Rachel Moffett - Express Writers

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Customer-Centric Email Content with Kristen Dunleavy

December 31, 2020March 31, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Could your email marketing use a major boost? If so, you’re in luck! This week’s #ContentWritingChat was all about how to create customer-centric email content. Keep reading for the recap and be sure to apply these tips to your next email newsletter! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Customer-Centric Email Content with Kristen Dunleavy Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, March 28th at 10 AM Central with our guest host, @KristenWritesIt! pic.twitter.com/hsbFAHiknB — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 21, 2017 Our guest host this week was Kristen Dunleavy. Kristen frequently joins #ContentWritingChat as a participant, so we were excited to have her step in and guest host. As the Content Marketing Manager for Movable Ink, she had tons of great tips to share on email content. Q1: How do you define customer-centric email content? So, what exactly does customer-centric email content mean? To kick off this week’s chat, we asked our participants to share their definitions of it. Here’s what they had to say: A1a. Customer centric email content spotlights your customer & their interactions w/ your brand. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 28, 2017 A1b. This includes using customer testimonials, personalized content & always, always addressing their needs. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 28, 2017 Kristen said that customer-centric email content spotlights your customer and their interactions with your brand. While this may seem simple, it’s a great way to show your customers that you appreciate them. They’ll love it! To do this, focus on your customers by using testimonials, personalized content, and addressing their needs. A1 Make it ALL about them. Don’t sell till you’ve become their friend/built a relationship. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 28, 2017 Julia’s advice is to make your email content all about your customers. Don’t try to sell to them until you’ve built a relationship with them. After all, you need to build a level of trust first before they ever take that next step. A1:Customer-centric email content is email that a) provides value and b) speaks in a tone that your customer understands #contentwritingchat — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) March 28, 2017 Maureen said this kind of email content provides value and speaks in a tone that your customers understands. This is key to remember not just for creating email content, but also blog posts, social media posts, and much more. A1: email content should be useful for customers while keeping your ROI goals in mind. Be a help, not a bother. #contentwritingchat — Elizabeth Greenberg (@BettaBeYou) March 28, 2017 As Elizabeth said, it’s important to create email content that’s useful for your customers, but it should also help you reach your end goals. Know what you hope to achieve with each email you send and create the content that will help you get there. A1 Customer-centric email content addresses the key pain points of your audience. Instead of asking, it gives. #contentwritingchat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) March 28, 2017 Give, give, give! One thing to remember when creating email content is that you should give to your audience more than you ask of them. As Bill said, you can do this by addressing the key pain points your audience is facing. Q2: What are the benefits of creating customer-centric email content? Now that you know what customer-centric email content it is, you need to know the benefits it can provide to you. Here’s what some of the chat participants had to say: A2a. Spotlighting customers builds trust with your biggest fans – your email subscribers! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 28, 2017 Kristen knows that spotlighting your customers is a great way to build trust with your audience. Having a certain level of trust is key if you ever want to convert those subscribers into customers and this is a great way to go about it. A2 Customer-centric email content establishes trust and value, which produces higher open rates and click-through rates #contentwritingchat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) March 28, 2017 Bill agrees that it’s a great way to build trust with your audience. By adding value and having an audience that trusts you, you’ll see higher open rates and click-through rates. A2: Benefits of customer-centric email include trust, self-selection, tribe integration&satisfaction of a job well done. #contentwritingchat — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) March 28, 2017 Maureen said its benefits include: trust, self-selection, tribe integration, and the satisfaction of a job well done. @ExpWriters A2. Benefits are creating a community around your business and you make friends at the same time #ContentWritingChat — Cheval John (@chevd80) March 28, 2017 Cheval said it’s a great way to create a community around your business. It’s also essential to help you build a relationship with your subscribers. A2. Customer will feel special and will start the journey to become an advocate for your brand #contentwritingchat https://t.co/F9yVqUiMK8 — Vivek (@vivektweetsso) March 28, 2017 Customer-centric email content is one way to make your audience feel special. When they feel special, they’ll appreciate your brand even more. A2 Email is a much more personal form of communication. Use it to your advantage and cater to them! #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/U0BPtgXAlU — HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) March 28, 2017 Email is such a personal form of communication, so use that to your advantage. It’s an amazing way to connect with your audience. Q3: How is featuring your customers in your emails different from other mediums? Emails are just one place you can feature your customers. You can also do so on social media and your blog. But how is it different when it’s done through email? Check out these answers from the chat: A3. Email is super personal – therefore, your email content should feel personal too! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 28, 2017 As Kristen said, email is very personal so you should make your content feel that way as well. If people chose to let you into their inbox, you need to deliver content that speaks to them. A3: IMO, it feels like more of a 1:1 interaction … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing with Tara Clapper

