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Writing for the Web.

2. Writing for the Web.

3. K N O W Y O U R P U R P O S E
S P E A K T O Y O U R A U D I E N C E
W H A T T O W R I T E
P O L I S H Y O U R S T Y L E
P E R F E C T I N G Y O U R P R O C E S S
Writing for the Web.

4. Meet Monica

5. Know your purpose.
All marketing content is essentially composed to
achieve the same goal:
To get people to read it.

6. Know your purpose.
 Why do we want them to read?
 To educate
 To build rapport
 To build credibility
 To develop a relationship
To SELL!
Generate Revenue( )

7. Know your purpose.
 Back in the day…
Sales was asymmetrical,
sales person held all the
info, the buyer had little.
NOW
Buyers hold the info,
it flows freely online.

8. Know your purpose.
 Why do need to write?
People are contacting
sales 57% later in the
buying process.
57%
Of the sales process has
already taken place
before they contact you.

9. Your buyers are going to find information to
form their buying decision from somewhere.
Do you want them to hear it from you?
OR
From your competition?

10. Before you start: Get your head on straight.
 Don’t assume viewers
will read what you’ve
written simply because
you wrote it
 Writing is selling, it is
not meant to meet your
emotional needs
 Forgive yourself
 Make an adequate
timeline to achieve
your process
 Know your support
group
 Hold true to your
process
Know your purpose.

11. Before you start: Set goals.
Know your purpose.
 What do you want your viewers to do or learn?
Knowledge Action
Your agenda Their agenda
To educate businesses about
the benefits of blogging
Discover if blogging is a good
marketing fit for their business
HOW?
Share information about
how to get started blogging
with statistics of how it helps
drive traffic to a site
A big link button leading to a
page on the website with more
info about the guide and a call
to action to download
EXAMPLE

12. What’s your goal?

13. Before you start: Set deadlines.
 When do you need to:
 send your email
 publish your post
 finalize your content
 Create a timeline working from end to beginning
Know your purpose.

14. What will your timeline look like?
Allow for wiggle room.
Two days for revisions.
How MayeCreate works as a group.

15. Before you start: Brainstorm keywords.
 What are keywords and why are they important?
 Search terms or phrases
 Resonate terms or phrases that evoke emotion and/or action
 What are key words or phrases you need to include
for SEO or to relate to your audience?
 Make a list to use during brainstorming and editing
to include in blog post and page:
 Content
 Titles
 Meta Tags
Know your purpose.

16. What keywords do people use to search
for your business online?
What keywords resonate with your
audience?

17. Speak to your audience.
When trying to reach to everyone you end up
touching to no one at all.

18. Speak to your audience.
Interests
Income
Gender
Education
Level
Communication
Style
Life Style
Age
Location
Relationship
Who are you
speaking to?
Will these factors
impact effective
delivery of your
message?

19. What is your communication style?

20. Communication Style: DISC
 Strong-Willed
 Competitive
 Demanding
 Independent
 Direct
 Self-Centered
 Decisive
 Tough
 Impatient
 Sociable
 Talkative
 Open
 Enthusiastic
 Energetic
 Persuasive
 Spontaneous
 Emotional
 Impulsive
 Steady
 Laid Back
 Modest
 Trustworthy
 Family Oriented
 Sincere
 Patient
 Careful
 Calm
 Precise
 Exact
 Analytical
 Systematic
 Follows Rules
 Quiet
 Careful
 Formal
 Disciplined
Speak to your audience.
D I S C

21. Speak to your audience.
D I S C
Doesn’t matter what style you are, everyone loves to see their own name!
Communication Style: DISC
 Brief and to
the point
 Results
oriented
 Focus on the
future
 Get to
business
 Positive and
conversational
 Quirky and
friendly
 Ask for
feedback
 Get personal
 Be excited!
 Take your
time
 Do what you
say you’ll do
 Remember
the little
things
 Human
interest
 Go into
details
 Keep it
formal
 Explain why
 Reflect on
the past
(working
results)

22. What communication style are your readers?
It’s okay if they’re not the same.
Get mentally prepared…

23. Buyer Personas
What Are Buyer Personas?
 Buyer personas are fictional
representations of your ideal
customers.
 They are based on real data about
customer demographics and online
behavior, along with educated
speculation about their personal
histories, motivations, and concerns.
?
Slide content courtesy of HubSpot Buyer Persona Template

