Step-by-step guide to better blog writing

FILL IN THE BLANK: With good ideas, a strong structure, and some SEO basics, you can write high-performing blog posts

Ever tried to sit down and devise a blog-writing strategy for your brand – let alone actually write the content?

It can be as painful as passing a kidney stone. 

There are so many aspects to consider: understanding your audience, brainstorming topic ideas, optimising SEO…

And that’s before you’ve set your nail-bitten fingers to work tapping out the copy. 

Blogging’s still huge

While it may not be as sexy as social media, blogging achieves impressive business results. Informative, well-written posts get your message out to the world, bring more traffic to your website – and support your growth.

A bundle of research backs this up:

• 56% of consumers have bought a product or service off the back of a blog (HubSpot study)

• Blogging leads to 55% more visitors to your site (HubSpot study) 

• Businesses that blog have 126% higher lead growth than those that don’t (HubSpot study)

So don’t let doubt creep in. If you blog well, your business will benefit. 

Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: how to come up with topic ideas

Generating creative ideas is arguably one of the toughest jobs around (this post has some general tips on turning your empty brain into an ideas factory). 

Here are some effective ways to jump-start your brain and coming up with topic ideas faster – without smashing your favourite mug: 

• See what people are saying about your business on social media: this is great for identifying your target audiences’ pain points. When you know what they’re struggling with, you can write about how to solve it.

• Study existing blog posts and other content marketing: if readers have commented, you’ll find clues about the sort of topics they’re interested in. 

• Look at competitors’ websites and blogs: are there any topics competitors have tried to cover, which you could do more comprehensively?

• Read reviews of products and services your customers use: you’ll learn even more about their challenges, likes and dislikes – and you can write about topics that match. 

• Dive into all the things your customers like: listen to industry podcasts, relevant TED talks, TV shows in your niche. The more information you soak up, the more ideas you’ll have.

• Use Google search and Google Trends to see what your audience is searching for: Google Trends shows which topics are rising or falling in popularity, so you can capture the zeitgeist in your writing. 

Coffee break!

While all the above tips are useful starting points, don’t underestimate what 10 minutes alone with a coffee (and your brain) can achieve. 

If you’re close to your brand, and already know what makes your customers tick, transport yourself into their shoes. What would they like to read?

Let’s think practical examples. 

A website selling DJ technology might share tips and inspiration from leading DJs, information on new technology and industry trends, and nostalgic content about gear from another era. 

A property website might highlight up-and-coming locations, tips on finding a bargain and aspirational content about dream properties few of us can afford.  

Coming up with interesting content is actually pretty easy when you relax, think like a customer, and let your grey matter wander.

A final point here: always have a way to record your ideas. When you start being creative, you flick a switch that starts a snowball in your brain.

As it rolls through your consciousness, it picks up more and more ideas until Fireman Sam has to send out a rescue vehicle to stop it. 

Write them down. Or they’ll be lost forever. 

Step 2: how to structure and write a high-performing blog post

A great blog post needs the same elements as any other solid piece of writing – to grab attention, hold attention, and give the reader something interesting and useful to take away. 

Make the writing process easier by creating a skeleton structure first:

• Think of several key ideas you want to convey: then prioritise them so the most impactful comes first

• Build out each idea: ask the kind of questions a reader would, such as ‘what does this mean to me, why’s it important, why should I care? – then use those questions to build out content for each section

• Do deep research: find high-quality sources to support each of your main points and quote industry experts wherever you can. Respect your reader’s time by serving up something new and entertaining – not recycled rubbish

• Think of a conclusion: what do you want your audience to take away?

• Write a call to action: what do you want your reader to do next?

Now, it’s time to write.  

As a writer of 20+ years, I can confidently say that great copy only comes the hard way.  

Staring at a blank page will (almost) always give you writers’ block. So the best tip is to start writing anyway, even if you don’t feel inspired.

Accept that your first draft will be awful. That’s okay. 

It’s like the first patchy coat of paint on a wall – after the second it’ll look so much better. 

As you write and refine, do the following:

• Keep paragraphs short

• Use subheads and bullets to make the page readable and skimmable

• Put yourself in the story: offer your opinion and insights and, if the piece suits it, inject humour and personality

• Keep checking that what you’re writing relates to your target reader: ask yourself what they’ll want to get out of reading the piece and keep returning to that

• Use questions regularly to maintain engagement and a sense of urgency. You get what I mean, right?

TERRIFIC TRAFFIC: Well-optimised and well-written blog posts can bring a spike in traffic to your site Photo: Justin Morgan/Unsplash

Step 3: level up your SEO so posts get more traffic

It doesn’t matter how good your posts are if no one finds them. But how do you capture more gooey eyeballs?

The answer lies in making copy SEO-friendly. By using a few basic techniques, you can make sure:

•  Search engines understand your copy and show it to suitable searchers

• Your copy matches the interests of target readers

Don’t worry about keeping up with the latest trends and algorithms. Follow these steps to give your blog post the best chance of success:

Use free keyword tools to help you come up with high-value topics

Tools like Google Keyword Planner make it easy to find in-demand blog topics. They break down different search terms by showing you average monthly search numbers – and the level of competition for them. 

If you find keywords with high search numbers and low competition, these are low-hanging fruits that you can jump on straight away. 

There are even tools – albeit a bit robot-y and basic – that help you develop keywords into topics. Hubspot’s topic generator can put you on the right trajectory. 

Keyword density

To show search engines that your page is relevant to the readers you’re targeting, you’ll want to sprinkle your copy with relevant keywords.

Tools like SEMRush let you research keywords for the topic you’re writing about. Again, just look at both the search volume and difficulty scores to work out which are most effective. Now, sprinkle those terms through your piece without overdoing it. 

In 2022, SEO experts agree that ideal density is between 1 and 2%. So, if your post’s 1,000 words, try using a particular keyword between 10 and 20 times. 

Make an impact on search results pages

Another effective way to improve traffic and rankings is to make a good impression on search engine results pages (SERP). To do that: 

-       Choose an engaging title: keep it short, accurate and unique

-       Write a mega meta description: this is the description of your article that appears in search engines, so it’s the first thing readers see. Get it right and more people will click through to your site.

You don’t need to know the ins and outs of Google’s algorithm to optimise your blog. Use the available tools, give it some thought, and you’ll see the results. 

And finally…

Blogging is as relevant to business success as ever in 2022. 

Doing it regularly and well WILL boost awareness of your brand, demonstrate your expertise, create warmer leads, and attract more customers. 

But what if you don’t have the time or in-house knowledge to blog brilliantly?

Let me help with your blogging strategy, idea generation, and copywriting. 

5 journalistic best practices to improve your content writing

THIS IS THE NEWS: Thinking like a journalist can make your content more balanced, engaging and readable Photo by Joel de Vriend on Unsplash

The shiny, optimistic Britain that I grew up in has descended into a cess-pit of misinformation, eroded trust and dreadfully low public standards.

As writers - or any sort of communicator - we need to raise our standards and show the world there is a better way to do things.

One proven way to raise standards is to adopt journalistic values into your writing. I’m talking more The Economist here, and less Boris Johnson-era The Times.

So here are 5 ways to improve your content writing, or broader communications, by behaving like a (good and ethical) journalist. 

1.     Be balanced, be ethical

Hold every piece of content you write – from the snappiest blog post to the longest expert guide – to the same standards a (good) journalist does. 

I say ‘good’ because we’ve all seen the ugly side of journalism (phone hacking, Leveson Report, etc). For any well-trained journalist, integrity is central to their credibility. So ask yourself…

> Is what you’ve written true and accurate? 

> Is the story you’ve told balanced and fair?  

> Are you being objective or just mindlessly repeating a company’s dull corporate line that nobody will realistically engage with? 

If something feels wrong in your gut and on your screen, revisit the article and go again. 

For every piece of content, you want your audience to trust what you say. By extension, you want them to trust the business or brand you’re representing. 

Win that trust by being honest, showing balance, and having integrity. 

2.     Keep it simple

Every brand has a tone of voice and tailored writing style. Even so, your ultimate aim should be to write in an accessible style that the majority of people will understand.

Sometimes, there’s room to be smart and creative. But ask yourself whether your clever language will encourage – or discourage – people from reading on. 

More often than not, clever writing is simple writing.

So get to the point, make sure every sentence is easy to understand and avoid complex clauses.

Put your readers first. Not your ego.

3.     Humanise your content

I recently completed a business and finance journalism course (an extension of the journalism degree I did over 20 years ago!). 

I’d had a disappointing December and decided to do something positive, rather than drown my sorrows in mince pies and binge-watching After Life (though, to be honest, I did those too).  

See how I told you something personal? Humanising articles is a great way to connect with readers more deeply. You can turn even the dryest subject into a story that creates intrigue, curiosity, even sympathy.  

A good trick is to think about your story from a reader’s perspective. Ask yourself what would make you read about this subject if someone else had written it. 

Often a personal anecdote, or interesting details about the people behind the story, can make the difference. 

Even better, if you write something human and relatable, you make yourself – or the brand you’re representing ‘real’. 

When people see the softer, more real side of your business, they feel more connected and trust increases.   

4.     Set yourself tough deadlines

I’ve read articles that claim deadlines kill your productivity. That’s not my experience. 

Any journalist who’s been given 10 minutes to file a report on a breaking story knows how efficient they can be in the face of an unmissable deadline. 

If you want to maximise the impact of the content you publish, set strict deadlines. You’ll do more, build an audience faster and reach your goals sooner. 

Content is everywhere. If you want yours to stand out, it has to be good, engaging and useful. It also needs to be published consistently.

If deadlines slip, you’ll put less valuable information out there, your credibility will start to fall and your audience could start to forget about you. 

5.     Write a great intro and pay-off

Statement of the obvious alert! But every piece of content needs to grab attention and encourage your audience to read on. 

Some journalistic tips here include making a controversial statement in your intro, so readers stick with the article to see how you’re backing it up.

Longer journalistic features often use a ‘drop intro’: an introductory paragraph that leaves the reader asking a question or feeling so intrigued that they need to find the answer.

You could also try a more descriptive paragraph or scene setter. 

Whichever you go for, don’t be so clever that you confuse or put off your reader. Make sure your theme and premise are introduced as soon as possible, so readers know what they’re getting from the article.

Outline the structure for the rest of your piece before you start – for example, descriptive sections, content for each side of the argument you may be presenting, facts, quotes, etc. 

After all that work, don’t go out with a whimper.

Think about a good pay-off line. When readers reach the end, you want them to feel they’ve learned something by sticking with you. A great final line will give readers something to think or laugh about – and ensure they remember you – as they move on to their next daily task.   

The party’s over for lazy content!

Can you afford not to publish long-form content in 2022?

LONG STORIES: Engage more of your audience with helpful and shareable long-form content

Finding customers and generating sustainable income is a challenge for every business. 

One way to start solving that challenge is to become more visible and trusted online. 

A surefire way to achieve that is with awesome long-form content. Think formats like e-books, tutorials, definitive guides and white papers. 

