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New Year, New Site: Why You Need One & How to Build (or Rebuild) a Great Business Website

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New Year, New Site: Why You Need One & How to Build (or Rebuild) a Great Business Website

Whether or not your business operates online, you need a website. Let me repeat that, with one addition: You need a GREAT business website. Why? It’s not just for looks. It’s not just for digital marketing, either. This year, having a great website is no longer a want… it’s a must. Last year, over March when the lockdown happened from the COVID-19 pandemic, Google search traffic went from 3.6 billion searches/day to 6 billion searches/day. The amount of people using Google to search answers to their questions has never been greater. (Worldometers) That’s double the amount of search volume in one week – which has impacted 2020 in a heavy way, creating a wide pathway for 2021 and our next years to have heavy digital foot traffic. More than the world has ever experienced. When you add to that these facts: 92.96% of global traffic comes from Google: Google search, Google Images, and Google Maps. (Sparktoro) SEO drives 1000%+ more traffic than organic social media. (BrightEdge) And 60% of marketers say that inbound (SEO, blog content, etc.) is their highest quality source of leads. (HubSpot) …You need that website. Building your own great brand website is all about giving your prospects all the tools, information, and trust they need in order to connect with you and, ultimately, to become your customer. You do want more customers, I’m guessing? And you want to keep the ones you have, right? If your answer to both questions is a big YES, you certainly should double-down on your business website this year. In this guide, I’m laying it all on the table – everything you need to know on how to build a truly great business website, including: All the deets on domain buying and hosting Why you should use WordPress to build and manage your site What and who you need to design and launch your site When to expect results Ready? Dive in with me. New Year, New Site: Why You Need One & How to Build (or Rebuild) a Great Business Website How to Build a Great Business Website: 5-Step List to Get Started 1. Choose a Domain Name 2. Purchase Your Domain 3. Find a Website Host 4. Understand Hosting Types & Costs 5. Connect Your Domain to Your Web Host Why Should You Use WordPress? 1. You Don’t Need Tech or HTML Knowledge 2. WordPress Sites Do Well in Search 3. WordPress Has Great Documentation, Plugins, Support, & Themes How to Design and Launch Your Business Website (What & Who You Need) 1. Case Study: Content Hacker Launch 2. Who You Need to Design and Launch Your Site 3. What You Need to Make It Successful Get Rockin’ – When Will Those Results Roll In? 1. Case Study: Content Hacker Launch ROI 2. Looking at the Income Sources a Business Website Brings In How to Build a Great Business Website: Start with Basic Domain Buying and Hosting If by now you’ve said to yourself, “Yep, I want a website for my business,” you’re in the right place. But, before you get too excited, we need to make sure some pesky tasks are out of the way. ☑ First things, first. You need to buy a domain name and determine where you’ll host your home on the web. 1. Choose a Domain Name If you’re approaching building a business website with an already-established brand, this part is easy. Keep these basic tips in mind and quickly check it off your list: Basic Tips for Choosing a Domain Name 1. Simply use your brand name (or an easily recognizable variation of it) as your domain name. 2. Your domain name will not make or break your website’s success, so don’t spend days or weeks agonizing over this part. (For example, sites like Buffer and Basecamp settled on variations of their brand names with no negative consequences.) 3. As a general rule, keep it as simple as possible. Great examples of simple, to-the-point domain names: contentmarketinginstitute.com tarzankay.com grammarly.com contenthacker.com You don’t want to over-complicate your domain name, make it difficult to spell, and too long or too hard to type. Not sure what it should be? Or if you have the right one? Go back to your content strategy and the core of your message. And just for you… Here’s a quick mini-guide on picking the perfect brand name: First, You should know YOUR area of expertise, and how to branch out into topics your audience wants to hear about. Finding your topic area is a fundamental first step here. Know your CDF – your Content Differentiation Factor. What makes you different — what makes YOU someone to trust and follow — rather than all the other content voices out there? Hand-in-hand with this, you need to consider what your place of authority online should be. Building your authority online can have a few different meanings. It can mean: Building your brand as a trusted source of information Building your brand as an authority website by Google’s standards Both are valuable to your content strategy, and you should do things that help boost your authority in both scenarios. Just one way to build your domain as an authority in Google’s eyes is to focus on publishing content on YOUR platform, i.e. a domain that YOU own – not proprietary ones like Facebook, Instagram, or Huffington Post (which sadly discontinued their guest blogging platform a few years ago – I, along with many others, lost my content profile and log in). That’s why we’re here today with a guide on how to build your own website. ? I call building authority online a content house. If you’re a real estate writer, you might want to own realestatewriter.com (your house, your position of authority, and your brand). If you’re a content marketing consultant for SaaS, you might want to own contentmarketingforsaas.com. So, your domain should be a blend of the interest of your audience and your position of authority to build over time. 2. Purchase Your Domain Once you’ve settled on a domain name, it’s time to purchase … Read more

Switch to Managing Instead of Doing: The Secret to Content Marketing Planning Success

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Switch to Managing Instead of Doing: The Secret to Content Marketing Planning Success

