Ditch Linked Postings and Make The Most of Social Media Scheduling

There is one thing I’m asking all of my clients this year, and it’s to please, please, please stop linking their social media accounts in order to create duplicate posts.

It sounds like a time-saver, and once-upon a time it was the perfect (and only) way to post on more than one platform at once. Back when social media wasn’t a major sales driver, all we needed to do was keep our profiles mildly active.

Now it’s a huge part of our marketing and sales strategies, it’s time to start looking at how we make ourselves look on each of our chosen social media platforms.

 Why You Shouldn’t Link Instagram To Twitter

A few years ago, Instagram was bought by Facebook. This severed any friendly links Twitter had with Instagram, stopping Instagram posts from being mirrored properly on their site.

You might have noticed that Instagram posts on Twitter show a truncated version of the original Instagram post, and a URL, rather than an image preview. That’s the way it is now, unfortunately, and it’s not changing any time soon.

This means that your customers and followers are being presented with half the picture (pun intended) and this isn’t how to create an engaging post. Instead, use the same picture and take the time to compose a Twitter post separately. This will ensure the right amount of characters are used, and your image will be shown in-Tweet in all its glory.

Why You Shouldn’t Link Twitter To Facebook

Tweets work on Twitter because everyone using the app understands the short, sharp way we communicate on there. Hashtags are used in a different way to search and build trending topics, but also as punchlines to jokes and as memes, and there are different ways of using gifs there too.

Essentially, Twitter is a different world, and should be treated as such. Linking Tweets to your Facebook page looks weird because the most-read and clicked Facebook posts are laden with pictures and have plenty more words to read and engage with. A single line with a URL looks ideal on Twitter. On Facebook it looks impersonal and robotic.

Luckily, Facebook pages don’t need to be updated as often as Twitter, so if you can only take the time to form a great Facebook post a few times a week, this is fine. It’s much, much better than auto-updating every week with content your customers see as surplus and impersonal.

How To Schedule Posts To Save Time

I manage my social media accounts, and the accounts of my clients, using a range of scheduling apps like Buffer and Hootsuite. By scheduling, I can set aside a couple of hours each week to compose posts and arrange them in a calendar for each business and social media platform.

Yes, you can copy and paste if you think the posts will be just as effective, and yes, you can re-use content over time as long as it remains as relevant as it was when you first posted it. The beauty of scheduling apps is
that you can see right there and then what you’ve planned to post over the coming weeks and months, and there are analytics built in to show you which posts have been successful.

On the whole, I find using scheduling apps saves me hours every week, and I no longer miss being able to mirror posts across platform

Finding it hard to keep on top of your social media calendar? Get in touch and let’s talk about how I can help you out.

Until next time…

Planning your 2020 marketing calendar

Where has the year gone?! With 2020 just weeks away, that means 12 fresh months of brand new content to create! Does that fill you with joy or fear?

I love a new year refresh. I love the idea that I have 365 days of possibilities ahead of me. But then again, I’m an optimist! It also definitely helps that I plan my content way ahead of time. Creating a marketing and content calendar means having ideas and templates for content no matter how busy I am, or how quiet things are on that particular day or week. It’s a lifesaver, honestly.

If you’re in need of some content calendar inspiration for 2020, look no further. Here are my top tips to help you get your year into shape.

Run an audit on all your 2019 (and 2018) content

You may have noticed from previous blog posts, but I love a good old fashioned audit. It helps me take stock of what I’ve created, and often, it reminds me about posts I forgot I wrote.

As well as making a list of the topics you’ve already covered, make sure you take note of all the metrics alongside them too. Which topics raised the most discussion? Which posts were shared around the most? Which flopped? For every post that soared, I try to think of at least two twists on the same topic so I can renew the content I know people want, keeping it fresh with the minimum of effort.

Find the right content calendar template for you

Not all content calendars are useful. Your business and your individual workflow needs different things, and so if a calendar seems to details for you, or too sparse, that’s fine! Just find one that works for you and change it as you see fit.

