Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How creating a digital product helps win business, digital products, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Creating a Digital Product for a Service-based Business

If you have a service-based business, you might think you’re limited to selling your service rather than a product. Of course, it depends on what your service is – we probably wouldn’t want a health professional productising their service. But did you know, you can boost your profits and raise your profile by creating a digital product that caters to clients you would otherwise lose?

A digital product can complement, rather than replace, your service.

For example: Let’s say you’re a graphic designer. Your ideal clients are medium-sized businesses with healthy a marketing budget, yet you’re often approached by individuals who want you to do smaller jobs, such as designing wedding invitations for them. While their projects aren’t the type of business you’re chasing, you sometimes feel like saying no to these potential clients is a missed opportunity. Then you come up with a great idea.

Through producing a series of customisable and downloadable templates for customers to DIY their wedding invitations, you create the product once and sell it many times. Ka-ching!

How creating a digital product helped us diversify our offering

Here at The Professional Writer, we’ve been writing all types of content and documents for our valued clients for over 20 years. We were providing a service-only business until recently.

Around 2017, due to popular demand, we started writing capability statements for tradies. A capability statement is precisely what the title says: A document outlining your company’s capabilities. It’s similar to a company profile but usually includes more specific information about your recent experience and completed projects. Capability statements are often used by tradies to secure work with Tier 1 or Tier 2 construction companies.

Most of the capability statements we write are multi-page documents, ranging from 2 to 22 pages. The process includes research, a comprehensive interview with the business owner to learn about their business, and writing the document in a way that helps the client win more business, which sometimes requires several drafts.

We were receiving enquiries from potential clients who just wanted a single-page document and they needed it in a hurry – often on a limited budget. We do write single-page documents, but the work involved is very similar to the amount of work to write a multi-page document, so the price is comparatively high. Also, we currently have a 2-3 week waiting list to start new projects, so these clients were going elsewhere. How could we assist these clients in a profitable way?

That’s when we created a DIY capability statement kit – one which contained samples, complete instructions, and a template, so most people would be able to create their own capability statement in a short time.

Will the idea fly?

As a member of the TradieWives Facebook group, we posted about the idea and received overwhelmingly positive feedback from fellow group members. So we went ahead and created the kit.

Once completed, we asked for volunteers to “test drive” the kit in return for honest feedback and a testimonial. We sent the kit out to 10 people, with 6 of them returning feedback and a testimonial. Based on the feedback, a few minor tweaks were made and the kit was ready to be released to the market.

Most digital marketers will tell you that you need a mailing list to sell a product. While this is essentially true, if you don’t already have a mailing list, there’s no time like the present to get one started!

Selling the capability statement kit

We wrote a landing page/sales page which went onto a single page website for the kit. Next, we set up an account with Stripe, an app that collects online payments, then set up the kit, including the samples, instructions, template, and an invoice for same, to be easily downloadable via our CRM. We were ready to roll.

Again, most digital marketers say you must “launch” your product, with a pre-sale campaign that builds anticipation, etc. etc. Yes, we know this is true, but without a mailing list, it is impossible to do this. So, we once again used the Facebook group to promote the kit, with remarkable results.

Since the recent “soft launch” of the kit, we’ve sold dozens @ $97 + GST each. Sales of the kits occur overnight, on the weekend, and even while we were on holiday! We receive a notification that another kit has been sold and our payment is on its way to the bank account.

While our digital product doesn’t replace our service, it’s an alternative to clients having the document written for them. Facilitating the buyer to DIY allows them to prepare the document quickly and simply at a fraction of the cost, while we still get paid, so we all win.

Want to see what the capability statement kit is all about? Click on this link to see it for yourself.

What’s great about a digital product?

  • You can capitalise on your knowledge and expertise
  • They provide a “passive” income – some work is required
  • They’re low maintenance
  • You don’t have to hold stock
  • You can deliver value that isn’t directly tied to selling your time
  • Digital products help diversify your income streams, raise your profile and bring in a wider range of customers

What type of digital product can you create?

Digital products to consider:

  • Write an eBook
  • Set up an online course to teach the basics
  • Tutorials and guides
  • DIY product
  • Downloadable document templates – email sequences, client letters
  • Shortcuts/How to guides
  • Webinar series
  • Video instructions

How to get started with creating a digital product

OK, so you’ve got a great idea for a digital product. But will it sell? Is it something people really want to buy? How do you find out?