Don’t just take my word for it.

Google’s algorithms are known to prefer pages that fully answer users’ questions and provide detailed solutions. Which means long and thorough.

Stat attack!

The superpowered benefits of long-form content are backed up by research.

• According to SEMRush, long-form articles of 3000+ words get 3x more traffic than articles of an average length (810 words according to SEMRush). 

• Backlinko found that long-form content gets an average of 77.2% more links than short articles.

• Meanwhile, Hubspot uncovered that articles with a word count above 2,500 get shared the most on social media. 

That stat on shareability feels like common sense. 

We all share information – whether it’s in the pub or on social media – when it’s interesting, useful and valuable. So if you answer every last detail on a topic that’s relevant to your audience, and you do it well, they will share it. 

What defines long-form content?

According to the SEMRush stat from before, the average online article length is just over 800 words. It’s hard to define a specific word count for long-form, because it’s more about taking a topic, exploring it in detail and depth, providing useful stats and facts, and serving up something genuinely helpful to your audience.

That could mean as little as 2,000 words. Or it could be two or three times longer. 

Specific examples include e-books that educate readers on a topic of interest; case studies that demonstrate how you rode to the rescue and solved a customer’s problem; definitive guides that provide a deep tutorial on a subject; and white papers that showcase your unique insights on a breaking issue in your industry or marketplace. Whatever type you write, focus on being objective and helpful. 

How do I choose a juicy topic?

Brainstorm all the topics you think will resonate with your audience and consider which of those matter the most to people who might ultimately buy what you do.

Examples you say? 

A digital marketing agency might provide an in-depth guide to grow and improve your website. An outdoor adventure brand might tell white-knuckle stories of its customers’ adventures to provide learning and entertainment. A car firm might bust every myth about electric vehicles to educate customers and overcome buyers’ objections. 

Just think about the information that would connect with your audience – and encourage whatever action you’re looking for them to take.

How to find easy inspiration

It’s easy to generate data-driven ideas for content, simply by looking at search queries. 

Tools like Google Analytics/Google Search Console and third-party software let you see what keywords, phrases, and questions are getting traction. This is a great starting point, as they’re as close as you can get to understanding what customers are asking about and searching for answers on. 

It’s worth taking a close look at how your shorter-form content performs, too. If a particular blog had twice the engagement of others, it’s pretty clear that it’s a topic that makes your customers tick. So maybe it’s time to build on that topic and give readers a deeper, more thorough education.

Is long-form content really worth the effort? 

We’ve seen from research that website visitors (in other words, potential customers) appreciate, engage with and share well-researched and well-written long-form content. 

If you create something useful, detailed and helpful, you can:

• Boost your visibility online

• Rank better (according to serpIQ, content found in the top 10 of search queries was typically over 2,000 words)

• Encourage more shares 

• Increase time on your website (if people spend more time reading your content, they’ll feel closer to you and your brand. Plus, they’ll associate you with being helpful, generous and worth connecting with)

• Be seen as an authority and educator (which builds trust with your target audience)

• Create solid foundations for more traffic, customers and revenue

So giving your knowledge away for free can be a powerful point of difference. 

Just imagine: a potential customer is feeling anxious about a particular problem. Then they discover your content, which cost them nothing, and genuinely helps them see the light. How do you think they feel? 

Grateful, engaged in your brand, and more likely to come to you should they ever need the product or service you’re selling.

How to create long-form content

Like every piece of strategic content, have a main goal in mind before you start writing. Is it a general brand-building piece, or do you want to achieve something specific, such as conversions to your email list or more leads.  

By having a clear goal, your content will be better focused - and you’ll be able to measure its success once it’s published.

With your goals and topic defined, it’s time to write. Remember that your content needs to be genuinely useful, well structured, and written well from top to tail to achieve the benefits outlined above. 

If the workload feels daunting, or you don’t have the in-house expertise to execute it well, hire an expert freelancer. While fees can seem high at first, you’ll be amazed at the business value you get.

Even a modest boost in brand awareness can make sales easier, generate more qualified leads, and build stronger relationships that encourage growth.

Don’t just hope for the best – actively promote your content

If you’re an established business, long-form content will probably be part of a broader detailed strategy. If you’re a fledgling business, you’ll need to think about where it sits in your marketing mix and promote it in a cost-effective way that brings maximum ROI. 

The good news is that the long-form content you’ve created is a genuinely useful asset to promote. But it means nothing until it reaches more of your potential customers. 

Here are a few ideas:

•  Promote the content within your website (ie, calls to action on blog posts, pop-up banners, etc)

• Create a sequence of posts across your social channels, teasing the article’s value and relevance

• Send the article to your existing mailing list/network to strengthen relationships and improve your trust and authority – ask them to share it, too

• Maximise the reach and impact of your content with paid advertising. This helps you focus in on a very specific demographic and reach the right audience faster

• Reach out to influencers in your niche, include them in your content and ask them to share. It’s a surefire way to get more eyes on your brand

Just like everything in life, you’ll get more results from your content the more ambition, research and effort you put in. 

If you’re ready to create an awesome asset, but need support, let me know. 

Looking for a quick trick to be more productive? Try this

WATCHING THE TIME: One small tweak to my workday has made me 50% more productive Photo by Han Chau on Unsplash

Remember when the word ‘hack’ was everywhere? Life hacks, productivity hacks, happiness hacks. That one irritating word makes me want to hack myself to death. 

So now I’m in a quandary. Because I have a productivity tip that I want to share – and the SEO devil on my shoulder wants me to call it a hack. 

This is NOT a productivity hack

Like most freelancers, I regularly jump on the latest trick or tip to help me get more done in less time. But habits are notoriously hard to change (ask my nose-picking children). 

This time I’ve found something that genuinely works for me – the Pomodoro Technique. 

Like Madonna and Orville, this has been around since the 80s. While I am late to the party here, applying it to my working day has made a huge difference.

If you didn’t already know, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management method where you work in a focused way for 25 minutes – and then take a five-minute break. 

Initially, putting your feet up every 25 minutes seems counter-intuitive as a productivity hack – sorry tip. But the results have been great.

Because my brain knows I’m giving it a small reward in 25 minutes, I power through distractions and stay focused for the full period. It’s amazing how much I can do in that time.  

Before I took the Pomodoro plunge, my most productive period was always the final hour before the school run. I’d set myself an impossible target to achieve before I left the house, and it really got the fires burning. 

Now, I get that productivity burst every 25 minutes. 

As I move towards the last 10 minutes of each 25-minute period, my brain has that same impulse to prove how much it can do before deadline. So instead of having one burst of rapid work a day, I’m having 15 or so. 

While the following example is a pretty minuscule sample size, it’s still interesting. Basically, I write very in-depth customer case studies for one of my clients. These conversion-focused pieces top out at around 1,600 words and involve sifting through interview transcriptions, company and customer briefs, and doing lots of deep thinking. 

If I get distracted, a single study can easily take the best part of two days. BUT, using the Pomodoro Technique – (call it the Commodoro technique if you’re a child of the 80s or the Momodoro technique if you need to remember to pick up the kids) – I’m now spending just 8 hours on these difficult studies.  

Even under the most conservative estimate, that’s at least a 50% time reduction. Meaning those particular projects are now 50% more profitable!  

It’s been a big win for me. Why not try it yourself and let me know how it works for you?

How to write website content that gets you noticed

Stand out from the crowd with better website copy Photo Unsplash

I built a walk-in wardrobe last year. While I do have a few basic DIY skills I’m no expert. With plenty of research, and by taking the job step by step, I did an okay job.

But why am I talking about wardrobes? 

Partly because I’m over 40 and that’s the kind of thing I talk about these days! But mostly to show that almost any challenge can be overcome with the right approach.

One such challenge faced by marketers and business owners is creating website content that actually gets you noticed. It can be difficult to know where to start – let alone build content that’s creative, punchy, persuasive…

Slightly cringeworthy metaphor alert! Writing engaging website content is like writing a dating profile. Really! You need to big your business up… without sounding big-headed. 

Your words should be honest, positive, and provide a specific flavour of you. That way you’ll get more of the right type of visitors who see the world the way you do – and find your offer attractive.    

So if you’re banging your head against the desk (or the wall of your walk-in wardrobe) and feel confused how to present your brand on your website, don’t panic. Here are a few easy(ish) ways to help your audience – and Google – fall in love with you. 

Strategy and audience

Writing great web copy is like a skydive. Prepare before you jump and your work will land well (and with less mess). 

First, figure out your target audience and who you want to come to your site. Create customer personas that show their demographic and motivations. This gives you a clear picture of who they are, what they’re thinking, and how you should talk to them.

Now, think about your ideal customer’s search habits and intent. Write down the kind of terms they’ll be searching for to find your solution, all the different goals they might have, the questions they’ll be asking Google, and how your copy can demonstrate your value in solving their problems. 

This helps you target your content more effectively and write in an engaging, personal, on-brand way.

What pages should my website include?

Unless you live on another planet (hello Soup Dragon!), you’ll know that most websites follow a familiar format, including landing page/homepage, about me, services, FAQs, testimonials, portfolio, contact details/CTA, etc. 

The wording will be different, for brand and UX reasons, but the same general information prevails.

So how can I write in a way that engages people – and persuades them to take action?  

With a lot of hard work. But it can be done!

-       Go for the jugular

While that may sound a bit ‘MMA’, it’s important you grab readers’ attention from line one. 

Think about your own reading habits. How long do you give a website to prove its value before moving elsewhere? Probably seconds. For me, if a website doesn’t speak my language, I’m out of there quicker than Peppa Pig from a butcher.  

My own landing page at thewritinglabcreative.com has a hooky catch line – ‘Never a bad word’. Next, it provides a short sentence about what I’m about, plus five bullet points that outline the benefits I offer customers. There’s no waffle or clutter, and it leaves visitors curious to find out more. 

-       Ask questions

Asking questions in your copy can help move readers closer to choosing you. But don’t just use them lazily, to move onto the next point you wish to make. Choose your questions carefully and give them purpose. Ultimately, they should get readers excited about what you have to offer, and not give them any chance to say no. 

Here’s a practical example. My services page starts with this question. “Need saving from poor copy and content that isn’t getting the results you want?” 

It touches on a common pain point and shows I can give them more. 

Questions like this can leave readers curious – and hungry for more content. 

-       Less is usually more

On every page of your website, you’ll have a message and goal to get across. To keep busy readers interested, you should work hard to keep content clear and concise. 

As a battle-hardened copywriter, my advice is to give every page another edit – even if you’re slapping yourself on the back telling yourself how great it is. Look at your content from a readers’ perspective and ask yourself – honestly – if the content would entice you to take action. If not, keep working at it.  

Another trick to hook more readers is to break up your content into bite-size, scannable sections. Most people won’t read every word, so make it simple to scan what’s important and understand your value without too much effort. 

In copywriting language, that means use plenty of headers, lines and white space, bullets, pull quotes, etc.

