I Don’t Know What To Write – Marketing Magic Time!
Whether its writing a blog article, new copy for your website or what you are going to say at the next networking event you’ve been given a show case slot at, here’s a great little technique to help you when you are staring at your screen or a blank piece of paper thinking “I’ve a million and one things to do and I can’t think of one thing to write down!”
Here is my top tips to help you work in a way that is natural to you that will help ideas flow. Every time I’ve run a training programme looking at creative ideas/copy/blogging someone will say “I can’t think of anything to write” and within a couple of minutes we’ve been able to come up with not one idea but many, many ideas. And the business owner gets that look on their face that says “Yes I get this!”
Firstly lets take you out of the work environment for a moment and think of something you naturally get on with. Do you like to write a list, scribble notes, diary it on your online calendar? Do you use an app for that? Do you like good old pen and paper or do you like to tap away on your tablet?
Next ask yourself where do you think well?
Do you need peace and quiet? Do you like music playing? Do you like to be curled up on the sofa next to your loved ones with the TV on? Do you need to be in the office with a cuppa? Knowing your natural style will help with more than just creative solutions.
Now ask yourself “What is my ultimate goal here?”
Do you want people to be signing up to an event? Signing up to your mailing list? Wanting to read more of your blogs? Knowing this will ensure you write in an appropriate manner. You will be surprised how many people do not have a call to action in their work. A point to remember this is not a “Blantant selling approach” however knowing what you goal is will impact on your writing style.
Who is your audience?
Before you start writing you need to ask yourself who do I want this to impact? What do I want them to do is only going to work if you are talking in the right way to the audience that you want to engage with. So its critically important to ask this. And at this stage if we were working together, business owner to business coach I would be asking you if they are a viable market for the success of your business. Its all very well connecting with an audience, but if they have no purchasing power on interest in your products and services it could be a costly waste of your precious resources.
Then ask;
What does my audience want to hear?
What do my audience need to hear?
Knowing the answer to the above 2 questions will enable you to ensure you use the kind of emotive language that your clients really want to hear. That really makes them think “That’s us!”
So now you have the back bone to what you want to write about, what if you are still struggling?
My natural style includes a mind map, okay so for those that follow the expert Tony Cuzan you will know that my style is not exactly correct, but I know that this style allows me to think in a way that is fluent with my natural style. And allows my brain to think through an idea.
Here I wanted to think about Happy customers. I started with them in the middle and I thought about what they wanted, what their fears were, what they came to me for and what the end results were. By allowing each thought to become a stand alone bullet point I could come off of each bullet point to further expand on this.
This process can be used to help you turn a 60 seconds into a 10 minute talk, a general press release into a series of articles, a stand alone blog into a series that you run over a 6 month period as part of your marketing strategy.
Here I show you how I would use it for a 60 second elevator pitch on being Mandie Holgate;
And here I have started to elaborate on the sections Coaching and The BWN and Family;
As you can see when you are utilising the Roots Method you are able to take the simplest of topic within your business and expand upon it to turn into something that can be used effectively as part of your marketing strategy.
Let me know how you get on and if I can assist further please do not hesitate to contact me anytime. I have a style of working that suits most budgets, big or small!