July 2021 - Broad World Business

Monthly Archives: July 2021

Tips for content value from Broad World Consulting

Four tips to get better value from your content

We’ve all felt like we’re behind on content, always trying to come up with fresh new ideas. Chances are you’re probably making more original content than you need to and simply not squeezing every last drop out of each piece. Not only will this save you a huge amount of time in the long run, but it also allows you to tailor the messaging for different touchpoints. This is creating content value.

Blog, email, social media, and newsletter all call for different levels of detail. Additionally, users on each platform have different habits and expectations for what they’ll see — and how they’ll engage with it. For example: Someone who bookmarks a detailed blog post to read on their coffee break isn’t the same as the person who’ll do the same with an Instagram post while using the app in line at the bank. You need to capture your audience wherever they are.

Today we’ll show you how to take a well-thought-out hero piece and break it into bite-sized content for all of your channels.

*Don’t feel like reading? Watch the video.*

1. Start with a hero piece of content

Your hero piece is going to be the main piece of content you’ll pull from in the next couple of steps. Usually this is a blog, or maybe even a long-form whitepaper. No matter what you’re pulling from, make sure it’s well-researched and well-written. This will keep your content strong as it gets broken down into smaller pieces. Not sure how to format your hero piece for best results? Keep reading.

2. Wireframe your long-form pieces

This is how our team formats almost all of our long-form content. (Pssst, we used this trick on the blog post you’re reading right now.)

Start with your intro: “Here’s what I’m going to tell you.”
Follow with three or more sections that dive into relevant aspects of your topic. This is the part where you tell them.
Outro and call-to-action: “Here’s what I told you.”

3. Point form each section

When it comes to those sections in the middle of your hero piece, it helps to think of bullet points to expand on. Be sure to talk through the problem, provide solutions, and discuss the different options for each unique scenario.

4. Use the smaller points to create bite-sized content

This is our favourite part. You know those sections you created? Each of those is one piece of content! Yup, that’s a minimum of three pieces of snackable content from one blog post. We did that.

So, where can those content snacks be used?

Build each point into different Instagram posts to give your audience value over time.
Turn them into a Reel.
Add it as a block in your newsletter.
Or… all of the above!

The goal is to get the most out of your content. Remember, even your biggest fans only engage with 20% of your content across all channels — and you have new people who are just learning about you all of the time. Don’t be afraid to place the same messaging in different places or repurpose content you’ve previously used. (Just be sure to freshen it up when necessary!)

You have a ton of knowledge and you know your client’s pain points. Use that knowledge to build out one great piece of hero content — then squeeze out every last drop to get the most value!

For more tips on content and branding, visit our blog page.

Copywriting vs. creative writing: What you need to know for your marketing

Copywriting and creative writing are often used interchangeably, but they are NOT the same — and knowing the difference is key to your marketing success. Let’s run through how the two are different and cover a few tried and true copywriting techniques.

*Not in the mood to read? Watch the video!*

How are copywriting and creative writing different?

Creative writing is the kind of writing we often see in novels and poetry. It’s fluffy, floral, and long-winded.

Copywriting, on the other hand, is strategically placing words on a touchpoint to inspire the audience to take action. In copywriting we want to use as few words as possible and really hammer home what’s in it for your audience.

People are busy, and most people skim pages rather than reading intently. Studies have found readers only consume about 20% of what’s on the page, and 8/10 people only read the headline. The takeaway? Spend time creating compelling headlines that’ll inspire your audience to want more.

How? Let’s talk about some classic copywriting formulas.

Proven formulas for effective copywriting

These formulas have been used by marketers for years! Why? Because they work.

Before – After – Bridge

Before: Here’s what your life is like now
After: Here’s how it could be if your problem was solved
Bridge: Here’s how to get there

Example: Are you struggling with your copywriting? Once you understand these basics, you can write copy that converts. These four formulas will get you there.

AIDA

Attention: Get their attention with something bold, and familiarize them with your brand
Interest: Generate interest for your product or service.
Desire: Make your product or service appealing. This is when you want to show off your brand personality.
Action: Present them with a clear call to action.

Example: Copywriting doesn’t have to be hard. Broad World Consulting can get help you write words that convert. As copywriters by trade, we’ve helped countless companies level-up. Get in touch with us today.

