How important is writing? It’s the key to the locked door of your success!
Written By Jeffrey Gitomer
@GITOMER
I’m writing on writing. It’s the core of my success. This article is the second part of a short course on how I write for each area of my outreach. (You can find the first part here.)
My success is all about my “mix” of messages, combined with the searchable words on both content and title that creates attraction. Writing generates proactive:
- connections
- followers
- likers
- subscribers
- customers
All for free.
How to write on LinkedIn. When you’re making a connection, do NOT use their standard line. Write customized words that might interest the other person. If you’re looking for a job, ask a question about the type of person they’re looking for. If you’re making a statement or offering a value message to all of your connections (know the rules first), make certain it provides VALUE FIRST, solicitation second. My LinkedIn profile is searchable under my name, Jeffrey Gitomer. Look at my posts and especially my summary (self-description). All words in my profile were carefully chosen to attract like-minded people.
NOTE: With the help of my social media consultants, I have linked all of my social media accounts. When I post on Twitter, it immediately appears on my LinkedIn profile page. This generates lots of comments and dialog from my connections.
How to write scripts for compelling YouTube videos. YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, and catching up. Your video posts on YouTube are no longer an option. Value messages to your customers, testimonials to prove your claims, and short pieces that interest and attract viewers are the keys to winning. Choose words wisely, and titles more wisely. There are 150-180 words in a 60-second video, and one to five minutes is the maximum you can expect someone to watch. Make certain your words are directed to, and help, others. If the words “we” or “our” are in your message, that’s a clue it’s going in the wrong direction. Your subject matter must have value to someone else or it’s not going to get watched. Your title must contain your name and the subject, or it won’t get found.
NOTE: I’m YouTube proactive. When I post a new video, I tell everyone on my list. This immediately creates thousands of views and authenticates it for someone who just stumbles on it. My YouTube channel is Jeffrey Gitomer’s Sales Training Channel. Take a look at the assortment, the titles, the length, the content, and the quality of my offerings. At this writing, I have more than 5.5 million total views and more than 41,000 subscribers. This is a result of building a following by offering consistent value messages in favor of those who watch.
The message, the script, the title, your own channel, and the trailer message at the end to watch more or do something are all vital parts of your writing challenge. The view count and the subscription sign up are your report cards.
How to write a blog post. My blog is only a few years old. It was a combination of procrastination and stupidity that took me so long to get into the blog world. At the moment, it’s one of my most read resources and one of my best lead sources. A few years ago, I bought salesblog.com and then finally launched it.
Blog posts need to be short, contain video whenever possible, and link to something people can see more (or buy more) of. Oh yeah, posts must be readable by, and engaging to, the people you seek to attract.
Here are a few examples of what to write about…If you’re a retail clothier, write about fashion or the 10 best places to dress up and be seen. Have a contest where the winner gets two tickets to fashion week. If you’re a pharmaceutical or medical device salesman, write about bedside manner. If you sell fitness equipment, write about unknown exercises or how to get rid of ten pounds.
FORMULA: Write about how the customer wins and you become a winner in their eyes. Write twice a week and you will stay “top of mind.”
There’s still more to come on specific subjects that can influence others to connect and act.
Stay tuned for how to write emails, subject lines, short speeches, an article, your personal commercial, and a book.
