It evolves – constantly. It thrives in adversity. And it transforms a crisis – like the 2020 pandemic – into an opportunity.
Maybe you’ve known about this opportunity already. After all, content marketing is an industry that’s growing in popularity by the day, and is about to be worth $412 billion.
Still, the pandemic allowed us to see just how true and powerful content marketing can be.
I mean, look at these quick stats.
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people across all generations turned to the internet. During which:
Search rose by 3.6 billion searches/day to 6.9 billion/day — and this still holds steady!
53% of Americans found the internet to be an invaluable resource (while a good 34% deemed it important) – and that’s only the U.S., which is 4.25% of the global population.
And in effect, global internet usage grew by 70%.
Do you see the gold here?
There’s no doubt that the global content consumption trends in 2020 have risen to unprecedented heights because of the pandemic. This means more eyeballs than ever, online! ?
So how can you use this to your advantage?
Just as the pandemic accelerated the already upward trend of the internet age, now is the perfect time for you to accelerate your online efforts as a content marketer.
And, whether you’ve been in the business for quite a while or are just starting out, the new year is always a great time to reset.
So here are four new year content marketing resolutions to take with you in your online efforts for 2021 – to help win you those golden metrics.
[bctt tweet=”In 2020, search rose by 3.6 billion searches/day to 6.9 billion/day — and this still holds steady. How can you tap into this search traffic explosion for your #brand growth? ? Learn the top #contentmarketing predictions via @JuliaEMcCoy:” username=””]
New Year Content Marketing Resolution #1: Make Trust and Empathy Your Number One Priority
Why trust and empathy? Because – more than half of your potential customers rely on whether they trust a brand when deciding to purchase, second only to affordability.
Ignore the importance of trust and you willingly hand over these potential new sales to your competitors.
So here are two things you should do to earn your audience’s trust.
[bctt tweet=”Trust and empathy should be a #1 resolution brands must make in 2021 to build more audience connections. ❤️ More #contentmarketing resolutions via @JuliaEMcCoy on @ExpWriters: ” username=””]
Here’s How #1: Tell Your Story in a Real and Relatable Way
Edelman found that 81% say trust is more important now because of the need to feel safe. And, 89% of consumers trust and support brands – that help people through the challenges of COVID-19.
So, don’t just tell people who you are. Connect at a deeper level and tell people who you are to THEM, and what values you uphold that they can relate to.
Nine out of ten customers are loyal to brands when they share the same values.
So, dig deep until you find the core purpose of your brand, and be true to that purpose. Because this is what truly resonates to your audience.
This infographic gives you a clear picture of what your story should (and shouldn’t) look like:
Tell your story, but turn it around to focus on your customers. Source:ReferralCandy
Here’s How #2. Deliver Consistent Value That Nurtures Your Audience
Your story is just the beginning – the hook. And, if it isn’t authentic, your customers are going to see through you like glass.
The key to building trust is following through from start to – well, forever.
Keep the quality content coming. Show up consistently. Keep giving your customers a reason to stay.
When you become that source of inspiration, or entertainment and distraction to your audience – building and enriching lives with your content, your voice – then 73% of your audience already have your back.
Consider these when crafting your new year marketing campaigns:
No to Last Minute Concoctions: Some brilliant ideas do pop up at the last minute, but more often, it isn’t. So, plan your new year content strategy ahead.
Serve Fresh, Meaty Content: Don’t stop with great headlines. Make sure you give your audience what they clicked for – packed with well-researched and relevant information.
Don’t Forget to Tenderize the Meat: Break those tough, long sentences. Chop those huge blocks of paragraphs. And, YES – visuals are your best friend to help deliver digestible content.
Give a Steady, Healthy Diet: You’ve done it. People trust you. They rely on your content for constant nourishment. So, commit to your content schedule and, if you can, surprise them with dessert. A downloadable guide would be nice.
Did I just make you hungry? If yes, then good. Because there’s more to devour in this post. ?
New Year Content Marketing Resolution #2: Take the SEO-Focused Content Marketing Approach
Some marketers will tell you to forget about SEO. Well, I’m telling you to forget about them.
– Talk about opportunity knocking at your door, right?
Here are two essentials for developing your new year marketing messaging with SEO in mind.
Here’s How #1. Audience First: Discover and Fulfill Search Intent
SEO is no longer about hitting your keyword counts. It’s how well you know your audience and having the right content strategy.
You have to understand what it is your audience is looking for. It’s not just “shoes”, maybe it’s “running shoes for flat feet”.
Invest a good amount of time to research your audience and build your target persona – before anything else – to zero-in on exactly how you can help with your content.
