Webinar Recap: Writing For the Reader - Secrets of People-Driven Content

People-driven content works magic on conversions - and it's easy to see why.

It puts the reader at the center of your strategy so the content speaks directly to unique challenges and concerns and provides solutions they can quickly implement.

That's great. The only problem is that many people miss the mark when writing for the "reader."

So we got to asking, what exactly goes into writing for the reader, and how do you write people-driven content?

To help answer these burning questions, we spoke to someone who knows a thing or two (tons, really) about writing content for actual people.

As former Communications Leader, Senior Copywriter, and now Content Lead at 3M Healthcare Business Group, today's webinar guest has been weaving her magic in corporate content writing for nearly a decade.

Alennah is a Wisconsin-based wordsmith behind some of the most engaging corporate content you'll find out there. She's worked across various domains and knows just how to make the driest of topics interesting and engaging.

And trust me, anyone who can make healthcare content engaging and people-driven knows their stuff. If you're looking for tips on making your content pop, Alennah is the one to ask!

And ask we did!

In our sitdown with Alennah, we discussed the following:

• The foundational principles for writing people-driven content
• Design thinking as an effective creative tool in your content
• The power of pushing your respective envelope

Think of these principles as the skeleton of any people-driven content. Without it, everything else crumbles.

So, let's talk about the first principle: prior knowledge. The basic idea is that what we already know can influence our understanding and growth.

One of the easiest ways to understand prior knowledge is through personas. Basic personas can help us understand our audience, their roles, what drives them, and the challenges they face.

It doesn't end there. You need to dig deeper into the details of their prior knowledge, and one way to do that is to ask probing questions such as where they get their news, what they read, and how they stay updated on their industry.

Alternatively, you can use experience maps. Before hitting your content, they help you understand what a customer has already read or interacted with. Plus, they help you understand the language and level of detail needed at each touchpoint. Using prior knowledge in our copywriting can be as simple as naming what the reader likely already knows and building on it with a call to action.

The second principle is a rather obvious one. It's WDWC - Why do we care?

As Alennah put it,

My favorite high school English teacher was often very scary, but she was also extremely helpful and foundational for me. Right at the beginning of your paper, she'd write a giant WDWC in red letters in the margin, and she was really asking, why do we care?

Why do we care about WDWC? Because it's the writer's job to fill in the why for their customers sometimes. Plus, it's super direct.

The question now is, how?

• Identify the topic
• Clarify your position on it
• Explain why you have that position
• Define why it matters

The next foundation is flow. One way to check if your writing flows well is to read it aloud and see if it sounds like a conversation. Or ask yourself if your sentences are too long or your language is too complex or formal.

Last, certainly not least, the foundation is connecting with your readers on a human level. The way Alennah does that is to think about what interests her and what would grab her attention if she was reading something. (Shhhhh, it's dogs)
 

Design thinking for creatives, what's that all about? It's a framework used in many industries to develop content. Here's how:

1. Define your messaging objective
2. Brainstorm ideas without limits
3. Create prototypes quickly
4. Test that content using metrics and human connection to refine it

Voila!

To make this process successful, you need to do three things: brain-dump ideas, get feedback from others, and don't fear making changes.  In Alennah's experience, small changes most often have a big impact. And if you're using this framework, you need to truly "word vomit" in your brain dump.

You can push the boundaries within the limits of your brand, even if you don't have a super sexy brand or an unlimited budget. Start by learning your brand's guidelines, tone of voice, and style. Once you have that down, start pushing the boundaries slowly. How?

Try a provocative headline, keep your body content more conservative, and sprinkle in a sentence or two that steps beyond the bounds you're used to occupying.

You can use metrics to understand the effects of these efforts and get feedback from your teams. Then, you evaluate, rinse and repeat.

Here's one Alennah wants everyone to remember: failure and pivoting are part of the process, but know that when it works, it's worth it. In low-stakes environments, try out new ideas and make tweaks based on feedback.

This is more of a recommendation than a secret to writing people-driven content.
As people who know a thing or two about "marketing for people," we understand the importance of human connection and storytelling. And that's exactly what Marketing Leaders Connect is all about.

It's a place to explore new friendships, get feedback on your ideas, and learn from marketing pros like Alennah Curran. It's helped many of us stay on top of emerging trends, up our storytelling game, set goals, learn new skills, and tackle tough marketing challenges.

If you're not a member yet, you're missing out on an amazing experience. Click right here to join Marketing Leaders Connect today and start learning real, hard-earned insights from marketing professionals in the space.