Make it personal and make it match your market

As you have probably heard me say before…I owe more to article writing for the success of my wellness practice, and many opportunities that have stemmed from it, than any other form of marketing.

You might be one of the members of my consulting and membership site who can say the exact same for your practice…. or you might be one of the many who hear me constantly talk about the power of article writing, and leave it to the ‘someday’ category.

In any case, whether you do or don’t, this little lesson goes for EVERY part of your marketing...make your message personal and make it a match with your readers.

In our little corner of the world, here in SW Michigan, I have been writing articles in the local paper for years (since 2008 with a couple year break in between.)

This has led to the “where do I know you from” on a weekly basis when I meet someone new.

I write the articles to educate, as well as weave them in to promotions (like the ones I provide in the membership site) which turn product sales into mini profit centers.

Often times I will throw in a very personal story…and one of my favorite topics are my parents. The truth is they are easy to write about as they are the epitome of adding years to your life and life to your years.

As they are in their upper 80’s you cannot slow them down. They both still work, and on their weekends they spend their time down the Jersey Shore (YES! That Jersey Shore) partying with their fellow crones.

This is a topic readers tend to love, and just this week I had two reminders of this. It’s been a few months’ since I have written about them, but in the grocery store the other day, a lady in her upper 80’s I would say, stopped me to tell me how much she loved the last article I wrote about my folks. She told me her and her husband can’t travel and do the things they once did, but reading about my parent’s antics always gives her joy.

Then on Sunday, Amy and I were at the local winery/brewery/distillery (Yes! They have all that) called the Round Barn. This place is one of our favorite haunts in the summer time, especially on weekends as they have live music and it gets us away from the crowded beaches.

We bring our Tommy Bahama chairs, fill a Howler and grab a bottle of wine, and sit back in the grass surrounded by vineyard’s, meeting new friends and catching up with old friends.

As I was walking to our chairs, a gal about my age says, “are you a pharmacist?”

She was sitting with two older ladies, my parents age, and the one goes on to say, “I have been reading your articles for years, and I love everything you write about, but I especially love when you write about your parents…because I can relate.”

The other two are from Marshall (the home of Dark horse brewery which had a short lived reality show) about 45 minutes away, and they affirmed they feel they know me already, from everything the other lady has told them.

Just a great example to show that articles do work for many reasons; sell products, highlight you as the obvious expert, develops a loyal following…

But always remember…let them know who you are, what you stand for, and meet your market at their values, goals, and desires.

Cheers!

Rob