Introduction toWriting for Social Media

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Course Overview

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

6:00 – 6:30 pm Why are you writing? Specifying your purpose/goals

6:30 – 8:00 pm Identifying your unique selling proposition (USP)

8:00 – 8:30 pm Creating your brand voice and writing style Why it’s important Tying it to your business Samples

8:30 – 9:00 pm Q & A

Wednesday, October 26

Course Overview

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Thursday, October 27

6:00 – 6:45 pm 7 rules for writing content that gets read and keeps readers engaged

6:45 – 7:15 pm Top 6 easy ways to make your blog/newsletters look professional

7:15 – 8:15 pm How to painlessly create a stream of compelling content

8:15 – 9:00 pm Email subject line do’s and don’ts for higher open rates

Why are You Writing?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

• Self-expression, sharing your thoughts

• Maintaining customer relationships

• Cross selling/ Up selling to existing customers

• Positioning yourself as the industry expert

• Reaching new markets

Sharing Time

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

1. Name

2. What are you writing? Why?

3. What writing challenges are you facing?

What’s Your Goal?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

• Increase referrals from existing customers by 30%

• Post my morning thoughts every day

• Increase 35-year old buyers by 15% in the next year

• Increase repeat buyers by 18%

Goals are specific/quantifiable:

Your Unique Selling Proposition

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Your Unique Selling Proposition

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Your USP is a short statement (~10 words) that answers your prospect’s question:

“Why should I buy from you?”

Your Unique Selling Proposition

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

An effective USP is NOT your slogan or tagline

Don’t say:

“Powering customer relationships”

“The leader in email marketing”

“Solutions from the ground up”

Your Unique Selling Proposition

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Why you need a USP:

Helps differentiate you from your competitors

Pulls your prospect into the desired action (click on your PPC, sign up for newsletters, visit website, etc)

Your Unique Selling Proposition

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

An effective USP must contain these 3 elements:

1. Appeal

2. Exclusivity

3. Credibility

Element: Appeal

Your relevance in comparison towhat your prospects want

Appeal:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Appeal(Your relevance in comparison to what your prospects want)

What’s your prospects’ main concern?

•Price? •Reliability?

•Savings? •Support?

•Ease? •Experience?

•Flexibility? •Longevity?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Appeal

Example: Discount Mac laptops

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Appeal

Appeal:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

3 Key Elements

An effective USP must contain these 3 elements:

1. Appeal

2. Exclusivity

3. Credibility

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Exclusivity

Can someone else match orbeat your offer?

Exclusivity:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Exclusivity(Can someone else match or beat your offer?)

Use words like:•Only... •Best...

•Fastest... •Largest...

•Order by 2pm, delivery by 3pm

•Bottom of the bottle guarantee

•7,698 parts in stock

•On-site, unlimited training

Use offers like:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Exclusivity

Exclusivity:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

3 Key Elements

An effective USP must contain these 3 elements:

1. Appeal

2. Exclusivity

3.Credibility

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Credibility

How do you quantify your claims?Credibility:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Credibility(Quantify your claims)

Don’t say:

Do say:

• “Best customer service”• “Lowest priced plans”• “Largest selection in town”

• Dedicated support specialist 24/7• Plans start at $4/month• 50,357 parts in stock

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Credibility

Credibility:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Now put it all together toMeasure its Force

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Measure its Force

Exclusivity:

Credibility:

Appeal:

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Test it!

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Test it

1.Compare your claim to your main competitors. Is it unique enough? Is it convincing? Y /N

2.Does it address your prospect’s deepest fears? Y /N

3.How well does it answer, “Why should my ideal prospect buy from me?” 1 2 3 4

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Test it!

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

TIP #1

The higher your specificity,the higher your conversion

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Element: Credibility(Quantify your claims)

Don’t say:

Do say:

• “Best customer service”• “Lowest priced plans”• “Largest selection in town”

• Dedicated support specialist 24/7• Plans start at $4/month• 50,357 parts in stock

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

TIP #2

You can have multiple USP’s. One for your company, and one for each product line...

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

TIP #3

Your USP is not developed in the office – it’s created by your

customers and prospects

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Real World Examples

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s their USP?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s their USP?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s their USP?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s their USP?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s their USP?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Boldly state your USP throughout all of your marketing material.

And state your USP throughout the sales process...

Best practices

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

You want to keep the prospect convinced you are their answer...all the way to the sale (conversion).

Best practices

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales process

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales process

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales process

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales processProof points for credibility

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales process

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

You want to keep the prospect convinced you are their answer...all the way to the sale (conversion).

Best practices

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

State your USP throughout the sales process

Added elements increased form fill rate by 97%1

1. According to data by MarketingExperiments.com

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Now it’s your turn...

What’s your Unique Selling Proposition?

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

What’s a USP?

Your USP is a short statement (~10 words) that answers your prospect’s question:

“Why should I buy from you?”

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

3 Key Elements

An effective USP must contain these 3 elements:

1.Appeal

2.Exclusivity

3.Credibility

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Your Brand Voiceand

Writing Style

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Defining Your Style

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

• CEOs • Chefs• Engineers • Operations managers• 20-year old students • Working moms

Who are you talking to?

Defining Your Style

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Knowing your audience determines:

• How technical your language

• How much industry jargon to use

• The tone (e.g., casual, corporate, friendly)

• Which objections to overcome• Which benefits to target

(e.g., service, ease of use, cost savings, fun)

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Don’t Subscribe.

You’re lazy. Why bother? You’ve been a moocher since...forever. $19.99 for 12 issues is way too much. You don’t even like beer.

beeradvocate.com/mag

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Guidance documents represent the Agency's current thinking on a particular subject. They do not create or confer any rights for or on any person and do not operate to bind FDA or the public...

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

It was a glorious and all-too-brief chapter of American history. One thousand days of idealism and enlightenment known the world over as Camelot – a fairytale kingdom ruled by a handsome young American President and his radiant queen...

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Have you seen this?

It's pure genuis. ;)

My buddy Joshua made this hilarious'flow chart' for picking up chicks.

First time I looked at it I laughed myass off, but after looking at it, itactually has some pretty solid advice.

It's so good, I just put it on my blog...

**Just don't be that guy who brings thisprinted out like a scroll with him whenhe goes out to meet women (although itwould probably provide material for thebest opinion opener EVER). LOL

It's free to check out (and download)on my blog:

Subject line:Pure genius (lol)

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

I’m swinging my axe again…

And this time, I’m knocking mainstream and alternative doctors off their high horses and right back to square one. Because every last one of them MISSED this…

And YOU’VE paid the price.

EXPOSED: The joint health discoveryno one saw coming

Choosing Your Style/Voice

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

1. Who’s the reader?

2. Who are you? What’s your real personality?

3. How do you want to position yourself/company?

4. What type of relationship do you want with the reader?

5. What will your readers accept? What do they expect?

Choosing Your Style/Voice

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Always...

Be true to who you are...

Remember it’s just a conversation, so keep it real

Your reader will always know when you’re faking it!

Tomorrow...

UNR Extended Studies, October 2011 Intro to Social Media Writing

Thursday, October 27

6:00 – 6:45 pm 7 rules for writing content that gets read and keeps readers engaged

6:45 – 7:15 pm Top 6 easy ways to make your blog/newsletters look professional

7:15 – 8:15 pm How to painlessly create a stream of compelling content

8:15 – 9:00 pm Email subject line do’s and don’ts for higher open rates