Brad Johnson is an author and blogger who helps writers discover their niche, build successful habits, and quit their 9-5. His books include Ignite Your Beacon, Writing Clout and Tomes Of A Healing Heart. For strategic content and practical tips on how to become a full-time writer, visit: BradleyJohnsonProductions.com.
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Editor’s note: We don’t normally publish posts from companies, but in these stressful times we want to help WritetoDone readers as much as possible. As many of us are forced to stay at home, here’s one company that might just be able to make that time less stressful. Please note: WritetoDone has no affiliation with […]
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From about us pages to blogs, feature profiles are used to communicate a business’ brand, but also to put a human face on a business. By creating a compelling story, good profile writers can benefit from this high-need area of freelance writing.
Profile writing involves disparate parts of the brain in order to produce an emotionally involving piece. An effective profile comes from thorough research, thoughtful interview questions and an ability to organize large amounts of information into a concise story.
Here’s how to write a profile story, in eight easy-to-follow steps.
For my first profile assignment, I interviewed a jazz great who enjoyed a five-decade career in music. Being young and unaware of his music, I asked him how long he’d been playing. The musician playfully laughed at me and replied that he had been playing most of his life. He then asked me if I knew anything about him. The feeling of embarrassment sunk the rest of my interview.
But from this defeat, I learned the importance of researching my subject.
Your goal should be to understand your subject’s point of view before the interview begins if you hope to capture that person’s journey.
Start by thoroughly reading their website. If the business or individual maintains a blog, you will want to read their posts to understand their identity. This will clue you into what’s important to your subject.
Then explore articles written about your subject in other publications. What’s the general angle of these articles? Is there any information that’s repeated again and again? This will help differentiate yourself from previous material written about the same subject.
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When interviewing, the worst thing you can hear from a response is “yes” or “no.”
Try to focus your questions on material your subject is passionate about, and don’t ask questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Start phases with: “Can you tell me about?” or “Why did you…?”
This gives your subject the opportunity to go “off script” and share unique details about their story in a way that makes them feel comfortable.
It may be tempting to interrupt your subject with your own commentary, but resist this at all costs.
Interrupting cuts into your subject’s flow, which will result in glossing over important information. Through digressions, subjects will often provide entertaining stories. These stories can further illustrate your subject’s unique personality.
Do not be afraid of pauses and silence. Sometimes this means your subject is thinking about your question, and giving them time will elicit more detailed answers.
For others, silence creates a bit of awkwardness, which they might be eager to fill by sharing a story they might not have otherwise shared.
Handwritten notes are great, but it can be difficult to record every word a subject says. Mistakes in note-taking can be costly when it comes time to write the profile.
And you certainly don’t want to rely on your memory. Get comfortable with a recording app in advance to ensure you capture your entire interview.
Profiles need an angle, or a specific focus to sustain the reader’s attention.
A unique angle will set your profile apart from the other material written on the same subject. Use an angle that’s newsworthy or contains the essence of the business’ philosophy. Profiles that are simply a list of things that happened are rarely interesting.
When reviewing your interview and notes, find a theme that links together the material. For example, if your subject talks about failures that led to their success, the theme of persistence in the face of failure can serve as a good angle.
Don’t use quotes just to fill space. Instead, lean on quotes to help tell the story. Using the subject’s words can be the most effective way to develop the profile’s main points.
Not sure how many quotes to use? Here’s a good rule of thumb: Each section of a profile should contain at least one quote that ties the material together.
Find pithy, meaningful quotes to provide maximum effect. Reserve the best quote that best encapsulates your angle and use this for your concluding paragraph. This leaves the reader with a clear picture of the main theme and takeaway.
Remember you are telling a story, so it needs a beginning, middle and end.
A scattershot piece with no clear timeline will confuse the reader.
Create an outline or storyboard so you can keep track of the direction of your story. In your outline, include quotes you plan to add to the story, so that you can shape your piece around your subject’s words.
Getting information wrong is an embarrassing moment for a writer, especially if you hear about it from your subject.
You’re responsible for presenting facts as truthfully as possible. If you are unsure of certain information, contact your subject and ask. They will appreciate the effort. Don’t throw away your credibility by failing to fact-check your piece.
Profile writing is a great way to flex all of your writer muscles in one assignment. Over time, you’ll develop a knack for interviewing, which is helpful for lots of writing work. With the right amount of preparation, organization, detail and practice, you’ll paint the perfect picture of your subject.
