Content Vertical

It’s ridiculous that I’m even talking about this, let alone pretending to be an expert at getting things done without procrastinating. Meet Masha - the biggest procrastinator of all time. But I wanted to share something that helps me live with it.... Long time ago, Guy Allen - my creative writing professor at UofT, told our class that procrastinating isn’t all bad. It simply may be YOUR style of doing things and it works for you, and if it works for you - it’s ok. Some people do things early. Others cram and pull all nighters. This stayed with me FOREVER. And more importantly it made it ok for me to be the way I am. I made peace with it. So here’s what I decided for myself right then and there and if it makes sense for you, why not trying that mindset shift for yourself: Procrastinating IS ok, as long as you get things done on time, and it doesn’t happen too frequently when it starts messing with your sleep, and work life balance. Who else is a procrastinator here? Raise your hand!

As a brand, you don’t have to be on every social media channel. Your audience - prospects and clients - don’t expect you to be on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Snapchat and all the other trending platforms. Just reading that long list exhausted me. But guess where they absolutely and most definitely expect to find you?... ON YOUR WEBSITE. Meaning - you gotta have one. No ifs or buts. Even if you use Instagram to showcase your work, address questions, share tips, feature client testimonials and engage in conversation (amazing if you do, btw!)...the people that are truly interested in doing business will want to know more. They’ll click on your bio section expecting to find a link to your website. Your website, first and foremost, validates YOU as a credible service provider in THEIR eyes. Your website is a goldmine of information that will anticipate their needs and uncover something they’ve been looking for (at least that’s what they are hoping for). Did you know that 70% of buyers fully decide what it is that they want and need before even reaching out to sales or a service provider? Meaning - your website along with your social and other marketing sells YOU on your behalf way before the first touchpoint with you. Pretty powerful. Can you trust your website does that for your business? Do you have one?

Ok, countdown. There are less than 2 months left or should I say, there are STILL 2 months in 2019. Anyone setting any goals for the remainder of the year? Personal and/or professional. I’ve got a couple that I want to accomplish.... Write 5 SEO blogs for my website Finalize my content strategy for 2020 Finish one of the courses I started earlier Read 3 more books A bit ambitious. But what the hell - this year got me all inspired. You? Share your goals that you want to accomplish before the new year.

Write a bad headline on your homepage and your website visitors will bounce within a millisecond. But a strong headline will make ‘em linger in anticipation that your product or service is God’s gift. Writing a good headline is part art, part science. Seriously. On one hand, it has to clearly and succinctly articulate what your business is all about and make Google algorithm happy.... On another hand - it has to be like a showstopper..literally, for people to stay on your site a little longer. Here are a few of my tips for writing a powerful homepage headline. Be succinct: use between 5-12 words. It’s got to be simple, and not wordy. Remove any words that don’t add value. Be memorable: create a catchy title that’ll stick. Include a promise: make a big promise, offer a solution to clients’ problems. Dot make shit up. It’s got to be real. Make it audience-centric: knowing your audience is key. Communicate directly to your target. Address their biggest pain point. Evoke an emotion: use power words like new, easy, bold. Make people feel something. Utilize keywords: SEO is crazy important, so ensure your main keywords are there so that Google can rank your site and bring it up in google search. Align to search-intent: your headline must address what people typically search for as it relates to your product or service. Showcase expertise: without shouting from the rooftops, make it obvious that you are the expert. If writing a good homepage headline is like pulling teeth, I can help. Let’s chat.

Imagine a heated debate over an Oxford Comma? You know the comma that sits before and in a list of three items.. Like I had eggs, toast, and orange juice. That happened yesterday on LinkedIn. It gathered 756 comments and 14,097 likes Wait, what? Ya!... People that commented divided into 3 camps. Those that are proper-proper. Those that have evolved with times. And those that agree that it all depends on the context. For the record, I believe grammar is critical. But more than anything I believe in dropping various grammar rules and conventions in order to sound more human, more conversational, less formal and corporate. That said, consider your audience on the receiving end of your message. I myself break language and grammar rules on a regular basis. On my website, in my client blogs, on social. I cut sentences short for dramatic effect. I use one word liners. Seriously. I end with prepositions. And I start with a conjunctions. I love breaking grammar rules. Because it makes me sound human, and more like me. And it makes writing sound so much more engaging. What about you? What rules do you like breaking and why? #contentvertical #copywriting #grammar #branding #marketing #marketingtips #businesstips #torontocopywriter