I started Express Writers with nothing but $75, a dream, and my passion for writing. It all began in 2010. I was in college, trying to get a degree I didn’t even want. One morning I woke up and thought: Why not do what I love? That day, I decided to figure out online writing. At first, I was only doing work for cheap clients. But that was how I learned — and it motivated me to keep striving for more. I pushed on, honing my writing, SEO, and content marketing skills writing hundreds of articles. Within three months, I reached a point where I had more work than I could handle. What did I do? I found and hired smart people. That was my very first step towards smart content managing. Instead of writing everything myself, I hired skilled writers who shared my passion for creating powerful online content. It was one of the best moves I’ve ever made. I’ve since learned that this is how top leaders in the content marketing space do it. They don’t write. They ideate. Then, top writers ghostwrite. This is how to get your afternoons back, entrepreneurs. Instead of writing in the den all dang day, this is how to have a life of creative freedom. Delegate. You just need to learn how to delegate to the right people with smart content management. And like us, your business can save $58,000+ a month (while getting the same results) — this is the figure my brand, Express Writers, saves by not having to spend on a PPC campaign to bring in our monthly traffic and focusing on organic content marketing instead. (Crazy, right?) We’ve never done a single PPC ad, by the way. Not even once. Yet our website earns 90,000-100,000 visitors a month. How? The secret is through successful content marketing and smart delegation. In this post, I’ll teach you how to do both, after we define what kind of content you should be writing. Today’s blog contains my top secrets to avoiding content burnout while writing five books, 1,500 blogs, and countless email/social campaigns. Read on for the keys to the content castle. ? Content Marketing Planning Success: 6 Types of Profitable Content and How Often to Post Them 1. Social Media 2. Blogs 3. Emails 4. Website Pages 5. News/Ads/Sales Content 6. Creative Content Your Ultimate Guide to Smart Content Marketing Planning The Who, What, and When of Smart Content Marketing Planning Who to Delegate To What to Delegate When to Delegate [bctt tweet=”Are you managing it all, or doing it all, in your content creation for your business? There’s a MASSIVE difference in content marketing success if you have the correct mindset. ?Learn more:” username=”ExpWriters”] 6 Types of Profitable Content and How Often to Post Them for Content Marketing Planning Success There are 6 types of content you should be posting regularly if you want to succeed online. What are they? And how often should you post them? Let’s discuss! 1. Social Media With more than 3.5 billion users, social media is a huge opportunity for marketing. But it isn’t enough to have a Facebook page and post when you feel like it. You need to be active daily with relevant, intriguing, helpful content. How often to post: Daily. Speaking of social media, make sure to follow us on Facebook for daily tips, updates, and more! 2. Blogs Posting long-form blogs (1,500 words up) impresses both your readers and Google. Blogs can: Establish you as an expert. Gain your site an increase in organic rankings on Google. Help you gain credibility (blogs are rated as the 5th most trustworthy source for information online). How often to post: 1 time a week minimum. For better results, go for 2-3 or even 4x a week. Learn how to write a long-form blog and gain up to 125% more organic rankings on Google here. 3. Emails Email marketing promises you constant engagement with leads and huge ROI (return on investment). Source: Lyfe Marketing How often to send: Weekly. 4. Website Pages What good is the traffic you get from organic search if visitors are unimpressed by your website? What you need to keep their attention is a concise, impactful copy for all your site’s pages. How often: As needed. 5. News/Ads/Sales Content Press releases and ads that solve your prospects’ problems and long-form sales copy are all necessary to keep leads informed about your products. How often: As needed. Need copy that converts? Visit our content shop for pricing. 6. Creative Content Creative content helps you stay relevant and fresh in your prospects’ minds. These include videos, fun emails, poems, short stories, and more. How often: As needed. Your Ultimate Guide to Smart Content Marketing Planning Right now, you might be shaking your head and wondering how you can create all of that content consistently. How do you write 3 long-form blogs, daily social media updates, web copy, ads, emails, and video scripts… and still stay sane? The secret is to stop doing, and start managing.  Chances are if you’re thinking of ‘doing it all’ yourself, you’ll end up completely burnt out, missing deadlines, and the content itself will lack quality because it had no space to breathe. Rushed content is never good content. Switch to “managing,” and you’ll see so much more success. (See a story about my timeline in content, and how getting strategic in 2016 and getting out of the hamster wheel actually brought in more profits from our content. Managed content is successful content!) The Who, What, and When of Smart Content Marketing Planning When you switch to managing instead of doing, you need to be sure you get three things: Quality Quantity Consistency Let’s dive in more on each. 1. Who to Delegate To If you’re a content marketer, quality should be your #1 goal. Without this strong foundation, your content house will fall apart. Take a look at these two examples: Today’s world is definitely full of people who are unhealthy, people who eat a lot of fatty food … Read more

Medical Blog Writers: How to Produce Concise, Credible Content That Grows a Practice

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Medical Blog Writers: How to Produce Concise, Credible Content That Grows a Practice

Doctor by day … blogger by night? You bet it’s a thing. In 2020, 90 percent of businesses out there are blogging because it’s the single biggest thing you can do to improve your visibility in the search engine. In fact, if you don’t have a blog on your site, you’re all but invisible online. However, as a medical professional, you can’t just fill your blog with all manner of random pieces of content and expect to win at content marketing. You need medical blog content from an expert medical writer who actually knows what they’re talking about. Finding good medical blog writers can be tricky, so here are a few insights on what goes into writing medical blogs and what are the best practices around writing a medical blog. By the time you’re through, you’ll know exactly what to do – and what skills to look for in a candidate when you go to hire a writer. Let’s go! [bctt tweet=”Doctor by day… blogger by night? ‍⚕️ You bet. Learn what goes into writing medical blogs, best practices, and how to find good medical blog writers via @juliaemccoy” username=”ExpWriters”] Why Medical Professionals Need to Blog If you’ve started a medical practice, a blog probably isn’t at the top of your list. Yet, it’s a powerful tool to grow your practice and reputation. Starting a medical blog helps you: Increase visibility. According to SEO Tribunal, companies and brands with a blog generate 97 percent more traffic than those without one. More eyeballs mean more potential patients. Answer common questions. Are there questions your patients seem to consistently ask? Save everyone’s time by crafting thoughtful content that answers these questions. Connect with your current (and potential) patients. Blogs offer one more way for you to connect with your community. Whether you’re discussing relevant events or talking about health issues that impact your patient base, your readers can connect with you by interacting with your blog. Become a reputable source of credible information. Way back in 2013, Pew Research found that some 77 percent of people started their search for health information online. That’s still true today, as the rush to correct pandemic misinformation in 2020 has shown. Writing a medical blog allows you to meet patients where they are – online and looking for information you can provide. Clear, Concise, Credible: The Medical Blog Writer’s Eternal Struggle Medical blog writing is a skill in its own right. Unlike other industries, you aren’t simply writing to entertain. People turn to medical blogs for information that will have a direct impact on their lives. That raises the bar quite a bit regarding the quality of what you publish. No matter what your specialty, medical blog content must be: 1. Clear: Because There’s Enough Confusion Out There Do you know what sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is? (Try saying that five times fast, heh.) It’s characterized by the acute onset of cephalgia resulting from referred pain when the trigeminal nerve is triggered. Ouch! I’ll bet you a whole penny you’ve never heard of that condition … and another penny that you’ve experienced it. It’s called brain freeze. But that wasn’t clear at all, was it? With medical blog writing, it’s super easy to get carried away with technical jargon or complex explanations, especially when you’re a professional who already knows what these words mean. However, doing this reduces the clarity of your writing. That’s a problem because unclear content: Inspires panic. Which sounds more frightening: sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia or brain freeze? May prevent or delay someone from seeking medical attention. Good medical blog writers know when to make it clear that readers should seek prompt medical attention. Undermines your professional authority. Through your blog, you’ll demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about – so make sure you’re clear! Bad advice abounds. Medical blog writers must be a light in the dark. Source: XKCD [bctt tweet=”Medical blog writers need to take care ❤: Unclear content or technical jargon can 1️⃣ Inspire panic 2️⃣ May prevent or delay someone from seeking medical attention 3️⃣ Undermine your professional authority. Learn more:” username=”ExpWriters”] 2. Concise: Because People Want Answers, Not Science Lectures How many times have you gone searching for answers, only to spend several minutes scrolling three-quarters of the way down a page for a simple answer to a question that you still couldn’t find because it was buried in a wall of text? (If you’ve done that more than once or twice, you’re a rarity. Most people spend 15 seconds or less on a page before they bounce.) Think about how much more annoying that is when you’re looking for answers to a potentially serious medical problem. Be concise. Answer the question upfront, then go into detail further down the page. 3. Credible: Because It’s Your Money or Your Life 2020 superbly illustrated the prevalence of confusing and inaccurate information. From misinformation about how to wear masks to reports of deaths from people following bad advice, unclear or confusing advice isn’t just unhelpful … it’s dangerous. That’s why credibility matters, and why Google has special quality requirements for medical blogs, legal advice, financial articles, and similar topics that may impact a person’s health, happiness, or financial stability. In Google’s Guidelines, Section 2.3 talks about “Your Money or Your Life Pages” and the very high quality score they must achieve to rank well in the search engine. In Section 3, you can read about exactly the metrics Google’s evaluators use to rank the quality of sites. They are: High E-A-T. E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness. Those are three major metrics that Google uses to determine the overall quality of a site. Positive site reputation. Evaluators are trained to look through your – or your practice’s – reputation online. They’ll use things like Yelp reviews, industry news, and more. The amount of “MC.” MC stands for main content, and they expect it to be satisfying to the reader – I.E., comprehensive enough that questions and curiosity are answered. An … Read more