This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.
Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock
The post How to Write a Profile: 8 Tips for a Compelling Piece appeared first on The Write Life.
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Having trouble viewing the text? You can always read the original article here: This is the Key to a Persuasive Website
What is the key to creating a persuasive website? Calum Coburn takes a page from the negotiator’s handbook. Learn the key to being persuasive both in person and on the Web. “Turn the other cheek.” This well-worn phrase has come to mean many things. Forgive easily. Don’t over-react. Be strong in the face of adversity. […]
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Podcast awareness and listening continue to rise in the United States, driven by an explosion in new podcast programming, and consumer adoption of “smart speakers” like Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.
2020 podcast statistics from Edison Research and Triton Digital were recently released as part of the annual study: The Infinite Dial.
This study is now in its 22nd year and is widely regarded as the finest research on audio habits and podcasting available anywhere. I strongly encourage you to download the entire study (no cost) as it contains substantially more insights than I’ve summarized here.
Note that this research surveyed Americans 12 years of age and older.
This is approximately 212 million people and an increase of more than 10 million in one year.
This is up from 51% in 2019 and indicates that roughly three-quarters of the people who are familiar with podcasts have actually listened to one.
In 2017, 40% of Americans 12 or older had listened to a podcast, compared to 55% in 2020.
% of Americans who have ever listened to a podcast: 2017-2020
In 2017, 40% of Americans 12 or older had listened to a podcast, compared to 55% in 2020.
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In 2020, for the first time, more than 100 million Americans listen to at least one podcast each month.
In 2017, 24% of Americans 12 or older listened to podcasts monthly, compared to 37% in 2020.
% of Americans who listen to podcasts monthly: 2017-2020
As of 2020, 49% of all Americans, 12-34, listen to at least one podcast per month, compared to 42% in 2019.
As of 2020, 49% of all Americans, 12-34, listen to at least one podcast per month, compared to 42% in 2019.
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From 2019 to 2020, the percentage of Americans ages 55+ who listen to podcasts monthly increased by 29%. At present, nearly one-quarter of all 55+ consumers in the United States are listening to podcasts month.
In 2020, for the first time, a larger percentage of American consumers listened to podcasts weekly than attended church or religious services weekly: 24% to 23%. 68 million Americans are weekly podcast listeners.
In 2020, for the first time, a larger percentage of American consumers listened to podcasts weekly than attended church or religious services weekly: 24% to 23%. 68 million Americans are weekly podcast listeners.
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Among Americans who listen to podcasts at least weekly, the average amount of time spent per week listening grew in 2020 to 6 hours, 39 minutes.
On average, podcast fans listen to 6 podcasts during the course of a week. This average is skewed somewhat, however, by hard-core podcast devotees. 51% of weekly podcast listeners consume 1-3 podcasts per week, but 12% listen to 11 or more podcasts!
Number of podcasts listened to per week (among weekly podcast listeners in America, 2020)
Led by Amazon, growth in smart speaker ownership has been significant. 21% of Americans own Amazon Echo (Alexa) device, as of 2020. And smart speaker ownership overall increased by 17% between 2019 and 2020. This increase in smart speakers is giving owners more opportunities to listen to podcasts at home.
Podcast listening is continuing to soar. These 2020 podcast statistics demonstrated that we are not yet at “peak podcast”, at least in terms of consumption. Please do download all of The Infinite Dial from Edison Research and Triton Digital, as there are many more statistics and charts worth your attention.
For 2019 podcast statistics, see our post, The Critical Podcast Statistics of 2019.
The post Podcast Statistics for 2020 – Charts and Data appeared first on Content Marketing Consulting and Social Media Strategy.
The financial services sector is currently facing challenges on multiple fronts: banks have reduced their opening hours and in many cases can only serve a few customers at a time due to social distancing rules, putting additional strain on channels like telephone service, online banking and social media.
At the same time, record numbers of consumers are frantically trying to contact their bank with questions, concerns or to request special measures as their finances have been impacted by the fallout from the coronavirus – many have lost jobs, seen their incomes vanish, and are in fear of defaulting on loans or missing mortgage payments. Businesses, too, are in need of additional help as many have seen their revenue drop dramatically or dry up altogether.
Meanwhile, fintech firms may be facing a drop in demand as customers opt for safer, more predictable investments in the current fraught environment, although some will be well-placed to benefit from the increased demand for online and mobile banking and payments. Many are even offering their services to consumers and businesses for free while the coronavirus crisis is ongoing.