24. Persona Name
1. BACKGROUND
 Basic details about persona’s role
 Key information about the
persona’s company
 Relevant background info, like
education or hobbies
2. DEMOGRAPHICS
 Gender
 Age Range
 HH Income (Consider a spouse’s
income, if relevant)
 Urbanicity (Is your persona urban,
suburban, or rural?)
3. IDENTIFIERS
 Buzz words
 Mannerisms
Slide content courtesy of HubSpot Buyer Persona Template

25. Persona Name
4. GOALS
 Persona’s primary goal
 Persona’s secondary goal
5. CHALLENGES
 Primary challenge to persona’s
success
 Secondary challenge to persona’s
success
6. HOW WE HELP
 How you solve your persona’s
challenges
 How you help your persona
achieve goals
Slide content courtesy of HubSpot Buyer Persona Template

26. Persona Name
7. REAL QUOTES
 Include a few real quotes – taken
during your interviews – that
represent your persona well. This
will make it easier for employees
to relate to and understand your
persona.
8. COMMON OBJECTIONS
 Identify the most common
objections your persona will raise
during the sales process.
Slide content courtesy of HubSpot Buyer Persona Template

27. Persona Name
9. MARKETING MESSAGING
 How should you describe your
solution to your persona?
10. ELEVATOR PITCH
 Make describing your solution
simple and consistent across
everyone in your company.
Slide content courtesy of HubSpot Buyer Persona Template

28. Who are you talking to?

29. Where do they consume online content?

30. Building a online bridge to your customers.
Speak to your audience.
Your
Audience
Closed
Business
Facebook
Email
Marketing
Blog &
Website
Pinterest
Other possible digital components of your marketing bridge:
Twitter, LinkedIn, Houzz, Google+, YouTube, Google AdWords

31. Don’t just build a bridge, cast a net.
Speak to your audience.
Your
Audience
Closed
Business
WEBSITE
Blog
Email
Marketing
Facebook
Pinterest

32. Sometimes in the process this is a good
stopping point. Let your thoughts
simmer and come back in a day or two to
start writing.
Now…What to write?

33. Goal: Get people to read it…but what to write?
 Subscribe to RSS feed of other
popular blogs in your industry.
 Keep a list of FAQ from clients
& prospects.
 Share photos, video, events and
event summaries.
 Testimonials
 Check out your competition
and those you admire.
 Summaries explaining current
events or technological
advances in your industry.
 Featured clients
 Industry specific controversy
What to write.
You don’t just have to write about what you do.
You do have to write about topics that interest your audience.

34. www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator

35. Product/Service Audience
Blog Business Owner
Concerns Questions
Not enough time How do I fit it in with everything else?
No sure what to write about What should I write about?
Not sure why they’d do it Why would I blog?
What are the benefits of blogging?
Not sure how much to write How often do I need to blog?
How long does my article need to be?
Not sure how to write it How do I write it?
How do I make it pretty?
What to write.

36. What to write.
Social Media Rule of Thirds:
A balanced approach to sharing
content with the rule of thirds:
 Promotes a well rounded
relationship
 Talking about you as a
person or company
 Promoting your content or
services
 Positioning you as an
industry resource
33.3%
Personal or
Professional
Interactions
33.3% Brand
Promoting Posts
33.3%
Industry
Related Posts
from an
Outside
Source

37. What to write.
 What information would they expect to find?
 Read competitor sites to see how much information they provide.
 Will you share pricing? (Does your competition?)
 What questions are you commonly asked in a first meetings or
phone conversations?
 What will tip the scales in your favor?
 Example: What can you share that your competition does not to
show you’re a great company who knows what they’re doing?
?
?
When writing about a specific product or service place
yourself in the shoes of your audience:

38. What to write.
 Are you promoting or conversing?
 Social media is about building a relationship, selling constantly
and never bonding does not build relationships
 Are you contributing too little or over contributing?
 Everyone likes a chuckle or a helpful hit but steer clear of
continually talking about mundane tasks
 Are you keeping true to company culture?
 If you’re formal everywhere else keep your conversation formal
yet inviting in social media, don’t change your persona.
 Stay positive, no one likes a whiner.
?
?
When writing for social media:
?
!