The basic recipe for SEO is great content, housed on a great website. It’s that simple, and that hard. Buckle down and commit to it in 2021.
[bctt tweet=”The basic recipe for SEO in 2021 is great content, housed on a great website. It’s that simple, and that hard. #SEO #ContentMarketing More 2021 tips from @JuliaEMcCoy: ” username=””]
Here’s How #2. Search Engine Second: Target Long-Tail Keywords
Once you have your search intent, your long-tail keywords will follow. They’re your keywords turned to longer key phrases that target your audience’s pain points and interests.
This is the type of keyword you want in your content. It allows you to be found by an audience who’s ready to take action.
Optimize your content to deliver exactly what your audience expects – while making sure that search engines find you the most relevant result.
This is using keywords, but not the old-school way. Your priority is to sound natural. It’s THE content strategy skill to develop this year. ?
If you’re completely new to SEO writing, I’ve got you.
Watch my in-depth SEO writing tutorial on YouTube, and let’s get you those explosive results:
New Year Content Marketing Resolution #3: Be Your Audience’s Reliable Source
Today, 64% of the general population say it’s important for brands to be a trustworthy source of information, and another half expect brands to educate them (Edelman).
It’s time to embrace long-form, more comprehensive content in your new year resolution campaign.
Here’s How: Hit the Sweet Spot Between W.Y.A.W. and Your Expertise
So, how do you know what topics to cover? Where can you find the best new year content ideas? Or, the right new year promotion ideas that will definitely work?
The answer ties in with our second resolution, first sub-point: pin down exactly What Your Audience Wants.
What will make their lives more interesting, or more relevant and meaningful? You need to be talking about what matters to them.
But you can’t talk expertly about something you don’t know, or aren’t at least comfortable talking about. This was my problem when I started a decade ago!
It’s a simple exercise of mapping out topics your audience crave, and finding where your expertise can be maximized. Where those two diverge – that’s the sweet spot.
For deeper learning on audience personas, topic circles, keywords and building your online presence, the Content Strategy & Marketing Course should be your destination. Enroll and grow your brand with content.
New Year Content Marketing Resolution #4: Forget TikTok, Clubhouse, Etc. Until Your Core Site Is Profitable
You might have heard me discussing TikTok in my talks or raving about Clubhouse, but I’m going to give you, my dear reader/marketer/entrepreneur, a golden nugget here.
Forget all the other platforms out there and get your resources focused on building your website until it’s profitable.
Seriously.
Here’s How #1. Stop Squatting on Platforms. Establish Your Content House.
Your website adds credibility to your brand. It shows you can stand on your own. And it gets you to top of SERPs faster when your website has a blog.
Imagine inviting people into your house and having nothing to offer, but COOKIES FOR SALE. That’s how your eCommerce website looks like without a blog!
Blogs generate 67% more leads for companies and are responsible for indexing 434% more pages and 97% more links. (DemandMetric)
Here’s How #2. Never Wait for Inspiration. Find an Expert Content Partner.
60% of companies prefer to keep their content creation in-house. I started mine myself 10 years ago, and that’s how I developed my content house concept.
But, here’s the thing: Every day without a great content is opportunity lost. So, while you’re at it, consider outsourcing the quality content you need.
Take These 4 New Year Content Marketing Resolutions to Heart and Reap Online Growth
Between 70 to 80% of searchers ignore paid results, and focus on organic SERPs – 28% of which, convert to ROI.
Combine that with Google’s high volume of searches now and you get a higher chance of online growth.
To say “it’s a holiday season like none other” is an understatement.
I’d explain why, but one word will suffice – (the) pandemic.
And, while the world stocked up on toilet paper, I was grateful to have sustained my daily dose of caffeine without a single downtrend in daily produced word count. (Bonus: I never stopped writing—I wrote a book over the pandemic, launching February 2021!)
But more than that, we at Express Writers have so much more to be grateful for.
Number one being this was yet another year of fate telling me how right I was nine years ago, to pursue my passion for writing and build this amazing content creation team we have today.
However, we know that the investment never stops. We continue to invest in our content creation efforts – and did so despite the events of this year.
And, if there’s one key takeaway from 2020, it’s to take nothing for granted.
To start the holiday week off, we have a treat for you – an original Christmas poem, from yours truly. Keep reading below it to get to my two wisdom nuggets to take into 2021.
