SHOUT! Social Communication | Blog Writing
Blog 3 – SHOUT! | How to SHOUT Without the Sore Throat | Digital Marketing
Do you like the title? These blogs are about how to shout a little louder in this very noisy world. At Firetree we are all about communication and digital marketing, specifically visual communication however, this is the second in a series of blogs that explains HOW we communicate and the importance of communicating well. It will also give an insight into where I’m heading with Firetree. Along the way i’m going to teach you a whole wealth of information about modern digital marketing, video and visual communication. Its not about what I sell and provide, these blogs are about inspiration, innovation and how to embrace the new era of communication. If you like it , please subscribe. If you feel you have something to contribute to the blog, drop me a message.
Do you write a blog, do you struggle with how?| Digital Marketing
This is the question I will be looking at in this months blog. It is all about blogging. I have asked Natalie Trembecki from Writer For You to contribute. Natalie is an expert copywriter based in Northampton and works on a great many projects from web copy, print and social media. With an introduction from Natalie, I will go in deeper and give a technique to give power to your blog.
An Introduction to Blogging by Natalie Trembecki | Digital Marketing
Natalie Trembecki
SHOUTING without getting a sore throat
I’m so pleased that Kyra asked me to put a little something together for her blog about blogging.
It’s interesting that, in a world where – not that long ago – we were told to give up on writing and be led by pictures, video and sound; there are now more words written than ever before. But now, instead of being on paper these words are on screens.
And they’re available to a much larger audience.
So how can you, and your business, compete with that?
Can a blog help you be heard?
The short answer is yes…
- Keep Your Website ‘Fresh’
Search engines keep getting cleverer. One element which Google now considers when delivering your search results is how fresh your website is – how often, and recently, it’s updated.
As a user this makes sense, if a business hasn’t posted for years do we even know if it’s still active?
In terms of your business’ website, it’s unlikely you’ll want to update the base text often – by updating your blog page, you’ll be keeping your site ‘fresh’.
- Keywords for Search Engine Optimisation
As a business, you want to make the most of the opportunities for your website to be found by search engines.
Identifying those phrases which people search for is a starting point, then you need to write about them.
Writing blogs is a great way to bring people to your site when they’re asking the questions you want to answer – maybe ‘Will Commercial Photographs help my brand?’ or ‘Which camera should I use for product photography?’
A blog gives you the chance to write on a topic in a standalone space which doesn’t leave your website crowded with too much text.So, what are you trying to say?
- Tell Your Story
Increasingly, people want to buy from brands they trust and connect with emotionally. We’ve all heard that ‘People buy from people.’
In order to establish trust with your potential clients, or customers, let them know who you are and what’s special about you.- You Have Information to Share
Whatever your business, your knowledge in that area is greater than that of the general public.
By sharing that information, you’re putting yourself out as an expert – and a helpful one at that.
Once you start answering people’s questions, and especially if those readers then share your insight, you’re building trust and will become a place people go to find out more.And be careful where you raise your voice…
- Don’t shout into space
The internet is huge, and although millions of people are running searches every day, in such a huge space it can be difficult to be spotted.
Finding smaller, focused places where your message won’t get lost makes much more sense. Look for online groups, forums, or areas of social media where people are looking for the information you’re sharing. If you get it right, then these people will share your post and you’re building your audience.- Don’t Shout Where Everyone Else is Shouting
Funnily enough, Kyra asked me about this post on the same day this blog arrived in my mailbox – https://seths.blog/2018/11/signal-to-noise-ratio/.
Seth Godin is a marketing guru and teacher, with incredibly thought provoking blogs. In this post he points out that you’d never try and have a useful conversation at a football match where everyone is shouting – you won’t be heard. Instead, go somewhere quiet…
Following on from my previous point – find spaces to communicate where, as well as not being lost, you won’t be overwhelmed.
Choose your groups carefully – avoid groups where everyone else is saying the same as you, or they are shouting louder and more often. Consider carefully where you post.Everyone has something useful to share.
Just make sure you know who is listening, and where to find them.
Natalie Trembecki
TIP: Getting Rid of The Waffle
In my research for this topic I found a great article by Julia McCoy on getting rid of pointless words from your blog. No one wants to hear waffle, especially when there is so much content to consume. Blogs that get to the point and keep to the point are engaging and informative. There is nothing worse than a blog filled with worthless words and waffle, this will distract and will drive your readers away.
15+ Worthless Words
Well to be honest, i’m including the three I found most useful. You can go to the full article by Julia McCoy below for the rest. I loved this article and it is worth delving in deeper if you want to improve your blog writing skills.
- Believe and Think – “Believe” and “Think” both imply that something is either opinion or that nobody is sure how valid it actually is. Both are bad for your copywriting. People are more interested in the facts and hard information than they are in vague thoughts. What’s more, even if you are writing an opinion piece, readers should understand that based on the context, making “I think” a needless phrase.
These two words also are used when a writer isn’t sure about the statistic or fact, and that is dangerous. Again readers want solid information, and merely “thinking” a statistic is true isn’t enough to get it past the firing squad. Don’t include if the facts need to be qualified as a thought or belief.
2. Then – “Then” makes your writing stammer, which is the opposite of what you want for professionally created content. To smooth out your text, remove the work “then” whenever the sentence still makes sense without it. And don’t start sentences with “then” because it makes the sentences sound clunky and can make them difficult to read.
Visual Media
Of course any good blog uses images! Keeping your content engaging is key to maintaining the attention span of the reader. Populate your blog with images unique to you and your brand. Of course you know where to come for help with this 😉
Next Blog:
Next in the series: I will be looking at verbal communication and how to Podcast! So keep a look out.
Firetree Visual Media
I studied Media and Communication at Goldsmiths University and graduated with a first class honours and a film specialism. After graduation I worked in London as a video editor working on documentaries and music videos. My children were born in 2005 which coincided with my fathers retirement. He had trained me as a stills photographer as a child and I set up Firetree Photography to photograph children, weddings and businesses whilst bringing up the children, this has been established now for 13 years. Firetree Visual Media is two years old, we are now a team and deliver professional visual media, both photography and videography to businesses. We also deliver social media marketing and consultancy to businesses in a new, innovative way. Focused on the visual, building narratives through video and photography, delivering media packages and social media strategies that engage on a new level.
More information HERE.
Kyra
If you found this helpful let us know! and please subscribe to our blog, see below in the footer area!
