Guest post by Janice Beetle.
As business owners and entrepreneurs create and roll out storytelling campaigns to raise awareness about their organizations, they must make sure they are producing content of value and not just more noise.
People are saturated with content today. You want to make sure you are standing out and getting noticed. Not deleted. Or unfollowed. Or unfriended.
The best way to make sure you are connecting with your audience is to focus on educating them about what you do, rather than selling to them. Make sure you are discerning between what is education and what is off-putting.
Here’s an example of noise:
“You just found the best nutritional advice on earth! Try it now for free!”
Or “Come take a tour and see why we’re the best retirement community in your area.”
That is not storytelling. That is just telling.
We all want to be seen as the best, though, and when we are the best, we want our prospects and clients to understand what sets us apart.
Show them success stories. There is no better content.
If you are a nutritional therapist, and you are consistently helping people to make healthier choices, and you are changing lives in some way, tell that story. Write about your client who suffered from embarrassing and frustrating digestive problems for years until you taught her that soups and stews made from real bone broth, and foods that are made without preservatives, could eliminate the problems.
If you are the premier retirement community in your region, tell stories about your residents, what they enjoy, and how your center is enhancing their lives.
Show your superpowers.
Educate. Don’t sell.
Every person in business has a product, service, or concept they want us to buy, but most of your clients aren’t thinking about shopping and buying when they are on social media or using Google to search for something they’re interested in.
They are poking around, seeing what’s out there.
People need to be wooed in a gentle way. They need to learn who you are and what you do and what the benefits are for them in order to get interested in your wares.
Here are some tips for moving your marketing content in a direction that is educational:
Share your success stories.
In your blog, your e-newsletter, donor newsletter, or on your website, share the stories of clients who have had a positive experience. Tell the stories of clients who came to you in need and are now thriving because of your good work.
Avoid superlative phrases and or statements that could appear to go over the top.
Maybe the health program you offer is the best on earth, but you have to earn trust by showing your audience why it’s the best. Teach your audience how to make broth, explain why it’s healing, and tell stories about who you have helped regain their life.
Simple is best. Keep your content short, simple, clear, and concise. Online messaging should be brief, between 300 and 500 words, so don’t go into more detail than you need and don’t get sidetracked with tangents.
You will have so much more success when you are gentle with your audience and teach them what they need to know about you.
Janice Beetle is a PR strategist and the owner of Beetle Press. She serves leaders of for and nonprofit organizations in Western Massachusetts and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, helping them imagine and roll out content and PR campaigns to raise awareness, boost sales and fundraising efforts, and inspire participation.