[bctt tweet=”Wrap up the crazy year of 2020 to a fun, memorable close – check out this short original remake of a classic Christmas poem by @JuliaEMcCoy of @ExpWriters. #OriginalPoem ???? Happy Holidays!” username=””]
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, And All Through The Content…
Let’s not forget it’s Christmas. I hope you get time to celebrate, relax, and enjoy.
To get you in the spirit, we decided to give the year 2020 a fun close with a short remake of a classic Christmas poem featuring a relevant, to-the-times twist. Keep scrolling to watch me narrate the poem!
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, And All Through The Content… (A Content Marketing Christmas Poem)
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not one skipped a hand wash, not even the mouse.
All went to sleep, but for me, a marketer,
Whose vacation never included leaving my front foyer.
Out on the lawn with stars glittering above,
My thoughts went adrift to the things that I love;
Team members, clients, students, my own audience;
Oh, how we survived this year with resilience.
No ‘unicorn ninjas,’ just safe and serene,
I laughed and recalled my pajama meeting,
How close I had been to losing my sanity;
Grateful, now my content has more empathy.
As I cared more for people, up went my metrics;
Thriving more than those with no online ethics.
More leads and subscribers truly counting on me;
My heart danced along with the wind in the tree.
’Twas the night of that year that the world saw it clear,
Great content was the one thing that didn’t disappear.
Julia Narrates Our Content Marketing Christmas Poem
2 Big Takeaways for Conscientious Marketers to Remember in 2021
Here are two more wisdom nuggets that you should take with you into 2021.
1. 2020 Was The Year We Learned the Online World Will Never Die
We watched the world shut down. Country after country.
It was a year filled with uncertainties – but not for the online world.
As we all kept indoors, we all had to rely on online support for help, online search for answers, and online content for updates.
During which, brands who’d been neglecting their online presence (or content house), scrambled to meet customer’s needs as fast as possible.
Everyone – across the globe – of every age, had to be online to thrive.
As a result, Google’s daily searches ballooned, from 3.5 BILLION searches per DAY in 2019, to over 6 BILLION per DAY this year. That’s an average of 70,000 online searches per second!
There is no greater time to be online than now.
And, I’m beyond grateful that many years ago, I cared enough to introduce the Content Differentiation Factor to help brand’s rise above the cut.
If it isn’t clear yet, this is your wake-up call to G.R.O.W. – online – now.
2. 2020 Was The Year Marketers Learned Building Trust is One of the Most Important Factors
In 2020, an Edelman report listed brand trust as the second most important factor your customers care about, right next to price. And they found that it is built when you actually do what you say. More than that, 80-85% expect brands to help them, as well as make a positive impact to society.
Even without Google’s numbers, marketers saw the opportunity – and took advantage in 2020 of the vaster online audience.
Some, to a negative extent. There were the ones piggybacking on trends, and making sure that they had something to say for just about every issue.
After all, isn’t that a strategy? Maybe, if you only want to go viral without tangible, clear results.
But, if you want conversions, then it’s SEO strategy plus empathy.
In the past, you could get away with “positioning” your brand as someone who cares about your customers, or the society, just by consistently posting blogs and newsletters, or having a great social media content strategy.
Not this year.
This year was all about supporting those, who deserved our support. And, as consumers all over the world experienced a great recession, we all made sure that money spent went to those who were helping make the world better.
As Edelman’s brand trust report showed, when consumers trust you: 75% will reward you with loyalty, 60% with engagement, and 78% will become advocates, going out of their way to share your content, recommend you, and even defend your brand.
In my team here at Express Writers, we never slow down.
For one, we interview hundreds of writers every month to find our 1-2%, the writers we put a lot of trust in to handle our clients’ projects.
Since our clients rely on us to produce content that won’t add to the noise, and isn’t crappy… we need the best. Fulfilling that is our mission, no matter how tough that commitment gets.
But we don’t stop just there.
In fact, every few months we sit down and review, audit, fine-tune, and add to our existing services.
(For example — this spring, we doubled what we pay our industry expert writers, which was a direct pivot to match the market. We couldn’t hire qualified legal writers anymore at the rate we were charging our clients, so we changed up our process and pay rate.)
We believe in improving, evolving, and growing our own services, processes, and team. It’s a tall order, but one we’ll never drop.
Growth and evolution is a part of success. Without change, a brand gets stagnant and behind the times.
That’s why we’re here sharing two new services we’re now offering as of today in the Content Shop. ? ?
When it comes to video, in 2020 and going forward, stats show that 54% of consumers actively want to see more video content, 87% of brands are using it, and — ready for it? in social media, video is THE favorite content format for consumers to watch.
I’ve been playing with video myself for four years, and serious about producing video on our channels for two. I can say that video has added more direct clients and revenue to our bottom line.
