Entries Tagged 'Content marketing' ↓

What is content marketing?

It’s the production and publication of relevant, valuable and interesting content that is aimed at a specific audience.

Why bother with it?

Because once you’ve engaged with your audience, the content is then designed to get them to take a specific action (visit your website, sign up for newsletters etc.)

Who should be doing it?

Everyone.

But they are not the 3 most important things you need to know about content marketing.

What really matters is how you put your content together.

Make sure you write in the second person and use lots of ‘you’ – this will have the effect of creating a conversational style of writing, which is the best way to get your ideas across.

Then make sure you tell them what they want to know. If you’re writing about marketing, give them something valuable to take away with them. In fact, whatever the subject matter, make sure you give them something that’s valuable to them.

Finally, write it in a way that’s easy to understand. Forget jargon, multisyllabic (big) words and other techno mumbo-jumbo. By keeping your language simple and clear, you’ll enhance your audience’s understanding and come across as an approachable person.

That’s all you need to know about content marketing – so what are you waiting for, crack on.

Sally Ormond is MD of Briar Copywriting and provides copywriting services for clients around the world.

With Google’s ever evolving algorithms, producing fresh content is more important than ever.

But does it have to be high quality or will any old thing do?

If you’re outsourcing your content production, don’t let financial matters cloud your judgement, as quality will always outweigh quantity.

Not convinced?

OK, look at it this way. Everything you put out on the web is there to promote your business in some way shape or form. It may not be a blatant advert, but it will be designed to drive traffic to your website and therefore will be associated with your company.

Now are you beginning to see why quality is important?

If you’re still struggling, here are 6 points worth remembering when it comes to content marketing.

1. Reflection

As mentioned above, every piece of content you put out under your company’s name will reflect on you.

If the content is sloppy, grammatically incorrect and downright boring, it will damage your reputation.

2. Crowds

Because there’s loads of content on the Internet, yours has got to stand out if it is going to be seen. Second-rate articles will fall by the wayside, but something that’s well written, engaging and informative will rise to the top of the pile.

3. Penguin

Google is the master at moving the goal posts, as demonstrated by its constant algorithm changes. The latest one, Penguin, can sniff out bad content a mile off. It looks at the time people spend on pages, how many shares they get and bounce rates etc., making it easy to sniff out the bad stuff.

So if you want your content to perform well in the search results, it’s got to be good.

4. Longevity

Unlike print, what appears on the Internet today isn’t going to be tomorrow’s chip wrappings. Once you publish an article under your name, it’s there for life. So if it’s badly written, it will have a long lasting detrimental effect.

5. Quality vs price

Rather than swallowing hard when the copywriter you approach tells you how much it will cost for a high quality, well researched and superbly written article, consider this. If the content is good and demonstrates a compelling reason for the reader to buy your product, its value is considerably more than one written as SEO padding that couldn’t even tempt someone lost in the desert to buy a bottle of water.

6. Business magnet

In the same way that people will judge your business on your website, brochures and emails, they will also judge you on your online content.

Badly written articles and blogs won’t inspire anyone to pick up the phone and want to do business with you.

These 6 reasons are why it is vital you put quality content before price. Even if that means you put less ‘out there’, what you do put out will bolster your reputation as a quality company that offers great information to its clients.

Can you really afford to jeopardise your reputation with sloppy, substandard content?

I doubt it.

Most online marketers engage in content marketing in one form or another.

They understand the benefits it brings to their website’s visibility, customers’ satisfaction levels and of course, their bottom line.

But content marketing is only any good if people can find your blogs and articles. So, how can you be sure it’s being found and being read?

It all comes down to measuring the 3 pillars of content marketing:

Visibility

This one is concerned with how easily people can find your content.

When you check your Google Analytics, if your page views are low, it would suggest your content is less than prominent in the search results.

You can remedy this by comparing the keywords that people are using to find your content with the ones that are part of your strategy. You’ll also need to check your META tags and META descriptions. And remember, your META description is the initial hook you can write to encourage someone to click through to your website so make sure it’s enticing.

Relevance

Assuming people can find your content, they’re only going to read it if it resonates with the. Are you offering a solution to their problem? Are you providing the answer they’ve been looking for?

In your Analytics, this can be judged by your bounce rate (the percentage of people that land on your site and then leave immediately). A high percentage suggests they are not engaging with your content. So, make sure it is packed with benefits and written from your customers’ point of view – not blatant promotion for your company.

Value

The type of post you produce is also important.

We’ve already said how important it is that your content resonated with your reader, but it’s equally as important that the format of your post appeals to them.

How to articles, statistics, templates etc., are all very popular because they give your reader something for nothing.

The number of sign ups to your RSS feed and the number of shares you receive on social media will reflect how ‘on target’ your information is.