-       Have fun with your About Us page

Even if you’re an undertaker? Yep. That doesn’t mean packing it with cringy gags. It does mean spending time making sure it reflects your unique personality as a business or brand. 

If you already receive lots of great feedback from customers, you’ll know what they love about you and what differentiates you. These are the treasures you should showcase.

Your About Us page should be long enough to build trust – but short enough to keep people interested. Cover all of the basics – what you do, who you do it for, introduce the faces behind the brand, show what differentiates you and why customers trust and love you. 

Just make sure it sounds like you.

-       Imagine you’re talking to a good friend

You know that warm feeling when you talk to an amazing friend, where you feel listened to, cared about, and supported. Websites that successfully mirror that ‘friendly’ tone can build bonds between brands and customers surprisingly fast.  

The tone you take will differ depending on your industry and target customer, but make it feel personal and friendly.  

There are simple devices you can use. For example, address readers directly using ‘you’, ‘we’ and ‘I’. Write active sentences where you can, but don’t get hung up on the technicalities. Instead, focus on sounding warm, conversational, and natural and you’ll find yourself writing active sentences without even realising it. 

Keep sentences short. And double, triple, fourple (thanks to my 6-year-old for that) check there are no spelling errors or grammar gaffes. You’re professional and brilliant right? If your site has spelling mistakes, readers will not buy that (or your services). 

-       Give readers every reason to take action

At the end of a reader’s visit, you need them to take action. Whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you for a demo or more info. 

To achieve that, direct them clearly around your site from the start. Use buttons to navigate from one page to the next, taking readers on a seamless journey that leads them to a persuasive call to action. Along the way, show proof you’re fantastic, with a faultless portfolio and commentary or case studies from happy customers. 

By the time they get to your contact page, readers should trust you and be ready to act. 

-       Think SEO from the get-go

If you want to attract more target customers to your website (and why wouldn’t you?), your content must be loved by Google as much as readers. 

Even if you’re new to SEO, do keyword research to find out the kind of words and phrases people use when searching for the solution you provide.  

Remember that people use different keywords depending on their intent – such as whether they’re looking for information, ready to convert, buy your product, etc. 

In many cases, SEO is a job for professionals, but taking a DIY approach can be rewarding too. There are lots of great – and free – keyword research tools around that help you find the low-hanging fruits in your sector and even see what’s working for your competitors.

Once you’ve done your research, naturally incorporate those terms into your content to show Google you are relevant to a user’s search. 

As your website beds in, and you win more customers, analyse what’s working and continue to optimise your pages and content for search engines. Keep things fresh by blogging about customers’ FAQs and demonstrating your expertise. Soon you’ll get better results and have enough traffic and leads for a sustainable and successful business. 

If you want more time back for you and your team, why not outsource your web copywriting? Here at the The Writing Lab, I’d love to help. 

5 ways to create better white papers

White papers: a proven way to generate high-quality leads for your business

Climbing Everest. Completing Dry January. Creating white papers. All three can leave you tired and tender, but they’re also seriously satisfying - and mega beneficial - when you get them right. 

While producing white papers takes effort (and lots of it), the payoff can be massive. These epic pieces of in-depth, expert-level content allow your business to position itself as a trusted expert to target customers. 

The goal of most white papers is to build brand awareness, authority and credibility - rather than sell right now. Saying that, they typically generate a jelly-flood of high-quality leads and are proven to positively influence readers’ future purchasing decisions.

In fact, research shows that 71% of B2B buyers used white papers over a 12-month period to research their purchasing decisions. What does that mean? Well, if you can demonstrate your expertise to potential customers through a white paper, there’s a huge chance they’ll think seriously about your business when they’re ready to buy.  

Personally, I see white papers as an opportunity to share your unique knowledge with people whose ears are already open – and who actually want to learn from you. Within two or three white papers – as part of an integrated marketing strategy - you can transform your brand into a trusted influencer that deeply connects with new and existing customers. 

So how do you create amazing white papers?

1.     Say something NEW

Oodles of information about your industry already exists – and much of it is excellent.  So to stand out, you need to present a genuinely unique viewpoint on a genuinely interesting topic that people want to read. 

Some ideas? You could deeply analyse new data, insights, innovation, or talking points in your industry. Address a common challenge or pain paint your industry faces. Or take a deep dive into one of the frequently asked questions that your analytics tell you your customers are posing. 

Whatever you choose, make it fresh. Share new information and research, and communicate with confidence. Before you know it, you’ll be seen as an authority on a critical topic that matters to your audience. Just wait for those leads to roll in. 

2.     Make your content count

Once you’ve nailed your topic, it’s time to pull on a scuba suit and do some deep research. Using existing online and industry resources is okay up to a point, but to make your content unique it’s essential you speak to subject matter experts within your business – and in your industry – and feature their original thoughts, ideas and research.

Before you start writing, outline everything that’s important to make your white paper a success. Pinpoint the target audience (ie, professionals in your industry, or people who may be new to the subject) as this will define the tone and level of detail you include. 

Then build out a structure for the white paper and establish what research will sit where. When you write, create a knockout title and introduction, then build your argument in a natural way. 

Many effective white papers follow a standard shape, starting with a familiar pain point for the audience, then a detailed discussion where expertise is backed up with fresh research and data, followed by a solution section where businesses subtly show their value, without getting too salesy.

When you start to write, just write. When research is fresh in your mind, it’s important you get your thoughts down as fast as possible. You have permission to forget entirely about quality first time round. Once that onerous first draft is done, return to it and polish up the content so it flows well, is detailed and informative, and has a professional tone that suits your brand.

3.     To sell, or not to sell…

Your white paper may be a sales (or marketing) tool. But it’s not a sales pitch. Keep in mind that it should be focused on building brand awareness, and establishing your expertise and credibility. If your content sounds too ‘salesy’, change the tone. 

Remember that you’re aiming to give the reader something valuable that will actually help them. You’re sharing new research and well-informed ideas that help them improve their knowledge or solve a problem or bottleneck. So keep the focus on their needs, not yours.  

If you demonstrate subject expertise and thought leadership now, they might buy from you down the track. 

4.     Words AND pictures

Even when your topic has piqued an audience’s interest, you need to work hard to keep them reading. Today’s white papers are increasingly strong on visuals and design, because if they look great, people will read and consume more – and ultimately trust you more. Always include hyperlinks that point readers to more content on your website, plus visuals like videos and infographics that encourage quick learning and deeper dives into the topic – and your business. Visuals give readers more ROI for the time they invest.

5.     Don’t waste your white paper

So you’ve created a dazzling white paper. But now what? How can you get it in front of the all-important eyes of your intended audience – and start generating qualified leads? 

To promote your white paper, write related blog posts that appeal to your various target customer groups, and share them on social channels. Also reach out to thought leaders and influencers in your sector and ask them to share your content. You can also think about syndication, paid marketing, and podcast promotion. 

Capture every potential lead by building a landing page for readers to download the white paper. Before they download, ask them to enter their contact details, and make sure that information feeds into your marketing software. 

And finally…

Like most marathons (apart from those in a heatwave), white papers are worth the sweat and effort. While they require enormous effort by either your internal team – or outsourced white paper expert – the rewards are huge. A tantalising triangle of better authority, better brand visibility, and a load more leads. 

Even better, they can often be used as a successful lead magnet for a year or more. 

Need a great white paper, but don’t have the bandwidth internally?
The Writing Lab can help.

5 ways to turn your empty brain into an ideas factory

Photo: Juan Marin/Unsplash

Being a strong creative thinker is essential for advancing virtually any career, regardless of what role you do. 

But solving deep-rooted business problems or conjuring up great ideas for a new project is never easy. 

Original thinking can be painfully hard. 

As a writer and business owner, thinking creatively is a daily necessity. Like most people, I don’t have the genetic advantage of Albert Einstein, Salvador Dali or Justin ‘Mr Tumble’ Fletcher. 

So I have to work at it. 

Over the years, I’ve developed a few ways to turn my brain from inspiration vacuum into a relatively free-flowing ideas factory.

Here are five suggestions for getting your creative juices flowing, without having to mainline caffeine!

1.     Get away from the problem

My brain is my enemy, most of the time. If I need it to sleep, it stubbornly does all it can to keep me awake. If I need to solve a creative problem, it will think about tidying the house or making dinner instead. 

How do I beat it? By doing what it’s not expecting. 

My best ideas come when I focus on a different activity – whether that’s gardening, decorating, running or playing on the trampoline with the kids. It’s like the problem sits in my subconscious, then when I’m fully distracted, my brain throws me a bolt of inspiration.  

So get away from your desk, find an activity that requires a shift in attention, and your brain will often filter through the problem behind the scenes and throw up a solution. Don’t forget to make a note of it when it does happen!

Why not take the example of doing new and surprising things even further? If you want a coffee, have a glass of water instead. When you go for a walk, take a different route. Because when you do something unexpected, adventurous, and out of your normal comfort zone, you open up your mind to think differently – and creatively.  

2.     Don’t grow up

When I ask my five-year-old daughter what she’d do with a derelict building that we pass in the car, or to make up a joke on the spot for me, she always has an answer right away (if you’re wondering, her answers here were a) a hairdresser school and b) what do dinosaurs drink? Roar-ter).

Why can she generate ideas so fast? Because she’s playful in her thinking and isn’t inhibited by what other people will think of her ideas.  

Much of the reason why we, as adults, suffer creative block is because – let’s be honest – we take life too seriously. We’re worried about what our colleagues or boss will think of our ideas, so our creativity gets suffocated. 

How do you beat this? By trying to put yourself in the same mindset as a child. In other words, free your mind to be adventurous, fascinated by everything and unrestrained. 

Work with joy and ignore the noise, fear and distraction around you. Genuinely ask yourself the question… how would a 5yo child tackle this problem? It’s a great way to generate more playful, creative, left-of-field solutions. And it really works. 

3.     Think about where you had your best idea

Analysing how you think is a great way to supercharge your creativity. Here’s how to start. Think about the best idea that you ever had. Or at least a good one. Now ask yourself where you had that idea, what you were doing at the time, when in the day or night it happened and what steps you took to develop it? 

Write your answers down, analyse all of them for their significance in your creative process, and see if there’s a process that you can repeat the next time you need to generate creative ideas fast. 

4.     Doubt yourself

Impostor syndrome’s become a bit of a cliché, because so many of us recognise that feeling of believing we’re not as competent as others think we are. If that sounds like you, there’s good news.

When it comes to creativity, feeling slightly inadequate can be a good thing. When I work in high-performing creative agencies, the best ideas often come from people who suffer from self-doubt. Their insecurities actually drive them forward in a positive way, impel them to have high standards, and work harder to find the best solutions and ideas. 

Self-doubt gets the heart pumping and bolsters creativity. So use it to your advantage. 

5.     Never wait for inspiration 

Waiting for a creative epiphany is like waiting to win the lottery. It’ll never happen.

So don’t sit in silence waiting for something earth-shattering to strike. The way to make your creativity come alive, is to do something. 

