Marketing for Law Firms How to Create a Customer Persona (2)

Marketing for Law Firms: How to Create a Customer Persona

Want to attract quality leads that actually turn into clients? First, you have to know how to create a customer persona. 

 

What is a Customer Persona?

 

A customer persona is a fictional representation of the clients you want. You can base them on ideal clients you’ve enjoyed working with or who you’d enjoy working with in the future. The more you know about them, the easier it will be to create content that gets their attention. 

 

Why Creating a Customer Persona is Important

 

Suppose you specialize in business law and you’re looking to attract entrepreneurs who want to form limited liability companies (LLCs). You won’t grab their attention by speaking legal jargon and citing case precedents. You must imagine yourself in their shoes and what they must be going through. 

Entrepreneurs wear many hats and often fill multiple roles at once. They’re experts in what they do, but they probably don’t have the know-how to create unambiguous contracts and iron-clad operating agreements. They may not even understand the legal ramifications of having a poorly-written contract — until it’s too late. 

That’s where you come in. As the owner of your business law firm, you’ve got to show your audience why having an attorney draft or review their contracts is important. However, before you do that, you must understand your audience and how to reach them. 

It’s a tall order, but when done well, it gives you a huge advantage over your competitors, who struggle to convey their content in a clear, meaningful way. 

 

How to Create a Customer Persona

 

Let’s say your favorite client is Alex. If you want to work with more people like Alex, let’s start by learning more about her:

 

Alex McSample

 

    • Age: 35
    • Location: North Seattle
    • Occupation: HR Consultant
    • Years Experience: 8 
    • Income: $90,000, but varies year-to-year based on her clients 
    • Education: Bachelor’s Degree
  • Preferred Channels:
    • Alex subscribes to several HR magazines and newsletters. 
    • She enjoys scrolling through Instagram and TikTok.
    • Alex uses LinkedIn to find businesses struggling to find and retain talent. 
  • Business Goals: 
    • Alex knows that she should switch from her sole proprietorship to an LLC. 
    • She wants to hit 6-figures next year, requiring her to find $10,000 in more leads. 
    • She also wants to start a monthly newsletter to stay engaged with her current client base. 
  • Pain Points: 
    • Alex just bought a condo with her partner and needs liability protection to safeguard her personal assets. 
    • Alex understands the benefits of forming an LLC but is intimidated by the legal requirements and is afraid of making a mistake on her paperwork.
    • She knows she needs an operating agreement for her business but doesn’t know what that entails. 

 

With this information handy, you now have a good idea of who Alex is. She’s growing her business and realizing that she must form an LLC. However, she doesn’t know enough about them to feel comfortable filling out the paperwork on her own. 

You’re most likely to grab her attention on LinkedIn because she uses it when she’s in “work mode.” Since she subscribes to a few HR magazines, you should also consider submitting a few business law-related article ideas to their editors.  

 

Additional Customer Persona Ideas

 

The more you know about your ideal customers, the better you can tailor content to reach them. Depending on your target audience, consider the following:

 

  • Relationship status
  • Family and close friends
  • Hobbies and activities
  • Religious affiliations
  • Ideal vacation
  • Favorite Movie, book, show, etc. 

 

A Day in the Life

 

If you wanted, you could take things a step further and think about Alex’s daily routine. If you’re using social media, blogs, and newsletters as part of your content marketing strategy, this exercise will help you understand when your ideal customer engages with content. 

 

Timeline

 

Time

Activity

Opportunity

7:30 – 9a

Alex wakes up, gets ready for work 

N/A

9 – 10a

Alex starts work and scrolls through emails. 

Newsletter

10 – 10:30a

Alex checks LinkedIn before preparing for a meeting

Blog post; LinkedIn post

10:30 – 11a

Alex has a meeting

N/A

11a – 1p

Alex takes a deep dive into work. She’s in the zone

N/A

1 – 1:30p

Alex takes a short lunch. Scrolls through IG and TikTok

IG and TikTok posts

1:30 – 2:30p

Alex has back-to-back client meetings

N/A

2:30 – 3p

Alex is responding to emails and checking LinkedIn again

Newsletter, blog post, LinkedIn post

3 – 5p

Alex takes another deep dive into work, finishes a project

N/A

5 – 6p

Alex hits the gym or goes for a run

N/A

6 – 7p

Alex showers, decompresses, looks at IG and TikTok

IG and TikTok posts

7 – 8p

Alex has dinner with her partner. 

