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].

Content writing and copywriting are two distinct types of marketing communication.

Content writing focuses on helping an audience gather information, answer questions, or learn something new. Some examples are blog posts, articles, eBooks, whitepapers, and case studies.

Content writing works to build rapport with your audience. I say your audience because your content should target people wanting to do business with you.

For instance, if your veterinary practice specializes in felines, your content should address topics of interest to cat owners and lovers.

The goal is to provide valuable information to these readers consistently so they will come to recognize you as a reliable source.

And once your audience views you this way, chances are you've gained a customer.
​
Content writing looks to plant a seed and nurture it. In a nutshell, it's all about relationship building and "soft" selling.

On the other hand, copywriting focuses on persuasion.

Copywriting isn't so much educational as it is inspirational. It seeks to motivate and compel readers by playing on emotions, touting features and benefits, and instilling a sense of urgency – act now! Or risk losing out.

Copywriting's persuasiveness targets readers ready to take the next step, whether that's signing up for a product demo, purchasing vaccines, or scheduling an appointment for their pet.
​
Product descriptions, email marketing campaigns, landing pages, and sales materials like brochures use copywriting. They aim to convince the reader to act.

Content writing and copywriting help guide potential clients and customers along the "sales funnel," also known as the buying journey.

At the start of the journey, content writing develops a relationship. It demonstrates your expertise as a veterinary practice or business via your knowledgeable, helpful content.

As your audience accepts you as a competent source, they become open to doing business, making them likely to transact.

When they reach this receptive mindset, good copywriting can persuade them to act.

Successful marketing employs strategic content and copywriting, so knowing which to use when matters for the best outcomes.
 
I'm a content writer/consultant and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets.
​
Do you need help with content or copy? Email or call me at 508-277-4929!

Does your veterinary website include a blog?

Besides being informative, the content must be easy to read and understand. These qualities give readers the most value.

"Okay," you're probably thinking, "that sounds reasonable. But how do I make the content easy to read?"

I'm glad you asked!

One way is by keeping sentences short.

I touched on this in my blog post, Five quick tips for writing an outstanding veterinary blog, but I'd like to explain more.

​Long sentences don't necessarily give more detail. On the contrary, they can be confusing, dreary, and exhausting to read.

Mentally taxing your blog visitors with voluminous prose is unwise; they may retaliate by not returning.

To show what I mean about a never-ending sentence, read the following. It illustrates how lengthier ones can be a struggle.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections, with the first dose priming the immune system, but producing no physiological effect, and the second dose stimulating anti-GnRF antibody production and consequent suppression of gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
This sentence… is just long. Breaking it into shorter sentences makes it more manageable.
 
"It is given as a course of two injections. The first dose primes the immune system but produces no physiological effect. The second dose stimulates anti-GnRF antibody production. The antibody production suppresses gonadal activity a few days after administration."
 
The brevity in the rewrite simplifies reading, and your brain doesn't strain to remember the points made.

Reining in sentence length can be tricky, though.

That's why I use and recommend Grammarly. It's a writing assistant/editing tool that, among other things, highlights lengthy sentences and suggests revisions.
​
But there's another reason for keeping sentences short.

When writing for the web, whether blog posts or web page content, only so much text can display on a screen and even less on a smartphone.

So, keeping sentences brief and avoiding big chunks of text helps your reader avoid endless scrolling.

Shorter sentences mean fewer words. And fewer words mean you must be picky about your chosen ones to communicate your point precisely.

Remember, for content to do its job, people must understand it to recognize its value. Reading your blog should be enjoyable, not a test of mental stamina.

Otherwise, you're writing for yourself. 
 
Let's talk about that writing project you've put off; email or call me at 508-277-4929!
​
I'm a freelance copywriter and former veterinary assistant specializing in the animal health and veterinary markets. I dive into the intricacies of writing excellent content so you don't have to!

You own a veterinary practice, and you've decided to start a blog to stay in touch with your clients.

Great idea -- because as a practicing veterinarian, you're in the business of animal health. So why not take steps to help your practice thrive and keep clients returning?

A blog can be an effective way to do this.
​
But before you put your fingers on the keyboard and publish your first post, here are some tips for writing an outstanding one.

As you choose topics, remember that you're writing for your readers, also known as your target audience.

And most people read blogs to learn something. Especially pet parents keen on animal health because they want the best for their pets!
​
What you write about should be something that will help them, whether it's the benefits of a particular flea and tick product, the best way to trim nails, or answers to questions you field every day like, "Should I feed my pet a raw diet?" or "Why does my dog eat cigarette butts?"

Blog readers don't want to be pitched, so avoid selling your product or service outright; keep that lowkey.

Instead, be personable. Write conversationally with a story-telling approach. Tap into insights from your day-to-day experiences to tell stories that will make your posts interesting.

For instance, maybe a recent euthanasia case raised a point you'd like to share. Readers will appreciate your perspective and advice on this sensitive subject; this builds trust. And trust builds relationships.

Another thing to pay attention to is the format of your post.

Avoid long sentences and big chunks of text; they can be tiring to read. Use headings with paragraphs to break things up, making it easier for readers to skim what's written or jump from one section to another.
​
Depending on your topic, include statistics when possible. Verify the stats by linking to external sources, which is helpful for a few reasons.

Linking is akin to citing a reference. It supports your writing and provides readers with additional valuable information.

Linking to quality sources inspires search engines to view your post favorably. External links to other relevant sites add credibility to your post. And that improves search engine results.
​
Here's an article explaining external linking best practices to learn more.

SEO plays a role in blogging because its practice, when done well, drives readers to your blog.
But not just any readers, the right readers.

In a nutshell, you optimize your blog and web pages to stack the deck, so to speak, so the people most interested in what you have to offer will find you.

Although many steps are involved with SEO, one of the more important ones is choosing keywords.
Essentially, the keywords you select for your blog post should be the ones your target audience is googling. And to find those keywords requires keyword research.

Keyword research takes time and effort. I could devote a lengthy blog post to this topic, but instead, here's a link to a comprehensive keyword research article.

Once you have your keywords, judiciously place them in your blog post, such as in the title and headings, and sprinkle them throughout the content.

You don't want to just slap the keywords in there or overuse them. Search engines will be suspicious of this behavior and may view your content as spam.
​
I like to write the post first and then go back and insert keywords. This approach lets you focus on the point of your article without worrying about where to put the keywords.

So let's imagine you've just written a gem of a blog post with content sure to please your audience.

How do you get them to read it? With a title that catches their eye and sparks their interest!

The title has to inspire, entice, or intrigue so the reader opens and reads your post. Coming up with a blockbuster title is no small feat, so don't treat your title selection as an afterthought.

Spend some time thinking one up. And don't necessarily go with the first one that comes to mind.

To create an irresistible SEO-friendly title, I use CoSchedule Headline-Analyzer.

This tool ranks your title's potency based on phrasing, word count, emotional impact, and more. The higher the score, the stronger the title.

Successful titles frequently ask a question, use numbers, and, most importantly, clearly describe the blog post's contents.

Nothing is more frustrating than reading a blog post that doesn't deliver. You don't want to burn your audience.

So, are you ready to get started blogging?

It's an effective way to stay in front of your veterinary clients and build relationships, but it requires time, effort, and patience to produce consistent blog posts that your audience will find and read.

Otherwise, why bother?

If you'd like help with blogging for your veterinary practice or business, please email or call me at 508-277-4929. I'm happy to assist!

​Nonetheless, you now have a customer in front of you who’s hopping mad.