How Important is a Blog Headline? aka A Headlining Act!

Every blog has to have a title or a headline - that's pretty obvious!

Did you know that recent studies have shown that an impressive 80% of people will read the headline but only 20% will go on to read the actual article? That's a very powerful statistic and demonstrates the importance of a great title and how vital it is to a successful blog.

What Type of Headline Should I Use?

There are many schools of thought about the type of headline you should use - everyone you meet will have an opinion on them. Should you be as specific as possible so that the reader immediately knows what the article is about? Or should you take a more speculative approach to evoke the reader's imagination? 

Abstract Headlines

Let's think about a blog for a locksmith as an example. You could use:

Don't leave the door ajar!

It's never a good idea to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted!

These are abstract titles which give rise to speculation and conjecture and can work really well if your company already has a strong following and your band of followers know that your articles are a good read and offer great value. However, if it's early days, it's probably better to go with a headline which describes exactly what the article is about.

Specific Headlines

Posing a Question

What Type of Door Lock is the Most Secure For Your Property?

What is the Difference Between a Five Lever Mortice Deadlock and a Key Operated Multi-point Locking System?Posing a question is a tried and tested technique and it can be very effective. It gets straight to the point and the reader immediately knows what is contained in the article and whether it may be of interest to them.

Facts and Figures

Secure Locks Can Reduce Your Chances of Being Burgled by 80%

An Alarm Will Prevent 60% of Break-Ins

If you are using a headline with exact figures, ensure that they are correct. These are great for providing advice which readers can implement. These types of headlines can do well as they rely on the "startle" effect and because of their transparent nature.

"How To"

How to Keep Burglars Away by Utilising Door Locks That Really Work

How to Feel Safe and Secure in Your Own Home

People can really engage with the “how-to” angle and this is particularly effective for readers who are trying to achieve the same results. They will really appreciate your advice so long as it is reasonable to action.

Tips, Lists and Points

5 Simple Ways to Burglar Proof Your Doors

10 Top Tips for Making Your Home Secure

Lists can make for interesting reading too. Methodical people can find these types of articles extremely helpful as they tick off the things they have already implemented and make a list of things to do.

Conclusion

In my opinion, when you are trying to build up an audience, it's probably better to be more specific. Once you have established a strong following, you can use more abstract and intriguing headlines as readers will already know that your articles offer value and interest.

This article really demonstrates that writing headlines for blog posts is as much an art as it is a science and sometimes it's just a case of experimenting in order to see what works for your particular audience.

If you would like any help and advice for your blogs, please contact Writing and Blogging on 07742 321513. We are based in East Sussex helping clients in Kent, Surrey and Hampshire and throughout the UK.

Content is Key to Social Media Success

If your business doesn't have a huge budget and many start-up businesses don't, you can still market your product successfully by being savvy and using Social Media effectively. However, you will need to provide your readers with interesting articles to get your message across. This means that you will need a lot of "content" which you can use on your website and share to your various social media channels including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

However, your articles need to be much more than constant sales pitches. Over promoting your products just won't work. They need to provide "value" to your readers. By adding informative articles you have the chance of building an audience, both on your own site and through your social media.

Well-written content will open doors

 So who can provide your content?

•   You

•   People who work for you

•   Guest Writers/Bloggers

•   Purchase Content

•   Copy Writers

Writing Your Own Content

 If your business is new, you may have decided that you have the time to provide all the content that you need yourself. Employing somebody else to write for you is an expense that you feel can be avoided for the time being. Just ponder for a moment!

Make sure you are hitting the mark with your content and not wasting hours churning out copy that nobody will read.

People Who Work for You

You can turn to people who work for you if that's an option but bear in mind, writing might not be their forte and their time would be better spent doing something else.

Guest Writers/Bloggers

They are a good option but you are still going to be doing a lot yourself. Also they may not be writing in the style you want and can be expensive to employ on an "ad hoc" basis.

