Content Matters More Than You Think

Happy Endings with Great Content

by Barb SawyersSticky Communication

Constant Contact seminarSeptember 23, 2014

The Tale of Princess Constance

Content is king

“People must be rewarded with deep and extremely up-to-date information.”

Content is king

Time for a makeover.

Questions

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

2. How can I improve my writing?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Respond to customers

Repackage your expertise

Reflect your world

How can content respond to customers?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Answer questions they ask youRaise issues they need to be educated onBuild a common ground

How can content reflect the world?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Seasonal markets, trends, illnesses, styles…Deadlines, prime time, special occasions…Politics, world eventsSports, movies, culture

How can you repackage your expertise?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

“deep and extremely up-to-date” information

Tips How-to Insight News

How can you repackage your expertise?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

entertainmentStories Drama Humour Games

Link your expertise to your life

How can you repackage your expertise?

Personal stories, business anecdotes that make your point, build common ground

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Respond to customers

Repackage your expertise

Reflect your world

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Plan

Pretend you’re talking

Make it shorter and prettier

2. How can I improve my writing?

Plan

Who you most want to reach

What you want to say

2. How can I improve my writing?

How you’re going to say it

Pretend you’re talking

2. How can I improve my writing?

Your first and favorite way to communicate

More social

Make it shorter and prettier

2. How can I improve my writing?

Short attention spans

Good writing is rewriting

Everybody writes“You need… a writing GPS that gets you from discombobulated thoughts to a coherent, cogent piece of writing that others can understand and appreciate.”

Strengthen your skills

2. How can I improve my writing?

Make listsCreate a content calendarIgnore your calendarKeep it short and simpleRecycle

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

List your content ideas

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Create a content calendar

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Ignore your calendar

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Keep it short and simpleKISS

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Recycle content and experiences

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Make listsCreate a content calendarIgnore your calendarKeep it short and simpleRecycle

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

BoringWanderingUnprofessional

Jargon monoxidealignment bandwidth customer centricity execution human capital…

Boring

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

Long, stuffyBoring

More than a minute to scanBest regards

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

Wandering

Get to the point

Talk about the weather

Too busy to tighten

Ya-da-ya-da-ya-da

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

UnprofessionalMistakes that spell checkcan’t catch

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

A Your welcome.

B You’re a professional.

Possessives vs contractions Which one is wrong?

C How to plan your coronation

A its product line

B it’s product line

Possessives vs contractions Which one is correct?

C its’ product line

Possessives vs contractions Which one is wrong?

A Their newsletter is boring.

B They’re supposed to encourage donations.

C There contribution should have come in last week.

D I put the cheque over there.

Sound alikes Which one is wrong?

A Your donation will go further. B Your donation will go farther.

Sound alikes Which one is wrong?

A Alternatively, we can mail a receipt. B Alternately, we can mail a receipt.

Sound alikes Which one is wrong?

A We should report our revenue from donations and sponsorships discreetly.

B We should report our revenue from donations and sponsorships discretely.

Consistent punctuation Which one is wrong?

A apples, oranges, and pears

B apples, oranges and pears

A How to Help a Starving Child

B How To Help A Starving Child

C How to help a starving child

Consistent caps Which one is wrong?

Consistent caps Which one is wrong?

A She was hired as Director, Red Carpets.

B The Directors attended the meeting.

Comma conundrums Which one is better?

A The meet-and-greet, for gold-class donors only, will follow the reception.

B The meet-and-greet for gold-class donors only will follow the reception.

Punctuation marks are like road signs: not enough and you get lost, but too many and you get confused.

BoringWanderingUnprofessional

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

Questions

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

2. How can I improve my writing?

1. How can I come up with better content ideas?

Respond to your customersReflect your worldRepackage your expertise

2. How can I improve my writing?

Strengthen your writing skills

Questions

3. How can I keep the content rolling when I’m busy?

Make listsCreate a content calendarIgnore your calendarKeep it short and simpleRecycle

Questions

4. How can I avoid the common gaffes?

Don’t be boring or long-windedBe on the alert for inconsistencies and mistakes spell check can’t catch

The Tale of Princess Constance

A happy ending

but not happily ever after

Princess Constance had faced many challenges

She will face more

She can meet them with kingly content—powered by queenly writing.Time for a makeover.

Content Matters More Than You Think

Happy Endings with Great Content

by Barb SawyersSticky Communication

Constant Contact seminarSeptember 23, 2014