  • Identify a problem your target audience has
  • Brainstorm ways to solve their pain point – think outside the box
  • Think of the best way/s to charge money for solving their problem
  • Shortlist your ideas
  • Interview current customers and/or potential buyers to validate your product idea – ask open-ended questions to gain as much information as possible about the way they want the information presented and the price they’d be willing to pay
  • Create a quality product based on the feedback you receive
  • Ensure your product delivers good value to the consumer
  • Have a great sales page that answers the prospect’s questions and converts to sales

Got a great idea for creating a digital product?

If you have a great idea and you’re thinking of creating a digital product, but you need help putting it together and writing the content or your landing page, we can help.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share them with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Want to know more?

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writer

Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, business award nominations, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, blog post packages, and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

in Capability statements / Digital products / Small Business Marketing 0 comments
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to Write Client Success Stories

Mention the term ‘case study’ and most people’s eyes glaze over as their attention wanes. Simply by changing the title to ‘client success stories’, we take a whole new approach.

So, what is a client success story?

A client success story is an article or blog post that provides an insight into your customer experience.

A strong client success story:

  • Demonstrates your client experience
  • Shows how you deliver solutions and
  • Details the results you achieve for clients

Most client success stories also include a testimonial from a happy client. Third-party endorsements are so powerful in building the know, like and trust factor with prospective clients.

Why use client success stories?

Most people like to copy other people’s success. A story about how a customer used your product/service to solve a particular problem can help others to relate and connect.

Telling the customer’s story has the power to convert a prospect or lead to a customer. This does depend on where they are currently sitting on the know-like-trust-buy scale.

A client success story can also help educate your prospective customers and to set expectations of the level of service or quality you provide. It can also provide validation and acknowledgement of your team’s efforts, particularly when customers specifically mention them or the service they provide.

How to write a client success story

  1. Select the right customer as your subject

A good starting place is a customer who has provided a testimonial about how happy they are with your product or service. Be sure to choose someone who has good knowledge of your product or service and you’re confident will say good things about your business.

Contact them and ask them whether they’d give their written permission for you to write a success story about them. Is your subject customer in business? Add a sweetener by offering to profile their business and provide a backlink to their website (this is great for boosting their search engine ranking).

  1. Make it easy for your subject to participate

Put together a list of simple open-ended questions about your customer experience, such as:

  • What was the issue/problem/challenge you needed to solve?
  • How did you hear about us/find us?
  • How was your experience as our customer?
  • What made our product or service stand out from competitors?
  • Was there something in particular that made you choose us?
  • What was the outcome/result/benefit from our product or service?

You can choose to ask the questions via phone interview or email the list of questions to them. Ask which is more convenient for them. In our experience, most people are happy to answer a few quick questions over the phone. It’s important to take notes during the phone interview (or you can record it with the permission of the other party).

  1. Write your story step-by-step

  • Create a strong, benefit-based headline. This is vital.
    • For example: How X helped Y lose 10 kilos in 10 weeks, or Profits Skyrocket 10% in 3 months due to X.
  • Based on your interview notes, outline the story with an introduction/summary of the outcome you produced, followed by 3-4 paragraphs about the customer, what their problem/challenge was, how you helped them, their experience as your customer and the results or outcome they received.
  • It’s important to keep the story relatively short and concise. Use sub-headings and bullet points if you want to break up the text and make it easier to read.
  • Images and graphs can also help to demonstrate your points.
  • Once you’re happy with the draft, email it to your subject customer for their approval.
  • Ask them to email any changes and their approval back to you and keep a copy of this for your records.
  • You’ll need permission to use any of their images.

Remember, it’s a story, not a sales script. Simply by telling the story well, you are doing a soft sell for your product or service – and it’s not appropriate to do the hard sell in a story (that’s what advertising is for!).

If you don’t already have one, ask the customer to provide a testimonial – or ask permission to use one of the answers they gave in the questionnaire as a quote/testimonial. This adds considerable power to your story.

  1. Publish

Once you and your customer are happy with the story’s content, publish your client success story as a blog post, an article in the local media or elsewhere online.

You can also add client success stories to your website under the Testimonials tab and/or link them to your Services pages.

Be sure to share your story – or a link to it – on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other appropriate social media accounts. Ask others, including the subject customer, to share the story on their social media accounts as well. This helps promote your business to prospects and keeps you front of mind with existing and past customers who follow you.

Need Help to Write Client Success Stories?

At The Professional Writer, we write Client Success Stories for you. We usually prepare these stories in a batch, increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Our service includes:

  • A briefing chat with you or a representative of your business
  • An outline of the story
  • A phone interview with your subject customer
  • Writing the client success story on your behalf
  • Submitting the story for your approval – and your client’s approval
  • Finalising any changes required and delivering the completed copy in Word

* Do you plan to use your stories as blog posts? We can work with you to incorporate a keyword phrase to assist with your Googe/search engine ranking.