To be able to launch this as a service today, I convinced my talented producer to become a full-time contracted member of my team! ? We’ve been hard at work training the rest of the team on how to get ready for a whole new pipeline and format delivery.
Sales copywriting is an answer to the rising need established brands have for persuasive copywriting. Now at Express Writers, your sales copywriting will be crafted by a Copyhackers-trained writer. A few of our top writers have stepped up to take on a Copyhackers certification and grow their skills. They’re working directly under me to get ready for your sales copywriting orders.
Good copy can make the biggest difference between the conversion or not of a sales offer you are putting out.
Wondering how much sales copy can do? It can be as much as 90% difference in conversions.
Just this year, a marketing firm (VWO) published a study on what happened when they tweaked copy for a client of theirs, CityCliq. Their A/B Test of four versions of a single headline revealed that a single winning headline earned a whopping 90% increase in conversion rate over the original.
If targeted sales copy, which is a skill and an art, could earn you a 90% conversion increase — what would that do for your business?
Both video and sales copywriting are top content formats we couldn’t ignore any more.
We now do both. Keep reading for the full story behind our new services.
It’s Here: Launching Two New Content Shop Services, Sales Copywriting & Social Media Video Packages
In Q4 of 2020, we asked ourselves, “How can we continue to make Express Writers stand out as a provider that matches the times?”
Besides sales copywriting, video was a format we couldn’t ignore any longer, along with persuasive, sales-focused copywriting that helps your landing pages earn that ROI you’re hoping for.
Here’s the backstory.
Social Media Videos & The Importance of Consistently Publishing Brand Video on Social
When it came to video, I’ve heard this question for years — “Julia, why don’t you offer video at Express Writers?”
Many of the people that asked were outsiders looking in. Peers, friends in my network.
They were right — video is hot.
But they weren’t right on the suggestion that we should just willy-nilly add it because it’s a “hot service.”
I didn’t take those outsiders’ advice. (And you shouldn’t either.)
If I did, it would have broken us. We were busy getting our core services right.
The reason I didn’t was because of two big, giant P’s we couldn’t answer well when it came to video.
People and process.
You need both before you can even consider offering a DFY (done-for-you) service that your clients will love.
[bctt tweet=”People and process. ? You need both before you can even consider offering a done-for-you service that your clients will love. @JuliaEMcCoy on launching new #contentmarketing and #videoproduction services at @ExpWriters ” username=””]
You need a smart team of people ready to provide the team service you’re selling, and you need a great process for creation and production.
I didn’t have either for video. We spent years getting our process for content writing together.
It was only when I met and partnered with the video producer behind all my own videos that I began to dream again about offering video services from Express Writers.
Here’s the gorgeous video our producer made to announce today’s launch of video production #meta. He’s mega talented. ⭐️
At Express Writers, we never slow down.
We’re continually optimizing our services (track record: 9 years/30,000 projects ✅) for our clients’ best results.
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Partner (@ExpWriters) December 15, 2020
Over the months, we nailed down our process for our own marketing videos.
And it wasn’t easy.
My team or I would write and script (we’d spend a day or two just in the writing alone), and then my producer (now our on-staff video producer here at EW!) would spend another few days in the creation stage.
Then, we’d review, and there would be at least a few revisions for accuracy.
Days, hours, over a week for one solid video. And a ton of management and co-creation. More than I thought possible or necessary.
This is, of course, if you want to publish a video that won’t add to the sea out there, but will stand out.
My producer recently sent me his timeline of work in the program he uses, Apple Final Cut Pro X — this is just a few minutes of “video content in production,” for just one video we put together. It’s a bit crazy.
The more I went through this process 1:1 myself, experiencing the load of creating a script, putting it all together in copy, then pairing it with video production — and editing, revising, and tweaking to make sure we had something amazing to publish — I realized just how much time and trouble we could save our clients by putting together a beautiful promo video for them.
Handling the creative side. The copy, the imagery (visual and written). Then, the production and the managing of that production.
After years of working with my producer, in 2020 I decided to test the waters of creating external brand videos…
By having my producer do our first brand promo video for Express Writers in October.
It would be a model we could re-create and cement as a process for our clients. I would use our results as a case study.
What followed… shocked me.
The Video Heard Around the World (Okay, Maybe Not… But Close)
I gave my producer some B roll footage and photos from my speaking events, and then my writer and I went to work on a script.
We revised several times to get this final 30-second script beauty.
