I’ve
been helping more self-employed professionals build business with
writing recently: articles, blog posts, ebooks, and more. To explain to
them the type of editorial content professionals need to write in order
to attract and land clients, I coined a new acronym, REAL:
R = Relevant
E = Educational, Entertaining, and/or Evocative
A = Authentic
L = Leads to trust
Working with these elements, I’ve realized that they apply to more
than just writing. In fact, they apply to any sort of marketing a
self-employed professional does.
Whether you are writing copy for your website, posting on social
media, placing a follow-up call, or giving a talk, you need to consider
the four REAL elements.
Relevant – What you write or say must apply to both
your audience and what you’re trying to sell. Posting cute kitten videos
to Facebook isn’t enough to turn your social media presence into paying
clients, unless you’re a videographer or cat sitter. An occasional
off-topic post or conversation is fine, but the majority of your
written, spoken, and visual content should be directly relevant to your
target audience’s needs and your business.
Educational, Entertaining, and/or Evocative – All
your communications with prospective clients should fit into one (or
more) of these three categories. Remember, they must still also be
relevant!
- Educational: These communications inform your audience
about principles, skills, facts, or resources relevant to their needs.
Make sure communications of this type deliver immediate, practical value
to your prospects. They should always be aimed at helping people
achieve goals and solve problems.
- Entertaining: Communications in this category make your
audience laugh, feel good, or daydream. You might tell stories or jokes,
share amusing or positive images, or open people’s horizons.
- Evocative: Words and images of this type trigger your
audience’s emotions, such as awe, delight, or concern. They might
stimulate deeper thinking and exploration. Or, they can inspire,
motivate, or evoke empathy.
Authentic – Whatever you tell or show prospective
clients must be presented in a voice that’s true to who you are. Sending
prospective clients a long sales letter that includes hard-sell phrases
you would never use in a live conversation is inauthentic. When you try
to use other people’s words to sell yourself, you’re likely to chase
away the very clients that are the best match for your personality and
working style.
Leads to trust – Consistently producing
communications based on the elements above encourages people to trust
you. They know you aren’t going to annoy or bore them by talking about
irrelevant topics, and that they’ll get value from every read or
conversation. They’ll also be confident that they’re seeing the real
you. When prospective clients trust you, they’ll hire you.
Start getting REAL about your marketing. Include the four REAL
elements in your blog posts, marketing emails, networking exchanges, and
sales conversations. Relevant, authentic communications that are
educational, entertaining, or evocative will build people’s trust, and
therefore, build your business.
Copyright © 2015, C.J. Hayden
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