Forget about coming up with a mind-blowing idea. Instead, just put a few words down on paper or screen – however dull, uninspiring, or empty they might feel. Now let your mind wander in different directions, keep writing your thoughts down – good and bad – and actively watch how they develop.

Before long, you will have an exciting spark, the juicy root of something worth developing. The dark clouds will part, ideas will radiate your brain like sunshine – and you’ll make the breakthrough you need.  

How to write heroic customer case studies

Customer case studies, done well, can transform your content marketing from Tony Stark into Iron Man. 

They can be super powerful for lots of reasons: they prove you do what you say, they answer questions and objections, and they attract the attention of people you’d like to do business with.

For case studies to work, they need to be structured well. It's all about brilliant story-telling.

Let’s take a typical Avengers story, the kind that has my children (and me) gripped from open to close.

Captain America’s making the most of some time off and enjoying a trip to the Statue of Liberty. Suddenly, across the water, he sees bikes, cars and people flying up into the air. 

Good start, right?

It’s the work of Graviton, a super villain who can control gravity. Now, he’s tearing Manhattan from the earth and won’t stop until the Avengers surrender. 

Now that’s some problem to solve.

The Avengers assemble, devise a cunning plan and win back control of the city. Phew! Everyone is in a much happier place.

Mayhem to magic

While your story doesn’t need the same level of chaos and mayhem, it should share the same story-telling fundamentals to make an impact. 

In other words, it needs a compelling main character (someone who represents a ‘typical’ customer).

There needs to be a problem that’s keeping them awake at night.

There needs to be a battle or journey to resolve that problem, with your business flying in to help.

And it needs a resolution, where the customer’s in a much better place thanks to your product, skills and services. Bonus points if you use an Asgardian hammer.

Step-by-step guide

Let’s return to the real world. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing your super-powered story. It also shows the information you'll need to capture when you interview your customer.

1.    Find the right lead character

Identifying customers who are willing to tell their story doesn’t have to be a headache. Look on external review sites and social media to see who’s saying great things about you. Speak to account managers and other customer-facing people in the business to get their suggestions.

When you’ve found a customer and they've agreed to take part, it's time to interview them. Try to avoid email, however tempting that may be. A chat on the phone or face to face will give you much richer material. 

2.    Start your story with a stat

Statistics grab attention and encourage people to read on. So think about the key point(s) you’re trying to make in your case study and research some timely industry data that backs it up and will resonate with your audience.

3.    Introduce your customer

Explain who they are, what they do, and the current market factors affecting their business. By the end of this section, you’ll want your readers to identify with the customer, their situation and challenges.

4.     What’s their problem?

Now, turn to the key problems or challenges your customer was having before they partnered with you. Get fully under the skin of the issue. Explain what it meant to your customer day to day, how it kept them awake at night, or why it was leading to friction with their boss. Again, you’re aiming to capture real emotions and anxieties that potential customers will connect with.

5.     Show how your partnership was born

Explain how the customer came to work with you. Did they reach out because of your excellent reputation or after a personal recommendation? Show why they trusted you enough to bring you on board.

6.    Set out the solution

Here, the customer should explain how your business helped them overcome their issues. Use this section to reference all the things you’re great at – your unique skills, customer-focused team, years of success and experience, friendliness… basically whatever makes you you. But don’t over-egg things. Tell the truth and keep things real, because that’s what potential customers want to hear.

7.     Go big on benefits

It’s not enough to have a happy customer at the end of your story. Potential leads will be looking for something much more robust – hard stats about the benefits you’ve brought to the business. So you’ll need to uncover tough and reliable data that quantifies the value of your support.

Have they hit a target they could never have achieved before? How much has your support helped improve their efficiency or reduce costs? Hard stats will make your case study more persuasive. They’re also great for sharing on social channels to drive more people to your latest success story. 

8.     Finish with a quote from your business

While the case study’s real power should come from your customer’s story, readers will want to hear from your business too. Include a quote from a business leader that aligns this particular achievement to the company’s broader values, successes and strategy. We’re talking cherry-on-the-cake stuff here, nothing too lengthy.

What’s amazing about building up a collection of customer case studies is that it gives you a bank of great quotes and proof.

It’s gold that keeps on giving and can be used to strengthen your marketing across all channels.

If you need help adding a hero's touch to your case studies, get in touch. 

Spaghetti hopes and cotton-bud chaos: what we can learn from this week's most-clicked

I write copy for a living, so I’m fascinated by what makes Bob or Barbara click on one article, but not another.

I know I'm not first to the party on this, but it's always better to arrive late.

You know, when people are drunk, the music's loud and everyone's open to having a conversation about cotton buds.

Anyway... 

Lots has been written about why readers can't resist certain headlines, so I won't repeat that. Instead, I'm getting practical.

I've rounded up some of the most-clicked stories from this week's Guardian newspaper for a quick analysis. If you've got a dodgy heart, tread carefully as we're going to cover some sexy territory.

Headline 1

The only 4 spaghetti recipes you’ll ever need

Why it made so many of us click

It makes a bold claim and feeds (whoops!) into a desire for neat and simple solutions in life. Essentially, it promises a clear reward, a foodie's jackpot, for clicking. So you just have to go there. 

Headline 2

Put down the cotton buds - a quick guide to cleaning earwax

Why it made so many of us click

You always thought cotton buds were useful, right? Not according to this headline. It makes us question our beliefs, and that piques our curiosity, so we click. It even promises the added benefit of a ‘quick guide’, so we can find what we need fast. Click, click, click.

Headline 3

Gone too Tsar: the erotic period drama that has enraged Russia

Why it made so many of us click

Toe-curling pun alert! I'll bet you any bad-ass box-set of your choice that this headline would have worked just as well without that pun. It's a winner because it uses well-chosen, evocative words. Who doesn't want to read about Russians being enraged by eroticism?

Headline 4

May’s immigration policy seen as ‘almost reminiscent of Nazi Germany’

Why it made so many of us click

Some proper news now. This one made an impact because the story’s the perfect fit for its audience. It reinforces the attitudes of its left-leaning readers. We already knew she was a cold-hearted cyborg who's allergic to humanity. Here, that perception is pushed to the limit. We say, I knew she had the emotions of Siberia, but I didn't realise she was that bad. And we click.

Superfast (but cooked through) takeaways

The next time you're penning a headline and clamouring for clicks, apply these tips:

• Make a catchy promise that readers won't be able to resist
• Show what's most surprising about your story. You want people to feel curious, then they'll click
• People want their information fast, so using phrases like 'quick guide' really works
• Your story doesn't have to be sexy to sound sexy. Find the most evocative, unusual or engaging adjectives and use them
• Play to your crowd. Mirror their attitudes and beliefs and if you've got a powerful quote in your story, don't be shy about using it in your headline
• Puns are pants

If you need help finding the right words for your business, get in touch at thewritinglabcreative.com

A short post about happiness

Young Brits have never been unhappier, says today's news. This wobble in their wellbeing is largely down to worries about jobs and money. Understandable really, as they're the things that make lots of us hear our own heartbeats in the middle of the night.

While I can't wave a magic wand and pull jobs and cash out of a hat, there is one thing I swear by for making me see the good in life.

Jaffa cakes.

That was a poor joke, but it sort of tumbled out of my subconscious as I wrote. Which is much closer to where I'm really going with this.

My advice to anyone – of any age – who feels unhappy is to... write.

Setting aside even half an hour every day to put your tumbling, messy thoughts down on paper provides an instant, but lasting, pick me up. It brings clarity, positivity and joy, without the calories of those jaffa cakes. 

Time to write, right?

Honestly. If you don’t do it already, you need to try it.

Just sit down in the evening and write about your day. It's pretty natural to start with something negative - a person or situation that's causing you stress.

As you write, the problem will feel lighter. Keep going and you'll notice happier thoughts spring to mind. That great thing you heard or saw today. Something kind that someone did for you. 

Oh happy day

By stepping away from distractions and letting your mind lead the conversation, you’ll remember the good things in your life. You'll feel grateful and even find yourself formulating plans to fix the things making you miserable. 

I swear to every one of you that writing works. I know some of you will disagree. You might think I'm making light of people's unhappiness. That saying this one solution can help everyone is naïve.

But I’m saying try it, commit to it and give it a month. And then tell me how you feel.

How to defeat your inner critic

Self-doubt can be a really toxic emotion. If we don’t overcome it, it can eat our creativity, stunt our ambition and professionally paralyse us.

If you're reading this, then I guess, like me, you're afflicted by this most common of human emotions. What I find surprising is that it hasn’t diminished to any great degree with age, experience or success. 

Even after 20 years of professional life, I still start every new project wondering if I’m a fraud.

Hard work, creative epiphanies and coffee mean I always get there in the end. But what’s annoying is that these thought patterns cost me wasted time and anxiety nearly every day.

So how can we overcome the nagging voice of our inner critic? 

Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from recent reading - particularly from a psychologist called Melody J. Wilding - that are helping me defeat my daily doubt fest.

1. You can kick the habit

Research tells us that of the 60 to 70,000 thoughts we have every day, around 98% are the same. This seems a little high to me, but I can see the underlying point. 

It shows that our inner critic is really just a habit. Like watching Love Island or drinking too much cold rose, it's a repetitive thought pattern that we can kick.

Wilding recommends starting by identifying the underlying beliefs - usually rooted in our childhoods - that make us feel we don’t deserve success. 

Once we acknowledge these, they show themselves up for what they really are - exaggerated and irrational.

My own self-doubt almost certainly flourished as a teenager at comprehensive school. 

If you showed signs of talent in any area but football, you’d be laughed at and most likely given an unfortunate nickname.

One time, I achieved something significant outside school and got my picture in the paper. In the run up to it being published I was terrified about what my classmates would say. 

Luckily, it turned out they were much more interested in listening to On a Ragga Tip and playing Kick Off 2 than reading the local paper, so no one even noticed. 

But success was always tied up with anxiety for me.

2. Get in the ring with your inner critic

Self doubt isn’t all bad. If it’s rational, it can protect us from making the wrong decisions. But the stuff I’m talking about is the repetitive nagging that deep down you know isn’t justified.

Wilding suggests we answer our inner critic back. So, for example, if it’s telling you that you’re not good enough to go for a promotion, you need to argue the case. 

Use it as an opportunity to honestly evaluate your skills. If there are gaps to fill, then respond positively by embarking on training or finding a career coach that helps you address those areas.

Use your inner critic to move forward - rather than allow it to hold you back.

3. Don’t let fear strangle your ambition

If you feel fearful of change and uncertainty, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. 

Self doubt will appear for most of us any time we try to do something new or significant. According to Wilding, this is a good thing. Because it reminds us that the thing we’re confronting requires us to be brave. That it’s something really important to us. 

So whatever doubts we have, we can choose how we use them. Allow them to stop us. Or, as Wilding says, use them as our ‘greatest strength and most valuable tool’. 

What the UK general election can teach us about engaging – and annoying – people

For anyone who communicates for a living, the UK’s general election campaign has been pure gold. A free seven-week course into the art of influencing people – or not as the case may be.