Here are some great templates I’ve found to get you started, but feel free to draw one out on paper if that’s how you work. No judgement!

●      Quuu’s free content calendar — includes space for overviews, campaign themes, planning, daily content scehdule and an inventory. For the control freaks out there.

●      Janet Murray’s 2020 Media Diary — a real life paper diary for anyone out there who prefers writing ideas down in pen. Like me.

●      Get Clearvoice’s Excel based calendar by signing up to their newsletter.

●      Smartsheet has 9 different content marketing calendar templates to download and use in Excel for free.

Set out your goals

Before you start filling in your shiny new content calendar, make sure your goals for the year are set. Get your marketing team together and ask them to present what they think has been successful over 2019, and what they want to improve on in the coming year.

Talk to your sales managers, and ask them about their projected goals for 2020.

Talk to your line manager, and find out their expectations. (Important — you want to manage their expectations as well as inform your own team about the goals being expected of them!)

Your content, social media ads, posts and emails directly affect sales. Make sure you’re not just sending great content out into the wide world without tethering it to tangible targets. Your content has value — make it work for your business.

Need some support with planning your 2020 content calendar? Is it looking like you might need an extra pair of hands to create the amazing content you’re hoping to put out over the next year? Get in touch and let’s talk about how I can help 2020 be your best year ever.

How to Improve Your Customers' Experience with Great Web Content

When you’re creating web content, the golden rules you read from experts all over the Internet can become overwhelming. Add to that the ever-evolving trends and changing SEO practices you need to keep up with - and before long it can all seem a little out of your control.

I always say that the most important point to remember when you’re writing anything for the web is that you’re creating it for a customer. So, when you’re writing your content, think about how it can genuinely improve your customers’ experience of your website.

Not sure where to start? Here are my tips on improving your website’s customer experience.

Write for Humans

Your customers and website visitors are humans. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to begin to distance yourself from your audience, especially if you’re elbow deep in SEO keywords and product descriptions. Take a good look at the content you’ve created and ask yourself one thing: ‘does this sound natural?’

Of course you’ll need to take your own company’s branding into account, and what’s natural for one business might seem unusual or awkward for another.

Make it easy for yourself and put your metaphorical feet inside your customers’ shoes. Take a little browse around your site. Are there any pages that seem off to you? Could your writing use a little less jargon? Make a list and use this to inform how you amend your content.

Be Positive

You might not have noticed at first glance but you may be talking your business down. You need active calls to action in your web content in order for it to be truly functional, but increasingly savvy consumers are getting wise to this, and they don’t like it.

The best reaction to this is not to force it. Don’t try sneaking your ‘Buy it now’ links into text - and instead be upfront. Offer help, support and a friendly team member’s undivided attention to your customers  in return for a quick chat about their needs. It sounds much more positive than a fake offer or a ‘time’s running out’ deal.

Aim to make your customers happy and you’ll be glad you did.

Offer Something Unique

Your customers are looking for value - and this is called ‘value propositioning’. They’ll understand what your company does quickly, and they’ll even grasp the basics of your products within a few minutes.

What you need to show them is why your business can offer something nobody else can.

• How can you pique their interest?

• How can you delight them?

• How can you fix a problem they didn’t even realise they had?

• What can you do that goes above and beyond?

• Why should they subscribe to your blog?

Don’t just list your team members. Talk about who they are, why they’re great, what they can do for your customers. Use your web content to create a connection, and you’ll stand out far above the crowd.

Use More Straightforward Language

Just because you use acronyms within your office all the time doesn’t mean your customers will understand what they mean. Even if your industry-specific products come with long-winded, technical descriptions as standard, break them down so that anyone could understand their benefits and appreciate their usefulness. Think of it this way:

• A parent could be buying this for their tech-savvy child

• A newcomer to the industry could be looking for equipment they need

• Acronyms could vary between countries and within industries.

