By Valentine J. Brkich
Hey, you! Yeah, I’m talkin’ to you. You have to read this! Seriously. I wrote this for YOU!
Got your attention? Good. That’s the idea. And that’s what you have to do for your potential customers. You have to grab them—immediately—and then you have to be able to keep them interested.
Write like you talk. Quit trying to sound like William Shakespeare, for Pete’s sake. This is why so many people struggle with writing. They’re trying too hard to sound professional or important.
I used to do this myself when I was first starting out. Since I was striving to be a “professional” writer, I wanted everything I wrote to sound “professional.” But it just sounded boring. It was stiff. It lacked personality. It had no unique style to it and, as a result, it did nothing but inspire yawns.
But then I started writing a personal blog about being a small-town dad and all the trials and tribulations that come with being the father of two young children. I didn’t stiffen up when writing these stories. I wrote with style and humor, just as if I were telling the story to a close friend. The one compliment I got over and over was that people loved my conversational style. They said it made them feel like I was talking directly to them.
It was my eureka moment. From that point on, I started using these same techniques when writing for my clients. And you know what? They liked it. They really liked it.
Another tip: don’t force your target audience to read one single syllable more than they have to. You keep it short. And sweet. You write in short blocks. Like this one.
And this one.
And you let them know, right away, that they’ve come to the right place. Give them a second to be bored…and they’re gone—forever!
Think about it. How much time do you have in your life? How many responsibilities and options do you have that can pull your attention away from what’s important? A lot, right?
Nowadays, we’re all distracted and overwhelmed with a never-ending flow of content, from social media, TV, magazines, news, the radio, text messages, emails, etc. As a result, we all have short attention spans.
That’s why you can’t afford to waste any time—yours or your customers! Don’t make them slog through sentence after sentence of meaningless drivel. Just give them what they want, right away. Let them know that you—and only you—can solve their particular problem.
For example, say you’re working on a new website for your business. Of course, you’re going to put a lot of time and effort into the overall look and design, making sure that it matches your brand. But what about the content? It’s more than just making sure the content is SEO-optimized. The minute a potential customer finds your website, you literally have seconds to grab their attention.
What NOT to write on your home page: “Welcome to [insert company name]! Here at [company name], we strive to live by our mission and values. We want to be your one-stop shop for all of your [insert service/product] needs. [Company name] was founded back in 2019 to…”
Blah. Blah. Blah. By this point, they’ve already stopped reading and disappeared into the interwebs.
What you SHOULD write on your homepage: “Looking for [insert service/product]? You’re in the right place. [Company name] isn’t your mama’s [service/product] provider. We understand your problems. We get you. Most of all, we listen to you to make sure you’re getting exactly what you need. Sounds good to you? Let’s get rockin’!
See what I did there? The first example would put any potential customer to sleep and send them running for the hills. The second gets right to the point. It’s edgy. Confident yet casual. It sounds more like natural speech. Like you’re actually talking to the client.
It’s the kind of content that will intrigue visitors and get them to take action!
Imagine the client is right in front of you and then tell them, through your words, exactly how you can help them. Because that’s what they want.
Got your attention? Contact us today to learn more.