39. Tonality: What personality do you want to portray?
 Conservative
 Clinical
 Traditional
 Professional
 Resonate
 Powerful
 Distinct
 Brave
 Courageous
 Heavy
 Steady
Polish your style.

40. Tonality: What personality do you want to portray?
 Agreeable
 Fair
 Friendly
 Pleasant
 Helpful
 Tender
 Kind
 Quaint
 Innocent
 Warm
 Calm
 Easy going
 Gentle
 Laid back
 Neutral
Polish your style.

41. Tonality: What personality do you want to portray?
 Lively
 Light
 Charming
 Curious
 Thoughtful
 Cheerful
 Witty
 Comfortable
 Open
 Encouraging
 Energetic
 Enthusiastic
Polish your style.

42. Tonality: What personality do you want to portray?
 Trendy
 Youthful
 Clever
 Alive
 Outrageous
 Bold
 Unusual
 Wild
 Funny
 Different
 Noisy
Polish your style.

43. Tonality: What personality do you want to portray?
When we do website design
for others we make sure
they don’t stray too far from
the yellow brick road. Now
we need your help to keep
us from being attacked by
those darn flying monkeys.
When we do website design
for others we keep them on
track ensuring they reach
their goals. Now we need
your help to make sure we
don’t stray from our
original objectives.
Polish your style.
-VS-

44. What tonality will you use?

45. Format for success: Textbook meets inverted pyramid.
A textbook organizes information with a table of
contents, easily identifiable chapters, sub-titles and
captions on images.
Polish your style.
website navigation
page titles

46. Format for success: Textbook meets inverted pyramid.
 Vocal story telling
 Build interest
 This is so funny
 That reminds me of this
one time when…
 You won’t believe this
 Supporting details
 Bang!
 Inverted pyramid
 Bang!
 If you don’t get past this
statement it’s OK, the
reader still got the
information they needed.
 Supporting details
 Less important
information
Polish your style.
You only have 3-5 seconds to hook your reader.

47. Speaking vs. Writing: Free flow then edit.
When you talk you add all
kinds of unnecessary words
into each sentence to get your
point across. I know my brain
clips along faster when I’m
speaking than when I’m
writing. When communicating
with your audience they
probably don’t want to read all
the fluffy stuff in between, they
want to get right to the point.
When speaking you add
extra words into each
sentence unnecessarily.
My brain clips along
faster when I’m speaking
than writing. Your
audience doesn’t want to
read all the fluff, so get
to the point.
Polish your style.

48. Format for success: Textbook meets inverted pyramid.
 Create visual hierarchy with text sizing and colors
 Bold key information
 Break apart information into bulleted lists
 Place captions with graphics to emphasize key
elements
 Use meaningful original graphics instead of clip art
or stock photos whenever possible
Polish your style.

49. How long is too long?
Blog Posts
 Keep entries around 250-300 words, less than 500
 300 words not enough? Breakdown your article into logical
parts and make a series of entries.
 Keep paragraphs short, 3-5 sentences
 Break up every few paragraphs with a sub heading
to help viewers skim for content
 Remove all content that is not needed
Polish your style.

50. How long is too long?
Twitter
 Max is 140 characters
 This includes links names
and all! So shoot for 124.
Facebook
 Ideal length is 100 to 119
characters
 Max 63,206
Email Newsletter
 Take the very best content
 Put that in your newsletter
 Link to everything else on
your website
 Try for 500 characters or
less
Polish your style.

51. E-Newsletter Styles
Magazine-style
Short copy
Your newsletter is
primarily used as a
portal to content on
your website.
Polish your style.
Hybrid
Medium-length copy
Both inform readers
and promote a
product or service —
one large excerpt
with link to site for
more.
Single-Topic
Long copy
Include all the
information readers
want into the email
itself. No links
necessary unless
needed.

52. How often is too often?
 Facebook
 1-2 times per day, be consistent
 Twitter
 As many times as you want say the
message in different ways each time
 Blog
 At least 1 time every two weeks
(depending upon desired results)
 Email Marketing
 1 or more per month is effective,
readership drops until 5 then holds steady
Polish your style.

