Copy Tips at INBOUND 17: Be a Storyteller and Still Believe in Science

Looking over the agenda at INBOUND 2017, I keep coming back to the topics that fascinate the content marketer in me: Storytelling and science. Two different, but equally important aspects of building your brand and providing useful, interesting content. These are the sessions I’m seeking out to get some great copywriting tips come Sept. 25 in Boston.

What? You haven’t registered for this megaconference for inbound marketing!? It’s not too late.

I’d already singled out two sessions I’m excited about ... but there’s just so much to learn at INBOUND. Here are two more sessions to watch for:

(Shameless plug: protocol 80 sales wizard Josh Curcio will lead a presentation on HubSpot Partner Day. Check it out!)

Copywriting tips: INBOUND Talks to Watch For

1.  “How to Use the Power of Story to Influence Action”

By: Lisa Gerber, owner of Big Leap Creative

Gerber (hostess of “The Gear Show” podcast) helps entrepreneurs and executives “make the leap” via consulting, workshops, and speaking engagements. Gerber advises CEOs and senior-level management on effectively using the power of storytelling and communication to influence reader action.

Gerber’s company helped the CEO of a cloud-based curriculum business break into a tough, narrow market, increasing its blog traffic by 1,400% and surpassing monthly revenue goals by 25%.

“When brands do a good job of telling a story, they become more accessible and make a better connection by finding common ground with their audience,” says the preview for Gerber’s talk.

It’s a challenge to keep blogs fresh and fun when you’re writing for, say, metal manufacturing. I’m always looking for ways make my content more readable through a narration focused on the reader’s worldview. What about you?

Also from the caption for Gerber’s session: “... You'll learn a practical framework to structure your story and four powerful ways to put the story to work and influence your audience to action.”

This line’s even more important to me. My peers and bosses constantly remind me to make sure I’m writing with an end goal in mind. A blog post can be well-written and entertaining, but what good is it if your reader reaches a dead end? In marketing, a powerful story should end with a cliffhanger -- one that has your audience wanting more.

2.  “26 Words & Copy Constructs that Instantly Make You More Persuasive”

By: Nancy Harhut, marketing behavioral science expert

Much like Buzzfeed, I love lists. Ironically, using numbers in titles and writing list-based posts are two examples of great copy constructs used in Harhut’s presentation. I’m excited to hear the other secrets she knows.

Harhut calls herself a strategy-minded, results-oriented person who’s passionate about behavioral science’s impact on marketing. A popular conference presenter from the Big Apple to Russia, Harhut’s recent engagements include Google, Adobe, and McGraw-Hill.   

Harhut’s simple message? Words matter, whether you’re sticking them in:

• Blogs
• Emails
• Advertisements
• Requests for a quote

“Well, duh,” you might be saying. But there’s a science to it that Harhut will explore with her audience.

“... In-market tests and scientific research both confirm that certain words wield more power,” her session preview says. “And how you word something determines how people respond to it.”

I can’t wait to learn what “eye magnet words” and “compliance triggers” are -- and the 24 other secrets she promises.

Who Are You Pumped to See?

Who are you hyped to watch? Tweet me at @adam_vosler. Curious who else is speaking at Inbound 2017? Check out the tentative schedule.