N/A

8 – 10p 

Alex and her partner cuddle and watch TV. She’ll occasionally play a game on her phone

N/A

10 – 11p

Alex winds down, gets ready for bed

N/A

11p – sleep

Alex reads until she goes to sleep

N/A

 

With this info, you know that the ideal times to reach Alex on her workdays are:

 

  • 9 – 10a for newsletters
  • 10 – 10:30a for blog posts and LinkedIn posts
  • 1 – 1:30p for IG and TikTok posts
  • 2:30 – 3p for newsletters, blog posts, and LinkedIn posts
  • 6 – 7p for IG and TikTok posts

 

It’s not an exact science, but this will give you an idea of what content to publish and when. 

 

How to Create a Customer Persona for Law Firms

 

You should always know who your audience is before you start creating content for them. If you don’t, it’ll be much harder to meaningfully connect with them. 

 

And like Alex, you also have a lot of hats to wear and tasks to accomplish. 

 

Content marketing doesn’t have to be one of them. 

 

Save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done with Anthony Writes Content.

Seattle google AI-generated content

Google is Cracking Down on Low-Quality, AI-Generated Content

Are you using ChatGPT to write and mass-produce copy? Google wants none of that. 

 

Google’s March 2024 search update targets spam, much of which is low-quality, AI-generated content.  

 

According to Google, “This update involves refining some of our core ranking systems to help us better understand if webpages are unhelpful, have a poor user experience or feel like they were created for search engines instead of people.” 

 

The Google team expects that their latest update and ongoing ranking system tuning will “collectively reduce low-quality, unoriginal content in search results by 40%.”

 

Why This Matters

 

AI-generated content is easy to mass-produce and can potentially manipulate search rankings, but it’s not known for being accurate. Misinformation has been eroding prominent Google search results, bamboozling people with false historical facts and obituaries, AI-generated images instead of real ones, and plenty more. 

 

Misinformation in the news has also been a problem. I doubt I have to explain why that’s a problem — especially this year! 

 

Whaddaya Mean by “Spam?”

 

Google’s update directly addresses three different types of spam:

 

Scaled Content

 

Methods for creating low-quality content at scale become more sophisticated over time. With the aid of AI, spammers can produce content quickly; sometimes, it’s not clear if it’s been automated. Google updated its policies to address low-quality scaled content to help maintain the integrity of queried search results. 

 

Reputation Abuse

 

Some websites have earned their reputation by creating quality content helpful to visitors. However, they’re also hosting low-value content from third parties that are piggybacking on the site’s prominence to climb the ranks on Search. This practice is as misleading as it is frustrating. If you’re looking up important information on a trusted website, you shouldn’t end up on a page that has nothing to do with your query. 

 

Google is cracking down on this practice starting on May 5. Trusted sites were given two months to clean up their act and maintain their integrity. 

 

Expired Domains

 

Some people purchase expired domains to repurpose low-quality, unoriginal content. As a result, you might click on a prominent page expecting valuable information, only to find yourself getting spammed with ads or misinformation.



How to Keep Your Content Unscathed

 

No system is perfect, and that includes Google’s search algorithm. Unfortunately, some people’s content may be flagged as spam even if it’s not. Here are a few ways to prevent that from happening:

 

Keep Your Content Relevant 

 

If your website is about physics, keep your content about physics. If your blog veers off subject, you could arouse suspicion from Google (and you’ll definitely cause your readers to raise an eyebrow!).

 

Tell Stories

 

Personal anecdotes and similar authentic content are much harder to replicate and far less likely to be mistaken for spam. It’s also a great way to connect with your readers. 

 

Don’t Depend on AI-Generated Content

 

Don’t want to get flagged as a spammer who uses AI-generated content? Then, don’t use AI-generated content! 

 

Write your own content — or better yet, hire a professional to craft high-quality, consistent, engaging, and on-brand so you can focus on what you do best. 

 

And leave it to Google to keep Search clean.

blog topics seattle downtown

5 Ways to Come Up With Blog Topics — Also, Cookies!

You want to write about what you do, but you’re living that cliche of staring at your blank screen. If you’re just starting a blog, you may be asking yourself, “What do you write about?” If you’ve been at it for a while, you may think, “What other blog topics should I cover?”