We have added several client success stories to our website. Here’s a link to the Award Submission Writing Stories. These sample stories are a short version. You can choose to include greater detail if you wish.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share them with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Want to know more?

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writer

Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

 

in Article writing / Article writing help / Building authority / Grow your business / Story angles / Web writing tips 0 comments
Stand Out from your competition with business storytelling, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to Stand Out from Your Competition

Are you happy to blend in with other similar businesses or would you prefer to stand out from your competition? You want to stand out, you say?! But how….? By tapping into the power of business storytelling.

Stories have the power to captivate, engage and connect with the reader. They can often move us to tears and may even persuade us to change our behaviour or opinion on a particular topic.

By telling the story of your business, your team and your customers, you can create and nurture relationships with your ideal clients. When written well, stories can help your prospective clients to know, like and trust you … then do business with you #winning.

Good stories can provide a significant competitive advantage because no-one else has the same story as you.

What makes a great story?

A story which details your or your customer’s journey is more likely to engage the reader and help your business stand out. In any compelling story, the main character – that’s you or your customer – needs to progress through several stages. It’s a good idea to provide some basic background information about the main character, the reasoning behind their choices and the conflict/problem resolved or the outcomes which occurred through using your product or service. It’s important to emphasise the resolution.

People like to emulate the success of others. So the story of how you helped a customer succeed will persuade other customers to come to you. That’s what business storytelling is all about.

How to Stand Out with a Great Story

Sit down with paper and pen – or a new document on your device – and jot down some information about your business and your team. Here are some suggestions to get you thinking:

  • How your business got started or why you bought the business
  • Tell the story of your brand and how it was developed
  • Describe your business philosophy and core values – and why they’re important to you
  • Tell how a customer used your product, step-by-step then how they benefited from it
  • The story of how you launched a new product (and why) – not just features and benefits
  • 5 facts about each team member (so customers get to know them)
  • The story of how you helped a client overcome a particular problem
  • A client success story
  • How a mentor changed your life
  • How you helped change the life of a customer
  • Anything new or different happening in your business
  • An event you’re hosting or have recently held – or a charity you support
  • Tell a story about any media mentions you’ve received
  • Build a story around a testimonial from clients
  • Talk about your first customer and how they supported you
  • Tell the story of your biggest sale ever and how it came about

A Few More Tips to Help your Story Stand Out

Focus on one theme for each story.

Even though it’s business storytelling, be sure to always include the human element in your stories. If you’re telling a client success story, incorporate a comment from them about why they engaged your service or bought a product from you, or ask them to provide a testimonial (and get permission to use it in the article or post).

You can publish your story on your website, as a blog post or perhaps share it with the media as an article for external publication. You could also use your story as part of your About Us page or in promotional material for the business.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Want to know more?

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writer

Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

If you need further guidance on creating a compelling story based that makes your business stand out, we can assist with your storytelling requirements.

 

in Article writing / Article writing help / Building authority / Small Business Marketing 0 comments
Win an Australian Business Award 2021, award writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to win an Australian Business Award in 2021

If you want to raise the profile of your business, one of the most effective strategies is to enter an Australian Business Award in 2021.

This year is the ideal time to celebrate your achievements, to acknowledge how you’ve overcome recent challenges, to reinforce your profile as an industry thought leader or to highlight your success to date. Entering a business award is also a great way to acknowledge and reward the efforts of your team members.

It should be noted that you actually need to achieve something noteworthy to win an award. This includes business success, but it also encompasses areas outside your business. These might include mentoring up-and-coming leaders in your industry, contributing to your local community or supporting a charity.

Start Preparing Now

Hastily prepared submissions rarely win. Don’t wait until the deadline is looming. To prepare your winning submission, you’re going to need a lot of information. Start collating relevant information now. It’s important to be able to answer every question and address all the judging criteria, so having the information to hand will be a great help.

As experienced business awards writers with a strong track record of finalists and winners to date, we’ve put together the following tips to guide you on the path towards winning a business award this year.

Which Australian Business Award should you enter?

Start by checking out the list of awards we’ve compiled for you. If you’ve never entered a business award before, we suggest you start with your local Chamber of Commerce awards or local community awards.

Does your industry offer awards? The real estate industry is a great example of choice, with the REB Awards, REI state and national awards, and The AREAs on offer. The engineering and insurance industries also offer a range of awards within each state and nationally.

Identify your strengths. Are you strong in sales growth, leadership, customer service, community support or innovation? Select awards where the categories match your strengths. This is very important, as there’s no point in entering a category which doesn’t highlight your strengths.

