When it comes to winning over customers with content marketing, many lawyers seem to think, “If we publish, they will come.” That would certainly explain the flood of bland, cookie-cutter blog posts pumped out across social media every day. To win over readers and make the most of your marketing dollars, your content needs to have a personality — a voice. Of course, personalizing content comes with a few pitfalls every marketer needs to know.
DON’T WRITE HOW YOU SPEAK
Read a few sentences from your favorite book or newspaper. Do you think the author speaks exactly like that in real life? Probably not. Speech and writing are two different mediums with different stylistic needs, and trying to translate one to the other can prove disastrous — particularly for lawyers, who often try to jam the legalese they use in formal speech into their content, hoping to impress readers with jargon. It doesn’t work. Instead, potential clients get bored, confused, or distracted from the real message of the blog post. For best results, work on crafting a personable, straightforward voice for your prose.
CONTRACTIONS AREN’T YOUR ENEMY
Speaking of personable, it’s vital that your blog posts sounds like they were written by a person, not a robot. Writers who avoid contractions like “don’t,” “can’t,” and “aren’t” end up with stilted, plodding sentences that inflate word counts and alienate readers. Obviously, formal publications like research papers and legal briefs still maintain this archaic ban on mashing words together, but when it comes to marketing content, rules are flexible. Do not fear using these tools. You cannot go wrong with adding a splash of informality to your writing. Your readers are not going to mind. (Are you still with me?)
SHOW, DON’T TELL
This is a big one. So many businesses publish copy with big statements like “We love our customers!” or “Our passion is helping you!” These blanket sentiments come across as shallow. So, rather than tell potential clients you care about their needs, write content that shows them you understand their needs and can help address them. Focus on providing useful, relevant information that will both show that you sympathize with their struggle and reveal your expertise. Here at Spotlight Branding, we care deeply about your marketing campaigns and want to help them succeed!
Spotlight Branding
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