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My wife and I are painting the front section of our house above the open porch. I’m not much of a Do it Yourselfer, especially around the house, but this job looked like something we could do ourselves. Just stand on the roof of the porch and paint away!
At least it looked easy from the sidewalk looking up.
The problem has become one of fear, balance, and physics. I’ve discovered I’m a little afraid of heights. I didn’t used to be, I even installed a new roof on a building in my hometown in my early twenties. No problem being up two stories all day back then.
But as I stiffly braced my legs on the slanted porch, cocked my head up to the sky to paint the soffits, and struggled to get at the front panel just under the roof line, I got thinking about the dangers of plying a trade that you’re not comfortable with and, let’s face it, not totally competent at.
Yes, I have no problem with the painting itself, it’s pretty easy and even fun. And the paint job makes the house look great so I do enjoy a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
But here’s the thing, I can’t do the ends of the soffits because I get too dizzy standing on the slanted porch, painting above my head, and then looking down at the driveway immediately to the side. It’s only about four feet of surface that needs paint, but I can’t do it!
I may need to hire a pro to get at these difficult spots.
This all got me thinking about the content writing for your business. You probably think the same about your business content as my wife and me did about painting the house; it looks pretty easy for the most part. After all, everyone knows how to write.
And to an extent, you’re correct. There are blog posts, sections of Web pages, and social media updates that you’d be great at. But when it comes to search engine optimization, the location of certain content elements, and closing the deal, like the corners of my house, you might lack the confidence you get from experience and knowledge and get just a little “dizzy.”
Let's say, like painting a section of your house, you’re updating a page on your website. What do you put in the title tags up top? How about the meta description? And what is the formula for a headline that draws visitors in and keeps them on the site. These are just some of the spots where you need advanced knowledge to get the most out of your marketing copy.
Looking at the rest of the house, I see where I’d be perfectly competent with scraping, priming, and painting the lower half, but the second story is completely out of the question. I’d kill myself up there.
So to my wife and kids I say don’t worry, I won't fall because I’m too afraid to even try.
It’s the same with your content writing. Thinking about the time involved and getting your words just right might be a little scary for you. And certainly you can write, but to make your copy search engine friendly, engaging to visitors, and persuasive, you may need a pro.
You can find out more on why hiring a professional Web writer can deliver you transformational, money-making benefits. With the knowledge you have of your business and my writing skills, we can make your content marketing look fresh and attractive just like a brand new paint job.
Until next time,
Nick
Nick Burns is a Web writer specializing in persuasive copywriting and content marketing. Nick’s services include SEO Web writing, website information architecture, content marketing, consulting, and publishing. He provides clients a winning online strategy plus the content writing to make it work. You can contact Nick here.
