The web changes everything!
The most shocking thing about this idea is that it shocks at all. People in general are comfortable on the web. Interacting online is ordinary. Buying online isn’t new or unusual.
It’s the sellers among us who can’t seem to move on. We’re spending a lot of time and energy talking about the challenges of the web. But the way to effectively communicate online is actually very basic.
Stop selling and think like a buyer.
Buyer’s perspective and good communication
As a seller, your tendency is to talk about your needs: selling products or services. A customer cares about something entirely different: his or her needs.
A customer’s point of view is essential.
That’s another idea that isn’t shocking. It makes sense anywhere, not just on the web. But it’s more relevant now. Online attention spans won’t tolerate content that doesn’t speak to customer objectives. It’s easy to jump somewhere else for help.
Check out this interesting video with renowned copywriter* Herschell Gordon Lewis. He understands buyers, and the strategic value of thinking like one, better than anyone. Jump ahead to about 3:55, and watch until about 5:20, if you want to save some time.]
* Interesting trivia regarding the“Godfather of Gore” title: Herschell Gordon Lewis was once a low-budget film producer and director who essentially invented the modern horror movie.
Creating content from a customer’s point of view.
As Lewis mentions in the video, an ad agency, freelance copywriter or a marketing consultant is uniquely equipped to think about a customer’s point of view and create content around it. Like the customer, outside marketing experts can’t know as much as internal staff. The strength of a good writer is his or her ability to absorb your information, and distill it down to things that the customer cares about right now.
If you don’t have a marketing expert to turn to, you can keep the following things in mind to ensure your content achieves customer objectives as well as your own:
- What is the business objective?
Develop your strategy and write the content to match a specific goal. - What are the customer’s objectives?
What does the customer want to achieve online? Ensure your content helps them. - What do I have to offer the customer?
Cut down on product education and industry jargon. Instead, think about what your customers will do with your products or services. How will they benefit?
Most importantly, seek an outsider’s point of view:
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Use research.
Ask your target audience about their online habits. -
Find someone on the outside.
Ask anyone from outside the company to read your content. How do they react? -
Try role playing.
Sit down at the computer and act like a potential customer! -
Use social media.
Social media is a great opportunity to communicate on a customer’s level, because they are actually telling you what they’re thinking. Look for people to help and help them.
Tags: website content