Creating content? It's not all about you.

Imagine you're at a party. You're mingling (remember mingling?) and someone you've heard a lot about - someone you've been told you'll get on well with - comes over for a chat. Great! This should be interesting.

And then . . . all they do is talk about themselves. The things they've done. The places they've travelled to, the people they've met. They don't ask about you once. They haven't even asked your name, or how you know the host! They don't seem interested in you at all.

Not much fun, is it?

But this is what a surprising number of companies and organisations do, when faced with a blank web page or a blog that needs content.

It's something I come across time and time again, with copywriting clients of all shapes and sizes. We start talking about content strategy, or ideas for blog posts, and they start listing everything they do. The services they provide. The products they sell. The events they've held, the new work they’ve just won. It’s great they’re excited, but all I can hear is me, me, me!

And all I really want to say is: no-one cares about you.

OK, that’s a bit harsh. But what I’m saying is: if you want people to engage with your content, you need to write about them, not you.

Never mind what you do. What do they do?

It's said that to get someone to like you, you should get them to talk about themselves. And the same principle applies here.

Your customers don't want to read about what you do. They want to read about what they do. Why should they care about your services? What’s in it for them? The answer to those questions should be at the top of your mind with every new piece of content.

So before you start writing, stop and think about why someone might be on your website in the first place.

What makes potential clients or customers approach you? Address that in your copy.

How much knowledge do your customers generally come to you with? Pitch it at that level (actually, pitch it slightly lower, to make them feel more knowledgeable).

What questions do they want answered? What problems are they hoping you'll solve? Show that you understand and you're ready to help.

Then - and only then, once your reader has established they’re in the right place and you’ve made them comfortable - you can show off all you like.