For fun, let’s say you’re a professional cookie baker.

No matter what you do, there are always new ways to approach a story idea, even if it’s something super common — like cookie recipes. 

For inspiration, here are five strategies for coming up with new blog topics. So bite into your favorite crunchy, soft, or gooey cookie and read on! 

1. Google Your Competitors for New Recipes

Research your top five competitors or thought leaders in your field. What have other cookie aficionados been writing about recently?

 

Create a table with columns. On the left, generate a list of the blog topics your competitors have covered recently and compare it to your own. Are there subjects you haven’t covered yet, and if so, can you infuse your unique point of view that your audience will find interesting? Fill out the right column with your ideas for a post. 

 

Sometimes, you’ll hit gold with a competitor, like I just did with Delish’s 125 Best Cookie Recipes to Bake Year-Round. That’s 125 potential ideas right there! 

 

For extra credit, conduct site audits to identify what keywords your competitors rank for based on the content they’ve written. 

2. AnswerThePublic for a Full List of Ingredients

AnswerThePublic is a confectionary of content ideas and serves as a direct line to what people are querying in search engines like Google. Enter a topic, product, or brand into their search bar. After hitting search, AnswerThePublic compiles all these suggestions based on your initial search term, or seed keyword. 

 

You know how when you start typing something into Google, and then you have multiple ideas auto-suggested for you like this:

Seattle blog topics

Instead of getting just a few ideas like you would above, AnswerThePublic gives you access to hundreds of ideas based on your seed keyword.

3. Use ChatGPT to Get Your Ideas Cooking

Large language models are excellent resources for idea generation. For example: 

Seattle blog topic ideas

Play around with different prompts to get new ideas. Just make sure you’re writing these articles yourself 😉. Google is cracking down on low-quality, unoriginal content — much of which is AI-generated. Simply put, if you’re not writing original content, your blog could do you more harm than good. 

4. Don’t Be a Cookie Cutter: Think About Angles

How do you make your article about cookie recipes unique when there are thousands of articles about them already? Find a unique angle.

 

Here are a few to think about:

 

  • Cookies for every emotion: Write an article about cookie recipes based on someone’s mood. You have “comfort cookies,” “celebratory cookies,” and more. 
  • Cookie chemistry: Take a scientific approach to baking the perfect cookie. What ingredient mixture and baking techniques create your desired cookie texture and tastiness? 
  • Cookie culture: Write about cookies from around the world. What are the most popular kinds in each region? What are some authentic recipes created by other cultures? 

 

Creatively blocked? ChatGPT works well here, too.

5. Revisit Blog Topics to Find New Flavors From Old Morsels

When in doubt, review old ideas, whether you wrote about them or not. Sometimes, an idea just needs some time to bake into something delicious. Other times, you just need to think about the process differently. 

 

Then, you’ve got your published posts to ponder. Can any of these ideas be updated? For example, if you wrote about the five most popular cookies in 2021, update the post for the current year. Refresh your content to keep it freshly baked and smelling sweet.

Lick the Bowl With Anthony Writes Content

 

Creating recipes is easy, but someone’s still got to do the cooking. 

 

Are you ready to save time, increase visibility, and get your baking marketing done? Work with an expert to fill your bakery with fresh new ideas that are consistent, engaging, and on-brand. 

 

Want to see what’s cooking at Anthony Writes Content? Shoot me a message!



CRM metrics

What CRM Metrics Should Your Small Business Be Tracking?

Last week, I highlighted five CRM metrics you should be tracking. This week, I’ve got five more to share.

Let’s get started!

Customer Retention Rate

This one’s pretty self-explanatory. Your customer retention rate refers to how many customers you retain over a period of time. To figure this out, you must first specify your time period. Subtract the number of new customers you acquired by the total number of customers you have at the end of that time period. Then, you divide that number by the number of customers you started with during that period. 

In other words: 

  • Customer retention rate = (total customers – new customers) / existing customers 

How to use:  If you have 1,250 total customers at the beginning of the year (total customers), gain 500 more (new customers), and have 1,000 customers at the end of the year (existing customers), then:

  • Customer retention rate = (1,250 – 500) / 1000 = 75% 

This CRM metric works well when determining how many new customers you need to acquire to meet other benchmarks. If your retention rate varies, it could indicate that you’re doing something right or need to improve your processes. 