The situation will require constant, careful handling from finance companies as they seek to reassure consumers, respond to their concerns, and earn their trust during this volatile period – and a lot may depend on just how well companies’ digital infrastructure and services can handle the increased demand.
In the UK, many banks have been offering their customers three-month “mortgage holidays” if they think they will be unable to make payments on their mortgage due to the coronavirus crisis, as part of a raft of measures unveiled by the government to help struggling consumers during the pandemic.
However, the demand has been such that banks have been unable to respond to customers in a timely fashion as phone lines are overloaded with callers desperately seeking to confirm whether they are eligible, or find out how the measures will work. Lloyd’s, Natwest, Barclays and Santander are among the banks that have begun enabling customers to make an application via an online form to ease the strain on their phone networks.
We’ve now made it quick and easy to contact us online about getting a payment holiday if you have a mortgage with us. Click below to get started.
We appreciate you’ve had extremely long waits to speak to us. Thank you for your patience as our team have worked to help everyone.
— NatWest (@NatWest_Help) March 20, 2020
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Many are also fielding angry enquiries on social media from frustrated customers who are unable to get through or have more ordinary issues that aren’t being dealt with as coronavirus concerns swamp the online systems and communications channels.
We’re sorry our response times are longer than we’d want. We’re working hard to make it easy for you to apply online for mortgage payment relief. Please bear with us, as we try to do this by the end of this week. We’ll share a link on our coronavirus page: https://t.co/XhvVgERfKe
— Santander UK (@santanderuk) March 19, 2020
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Thanks for bearing with us – you’ll find some quick and easy ways to manage your account at https://t.co/SiqafSpozO pic.twitter.com/gdYB7dNh0b
— Barclays UK Help (@BarclaysUKHelp) March 21, 2020
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Now more than ever, it will be crucial for banks to be responsive on social media, since customers will be using all the channels they have to get in contact – and anything less than a quick response will only make things worse.
Many banks are also taking the opportunity to highlight to their customers – on their websites and via social media – that they can carry out their banking online or on mobile, and use online chat or social media to resolve an issue. NatWest has announced a dedicated customer care helpline for customers over 70 and those in a period of prolonged isolation; it has also been using its social media presence to debunk some common coronavirus misinformation and scams.
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4 of the most common Coronavirus (COVID-19) scamsHere’s what you need to know to keep yourself safe – tap each one to…
Posted by NatWest on Wednesday, 18 March 2020
In the United States, banks have been offering up a range of measures to help consumers affected by coronavirus, including waiving fees and penalties for a short period of time, offering hardship and payment loan assistance, and making considerable donations to efforts to fight the virus. In particular, Goldman Sachs announced that customers of its digital bank, Marcus, and its Apple credit card can take an extra month to make payments with no penalty or additional interest if they are financially stretched due to the coronavirus.
Bank of America has also launched a dedicated Client Assistance Program for those impacted by the coronavirus, which includes measures such as refunding overdraft fees and maintenance fees, allowing customers to defer payments, and pausing foreclosure sales, evictions and repossessions.
We’re working closely with our clients to provide additional assistance for those impacted by coronavirus through our Client Assistance Program. pic.twitter.com/9HzR6bifxQ
— Bank of America News (@BofA_News) March 19, 2020
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Many similar measures are being seen around the world, from Indian Bank urging its customers to use mobile and internet banking to the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group promoting banking via its app and telephone services, launching a major COVID-19 support package, and raising awareness about coronavirus-related scams.
In the payments industry, the coronavirus outbreak is helping to accelerate the adoption of certain types of payment technology, such as contactless payments, due to fears about germs being spread via cash and the use of PIN number pads. Some of those shops that have remained open during the crisis are requiring that customers pay by contactless only as part of their measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.
In the UK, the umbrella organisation for the country’s banking and finance industry, UK Finance, announced that the limit for contactless payments would be increasing from £30 to £45 from the 1st April to facilitate this shift. In Germany, according to the German Credit Agency, more than 50% of payments currently being made by card are contactless, compared with 35% before the coronavirus crisis hit.
Governments in Greece, Ireland, Malta, Poland and Turkey have also announced raises to the contactless payment limit, a move that Visa applauded on its blog, writing, “Here at Visa one of the immediate areas we are working on is to support the rise in contactless payments limits. We know consumers are looking to use contactless as they shop for the things they need. Raising the contactless limit allows them to do that more easily and securely without having to enter their PIN.”
