OK, I’m full of sh!t
Warning: the following story contains the use of the the term “broad”
Listen. I’ve been a bad friend. I got you used to weekly blogs and then I just—fell off the face of the earth. I’m sorry.
I was burnt out. And it was school holidays. But I’m back, baby.
Don’t threaten me with Christmas
I realised the other day that there are only (some small number) of shopping days until Christmas. Ugh.
Last year, I got my Dad a new coffee cup. Out of spite, as it turned out.
My Dad is fantastic at the sort of chatty, not-meant-to-be-funny emails that I love. But he outdid himself in 2021.
‘I’ve been trying to expand my inventory of coffee cups that will allow me to have sufficient desirable cups (150mL and 230mL) to integrate with the number of times we run the dishwasher.’
Sounds reasonable, right?
He goes on:
‘I bought one this week (150mL), which was $40.’
Yass, king! Nailed it 👑
But brace yourself.
‘Your mother announced that I shouldn’t require two and they’re too expensive. This from a broad who is driving to Niagara Thursday, back Friday, then back again on Saturday?’
Absolutely not
If anyone deserves sufficient desirable cups to integrate with the number of times they run the dishwasher, it’s THIS MAN.
It’s the same with your clients
Nick Barnard is a man with a plan. He knows which mug he wants and only his (very real) fear of his wife stands in the way.
Maybe your clients aren’t afraid of their wives. Maybe they don’t have wives. Or they’re wives themselves. But the point is
Consumers are smart and they know what they want
They’ve got a problem to solve (possibly even something more urgent than expanding their inventory of cups) and you’ve got the solution. As a business owner, it’s your job to stay front and centre—so that when the situation becomes untenable, you’re on their radar.
Email hero
Given that social media engagement is in the proverbial toilet, it’s time to make email your go-to gal. Having a holiday sale? Email your subscribers. Launching a new product? Email your subscribers. Need reviews? Email your subscribers. Drowning in abandoned carts? You get the point.
‘But Martha,’ I hear you say. ‘I have nothing to say!’
Balderdash
Your life is filled with stories. In fact, it’s an actual bottomless well of stories. And the best part is threefold:
It never dries up
It’s fodder for endless value and LOLs for your audience
It makes you relatable to your people
Which makes them connect and want to buy from you
OK, fine. Fourfold.
Bottom line?
Email your people. If you can’t be bothered, hire me to do it.
PS. OBVIOUSLY I bought him the mug. And I was rewarded with another email.
‘I am thoroughly enjoying my Christmas mug. It is very attractive and holds the coffee produced by my smaller pods’.
A satisfied customer indeed.
Martha Barnard-Rae is a Denmark WA-based SEO copywriter. She supports businesses in Denmark, Albany, the Great Southern and beyond with all the wordy things they need to stand out in the best possible way.
Her words live on the websites, blogs, videos, emails, and socials of businesses all over Australia. An accomplished speaker, Martha helps brands, business owners, schools, and Government Departments understand what they need to do to find their voices.
Martha holds an Honours Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Education — communication truly lights her up. When she’s not crafting delicious words, you’ll find her walking two giant pooches, practicing her ukulele, or wrapped around a cup of tea, planning out her next Instagram reel.
To stay up to date, join the Word Candy crew on Instagram, or connect with Martha on LinkedIn.