May wobbled. Corbyn climbed. And each of their journeys provided great material for those of us who write, communicate or engage with any kind of audience. It’s been fascinating to see which messages gained traction? Which didn’t? And to try and translate that into how we can all connect better with our own audiences?

Here’s a brief list of my election take-outs...

1. If you want to disrupt the competition, principles play well

Who’d have thought it? Brits are responding well to a manifesto based on fairness – and delivered by a decent man. The establishment thought Jeremy Corbyn was out his depth. Yet taking a principled, hopeful and honest approach has played well with a lot of people, particularly younger voters.

Quick conclusion: It’s tempting to spin our messages, oversell our achievements and overplay how flipping great we are. But many customers and prospects will respond best if we’re authentic, ethical and honest.

2. Don’t be complacent or arrogant, however dominant you are in your market

This snap election is a lot like a playground punch-up. Theresa May picked a fight with the skinny, weak kid. She was convinced she had the punch – her famous Brexit jab – to floor him. It was a punch so powerful that she wouldn’t even need to cost her policies, appear on debates or meet the public. But lots of voters saw through this. To them, it stank of complacency and arrogance.

Quick conclusion: While TM is still likely to win, it’s become a much more damaging campaign than she expected. Many voters felt taken for granted by a manifesto that offered no clear, positive vision for our nation. Her arrogance – and ghastliness – has cost her. So remember… even if you’re monstering your market, you can’t afford to take your position for granted.

3. Repetition is good. Repetition is bad

Soundbites and slogans do sway people. They contribute to building familiarity and confidence in a particular party or brand. But it can’t be your only tactic. Let’s be honest, ‘Strong and Stable’ was flogged like a dead pantomime horse. And people soon realised there wasn’t much of substance behind a slogan that had more in common with a strong sleeping pill.

Quick conclusion: Make sure the slogans that are the centrepiece of your business – and its ad and marketing campaigns – are catchier than the Maybot’s. They really should be vibrant, positive and benefit focused. And know your audience well enough to understand when you’ve repeated soundbites, slogans or values enough. Back them up with detail and substance – or you’ll annoy, bore and alienate the people you’re trying to engage with.

4. Take advantage of every opportunity

At the start of this campaign, it looked like JC lacked killer instinct. He seemed too sensible, too superior to play the political games that can make or break elections. To win, you need to leap on the mistakes and poke at the flaws of your opponents. To wound them, draw blood, hang them out to dry. Would our grey-bearded geography professor really have it in him…? Well I think he’s done quite well. There was his last-minute decision to show up to the election debate. You know, the one where May preferred to send Amber Rudd into battle – a colleague whose father had just died. And when May said JC would be ‘weak, alone and naked’ in Brexit talks, he went on the attack, accusing May’s team of lying to the British people in the run-up to the referendum. Before the election campaign he seemed invisible. Now, he’s a fairly bright light. And that’s because he’s seized the opportunities that have come his way.

Quick conclusion: We may not all be party leaders, but we can get better at taking advantage of opportunities that come our way. So how do we do that? Make a decision to actively look out for opportunities, to be on the front foot and to respond rapidly to them. Work out the balance of risk and reward and if an opportunity feels worth it, commit the right resources and set the right objectives to make it happen. Don’t let it slip away.

5. Made a mistake? Don’t pretend you didn’t

It’s fair to say that the Tories made a mess of their social care policy. They performed the sort of U-turn capable of aceing any driving test. How May responded to this reminded me of a post-match interview with Arsene Wenger. ‘Oh, that controversial incident. I’m afraid I didn’t see it’. She effectively denied it had ever happened. Even though we’d all seen it with our actual eyes. As for Labour, well they’ve made plenty of blunders of their own. Not least, Diane Abbot’s figure-fluffing, mathematical meltdown in a radio interview. JC’s response? He admitted she’d quoted a duff figure and had corrected it. He said he wasn’t embarrassed. And the media moved on.

Quick conclusion: When we make a mistake, it’s important we take responsibility. The public, customers and employees all respond best when we’re not afraid to say sorry. In fact, it can help protect your reputation in the long run. In contrast, what TM did amounts to treating the people she represents like idiots. You don’t need a politics degree to know this is not a strong or stable way to behave.

So that’s my whistlestop guide to the election. Do you agree? Or do you think we could learn more from the methods of Maybot than the practices of Prof Corbyn? Let me know in the comments.

A few final thoughts. Just like in this election, competitors will always want you to play their game. But it’s important to be confident – and play your own. Most of all, listen to the people you represent. Whether it’s a team of colleagues or customers, if you don’t listen and respond to their needs, they could leave you for the grey-haired guy next door.

How to write better stories about your business

Breaking news! Baby elephants wear pyjamas to keep warm.

Everyone loves a good story. And every business needs to know how to tell them well. Because sharing the right stories about your products, services and staff can positively influence the way people - internally and externally - feel about you and your brand. 

Even with the best intentions, it’s easy for communicators in businesses to tell the same old stories. 

You face pressure from your sources - and anyone else who has to approve the work you do - to do things in a certain way.  Someone with influence may say your perfect, simple and clear article dumbs down their message. A great piece may be torn to shreds by legal or brand teams.

The good news challenge

Another problem is that you’re mostly trying to tell good news stories. And good news isn’t easy to sell. 

Look at any news website or newspaper and they’re saturated with scandals, conflicts and crime. Feel-good news is much harder to find. 

So how do you tackle these challenges? How do you succeed in sharing stories that people actually want to read?

Traditional news values

A good basis for progress is to apply proven, traditional news values to the work you do. I studied the subject, as part of a journalism degree, at university. The names Galtung and Ruge, and Schlesinger and Bell are etched on my brain. They’re not brands of whisky.

Here are some of the values that these guys put forward. They can be easily applied to most forms of business writing and provide a strong, proven foundation, for readable, engaging content.

1. Personalise your stories

We all know that people are fascinated by people. We enjoy finding out how other people live, behave and work. 

Every story you write should tap into this simple truth. Profiling a senior person in your business? Don’t just share the job stuff. Get them to reveal a little more about what makes them tick. Highlight something light, funny or inspiring.

Find out what they had for breakfast, what they did at the weekend, or a surprising fact that nobody else knows about them.

Little details open a window into someone’s soul.

Another way of connecting with a larger audience is to tie your story into the everyday problems or interests of people. I’m a pretty normal chap. I have a family, I like football, wine, reading and looking at property I can’t afford. 

If you dryly informed me that you had a new CEO I probably wouldn’t be all that interested. Sorry. But if you told me he or she wanted to be an astronaut when they were a child - or that they idolised Arsene Wenger (surely somebody must), I’d immediately feel like I knew them. 

If you told me company profits were booming at a faster rate than the London property market, I’d give you my time and have a read. Connect your messages back to the everyday. Appeal to people’s emotions and your stories will have more impact.

2. Remain neutral

It’s easy to sound like a salesman when you’re writing for a business you work for. And apologies to any salesmen reading, but no one likes a salesman. 

Showing off and grandstanding about your company is never an effective strategy. If you’re reporting a news story or feature internally or externally, keep your writing objective and free from bias. Use quotes from people in the business to add the depth of opinion you need. 

The most effective writing simply states the facts and gives readers room to make up their mind.

3. Unexpectedness

Tales of the unexpected are surefire winners. What do I mean by unexpected? If a man catches a fish, it’s not newsworthy. But if a man dressed as a fish rescues someone who’s drowning, whoop whoop, bring me my quill.

How do you apply this to your business communications? It’s all about finding an unusual angle to lead with. Like our man-fish, something that will hook your audience.

I wrote an article for a company’s internal magazine about an employee who’d completed 40 years’ service. A straight write-up would only appeal to those who knew him personally, which wouldn’t be a great return on investment for the company paying me for my services.

During our interview, among tales of his first day in work and top tips for success, he let slip that he was once confronted by a lion as he left work. It had escaped from a circus next door and had him trapped in his office. Journalistic gold! 

So I led with the fact he’d come face to face with a lion - and built the service story around that. Suddenly the story had teeth. Bite. And other roar-ful puns. It was a great way of bringing in more readers - and sharing his success as an important and long-serving employee with a larger audience.

4. Unambiguity

That’s an overly ambiguous way of saying that if a story is easy to grasp, it makes for better copy. If you - or your story source - can’t explain their message in a sentence or two, then you/they need to go back to the drawing board and find an easier way to say it. 

If readers don’t get a story after the first par, why would they bother hanging around to see if the next one helps them understand it? Whatever pressure you’re getting behind the scenes to include long-winded explanations or, worse still, jargon, you owe it to your readers to keep it short and keep it simple.

5. Continuity

Running stories are the ones with legs. The issues that have gathered momentum in the media - that lots of people in the street are talking about. It could be of minor national interest, like the EU referendum. Or of genuine national interest, such as whether Cheryl and Liam are really together. 

If these are the issues people are talking about, you should embrace them in your business writing. 

Let’s take the referendum. If your business has any vested interest in whether to stay in or out, now’s the time to take full advantage. 

Every business is like a sardine tin packed with unique knowledge and expertise. Find a relevant expert who has something to contribute to these big debates. Post a blog from them on your website - and promote it on social media. Get them into your local paper, onto radio and TV.  

Running news stories offer huge PR potential. Ride on their crest. It could be worth thousands in free marketing.  

6. Create some Buzz’

Okay, this one isn’t a news value. It’s actually a sweeping statement. 

People under 35 are tired of words. They want their information - for the most part - delivered in snappy, bitesize pieces. Buzzfeed style. 

Your business content - the way you tell your stories - should reflect these trends.

You wouldn’t eat a whole Yorkie in one mouthful. But you might eat it in one sitting, after snapping it into chunks.

So instead of writing a straight news story, why not break it down into bitesize chunks, with snappy subheads. Introduce quizzes, lists and links to other resources and media. 

Contact us

The Writing Lab once met Tom Jones in a bar in Bournemouth. That’s our story - and we’d love to help you tell yours. Get in touch here.

How to write better - in 5 (and-a-half) easy steps

Lots of blog posts are littered with false promises. They offer tips to improve your life in five minutes. But like the residents of an old people’s home, none of them work.

Not this one! Whether you write for work or pleasure, here are my five (and-a-half) tried-and-tested tips to do it better.

1. Imagine you’re talking to a friend in the pub

A former editor told me the trick to writing well was simply to imagine you were telling your story - whatever it might be - to a good mate in the pub.

This simple trick helps you work out what’s most entertaining, newsworthy and emotionally engaging about your message. 

Even if you work in a non-sexy industry and have something technical to communicate, this little nugget helps you distill your message down. You’ll uncover the angle with the most human interest and have a couple of punchy, engaging sentences to build your piece from.

Top tip: you need to imagine the conversation sober.

