Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Confirmation Biases: More Brain-Based Content Marketing

There are two ways to communicate about a problem, the traditional way and the brain-based way. This goes for writing a blog post, an email, a web page, an article, or a newsletter. In fact, for all of your content marketing, think about how your readers may be reacting to what you say.

Traditionally, the way to write about a problem, the way I was taught in graduate school and the way most of us in business or academia were taught, is to:

1. Define the problem
2. Analyze the problem
3. Provide options
4. Recommend a solution

Let's look at a better way, based on research from brain-based neuroscience:

1. Get attention
2. Stimulate desire
3. Reinforce with reasons

Do You Commit These 2 Blog Writing Errors?

 Uh-oh. When I heard the siren I pulled over immediately. But this cop isn't like most. She's the grammar police, a business communications expert. This is what Barb Sawyers has to say in this week's guest post:

Bloggers, I love your raw energy. After decades of writing for often-stuffy business and government leaders, it's exhilarating to ride your wave.

But, there are two things you do that drive me crazy. So listen grasshopper, as I reveal the two of the most closely guarded secrets of the masters.

I'm not going to make you relearn all those boring grammar rules from school, just two  easy ones that will help readers understand and remember what you've written.

They are:

1. Confusing sound-alike contractions and possessives (e.g. it's; its). By doing this, you not only look bad, but also become more difficult to understand.
2. Unnecessarily long lists. Ask yourself: how many items can I remember if I forget my grocery list?

Good Is the Enemy of Great Content Marketing

Read this post: How Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Can Help You Find Inspiration by Francis Raymond on Connect the Docs Blog. Besides being a clever headline, and even if, like me, you don't like cupcakes, this post tells you a couple of ways to spice up your blog writing.

1. Go read stuff outside your field.
2. Research what other people are doing and writing.

This is why I've been running a series about what other people are doing with content marketing. You may understand everything about your field. But do you understand what others struggle with and excel at in your field?

If you're not reading your competitors' and colleagues' stuff, how can you know? There's good stuff out there, very good stuff. And a lot of bad stuff and just so-so stuff. You can get inspired by the good, bad and the mediocre.

Even if your stuff is clearly way out in front...it can be better. Here's a quote from author Jim Collins about this:

Good is the enemy of Great.

Collins says the reason we have so few great companies, great schools and great governments is because we've got so many good ones. We stop trying. It's true for your blog, your writing on the web, and your content marketing.

Related Posts:

HerMentorCenter Does Content Marketing
How Barb Sawyers Does Content Marketing
How John Agno Does Content Marketing
Sales Autopsy: Alive and Kickin'