Top Tips for Winning an Australian Business Award in 2021

  • Think about how you demonstrate leadership in your business, your community and your industry
  • Find a meaningful way to make a contribution to your local community with your time, donations or both
  • Proactively increase your business’ positive reviews and testimonials by targeting happy clients – perhaps offer a discount voucher or entry into a prize draw in return for their feedback
  • Create a swipe file to store your achievements, testimonials/reviews, statistics and anything else which could support your award submission
  • Ensure your website content is up to date and free from any spelling or grammatical errors
  • Prepare, prepare, prepare!
  • By following the above tips, you’ll be ready to collate a strong submission which highlights your achievements.

Preparing a submission for winning an Australian business award is an involved process. It requires an investment of time and effort. Take the time to start putting together the above information now. It will serve you well when it comes time to collate and submit your entry.

Need some professional help?

It’s often easier to engage an expert to help guide you through the process. Our experienced team can provide input into both strategy and content to highlight your strengths.

We have a 93.75% strike rate for clients becoming either finalists or winners in their selected business award category. We’re really proud of that!

If you’d like to discuss how you can win an Australian Business Award in 2021, we’d be happy to chat. Simply click onto the Contact page to set up a time for a complimentary 15-minute discovery session – https://www.professionalwriter.com.au/get-in-touch/.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes business award submissions, website content, capability statements, team bios, blog post packages and much more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

in Award nomination writing / Building authority / Grow your business 0 comments
Write an authentic About Us page, website writing tips, Professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to Write an Authentic About Us Page

Have you read your own website content lately? Can you confidently say your business has an authentic About Us page… One which truly represents your business and engages your potential clients? Does your content clearly show the outcomes you achieve for your clients?

Hold on a minute … isn’t the About Us page all about OUR business?

Well, yes .. and no.

Your About page is About US – referring to your business AND your ideal customers. If your page only outlines your company history and solely talks about your business in a “Me, me, me” way, you’re doing it wrong!

Why do you need an About Us page?

Who is reading your website? Prospective customers? The purpose of your website is to inform the reader and begin to establish a relationship with them. An authentic About Us page is the most important first step in building those relationships.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Writing an authentic About Us page calls for the business owner to look a little deeper. Your reader wants to read more than just a boring company history.

When prospective customers land on your website, they will click on the About page to find out who is behind the business. But they don’t just want to know about you and your team, they want to know how you solve their problem/s.

How do you write an authentic About Us page?

Firstly, think about your audience. Who is your ideal customer? Who are you targeting with your content? Once you know who you’re speaking to and what their needs are, you can write your content to connect with that particular type of customer.

An authentic About Us page will truly engage your prospective customers. To achieve this, your page must detail:

  • The PEOPLE behind the business – provides transparency (be sure to include photos of your team)
  • Your experience and background in the industry – helps establish trust
  • The core values of your business – helps you connect with readers who share those values
  • How you help your customers – WIIFM?
  • What’s your customer experience? What should people expect when dealing with you?

Being authentic is about knowing the core values of your business and targeting customers whose values align with your own.

How can an About Us page facilitate business success?

It’s a fact – relationships are the cornerstone of long-term business success. Building connections and quality, authentic relationships is key. To achieve this, you’ll need a well-written, authentic About Us page which outlines your story and clearly demonstrates the benefits in dealing with your business.

Trust is the basis of all relationships. If you’re overselling yourself and not being authentic in your About Us page content, readers will quickly identify this. If you want to establish a genuine connection and develop an enduring relationship with readers, be truthful and be human.

One of Australia’s top business coaches, Angela Henderson, talks about “Human to Human Marketing”. H2H marketing is all about the art of making a legitimate connection between the people behind your business and the people you serve. H2H suggests seeing your customers as humans first and then as customers. People come before transactions.

What type of interaction do you offer your customers? Is there an opportunity to have a conversation with you? What’s your customer journey?

Your ability to connect with your readers will help you stand out and start to build those quality relationships. And it all starts with an authentic About Us page.

Need help writing an outstanding About Us page? We collaborate with you to learn about your business and then write content which captures the true essence of your business while engaging your ideal customers.

Want to know more?

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writer

Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy these:

How to write an engaging About Us page

How to write an About Us page which wins more business

About Us page tips for Startups 

 

in Building authority / Grow your business / Small Business Marketing / Web writing tips 0 comments
Update your website content, web writing tips, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Update Your Website Content to Win More Business

When did you last update your website content? Was it last year? Or when the website was set up?

