The phrase boilerplates brings to mind a sweaty workshop full of steam where menacing fires surround weary people. And writing a boiler plate can make one feel like a character out of a Dickens novel. As a content writer, I see it in a different way. After talking to a business person for ten minutes about their company I can usually find the ‘flint’ necessary to write a boiler plate with a professional appearance and a bit of warmth.
The original idea with a boilerplate was to have a bit of general information about a notable person or company that could be popped in to any news story to clarify, for the unwitting, what or who was being discussed. This information now usually exists on the About Us page on a company’s website.
If you research the term boiler plate you will come to find that this should include where you operate, how long you have been in business, what you do and so on. You will also undoubtedly return with hints and tips about including your awards, accolades and unique product offering or position statement. The writer may even include examples from huge, well-established companies that are filled with them.
As a new company, you may feel like a waif next to these stuffed and sparkling boilerplates and tend to fluff up your achievements in order to fit in. DON’T. A lean boilerplate is still functional and meaningful to the reader. It is better to add a touch of your company’s spirit to the boilerplate than to convolute it with $5 words and aspirations for the future.
The Marketing Partners at amaraREPS call upon the brand promise that we develop with our clients in designing a new boilerplate. This is an exercise in which we drill down to what our clients want to be known for, what makes them superb, how they supercede the competition. We swap out statements like “with a proven track record of XYZ” and “cutting edge blah, blah and blah” to give boiler plates tone and integrity.
Need help constructing your boilerplate? We’d be happy to give you some additional pointers, or some inspiration if you get stuck! Send is a request on our contact form, and we’ll get back to you with some superb ideas!