Do you remember my getaways? Well, one of them was a business/pleasure cruise with a bunch, more like a whopping 3500+, nurses!
If you’re a nurse/healthcare professional and haven’t experienced NurseCon at Sea, you’re missing out! Anyway, I digress…
But who manages to sprain her foot 8 hours into the cruise? Me! 🙋♀️And it was in a very unceremonious way, mind you! I was walking and made an overly zealous pivot twisting my foot in a way human anatomy never intended. Ouch!!
Thankfully, it wasn't fractured, and I got settled in an orthopedic boot so I could still get around the ship for the rest of the cruise, albeit a bit (a lot!) more clumsily than I would have liked.
On the positive side, I got some unexpected writing inspiration from observing the different situations around me. And, oh boy, can nurses party!!
That's my rather eventful tale! A sprained start, but smooth sailing overall.
A word, please!
You ask, I answer! The question I received last week: "What exactly are client pain points, and how the heck do I figure them out?"
You've probably been told a million times to research and understand your client's pain points. I've definitely preached that gospel myself. But simply being told to identify pain points is one thing. Actually knowing what they are and how to sniff them out is a whole different ball game.
When we talk about client pain points, we're referring to the problems, challenges, or frustrations that they face.
Let’s say a client (or prospect) who is a weight management coach has built a solid local following through in-person sessions and word-of-mouth referrals. Now, they recognize the opportunity to scale their business and attract clients beyond their local area through a strong online presence and content strategy.
One major pain point they may express on a discovery call is struggling to create educational content that connects with their target audience and positions them as a trusted expert. While they have deep subject matter expertise, translating that knowledge into compelling written content is an uphill battle.
They may share frustrations like: "I know I need to be blogging consistently, but I'm just not sure what kind of content will resonate and keep people engaged. I have so much information to share, but I don't want it to come across as dry or lecturing."
Or the famous "I've tried writing some blog posts before, but truthfully, writing isn't my strong suit, so the posts probably aren't very captivating."
Bingo! This tells you their core content pain points: consistent content creation, nailing the right topics/formats to engage their audience, and writing quality content that builds their authority.
Identifying a client's pain points is valuable groundwork, but the real money move comes by spinning that knowledge into content marketing gold.
When you capitalize on those frustrations, you're not just another writer; you've just positioned yourself as the writer and a Strategic Business Ally with a capital S, B, and A.😉 And this allows you to confidently charge higher rates for your high-level insights and solutions.
Flip the script! Transform your clients' pain points into profitable opportunities. And just like that, you're primed and ready to craft a stellar writing proposal that highlights you as the perfect fit to help solve those content struggles. Your writing proposal secures your collaboration and showcases to the prospect why your expertise is exactly what they’ve been looking for!
“That’s great, Maggie! But, how can I identify a prospect's key pain points before ever speaking to them, so I can strategically mention those in my cold email outreach?”
I hear ya! In this case, you’ve got to channel your inner Sherlock Holmes!
Here we go:
Take a good, hard look at their website, blog, and social media accounts. This will give you a solid understanding of what their current content strategy looks like and where there might be some gaps or missed opportunities.
Here's a quick rundown of what to look for:
Their website/blog:
Take a peek at the main pages, such as the Home, About, and Services/Products pages.
Keep an eye out for any glaringly missing information or content that feels dry and lacking engagement.
Read through some of their existing posts to get a feel for the topics they cover and how in-depth they tend to go.
Analyze their competitors' websites to see where your prospect may be falling behind in terms of content depth, trending topics covered, etc.
Look for any gaps in their content strategy. Maybe they're missing some key sub-topics, or all their posts are starting to sound a bit too samey, or they don't seem to have a content strategy.
Pay attention to the overall quality and engagement. Are the posts easy to read? Visually appealing? Are people actually commenting and interacting?
For example, let's say you're scoping out the same weight management coach’s website mentioned above. You notice their blog hasn't been updated in ages and doesn't have any articles on emotional eating or weight loss injections (booming market right now). Boom! That's a potential pain point you can bring upwhen you reach out.
Their social media presence:
Take a look at their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (I mean, “X”, whatever) pages, and any other platforms they're active on.
Notice what kind of content they share and how often they post.
Pay attention to the engagement levels on their posts. Are people actively commenting, liking, and sharing the content, or is it pretty stagnant?
For example, as you're scoping out the IG presence for this weight management coach, you notice most of their posts are surface-level inspirational quotes or before/after pictures.
While motivational, these don't provide a ton of substantive educational value. You also notice they haven't shared any new feed posts in over a month, and the engagement is pretty low aside from a like or two.
This could be a prime opportunity to pitch them on repurposing your high-quality blog content (which you'll create for them once they bring you on board!💰) into more visually engaging, educational posts for IG.
Spotting this potential pain point puts you in a position to pitch an impactful solution. And you've just become an indispensable partner!
Once you've done your sleuthing, you'll be prepared to write an email that shows you truly understand that client's needs and can offer solutions to their pain points.