At the start of a new year, we often think about goal-setting, new beginnings, updates and upgrades in all aspects of our business. That’s why now is the ideal time to refresh or update your website content so that it becomes, or continues to be, a lead magnet for your business.

Here are some simple ways to update your website:

Do a Website Audit

Believe it or not, your website is not a “set and forget” marketing tool. your website content DOES need updating on a regular basis. There are some easy ways to do this. But first, do a website audit.

Spend some time taking a critical look at your current website content. Or ask an employee or friend to do this if you wrote the current content yourself. Look for any spelling or grammatical errors, or anything at all which needs updating.

Read the content with these questions in mind:

  • Is the content of each page clear, concise and targeted to our specific audience?
  • Is our Unique Selling Proposition clearly stated?
  • Do you have a clear Call to Action on each appropriate page?
  • Can your “brand voice” be heard through the content of the site?
  • Does the site capture the essence of your business?

Is your About Us page current?

Research shows the About Us page is the second most read page on a website (after the Home Page), so it’s vital to keep the information updated and relevant to your audience.

  • Have you updated your About Us page with information about any new products or services you offer to your clients?
  • Are your staff profiles up-to-date?
  • Does your site display recent photos of your team members?
  • Is the essence of your business and your brand story adequately portrayed on this page?
  • Does your About Us page clearly state the outcomes you deliver for your clients and how you help them?

Is your website mobile-friendly?

With such a larger proportion of website visits now taking place via mobile devices, it’s vital your site is optimised for mobile.

View your website (or ask someone else to view it) on a tablet and mobile phone. Check the user experience on different types of mobile device, as opposed to desktop.

If you’re not a tech guru, you may need to speak with your web designer or developer to check which enhancements are required.

Is your SEO working for you?

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) defines the online visibility of your website in “organic” or unpaid search engine results. So, how’s your site’s SEO working for your business? Do you have an SEO strategy? Does your website generate qualified leads for your business? Yes or no?

As SEO is an ever-evolving topic, perhaps this aspect of your website needs to be updated. If you’re not an SEO expert, you may wish to engage an SEO consultant.

Write and publish a series of new blog posts

Publishing a blog post is one of the easiest ways to refresh your website content. Blog posts can become an integral part of your SEO strategy and can also establish or reinforce your position as an authority in your field.

What should your blog posts contain? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Answer your prospective client’s burning questions
  • Offer potential solutions to the issues that keep them awake at 2 am
  • Outline or review of any new products or services you’re offering in 2021
  • Write a case study, complete with client testimonial, about one of your recent success stories
  • Demonstrate a “before and after” scenario using your product/s or service/s

If you’d like more ideas for your blog posts, check out this article.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

So, do you think it’s time to update your website content?

We hope the above tips have inspired you to take a fresh look and successfully update your website content. If you’re in need of professional assistance, we specialise in partnering with small business owners to create quality content for your website. Let us know if you’d ready to chat about how our services can help portray your organisation in its best light and win you more business.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

in Grow your business / Small Business Marketing / Web writing tips 0 comments
2021 Australian Business Awards, professional business awards writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

The Best 2021 Australian Business Awards to enter

If you want to boost the profile of your business, there’s nothing like winning or being shortlisted as a finalist in a prestigious business award. To achieve this, you’ll first need to decide which 2021 Australian Business Awards you wish to enter.

Whether you’re new to business or more established, there’s an award and category to suit you.

Don’t be daunted by the application process. Just be sure to start early and take your time when preparing your entry.

The rewards of entering are great

  • Networking opportunity with industry experts and important contacts,
  • The opportunity to benchmark your business amongst your industry
  • Awards help you build trust and credibility with customers and your community
  • Becoming a finalist or winner gives you bragging rights
  • Being shortlisted as a finalist or winning a business award is a very newsworthy way to gain media coverage
  • Receiving recognition as the business owner
  • Demonstrating how much you value your team.

Where to start

To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of the best Australian Business Awards on offer in 2021. Compile a shortlist, then research the individual awards and categories you wish to enter. Select your categories based on your strengths and eligibility.

Firstly, ensure you fit the criteria for the award. Check you’re able to answer the questions fully and accurately while highlighting your achievements.

Once you’ve selected the award, make a note of the nomination and closing dates, then work back from there, but don’t leave it until the last minute to enter…

For first-time entrants, we suggest you start by researching your local or regional business network or Chamber of Commerce. Depending on your industry, this can be a great way to get shortlisted as a finalist or win an award at the local level.