Financial Blog Writers: 5 Secrets for Amplifying Content Quality & Succeeding in the SERPs

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Financial Blog Writers: 5 Secrets for Amplifying Content Quality & Succeeding in the SERPs

90% of businesses are blogging in 2020. By the time you’re done reading this article, tens of thousands of posts will have been finished and pushed live. With 77% of all internet users reading blogs now, and blogs considered one of the top five most trustworthy sources of information, there’s no bones about it — your finance business needs a blog. But there’s a lot of content already out there, which means you’re facing stiff competition. And if you’re in a popular niche like finance, the competition is even fiercer. You need expert financial blog writers on your side. Psst… we craft industry specialist content for brands in the finance space! See our expert finance writer rates here. However, competition for eyeballs isn’t all talented financial blog writers have to worry about. From special quality requirements by Google to features of the industry itself, here’s why it pays to invest in a writer who knows that they’re doing in this field (plus plenty of actionable tips for you to get started writing your finance blog!). Let’s dive in! [bctt tweet=”Financial blog articles are hard to do well and easy to mess up. Why? You need financial know-how AND engaging writing. ✍?? @JuliaEMcCoy discusses the expertise you need and how to write for this tough industry.” username=”ExpWriters”] First Things First: Offering Financial Advice Is Tricky Business Even Under Normal Circumstances Have you ever received well-meaning but inaccurate financial advice from a friend or family member? They probably thought they knew what they were talking about. It probably sounded good. Maybe you even acted upon it. But surprise! Things didn’t go so great. ? Let me be the first to warn you: Google is well aware of people like your friend or family member, and they don’t have time for crappy financial content in their search engine. You may already be an expert on finance, but if you’re thinking about starting a finance blog, make sure you do your homework. ? Specifically, make sure you know how to convey to Google the fact that you do, in fact, know what you’re talking about. Here’s how. Your Money or Your Life Unlike writers in other industries, financial blog writers need to be aware of a small but uber-critical quality requirement: YMYL. It stands for Your Money or Your Life. According to Google, YMYL topics are those that can impact a person’s future happiness, health, safety, or financial stability.  The Official Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines require a Very High-Quality rating for all pages that fall under YMYL. That’s because if someone follows the advice and it turns out to be poor or inaccurate, it can have serious negative consequences on their life, happiness, health, or finances. How do you demonstrate quality under YMYL? You make sure your readers are E-A-Ting the best content! Demonstrate: Identify authors and their credentials. Showcase your company’s accomplishments and dedicate yourself to never publishing low-quality content. Ever. Develop your brand’s authority by consistently publishing high-quality, well-researched, and cited content on specific topics. Be transparent about who you are and what your company is about. Have your contact information clearly listed, and make sure all other important info is easy to find. But! Make sure you’re actually demonstrating that authority to back it up, even if you’ve got the most interesting blog in the world. 😉 [bctt tweet=”‼HOT TIP: Financial blog writers need to be aware of a small but uber-critical quality requirement for ranking: YMYL (Your Money or Your Life). Learn more ➡” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Write Financial Blog Articles That Win Audiences (and Conversions!) It’s easy to fall into the trap of dry, uninspired writing, but the best finance blog writers know just how to spice up the copy to win audiences and conversions. Here’s a quick guide for financial bloggers and a few tips when writing a finance blog. 1. Analyze Your Target Audience, Then Speak Directly to Them Nobody likes being talked at – on the internet, talking at your audience is a great way to scare them off. With financial blog articles, it can be easy to sink into that. However, you should be cultivating your unique voice in a way that creates a conversation with your readers. The best way to speak to your readers? Understand their language, their needs, goals, and desires. You can identify those things with a target persona. You can think of a target persona as a case study of your readers. It can shed insight into what topics you should discuss, what you should avoid, and how to approach conversations for the best possible reception. I also recommend that you: Define your target audience as narrowly as possible. Finance is such a big topic that it’s better for you to define the scope of your blog as narrowly as you can. That also allows you to develop your content differentiation factor. Identify your audience’s reading level. A finance blog written for investment specialists will sound very different from one intended for the general public. Embrace the human element. Finances can be a touchy, emotional subject. So, don’t be afraid to address the human element of the conversation to get in touch with your audience. When your target audience is well-defined, it will show! Compare the Financial Samurai to the Penny Hoarder (below). Who is the target audience of each? 2. Give Your Financial Blog Readers a Reason to Read We like to know that we’re going to get something for our efforts. So, with every financially-centric blog you post, get in the habit of putting yourself in your target audience’s shoes and asking yourself: what’s in it for me? People (usually) don’t go looking through financial blog content unless they’re enthusiasts on the topic. If they’ve landed on one of your articles, chances are they’re looking for advice. Therefore, pay special attention to the value that you’re providing by highlighting the clear benefits of each article. Do: Make tips and advice as actionable as possible Break down concepts and leave your … Read more

