Grow your business

Connect with your target audience, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to Connect With Your Target Audience

Being a professional writer is all about writing to connect with your target audience. This is a skill you can learn. In fact, writing persuasive text is now taught in schools. There may be a whole new generation of copywriters coming along soon 😊.

If you want your marketing to have maximum impact, it’s vital that you have identify who you’re aiming aim.

Just like archery, if you want to hit the target, you need to know exactly where you’re aiming your arrow.

Here are 3 simple steps to help you connect with your target audience…

  1. Identify your ideal client

Identifying your ideal client is important because we need a clear picture of who we’re writing for. Your ideal client is not your ONLY client – it’s unlikely this demographic will be the only people to respond to your marketing. However, they are the ones we really want to respond.

In an ideal world, who do you want to do business with? Think about the delightful clients, the ones who make your business life a dream. They’re the opposite of those PITA (pain in the a**) clients you’d rather not deal with.

If you need more guidance on identifying your ideal client, check out this earlier post.

  1. Clarify what your target audience wants

By getting to know your target audience, i.e. by actually talking to them and asking them questions, you’ll get to know exactly what they want and expect from your product or service.

For example, let’s say you sell birthday cakes. Your target audience might be parents, in particular, Mums with young children. Let’s call our ideal client Samantha (it really helps to give them a name). What does Samantha (and other Mums like her) want from you? Obviously, you’d need to ASK her, but let’s make a few assumptions for the purpose of this exercise.

In a recent survey, Samantha and other Mums said they wanted:

  • Easy online ordering or the ability to speak to an actual person to order
  • The ability to personalise the cake by ordering particular coloured icing, their child’s name, and/or a particular theme
  • It is vital to have the cake match the picture on your website or in-store – and to get the child’s name right!
  • As Mums are busy people, they would enjoy the option of having the cake delivered to their door.

  1. Aim your content squarely at what your audience wants

Continuing with the cake maker scenario, let’s look at how to connect with your target audience.  An example of non-targeted content:

ABC Cake Shop. We make cakes. All types of icing and popular themes.

You’ve seen the rest, now order from the best – www.ABCcakes.com.au

Does that ad/content make you want to buy a cake? Notice how the content is all about ABC cakes, there’s nothing in there that appeals directly to the customer.

How about a more targeted approach?

Want the perfect cake for your child’s birthday party? (We’re specifically targeting parents here)

We make and deliver themed cakes, personalised with your child’s name. (The target audience is thinking – that’s exactly what I want)

Check out our beautiful cakes on www.XYZcakes.com.au and order online – or call us to discuss your individual needs.

(The target audience is thinking – great, I can check out their options and call them if I have questions)

While the text is a little longer in the second sample, can you see how much more effective it is to engage and connect with your target audience by knowing what they’re looking for? It’s all about the reader and what the cake maker can do for them, not just the cake maker. The reader feels you are speaking directly to them.

The second ad is simply more appealing, and you could potentially charge a slightly higher price by knowing your audience, what they want, and providing it to them.

Now you know where to aim, are you ready to fire?

I trust this helps clarify the importance of identifying your target audience and writing content that connects with them. After clarifying who your audience is and by doing research into what they’re looking for, you have the information you need to appeal to your ideal client.

If you found these tips helpful, please share them with your business associates or LinkedIn connections. Go ahead and connect with me on LinkedIn.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, owner of The Professional Writer, business writerWant to know more?

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 – we LOVE writing About Us pages, 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 About Us pages / Grow your business / 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
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
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
Blogging tips, business blogging, boost your website ranking, professional writer
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

Blogging for Business Growth – 9 Expert Tips

Growing your online audience is difficult in today’s digital world. But one simple and cost-effective way to market your products or services is by blogging for business. 

Did you know that up to 72% of online marketers describe consistent content creation as their most effective SEO tactic? And it’s no secret that good SEO generates more site visitors, and more site visitors leads to more – you guessed it – sales. Not only that, blogging for business has the power to boost engagement, develop relationships, drive conversions and showcase your knowledge on a particular topic.

So, whether you’re thinking about creating a blog for your business, or you’ve already got one up and running, I’ll be sharing the benefits of blogging and my top tips to help you get started.

Benefits of blogging for business

Nowadays, buyers don’t just search for high-quality products and services. They want to connect with you and your brand – so it will come as no surprise to find that up to 77% of internet users read blogs. It’s a great way to develop meaningful relationships with your target audience. But remember, if you want to connect with your audience, it’s essential that you understand who your target audience is.

Blogging isn’t only a valuable tool for relationship building, it also:

  • Builds authority – showing your audience that you’re an expert on a particular topic
  • Creates shareable content, which then drives traffic back to your website
  • Gives you an SEO boost, through regularly targeting different keywords
  • Creates an opportunity for you to introduce yourself and your team members
  • Allows potential customers to see a library of good quality content
  • Allows you to showcase your outcomes and successes
  • Provides you with valuable content to share on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn
  • Creates an opportunity to nurture the people on your mailing list when you share useful information
  • Gives you content to share in your email newsletter – which helps to nurture your audience

So, now you understand why your business should be creating regular blog posts, let’s dive into my top tips for business blogging success!

9 expert tips for creating a business blog

  1. Create a schedule

Deciding when and how to share your content can be tiring work, which is why setting a schedule will help to keep you focused. Whether you choose daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly blog posts – make sure you keep it consistent. Businesses who publish consistent content get up to 30% more traffic, so it pays to be organised.

  1. Allocate Time

Blog writing for your business can often be pushed aside as more pressing matters come up. One way to avoid falling behind on your schedule is to block out time in advance and write several posts in one go. Depending on your publishing schedule, it’s a good idea to have 1–3 months worth of blog posts ready to go.