List of 2021 Australian Business Awards

Local/Regional Level Awards

  • NSW Business Chamber Awards – winners at local level go to the State level
  • City of Sydney Business Awards
  • Brisbane Lor Mayor’s Business Awards
  • Melbourne Business Awards
  • Tasmanian Community Achievement Awards
  • The Local Business Awards

General Business Awards

  • Australian Small Business Champion Awards
  • Telstra Australia Business Awards
  • The Australian Business Awards
  • Australian Small Business Awards
  • Better Business Awards
  • MyBusiness Awards
  • SmartCompany Resilience Awards
  • ABA100 Business Innovation Awards

Women’s Business Awards

  • Telstra Businesswomen’s Awards – National
  • Women in Business Awards
  • Cartier Women’s Initiative
  • The Stevie Awards for Women in Business
  • Queensland Resources Council Awards for Women
  • Women in Technology Awards
  • Rural Women’s Award
  • Women in Construction Awards
  • Women in Engineering Awards
  • Zonta International Awards

Industry Awards

  • REI Awards – NSW, QLD, WA, SA, VIC, TAS
  • REB Awards
  • The AREAS for Real Estate Excellence
  • UDIA Awards for Excellence – QLD
  • Mortgage and Finance Industry Association of Australia Awards
  • Australian Retailer Awards
  • Publishers Australia Excellence Awards
  • Australian Marketing Institute Awards

Young Achiever Awards

  • Business News – 40 Under 40 Awards
  • Brisbane Young Entrepreneur Awards
  • B&T Under 30 Awards
  • Young Entrepreneur Awards

*NOTE: This list has been compiled based on 2020 information. Some of the above awards may not be running in 2021. We strongly advise you to check the relevant Awards website for the most up-to-date information.

Writing a winning awards entry

Decided on the award you’d like to enter. Read the questions THOROUGHLY. Don’t be daunted by the questions or the application process. You can’t win it unless you’re in it!

Need help? Yes, we can assist you with the process. We collaborate with you to write your submission, tapping into our expertise as we coach and guide you through the entire application process.

We’ve compiled and written dozens of successful business award submissions. In fact, we have a 93.75% success rate for clients being shortlisted as finalists or becoming winners. We’re pretty proud of that – and we’d love to help you join our winner’s list.

Will you win one of these 2021 Australian Business Awards?

Contact us today to arrange a complimentary 10-15 minute discovery session and let’s make 2021 the year you bring home the trophy!

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

in Award nomination writing / Business Awards / Small Business Marketing 0 comments
How to identify your ideal clients, marketing tips
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Identify Your Ideal Clients – Expert Tips

When marketing our products or services, we’re often advised to target our ideal customers. It’s the most effective way to get more engagement. But firstly, you must identify your ideal clients, so you’ll know who you’re targeting.

You might be wondering … Isn’t everyone our target audience? Definitely not! Marketing experts agree that promoting your service or product to a specific audience helps save time, money and yields more sales. Rather than marketing to everyone with generic messages, you’re more likely to see results if you narrow your focus and target specific clients by addressing their pain points. Your marketing message must resonate with your ideal clients. You want the reader to say, “Yes, that’s me. I need your help!”

Client personas or avatars have long been utilised in successful marketing campaigns. They provide a clear picture of your exact target audience. Your persona or avatar is built around one person – your ideal client.

It’s important to note: Your ideal client is not your ONLY client, it is simply the type of person you prefer to do business with. You may have a different type of ideal client for each of your products or services.

Five questions to ask about your ideal clients

  • In an ideal world, what type of person would buy what you sell?
  • What keeps them awake at night? What are their pain points?
  • Where do they search for information to solve their issue/problem?
  • Which of their issues/problems do you solve?
  • How do you solve their problem/make their life better?

Gathering Information

Next, you’ll want to gather more information about the individuals you’re targeting.

If you’re an established business, you could start by reviewing your current client portfolio. Who are your Top 5 clients? What are their common characteristics? Why do they buy from you? What’s your point of difference in their eyes? How do they use your products or services?

You could also do a survey or ask your current clients questions in person. This is by far the most accurate way to find information about your clients.

If you’re a new business, think of a friend, relative or colleague who epitomises the type of clients you want to work with who would be your ideal client.

It helps to think of a name and some even use a stock photo to imagine what their ideal client looks like.

Demographics Help Identify Your Ideal Clients

Start a new document or grab a piece of paper and a pen. Under the heading, Our Ideal Client, list the demographics below:

  • Your ideal client’s age, gender, income, marital status and job
  • Where do they live, work, spend weekends?
  • Their typical behaviours, hobbies, interests, sports etc.
  • What are their goals and challenges?
  • Do you know what motivates them?
  • What do they aspire to?

