Every time you sit down in front of that white page that’s going to promote your business, you want your written content to do the job that it’s supposed to do, which is having the right impact on the right audience.
You’ve noticed that while some pieces of written content go viral, some are pretty much invisible, and you would love nothing more than knowing why.
While it’s not always easy to know what blog post will go viral and what blog post will flop, there are a few things that we know to work much better than others.
In this post I’m going to discuss two vital factors that you need to consider when promoting your business with your blog articles and other form of written content.
One thing that we know to be a fact is that people are more interested in what we call external results, rather than internal results.
Knowing the difference between the two will help you write great content that attracts interested readers.
And if you do this well, your blog posts will get you more solid potential clients or customers.
Internal Result versus External Result
Nowadays you have to be more of a content expert for the blog posts and other content marketing pieces that you write, than you used to in the past.
Far away the time when we could write barely readable pieces of content that were stuffed with keywords that could make any article sound stupid and repetitive, but yet used to get positive results and turned into sales.
Today, besides the fact that we have to write interesting, educative and informative content for our blog posts to be valued by our audience, we also need to know which technique works and which doesn’t work with the human brain.
One important thing that we need to keep in mind is that human beings are more basic beings that we would like to admit, and because we are, we tend to respond much better to external results, rather than internal results.
Are you confused?
Well, in this post I am going to discuss what the difference between internal and external results is, and which one you need to use in order for your blog post to be successful, and bring you much more traffic and clients.
What is an Internal Result?
An internal result is a result that people either don’t understand or can’t see themselves reaching because it is too broad or to abstract.
You need to keep in mind that broad and abstract don’t sell.
So, whether you’re selling comfort, relief, happiness, health, wealth, or blogging itself, putting those broad internal results to the forefront of your written content is not going to give you the results you’ve expected.
- Everyone wants to be happy.
- Everyone wants to be healthy.
- Everyone wants relief from something.
- Everyone wants to be wealthy.
- Everyone wants to be successful with their blog.
Those are called internal results.
But, everyone is great, isn’t it?
Well, no, it’s not.
Everyone is pretty much the same thing as no one.
It’s too broad, it’s too out there, and it speaks to nobody.
Promising someone that they’ll be happy, healthy or wealthy doesn’t promise them any imminent or specific result, and people just don’t buy them. Literally.
What people are looking for is what we call external results, instead.
What is an External Result?
An external result is the result of a specific problem or issue that someone needs or wants relief from.
While being happy is an internal result, being able to attract the perfect partner, is an external result.
While being healthy is an internal result, finding a way to get rid of your chronic migraine, is an external result.
While being wealthy is an internal result, learning about specific ways to create a successful business that will take you to financial freedom, is and external result.
While success blogging is an internal result, learning exactly how to write a blog post that attracts readers is an external result.
An external result is a specific relief to a specific pain point, and that’s what people want.
External results do sell.
Internal Results versus External Results
Internal results are positive, yet broad results that your reader may not identify with, and will subconsciously see as untenable, because they are way out there and vague.
People in general don’t even care about internal results when all they need is a specific answer to their problem.
The positive result in this case is not palpable.
So for example, if your product or service enhances happiness, and you’re writing a blog post about happiness in general, it’s going to be very difficult for you to attract potential clients this way.
What type of happiness do you sell?
- Is it relief from depression?
- Is it getting the man or woman of your dreams?
- Is it creating the perfect family?
- Is it getting in touch with your spirituality?
Happiness can include several thousand factors. So which one are you talking about in that one specific blog post?
It’s the same thing with health. If you’re using your content to promote health, it’s too vague to attract a specific audience that needs help with a specific health issue.
- Is it losing weight?
- Is it lowering blood pressure?
- Is it reducing stress?
- Is it eating habits?
Each specific item needs to be discussed specifically one post at the time.
And this works the same way with wealth, comfort, achievement, success, blogging and so on.
If you are promoting a business that could help your audience to become healthier, wealthier, happier, more successful, or better bloggers… do not focus on broad topics such as these, but on one specific item at the time.
This process works for everything you write as well, not just your blog post. It works with your sales copies, your business core tag line and even adds.
It starts with your headline, followed by your topic and content.
Here are some internal and external headline type topics…
Internal and External Result Headlines
Happiness
How to be happier every day of your life (internal result)
- 10 tips to generate an extra income (external result)
- How to get the man of your dreams (external result)
- How to get rid of your depression (external result)
- 5 ways you can find and keep your love alive (external result)
Health
How to keep living healthy for years (internal result)
- How to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks (external result)
- How to reduce your medication intake in 2 months (external result)
- How to reduce your blood pressure with healthy food (external result)
- 5 foods you need to eat to avoid blood clots (external result)
Blogging
How to be a successful blogger (internal result).
How to get more traffic (internal result).
- How to use twitter to generate more traffic (external results)
- How to create blog content that is easy to read (external result)
- 5 easy steps to create your blog post from start to finish (external results)
Conclusion
I’ve just mentioned few niches of business here, but whatever business you’re in. Whatever product or service you’re selling, you need to figure out what are the internal results that you offer.
Once you’ve determined that, you need to go way more specific and make a list of external results that people will get from your product or service.
Once you have that list (which you can add to indefinitely) you should write your content solely based on those external results.
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Hi Sylviane,
Well you put this in a way that I never personally thought about but I can see why this is important.
We have come to learn that by being too general or broad with our content, although it will more than likely get read, it won’t help us help our readers. They are seeking out some answer to a specific problem and they’re not going to be satisfied until they find it. They’re certainly not going to take action or keep coming back if we’re not helping them.