Purchased Content

This can sound like an absolute bargain and can be the cheapest way to get lots of content. However, this is mass-produced and will not be written with your company in mind and certainly won't include topical news that may be pertinent to you business.

Copy Writer

Another option is to use a Copy Writer. This is a person that is an expert in their field. If this is the route you decide on it's a good idea to get one on board sooner rather than later so that you can work together and create a style that really works well for your business and hits the spot. A good Copy Writer will listen to what you want and will be able to confirm how much it’s going to cost you. Many will offer an editing service as well.

Poor Content Serves No Purpose

Always remember that marketing messages will work better if written well. Articles that are written badly and constructed poorly will inevitably remain in a deep chasm of obscurity providing no assistance to your social media campaigns.

Marketing Content is all around us and therefore it is only good content that really counts! Without content you have no chance of social media success.

If you need any help planning your marketing campaigns using well constructed and persuasive copy that will provide value to your readers, please contact Writing and Blogging on 07742 321513 or email annie@writingandblogging.co.uk

Our Copy Writers based in East Sussex are helping clients throughout Kent and Sussex and throughout the UK.

A Lack Of Time Can Be Very Stressful!

To get more out of life you have to manage your time effectively and efficiently.

·       Do you feel absolutely exhausted because you are running around like the proverbial "headless chicken" and getting absolutely nowhere?

·       Do you start things and not see them through to their conclusion because you run out of time?

·       Are you thinking that there is something you haven't done but can't for the life of you think what it is?

It’s Time now to be more constructive with the Time available to you!

5 Tips For Better Time Management

Here are some top tips for planning your time so that life can be more fulfilling and ultimately less stressful.

·       Keep a Diary

·       Create a "To Do" List

·       Say "No"

·       Use Technology

·       Prioritise and Delegate

1.     Write a diary over the next week and honestly record what you do every day. This exercise can be quite an eye opener for some as well as painful. You may be surprised about how much time you actually spend on attending network meetings, social media updates, surfing the net and writing content for your business as well as time spent on household chores, shopping or even watching television. Think about how you can free up more time so that you can focus on the tasks in hand.

2.     Create a "To Do" List which involves how much time you will spend on a certain assignment. This will help you prioritise and also give you a realistic appraisal of how long everything takes. You really do need to know this as although it sounds obvious, it's no good allowing an hour for a job when it’s going to take a minimum of two!

3.     Learn how to say "No"! It's natural not to want to let people down particularly when you start a new business. However, if you do take on a job that won’t fit into your time constraints you will inevitably end up rushing the task in hand and perhaps not doing the job well or not doing it at all which ultimately leads to letting the client down. Discuss with the client when you will be able to do the work and at a time when you know you will have the time to do the job properly. The client will be impressed that you are busy and have an organised diary.

4.     Let technology be your friend. We spoke earlier about time saving devices so let your computer do some of your organising. Use the various software programmes to organise your diary and create "To Do" lists. Set up your own database comprising names, email addresses and telephone numbers. If you are unsure of the best way to maximise usage of this technology, book onto some courses or have some individual tuition from an expert. This will be money well spent!

5.     Delegate or let the experts work for you. There will be people out there who are better at doing some tasks than you. Let a Bookkeeper organise your receipts, get a Social Media expert to plan a strategy for you, use a virtual PA for your office procedures and I know, you've guessed it, get a Copy Writer to provide content for you.

Now, reward yourself!

You now have a diary, created a "To Do" list with a realistic timeframe, you are doing work for clients when there is time in your diary, your database is being regularly updated and experts in their fields are working on a freelance basis for you.

Phew, diary says, time for a meal out with family or friends!

It is so important to prioritise and set achievable goals. Working hard isn't always the key to success and being busy isn't productive if it is mindless and without planning and a timescale.

The key is to work smarter and not necessarily harder

 Writing and Blogging creates time for businesses so that you can spend your valuable time doing what you are really good at and that's running your business. If you would like any help with creating content for your blogs or newsletters, please call Writing and Blogging on 07742 321513 or email annie@writingandblogging.co.uk

How do a Company and Personal Blog Differ?