Jargon can easily be misunderstood and can present a barrier through which your customers are unlikely to try and break. As long as you use the wording expected of your business and industry, speaking simply and in straightforward language will only make you seem more professional, not less.

If you’d like to find out more about how to create great web content, or you’d like to chat about how I could support you with yours, contact me today. I’d love to help.

Until next time…

Did Someone Say Cake...?

Yesterday (Friday, January 23) marked my ninth year as a freelance copywriter. And how do I know this? Good old LinkedIn. Its helpful reminder had me reaching for the cake (any excuse to celebrate, eh?) and wondering where on earth the best part of a decade has gone.

Need a Hand with Your Next Copywriting Project?

So, what does my nine years' experience mean to you? Assurance. I'd like to think it takes away any reservations you may have about choosing me for your next copywriting project - big or small. After all, I've been crafting copy for businesses like yours for round about 3287 days, give or take weekends. And yes, I had to Google that - there was a reason I chose a career with words, not numbers.

In terms of experience, nine years has seen me put my creative copywriting skills to everything from email marketing, printed advertising, web copy, press releases, and social media updates. I've worked with brands as diverse as QVC's shopping channel to Fosters Beer, Flowers Direct, and Denby Dale's Yummy Yorkshire ice cream parlour - and I can't wait to take on my next big assignment!

How has the last nine years panned out for you? Perhaps you'd like to give your business the boost it deserves, but you're not sure where to start?

Yorkshire-based Freelance Copywriter - Available for Hire

Need a copywriter? I'm a Yorkshire-based freelance copywriter working from my home in Huddersfield. But don't let that put you off; the fact I work remotely means I can lend a hand to your brand and its communications, wherever you are.

Fancy a chat about your next project? Simply send me a note over here and we'll go from there.

A Really Tenuous Fairground Analogy: Why Networking is Like a Ride on the Bumper Cars

Like being denied an ice cream from the van 'because there's choc ices in the freezer', or opening your lunch box to reveal, not a deliciously moreish Penguin biscuit, but a piece of soggy fruit,  there are few things less soul destroying as a kid than the two words my fingers are about to type: 'NO BUMPING!'.

Picture the scene for a second: you've queued up for what feels like an eternity at the fairground. You've selected your bumper car - a fine sparkly number in the colour red - and you've had a sly look round to ascertain where your mates are. The whistle is blown and you're off! And in a bid to wipe the cheeky little smile off your pal's face, you've delivered a stomach-churning bump of epic proportions.

Just like that, though, the fun is brought to a miserable halt. A wooden board featuring nine measly characters is held up, along with an accompanying shriek from the red-faced ride attendant. You swiftly realise that you're not on the bumper cars, like you first thought, but the dodgems.

My point? As a kid, you no doubt relished the chance to get stuck in, bumping into all and sundry and having a right good time at it. No one liked dodgems, spoiling all the fun...

I reckon, when it comes to networking events (and here comes the tenuous analogy. I made a quip about no one liking dodgems the other week and my boss challenged me to make a blog out of it) you've really got to embrace your inner bumper car. You get nowhere from being (the proverbial) dodgem. Everyone knows that.

For months - years even - I've put off getting along to a local networking event as I 'just didn't think it'd be for me'. I was wrong. Sure, the work didn't come rolling in after my very first session. But I made some new pals, met a lady from a local salon who sent me some high end hair products to review on my beauty blog, and picked up a couple of new work leads. And I got to enjoy coffee and cake, too - result!

Had I chose to be a 'dodgem', as usual, I'd have probably stayed at home, popped on the telly and had a little moan about my lack of work. Give it a go, too. And next time you're at the fair, stride past the sign for the dodgems. They're not nearly as fun as the real thing. And sitting watching Gogglebox isn't nearly as entertaining as interacting with actual people.

Right, I'm off to get an ice cream cone from the van, and swap tomorrow's soggy office lunch 'treat' for a Penguin.

Until next time....