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Long Story Short

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:06:13 -0600

How Effectively and efficiently do you tell your story?

Is the description on your website more akin to a Picasso line drawing, with nary an extra stroke, or to a "Where's Waldo" cartoon, where prospective clients and customers have to hunt for what you do and, more importantly, what you can do for them? Communicating this essence and value and helping your audiences to make connections is crucial to success in a crowded marketplace.

Recently, I became fascinated with Smith Magazine's 6-Word Story Project, which challenges people to tell a story, in a mere half a dozen words.

Here's mine: My clients want them not me. It describes how I capture the client's voice, ideas, and goals, not my own, whether I am creating a communications strategy or writing a speech or a by-liner.
Smith's 6-word limit may be a bit severe, but it's a useful exercise nonetheless. You will be surprised at the discipline it takes to communicate effectively this way, but delighted at distilling what you do and how you do it down to only the essentials.

Once you start thinking along these lines, it's only a short hop to developing communications that reflect your vision and goals. Please let me know if this is something we can work on together!

Creating Effective Website Content

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:44:05 -0600

Rethinking or updating the content on your website? Please have a look at my interview with Bronson Ma Creative (reprinted from their website), below, for a few tips and guidelines to keep in mind.

eTip #33: How to Use Content on Websites Effectively

What kind of content should be on a website? How much content is enough? How do you engage your audience through your website content? These are important questions to ask when developing website content and how it can work for or against your brand. In this month’s eTip, we interviewed Judy Roland of Roland Communications, on the topic of developing effective content for your website.

BMC: What is your experience in corporate communications and how did you get started?

Roland: My first job in corporate communications was with an Israeli government investment organization, promoting U.S. investment in Israel – not an easy task! It was a real challenge and I was an instant expert on everything by virtue of being the only American. I have had my own firm, Roland Communications, for a number of years, having worked previously as an account executive at a PR agency and as head of communications for a global headhunting firm.

BMC: How can a company use their website to demonstrate that they are the experts in their service/product offerings?

Roland: The most important thing a company can do to drive home their expertise is to tell the story about their product or service, including how they work with clients, if applicable, in as concrete terms as possible. People naturally connect with stories that are told in a straightforward fashion – case studies, success stories, testimonials – especially when told from the point of view of the client. Because I have worked with a lot of professional services firms, my approach is usually to focus on the real challenges clients are facing and then present my client as a solution-provider – in the most specific terms possible. Sometimes that means sharing a few trade secrets in the belief that people will hire the expert rather than expending time and resources to tackle the problem themselves.

BMC: In your experience, how can this impact a company’s marketing efforts?

Roland: Taking a story-telling approach on your website enables you to to make a stronger and more immediate connection with your audience, whoever they may be. When people understand the need filled by your product or service, it is a small jump to establishing that they should seek you out should they have that need.

BMC: What are the most common mistakes you have seen companies make when it comes to content on their website?

Roland: Particularly in conservative industries, companies often believe that they have to look like everyone else. What they need to understand is that they can distinguish themselves in a crowded and competitive field, and they can do it tastefully. That starts with capturing the unique personality of their own firm or company before launching into copywriting or web design. This is a crucial exercise I do with all my clients, which enables us to capture who they are, why they are different, and what differentiates their product or service. Then they have a real foundation on which to build the content and design.

Another mistake companies make when creating content for their websites is to talk about themselves first and the client second. It’s a nuance, but in my mind a critical one: Discuss your capabilities – whether products or services – within a larger context. Go from the general to the specific by first addressing the business context, followed by specific challenges your clients or customers are facing, then complete your case by stating how your product or service solves a problem or helps clients and customers. By making it clear that you understand the larger issues and challenges of your audience, you can better establish a rapport that leads to business.

BMC: Last words of wisdom in regard to using a website to better communicate.

Roland: Do the required work to capture what makes your organization different, and be particularly wary of anyone offering quick and easy solutions. Don’t be generic or a clone of another company’s website. Dig deep and do some soul-searching before you start to create your website. The goal is a site that looks and sounds like your organization. If you cover up your identifying information and it could be any one of your competitors, you need to re-think your site.

My final bit of advice would be to keep you website fresh, give people a reason to come back. There is nothing sadder or more useless to me than a blog or current events section of a website that hasn’t been updated in three years.

No Marketing Budget? Don't Do Nothing!

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:34:10 -0500

It is a sad but all-too-true irony: Companies slash marketing staff and budgets just when they need them most. When you should be showcasing your services and replenishing your business pipeline, you lack the resources to do it.

Still, that's no excuse for sitting back and doing nothing when there are many marketing initiatives you can launch on a shoestring that can yield desired results. An additional benefit: It will be easier for you to shine when competitors have retrenched.

Here are some suggestions:

Regroup - Brainstorm with colleagues to generate ideas for small-budget initiatives: Investigate top trade publications in key client industries and find out about contributing an article; do similar research to uncover speaking opportunities before business groups that are likely to include prospective clients.
Rethink - If you have been paying for broad support from a communications consultant or agency, consider paring back to specific projects you really need now (think a la carte vs. prix fixe).
Repurpose - Take an article, speech, white paper, or other intellectual capital that is collecting dust and think about recycling it. If the "bones" are still good, update it with a current hook and distribute it to your mailing list.
Revitalize - Maybe you have been putting off redoing your website when mere refreshing would suffice and be much more cost effective (think tune up vs. overhaul).
Request - Get suggestions from clients and friends of the firm on new features that will highlight your brainpower and success in meeting client challenges. Client case studies, pieces that position you as a solution provider, and testimonials are always good additions.

I'd welcome an opportunity to discuss with you how I've worked with clients to develop these kinds of simple, effective, and economical marketing tactics.

A Brief History of Website Evolution

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:02:36 -0500

Where does your company fall on a timeline of website evolution?

Prehistoric Times

Back in the day -- let's call it the Stone Age, in online evolutionary terms -- it was sufficient to merely have a website. That meant nothing more sophisticated than a blurb about your company and some contact information. Websites were flat and boring, kind of new-fangled Rolodex cards.

The Middle Ages

Companies were sold -- and sometimes over-sold -- on fancy, costly, flashy websites that often focused on pyrotechnics at the expense of important information. Visitors grew accustomed to clicking on "skip intro" to get to the verb.

The Age of Enlightenment

Forward-thinking companies are now unlocking the vast potential and value their websites represent by:

Thinking long and hard about their online presence and the messaging that will underpin content and design
Working with a creative team, writer and designer, focused on tailoring the right website solution for them
Embedding keywords and descriptions of the company in search engines to ensure that clients or customers find them when seeking their service or product

The Moment of Truth

Where do you fall on the website evolutionary continuum? Are your knuckles still scraping the ground, or are you fashioning your website into the crucial tool it can be to elevate your company's presence in the marketplace and distinguish it from competitors?

Feel free to contact us to discuss how we can help.

Work at Play!

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:06:04 -0600

As I slogged to work after a snowstorm in February, in a hurry as usual, I stopped to snap this picture, which I call, "Robert Frosty: Stopping by Grand Army Plaza on a Snowy Morning."

I hope it makes you smile, as it did me.

If you live in a part of the country that has been besieged by snow this winter, you have probably had to alter plans and routes, and generally be more patient about getting to your destination. Hunkering down to get work done and meet deadlines is all well and good, but sometimes delays -- that force us to take off the blinders and look around -- can be a real refresher.

Well, back to work. Please feel free to get in touch regarding any communications challenges you currently face.