You see, content marketing is essential for any online business – from copywriters to solicitors, software houses to photographers – it will:

• Promote you as an expert in your field
• Give you more ownership of the web
• Boost your visibility in the search results
• Generate links to your website

But to get the most from it, make sure you always think of your customer and measure your results.

If there’s one thing that never changes in the world of marketing, it’s the power of the written word.

Adverts, websites, brochures and emails would be nothing if it wasn’t for the carefully crafted copy that persuades their readers to part with their hard earned cash.

That’s why I wanted to bring this post back from the archives. It’s as relevant today as it was 3 years ago. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the power of words:

Words can be a powerful force when used correctly.

In a novel they have to conjour up an image in your head so you can visualise the characters and scenes they are playing out. In the world of marketing they have to be direct, simple and to the point.

This is something I frequently have to remind my clients – not all, but a few.

A while ago, I was writing for one client and nothing I produced seemed good enough. It was frustrating because I knew what I had written worked. No matter how many times I explained my reasons for using certain layouts and words, it wasn’t good enough.

The reason…

“I thought you were supposed to make me sound more intelligent.”

Eeek! And there was me thinking the whole purpose behind copywriting was to generate sales.

So what does a freelance copywriter do?

Working as a freelance copywriter, it is my job to create great copy which will be interesting and sell – but without being ‘in your face’ super sales hype.

I write all sorts of copy from SEO website copywriting through to reviews and just about everything else in between.

Let’s take website copywriting as an example. If you could ask someone what their reaction was when they landed on your website, which scenario would you prefer?

Scenario 1

Reader – “Gosh, what a superbly written site. You are obviously incredibly intelligent and well edcated.”

You – “Why thank you, and what did you think of our product?”

Reader – “Product? Oh, were you selling something too?”

Scenario 2

Reader – “Amazing, that’s just what I’ve been looking for. It’ll solve all my problems.”

You – “Great. What did you think of the writing on the website?”

Reader – “Writing? Oh, I don’t know. I was too interested in your product and how it would help me.”

I think I know which one I  would perfer.

Invisible writing

It sounds rather strange that your writing should be invisible to your reader, but that’s how it should come across. The words you use have one purpose only – to convince your reader the product you are selling is the one for them.

Becoming blinkered by your own writing ego is the fastest way to churn out redundant copy. If someone is reading your website or brochures, they are doing so for one reason only – they want to know if your product is a fit for their needs. If they can’t find that our quickly, they’ll move on to the next company’s product.

Clear, conscise and simple – that’s it. No frills, no sparkles and no sequins.

Kevin Cain of OpenView Blog has kindly agreed to allow me to re-post his blog A Writing Checklist for Content Marketers… and Everyone Else on Freelance Copywriter’s Blog. A very useful article for copywriters and content writers.

In a recent guest blog post for the Content Marketing Institute, I talked about how crisp writing and a consistent treatment of words and phrases are a very public reflection of an organization’s professionalism. The post went on to describe how to create a content marketing style guide and to make the point that in the digital age, where our thirst for content and ability to share that content is greater than ever before, style guides are essential.

I stand by that claim, but also recognize that putting a style guide together can be a pretty daunting task, particularly when resources are limited. That’s why in this post I’m giving you an out in the form of a writer’s checklist. A regular component of the style guides I’ve created over the years, it’s essentially a one-page cheat sheet that you can use to help make sure your content is up to snuff.

My Writer’s Checklist

Always remember to read your writing out loud and ask yourself: Is it easy to read? Do you stumble anywhere? Is it hard to follow? While doing so, remember to check the following:

Overall Effect

• What is the main message being communicated?
• Is it interesting to read?
• How does it look? Are the paragraphs divided into easily digestible lengths?
• Read your first sentence or two. Is the purpose of your writing clear? Have you hooked your reader into wanting to read more?
• Does the story progress naturally and logically? Would any paragraphs make better sense elsewhere?

Tone

• Are your point of view and tone consistent?
• Have you chosen words that are appropriate for your audience?
• Will your writing offend anyone who is reading it?

Style

• Is each sentence complete? Does each focus on a simple point? Is each clear and explicit?
• If all sentences are about the same length, can you find ways to vary their lengths?
• Are your transitions between sentences and paragraphs smooth and logical?
• Are you writing in active (not passive) voice?
• Have you used verb tenses consistently?
• Are adverbs and adjectives used excessively?
• Are any words overused?
• Do any parts of your writing sound wordy, choppy or repetitive?
• Do any of your sentences start with and, but, or so? Can you eliminate these words without changing your meaning? If not, can you combine these sentences with others without making them excessively long?

Grammar and Spelling

• Do all your subjects and verbs agree?
• Do all your pronouns agree with the subjects to which they refer?
• Have you spell-checked?
• Are all names and titles accurate and spelled correctly?

While a checklist like this will never take the place of a content marketing style guide, following it will at least make you think more about your writing before you share it with the rest of the world. Doing so will almost always lead you to a better final product.