Once you’ve answered all the above questions, you will have at least an outline of your ideal client persona/avatar. The avatar can be as detailed as you want. Develop a different persona for each of your products or services if the target audience is different. Do what works best for your business.

Why Having an Ideal Client Profile Matters

Let’s face it… there are some clients we covet and others we’d rather not deal with. It pays to target your marketing efforts towards your ideal clients. To maximise your marketing dollar, imagine you’re addressing your ideal client as though they’re standing in front of you. Address their problems or pain points. Lead with whatever they aspire to.

By directing your marketing message directly to your ideal clients, your message is more likely to resonate with them. This is much more effective than using a generalised message and hoping you’ll catch their attention.

Client personas can form a strong foundation for your marketing campaigns by connecting with and engaging the exact type of customers you wish to deal with. Imagine a long list of clients you love … sounds great, doesn’t it? Having a clear, targeted and effective marketing message starts with your ability to identify your ideal clients.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

 

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

in Article writing / General / Grow your business / Story angles 0 comments
Business storytelling, brand story, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Business Storytelling to Build Your Brand

When it comes to engaging your audience and building relationships with potential customers, stories sell! If you want your website content to get noticed, business storytelling can help.

What is business storytelling? It’s basically conveying useful information about your business within a narrative. Stories have the power to influence opinions and the attitude of the reader. A memorable story provides the opportunity to entertain, educate and sell to your prospects, while building trust and forming a connection with them.

Gone are the days of writing content or a blog post which is solely about you and your business. Readers connect with stories much more than dry, boring content full of corporate speak. Your prospective customers want to know who you are and how you do business, and storytelling provides the ideal opportunity to convey those messages.

Business Storytelling 101: Start with your Brand Story

Creating an engaging and informative brand story is the ideal first step in successful business storytelling.

A good story contains: Characters, conflict and resolution. Through effective storytelling, you can outline who you are, who you serve, your business approach to business and the outcomes you produce for your clients. Make your client the central character in your story.

What’s your brand story? Do you have one? Is it strong? If not, think about:

  • Why you started your business – Who came up with the idea for the business? What circumstances led to the business being launched?
  • What challenges and triumphs have you experienced?
  • Who are the people behind your business?
  • What does your business stand for?
  • What are your business values and how are you different from competitors?
  • Who are your ideal customers?
  • What is your “customer experience”?
  • What are the outcomes you achieve for your clients?

How’s Your ‘About Us Page’ Looking?

Take a critical look at your About Us page. Does it accurately and authentically convey your brand story? HINT: If it starts with “Our company was founded in ….”, you’re doing it wrong!

Instead of writing a boring company history, tell the story of your brand with your reader/customer as the central focus. You want them to feel as though they are your reason for being in business. Talk about how you help people and how you’re driven to continually improve your level of service or product range to help customers. Be sure to clearly articulate “what’s in it for them”.

Using Case Studies for Business Storytelling

Case studies are the perfect way to illustrate how your products or services help your clients. Case Studies can be located on a tab within your navigation pane, or they can be incorporated into your website as blog posts.

Your case studies should revolve around how you helped one of your clients, and the problem you solved for them. To make your story compelling, demonstrate decisions being made, action being taken and problems being resolved, with a happy outcome.

Start by painting a picture of what life was like BEFORE, outline the client’s issue, then detail the potential outcomes you offer. Next you can show why the client chose that particular option, then take the reader through each step towards reaching the desired outcome.

This is an opportunity to demonstrate your UVP or Unique Value Proposition – it’s what sets you apart from your competitors. Anyone can talk about the features and benefits of their product or service but demonstrating HOW you help your customers can truly make you stand out.

Readers want to see your client experience in action, to understand how you operate and to see what the outcome of your product or service is. Back this up with a testimonial from your happy client – third party endorsement is GOLD – and you’re on a winner. Readers LOVE success stories – they want the same success for themselves.

Authenticity is Essential

Whether you’re writing website content, blog posts or your brand story, make sure you’re being authentic. You can’t just make s*%t up!

Particularly since COVID-19 hit, we’ve seen more businesses and business owners opening their workplaces and homes to us via Zoom. We’ve gained an unprecedented insight into how businesses operate and how their owners live. This has inspired consumer desire for more businesspeople to be real and open, rather than cold and corporate.

Try not to simply paint a picture of what you think your readers want to hear and see. It’s important to make sure your story accurately captures the true essence of your business, that it’s relatable, transparent and real.

Connections are Key

The most effective business storytelling makes your readers FEEL something and establishes an emotional connection with your brand. That feeling can evolve into brand loyalty.