I recently wrote a piece about new pipework being laid in a tunnel under the River Humber? Boring, you say. I think you mean Boring. Engineers are digging huge shafts at each end of the estuary, dropping in a 100m long tunneling machine, drilling for a year and then feeding 5km of pipe through the hole… *takes sip of pint and eats a pork scratching*

2. First drafts are always dodgy

Ever stared at a blank screen with your brain feeling like a tiny, lost astronaut in an infinite universe of blackness? Or the last cornflake in an otherwise empty cereal box? 

That’s where you’re going wrong.

Never wait for inspiration to arrive. It’s not like a bus, where if you wait long enough, two great ideas come at once. If your mind is blank, you need to fire it up. And the best way to do this is to start writing anyway. The very act of writing makes inspiration more likely.

Every writer knows that the first draft of anything is a messy shambles of half-baked ideas, double-baked typos and bad grammar. But it brings you much closer to your objective than sitting in the dark in front of a blank screen telling yourself you’re worthless.

Your second draft will see you shifting paragraphs and polishing your prose with confidence. By the end of your brilliant third draft, you have permission to feel smug.

3. Work hard on your headline and story intro - and then work some more

The secret of good writing is to work harder at it than everyone else. I know that’s not the best news to receive. Wouldn’t it be brilliant if there was a lazy fix, where you became brilliant with no effort? But sadly not.

I was chief sports sub on a newspaper for several years and the only secret behind my relative success was that I pushed that little bit harder to give every story an extra coat of gloss.

When you’re happy with a headline or intro, don’t stop there. Most people will. But you’re different. So go back and see if you can improve it further. Can you make it clearer? Can it work harder to tell the story? 

Writing well is hard. Just accept that and keep trying to improve what’s in front of you.

4. Set yourself a ridiculous deadline

The ticking timebomb of doom - or deadlines as they’re also known - bring out the best in most writers. However long we have to do something, the biggest moments of inspiration - the ones that elevate your work from craprio to Di Caprio - often arrive in short, fast bursts. 

In a newsroom, it’s not unusual to be thrown a dreadfully written double-page spread five minutes before deadline, with headlines and subheads to write, and copy to engineer. It’s an almost suffocating level of pressure. Your heat beats like a vibrating washing machine on spin. But you get results faster.

There’s no time to procrastinate, so you read more actively and just write something. Then you tart it up until your phone rings.

I’m a firm believer in setting artificial deadlines that recreate this pressure. If you ever find yourself faffing about and unable to focus again, set the clock for an hour and prove to yourself that you can get a first draft finished within the time. 

5. E is for Empathy

Hugging strangers under strobes in the early 90s wasn’t for everyone. But that rave spirit - that empathy for others - should be part of any good writer. 

Understand your audience. Work out what you want your readers or audience to know, feel and do. You won’t always get it right of course, but it helps you focus. 

5 and a half. Lenny Henry

How can you have half a tip? What kind of annoying writer promises that? I’m like an anxious parent in an expensive restaurant who doesn’t know whether to leave a tip or not. Or Louis Walsh. Trying to give advice, but only getting halfway there. You remind me of a young Lenny Henry by the way.

For what it’s worth, my half a tip is that the more you research, the easier writing becomes. Why’s that half a tip? Well because the more you do it, the closer you'll get to feeling its full benefit.

Read your source material once and writing will be hard work. Read it twice - or more - and it will become at least twice as easy to write something great. 

Read well - and you’ll write well.

The conflict of interest that is crushing your creativity

Whether you write articles, produce podcasts or shoot videos, it’s a fact of life that you face pressure to do things in a way you wouldn’t normally choose. 

A key pressure point comes from your story sources - or the people you interview. They may openly ask you to include certain details, or construct or edit your piece in a certain way.

Or, due to their status or influence, you may feel a subconscious pressure to give disproportionate emphasis to their voice and opinions. 

But there’s a conflict. 

Weed out the weak

The objective of your creative work should be to give your audience something worth reading, listening to or watching. The best way to do that is to report and interpret your facts honestly, weed out the dull and weak quotes, and strive for accuracy and balance. 

So if someone’s pressurising you to give them more space or emphasis, they’re asking you to compromise your values.

A couple of moments recently brought this threat to the creative process into focus.

1. Overt pressure from someone who’s strong-willed and aggressive

I was writing an article about weddings in France for a national newspaper.

I approached the owner of a hotel wedding venue that I knew well. I asked for an interview and explained the benefit of having his business featured in the pages of the publication. Its large circulation provided a platform to reach thousands of potential clients.

He asked me to send some questions and said he’d reply by email. Keen to cover all bases - and unsure at that stage exactly what direction the piece would take - I sent across a long list of questions. 

True to his word, he responded. In great length and detail. A week or so later, he asked to review the piece - for factual accuracy - before publication. 

Healthy disagreement

I have no problem with that. It leaves you open to some healthy disagreement and debate, but I’d much rather deal with a problem before publication than after it.

It would be fair to say that he wasn’t particularly wedded to my article. 

He was miffed that I’d also interviewed one of his competitors as part of the piece and upset that I’d only included a small part of what he’d contributed.

He made out that I’d misled him. That he’d been made to believe he would get a large piece of publicity for his business - rather than a fairly small mention as part of a wider, balanced piece of editorial.

The unhappy source demanded that I give him more space and, for a moment, I felt pressure to do it. I didn’t want to burn my bridges with a contact I’d likely need to use again. 

Pickle risk

There was also an indirect danger that if I said no, he might demand I remove his contribution at the 11th hour - leaving me in the most Branston of pickles. 

After some reflection, I said no. I explained that I’d done a series of interviews and selected the best material from each. The article was fair and balanced and, above all, a great read. 

If I gave this source more space, my article would be like the bus at the end of The Italian Job, dangerously off balance and teetering on a cliff of lousiness.

When a strong-willed source makes demands, you’ll have an easier life if you meet them. But you’ll also lose your integrity. You should remember that in most cases you’re the creator, you’re the expert. Listen to that voice in your head. We’ll call it your conscience, so you don’t think I’m mad. Stay strong and do the right thing.

2. Subconscious pressure from an influential and intimidating source

So I wrote a feature about the upcoming European Football Championships in France. One of my interviews was with a wealthy, powerful and influential former football club president.

He generously gave up his time to talk and provided some controversial and candid opinions. 

The pressure I felt this time was less obvious, but no less strong. He’d made no demands on me. Yet because of his stature, I felt this weird force kicking me towards including a disproportionate amount of material from him.

Off target

My first draft was a long way offside. 

So I revisited it and questioned whether each of his quotes was strong enough for inclusion. The article I eventually submitted was - I hope - more balanced and a more reliable read.

The pressure I’ve talked about goes beyond these two examples. I feel it, to some degree, in every piece I write - whether it’s mainstream journalism, or internal or external comms content for businesses.

What are the best ways to relieve it?

1. Shape your source’s expectations from the start

Don’t oversell your project when you’re trying to find people to contribute. It’s not necessary. That’s not to say you shouldn’t sell yourself at all - you will need to explain your vision for the piece you’re producing with enthusiasm and excitement. And if you want an interview with a big name, you may need to turn on the charm. Flattery, as long as you mean it, goes a long way. But never over-promise on things you can’t guarantee.

Also, if you’re upfront about the fact that your work is guided by the principles of good journalism, it gives you authority from the start.

2. Have truth and balance as your watchwords

Always interpret and report information you get from interviewees honestly and accurately. Produce work that is fair, honest and balanced and never give in to a request to withhold facts or give someone extra space or emphasis.

3. Plan your interview with the precision of an army general

It’s not professional to waste someone’s time - although we’re all guilty of it now and again. So before you pick up the phone, take the time to prepare exactly what you need to know from your source to produce the length of work you need to. Focus your questions and never ask more than you need to.

4. Make your audience your priority

Readers and listeners are hard to win and easy to lose. Edit your work based on their needs - not your sources'.

Converting leads into clients — is it an art or a science?

Marketing experts tell us there’s science behind converting business leads into paying customers. 

There's a formula for it. A marvellous mix of sophisticated theories that we can apply. 

But I’ve come to the conclusion that while all this talk is great for helping us take conversion rates more seriously, the reality of how we get people to buy our products or services remains quite primitive.

Two people

Closing a sale is almost always about an interaction or connection between two people. 

In a supermarket, you may be teased and tempted by their tricks to get you to browse for longer and buy more. But if an employee can’t help you with a query, you may walk out without spending. If a person at the cashdesk is rude, you’re likely to pack your bags elsewhere next time. 

I’m a demanding sort of customer. I expect businesses to give me good service, listen to my concerns and always follow through on their promises. If they fail in any of these areas, I’ll go elsewhere.

Good, bad and ugly

When it comes to selling my own product - writing and creative services - my approach to closing sales has been shaped by both good and bad experiences.

Like a lot of writers, hustling for new business doesn’t come naturally. But a job in a credit card call centre as a straight-out-of-uni 21-year-old showed me there’s more than one way to skin a cat - and make a sale.

For eight hours a day, we took calls from credit card customers for a pitiful hourly rate. But if we could persuade them to transfer any balances from another credit card on to our own - we earned a juicy bonus.

Cunning

I thought I’d be lousy at it, but after a day of selling I found myself top of the leaderboard in my section. After the shift, over a beer in the bar next door, I realised there were several reasons for my Leicester City-like rise to the summit.

Mostly it was because I wasn’t being too ‘selly’. I’d taken a fairly natural approach to my conversations, helping the customer with their query before asking if our offer - which was pretty strong - interested them. 

If they said yes, I closed the sale quickly. 

Persistence pays

I also noticed that I was more determined than some colleagues. While they let a knockback annoy them and might not mention the deal again for several calls, I’d make my pitch every time.

Success was simple enough:

• being friendly
• simply selling the product in front of me - without frills or misplaced adjectives
• persistence
• making the sale there and then

When I started working in the media, I was given new opportunities to convert leads in the form of new business pitches. 

Ca va? Er, no

My first was as far from pitch perfect as you can imagine. We’d flown to Paris early and were hoping for a triomphe.

But I allowed pressure, lack of experience and fatigue to get the better of me. I gave silly answers to simple questions, bumbled and tripped over my words and, although it’s humiliating to admit this, was a total imbecile. 

It was the ultimate lesson in how not to sell. I was like the worst candidate on the Apprentice, without the misplaced self-confidence to brush it off. On the flight home, I made the decision to study what went wrong, work on my weaknesses and make sure it never happened again. 

Back on the bike

I’ll be forever grateful to my boss of the time. Rather than give me the Alan Sugar finger and fire me on the spot, he threw me back in at the deep end for an upcoming pitch. 

This time, understanding much better what was involved, I prepared well. We went in there armed with the knowledge, research and awesome creative ideas to win the business. 

The confidence we had in our product and our keenness to work with this particular public-sector client created a strong and immediate connection. 

Shared frequency

But what really sealed things was when the head of communications asked me more about my background. I’d worked in radio news for a station in Birmingham and it turned out that she had completed a similar apprenticeship a few years before. 

We knew the same people and it gave her comfort that I’d thrived in the same tough environment that she had. It was the cherry on the cake, the flake in the 99, the cassis in the champagne to give her the final nudge to choose us. 

