Entries Tagged 'Content writer' ↓

Content rules the Internet and considering most of that is in the form of words, that’s a lot of reading.

You all know that reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from books or magazines. That’s not to say that your intellect suddenly falls several points when faced with a computer screen, but rather reading from a back-lit screen can be rather tiring on your eyes, which leads to less concentration.

That’s why its important to use sub headings – a feature used by every professional copywriter you’ll come across – because they make it easier for readers to read.

The best way to show you the effect sub headings have is through an actual illustration. Below is a sample of copy taken from by About Us page – first of all without any sub headings:

As you can see, even with the paragraphs intact the piece doesn’t really make you want to read. The text looks too dense and there is no direction as to what information the page contains.

Now let’s look at it again with the sub headings in place:

This time there is much more structure to the page. The sub headings act as signposts telling the reader what information the page contains making it easier for them to navigate to the section they want to read.

The aesthetics of sub headings

Aesthetically, the page looks more inviting with sub headings: a solid wall of text gives the impression that the subject matter is going to be difficult to read and boring, so it won’t encourage people to give up their valuable time to read it.

With sub headings the reader can break the page down:

• The sub headings act as rest points; the reader can break of at any time and not lose their place.
• They can glance down the page and pick out the information they need
• They give the impression of an ‘easy read’, which subconsciously suggests the information will be easy to grasp

So you see, just the simple inclusion of sub headings in your writing can boosts its readability.

Next time you’re writing website copy, brochures, blogs or articles, pay special attention to how you lay the information out. Use sub headings and short paragraphs to make it easy to follow and understand, that way you’ll boost your engagement with your readers.

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.

Sooner or later, you’ll realize that keeping up with the amount of content you need to keep your online marketing strategy going, is impossible on your own.

So, it’s time to call in the experts.

You’ve done your research, you’ve found a copywriter you believe you can work with – so what next?

Well, if you were thinking you could just email them a list of your requirements and then let them get on with it without any input from you, you’d be wrong.

Your writer is going to need a lot of information from you and they’ll probably either use a briefing document (which they’ll email to you for completion), or if they’re close enough, meet with you.

So, what can you expect to be asked about?

Ready? Here goes…

Your goals – what you’re looking to achieve with that particular project

Brand personality – how you want your company to seen. Plus, the work they do for you will also have to fit in with your current brand image, so they’ll need to know things like preferred vocabulary, house styles etc.

Preferred voice – do you want it formal, informal, conversational etc.

What’s worked in the past? – if you’ve had a particularly successful campaign in the past, let them see it so they can use its style within the new project. Also, if you know something doesn’t work, again let them know.

Your audience – they’re going to need to know whom they are writing for. That is your present clients base and potential clients, or those you want to do business with.

Background – don’t forget your writer is unlikely to have a background in your industry so don’t assume knowledge. Provide them with details of your main competitors, articles and blogs that might be relevant etc.

Back to basics – as mentioned earlier, your writer isn’t going to be an expert in your field, so be prepared to get right back to basics. After all, you’ve acquired a lot of knowledge over the years, but that doesn’t mean your audience have the same knowledge levels.

There’s a bit more yet – here are a few other things to bear in mind:

• Give them time – last minute deadlines don’t help anyone
• Give them one point of contact – this will avoid confusion and mixed messages
• Review drafts quickly – it saves a lot of time chasing
• Keep them in the loop – let them know what’s going on, especially if it’s going to affect their work

Treat your writer as a member of your team. The more they work with you, the more familiar they will become with your business, products and audience.

And that will be worth its weight in gold.

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.