December 31, 2020March 24, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

In our latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about storytelling and personal branding. If you’re ready to take your personal brand to the next level, this is the chat for you. Keep reading for the recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Using Storytelling & Other Tactics for Successful Personal Branding in Content Marketing TOMORROW: It’s another #ContentWritingChat at 10 AM Central! Join us as we chat storytelling and personal branding with @irishtara! pic.twitter.com/brJyiPBgrQ — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 21, 2017 Our guest host this week was one of our own team members, Tara Clapper. Tara is our talented Content Development Specialist. In this chat, she shared some helpful tips on personal branding that you’ll want to put to use for your own brand. Q1: What is personal branding and who needs to develop their own personal brand? To kick off the chat, we wanted to hear how our chat participants defined personal branding. We also wanted to know who they felt needs a personal brand. To find out what some of them said, check out these responses: A1: A personal brand is a curated (but hopefully genuine) expression of who you are, online and off. Everyone needs one. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Tara said your personal brand is an expression of who you are, both online and off. It should also be genuine. There’s no need to be fake, so keep it real and true to yourself. And as she said, everyone needs one! A1 If you’re in mktg/run a biz (even if it’s just a blog for now), YOU have a brand statement! Develop it = stand out. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 21, 2017 Great answer from Julia! She said if you’re in marketing or running a business, you have a brand. You need to develop that brand in order to stand out online. A1. Everyone has a personal brand! It’s just a matter of genuinely reflecting that brand to the outside world. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 21, 2017 Kristen agrees that everyone has a personal brand and that it’s all about reflecting that brand to the outside world. A1 Personal branding is important if you’re in a public-facing role at your company. You’re an extension of the brand. #contentwritingchat — Cristy (@lacristysalinas) March 21, 2017 Cristy brought up a great point for those who work as part of another company. If you have a public role within that company, you have to be careful about the image you put forth, as it reflects on the company as a whole. A1 Anyone who is serious about career development, digital marketing, or wants an online presence. #contentwritingchat — Chris Bell (@riskycontent) March 21, 2017 Chris feels anyone who is serious about career development, digital marketing, or who wants an online presence should be focused on personal branding. Q2: What are the key steps someone should take when developing their personal brand? Now that you know why personal branding is so important, you need to know what steps to take in order to develop a brand of your very own. Here’s some advice straight from Tuesday’s chat: A2: 1) Define brand; 2) Clear messaging on social media; 3) Consistency in branding; 4) Make it multi-faceted. #contentwritingchat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Great response from Tara! When developing your personal branding, you need to define your brand, have clear messaging on social media, consistency within your branding, and you should also make it multi-faceted. A2.#Branding: -Define purpose -Discover value -Develop voice (tone, personality) -Deliver message consistently#contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/2w31Z0C3am — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 Gabriela shared some helpful steps to ensure you effective craft your own personal branding. She recommends the following: define your purpose, discover the value you can provide, develop your voice, and deliver your message consistently. A2 a) define what you want to stand for (mission, MVP) b) develop into slogans, social handles c) logo + color palette! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 21, 2017 Julia’s advice is to start by defining what you want to stand for. You should create a mission statement for your brand so you and your audience know exactly what you represent. You can then develop that into slogans and share it on social media. Don’t forget to have a nice logo and color palette to create a great brand image as well. A2. Look at brands you admire, make a list of things you love about them. Use those keywords to shape your own brand. #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) March 21, 2017 Kristen knows you can learn a lot from other brands that are already established. Make a list of the brands you look up to and ask yourself why you love them so much. While you don’t want to copy them exactly, you can implement what you love about those brands into the creation of your own. A2: No matter what you do, be authentic. Being fake only hurts your brand. #ContentWritingChat — Cathy Iconis (@CathyIconis) March 21, 2017 This tweet is a very important reminder from Cathy. As she said, you need to be authentic in everything you do. Being fake will hurt your brand because people will see right through you. Q3: What is storytelling and how can brands use it to their advantage? You’ve likely heard all about storytelling by now, but what exactly is it? And how can brands use storytelling to their advantage? Check out these great tips from the chat: A3: At its core, storytelling is the TRUTH and the WHY behind your brand. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/PgPs6suHTR — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 21, 2017 Tara feels storytelling is the truth and the why behind your brand. A3/a: Storytelling = is using a narrative to give context to your message!!! #contentwritingchat — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 A3/b Storytelling + #branding makes content -memorable -relatable -builds trust -communicates brand tone/personality#contentwritingchat — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) March 21, 2017 Gabriela said storytelling is using a … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Project Management & Content Marketing with Brittany Berger