53. Tasty title writing tips.
 Short and sweet is best, keep it 50 characters or less
 Pack a punch, make it interesting, the subject is the first thing
viewers see and maybe the only thing if it’s not intriguing
 Capitalize Letters of Each Word for Easy Recognition.
 Consider starting emails with the business name so they know
who the email is coming from
 AVOID: help, percent off and reminder, special, ALL CAPS,
!!!!!!!, free
 Create urgency and the must read feeling (BUYER PERSONA)
Polish your style.

54. Questions Titles
How do I fit blogging in
with everything else?
 Here's How I Wrote This 1,000-Word Blog Post in
10 Minutes
 How to Shave 20 Minutes Off Your Next Blog Post
What should I write about?  How to Think Up a Year's Worth of Blog Post
Topics in an Hour
 How to Turn One Idea Into a Bottomless Backlog
of Blog Posts
 How to Choose a Solid Topic for Your
Next Blog Post
 How to Identify Content Topics That Hit Home
With Your Readers
Why would I blog?
What are the benefits of
blogging?
 The Benefits of Blogging: Why Businesses Do It,
and You Should Too
 Why Blogging Is Like Running for Small Business
Owners***
 Why the Blog Post Is the New Ad Unit

55. Polish your style.

56. Polish your style.

57. Polish your style.

58. Test your call to action.
 Close your eyes and open them, what do you see first?
 Put yourself in the shoes of a viewer, be objective
 Do you know where to click instinctively?
 Did you ask your viewers to take action? Is it front and
center?
 Look for consistent punctuation and capitalization of bulleted
lists and subtitles
 Don’t forget your contact information
Polish your style.

59. The final edit.
 Plug in additional key words (web pages and blogs only)
 SPELL CHECK!!!
 Read it out loud
 Consider composing in Word to easily recognize spelling and
grammar errors. Note: writing in Word doesn’t negate
reading proofing your grammar and spelling upon
completion!
 Send to the proofing authorities in your process
Polish your style.

60. Put your new found knowledge to work!
Perfecting Your Process.

61. GOAL:
TIMELINE: Sooner the better, supplies are needed. No approval needed from
superiors, I’m the boss of my own blog!
AUDIENCE: Followers of the task force blog. Friends, family, fellow search and
rescue professionals. Varied communication styles and backgrounds.
KEYWORDS: Joplin, MO, Needs List, Search and Rescue, Task Force
Knowledge Action
Your agenda Their agenda
To let readers know about the
Joplin situation.
Tell them how to donate
supplies.
HOW?
Tell our story about Home
Depot and share a picture.
Highlight needs list and how
to contact for pick up.

62. OUTLINE:
• Explain the mission
• Share the GPS story
• Street sign not right
• What Home Depot?
• Share Nancy’s contact info
• Needs list

63. Our experience in Joplin.
Our taskforce was deployed to Joplin, MO to search for missing persons. We
were assigned to search the Home Depot area. We piled in the car and drove
toward the corner of Main and 20th Street. We drove in circles around the fallen
19th Street sign a few times in search of 20th Street, looking for Home Depot but
didn’t see the store anywhere in sight. Finally we consulted our GPS navigation
system and searched for the Home Depot. Turns out we were on the corner of
Main and 20th Street all along! The street sign from 19th Street had been torn out
of the ground by the tornado and thrown a full city block to the corner of Main
and 20th were it lay impaled in the ground. All that was left of Home Depot was a
bunch of shelves sticking out of a bunch of concrete that looked like a parking lot.
The people of Joplin would greatly appreciate all supplies and donations you can
provide. Much needed items are water, bandages, blankets and canned food.
Please contact Nancy with the Red Cross at nancy@theredcross.org to coordinate
supply pick up.
Get it all out.

64. First impression? Be a critic!
What information is the most important?
What makes you think, “Wow I’m glad I read that?”

