 This month’s newsletter discusses a little pet peeve of mine (so humor me, please).
This minor annoyance became rooted in my background as a technical writer. As a tech writer, I wrote a lot of software user manuals, mainly the sections instructing users how to use the software. I had to document every. single. step. Drilling down to that level of detail was crucial because otherwise, leaving out the tiniest fragment of information would frustrate the user. I mean, these days, who hasn’t been confronted with assembly instructions that aren’t even specific to the product in front of you? You make your best guess, and keep your fingers crossed! Having had this experience more than once taught me never to assume my audience had a certain level of knowledge and to fully and clearly explain EVERYTHING. As a copywriter, I find in-depth explanations essential, especially if the content is supposed to be educational and informative. So, as you endeavor to explain a concept, idea, procedure, or whatever in your writing – and here’s my gripe -- don’t forget to define any acronyms or initialisms. There, I said it. And now I feel better. What’s an acronym? It’s when the first letters from a phrase or group of words are strung together and then pronounced as a word. Two well-known examples are SIRI (Speech Interpretation and Recognition Interface) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Initialisms are similar in structure to acronyms but differ because each letter is pronounced separately. An example is PCR (polymerase chain reaction), pronounced pee-see-are. It may not seem like a big deal, but it can ruin the moment as readers stumble across these acronyms or initialisms and don’t know what they stand for. If you intend to teach with your content, don’t hold back on sharing your knowledge! Suzanne Quigley is a copywriter specializing in veterinary, equine, and animal health markets. If you need a copywriter experienced in blogging, case studies, white papers, web content, SEO, and more, contact her at 508-277-4929 or [email protected].  As I write this blog post, 2023 has dwindled to a matter of hours. And most likely, by the time you read it, 2024 will have pushed 2023 aside to assume the spotlight. Happy New Year! So, my question is: Did you keep your 2023 New Year’s resolutions? You know, the ones related to marketing your veterinary business? Like stepping up your content marketing. (Uh oh, your silence speaks volumes …) Don’t feel bad if you’ve failed to follow through with your marketing resolutions; my point isn’t to scold you. My point is to nudge you into awareness that you should make them. Just like you would personal ones. That is, assuming you’re one of the 41% of Americans who do make New Year’s resolutions. If you want your veterinary business to grow and thrive, promoting it is a must-do! Start Small with Simple Resolutions First things first, though, before you dive in, define your goals.
What are you looking to achieve with content marketing? Increase brand awareness? Attract more clients? Educate pet owners? Or promote services? Clarifying your goals will help develop your strategy. Since content marketing is long-term, your best approach is to start small. You’ll risk being overwhelmed and accomplishing nothing if you're too ambitious. For example, you could resolve to start a blog and aim to post once a month. I recently created a content-writing checklist. These ten tips guide your content creation process, especially if you’re stuck on blog post ideas. Maybe you’ve been considering an email newsletter. 2024 is your year! Email marketing is a cost-effective way to market and build lasting relationships. You can share helpful information about your products and services and promote exclusive deals. Even better, you can personalize email content to targeted segments of your clients. Here’s a post that explains how to write an email that gets results. As 2023 winds down and the new year awaits, everyone thinks about that fresh start. Why not resolve to make 2024 the year content marketing finally gets the attention it deserves? That gym membership can wait until next year! Suzanne Quigley is a copywriter specializing in veterinary, equine, and animal health markets. If you need a copywriter experienced in blogging, case studies, white papers, web content, SEO, and more, contact her at 508-277-4929 or [email protected].  Sometimes, you need help writing content, and you need it NOW. With this in mind, I composed a quick and easy checklist of simple tips to help you create the best and most helpful content ever for your animal health or veterinary business. Now, you won’t have to furrow your brow and think about what to write - you won’t even have to ask ChatGPT! Ten tips to jumpstart your animal health/veterinary content writing
Keep this checklist handy and refer to it often. You can thank me later! Suzanne Quigley is a copywriter specializing in veterinary, equine, and animal health markets. If you need a copywriter experienced in blogging, case studies, white papers, web content, SEO, and more, contact her at 508-277-4929 or [email protected].  Let’s talk about your blog. You know that website page you’ve reserved for posting insightful, educational, and helpful information, a practice collectively referred to as content marketing. Yes, that page. Your blog posts can be a major player in attracting the millions of users online who are searching for products and services that you offer or those looking for information and answers that you are uniquely qualified to give. This web traffic doesn’t happen magically, of course. It takes savvy search engine optimization (SEO) tactics and content deemed genuinely valuable by the reader and the search engines. These qualities and persistence can help the right people find you. Consistent blogging helps avoid significant pitfalls Persistence means routinely posting new content. However often you do this, it is up to you and the resources you have at your disposal; nevertheless, consistency is paramount. Whatever timeframe you feel is most doable – once a week or once a month – stick with it. (If you lack the time or writing ain’t your thing, I’m happy to help.) If you decide to blog, make it a priority because it will, in the long run, contribute to your marketing success. And if you’re thinking, “What could it hurt if I don’t blog regularly?” Well … Here are five ways that inconsistent blogging can hurt your veterinary business.
Suzanne Quigley is a copywriter specializing in veterinary, equine, and animal health markets. If you need a copywriter experienced in blogging, case studies, white papers, web content, SEO, and more, contact her at 508-277-4929 or [email protected]. |