Problem, Agitate, Solve

Problem: Identify a problem your audience is having
Agitate: Agitate the problem
Solve: Present them with a solution

Example: Dealing with writer’s block? Let it get the best of you… OR get past it and write copy that converts. Find out how at biz.broadworld.co.

The Four Cs

Clear
Concise
Compelling
Credible

This one’s less of a formula and more of a technique to keep you on track while copywriting. Before sending that copy out into the world, ask yourself if you’ve checked off the Four Cs. Maybe you’ve got the credibility down, but it’s not concise enough — tighten it up. This will keep you focused.

Don’t lose sight of brand voice

When using these formats, remember that brand voice is everything. It’s what makes your brand unique and gives you that personal edge your audience can connect with. Remember, this varies from industry to industry. You want to speak in a way your customers can understand, so watch your jargon. For example, if you’re a lawyer trying to connect with ordinary people, maybe it’s best to stay away from legalese — use a conversational tone instead. Make sure your audience can understand you.

Have you tried any of these copywriting formulas? Let us know below!

Visit our blog page for more marketing and branding tips to help your business.

Email Marketing tips from Broad World Consulting

Three email marketing tips for more clicks and conversions

Let’s start this post with a fun fact about Email Marketing: For every $1 you invest in this communication to your customers, you can expect to make $42? Now, that’s major ROI. Today, we dig into how to make the most of your email marketing with a newsletter, product emails, and the customer journey.

*Not in the mood to read? Watch the video!*

Not only is email marketing one of the most effective ways to grow your business, but it can also help you maintain and grow your current customer base. It can even get you more likes, clicks, views, and reads on your content. Again, major ROI.

At Broad World, we implement email marketing strategies for virtually all of our clients. Why? Because it works. And it can work for you too. Let’s start with the tried and true: the newsletter.

Newsletter best practices for email marketing.

We always recommend starting your email marketing with a newsletter. This is a good way to keep in touch, converse with your customers, and most importantly, add value. Some things to remember for your newsletter:

Frequency: A good rule of thumb is to send out one per month. Adjust for your content — we don’t want to send out 10 blog posts in one newsletter. So if you’re ramping up your content, break the newsletters into a few per month.
Value: We all follow brands who ask us constantly to buy, buy, buy. Flip the script and give your customer value through things like informative content. Educate, inform, inspire. That’s how you create a connection.
Add buttons to external links: Keep things tight with your newsletter — make sure it isn’t too long. A great way to do this is adding buttons linked to the full version of whatever you’re talking about.
Humanize: A newsletter doesn’t have to contain just serious content like blog posts, products, and videos. Newsletter readers are often highly engaged, so use this space to humanize your brand. Introduce your team members, feature a recipe, ask a question. Sophia Amoruso does this really well when she asks, “What was your girlboss moment of the week?” She sometimes answers, writes a guest’s answer, and ultimately has the reader thinking of their own moment — getting them involved in the content with an emotional reaction.

Product marketing with email.

Okay, so you’ve got your newsletter template down. How can we use it to sell more of your products or services? If you run an ecomm website, this is for you. Support your website goals with the newsletter and direct links. If your goal is to sell more of a certain product, feature them in the newsletter in a valuable way — like in a blog post that tells a story.

Scale things up by sorting out your auto emails. Examples of these are:

Newsletter signup welcome email
Abandoned cart emails
‘Thanks for your purchase’ email with link to review or give feedback

Did you know? Sending three abandoned cart emails leads to 69% more orders than a single email reminder. It also takes about 11 views of a brand for someone to make a purchase. So it pays to “nag!”

Uplevel your email marketing by understanding the customer journey.

Be strategic with your email communications by creating customer journeys that build sales funnels. If you know you have various personas with different goals and motivations, you probably shouldn’t be sending all of them the same email. Segmented lists are your friend and help you understand why people are on your site. This way you can send emails that resonate with each individual.

Think about your different buyer personas
Segment your lists and tag them
Send the right content to the right audience

Use copywriting best practices.

An important part of email marketing is to have smart, concise copywriting. Always use copywriting best practices, and make it personal — talk to your customer, not at them. The copy you put on your button should also be personal and start with the word that is attached to the benefit. Eg: Instead of simply “click here” use words like learn, read, improve, or watch.

Why? Personalized CTA’s are 202% more effective, and personalized subject lines generate 50% higher open rates. Give it a go and see results!

Do you have an email marketing strategy in place? Or need some help getting things set up? Pop us a note in the comments or contact us here.