New-Net Revenue

This CRM metric tells you how much you’re making from your new customers. Since this is net revenue and not gross revenue, the formula is as follows:

  •  Net revenue = Gross revenue – expenses 

How to use: Suppose you picked up ten new customers this month who purchased $1,000 in product (a.k.a. $100 per customer on average). If the products cost $10/each to make ($100 altogether) and you spent $250 in marketing, your new-net revenue is: 

  • $1,000 – $100 – $250 = $650 

Quota Attainment 

Your quota attainment measures how close you reach or exceed your sales goals. This CRM metric is pretty common in sales, but it’s also applicable in other business situations. Here’s the formula:

  • Quota attainment = Completed sales / quota period 

How to use: Your quota is a great benchmark when prospecting new customers. You can gamify it by trying to exceed previous goals or hire someone to do the work for you. However, keep in mind that your customer quality still matters. If you’re hitting sales quotas but have a poor customer retention rate, it’s time to examine your pipeline. 

Upsell Rate

Regarding sales, this CRM metric tells you how many new and existing customers upgraded their purchases. Like others, it’s a simple formula:

  • Upsell rate = # of customers upsold / Customers approached about upselling

Note: You’re dividing your upsell rate by the total number of customers you’ve approached, not your total number of customers. If these numbers are different, your upsell rate will be inaccurate. 

How to use: Are you trying to convince customers to go up a tier in your service offerings? Reach out to your base and make the pitch! The better your pitch or offering, the more likely you will have a higher upsell rate. If you get crickets, then it’s time to reassess your offering. Maybe it’s not aligned with what your audience wants. Either way, you’ll be better prepared next time. 

Depending on your customer base, you should first ask for feedback regarding what you’re selling and what other pain points you may be able to address. Then, A/B test your pitch to a small percentage of your customers before reaching out to everyone on your list.  

Net Promoter Score

While reaching out to customers, ask them how happy they are with your current offerings and if they are likely to become brand ambassadors. This CRM metric doesn’t have a formula. It’s a simple scale tailored to your brand. 

How to use: Include a survey with a straightforward question: How likely are you to recommend our product or service to others? Then, provide a scale of one to five (or ten, three, whatever works) and a comment form. Those on the “very likely” end of the scale are your brand promoters. If you’ve got a few responses on the “not likely” side, read their comments to see where you can make improvements. This type of feedback is extremely valuable because if one person is having a poor experience, others may be, too. 

Final Thoughts on CRM Metrics

Even after highlighting ten CRM metrics between this post and last week’s, there are still plenty more that can indicate how well your business is performing. Figure out which metrics are most relevant to you, and track them periodically to gauge your success. 






small business marketing

Small Business Marketing: 5 Mistakes You May Make

…And How to Fix Them

Marketing campaign got you down?

First, breathe. They didn’t build Rome in a day, and your organic traffic won’t build that quickly, either. 

But it never hurts to do a reality check. If you’ve been at it for a while and your campaign isn’t sprouting legs, it’s probably because you’re making one of these small business marketing faux pas (part 1):

You’re Neglecting the “Social” in Social Media

Social media without two-way communication isn’t social. It’s a lecture.

Do you want someone to like, share, and subscribe? So does (almost) everyone else. 

Social media platforms offer incredible opportunities to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, and strengthen relationships. However, you won’t achieve any of this if you don’t reply to customers and engage with their content. 

How to fix: Take 10-15 minutes every day to engage with your audience on the platforms you use. Reply to their responses, like their content, and share some of their posts with your audience. 

Think of a social media platform like you would in any situation with a crowd of people in a networking environment. The people who engage tend to make the most connections, not those in the corner glued to their phones. Just make sure these are quality engagements—not moments when you’re drunkenly interrupting thoughtful conversations, belching incoherent conspiracy theories, and trampling a brittle Executive Director on the way to the open gin bar. On the web, we call them trolls. 

You’re Overlooking Customer Feedback

Which resource is more valuable, an ounce of printer ink or gold? The ink.

Printer ink is stupid expensive, but it helps with the metaphor. If you’re more interested in panning for gold than reading and addressing what your customers are saying, you’ll be depleting your gold mine in no time. 