Scene 1: Brand + Logo “Your Content Creation Partner Expert”
2: Mentored writers for your niche
3: Content for every format
4: Consistent quality you can count on
5: Led by a content marketing thought leader
6: Sign up & start your content order today: expresswriters.com/content-shop
The purpose was simply to point clients to our services in a clear, memorable way. Our goal was a simple, but incredibly conversion-friendly, brand promo video to announce the launch of our new Content Shop in October of 2020.
The final output was a :29 second promo video. The results astounded us.
Founded in 2011, we’ve completed over 30,000 content projects. We’re built on what we sell. 99% of our leads and revenue comes from our Write Blog! ? ✍️
90+ talented writers.
We write blogs, web pages, emails & more!
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Partner (@ExpWriters) October 17, 2020
On all platforms:
This promo video earned roughly 100x more results than our non-custom created video posts earn on Twitter and Facebook.
9,000+ views and counting on Twitter as a pinned tweet
500+ clicks/week in a $5/day retargeting ad on Facebook, sending multiple high-quality new leads to our site every week
A 100x social media visibility increase a normal, non-video post of ours
Our non-video posts on the other hand earn just a few views and if we’re lucky, 1-2 clicks. This is a huge increase.
Similar to all the other done-for-you client services we launch at Express Writers, we modeled our all new video production services from a content piece we tested ourselves for our own brand.
I talked to my producer, and convinced him to join Express Writers as our primary video producer and on-staff talent. It was good timing. He was experiencing losses on other platforms, and had respected and enjoyed our working relationship for a long time, enough to trust me into moving into our team immediately. We’re thrilled to have Cagri on board.
Cilara’s production skills will pair with our Content Manager and our talented writing and editorial team — because the power here truly IS in the team.
It takes a village to produce a great video. (Trust me. We’ve done it.)
Today, we’re confident as we package into a templated process and style a content format and creation that we know will help our clients’ brands get further mileage and visibility online.
After you fill out the detailed input form, we have our script writer craft a script and work with you to approve it. Then, our producer gets to work on animation and styles in production.
In our pre-packaged social media video production, you can get a DFY package that offers peace of mind:
An end package of a script, and, the three “recommended” fully-produced video format deliverables – a square video for Instagram feed uploading, Instagram story size, & YouTube /Twitter video resolution (1080p)
Insta Story can also double as a TikTok video
Or, request up to 3 specific format(s)
Sales Copywriting & Why You Need Killer Sales Copy
If your sales pages aren’t working, well… it’s time to rework. The sure way to do that? Stir up much more profitable action on your sales pages with conversion copywriting.
Without persuasive copy, your offer will fall flat. It’s a fact.
If you’re completely new to this, and asking what is conversion copywriting, here’s a quick summary.
Specifically, conversion copywriting is intentional copywriting to write and form a page that gets readers to take an action.
You need nothing less if you want an offer to convert.
For today’s launch, we have Copyhackers-trained writers that know what they’re doing ready to craft your copy. (I went to my top writers, and either encouraged them to take Joanna Wiebe’s courses or offered to help pay for it. Project Conversion Copywriting is a go! ✍️ )
Before we launched it publicly, we did it ourselves internally — and not just for us, but for a few private clients, for a while. Here are a few successful sales pages my amazing team at Express Writers is responsible for.
Case Study of Our Conversion Copywriting Service Example #1: Mindprint Learning
Mindprint Learning wanted a sales page that would convince potential buyers to invest in their Mindprint Assessment. Our sales page follwed the classic PAS formula for conversion copywriting – Problem, Agitation, Solution, and spoke directly to their target market. Our client was very pleased with the end result.
Case Study of Our Conversion Copywriting Service Example #2: Make Great Light
Make Great Light, a company aiming to crush bad fluorescent lighting, had us write a sales page to help get a customer to pull the trigger on this unique product. Particularly, the conversion copywriting technique our writer used involved focused heavily on benefits over features.
Case Study of Our Conversion Copywriting Service Example #3: BB Glow Academy
BB Glow Academy offers training for beauty professionals, and in-person masterclasses. They needed a sales page that emphasized training and certification for the BB Glow face treatment. We spoke to their audience with a more information-heavy approach, to include details about online and in-person classes, kits, equipment, and products — while keeping it fun and easy to read.
Improved Sales Copy on Your Sales Pages = More Sales
Conversion copywriting isn’t something to play with. You need RESULTS.
I know that more than anyone. After almost a decade of running an online business, I now keep a few conversion copywriters on staff for my own launches (my courses and high-level content). Today, I rely on sales page copywriting from my team of writers at EW.
This sales page for my very own writing course is one example. We have had a conversion rate of 10% with cold traffic on this page. ? ?