So there you have it! Understanding your clients' core pain points is a combo of doing your research homework before outreach and listening attentively during those make-or-break discovery calls.
Put these tactics into practice, and you'll quickly find yourself building long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships. Your clients will be blown away by how intimately you "get" their struggles!
Your Turn!🤝
Scope out your prospect's website, blog, and social media presence.
Identify content gaps, inconsistencies, outdated information, user experience issues, and engagement levels.
During discovery calls, actively listen to your client's concerns.
Use the pain points you've identified to craft a professional writing proposal that showcases how your expertise can help solve their content challenges.
Be specific in your proposal, providing concrete examples of how you'll address each pain point and help your client achieve their content goals.
Have you given any thought to your personal brand?
You can craft the most amazing blogs, but a cohesive, well-defined brand helps you stand out from the vast pool of writers out there. I know it did for me!
If you don’t know what a personal brand is or how to get started, Rachel’s got you! She offers comprehensive personal brand strategy packages to ensure you attract your ideal clients and spotlight your unique expertise from the start.
So if you're feeling even an inkling of brand identity crisis, do yourself a favor and have a chat with the incredible Rachel! Not only is she a total branding genius, but she's also one of the coolest and most personable humans you'll ever meet.
And... 🥁🥁 just for being a subscriber to The Health Writer Newsletter, you get a whopping 33% off! 🤯
It's a deal you won't find anywhere else!
Oh, and did I mention her mugs? You’ve got to check them out.
What’s making waves in health writing? What’s the latest buzz?
Here are 2 pitch ideas editors want:
Skin Safety
Heard about Kristin Cavallari's comment to ditch sunscreen, claiming it's not necessary? Well, May happens to be melanoma awareness month, so perfect time to pitch about skin cancer and sun safety!
You know it! Get those SME quotes!
Ozempic Babies
If you missed the buzz about Ozempic (and other weight loss injections), here's a fresh angle: Ozempic babies! It seems these medications potentially boost fertility and may affect the effectiveness of birth control pills, increasing the chances of pregnancy. Pitch away!
Reach out to those SMEs!
Gigs & Opps
Your next paid gig might be hiding below. Take a look! 👀
Looking for freelance writers and your pitches! Reach out to addison.aloian@hearst.com. Addison is always open to pitches about lifestyle, relationships, sex, and astrology topics. A great way to get published guys!
Glamour
Seeking writers with a background in fitness and nutrition. Must be comfortable reading medical research and scientific studies and make fitness and nutrition relatable! Is that you?
Looking for stories about longevity (healthy lifestyle tips from older people in your family), among other super interesting topics. Open to writers of all levels, demographics, and locations. Send your pitch to Rosemary Donahue: rdonahue@businessinsider.com.
Pay: $225 for around 600 words.
If you have an engaging personal story related to health and parenting (like relationships, mental, or physical health), she wants to hear from you!
Wants submissions from Jewish writers under 30 for its "Gen Z Voices" series, focusing on the ongoing discussions within the Gen Z community and addressing the unique challenges young Jews encounter today. Topics range widely, including mental health.
Each accepted article earns $200 or more, depending on its length and content. Send your pitch email to content@jewishunpacked.com. Please include “Gen Z Voices Pitch” in the subject line.
Physician's Weekly
Medical writers, this one's for you. They're looking for freelance writers interested in medical publishing.
💡Writer's guidelines can seem tedious, but sticking to those outlined submission instructions offers major returns on your pitch success rates! Editors are flooded with queries daily, so take the time to follow their stated processes to help your pitch stand out.
👉 What did you write for your own blog? Share it with me at hello@thewritern.com.
Use our Blog Booster challenge to grow your own blog. And... it's time for another blog booster! Are you ready?
Here’s the plan:
Over the next two weeks (by May 2), write one blog post. That’s it, just one blog post for your website in the next two weeks.
Suggested topic ideas: - How to improve on-page SEO - A health writer’s take on AI - Medical misinformation - It takes more than blogging to rank on Google - Beating writer’s block - Tracking your blog's impact
Post your challenge blog post on LinkedIn using the hashtag #THWNblogbooster. It helps me (and other writers participating in the challenge) find and support your blog post on LinkedIn.
Once you’ve published your post, send the link to me at hello@thewritern.com so I can easily collect submissions.
Posts from challenge participants will be featured in upcoming newsletter editions. This gives your writing bonus exposure!
One last thing! Make it a point to interact with and support the work of fellow health writers taking on the Blog Booster challenge. Remember, this is our community!
And that, my friends, is it for THWN Issue No. 10!
Au revoir, mes amis…
See ya in about 336 hours, aka 14 days!
PS: I'm seriously, absolutely, and honestly itching to know how I can make this newsletter the best for YOU and US. This is not a one-way street. You hear from me. But I want to also hear from you. Hit REPLY to share what works and what doesn’t, what you want to see more of, or just say hi! 👋
Loving the vibes? Share this newsletter with a friend. And if you received this e-mail from a friend, why not make it official? Stick around, treat yourself, and subscribe!
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