How to fix: We all love to see our businesses make money, but customer feedback is often more valuable. Quality feedback provides you with a direct line to understanding your target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points. When you address these accurately, you’ll make them feel heard, earn a reputation as a continuously improving and innovating business, and may even turn those customers into brand ambassadors. 

Speaking of brand…

Your Branding is Inconsistent

Your brand is more than just a logo; it’s your visual and verbal identity. As one agency puts it, your brand is why your organization exists, what you do, how you do it differently than everyone else, and the way it comes to life. 

If your visuals and messaging aren’t cohesive, people will struggle to figure out who you are. Worse, they’ll think you’re struggling with the same. 

How to fix: Create a brand guide that includes adjectives that best set the tone of your business and the colors that best represent your brand. Use this guide as your north star in everything you create going forward. 

Think of it this way: your brand is like your home’s foundation. If it’s untested and put together without care, you’ll deal with structural issues for years. 

Your Content Calendar Needs Work 

Your content calendar is more than just a list of topics and publishing dates—it’s a delicate dance of strategy, foresight, and savvy organizational management. Without one, you’ll almost certainly struggle to keep up with your content and limit your knowledge of what you have and how it’s performing. 

How to fix: Find the best tool for you and your team. It can be a simple spreadsheet or a more collaborative tool like Trello or Asana. Whatever you use, make sure you include your calendar basics, like content title, type, location, category/bucket, dates, assigned contributor, status, and additional notes. 

You’re Doing Your Small Business Marketing Alone

Small business marketing doesn’t mean that you, the small business owner, are doing the marketing. It’s usually better that you don’t because you’ve got a million other things to do. Should you play an active role in planning and reviewing key pieces of content before they’re published? Absolutely (or whoever’s in a marketing managerial role should anyway)! Should you be spending hours every week creating it? No? 

How to fix: Save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done by outsourcing it to an expert. 

And stay tuned for part 2 of this article, because there are many more small business marketing mistakes that can be improved upon!

how to create a content calendar feature image

How to Create a Content Calendar

Save time and stay organized. Create a content calendar. 

Your calendar is more than just a list of topics and publishing dates — it’s a delicate dance of strategy, foresight, and savvy organizational management. 

Whether you’re a dedicated Trello or Asana user, have a case of the Mondays, or use a spreadsheet, there’s no best way to create a content calendar. However, there are several elements you should always include, and a bunch more based on your goals and how elaborate you’d like your calendar to be. 

Here’s how to create a content calendar:

Know Your Audience

Content is king, but relevance is queen. You can churn out a thousand posts, but if they lack intent and a target, you might as well be throwing a dart as a dartboard you can’t see. Ten bull’s eyes are worth way more than a thousand holes in the wall and one very angry bar owner.

This all goes back to content creation 101. Ask yourself:

  • Who is my audience?
  • What are my objectives?
  • Will my audience find this useful?

And don’t forget to make your content educational, entertaining, and engaging. 

Select Your Tool

And by tool, I mean platform. Keep your minds out of the gutter. 

There are many platforms to help you stay organized, and most offer way more than you’d ever need. Whether you want a sophisticated project management tool or a simple pen and paper, stick with what works best. 

Create Your List

Do you know what looks excellent in a content calendar? Ideas.

Create a list of topics you want to cover and run them through your relevance filter. Once you’ve got a large list of topics to create content for, organize them in buckets. Are you a design and construction firm specializing in kitchen, bath, and closet remodels? Organize each of your ideas under these categories. 

Do you have twice as many kitchen ideas as you do bath or closet remodels? Consider adding more bath and closet ideas or emphasizing kitchens more frequently (e.g., two monthly blog posts about kitchens, one for baths and one for closets). 

Determine Your Frequency

How often do you want to post? You probably don’t want to overwhelm yourself or your audience, but you must maintain your presence. 

At a minimum, I’d recommend: 

  • Blog posts – once a week
  • Newsletters – once a month
  • Social media posts – three times a week

Elements of a Content Calendar

Here are the basics:

  • Title of Content: This can be the title of a blog post, something like “April Newsletter,” social media for Week 12 of 2024 — as long as you know what it is, you’re golden. 
  • Content Type: Blog post, video post, chart, newsletter, social media, ebook, etc. 
  • Content Location: Include a link to the file where the content lives. 
  • Bucket: Who is the content for? For example, you may include categories like buyers and sellers if you’re a real estate agent.
  • Dates: Include your first draft, final draft, and publishing dates.
  • Assignee: Who is in charge of creating this content? Reviewing? Publishing?
  • Status: Has the content been created? Reviewed? Scheduled? Published?
  • Notes: Leave space for relevant information, like how well this content was received, follow-up ideas, etc.