It is fair to say that there are many similarities and certainly the technology is the same. Both enable you or your company to have your own place on the web where you can present yourself or your business. However, where they differ is with focus and aims.

Planning and Structure

For both types you will need to plan and have a structure of what you want to write about, although the business blog requires even higher levels of both planning and structure. Don't just start a blog to follow a trend or if you don't know what the purpose of your blog is. For both types you will need to know who your target audience is.

Personal Blogs

A personal blog gives you the platform to voice your opinions and preceded the business blog. You can actually say whatever you want and it is usually very personal. It can take the form of a hobby with some personal bloggers having a theme whilst others write fairly randomly, seemingly as the mood takes them.

Business Blogs

Business blogs developed from Personal blogs and are very targeted in terms of their subject matter and focused towards the market they are trying to attract and their niche. They are in essence a marketing channel. It wouldn't work to give your views on the deadliest finisher in the Premiership if in fact you are a locksmith. Also venting your outrage about a particular situation will lose you more customers than you gain.

Key Points About a Business Blog

 •   Less freedom of subject matter

•   Provide information on your product

•   More emphasis on engaging copy

•   More care with grammar, spelling etc.

•   Subject to analysis

•   Add a Call to Action

•   Incorporate lead generation methods

•   Avoid sensitive and controversial topics

•   Write for your readers and not yourself

Conclusion

When blogging for business, your ultimate goal is to convert your readers into customers so make sure you link your sales pages within your blog posts. Encourage your readers by telling them what you can do for them and emphasise the fact that your business has a lot to offer.

If you plan to make a success of your marketing campaign, you will need engaging copy and a constant stream of content that you can share. Here at Writing and Blogging based in East Sussex, we work with you to plan and structure your blogs, so please call or email to find out how we can work together and help you reach more potential customers.

Don't Let Your Blog Gather Dust

I look at many websites and a lot have a section entitled “Blogs” or “Newsletters”. Some actually remain just headings and others deliver erratic and sporadic articles with no visible planning.

Blogs are an Effective Marketing Tool

Your website is key to your marketing strategy and it is important that it doesn’t lay dormant. It needs to be updated on a continuous basis. Blogs are a cost effective way of keeping your website active and are an excellent marketing investment.

Every post that you publish will not only help build brand awareness but will also promote your products, skills, expertise and services.

Update Your Website

It’s unlikely that you are going to update your “About” page frequently or even your “Services” page. Hopefully you are now looking at or thinking about your website. You might even be asking yourself when you last updated it? So what is the best way to keep your website moving?

Yes, it's a Blog! The great thing about adding a Blog is that you are adding another indexed page which creates one more opportunity for you to be found in search engines.

Publish Regularly

However, to ensure maximum impact from your blogs, it is imperative that you publish them regularly and consistently. One blog here or there isn’t going to work.

It’s important that you know how often you are going to blog. Is it going to be daily, weekly, twice a month or monthly? Remember, once a year will achieve nothing or very little at best. There is a lot of debate as to the optimum number of blogs you should publish. This is another topic in itself! However, my guide is to write once a week or twice a month if you can’t manage weekly posts. 

Plan Your Articles

You may have a fantastic topic for your first article – you are raring to go! Now make notes – what will you write about for your second, third and fourth articles? Are there any offshoots from your first post? Have somewhere to store ideas and keep it updated. If you don't think you will have enough time, think about using Guest Bloggers or writers that are specialists in writing Blogs.

Don’t lose momentum!

It is interesting to note that many new businesses start enthusiastically and publish several articles initially and then these just fizzle out. It’s really the nature of the beast that as your business grows you actually have more and more to do so its important not to spend too much time working in your business when you should really be working on it.

Keep you website moving to attract more potential clients.