Our common history had tipped the balance. There was science, but there was art too. A personal connection had seemingly sealed the deal. 

Can sell, will sell

What I hope all that shows is that you don’t have to be the greatest salesman in the world to actually sell well. But there are a few things you do need...

1. Be self aware

If you’re not converting enough leads into clients, don’t blame them. You need to honestly ask yourself why people don’t want to work with you.

I’m quite partial to a good book on self-improvement so I can tune up the parts of me that run more like an old Skoda than a gleaming Roller. When it comes to learning to sell more, self-improvement is a good place to start.

2. Know what it takes to convert you

What makes you choose one supplier over another? For me, it’s a combination of liking a product or service, liking and trusting the people who are selling it and feeling like I’m getting value for money.

If I set out this framework for my own purchases, then I can be pretty sure my potential customers are doing the same. 

Take a critical look at all your marketing materials - from your website and email marketing to the way you talk to leads on the phone. Do they really provide potential customers with the reassurance that you’ll do a better job than everyone else out there?

3. The art of badgering

It’s frustrating when contact dries up with someone you’re really keen to work with. 

This is one time that it’s okay to ignore your instinct. 

You may think the prospect has decided you’re annoying and useless. More likely, they’re at peak workload and don’t have time to respond. 

Wait a few days and then email or call again. This time, ask your prospect a direct question, such as ‘have you had time to go over the materials I sent and made a decision?’ 

If you still hear nothing, I think it’s worth directly asking for the sale. Ask if they’re ready to start working with you and you might find more of them say yes than you were expecting. They became a prospect because they showed an interest in you. So don’t be afraid to be direct. Your competitors won’t be. 

4. Be likeable, trustworthy and good at what you do

If a potential customer has shown an interest, it’s likely they’re suffering certain pain points with an existing supplier. In every connection you make with them, reinforce why working with you would eliminate those problems. 

If you want to win a client, you need to keep reminding them how great it would be working with you - and how incredible you are at what you do.

5. Make it easy - and interesting - to contact you

Which of these calls to action would you be more likely to respond to?

Whether you're looking for answers, would like to solve a problem, or just want to let us know how we did, you'll find many ways to contact us right here?

or

Our competitors are hoping for a zombie apocalypse. Zombies eat brains you see. And it’s fair to say we offer more braininess than the average creative agency. Our team has qualifications in medicine, marketing, science… so be sure to pick our brains before someone (or something) else does.

I love the second one. Maybe it’s a tad wordy, but it tells you so much more about their business (a creative agency called Wellmark) than the first (Ikea). It demonstrates their creativity and ‘braininess’ in a fun way. It’s clever and clear. There’s art in converting clients.

Are the words in your business working hard enough? The Writing Lab can help

What my two-year-old has taught me about communication

Bright slide

As a professional writer, I'd always believed I was a competent communicator. My words were my weapon to engage, educate and persuade. 

And then I had children.

My little boy (we’ll call him ‘R’) is two and it’s a constant battle to get him to listen to me. But I do love a challenge and the whole experience of being a dad makes you rethink the building blocks of being a good communicator.

Over the past week, I’ve made a few notes about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting through to a strong-willed toddler. He’s the toughest audience out there, but the most rewarding to work with. 

From keeping my messages simple and clear to learning the value of fun and good humour, I’m learning lessons that are just as relevant in the board room as they are in my son’s Peppa-Pig-packed bedroom.

1. Learn to listen - and don’t let it slide

So we went to the swimming baths on Saturday and R wanted to go on the big slide. Until we got the top. 

Retracing our steps would mean pushing through a snaking queue of people and descending a steep spiral staircase. But if we just went down the slide anyway, we’d not only toughen R up, we’d be down in a jiffy. Or so I thought.

The green light flashed and with R on my lap, we started to slide. Then we stopped. He’d planted his feet flat on the slide and was using them as a very effective brake. 

I pushed and he resisted. With every inch we moved, I grew more concerned that someone was about to fly down behind us and shatter the vertebrae in my back. 

Lesson: I made a really poor decision not to listen to R, because it was easier for me not to do so. The outcome was awful - a stressful descent and an unhappy little boy. Good communication and building trust is all about listening. A big fail here for me.

2. Clarity is good. Empathy is better

I had a shelf to put up - so I asked R to help me. “Get my tools,” he said excitedly, and ran off to gather up his plastic saw and hammer. 

He climbed a little stepladder and helped me hold the spirit level. From his elevated position he spotted two ‘real’ screwdrivers on the worktop - a standard Phillips one and a second, tiny but devastatingly sharp one for making marks in the plasterboard for my wall fittings.

“My have the little one?” he asked. I like to nurture his interests, so I decided to let him hold it. The reality of seeing a two-year-old on a small platform holding a sharp screwdriver made me quickly question my wisdom. 

I decided to explain clearly that the screwdriver was dangerous and offer him an alternative, safer tool to hold. He loves a tape measure, so I offered him the swap. 

Meltdown! He doesn’t have many, but this was toddler-geddon. Rivers of real tears and sad, sad screams of “my driver”. 

In my mind, I was removing risk from the situation. In R’s mind I was cruelly stopping him doing the one thing he wanted to do. When I saw it from his point of view, it was easier to deal with. I told him that if he sat on the floor and used it safely then he could have it for another 10 minutes. 

By showing empathy, he softened his stance and gave up the screwdriver when I asked him to.

Lesson: Empathy is an important ingredient in effective communication. Get to know your audience’s feelings and needs if you really want to make a breakthrough.

3. Your tone needs to agree with the audience - never be boring

There are plenty of good things about Peppa Pig. Solid values are represented, life is always fun and they sing catchy songs about big balloons and the sea still being there. 

Small wonder, then, that prising R away from it is harder than pulling your fingers apart when you get superglue on them. 

Standard techniques don’t work. Polite and authoritative demand? Ignored. Repeating that demand? Ignored. Threats and ultimatums? Ignored.

What does work is making him laugh. And the best way to do that is to pretend to be Mr Bull and tell R we need to turn Peppa off because I need to “dig up the road!” Once he’s giggled, he’s distracted and he’ll happily do a jigsaw or have a tea party with me instead.

Lesson: Don’t be boring. Find a fun and surprising way to deliver your message. 

4. Selling the benefits of your message isn’t always enough

So have you tried getting a toddler to brush his teeth? If you haven’t, it’s like playing chess and Risk while riding a unicycle. You try one strategy. It looks like it’s working. But then he throws your king/his toothbrush on the floor. 

I tried to explain the benefits of brushing his teeth - a nice smile that little girls would like. It didn’t work. There were months of stand offs and stress, before we found a solution. 

In the end, my wife bought a second toothbrush and began asking him which one he wanted to brush with. By giving him the power to make a key decision about his daily brushing, he started to brush properly. 

Lesson: Good communicators don’t just make demands and expect results. They empower people.

5. Communicate with love

Selfish motives - like my shame on the slide - are totally transparent, even to a two-year-old. The only way to really get a message heard is if you deliver it with genuine loving intentions.

Over the weekend, R was doing circuits of the house with no concern for his own safety. If I didn’t intervene, he was going to hurt himself. 

Instead of simply telling him to stop, I waited for him to come back into the room, grabbed him and tickled him. When he calmed down, I explained that I loved him and I was worried that he would hurt himself if he carried on being so reckless. He said: “Okay Daddy,” and went and sat on the sofa.

Lesson: You need to have genuine care for the people around you if you want them to listen to you. If they feel you have their best interests at heart, they’ll respond positively to the demands you make on them. If you’re still reading this by the way, I love you. 

The limits of my little study are actually its strength. A two-year-old is clearly more concerned about his own needs than anything else. But I’d argue, so are most adults. When you communicate with anyone, what they really want to know is what’s in it for them.

Communication lessons from a two-year-old

• Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be direct and honest, don’t skirt around difficult issues or play games
• Be specific, communicate with clarity and inspire action
• Show empathy - understand how the person or people you’re communicating with are really feeling
• Don’t be boring - find fun and surprising ways to get your message across
• Focus on the benefits to the other person when you have an idea or argument to sell
• The tone of your message needs to match the persona of your audience
• Most of all, remember that your audience isn’t all that interested in you. They’re interested in themselves. They want to know what’s in it for them. If you can’t tell them that, then you may not get very far.

How to do a simple content audit on your website

Are the words on your website working? Have you found a voice that encourages the right people to read them? 

Do they attract new visitors, reinforce relationships and create new sales opportunities?

If the answer’s no, it’s time for an audit. 

But if that sounds like too big a task, there are some simple, and relatively quick ways to Febreze it, rather than put it through the full wash cycle. It will take a lot of the dirt out in a fraction of the time.

1. Prioritise the pages to work on

You’ll probably be squeezing your audit in among other tasks, so you’ll want to use your time wisely. The first step is to have a general look over the whole site and see if anything’s missing. You should have pages and articles that reinforce each of the following objectives.

Awareness - do you have enough content that talks about your business and what you do, without being about what you sell? This is the important stuff that makes you human, such as your ‘about us’ page.

Excitement - you need content that flicks a switch in your visitors from just knowing your product or service to actually wanting to buy it. This might include blog posts or case studies that show how your product helps people solve a unique problem, or a portfolio of your best work. 

Going deeper - you’ll also need sufficient content to satisfy visitors who want to look more deeply into your business before they decide whether to buy. An FAQ section is effective, so that answers to common questions can be easily found. Blog posts that give a broader view of the market you operate in, or offer opinions on new trends or technology, are a great way to show your expertise and leadership.

Consideration - your site should provide useful, persuasive content that helps you win the argument when a customer weighs up your product against competitors’. Reviews, testimonials and blog posts that explain why you’re the best at what you do - without being too selly - are great for this.

Conversion - this is the content that helps people buy your product. It might be as simple as the message that encourages people to get in touch. Or, if you’re selling a product, it will involve every piece of content between hitting ‘add to basket’ and confirming a purchase. 

These terms are helpful for making sure your content is balanced and there’s a business case for it. 

But you should also add to your audit mix anything you simply feel needs improving. It might be your headlines, or the need to develop a more consistent tone of voice.

2. Spring cleaning your content

With your priorities in place, you can now take it page by page and clean up your content. Although we are focusing on a fairly quick fix here, it’s important you apply the same standards to every page so your judgements and improvements are consistent.

Either set up a spreadsheet and note your comments to address later. Or dive in and make the changes as you go. Ask yourself…

- Does the page or post have a sound business reason for existing? Where does it fit into the feeling you’re trying to create for visitors and your overall content strategy? Does it represent your brand and values adequately and fit into one of the areas we listed above?

- Are the words awkward and over-optimised? Maybe you worked with an SEO company in the past which advised you to pack in keywords tighter than a tin of sardines. Those days are long gone and both search engines and customers are turned off by artificial content. If you find examples like this, rewrite the section to sound more conversational and natural. Once you’ve finished, if you feel it’s short of the keywords that represent your business, you can carefully drop a few back in without disturbing the flow. 