Vanity Metrics Definition: Understanding the Real KPIs to Track Growth Through Content vs. Vanity Metrics

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Vanity Metrics Definition: Understanding the Real KPIs to Track Growth Through Content vs. Vanity Metrics

Ah, metrics. Marketers love them – especially when they’re making a project or campaign look good on paper. After all, who doesn’t want glowing numbers to present to their client at the end of the week? But savvy marketers know a secret: not all metrics equal growth. Some of them are even pure vanity. Yep, I’m talking about vanity metrics. What’s the definition of vanity metrics? Well, imagine this: you’re an Instagram influencer with over two million followers – a success any way you measure it. You decide to launch a clothing line to capitalize on your audience of millions. You spend months planning, preparing, networking with photographers, and making everything perfect. At long last, the day comes to launch your line! You’re full of zeal and excitement – your promo posts get thousands of likes! Surely you’ll have hundreds of sales. But two weeks later, you’ve sold a grand total of twenty (20) units, falling way below your goal of 500+. Ouch! What happened? You were tracking numbers that looked good — but told you nothing about what was actually going on. You couldn’t equate it to real growth. That’s the textbook definition of vanity metrics. Learn more about the truth behind vanity metrics — with a real story based on what I just described above — in today’s blog. [bctt tweet=”Learn the truth about vanity metrics – numbers that look good but tell you nothing about what’s going on in terms of real business growth – plus a real ‘reader beware’ story, now on the Write Blog via @juliaemccoy” username=”ExpWriters”] The Definition of Vanity Metrics According to HubSpot, vanity metrics are: “Data … and analytics that are satisfying on paper, but don’t move the needle for your business goals. They offer positive reporting, but no context for future marketing decisions.” We could break that down if we wanted. A simpler definition of vanity metrics from Tim Ferris: “Good for feeling awesome; bad for action.” Vanity metrics are data and numbers that might be interesting, fun, or look good, but they don’t actually help you accomplish anything in your business. [bctt tweet=”Vanity metrics are data and numbers that might be interesting, fun, or look good, but they don’t actually help you accomplish anything in your business. They’re the fool’s gold at the end of the rainbow. ” username=”ExpWriters”] They are fool’s gold – if you’re chasing them, you’re going to get a pile of dirt at the end of the rainbow. Why? At the end of the day, they’re not telling you the whole story. In fact, as we see in the case above with Instagram, vanity metrics don’t tell you anything at all. (It’s a real story, by the way.) Can you spot the vanity metrics she used to make her decisions? Sadly, many Instagram influencers fall victim. Source: Flawless and Brown How to Identify Whether You’re Using Vanity Metrics Vanity metrics are all over the place. They’re the marketing equivalent of those factoid listicles. Neat, possibly inspiring. Utterly useless in most cases. But still wickedly irresistible. Don’t get me wrong: tracking vanity metrics alone isn’t a bad thing. At the end of the day, knowledge is power. However, tracking vanity metrics at the exclusion of actionable metrics can lead you to disaster. The glowing halo they can create around your idea or plans can blind you to the very real red flags or problems that exist – as our Instagram influencer discovered. So, how do we identify which KPI is a vanity metric in the many that we’re tracking? Simple… Ask Yourself: What Business Decisions Can You Make With This Metric? Metrics are meant to do more than tell you about your business. They’re supposed to give you insights on what actions you can take next. By definition, vanity metrics don’t because they don’t tell you anything really useful. Let’s circle back to the Instagram influencer above to illustrate that. On what metrics did the influencer base her business decisions? She used several vanity metrics: Followers Likes Feedback from friends Lots of followers and lots of likes seem like a good thing, right? Sure! And her friends were super jazzed about her new clothing line! But what those metrics didn’t tell us? On closer inspection, a lot. For example, she probably never learned: Who her audience was. Some suggested that her clothing line was off-market for her mostly male audience. (She needed demographics instead of likes and followers.) Her true level of follower engagement. Some marketers commented that her engagement ratio was low for the number of followers she had. (That’s looking at likes per thousand followers.) Anything about the product itself. According to her post, people she sent out promos to didn’t even share her or promote her new line. (The promos to share ratio alone tell us something was wrong with the product.) Anything about the campaign itself. More than a few marketers pointed out that it was badly composed and executed. (Three posts don’t provide enough market data at all.) There were other red flags with the product and campaign that got missed because she was focused on vanity metrics. Source: Jack Appleby. 5 Vanity Metrics in Content and How to Use Them to Your Advantage The Instagram influencer’s experience provides a salient warning against the dangers of vanity KPIs and metrics. Marketers of all stripes can take a lesson or three from it – especially those of us in content creation and marketing. However, figuring out which KPI is a vanity metric is arguably easier when it comes to social media than other forms of content creation or marketing. Part of that is because social media is much more straightforward in many ways. Here are five metrics that are most likely to be a vanity metric when it comes to content, and what you can do instead to capture the most accurate view of your brand’s growth. 1. Page/Post Views Ah, views. We like knowing when something we’ve published is landing in … Read more

What Is GPT-3 and Will It Take Over Our Writing Jobs?

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What Is GPT-3 and Will It Take Over Our Writing Jobs?