In the United States, where signatures are still commonly required when making payments in-store, fears have also arisen around the potential hygiene implications of using a shared pen. Responding to this, Mastercard tweeted to remind shoppers that since 2018, it has been optional for merchants to require a signature when payments are made with Mastercard:
Since 2018, merchants have had the option to choose whether a signature is required when you pay with your Mastercard. We are actively reminding our partners of this option, to help give you peace of mind when you use your Mastercard in-store. Learn more: https://t.co/DIR7VePQmc
— Mastercard (@Mastercard) March 19, 2020
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Unsurprisingly, the coronavirus crisis has also triggered a surge in demand for online payments as many people look to ecommerce in lieu of physical shopping, hampered by lockdowns or fearing the crush of panic-buying shoppers. According to estimates by McKinsey & Co, ecommerce transactions in virus-hit Italy have soared 81% since the end of February, as reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
American Express tweeted its encouragement for consumers to support small businesses while observing recommendations to shelter in place, suggesting that they order a delivery, make a purchase online, or purchase a gift card from a small business to use at a later date.
Want to support small businesses while keeping our communities healthy? Here are some simple ways to #StayHome and #ShopSmall:
1. Order a delivery
2. Place a purchase online
3. Buy a gift card from a small business now to use later. pic.twitter.com/0U92XeEhvT— American Express (@AmericanExpress) March 24, 2020
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The Wall Street Journal also reported that many online payments providers are falling back on contingency plans designed to handle seasonal upswings in online shopping, such as Black Friday, in order to cope with the spikes in demand. Sri Shivananda, CTO at PayPal Holdings Inc., said, “Our mission has never been more critical,” and added that the company’s online platform was designed to handle sudden increases in demand.
However, Gartner Inc.’s Senior Research Director Dayna Ford has warned that despite increased traffic from retail, overall revenue in the e-payments market is likely to decline this year due to losses from areas like the airline industry and the hotel sector.
Fintech companies may be facing some of the greatest uncertainty of all. While traditional banks are likely to have sufficient capital to weather customers defaulting on loans or delaying repayments, particularly since the 2007-9 financial crisis, fintech companies are likely to be less protected against major shifts in the financial markets, particularly as customers opt for safer investments and are less willing to take risks with their savings. Venture capital firms, too, may be more cautious with their investments, meaning there will be less funding to go around.
However, as attention increasingly shifts to digital and virtual ways to manage finances, some fintechs will be well-positioned to come out on top.
In keeping with their image as brands that are here to simplify and demystify your finances, digital banks Starling and Monzo have both published blog posts explaining what the stimulus measures introduced by the government mean for consumers and small businesses. Monzo also created a thread on Twitter where customers could raise questions about things that were confusing to them or that they would like to know about their finances.
Many things about your money might’ve changed recently. And there’s lots of new info to process.
So tell us, is there anything you find confusing that we can help clear up? Or info you’d like to know?
— Monzo (@monzo) March 24, 2020
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Digital investment management company Nutmeg has been using its Twitter feed to shed light on the current situation with the stock market, explaining terms like “bear market” and “crystallising losses”. The company has also produced content marketing that illustrates how investors could response to the current volatile climate, and is now producing weekly market update webcasts with commentary on what’s happening with the markets and why.
This is what market volatility looks like ????
In our latest webcast, Nutmeg’s chief investment officer James McManus explained how investor uncertainty has led to a marked increase in market volatility.
Watch the full update here: https://t.co/UVqQl2wGU1
[capital at risk] pic.twitter.com/k4qiYh113u
— Nutmeg (@thenutmegteam) March 25, 2020
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Many fintechs have also taken it upon themselves to offer up their services for free, waive fees or prolong free trials, in the midst of the crisis – no doubt hoping to do some social good but also prove the value of their services at a time when digital solutions are more in-demand than ever. Ron Shevlin of Forbes is keeping a continually-updated list of those fintechs that are providing free technology during the crisis, which features everything from AI engines to cloud-based banking tools, customer onboarding software and digital insurance claims.
The crisis has also given rise to new innovations that respond to particular financial needs. A group of fintech firms from the lending sector, for example, has come together to offer support to SMEs during the coronavirus crisis. The four fintech companies – Wiserfunding, Nimbla, Trade Ledger and NorthRow – have formed a joint lending platform with ‘baked-in risk assessment, KYC and insurance capabilities’ that will be able to rapidly deploy funds to SMEs in need of credit, releasing them within days instead of the usual weeks.