  1. Choose a topic 

Select a topic that is relevant to your business, and of course, your target audience. You must research your topic in detail so that you are providing your audience with the most relevant, valuable and up-to-date information. An excellent place to start is by reviewing the frequently asked questions or “FAQ’s” your clients or potential clients ask. You’ll often hear the same questions asked time and again, and that may help you choose a topic for your blog post – or a series of posts.

  1. Decide on a keyword

Choosing a keyword or keyword phrase for your blog post will not only speak to your target audience – but also Google. First of all, you need to identify a good keyword opportunity (ideally one with high traffic and low competition.) Once you’ve chosen one, use this keyword or keyword phrase in your headline. It is also a good idea to identify some synonyms to use throughout the subheadings and text.  

  1. Draft and revise

Finally, you’re ready to start creating your first draft. Combine your research, keywords and creative flair to write a clear, engaging and informative blog post. Use subheadings and bullet points when necessary – as this breaks up the text and keeps it interesting for your audience. And remember – write as if you’re speaking to your dream customer!

  1. Proofread

When it’s time to publish your blog post, you want it to be flawless – and that’s where proofreading comes in! Whether you do your own proofreading or outsource it – this step should not be overlooked. Having proper grammar and error-free content shows your audience you’re professional and meticulous – and it also makes it a pleasure to read.

  1. Include a Call to Action

After you educate and nurture your audience through a blog post, it’s an excellent opportunity to present your Call to Action. Decide on a goal and encourage the reader to take action at the end of the post. This could be enticing your visitors to contact you, sign up to your mailing list or book a consultation.

  1. Publish and promote

Finally, it’s time to share your blog post with the world! Once you publish your work, it doesn’t mean you should forget about it. The best way to gain traction for your post is by sharing it around. Post a link to your post on social media channels such as Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram to encourage your audience to visit your site. Share a link to your post in FB groups too.

  1. Repeat!

Be sure to follow up with further regular blog posts on a variety of topics related to your business. This will build your library of articles and demonstrate your expertise.

 

By following these 9 expert tips on business blogging, you will be well on your way to building more brand awareness, driving traffic to your site and attracting a flurry of potential buyers. This, in turn, will facilitate the growth of your business.

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

And if you’re looking for more business blogging tips, you might also like: https://www.professionalwriter.com.au/generate-blog-post-ideas-business/

https://www.professionalwriter.com.au/know-your-clients-win-more-business/ 

 

Lyndall Guinery-Smith The Professional 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 help / Building authority / Grow your business / Small Business Marketing 0 comments
Winning business awards, how to write a winning awards entry, business awards writer, The Professional Writer, Lyndall Guinery Smith
 by Lyndall Guinery-Smith

How to write a winning business awards entry

Writing a winning business awards entry can be challenging, but the payoff in the form of promotion for your business can be extremely rewarding, taking your business to a new level.
As an experienced business awards nominations writer, I’m often asked what it takes to write a winning award entry. Make no mistake, it is a project and will require the investment of time and energy – it cannot be a last minute decision.

Following are some helpful tips for writing a winning business awards entry

Before you start writing…

  • Carefully read through the award terms and conditions to check your business is eligible to enter
  • Take time to consider which categories you should enter
  • Think about how you could leverage the award once you’ve won, and which category would best help you engage with your target market
  • If you find any “gaps” in your entry, consider waiting until the following year to enter. Then take appropriate action to ensure you can cover that particular topic in future
  • Note the tips in the guidelines – they are there for a reason!
  • Read and re-read each question, then make notes on your answer
  • Think carefully about each answer. Judges want to see evidence of your performance. Be specific with figures, give clear examples and use graphs or charts to complement your text
  • Don’t just mention what you’ve achieved. Include the outcomes for your clients, how you’ve contributed to your industry or the part you play in your local community

When you start writing your winning business awards entry …

  • Ensure you actually ANSWER the question. This might sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many businesses write a fluffy answer that doesn’t actually address the topic!
  •  Include the achievements of your team members where possible. This is a great way to acknowledge their input into the business and it makes you look like a great boss.
  • Where there’s been a problem that you’ve overcome, don’t be afraid to mention it. All businesses have issues from time-to-time and demonstrating how you’ve overcome those problems shows your resilience and how you’ve grown as an organisation.
  • Where possible, include social proof to add credibility to your entry.
  • Use brief case studies or stories about customers’ success with your product or service to demonstrate the outcomes you’re able to achieve. Tell a story if possible.
  • Before uploading your entry to the awards portal, ask someone independent to proofread your entry. We all make typos and grammatical errors and we rarely see them ourselves, particularly when we’ve read and re-read the same text many times over.
  • Watch the word limit on each answer. If you exceed it, the end of your answer will be cut off!

Boosting your business profile

Entering and winning business awards can be a fabulous way to boost your business. Winning helps raise your profile in your local community, with your clients and potential clients. However, if the awards you enter have state or national levels, and you’re successful in reaching those stages, your profile gets an even bigger boost!

Winning an award demonstrates that you’ve been judged as exemplary by a third party, portraying you as an industry leader. After you’ve entered, give some thought to how you can publicise your win and gain more business from it. You may utilise social media, print media or your local business networks to spread the word about your win. Have a plan of action in place and ready to go once your win is announced.

I hope this brief post has provided you with some useful tips on winning business awards. Should you require any assistance with writing your entry, please feel free to drop me a line.

Lyndall Guinery-Smith, The Professional Writer, Business Writer, Award Nominations 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 Award nomination writing / Grow your business / Small Business Marketing 0 comments
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