As a writer myself and the owner of a writing agency, artificial intelligence (AI) has been after our jobs for a while. Can it be done cheaper? By a robot? …For less money? Time and time again, the answer has been no. I even wrote a two-part series a couple years ago for Content Marketing Institute, debunking the myth that robots can write content and replace a real, human, breathing writer. Today, technology is growing at a faster pace than ever. From manufacturing to rote office tasks, we’re finding AI replaces human workers in practically every industry. Anyone working a rote or repetitive task is quickly seeing him or herself replaced by a machine. In fact, AI expert Kai Fu Lee believes as many as 40 percent of the world’s jobs will one day be automated. So, as of 2020, could content writing be among them? With the launch of GPT-3 in May 2020, many people think it’s possible. Before you panic, however, keep reading. I’m taking a closer look at what GPT-3 is, how it’s causing us to rethink content, and why artificial intelligence will never replace certain activities – particularly those that rely on human creativity. Ready? Let’s dive in. [bctt tweet=”Is AI in the form of GPT-3 coming for our content writing jobs in the near future? @JuliaEMcCoy doesn’t think so. Get 5 major reasons why, now on the Write Blog ✅” username=”ExpWriters”] What Is GPT-3? GPT stands for “Generative Pre-Trained Transformer.” It’s a language AI created by San Francisco-based tech company OpenAI – backed by, yes, Elon Musk. GPT-3 is the third edition of GPT, which rolled out in May 2020. In July 2020, OpenAI announced the creation of its waitlist for access. Those encouraged to sign up include entrepreneurs, academic researchers, or members of the general public interested in becoming beta testers. Transformer-based AI language generators have already been around for a few years, first appearing in 2017. OpenAI GPT appeared in 2018, and the upgrade, GPT-2, was released in February 2019. Compared to OpenAI GPT, GPT-2 was a sleek and sophisticated model with some 1.5 billion parameters for constructing text. At the time of its release, OpenAI noted GPT-2 was “probably too dangerous to release” but it had “seen no strong evidence of misuse so far.” GPT-3 is two orders of magnitude more powerful than GPT-2, with 175 billion parameters. It’s better equipped than any other AI model out there to spin out realistic, convincing text. And it does. Check out this pop song by Taylor Swift about Harry Potter… Arram Sabeti used GPT-3 to produce numerous pieces of content, including instructional manuals, interviews, and pop songs. How GPT-3 Works The GPT-n series uses what’s called an autoregressive language model that makes use of the same deep learning mechanisms found in natural language processing. (If any of those words sound familiar, it’s because I’ve talked about them briefly before. Google now deploys NLP to better understand search intent – that’s what BERT was all about.) Let’s break down what all of that means. An autoregressive language model is a model that attempts to identify the next best word in a string of words based on the ones that come before. For a very simple example, consider the first line of the Taylor Swift song above. We know in English that all sentences follow a certain structure: it’s usually something like “subject – verb – object.” If we start with a subject – the most obvious choice being “Harry” – then we know that the next word needs to be a verb. Sure, we could shove any verb in there. That’s not how our brains actually work when we’re writing. However, in autoregressive modeling, the algorithm will only consider the word(s) before. Right now, that’s our starting point. So, Harry. Harry what? Harry’s got. Got what? Glasses. That “Harry’s got glasses” ended up being the first line is random. It could have just as easily spit out “Harry’s got a scar” or “Harry’s got books.” We’ve clearly been given more data about Harry and his physical features. As a result, the grammar and context are both correct. The lyrics feel genuine. That’s a major step up from what AI could do just three years ago when I tested out another model. Given the subject (content marketing) and some basic data about it, the AI returned this brilliant gem of utter nonsense: The state of AI in 2020 is a whole other level compared to what it was in 2017. Source: CMI. In 2017, it was much easier to laugh at the idea of AI taking over things like creating news stories, wiki articles and – yes. Web content. But if you’re looking at that Taylor Swift song and getting an uneasy feeling in your stomach, you’re not alone. Why Some Fear GPT-3 Will Make Writers Obsolete GPT-3 was specifically built to create realistic, convincing text – and it does exactly that. In fact, some people have already attempted to use it in content writing. Will that make writers in this industry obsolete? Here’s why some people think so: Early creations are convincing. Early research around GPT-3 has shown it can – and does – generate news articles that human readers have difficulty distinguishing from reality. That makes it one of the most important (if not frightening) advances in AI yet. GPT-3 can seemingly predict the future. Want to predict the future? Maybe tell GPT-3 what’s going on and ask what’s going to happen. Actually, researchers did exactly that, updating the AI about the 2020 pandemic. It accurately predicted which industries would be most affected, and what would happen to the world economy as a result. But really. If you’re a writer with any skill whatsoever, AI is not coming to take away your job. Here’s why. [bctt tweet=”If you’re a writer with any skill whatsoever, AI is not coming to take away your job. Learn 5 reasons why via @JuliaEMcCoy” username=”ExpWriters”] 5 Reasons Why … Read more

What Does a Copywriter Do? (Infographic)

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What Does a Copywriter Do? (Infographic)