 

Schedule Your Posts

Yes, this deserves its own section — because people forget! 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve created content for clients only for them not to schedule it and miss out on lead-generating opportunities. Scheduling posts is easy, and every platform, from LinkedIn to Mailchimp, will let you do it. 

Don’t create 15 posts leading up to April’s trade show only to publish them in May. Schedule a time to schedule your posts.

Review and Refine

… While you’re scheduling time to schedule your posts, you should also schedule time to review your content calendar and the metrics you’re using to determine your success. By analyzing this data, you’ll discover what’s working and where you should be making improvements. Keep at it, and you’ll be closer and closer to hitting that proverbial bull’s eye more often. 

How to Create a Content Calendar: Final Thoughts

Do you know what’s great about a content creation package? Your content calendar is created for you! All you’ll have to do is copy and paste (and schedule your damn posts!!!). 

featured image Active vs Passive Voice How to Engage Your Audience blog post

Active vs Passive Voice: How to Engage Your Audience

Which sentence sounds better:

  1. I grabbed the mug.
  2. The mug was grabbed by me.

The odds are that you picked option #1. “I grabbed the mug” is written in an active voice, while “The mug was grabbed by me” conveys the same idea but in a passive voice.

You should usually write web copy, blog posts, and other marketing materials in an active voice. This improves clarity and keeps your readers engaged.

Here’s everything you should know about active vs passive voice, including their benefits and when to use them:

Understanding Active Voice

When the subject of a sentence does the action conveyed by the verb, you’re using active voice. In other words, the order of the sentence is subject-verb-object. I (subject) grabbed (verb) the mug (object).

Here are a few other examples:

  • Ashley went to the store. Subject = Ashley. Verb = went. Object = The Store.
  • Carlos threw the baseball. Subject = Carlos. Verb = threw. Object = The baseball.

However, it’s not always quite that simple. For example:

  • Learn how to engage your audience.

The subject of this sentence is you, even though you aren’t in the sentence. The verb is learn, and the object is how to engage your audience. How to engage your audience is technically a complete object, but that’s a grammar lesson for another day.

Understanding Passive Voice

Passive voice occurs when the subject of a sentence receives the action of the verb, hence the term “passive.” The subject isn’t actively doing something; something’s being done to them. Passive voice focuses on a verb-object relationship. Grabbed is still the verb, and the mug is still the object, but I didn’t actively grab it. It was grabbed by me.

Here’s a visual representation to help you understand the difference:

I grabbed the mug.

In this clip, I’m actively grabbing the mug.

The mug was grabbed by me.

active vs passive voice

I’ve already grabbed the mug in this picture, so the action isn’t taking place. You’ve already missed it. I’m telling you that I’ve already grabbed the mug, rather than showing you the action of me grabbing the mug. Sorry!

Here are a few other examples of passive voice:

  • The store was gone to by Ashley.
  • The baseball was thrown by Carlos.

No actions here! Ashley and Carlos already performed them.

To recap, here’s the difference between active vs. passive voice:

  • If the subject is doing something, you’re using an active voice.
  • If something is being done to your subject, that’s passive voice.

Active vs Passive Voice: The Benefits

To enjoy the benefits of both voice types, here’s when you should use them…

Active Voice

  • Engage Readers: Active voice keeps the focus on the action. It shows you what’s happening rather than telling you it’s happened. It feels more immediate and, therefore, more engaging.
  • Clarity: Active voice tends to be more straightforward because it eliminates ambiguity. If I said the mug was picked up, instead of The mug was picked up by me, you wouldn’t know who picked the mug up. It could’ve been you, me, Ashley, Ryan Gosling, Karen from finance — anyone!
  • Directness: Sentences are shorter in active voice, which is great for conveying important information. I grabbed the mug is four words, and you know exactly what I did. The mug was grabbed by me is six words. You still know what I did, but it took you longer to get there. We live in the age of scrolling. Be concise.

