Religion and politics.

They’re said to be the two topics to avoid when talking to others, especially people you don’t know very well.

Why?

Because those topics tend to evoke very strong, highly emotional responses.

Bad for parties and peace rallies, good for getting a conversation going.

Now, I’m not saying that you should include religion and politics on your web site, in your signature speech or throughout your marcom materials (unless that’s your business or life’s work).

No, the takeaway for communicators, writers, creative professionals and entrepreneurs like you is this:

Understand your audience’s emotional triggers so you can position yourself/your business to connect with them on an experiential level.

And that can make the difference in whether they choose you or your competitor.

So, how do you do it?

First, stop making assumptions about your audience. Get to know them on a real and personal level. Spend time with them. Ask open-ended questions and not only listen to what they say, but watch what they do.

Second, become real to them through storytelling. Some years ago I sat in on a United Way presentation at the company I worked for. It was a mandatory meeting and I had already made up my mind that I was not going to be coerced into donating any money. But during the presentation, the speaker invited a lovely young woman up to the podium. She shared a remarkable and heartfelt story of her traumatic brain injury and subsequent recovery thanks to the help of a United Way Agency.

It was impossible not to connect with her, feel her pain, understand her gratitude, and support her cause – all because she shared her story in a real and compelling way.

While your story may not be as dramatic, it can be every bit as personal. Stop limiting yourself to the all-business, all-facts copy that others default to.

Third, and finally, choose your words carefully. Pick words and create phrases that evoke feelings, while creating enthusiasm, energy, urgency or understanding. Use more descriptive, though not uncommon, words. For example, instead of saying “no maintenance,” try using the words “worry free” instead. See how the first choice is more factual while the second is more emotional?

By getting at — and responding to — your audience’s underlying values, needs, beliefs, feelings and experiences, you can help shape the way they feel about you/your business.

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After a short spring break, I’m back today to continue my series on relevant content.

Let’s take a closer look at the second of my four characteristics of relevant content: timely.

There are plenty among us who subscribe to the belief that, when it comes to content, “once done, always done.” By this I mean they seem to think that creating content and posting it for all eternity is a good idea. I suspect that’s because they think of content as a one-time investment.

Wrong. I’m here to debunk that myth.

In order for content to be relevant (remember that relevant means meaningful, memorable and useful), it also must be fluid. It must change and grow and expand and shrink and live and breathe and … well, you get the idea. As I’ve said, people change and so should the content that’s geared toward those very same people.

Even content that’s relatively “static” — meaning the facts don’t really change – should still get a refresh now and then. Trust me, there’s more than one way to tell your “About Us” story.  A good writer can write it 15 or 100 different ways.

So, for the sake of argument, let’s just say that there is no need to keep content timely. What might that look like to a site visitor?

Well, a first-time visitor will likely not notice anything. But a repeat visitor, well, that’s a different animal altogether. They will notice same-old, same-old content. And because they look to you to be the expert in whatever field, industry or service you provide, you’ll look like a yam-head if you don’t. (And nobody wants that!)

By not refreshing your content, you’re essentially telling your site visitors that you know all there is to know and that there’s absolutely nothing new to know — or to share. That kind of thinking, I believe, is dangerous. It leads to your customers and potential customers thinking you’re out of touch or worse, not credible.

Blogs and social media are so popular, in part, because they provide fresh and TIMELY information. Not only do people want the latest and greatest news, product information, opinions and more, they EXPECT and DEMAND it.

Now it’s up to you to give it to them.

How, then, do you keep your content timely? Here’s my 3-step plan:

1. Dedicate resources. Everyone in the company ought to be charged with keeping up with trends and writing about them. Have an in-house or freelance writer/editor use their findings to create web copy, sales literature, marcom, etc.

2. Create a content strategy. Decide who does what, when, and why. How will you manage content, archive it and how often and when will you update it? All of this should be part of your content strategy.

3. Although this is an extension of my point above, I want to call it out special just in case you skip step #2. Conduct a yearly audit and refresh (minimum). Schedule time for your dedicated resource(s) to review content and revise it. Create a timeline and stick to it.

Remember, timely content is relevant content and it’s part of what will keep you relevant to your customers, readers, clients, whomever. It’s an opportunity to differentiate, to serve and to lead.

P.S. Here’s a link to a related post on making a commitment to your copy: http://www.janodaniel.com/blog/2009/01/old-new/.

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My husband rarely opens the mail. This is not a complaint; it’s just a fact.

But over the weekend we received a direct mail piece that enticed him enough to not just want to open it, but actually act on it.

The piece was an invitation (of all things) to an designer gala at a luxury jeweler in central Ohio where — mind you — my husband once bought a piece of jewelry some 20+ years ago.

My husband simply does not buy jewelry. Again, not a complaint, just fact.

So for him to open up the invitation was stunning to me. The copy on the outside wasn’t particularly appealing –  it simply says “Designers’ Gala.”

What, then, I inquired, made him grab it and open it?

“I dunno. It just looked very high-end,” he said.

Mmm. Interesting.

Here’s a scan of the front and back side (imagine it folded in half and addressed in the white space).

According to this oldie-but-goodie feature story from DM News, this type of high-end direct mail piece timed around the Thanksgiving season for this particular industry is well worth the $4-5 per-piece investment (and maybe even more $).

My take?

While my husband did, indeed, open the direct mail piece because of its high-end feel; and while he did, indeed, consider going to the event, at least momentarily …

… the piece could have been made even stronger with the addition of benefit-driven copy on the outside flap and relegating the “Designers’ Gala” to a watermark or graphic element.

Personally, I’m not a fan. Depending on the recipient, such luxe packaging with an invitation and a separate insert with a gift-card-looking thingy could be considered very UN-green, indeed.

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Another Get Great Copy shortcut …
For years, direct mail copywriters have suggested that in order to become good at writing direct mail copy, you should find a stellar copy example and then handwrite the copy verbatim — day after day after day. The most touted direct mail piece to copy is Martin Conroy’s world-famous 1974 control letter.

So why not find a bit of web content you consider great and do the same? What about a clever headline? Or a brilliant tagline? Handwriting the great copy you aspire for yourself will help you truly understand and embrace the nuances of what makes it great. (An old friend used to call this “knowing it in your knower.”)

Use this technique, too, to overcome writer’s block. Putting pen to paper and writing out longhand copy you consider worthy will immediately shift your mindset to help open up your creativity in very short order.

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