Once your prospect has read your story and felt that feeling, be clear on what you want them to do next. Why not invite them to connect with you via social media or email? This is a lot less risky than pulling the hard sell on them at an early stage in your relationship. Of course, this will depend on what type of product or service you offer.

 

Need help with your business storytelling? We can collaborate with you on your brand story, website content/About Us page, case studies, blog posts or a business award nomination. We’d love you to email us and let us know how we can help you get started.

If you found these tips helpful, please like and/or share with your business associates or LinkedIn connections.

 

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

in Article writing / Article writing help / Award nomination writing / Building authority / Business Awards / Grow your business / Story angles 0 comments
Australian capabilty statements, how to write a capability statement, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Australian Capability Statements – Grow Your Business

When it comes to Australian capability statements, many business owners are surprised to learn how these documents can help to land a raft of new and bigger clients. A professionally written capability statement (basically a company profile on steroids!), can be just the “foot in the door” you need to secure more business and increase your revenue.

While many clients come to me to get their Australian capability statements written, most are initially unsure exactly what needs to be included.

I work with electricians, plumbers, builders, transport companies, building inspection companies and many other business owners across Australia, who have been told they need a capability statement by their potential clients. Australian government agencies, large corporations and major contractors are increasingly requesting a capability statement to be submitted before they will consider working with your business.

Following are answers to the most frequently asked questions about capability statements …

What is a capability statement?

Quite simply, a capability statement is a document outlining information about your company, its strengths and your track record.

What makes Australian capability statements different from other countries?

In the USA, capability statements seem to generally consist of only one page and contain basic, factual information. They are often used by large organisations to ‘compare apples with apples’ when it comes to potential contractors or sub-contractors, so the single page layout is ideal for this purpose.

However, in Australia, most organisations require more detailed information so they can assess your company’s suitability for a project or contract. Depending on your business’ history and the requirements of your prospective clients, Australian capability statements generally range from 2-4 pages up to 24 pages or more, and everything in between. The vast majority are around 3-6 pages long.

What should I include in my capability statement?

While the exact topics and content is different with every single capability statement and the variations are endless, the basic contents remain the same. They are:

  • Business overview
  • Mission/vision/values
  • Services you provide
  • Core competencies
  • Contact details

Of course, a more comprehensive document will contain greater detail, including numerous case studies which clearly demonstrate your organisation’s ability to solve a particular problem and produce positive outcomes for your clients.

If building long term relationships with your clients is important, you may also wish to include a profile and photo of each key team member to initiate the “know, like and trust” factor.

It’s also a great idea to include your USP/UVP – unique selling proposition or unique value proposition. This is the one thing which truly sets you apart from your competitors.

How do you know what to include and what to leave out?

When a prospective client asks me to quote on writing their capability statement, I ask them, “What do you prospective clients need to know before they will do business with you?”. Think about your ideal client and those you’re aiming to attract.

Why can’t I just copy and paste another company’s capability statement?

Firstly, all written materials are copyright in Australia, so copying another company’s capability statement would not be a good idea, unless you’re happy to pay a hefty fine and/or potential court costs.

Secondly, imagine your embarrassment if you bid for the same job as the company you copied from … and the prospective client found out you’d copied your statement. Do you think you’d get the work?

It’s important to tailor the contents of your document to your audience. Remember, you must supply all the information your prospective clients require to make an informed decision about whether to engage your services… and this information varies between businesses. Depending on the size of the contracts you’re vying for, you may consider customising your capability statement for certain prospective clients.

Who should write your capability statement?

Savvy business owners engage a professional writer, such as myself, to write their capability statement. I often have clients remark that they lack the level of writing skill or expertise required to make a great first impression. My reply is usually something about my lack of electrical, engineering or building skills, so you wouldn’t want me doing any work in those trades! It’s awesome when we know what we’re good at – and we stick to it.

However, if you do have sound writing skills and/or your budget is limited, you can certainly compile a capability statement yourself. This task is much easier when you have a clear strategy, know what information you need to include and the structure of your document.

All this information is available in my capability statement kit. In this value-packed guide, you get all the information you need, plus some professional tips and tricks to help make your capability statement shine.

The capability statement kit is ideal for start-ups, budget-conscious business owners and those who are confident in their writing ability. Check out all the information here.

Are you a tradesperson? We’ve written a blog post with specific tips for tradies here.

 

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional WriterHi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, business owner and chief word wrangler at The Professional Writer. My team and I write content dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. This includes website content, capability statements, company profiles, team bios, business award nominations, blog post packages and more. We happily work with clients all over Australia. Email us to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.  

 

in Capability statements / Grow your business / Small Business Marketing 0 comments