Copywriting is a dynamic, valuable trade. Without copywriting, the web itself wouldn’t exist. Despite its importance, many people still don’t know what copywriting is or what a copywriter does on the daily, typing away behind their computer. ‍ The answer is a lot more complex, yet less confusing than you might think. So, what does a copywriter do, exactly? ✍ Follow along as we demystify this job description, infographic-style. Consider this a guide to copywriting for beginners. First Things, First: What IS Copywriting? (Hint: It’s NOT the same thing as “copyrighting.”) Somebody has to write all of those web pages, blogs, articles, social media posts, emails, and more into existence. The brunt of it falls to copywriters. However, modern copywriting is a far cry from the original ad copywriting of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Instead of ads, catchy jingles, and slogans, think blogs. Think helpful, educational, informational, or entertaining content. Instead of print ads or TV, think digital. Think the internet. [bctt tweet=” Copywriting: Instead of ads, catchy jingles, and slogans, think blogs. Think helpful, educational, informational, or entertaining content. Instead of print ads or TV, think digital. ‍ Think the internet.” username=”ExpWriters”] Every day: 70 million+ new blogs are published on WordPress 4.54 billion people go online 1.62 billion people use Facebook Every minute: 188,000,000 emails are sent 55,140 Instagram posts are uploaded 511,200 tweets are published Copywriters have a hand in all of it! Looking for a copywriter? Get awesome content for your brand and don’t worry about lifting a finger to hire a writer. See our rates and offerings in the Content Shop. Over 40,000 successfully completed projects to date.      Copywriting vs. Content Writing Copywriters create copy AND content for clients. Is there a difference? Yes. Copywriting is the art of writing copy. Copy refers to any piece of text written to move the reader to some sort of action. You’ll find copy on landing pages, sales pages, and product pages. You’ll also see it in use via calls-to-action – snippets of text calling the reader to act – which can show up in blogs and social media posts/ads. Content writing is the art of writing content. Content refers to any piece of text written to inform, educate, guide, or entertain the reader. Content usually is NOT sales-oriented. Instead, its purpose is to provide value to readers, which builds trust and loyalty over time. Who Needs a Copywriter? Businesses and organizations Entrepreneurs and personal brands Anyone who needs engaging, impactful, targeted, results-driven copy or content written for their online platform What Does a Copywriter Do? Copywriters aim to INFORM, ENGAGE, IMPACT, or PERSUADE target audiences with WRITTEN COPY and/or CONTENT. Writing to move people to step into a business’s marketing life cycle. Writing to position a business or organization as an authority in their field or industry, using that business’s voice and tone. Writing to cultivate loyalty and trust among targeted readers. The Copywriter Job Description What does a copywriter do? When it comes to content and copy, a little bit of everything: Content writing – Writing content that informs, educates, or inspires. Copywriting – Writing copy that moves the reader to action. Researching – Vetting topics, keywords, and sources to use in the content or copy. Learning and adopting the correct, client-approved tone and writing style. Editing & proofreading – Tweaking and refining grammar, style, and punctuation for readability, accuracy, and to match the brand voice. Managing content projects – Ideating content, pitching topics, writing, editing, revising, and working with other content creators (content strategists, editors, graphic designers, content managers, etc.) to get pieces publish-ready. [bctt tweet=”What does a copywriter do? When it comes to content and copy, a little of everything: Content writing, copywriting, researching, editing & proofreading, & managing content projects.” username=”ExpWriters”] The Copywriter: A Jack-of-All-Trades Most copywriters have the knowledge and expertise to write at least a handful of these types of copy and content: SEO blogs Professional articles Web pages and landing pages Ebooks Tweets Facebook and Instagram posts Native ads on social media Email marketing White papers Product descriptions Case studies and product reviews Press releases In-House or Freelance Copywriting? When a copywriter works in-house, they work for one specific company and create copy/content FOR that company. More often than not, they work in an office. A freelance copywriter works on their own steam or for an agency. They may serve many different clients across various industries. Most freelancers work remotely. The 7 Essential Skills Every Copywriter Needs Cultivate these skills and learn how to become a better copywriter. They’re the foundation of what every copywriter does. 1. Content Creation Fundamentals – Creating compulsively readable online content in various formats for multiple platforms, like blogs and social media 2. Writing Craft & Creativity – Changing up word choice, tone, and POV to engage different audiences 3. SEO – Optimizing copy and content to get indexed in search with SEO best-practices 4. Conversions – Understanding how certain words and phrases come together to create ultra-persuasive messages that inspire people to act 5. Communication – Knowing how to communicate ideas effectively – and understanding how to make complex topics easy to grasp 6. Online Research & Sourcing – Finding the best sources to use in a client’s content to support claims, including compelling stats and data, and knowing how to link and cite correctly 7. Editing & Proofreading – Cutting the fluff to get to the meat of the message, and knowing the correct style and grammar to use in every writing situation [bctt tweet=”7 skills every copywriter needs: 1️⃣ Content creation fundamentals 2️⃣ Writing craft & creativity 3️⃣ SEO 4️⃣ Conversions 5️⃣ Communication 6️⃣ Online research & sourcing 7️⃣ Editing & proofreading” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Break into Copywriting: 5 Tips to Nab Your First Gig or Client What can you do to break into copywriting? Buckle down and… 1. Practice, Practice, Practice Practice your writing craft. Read all you can, write whenever you can. 2. Prove Yourself Create a portfolio of writing … Read more

What Is CRO? Your Complete Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization in 2020

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What Is CRO? Your Complete Guide to Conversion Rate Optimization in 2020

