Hey there!
I was recently on a call with Propllr (PR & Content Marketing) CEO/Founder Josh Inglis, and he told me something that I’ve known for years, “You should start a newsletter to let your network know what you’re up to.” After spending hours trying to figure out a good excuse for why I shouldn’t, I began working on the concept for Entrepreneurial Writer Monthly.
This work-in-progress will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what I’m up to as an entrepreneurial writer, and more importantly, help you in some way with your entrepreneurial endeavors. You will also meet a fellow content professional, learn what I’m working on, know my availability for new projects, and more.
What does your brand promise your target market?
Whether you’re an employee, CEO, business owner, or freelancer, you have a brand, and that brand whispers (or shouts) messages into the brains of your audience. In my first edition of the Entrepreneurial Writer Monthly, I am challenging you to consider what your brand is saying and promising to customers and guiding you through a quick exercise.
Now let’s dive into this month’s topic.
What is your promise?
Strong brands deliver a promise. When writing long-form landing pages for clients, one formula I use pain + problem + pleasure + promise. This strategy relies on connecting with a target audience by explaining the pain a customer is experiencing, then detailing the problem that your product or service solves, painting a picture of what their life will be like with this problem solved, and making a promise to the reader if they purchase the product or service.
The promise leads into the call to action – where you can ask your potential customer to purchase, set up a consultation, or sign up for a free trial. The promise is a powerful part of a brand’s sales process as it provides a potential customer with confidence in what they are about to purchase. The promise explains what will happen as a result of the purchase instead of leaving that up to their interpretation.
- Nike
- Toms Shoes
- Apple
- Amazon
The above brands have clear promises that their customers inherently know and understand. Nike promises high-quality athletic wear, Toms Shoes promises to help others when you purchase their shoes, Apple promises high quality and a unique experience when purchasing technology, and Amazon promises low-cost products shipped quickly.
Your promise exercise
Have you defined your promise and planned how you will communicate this promise to your target market?
If not, set a 5-minute timer and write about what you can promise your customers if and when they decide to work with your company. Don’t stop writing for the entire 5 minutes. After you finish, trim your writing to 1-2 sentences and edit as needed. Ideally, your promise should include a maximum of 2-3 focuses; areas where your company provides something better than competitors that fills the wants and needs of customers (price, speed, customer services, social impact, etc.).
Once you have your brand promise put together, spend another five minutes planning how you will communicate this promise to your target market. This plan can include taglines, changes to your mission statement, web copy, social media copy, and more. You want to carefully drill this into the subconscious of your target market so they understand what they will receive in exchange for their business.
My promise
I promise to deliver content marketing to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses that is more engaging, creative, and simple. These three focuses are what I believe my clients need and what I provide in a unique way compared to the majority of other content agencies, marketers, and freelancers.
- Engaging
- Creative
- Simple
I plan on communicating this promise by updating my mission statement, creating a new tagline, and creating a social media calendar that includes posts that speak to these three focuses. Help keep me accountable by following me on LinkedIn.
If you completed your promise, please share below. I would love to give you feedback and to highlight your promise in my next newsletter.
What I’m working on
I call myself an entrepreneurial writer because of my background and passion in entrepreneurship, my experience writing for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses, and my creative approach to accomplishing goals with content. Here is what I’m working on:
I am very grateful to be a part of the First on Deck Marketing team. FODM works with marine businesses in South Florida, including shipyards, yacht brokerages, marine associations, and more. For these clients, I help plan and execute marketing efforts from PR campaigns to social media editorial calendars.
I am the content manager for San Francisco’s Odyssey Open Water Swimming, an adventurous event-based company that brings fun, safe, open water swimming activities to swimmers of all skill levels. I manage the company’s social media pages, ideate and execute on content campaigns, edit and publish photo albums and highlight videos, and more.
- Startup Content
- Freelance
- Side Hustles
Teaching others is a secret passion of mine that I am trying to let out more and more. I teach content-related courses on learning platform Skillshare. I have reached nearly 3,300 students to date. Courses range from helping business owners name their business to walking startups through the types of content they will need while beginning their journey. View my Skillshare profile and the courses I’m teaching here.
What I’m learning about
One of my only regrets over the past 7 years as a content marketer is not making more time for learning while spending the vast majority of my time working on projects for clients. I plan to keep myself accountable by sharing what I’m learning each month with you.
- Personal Newsletters
- Stand-Up Comedy
- Building an Audience on Medium
- My Availability for the Next 30 Days
Thank you!
This is a new effort and something I’m excited to get out into the world. If you have an additional minute to spare to help me help you and others more after reading this lengthy newsletter, please share your feedback with me.
If this has been of value, please forward and share with your network.
THANK YOU!
This post has also been published to my LinkedIn page here.