Passive Voice

  • Focus on the Object: If you want to focus more on the object of the sentence rather than the subject, you can use passive voice. Is “the mug” more important than “me?” If it’s 8 a.m. and that mug has coffee in it, probably!
  • Formal Writing: If you’re writing technical manuals, scientific reports, or legal documents, passive voice may make more sense. Passive voice conveys information without attributing actions to specific individuals. The mug was grabbed. By whom? Not important!
  • Avoid Responsibility: What if you spilled the coffee, and now there’s none left for anyone in your office? That would suck! You don’t want to get blamed for that. Instead of writing a message stating You spilled the coffee, you could say, The coffee was spilled. Ashley, get more from the store before coming in. K, thanks!

Active vs Passive Voice: Final Thoughts

Usually, you want to use an active voice in your writing, but passive voice has its benefits, too. Want to learn more about the differences between active vs passive voice? Here’s an awesome academic guide.

And if you don’t give a damn about the differences between them and just want to save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done, check out the content creation package. All of your primary marketing channels are covered with one simple plan. All you’ll have to do is copy and paste!

Content marketing for small business

Content Marketing for Small Businesses: Is It Still Worth It?

Short answer: Yes. 

Content marketing for small businesses is more important than ever before:

  • 54% of businesses will increase their content marketing budgets in 2024
  • Businesses that make blogging a main priority are 13x more likely to see a positive ROI
  • 75% of us use social media when researching brands

As consumers, we’re overwhelmed. There’s content everywhere we go — and most of it sucks! And because it sucks, you have a unique advantage: the chance to infuse your brand with personality, passion, and purpose. 

Let’s dive into what content marketing for small businesses should look like and the benefits you’ll reap when you do it well:

 

Content Marketing for Small Businesses

 

Believe it or not, content marketing isn’t about persuading someone to buy your product or service. It’s about sharing educational, entertaining, and engaging content that exemplifies you as a thought leader and strengthens the relationship between your brand and your audience. When your connections transcend transactions, you’re on the right track.

It’s also easier said than done, and there’s a lot of competition out there, and a lot of it is bigger and louder than you are. 

Luckily, that doesn’t matter nearly as much as you may think…

 

How to Break Through the Noise

 

How do you make your voice heard when everyone is vying for attention? It’s not about being the loudest; it’s about being consistent.

Be consistent in your message, authenticity, and when and how often you post. When creating something, ask yourself: What do I want my audience to get from this, and is it relevant to them? You should also be consistent in your follow-through. 

Being consistent makes you dependable, and being dependable makes you trustworthy. When you establish trust, you don’t have to worry about making your voice heard. Your audience will be listening for it. 

 

Content Marketing Benefits:

 

When you’re consistent in your content marketing, here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy:

 

Forge Authentic Relationships

 

When crafting compelling content, you’re also shaping perceptions, sparking conversations, and (hopefully) forging genuine connections with your audience. Blogs, social media, and newsletters shouldn’t be forms of one-way communication. They exist to open a dialogue with your audience and build relationships with them. 

 

Increased Organic Traffic: 

 

Paid ads can give you a boost, but it comes at a price. No, literally. They cost you money. Also, when they’re gone, they’re gone. Organic traffic won’t give you instant gratification, but it’s free and pays in perpetuity. 

Organic traffic is when people find your website through natural search engine results, like Google. It’s free, and when it ranks high on a search engine query, it signals to users that the information is authoritative and relevant. 

 

Scalability

 

Organic traffic generates a higher volume of quality leads, catalyzing scalability. It’s simple math: When you have more people interested in your products or services, you’ll have a greater opportunity to grow and hire more people and/or free up time by outsourcing tasks you don’t need to do.

 

Is Content Marketing Still Worth It?

 

Long answer: Yes. 

Content marketing gives you a competitive advantage, creates and strengthens relationships, cost-effectively increases your visibility, and helps you scale your business. 

So yeah, I’d say it’s worth it. It’s just difficult and time-consuming.

However, it doesn’t have to be difficult and time-consuming for you. Do you want to save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done? Check out my content creation package page, or send me a message!

 

content creation 101

Content Creation 101: The 3 E’s Your Content Needs

Content Creation 101 lesson #1: Most content sucks.

Why does it suck? Because it doesn’t provide value to your audience. 

Whether you’re writing a blog, email, web copy, or something on social media, you need to ask yourself if you’re following the three E’s of content creation. Is it…

  • Educational
  • Entertaining
  • Engaging

Not every piece of content will be all three (e.g., the information you find on PubMed will be educational, not entertaining), but you’ll start seeing results if you consistently create with the three Es in mind.