Another team of financial services startups and fintechs has created a proof-of-concept app designed to assist freelancers who are self-isolating during the crisis, allowing them to prove loss of income due to coronavirus isolation.
Of course, there will be huge challenges as well as opportunities. Monzo and Revolut have already been forced to refute rumours of their imminent collapse as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – a situation not helped by a recent Rosenblatt Securities forecast which predicted that a protracted downturn would wipe out $76 billion of unicorn market value and spur a wave of mergers and acquisitions. The report identified marketplace lenders, digital wealth management firms and challenger banks as companies that would be in the ‘firing line’ in the event of a market downturn.
The Financial Brand has predicted that many fintech companies will be forced to find collaboration or investment partners in traditional banking organisations if investment dries up – something that would likely prove a win-win as traditional banking firms seek to beef up their digital infrastructure to serve customers who are self-isolating or sheltering in place. It also said that some early-stage fintech firms may need to shut down.
As with other hard-hit sectors such as retail, the impact will likely be varied, and there will be a number of casualties. However, those companies who are able to adapt and continue providing customers with essential services, even if it is in a different way to usual, will stand a better chance of weathering the storm.
The post How is coronavirus impacting the financial sector – and how are brands responding? appeared first on Econsultancy.
During times of crisis and uncertainty, it’s easy to feel fearful, anxious, and overwhelmed. Yet how you respond to difficult situations and isolation can help you process what’s happening and ultimately reduce stress. For writers, one of the best ways to cope with strong emotions and a “new normal” is to write about what you’re experiencing and feeling. Writer’s Relief has some ideas that may help you cope with stress and manage your anxiety.
Writing Provides Clarity and Catharsis
Writing about confusing and frightening times helps you organize your thoughts and possibly gain some clarity. Expressive writing is a good way to deal with and better understand the emotional fallout you’re experiencing. The catharsis felt afterward can provide mental relief—as well as relief from some physical symptoms too! After writing about your anxieties, you may find your shoulders aren’t so tight and your breathing comes more naturally.
Writing may help you feel less isolated and help you process your thoughts and feelings—it’s a way to feel less powerless.
Writing Keeps You Connected To Your Tribe
When dealing with stress and turmoil, people want to feel connected to one another. That can be harder to do when the situation doesn’t allow you to venture out or gather with family, friends, or other writers.
But even if you’re staying in, you can still connect online with other writers and the writing community! Join an online writing group—many groups are using video conferencing software to virtually get together. There’s also a vibrant community of writers available via social media: Check out the friendly, supportive writers in the Writer’s Relief Café group on Facebook.
You can develop calmness, hope, and resolve by writing and by reading what others have written. Writers are strengthened by the words that reflect our souls. Our natural desire to connect with other humans is mirrored and amplified by what we write and for whom.
Writing Lets You Make The Best Of New Circumstances
When everything is upended and nothing seems “normal,” like it or not, you’ll have a lot of new things to write about. If you’re unable to keep to your typical daily routine, you’ll also have more time on your hands—and that time can be used to write. Some scholars believe Shakespeare wrote King Lear while under quarantine. Let the Bard’s constructive use of a difficult situation serve as inspiration for you!
This could be a good time to dust off your novel manuscript and begin editing, or maybe get started writing that new book you’ve been mulling over. You can create your own “write a book in a month” project—there’s no need to wait for NaNoWriMo! You might also use this time to finish a short story or poem you put aside when you were busy, or be inspired to write something completely different.
Here are a few quotes to inspire, motivate, and help you focus on positivity:
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.”— Oprah Winfrey
“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.”—Lee Iacocca
“Doing something that is productive is a great way to alleviate emotional stress. Get your mind doing something that is productive.”—Ziggy Marley
“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.”—Wayne Dyer
“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its joy.”—Leo F. Buscaglia
“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”—William James
“Don’t believe every worried thought you have. Worried thoughts are notoriously inaccurate.”—Renee Jain
“If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don’t, you’re simply ducking your responsibilities.”— Ann Richards
“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen— that stillness becomes a radiance.”—Morgan Freeman
Trying times can bring out the best in us—and can result in some of the best writing. Meditate on your best self, on humanity’s best self, and a peaceful, healthy future. Words matter. Writing helps.
Question: What activities help you deal with stress and anxiety?