This post was originally published in March 2014 and completely updated in August 2020. SEO, SMO, CMO, UXO, CRO… What does it all even mean? It’s another one of those alphabet soups that digital marketers love, but make the rest of us want to pull out our hair. However, if you look closely, you might notice something. Each of these acronyms has something in common. It’s one word: optimization… Something else that digital marketers love. Whether it’s the user experience, the search engine rankings, or the conversion rate of a website, savvy digital marketers will attempt to optimize anything and everything. We’re going to focus on that last one right now: conversion rates. According to research by Wordstream, the average conversion rate for a website hovers around 3%. But the top 10% of any given industry will demonstrate conversion rates of 11.45%. How do you aspire to that jaw-dropping percentage? You use one of the most powerful yet underrated tools in digital marketing: conversion rate optimization. Let’s explore! [bctt tweet=”What is CRO, or conversion rate optimization? It’s the process of tweaking your website & content to generate better conversions from existing traffic. In other words, convince them to ACT! More on the Write Blog ➡” username=”ExpWriters”] What Is CRO in Marketing? CRO stands for conversion rate optimization. According to HubSpot, it’s the process of adjusting your website and content to generate greater conversions from the traffic already landing on it. Most forms of marketing focus on improving site traffic, generating better quality leads, or positioning your brand in front of your target audience. These are all important activities, but they’re only half of the marketing puzzle. We’ve all clicked through to sites doing an amazing job marketing themselves with edgy social media posts, only to find ourselves not sold enough to commit once we’re on the landing page. This happens because the brand focused on external marketing and hasn’t optimized the user experience for conversion. Just because you’ve attracted an audience doesn’t mean they’re showing up with cash in hand, ready to buy. In fact, only a small percentage of people who land on your site will go through with a transaction, whether it’s completing a transaction or signing up for a newsletter: Lots of people will view your site. A handful of them will even put things into their cart, but only a sliver will go through with the sale. Source: Crazy Egg. CRO is all about bumping up that 3.3% to a higher number by taking immediate, metric-oriented steps on your site. It’s a simple, powerful, and overlooked strategy for generating greater revenue. No fiddling with keywords or social media settings required. What It Really Means to Convert Let’s talk about conversion real quick. In the simplest terms, a conversion happens when we turn one thing into another. In marketing, conversion specifically refers to people who engage in a specific desired activity that furthers your business goals. For example: Curious readers into avid subscribers Digital window shoppers into paying customers Early-stage buyers into account holders The mechanism by which you attract and convert your target audience into customers is called the sales funnel. Conversion is often considered the final step in the funnel, but you can have several smaller conversions along the way as a user moves from being a curious onlooker to a paying customer. However, not every action a user takes represents a conversion. Conversion is not: People clicking through from the search engine or social media to your site People clicking around on your website Although they’re both desirable actions, neither of these behaviors indicate that a user is moving closer to subscribing or purchasing from you. CRO vs. SEO SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s the process of analyzing and optimizing your digital presence to improve your position in Google so your target readers can find you. Typically, SEO focuses on things like keywords, metadata, and content structure to boost site traffic and get noticed by potential customers. SEO gets mixed up with CRO a lot, but the two do have quite a bit in common. In fact, it’s a good idea to focus on both as they work well together. In both cases, you’ll focus on: Well-written, expert content that both elevates your standing in Google and improves conversion rates. Optimized headlines, meta descriptions, and technical SEO to entice potential customers and improve the user experience. Page layout. Well-designed pages are helpful from more than just a human perspective. They also help Google index your page and provide the most useful featured snippets. Why CRO Matters If You Want to Succeed Obviously, presenting a compelling user experience is important because it leads to more revenue for your brand. However, there are a few other reasons you should spend more time with CRO if you aren’t already: 1. Content Marketing Has Become the Dominant Form of Advertising Online If you’re relying on paid outbound marketing like PPC or sponsored posts, you’re at risk of falling behind. These days, pretty much all digital marketing takes the form of content marketing. That’s an approach to marketing that emphasizes the creation of helpful, engaging content that provides your target audience with the answers they’re already searching for in Google. It’s not enough to simply have a great product and assume your customers think you’re the obvious choice. Your customers have a lot of choices, and they want you to demonstrate your authority on the matter. Question: Do you know HOW to demonstrate your authority using incredible content marketing? It’s time to learn. Check out my Content Strategy & Marketing Course to get the serious skills you need to make it happen. 2. CRO Forces You to Study and Adapt to Your Customers The impressions you make on customers – often the first ones – heavily determine your conversion rates. That might seem like an obvious statement, but you’d be surprised as to how frequently this gets overlooked online. How many times have you ever clicked onto a … Read more

How to Find and Hire Great Customer Service Representatives to Complement Your Marketing

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How to Find and Hire Great Customer Service Representatives to Complement Your Marketing

Here’s a scary fact. Your customer service representatives could be causing your business heavy losses. In fact, businesses lose up to $75 billion a year because of bad customer service. The bottom line? You can’t have great marketing without awesome customer service representatives. It’s a fact, fam. In the past nine years of running my content agency, Express Writers, I can’t reinforce enough how true of a statement this is. When we do have the right people in our customer service representative team, 85-90% of prospects who start a chat with us convert into customers. Wow! So, how can you do it, too? How do you: Find the right people to hire as customer service representatives? Know how to differentiate between great and awful picks in the hiring process? Lead your team of representatives, so you keep winning by keeping your customers happy? In this blog, I’ll answer all your questions. Let’s dive in! [bctt tweet=”Businesses lose up to $75 billion/year due to bad customer service (@forbes). Great marketing doesn’t work without awesome customer service reps. Learn to find the right hires and lead your team to keep your customers happy ❤” username=”ExpWriters”] What Is a Customer Service Representative? A customer service representative is a person who interacts with your customers. You already know about customer contact centers, where callers go when they need help with problems or questions. Solving these problems and answering these questions is what customer service representatives do. At Express Writers, my customer service representatives are the first people potential clients talk to. They’re our front liners: the experts who give buyers their first glimpse of what they can expect if they decide to work with us. No wonder they have to be (and are) so awesome! What Do Customer Service Representatives Do? There’s more than meets the eye in the job customer service representatives do. Here’s a list of their most important duties: Listening to customers’ concerns and needs Helping potential customers understand product information Taking new orders Processing billing Taking care of customers’ accounts Solving problems and issues behind complaints Taking care of returns and cancellations Being a customer service representative is more than just picking up a phone call and answering a few questions. It’s being a company’s voice, heart, and soul. [bctt tweet=”Customer service reps should be your company’s voice , heart , and soul . Find the right people to embody your company’s vision, and you’ll notice huge gains.” username=”ExpWriters”] And when you find the right people to embody your company’s vision, you’ll notice a huge change in your success level. Here’s why. Why It’s Important to Hire the Right Customer Service Representatives Ever eat at a restaurant with a grumpy, frowning waitress who acted annoyed by your little requests? I bet the experience was unpleasant. You probably picked another place to eat the next time you dined out. That’s how important customer service representatives are. They’re the people who determine if customers love or hate you. They can make or break your business. “But what if I have a great product? Won’t they skip over my unpleasant customer service representatives?” Well, yes. Maybe some of them will. But remember, you have competitors. And customers are picky about spending their money. In fact, 90% of Americans consider customer service an important factor when deciding whether or not to do business with a company. When asked what made them fall in love with a brand, 73% said it was friendly customer services representatives. According to a HubSpot survey, 80% of customers stop doing business with a company due to bad customer services. Source: blog.hubspot.com And what happens when you keep losing customers? You spend more, since it’s 5x more expensive to gain new customers than to retain existing ones. Source: invespcro.com So, you can put all your bets on your products and pray your customers will ignore your bad customer service… But chances are you’ll still see your sales dropping and your faithful followers abandoning you for your competitors. How to Find and Hire Excellent Customer Service Representatives So now you’re sorting through the piles of resumes on your desk (or computer). You’re not sure what to look for. The right degree? 5 years of experience? 10? Awards, maybe? Hint: None of these will tell you if you’re hiring the right customer service representative. Here are three things to look for instead. 1. People Who Are Hungry Average people spend 22 years of their lives learning, and then stop. Geniuses spend their whole lives learning. Michelangelo was one of them. “Ancora Imparo,” he said at age 87. I’m still learning. And while you probably can’t hire another Michelangelo, you CAN find people who share his hunger for learning. They’re not hard to miss. They’re always craving knowledge. Always stretching for growth, even when it’s uncomfortable. They’re eager for challenges, hungry for new skills, and willing to step out of their comfort zones. These are the people you should hire. According to John Brubaker in his Entrepreneur article, “You don’t have to micromanage the hungry. They’re so self-motivated they’ll push themselves harder than you could push them.” 2. People Who Are Humble When I started out hiring my own customer services representatives, I was attracted to the same things that catch a ton of interviewers’ eyes. The decades of experience. The awards. The numerous accolades. And no, there’s nothing wrong with these. But surprisingly (or not), the people with all these credentials are sometimes the hardest to work with. They’re 100% sure of their skills. They’re inflexible and unwilling to grow and learn. They don’t take criticism positively. On the other hand, it’s a dream to work with humble people. Even if they aren’t as experienced. They’re open to learn and change, and it won’t be long before they overtake others with more experience. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A great man is always willing to be little.” Take his advice and go for great in the hiring process. [av_image src=’https://staging.expresswriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cta-Profitable-Content-Marketer-Cheat-Sheet-banner-03.jpg’ attachment=’79077′ attachment_size=’full’ … Read more

