businesses and once you’ve established yourself into that niche, your writing will become crystal clear.
Talk about a topic or choose an audience that you are very passionate about
When you’re providing a product/service that you are passionate about, the creation of content becomes second nature. If you’re not in love with what you do, then the writing can feel like a strain. Sometimes it’s not even the type of work that you do, it’s the people that you’re working with that can be draining.
Consider the clients/customers that you’ve been servicing. There are some people that can be energy vampires and it can suck the life out of you for the clients who are awesome. If you have great clients, but you’re still not passionate about what you do, it might be time to explore different options within or outside of your profession. You may be on the right track, but just don’t quite have the perfect mix lined up.
Some business owners also need time to reflect on their ‘why’ for their business. They’re feeling lost in the shuffle and forgotten their purpose. One entrepreneur that I know started an outreach mission to support building schools in Africa. His business remained the same, but it refreshed his sense of purpose and changed the ‘why’ for his business.
Once you find that magical mix, you’ll be in the flow and your writing will come much more easily.
Consider the Intention of Your Article Before You Write It
Everything is energy. When you’re writing an article and your sole purpose is to make money, people can sense that. Whether they can pinpoint what it is that isn’t right or not, it doesn’t matter. If something is ‘off’ about your article then people will catch onto that whether they’re very intuitive or not.
Your writing needs to come from a place of authenticity. Your intention needs to be about educating and helping people. And in the process of doing so, you’re illustrating your skills as an expert in your field. Yes, a call-to-action is an important piece of closing out your article, but the article needs to come from your heart. And if it doesn’t, it’s just going to fall flat in front of your readers.
Use Storytelling
When you tell stories to your audience, it is a great way to share your expertise in an authentic way. These can come across as customer success stories illustrating results, powerful conversations you’ve had with clients or interesting ways that people are using your product(s).
Storytelling enables you to start the conversation on Facebook. It’s a nice introduction to people who don’t know you at all. People don’t like it when you start with a “buy now” ad. You need to introduce yourself first and sell later. Focus on building your audience and then work towards generating profits later.
Rewards For Captivating Content
The benefits of captivating articles for my Facebook advertising clients are amazing. They easily attract engagement (comments, likes & shares) for free. And their content that is promoted attracts likes at half of the cost of other clients. Their website click costs are a fraction of what others pay. People that have weaker articles are paying about 45 cents or more per click.
Additional Visual Layout Tips
Once you are done writing the article, break it up into shorter paragraphs so people can skim/scan the article and jump to what interests them the most. People have internet ADD these days so you need to set-up your content to fit their reading style. Sometimes headlines help break up the content as well.
Another common practice is for people to insert one single featured image for the article and leave it at that. This make the article one dimensional. If you make your article more visually appealing, it will help guide people down through your article. You can do this by adding these:
- block quotes
- complimentary images that correspond with the content
- infographics
- videos
- audio clips
- graphics
After that, review the article and decide whether it is something that would stop you in your tracks if you were skimming your Facebook news feed. If not, it’s time to shake it up!
On a final note, if you still feel stuck with your content, perhaps it’s time to seek the assistance of a copywriter that can communicate your message for you. Copywriters excel in the art of content creation, and can be an asset in your sales cycle. Especially since the articles that they write will be the first thing people see when they come across your post in their Facebook news feed.
If you’re looking for copywriting assistance or Facebook advertising expertise, contact Tammy Martin.
