What Is Content And Why Does It Matter?
Perhaps you have heard people talk about content or messaging, but aren’t exactly sure what it means in relation to marketing. Content can come in a variety of forms from actual written content to media like images or videos.
Businesses often put too much focus on building their website, creating their social media page, or designing their brochure and too little time on what is actually said on these various marketing assets. Donald Miller, CEO of StoryBrand, has said, “If we pay a lot of money to a design agency without first clarifying our message, we might as well be holding a bullhorn up to a monkey. The only thing a potential customer will hear is noise.” A business’s first step in creating a solid and strategic marketing plan is to clarify their brand’s message.
Cohesive Messaging
Once you have spent the time in crafting a unified message, this can then be extended to all your marketing collateral. This creates a cohesive message that is interwoven throughout all your marketing. This is much like depositing money into the same bank account. We know that when you consistently place money in one account it compounds over time, and if the interest rate is right can bring additional wealth. Conversely, depositing your money into several different accounts will not allow for the same growth. Marketing is about constantly saying the same thing over and over again which will compound your marketing efforts. You will then be known as the “blank practice” or the practice that offers such and such services. People will remember your clinic and even share it with others when asked about a clinic that offers a particular service.
The KISS (Keep it Simple Sweetie) Concept
Not only will creating a cohesive message compound your marketing efforts, but it will also make it very clear and easy to understand exactly what services you offer, how your clinic can help them, and the best ways to work with your business. Many practices trying to market their services tend to get too clever, use industry jargon, or become very technical in an attempt to build authority in their practice. Prospective clients want to understand how you are going to help them, but don’t need to understand the specific or technical details behind it. In fact, studies by The National Assessment for Adult Literacy show that “50% of adults cannot read a book written at an eighth-grade level.” When a business becomes technical or uses industry jargon, they run the risk of speaking over their ideal clients’ heads causing confusion and misunderstanding. We typically suggest that your written content be geared toward someone with a comprehension level of about 12-14 years of age. Make your messaging simple which will in turn make it memorable.
Invite and Engage Your Audience
Marketing is more about understanding your audience and their needs and less about your clinic. Creating engaging written content means that you talk about your ideal client’s problem and then address how you will help them fix it. Many practices get caught in talking about how long they have been in business, what their qualifications are, and a grocery list of services they offer. While all of that is important. It is also boring, not engaging, and completely misses the opportunity to talk about your prospective client. People look for services or products that will solve a problem they have. That is what gets them on the internet googling symptoms, diagnoses, and who can help them alleviate their issue. If the focus of your written content on your website, social media, or brochure is not talking about your prospective clients, then the chances of them not feeling engaged and leaving is pretty high.
We are not suggesting that you leave your address on your website for fear of it being too much about your clinic, but that the way you talk about your clinic is in relation to how it solves a problem and improves a life. And just so we are clear, this includes your About page and your bio as well. Make it about them and not about your practice and you will spark more interest and improve overall engagement with your clinic.
Creating Content That Matters and Engages
When we create written content for our clients, we focus on understanding their prospective clients better. We really dig into who your clients are, their likes, dislikes, wants, and desires. We ask about what is keeping them up at night? What makes them worry? Once we have a deep understanding of their needs, then we turn our attention to how your clinic comes alongside them to solve their problem. We talk about your practice in relation to their problem.
This places your prospective clients as the hero and you as the guide leading them to a better life. When a clinic talks about themselves they become the hero and miss the opportunity to position themselves as the guide that helps their prospective clients win the day. Because when we really get to the gist of it, does your practice really fix their problem, or do you guide them down a path that leads to answers, exercises, knowledge, etc? I have heard often that a client in therapy will not improve unless they, not you, take action. Your practice is the guide that shows them the best path, but in the end they are the ones who have to put forth the work and effort that truly creates lasting change, improving their life or healing them.
Summing it Up
While the design of your marketing materials invoke professionalism and legitimacy for your practice, that only counts as far as what is written on the website, social media post, brochure, etc. What really matters to your ideal clients is how your clinic helps them to better some part of their life. Keep it consistent. Keep it simple. Keep it focused on them. And you are sure to build marketing that will attract more clients, fill your schedule, and bring more growth to your business.
Resources to Get You Started
We wouldn’t leave you hanging. While we can help you create a clear, unified message, write content for all your marketing materials, and even design your website or brochure, we understand that not every clinic is ready or able to invest in their practice. Here are some free or very inexpensive resources to help you understand and start working on creating a cohesive brand messaging.
Create your BrandScript This free tool with video will help you clarify your message by creating a BrandScript for your business that can be used in all your marketing efforts.
Marketing Made Simple Podcast Follow the Marketing Made Simple podcast to learn more about a marketing framework that will clarify your message, engage with your audience, and bring growth to your practice.
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller This book takes you step-by-step through the process of clarifying your message and creating a BrandScript for you practice.
Marketing Made Simple by Donald Miller with Dr. JJ Peterson This book walks you step-by-step through a marketing framework that teaches you how to extend your BrandScript to all your marketing efforts from website to social media post.
Business Made Simple by Donald Miller is the must-have guide for anyone who feels lost or overwhelmed by the modern business climate, even if they attended business school. Learn what the most successful business leaders have known for years through the simple but effective secrets shared in these pages.
Social Media Success for Every Brand by Claire Diaz-Ortiz Most business owners are blindly guessing at their social media strategy, and it’s costing them time and money. Based on Donald Miller’s best-selling book Building a StoryBrand, Claire Diaz-Ortiz applies the seven principles of the StoryBrand Framework to help you build an effective, long-lasting social media plan for your brand.