My team has helped me earn $100K from my own product launches. (Which are evergreen, never an open/close forced launch.)
I trust my own writers with the highest level of copywriting I publish… and now you can, too.
So, you want to start writing a real estate blog? That’s a great move for your practice and your brand.
According to Demand Metric, businesses with a blog generate 67 percent more leads and 97 percent more traffic. Imagine that many more interested buyers and sellers walking through your door every month.
Of course, writing a real estate blog isn’t your typical walk in the park. From questions around Google’s quality requirements to how to structure real estate blog content for the greatest impact, there’s a lot for you to consider.
Here’s a closer look at what all good real estate blog writers know, and how to create articles on real estate topics that people actually want to read.
Let’s go!
[bctt tweet=”Writing a real estate blog isn’t easy. ?? From questions around Google’s quality requirements to how to structure real estate content for the greatest impact, there’s a lot to consider. Find out how to write for this tricky niche on @ExpWriters ✔” username=””]
Your Blog Is Real Estate – Make It Valuable!
Ah – buying a home. For many people, it’s the ultimate accomplishment, the pinnacle of the American Dream. However, every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible… if not utterly overwhelming.
The decision to buy (and also to sell) a home comes with looots of questions attached. (The fact that there are over 50,000 titles on Amazon dedicated to advising first-time homebuyers stands as a testament to this.)
If you’re thinking about starting a real estate blog, you need to keep this in mind. With so many people blogging and writing books, what are you going to do to stand out from the crowd?
Your readers will come to you because they’ve got questions, confusion, and all manner of pain points.
But that’s good news, really. It means you’ve got your work cut out for you.
Your goal? To create a resource that’s as valuable as possible by being as helpful as possible.
Incidentally, helpfulness is one thing that Google looks for when determining SERPs. (The Search Evaluator Guidelines mention helpful content 19 times.)
Is a Real Estate Blog YMYL Content?
One more thing to consider before you start writing real estate blog articles is whether your real estate blog falls under the YMYL category.
YMYL stands for Your Money or Your Life. It’s Google’s shorthand for content that may impact a person’s health, wealth, happiness, or life quality. This content is subject to special quality rating requirements to ensure that only the absolute best content makes it high in the SERPs.
In Section 2.3, Google lists all categories that fall under YMYL. While most things are obvious – financial blogs, medical advice, etc. – real estate isn’t explicitly mentioned as a YMYL topic.
Nonetheless, the guidelines do note that “housing information” qualifies as YMYL when it may impact a person’s happiness or financial stability.
In other words, you may have some real estate blog articles that count as YMYL and others that don’t.
When in doubt, always ask yourself: can this information impact a reader’s health, wealth, happiness, or financial stability?
If you think the answer might be yes, make sure you’re serving up the very highest quality content for your readers to E-A-T.
Not every site needs to adhere to YMYL, but all content should strive to satisfy EAT.
[bctt tweet=”Before writing real estate blogs, consider: Will your content fall under Google’s YMYL category? ? This content is subject to special quality rating requirements so only the best content makes it high in the SERPs. ? Tread carefully.” username=””]
How to Write Real Estate Blog Articles That Inspire Confidence
Writing expert real estate copy takes a lot of skill. Not only do you need to know your industry and your local area, but you need to find a way to stand out from your competitors who may also be publishing blogs of their own.
Here are five things that you can do when writing real estate blog articles to help catch the eye of current and future home buyers or sellers.
1. The Problem-Solution Formula Shines with Real Estate Blogs
Few things in life inspire more questions than buying or selling a home. That’s great for writing a real estate blog because you’ll have no shortage of topic ideas.
Strive to make your blog as useful as possible by providing valuable content that answers questions or solves problems. To get started, I recommend spending some time brainstorming the most common questions or problems that your current and potential clients have.
Then, use the problem-solution or question-answer formula to structure the content of your posts. It looks like this:
2. Get Down with Local SEO for Real Estate Targeting
Ever walked by a bench at a bus stop and see an ad for a real estate agent? That agent likely works in that immediate neighborhood and knows it well.
Local SEO is the digital equivalent of that park bench. It lets you target a very specific area to attract clients who are looking at the neighborhoods you know and sell (or buy) within.
You can harness the power of local SEO through a number of different ways:
Create a Google My Business If you’ve got a formal office, create a Google My Business account, and get it listed.
Create content around local news stories. Did something newsworthy happen in your neighborhoods? Blog about it!
Optimize for “near me” searches. Include your location prominently on your site. That’ll help it bubble to the top when users do local searches.