- Are the headline and first paragraph strong? Ask yourself honestly if they would make you read on. Do they offer a benefit to the reader? If not, rewrite them so they do.

- Look at the page as a whole. As you read it, you’ll probably trip over the odd word, turn of phrase or sentence. Rewrite anything clumsy, fluffy or unnecessary. You’re looking for useful, lean content. There needs to be a reason for everything that’s there.

- Exterminate jargon. I’m a journalist, so jargon upsets me. It upsets your customers too. If they don’t understand something in your content, they won’t give you a chance to explain. Make sure every sentence is written in plain English. Words like utilise (use), visualisation (chart) and curation (picked) all make me shiver, and they’ll turn your potential customers off too. If they don’t understand you, how are they supposed to understand what you’re selling?

- Keep it short. An easy way to make your words more readable - without much work - is to make your pages easy to skim. One or two-line paragraphs, along with lots of subheads keeps life simple for your readers.

- If, during your audit, you find a piece of content that’s really strong, think about other ways you could use it. Add more links to it from other pages, promote it on social media or consider beefing it up into a free ebook for visitors to download. Free and useful content is a proven way to build trust in your brand and encourage more interest and sales. 

- Calls to action. We all browse websites. And we’re all looking for excuses not to buy what’s in front of us. Work out what action you want people to take on each page - and spell it out simply. You want to stir their emotions and get them excited. Depending on your product, you might try something clever or go with a simple message with a strong verb, such as ‘buy now’, ‘download now’, ‘apply now’. Don’t underestimate the effect a good call to action can have. When the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund changed theirs from ‘Submit’ to ‘Support Haiti’ they increased the amount donated per visitor by 15.75pc.

Big picture

Go through this simple process and the bad odours in your content will be gone for good. Another benefit is that, by taking an overview of your site, you’ll have a better sense of how the content is balanced and where the gaps are that you need to fill. 

Some content attracts new visitors, some strengthens your relationships, and some smooths the path to a sale. By doing a simple audit, you’ll be sure that yours is just as fresh as any competitor’s.

What we can learn from the kings of camera and crease

A couple of outstanding performances made headlines in January. First, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Golden Globe-winning role in The Revenant. Second, England fast bowler Stuart Broad’s brutal demolition of South Africa.

I tried to draw some parallels between the two to see what wisdom and inspiration they could provide me on a cold January morning.

On the surface, the links are limited. Leo bowls over critics and audiences. Broad bowls out the Aussies.

What they both do brilliantly is deliver on cue. They perform to their best under the weight of huge expectation. So what can we learn from these kings of the camera and crease?

Leonardo DiCaprio

DiCaprio looks likely to end his Oscar drought with his performance in The Revenant. 

His character, explorer Hugh Glass, embarks on a quest for survival, in extreme conditions, after being attacked by a bear and left for dead.

DiCaprio suffered for his art, showing unshaken commitment to his character, crossing frozen rivers wrapped in a bearskin and eating a raw bison liver just for starters. 

Finger-numbing commitment

We’re talking full-on, finger-numbing commitment to making the best film he could. We may not all be Hollywood actors, but we can apply Leo’s rules to our own professions - commit to every project and push ourselves to the limit.

The Revenant’s director Alejandro González Iñárritu made another useful point. “Leo, like me, is absolutely obsessed with total perfection and doing whatever it takes to get to the next level. I think we both suffer from the same disease, which is called chronic dissatisfaction,” he said.

Killer bear

Striving for perfection can feel like facing a killer bear in the wilderness. But it’s a great idea to always reflect on your work with a healthy degree of dissatisfaction. By casting a critical eye, you put yourself on an ongoing journey of improvement. 

Most people who work with DiCaprio are full of praise, not only for his performances, but for the commitment he brings to every job. 

“Pain is temporary, film is forever,” he once said. That may sound a bit OTT, but at its core is the common-sense message to commit 100pc to every piece of work you take on. A simple piece of advice to cling to if you’re short of motivation on a Monday morning.

He also puts his success down to being his own man. “I'm not the kind of person who tries to be cool or trendy,” he said. “I'm definitely an individual.”

No distraction

And he doesn’t let things outside his control - like the fact he’s Oscar-less - distract him.

“If you can do what you do best and be happy, you’re further along in life than most people,” he said. 

“I don't think I ever expected anything like an Oscar ever, to tell you the truth. That’s not my motivation when I do these roles. I really am motivated by being able to work with great people and create a body of work that I can look back and be proud of.”

What we can learn from Leo

1. A healthy level of dissatisfaction in your work leads to an ongoing journey of improvement
2. Be an individual and be proud of it
3. Give every piece of work total commitment
4. Let your work, in itself, motivate you - not the potential rewards

Stuart Broad

From bear attack to pace attack, England cricketer Stuart Broad is a sportsman who thrives on pressure. Big occasions bring out the best in him.

He blew away South Africa earlier this month with a stunning spell of bowling, taking six wickets for a paltry 17 runs. His performance was up there with the eight wickets he took against the Aussies in the Ashes last year. 

Stuart’s stage is the cricket pitch. There’s no second take. He needs to make the right decisions in every match he plays.

Stumped!

But he’s human - and there have been bad times too. Not least when he conceded six sixes off a single over to Yuvraj Singh in 2007. It was the sort of experience that could break a sportsman. So why not Broad?

“Those six balls didn’t suddenly make me a bad bowler,” he said. "It did hurt me at the time, but I'm the type of person who tries not to get too high when things go well, so I don't get too down on myself when they go badly.”

Mental resilience

So he has a mental resilience that helps him cope with life’s ups and downs. When bad things happen, he sees them in context - and moves on.

He also thrives on the big occasion. Particularly if opposition supporters turn on him.

“My juices do seem to flow on the big occasions,” he said. “It gives you the sort of feeling you only experience when you’re playing in front of a big crowd. 

“I don’t shy away from that. I don’t worry about crowds or fear of failure. I just like getting stuck in. When the crowd gets going and I get a few boos I get moving.”

So the next time you’re up against it in a meeting or new-business pitch, call up the spirit of Stuart and let it drive you to great things. 

Step mum’s message

The bowler’s approach to his job has also been shaped by experiences in his personal life. He draws inspiration from his step mum, who died in 2010.

“She said don’t wait for tomorrow. Do things you want to do without delay,” he said. “I was very conservative, but now if I want to play a risky shot, I go for it.”

The message here is not to be afraid of change. It’s time to smash your bad habits out of the ground for good.

What we can learn from Stuart Broad

1. Don’t get carried away when things go well - and don’t get too down on yourself if they go badly
2. Seize the moment - do the things you want to do today, without delay
3. Thrive on competition - when the going gets tough show your colleagues and competitors what you’re made of

Confused about capitals? Follow these essential rules

The humble capital letter is used and abused so much it should probably seek therapy.

Some people drink Champagne. Others prefer champagne. Some go for prosecco.

Some people try to win an audience by capping every word in their blog title - Please Read My Brilliant Article, while others take a softer approach - Sorry to trouble you, but I’d like you to read my blog post. 

Capital offence

and then there’s a new generation of writer that refuses to capitalise any word in the english language because they literally don’t have time 2 consider such pointless rules. lol

A couple of client questions in the past few weeks have led me back to this most subjective of subjects.

The first was about why I use sentence case in the blog post titles I write for my client.

Brand befuddlement

The second was about how to tackle brand names that start with a lower case letter when you’re writing content.

Both good questions that led me to revisit the rules on capitalising words. 

After a fairly rapid review of numerous style guides, here are my thoughts on this complex capital landscape.

1. See you at the White House on Tuesday, president

Let’s start with the obvious. If you’re referring to a specific person, place, organisation or whatever else - also known as proper nouns - you need to cap the first letter.

It keeps your writing consistent and helps to clarify your meaning. When you write the White House, it’s clear you’re referring to the US president’s home, rather than a random bungalow down the street that’s had a fresh splash of render. 

It all sounds so simple, until…

2. A swiss roll for your alsatian

You might think that both of the above examples should be capped as they refer to a specific type of cake and breed of dog.

But more often than not, writers will opt out of capping nouns that have ‘lost connection with their origins’, as the Guardian’s style guide puts it. 

So you can go low with all sort of nouns, such as wellington boots, cheddar cheese, yorkshire pudding.

These are kind of easy to understand. It just feels the right thing for most writers to do. But what about Worcester sauce or Parma ham? I’d say they still need a cap, because they retain strong local links. 

Drink anyone? Champagne is one for debate. Even though it’s legally recognised to come from one specific place, it’s become the norm to write it as ‘champagne’. The cap has been harvested and it feels okay.

Capitalisation can also depend on the writer’s location. English media would always crown the Queen with a capital letter.

But when I worked for a national newspaper in the Republic of Ireland, which understandably lacked deference to Her Majesty, it was style to call her the queen of England.

The thing to ask yourself is whether going low will interrupt the flow of your writing or make it less clear. If the answer’s no, then slash caps where you like. 

3. Job titles

Plenty of news organisations write job titles in lower case. You might lead the country, but you’re still the prime minister. As society becomes less formal, so too does the writing.

If you’re communicating to staff in a business, it’s also a good way of showing you’re a business without barriers, where everyone is valued equally regardless of their position in the organisation.

4. Blog post titles - Why is Everyone Shouting?

While there’s a general tendency to use fewer capitals, there is one clear contradiction - and that’s the use of caps in headlines and titles across the web.

In the title of a book, film, TV show or whatever, most words, apart from the tiny articles (a, an, etc), prepositions (at, for, to, etc) or conjunctions (and, but, etc), are capped. It’s called title case, so fair enough.

But I don’t see a blog title as a title as such. It’s no more than a headline. 

When a writer chooses title case, they’re understandably trying to add emphasis to their post and grab the limited attention of readers as they scroll through busy Facebook or Twitter feeds. 

But for me, it feels unnatural and shouty. I know the title font on my website is all caps, but that's more a style decision. When I link to my blog from Twitter or elsewhere, I always use sentence case. It's softer, friendlier and more credible. It’s your choice, but as Frank Sinatra almost said, I'd do it my way.

5. Brands that start with a lower-case letter

Businesses that want to project a casual and friendly image often use a lower-case logo and brand identity.

But how should you approach that when you’re referring to that business in any piece of written content? 

Brand names, however they appear on a logo, remain a proper noun and should be capped up in content. So facebook or citibank, should be written as Facebook/Citibank for consistency and clarity. 

The only acceptable exception is when you have a brand with a lower-case prefix, such as eBay or iPad.

In those cases, I’d argue you keep better flow by retaining the style. Writing EBay or IPad looks ugly and would jar with your reader. Brands that take all caps, such as IKEA, should be written as Ikea. 

I’ve seen the small matter of capitalisation kick off many an angry newsroom and agency dispute. But after 15 years in the business, the above rules work for me.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below or my Twitter feed.

Some useful free resources: Guardian style guide http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-observer-style-guide-a, BBC news style guide http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/news-style-guide