Your examples were perfect actually and made so much sense. I appreciate it that you addressed it in this way because it’s much easier to understand the meaning behind what a lot of us do. We are way too broad with our messages and a lot of people need to go back to the drawing board.
Great post and again thanks for awesome lesson.
Enjoy your week.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne,
I’m so glad that you liked this post, because as I was writing it I was wondering if it would be too basic of a topic, but it’s when I get comments such as yours here, that I can confirm to myself that I was right to write it.
It’s easy to be too broad and lose clients that way. Specific is always better. Better fewer people, but the very ones who need what we have.
Thanks so much for coming and for sharing, Adrienne.
Sylviane
Hey Sylviane,
This makes total sense. This is a different way of putting it but I can see why these two words are used.
I see external results as a way to put up a front, but internal results are those results that we really want deeply. Many of us want to be happy but what obstacle is holding us back to get one step closer to happiness is the real question.
This is why it’s more productive to focus on one specific problem than a broad one. When it comes to blogging that one person will feel as though you’re talking directly to them, and who knows how many others who have the same delimma.
Thanks for sharing Sylviane! Have a good one!
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Hi Sherman,
Actually the word “external” here is not to be taken negatively, it’s just that it means that it’s a present physical need as opposed to a broader non so physical idea.
So, when it comes to internet/content marketing, it’s always better, if we want tangible results, that we address the external needs.
Thanks for dropping by as always.
~Sylviane
Hi Sylviane,
Good to have you back in the blogosphere 🙂
Interesting topic indeed, and you’re right about all that you mentioned as well. I guess being bloggers, we tend to write about anything and everything, depending on our niche and our readers. But what’s important is how we are helping people, isn’t it?
By addressing a specific problem, we can help that person or give a specific solution to the person’s problem, which should be the main aim of a blogger actually. If we are able to achieve that through our posts, our efforts would all be so worth it.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
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Hi Harleena,
Yes, actually I got back a few weeks ago now, and going full blown.
Depending why exactly you are blogging for, you may or may not use that technique as much, but for those of us who blog directly to promote our products or services, the more specific we are, the better the results we will get.
Thanks for coming by 🙂
~Sylviane
Hmm, you just made me think about how I should write haha.
I should analyze how I write to see if Im doing it correctly. You just opened my eyes Sylviane. 😀
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Hi Dennis,
That’s really great. So glad to read such great comments such as your here.
Nice to think about those points next time you write your blog post.
Take care,
~Sylviane
Sylviane,
Great way of explaining how to reach an specific audience.
I have been working on this and I find it really difficult sometimes. I am sure at times I completely miss the object of the external goal.
I have been trying to write to one person, who has one problem and give them one solution which is basically the same thing you are saying here.
It is so different from how I have written posts for the past several years that writing the posts this way is really difficult for me.
I am learn though and your post has helped. It says it from a different point of view and that makes sense.
I think I need to write out a better headline and then write my post. I always write my headline first but it has not been very good so it make my post harder to write.
Thanks for a great post. It was very helpful.
Dee Ann
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Hi Dee,
You’re not alone, you know. It’s way easier to write vague content that fits anyone and everyone than writing about one problem for one person at the time. It’s harder for me too.
However, when I do it, I instantly notice how people respond so much better to what I write.
Thank you for your input, Dee.
Hello Sylviane!
Great post for bloggers or new bloggers. Nice to see these technique here which will really help to improve our old technisque.
I thing Blogger should have proper style so that they can directly connect with specific audience.:)
If we will start analyzing these, our writing style may progressive and improved.
These tecknique makes great intelligent blogger and also gives a chance to become a good blogger. Really, people will like these technique and I hope they will follow also.
I will analyze these steps.
Hope your these technique will make revolution on blogging..:)
Best regards.
– Ravi
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Hi Ravi,
I’m glad you enjoyed this topic and I hope you can make good use of it.
Thanks for coming,
~Sylviane
Nice to see you here this is beautiful post what i had seen here is exactly rights
Writing an eye catching and attention grabbing headlines are always play an amazing role in improving readership and productivity of our blog and in this way we got extra returns of our same efforts. Most of the time I use tools like ubbersuggest and some other also.
By the way your all points about external written content are worth following and applying in our content strategy. Thanks.
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You just made me rethink about my writings, and I think you have put the right points here. It really amazing to read such post.
Hi Samrat,
Thank you for your words, and I’m very glad if my post could help in any way.
Have a great week.
~Sylviane
Hello Sylviane Nuccio!
This is my first time I see your blog. I am Brazilian, I do not speak English and work with digital marketing, I imprecionado with the quality of its content. I was searching for content in other languages to improve my knowledge.
I will follow your work and hope to count on your support.
As for the article, I’m still a little lay in a matter of creating content to sell, and that your tip to create content focused on the external or internal problem opened me a light for my content.
I love to write, but my content do not sell, my last content of this site is for college work, where I discussed the problem of external universadade students here in Brazil.
Wrote based on this Article, has not yet traffic, but I am full of hope that can happen as the dreamed sales.
Thank you for sharing such a great knowledge with us.
Hugs and more success for you.
Hi Jorge,
I’m glad you found my post.
Actually for content to sell there must be a technique behind it, and if that recipe is missing your content won’t sell. It’s pretty much as simple as that. In my blog I do give tips about improving your content marketing skills. I also have many older blog posts that teach that too.
Thanks for coming to my blog.
~Sylviane