3. Play Up Your Real Estate Blog Content Differentiation Factor
In my book Practical Content Strategy & Marketing, I introduce a concept known as the Content Differentiation Factor, or CDF. I define this as the thing – the perspective, angle, or unique voice – that helps your content stand out from your competition.
Your CDF is similar to your unique selling proposition (USP) and may even be linked. In fact, you might even find yourself asking similar questions when identifying your CDF. Ask yourself:
What can I say on this topic that no one else can?
What unique experiences do I have that inform my practice?
How can I deliver value to my current and potential customers based on my perspective?
Why is doing this so important? Because according to the National Association of Realtors, there are 1.3 million agents out there in the U.S. alone. If you don’t differentiate yourself, you’ll get lost quickly in the sea of your competitors.
How is your content house standing out from the competition?
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4. Look for Knowledge Gaps in the Real Estate Blogs Already Out There
The prevalence of realtors and real estate agents means that readers will also have no dearth of options for blogs. Therefore, make sure you’re not simply rehashing what’s already out there.
Spend some time looking for topics or angles that haven’t been covered by other bloggers. That will let you create a truly valuable real estate blog that hooks readers and converts them. Do:
Perform competitive analyses on top ranking articles. Identify what they talk about and what they miss, then create a more comprehensive resource.
Use fresh examples and illustrations. Don’t reuse the same tired analogies over and over. Find new ways to say things or illustrate examples.
Draw on your firsthand experience. Demonstrated expertise is a powerful tool for proving you’re an expert in real estate.
5. Pay Extra Careful Attention to Quality
As noted above, a real estate blog very likely falls under the YMYL category. That means you’ll need to pay attention to all of the indicators that Google uses to identify high-quality YMYL pages.
Do:
Cite high-quality sources. Use Alexa’s Page Rank tool to identify prominent or credible domains. The lower the site rank, the larger and more authoritative the site.
Display your bio prominently. Make your professional presence clear and boost page transparency by identifying yourself.
Produce detailed, comprehensive content. Google refers often to content “satisfaction” in its evaluator guidelines. In short, did the content cover the topic fully? If so, you’ll earn a higher quality score.
Get Real Estate Blog Writers Who Know Your Turf
You know your turf like the back of your hand – your blog is the place to make that expertise shine. By producing unique, helpful real estate content chock full of insights your readers can’t find elsewhere, you’re creating a valuable resource that wins eyes and conversions.
I’ve covered quite a bit of the information that you need to get started writing a real estate blog. From questions around Google’s quality requirements to tips for creating thoughtful, engaging copy, you’re now prepared to go forth and demonstrate your expertise wherever your home turf may be.
Of course, expert real estate blog writers can also help. Check out our content shop to see what our real estate copywriters are able to offer you, or discover how an expert copywriter can create quality content for your unique niche.
Question: Does a niche marketing strategy still work today?
Answer: Yes, but not in the way it used to.
To understand what I mean, imagine this.
It’s Friday night, and you’ve just completed an exhausting week of work.
You’re so ready to chill.
But right now, you’re hungry. But since you’re also tired, the idea of going home to cook something from scratch in your kitchen is appalling.
So, you decide to eat out.
As you stand on the sidewalk, you notice two restaurants side by side.
One serves fast food.
The other serves delicious vegan-friendly dishes.
Now, let’s say you’re:
A vegetarian
An animal lover
A person who doesn’t mind spending for quality food
Which restaurant would you pick?
That’s right, you’d go for restaurant #2.
As you walk inside, you notice all kinds of people. Koreans, African Americans, Indians. You notice young couples, elderly people, and hurried businessmen.
(Or, maybe you’re in the long drive-thru line — and you notice all the people in the cars around you, or coming out of the restaurant with their to-go bags neatly packed under their arms.)
Why did these people choose to dine in the same restaurant as you?
For sure, it’s not because you share the same demographic. You’re not all the same age, color, and race.
It’s because the restaurant’s unique differentiation factor called out to your needs and beliefs.
So yes, niche marketing strategy still works today.
But the term “niche” should no longer be about a certain age, race, or gender group.
Instead, it should be about your content differentiation factor, and how it speaks to your audience, no matter where or how old they are.
Let’s dig deeper.
Niche Marketing Strategy: It’s No Longer About Age, Gender, and Race
If you ask a ton of marketers today how you should go about promoting your brand, they’ll likely tell you an overblown, outdated lie:
“Find your niche.”
And you’ll likely believe them, go to Google Analytics, and find out how old your audience is. Or where they live, and whether they’re male or female.