What Is Direct to Consumer Marketing? + How Content & Inbound Marketing Fits In

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What Is Direct to Consumer Marketing? + How Content & Inbound Marketing Fits In

What Is Direct to Consumer Marketing? + How Content & Inbound Marketing Fits In by Julia McCoy | Jul 28, 2020 | Content Marketing Your business can lose a ton of money if you stick to your traditional B2C campaign. This is because consumers have radically evolved in the last decade. Here’s proof: Foot traffic to retail stores has declined, causing an avalanche of store closures. Millennials are the largest adult generation to date, and their habits include ignoring paid ads, using ad blockers, and resisting outbound marketing practices. Millennials value experience over material things, making traditional marketing strategies fall flat with them. So, what can you do to save your business? Well, it’s simple. All you need to do is adapt to the way consumers want to connect to brands today. It boils down to four words: direct to consumer marketing. In today’s blog, I’ll show you exactly what it means, why you should do it, and how you can start up your own successful (but not costly) D2C campaign. Ready to start? Let’s dive in! [bctt tweet=”Scary fact: Your business can lose a ton of money if you stick to a traditional B2C campaign. ? Why? Consumers’ buying habits have radically evolved in the last decade. The antidote? ? Direct to consumer marketing. Learn all about it:” username=”ExpWriters”] What is Direct to Consumer Marketing? Direct to consumer marketing is simply marketing done without middlemen. While a traditional B2C campaign involves a retailer, an ad agency, a publisher, and other middlemen, a D2C marketing campaign involves only the brand and the buyer. Here’s how HubSpot defines the term.[bctt tweet=”What is direct to consumer marketing? Marketing done without middlemen. It’s just the brand and the buyer. ?” username=”ExpWriters”] So, let’s imagine you’re selling shoes. Here are two scenarios for your marketing campaign. Traditional B2C Campaign: You sell your shoes at a retailer like Walmart, paying for ads to get your brand in front of potential customers. Buyers walk into the store and interact with your brand through salespeople not connected with your company. You have no way of knowing if buyers are happy with your product. Direct to Consumer Marketing Campaign: You sell your shoes straight to customers through your online store. If they have questions, they can ask you directly. They order and you send your product straight to their doorstep. You get feedback and suggestions to improve your brand and better fit it to your target audience. Direct to consumer marketing is minimalist, simple, and involves nurturing personal relationships with customers. 3 Reasons Why You Should Commit to Direct to Consumer Marketing Thinking of starting a direct to consumer marketing campaign? Here are three big advantages to convince you to begin right away. Advantage #1: You Can Deliver a Personalized Message to Potential Consumers Direct to consumer marketing allows you to collect data straight from your consumers. Because you know your audience well, you can craft a brand message that speaks straight to them. And this works. In fact, 34% of all consumers make an unplanned purchase when they read personalized content from a brand. What’s more, 86% of all buyers say personalization has an impact on their purchasing decision. Advantage #2: You Can Give Consumers the Option of Personalizing Your Product For instance, consumers can request specialized print or packaging. You can add in freebies based on your knowledge of a particular buyer. A great example of personalization is The New York Time’s NYT Cooking subscription.Source: nytimes.com Subscribers to NYT Cooking get their own personalized digital cookbook. They can use it to discover, save, and organize recipes they love on the platform. Advantage #3: You Can Get Rid of the Profit Share This is obvious when you’re selling your products at a huge conglomerate like Walmart. But even if you sell your products online, a middleman like Amazon still lowers your profit share. A professional account on the platform plus fees add up to as much as 15% of your product’s price. On the other hand, direct to consumer marketing allows you to eliminate the middleman and gain all the profit. You can even beat out your competition by offering your products at lower prices. How to Start Up a Direct to Consumer Marketing Campaign that Works A powerful direct to consumer marketing campaign won’t sprout up overnight. It requires hard work, consistency, and the valuable tips below. 1. Find Your Brand Voice Branding is essential in direct to consumer marketing. This is because your brand comes in direct contact with your consumers. So, you need to be clear about who your audience is, your mission, and your brand style. A. Create Buyer Personas The first step in molding your brand voice is knowing who your audience is. Only by understanding their needs, desires, and beliefs will you be able to truly reach them with your product. So, how do you create buyer personas that work? First, collect data on your buyers. You can do this by using Google Analytics and doing surveys. Find out who’s buying from you. Then, find similarities in the data. You can use these similarities to come up with fictional characters your brand speaks directly to in a marketing campaign. For instance, you find out most of your buyers are women over 40. They’re stay-at-home moms who don’t feel guilty about spending money for their kids. Use this information to create your buyer persona. For example, you can call your 40-year-old stay-at-home mom Mildred. She loves splurging on her kids, but she’s worried they’ll end up spoiled. Create your message around Mildred’s needs and beliefs. Whenever you sit down to create or improve a product, write content, or start a marketing campaign, do it to improve Mildred’s life. B. Put Your Mission Statement Out Front and Center What is your brand’s mission? How does it stand out from your competitors? How can your brand serve your consumers? Write the answers to these questions down, then use the information to create a tagline consumers can’t resist. Here’s an excellent example from Mailchimp. C. Come Up with a Brand Style Guide Your brand style guide will keep you consistent as you market straight … Read more

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