Let’s cover some content creation 101 basics, then explore each E further:

 

Content Creation 101

 

Here are a few general rules when creating content: 

 

 

Set Clear Objectives

 

 

Would you invest $10,000 in a stock because the name sounds pretty? Hopefully not. Before you even begin researching a company, its financial statements, and evaluating risks, you should understand your investment goals. 

Content creation is no different. 

What are your goals for creating content? Do you want to:

  • Boost brand visibility by 50%
  • Increase your organic traffic to your website by 80%
  • Double your current number of monthly leads

Whatever your goal may be, make it a SMART one. 

Don’t say, “I want to increase organic traffic to my website.” 

Say, “I want to increase organic traffic to my website by 80% within the next six months by writing a weekly blog post and posting on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram three times a week.” That’s a SMART goal. 

Also, start thinking about what you want to learn or do when engaging with your material. Knowing this ahead of time will drive the direction of your content.

 

Know Your Audience

 

How do you get your audience to view your content? Start by knowing who they are. 

  • How familiar are they with your product or service? 
  • What are their interests?
  • What platforms do they use? 

An audience interested in the latest in fashion will be different from those who follow the vast potential applications of gene editing. If your audience consists of CRISPR-loving fashionistas, then that, my friends, is what we call a niche. Now, find out where they are and what content they want to see. 

 

Encourage Feedback

 

Get your audience to participate in your posts. These types of interactions:

  • Help build brand trust
  • Strengthen customer relationships
  • Drive more engagement 

The easiest, most straightforward way to encourage feedback is by asking for it. End your post with a call to action, whether it’s to click a button or answer a question. 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s break down the three Es of Content Creation 101:

 

Educational Content

 

How do you get your audience to read and learn something? Make it enjoyable for them! 

Here’s how:

  • Know your audiences’ learning styles. What types of content does your audience engage with most? Do they enjoy graphs and charts? How-to videos? Informative blog posts? When you create content they enjoy absorbing, you’ll leave a lasting impression. 
  • Diversify your content. Customers typically need to see a message 7+ times before taking action. However, that doesn’t mean you should share the same content seven times. Communicate your information by sharing it in multiple formats. Use videos, infographics, charts, quizzes, etc. 
  • Provide relatable context. Don’t be bland. Use real-world examples, pop culture references, and demonstrations to let the knowledge sink in. It works for John Oliver, and it can work for you too!
 

Entertaining Content

 

Don’t bore your audience. Beguile them!

  • Hook your audience. Grab their attention from the get-go. Use humor, suspense, curiosity, or emotion to draw them in and keep them engaged. 
  • Tell stories. We love stories, so tell us one! It can be a personal experience, an anecdote, or a work of fiction. Whatever it is, it better be interesting!
  • Are you interested? If you’re writing something you find boring, your audience will find it boring, too. Even content that’s dry as hell has an interesting angle. If you’re writing about parking lots, hook your audience with an interesting fact like: Did you know that there are eight parking spots for every car in the US?
 

Engaging Content

 

Want your audience to engage with you? Make them want to!

  • Be authentic. Being authentic and relatable helps you build trust with your audience. Don’t just tell them about a product; show them how it works. Share personal experiences and behind-the-scenes content. People love that stuff!
  • Keep it short. As it turns out, Goldfish actually do have good memories — but we still don’t. Keep your posts short and sweet; by short, I mean cut the fluff. Your audience doesn’t have time for it! 
  • Stay current. Keep your content timely, fresh, and relevant. What’s going on in your CRISPR-loving fashionista niche? Talk about it! 
 

Altogether Now!

 

When creating your content strategy, you must set clear objectives by making SMART goals. You also need to know your audience and how you want them to interact with the educational, entertaining, and engaging content you’re producing. If you’re ever unsure whether or not you’re hitting the marks, ask yourself these questions:

  • Educational: Am I communicating what I want my readers to learn?
  • Entertaining: Is this something that my audience will find interesting? Do I?
  • Engaging: Will this content help build trust and encourage my audience to take action?

That’s it! 

So… Is your content educational, entertaining, and engaging? Don’t have time to create it?

Then here’s another way to save time, increase visibility, and get your marketing done: let’s create content together!