If you find out that five of your audience members are women in their 20’s who live in Chicago, you’ll then go ahead and address all your marketing materials to them.
The problem is, you’re leaving out a ton of people who could benefit from what you’re offering.
According to Jeff Goins, the world has changed. We’re connected in ways never dreamed of in the past.
We offer blogs, video scripts, white papers, ad copy, social media posts, and every type of content needed for a content marketing campaign…
…to anyone in the world who needs it.
So far, we’ve written for dog breeders in Canada, chiropractors and dentists in the U.S., marketers in England, and more!
You can be anyone, anywhere in the world, and still order great content from us.
The only “niche” you need to fit?
The belief is that great content will do wonders for your brand.
That’s it.
And trust me, this open-bordered niche marketing strategy has led Express Writers from a tiny $75 startup to a thriving brand worth $5 million.
Imagine what we would have been if we narrowed it down to “emails for 40-year-old lawyers in Austin, Texas.”
How to Find Your Own Content Differentiation Factor
Your CDF (content differentiation factor) is different from your USP (unique selling proposition).
While your USP is what makes you different from your competitors…
…your CDF is the unique way your present your brand.
For example, take the keto restaurant in the introduction.
Its USP: Delicious, keto-friendly food.
Its CDF: Keto-friendly meals don’t have to be messy, time-consuming, and bland; we’ll create delicious, unique, healthy dishes for you as you relax and listen to soothing music.
So, how do you find your own content differentiation factor?
Here are three steps to follow.
1. Forget About Your Products or Services
I know, products or services are the main reason your brand exists.
But when finding your content differentiation factor, you need to set them in the background.
Instead, think of how you’ll solve your audience’s problems in a unique way.
Show them you’ll serve them better than your competitors.
For instance, other keto-friendly restaurants already offer 100% organic ingredients.
You can do the same, PLUS promise food that tastes better than the fried chicken at your customers’ favorite fast food chain.
2. Focus on Your Audience
Sit down for a moment and step into your audience’s shoes.
Imagine them.
They believe in eating healthy.
They believe in boycotting animal-based products.
They’re exhausted from a long, busy workweek.
They love delicious food.
Trying new dishes and flavors excites them.
Notice: it’s not about their age, background, race, or political affiliations.
It’s about who they are, what they believe in, and how you can serve them.
3. Skip the Features, Focus on the Benefits
Yes, you could go on all day about how a stalk of celery has only 10 calories.
But no one will care.
What they’ll care about?
How eating your sumptuous celery salad with dates, almonds, and parmesan will help them lose weight while loving every bite they eat.
Niche Marketing Strategy Examples: 3 Great Examples of Brands Who Rock Their Content Differentiation Factor
As they say, a picture paints a thousand words.
Let’s dive into three amazing brands and dissect why their content differentiation factors work.
Solves a problem in a unique way. The problem? Not having enough time to craft content that converts while growing a business.
Focuses on the audience. I know, they could have gone on and on about their history and accomplishments. The problem is, people don’t care. What they care about is the benefits they’ll get when they hire this company.
Showcases benefits over features. This CDF doesn’t explain what kind of content they’ll create, or dive into the credentials of the writers behind the content. It promises content that converts. And we all love conversions.
Another thing to note about Marketing Insider Group’s content differentiation factor is its clarity.
If you’re a veteran seeking an attorney to help you with your disability benefits, you know you’ll get:
Big savings. The firm doesn’t charge you when you ask help with an application. Simply call them, and they’ll answer all your questions for free.
A giant guarantee. With Woods and Woods, you have a win-win situation because you don’t pay unless you get your disability benefits.
Someone who understands you. Feeling frustrated, angry, and confused because your disability benefits are wrongly denied? With Woods and Woods, you have people who understand what you’re feeling.
Quality and experience. If you choose to hire their services, you can be sure of the best outcome for you.
From this content differentiation factor, you can see how well Woods and Woods defined their audience and built their CDF around them.
Niche Marketing Strategy: Why It’s No Longer What You Think
You’re sitting in your “brainstorming” room, wondering how you can reach a large audience and grow your brand.
You read blogs and pay for courses, and all they ever tell you is to “find your niche.”
But you feel in your gut that pulling out a piece of paper and listing, “30-year-olds, tech-savvy, American,” will only limit your growth and cut other people out.
The world is more connected today than it has ever been, meaning race, gender, and age no longer matter like they used to.
So instead of writing down demographics, write down how you will serve your ideal customer uniquely.
Your content differentiation factor.
With this, you’ll win more battles than you ever could with an old-fashioned niche marketing strategy.