If you are struggling to update your Blog section or are not sure where to start, please contact Writing and Blogging on 07742 321513. We are the experts in helping you win more customers by planning your blogging activity.

Why Should You Use A Copy Writer

It can be difficult to invest in something that you feel you can actually do yourself!

We can all write and you know more about your company than anybody else. You know what your company does, what it sells, why people should invest in your products and why you stand out from your competitors. Therefore nobody can write about your business better than you! Or can they?

You also know that you need consistent and regular news about your company through website updates, blogs and newsletters.

When does it make sense to write your own material?

You really should be focusing on the things that you do well and writing your own copy only really makes sense if you are a good writer and you can write quickly and efficiently as well as knowing how to write copy that will optimise calls to action and conversion. Copy should be told from the reader’s point-of-view and not the owner of the business which can be difficult to convey if it's your business.

So why aren't you writing about your company?

 You are telling yourself that you will write that blog or newsletter later today. You have a whole list of things to do and all of them are much more important than writing - that has yet again gone to the bottom of your "To Do List". You've now come to the end of your working day and it's still not written! You are telling yourself once again that you will do it first thing tomorrow! Sound familiar?

The main reasons for not writing are:

•   Time

•   Not sure where to start

•   Don't enjoy writing

•   Issues with grammar, spelling and punctuation

•   You know too much

•   Too close to your topic

Is it time to call the Copy Writer?

If you can relate to any of these, then sitting down with a Copy Writer should be your next step. Make sure you talk with a writer who will discuss what your company needs. This should include who your target audience is and the type of articles that will work best for your company.

In all aspects of our lives, we select people that are experts in their trades because we want the best person to fulfil the task - you pick a top photographer to get those first class shots of your wedding, you choose a skilled masseuse to rub those aching muscles and a skilled hairdresser to give you that "wow" hairstyle.

Why not choose a top Copy Writer to script your articles?

 If you are struggling to write articles that attract readers and potential customers and would like to discuss what your company needs, call Writing and Blogging on 07742 321513. We want you to spend your time running your business.

Write Your Web Content Before You Design Your Website

You might assume that many website launches are delayed significantly because web developers are not working to schedule. However, in many situations this is not the case as delays are primarily due to the clients not providing the web content in time.

Is Writing a Chore?

You might be one of the many people who find writing tedious and time consuming and you would much prefer to be doing other tasks associated with your business. Writing is often a job that goes to the bottom of the listeven though your web developer is screaming for you to provide the copy. There is always a client to meet, a phone call to make, an email to send, a networking event to go along to and in fact anything else you might think of other than writing that all important website content.

Plan your Content

Your website is the best marketing tool that you have and it's your way of communicating with the world. Certainly images are important but you are also going to need written words, and rather a lot of them. You don't want to be one of the many thousands of people who are willing to invest a small fortune into the development of their website believing that the written content will just evolve and really is just something to fill in the spaces right at the end of the process.

Therefore it’s absolutely crucial that you plan and write your own web content before you’ve even built a web page. To say that you should have a copywriter involved from the beginning of the project may sound a somewhat biased opinion but it really is essential for planning and organisation. If you don't know what you want to include, how can you decide how many pages you want and what the layout should be. Why run the risk of not having enough pages or having too many?

Why is the Written Content so Important?

If you leave the writing to the last minute, you might find you are just supplying content to fill the boxes and available space and key elements could be omitted.

It's important that the company designing your amazing new website is including the content as many don't include this in the cost.

There is absolutely no question that the only way your business will benefit from having a beautifully designed and well-built site is if visitors to your website can find what they are looking for quickly and easily. They will undoubtedly see the pictures and images on your site and will scan through the words so the content must immediately make it quite obvious that your business has what a they want.

What to do Next

If you are struggling to write content for your website or you think the content of your present site needs a makeover, please contact our knowledgeable friendly staff who will be delighted to help. Writing and Blogging is a Copy Writing company based in East Sussex helping clients throughout the UK.