65. Our experience in Joplin.
Our taskforce was deployed to Joplin, MO to search for missing persons. We
were assigned to search the Home Depot area. We piled in the car and drove
toward the corner of Main and 20th Street. We drove in circles around the fallen
19th Street sign a few times in search of 20th Street, looking for Home Depot but
didn’t see the store anywhere in sight. Finally we consulted our GPS navigation
system and searched for the Home Depot. Turns out we were on the corner of
Main and 20th Street all along! The street sign from 19th Street had been torn out
of the ground by the tornado and thrown a full city block to the corner of Main
and 20th were it lay impaled in the ground. All that was left of Home Depot was a
bunch of shelves sticking out of a bunch of concrete that looked like a parking lot.
The people of Joplin would greatly appreciate all supplies and donations you can
provide. Much needed items are water, bandages, blankets and canned food.
Please contact Nancy with the Red Cross at nancy@theredcross.org to coordinate
supply pick up.
Get it all out.

66. Our experience in Joplin.
Our taskforce was deployed to Joplin, MO to search for missing persons. We
were assigned to search the Home Depot area. We piled in the car and drove
toward the corner of Main and 20th Street. We drove in circles around the fallen
19th Street sign a few times in search of 20th Street, looking for Home Depot but
didn’t see the store anywhere in sight. Finally we consulted our GPS navigation
system and searched for the Home Depot. Turns out we were on the corner of
Main and 20th Street all along! The street sign from 19th Street had been torn out
of the ground by the tornado and thrown a full city block to the corner of Main
and 20th were it lay impaled in the ground. All that was left of Home Depot was a
bunch of shelves sticking out of a bunch of concrete that looked like a parking lot.
The people of Joplin would greatly appreciate all supplies and donations you can
provide. Much needed items are water, bandages, blankets and canned food.
Please contact Nancy with the Red Cross at nancy@theredcross.org to coordinate
supply pick up.
What else can be done to improve this piece?
Revise for style.

67. Our experience in Joplin.
Our mission was to locate missing persons but first had to locate the missing
Home Depot store formerly located on the corner of Main and 20th Street. The
landscape in Joplin was so unrecognizable we needed a GPS to find our task force
location, the Home Depot
My task force circled the impaled 19th Street sign near Main Street for 15 min
before we thought to use our GPS. We then discovered we’d already reached our
destination; the street sign had flown a full city block to reach its new location.
What was once Home Depot is now shelving standing in a parking lot.
Help this city in need.
Email Nancy with the Red Cross at nancy@theredcorss.org to coordinate supply
pickups. Items needed include:
 Bottled water
 Bandages
 Blankets
 Canned Food
Revise for style.

68. Joplin: Shelving , Street Signs & Needed Supplies.
Our mission was to locate missing persons but first had to locate the missing
Home Depot store formerly located on the corner of Main and 20th Street. The
landscape in Joplin was so unrecognizable we needed a GPS to find our task force
location, the Home Depot.
My task force circled the impaled 19th Street sign near Main Street for 15 min
before we thought to use our GPS. We then discovered we’d already reached our
destination; the street sign had flown a full city block to reach its new location.
What was once Home Depot is now shelving standing in a parking lot.
Help this city in need.
Email Nancy with the Red Cross at nancy@theredcorss.org to coordinate supply
pickups. Items needed include:
 Bottled water
 Bandages
 Blankets
 Canned Food
Revise for style. Write title. Test call to action.
I find I tend to write the most
important information last in my
paragraphs. I often move the
last sentence to the beginning.

69. Joplin: Shelving , Street
Signs & Needed Supplies.
The landscape in Joplin was so
unrecognizable we needed a GPS to find our
task force location, the Home Depot. Our
mission was to locate missing persons but
first had to locate the missing Home Depot
store formerly located on the corner of Main
and 20th Street.
What was once Home Depot is now
shelving standing in a parking lot.
My task force circled the impaled 19th Street
sign near Main Street for 15 min before we
thought to use our GPS. We then discovered
we’d already reached our destination; the
street sign had flown a full city block to
reach its new location.
Help this city in need.
Email Nancy with the Red
Cross at
nancy@theredcorss.org to
coordinate supply pickups.
Items needed include:
• Bottled water
• Bandages
• Blankets
• Canned Food
Joplin, MO Home Depot wreckage.

70. K N O W Y O U R P U R P O S E
S P E A K T O Y O U R A U D I E N C E
W H A T T O W R I T E
P O L I S H Y O U R S T Y L E
P E R F E C T I N G Y O U R P R O C E S S
Writing for the Web.