December 31, 2020March 17, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

In the latest #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about project management and content marketing. If you want to learn some tips that will take your project management workflow to the next level, this chat is sure to help you out. Keep reading for the recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Project Management & Content Marketing: How to Have a Fluid Content Project Management Workflow with Brittany Berger Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, March 14th at 10 AM CST with @thatbberg! pic.twitter.com/KeHfYWg3lc — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 7, 2017 Our guest host this week was Brittany Berger. Brittany is a PR and Content Marketing Manager for Mention. She shared a ton of great advice with us, so be prepared to take some notes! Q1: Why is project management important for content marketing? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share their thoughts on why they though project management played an important role in content marketing. Here are some of the answers we received during the chat: A1: Content mktg involves so many different assets at every stage of the funnel that there’s just SOO many moving parts #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Berger ✨ (@thatbberg) March 14, 2017 A1. There are tons of opportunities for things to fall through the cracks or content to become misaligned w/ its goal. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Berger ✨ (@thatbberg) March 14, 2017 Brittany acknowledges there are many different moving parts when it comes to content marketing. For this reason, there’s always the possibility something could fall through the cracks or your content could become misaligned with the goal. With a project management strategy in place, you can keep everything working as it should be. A1: It’s important for ANY projects, because it keeps everyone aligned timewise + keeps you accountable for every step.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/7IyJIIlTFg — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 14, 2017 As Sarah said, project management helps to keep everyone aligned when it comes to timing. You want to ensure everything gets done on time and that people are meeting deadlines. Having a strategy in place will help you make that happen! A1: Project Management allows for consistently met deadlines; as well as executable plans that keep goals realistic. #contentwritingchat — Mallorie Cloum (@malocloum) March 14, 2017 Mallorie agrees that it’s essential for consistently meeting deadlines. It gives you the opportunity to set goals and create plans to help you achieve what needs to be done. A1. I think it helps you keep your content aligned, on time and on (under) budget. And it keeps the overwhelm at bay. #ContentWritingChat — Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) March 14, 2017 Benefits of project management: it keeps your content aligned, keeps you on or under budget, and keeps overwhelm at bay. A1 Last year: organization went DOWN while content creation went up (CMI). A strong content PM workflow = more success. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 14, 2017 As if you needed more reason to create a strong content project management workflow for your brand… Julia mentioned it’s key to success. A1 without project management content marketing is chaos. Control it, don’t let it control you. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/N7jcuHVJwn — Cassandra Schwartz ⭐ (@MWestMillennial) March 14, 2017 Without project management, Cassandra said content marketing becomes chaos. And you don’t want that, do you? Q2: What does content project management entail? Now that you know what project management is important to your content marketing, what exactly does it entail? Check out these responses from the chat: A2 Content project management entails planning, organizing, and executing the different parts & content for a campaign #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Berger ✨ (@thatbberg) March 14, 2017 Brittany said content project management entails planning, organizing, and executing. A2 Structuring calendars, setting quantity, & deadline structure. Staying on top of the creation process + ppl involved #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 14, 2017 Structuring calendars, setting quantity, and deadline structure all are important aspects of project management. Julia also said you need to stay on top of the creation process and everyone involved. A2: 1) have a goal, 2) figure out timeline/bandwidth, 3) scheduling/calendar, 4) execution 5) keep all members on track#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/x3oP62P3wi — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 14, 2017 Sarah said you need to have a goal, figure out your timeline, schedule and plan with your calendar, execute, and make sure you keep all team members on track. A2: Content PM is essentially orchestration. You need to organize the who / what / when to get that piece completed #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/JZqY4ccNkY — Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) March 14, 2017 You need to organized the who, what, and when of each of the content pieces you create. A2 A #Content calendar, contributors, important dates & events, deadlines, targeting,& monitoring. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/hsLl5vdcx6 — Varun Kumar ? (@DigitalVK) March 14, 2017 Varun said you need to create your content calendar, know who will be contributing, important dates and events, deadlines you need to meet, as well as targeting and monitoring. A2 Determine your budget, plan your campaign, delegate tasks based on team strength, and let the hunger games begin #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/K6TRmZ0UCw — HeyOrca! (@HeyOrca) March 14, 2017 Know your budget, plan out your campaign, delegate tasks based on the strengths of your team members, and get started! Great advice! A2. Having a solid editorial calendar, complete with accountabilities and deadlines. Even if it’s you doing everything. #ContentWritingChat — Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) March 14, 2017 Brittany brought up a solid point for those of who are working solo. Just because you don’t have a team behind you, it doesn’t mean you can take advantage of project management. You should still have a great editorial calendar and assign deadlines to hold yourself accountable. Q3: What tools are the best for content teams to stay organized? The great news is, there are a ton of tools out there that can make project management a lot easier. We received some great suggestions in response to this question, so be sure to check these out if you haven’t already! A3 Tools to … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Content Marketing Strategy 101 with Doug Kessler

December 31, 2020March 10, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

It’s no secret that every brand needs to have an effective content marketing strategy if they want to see results within their business. However, many brands feel unsure of how to get started when creating a strategy of their own. This week’s #ContentWritingChat was all about the basics of creating a content marketing strategy, so there’s no more excuses. You can get started on yours today! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Content Marketing Strategy 101 with Doug Kessler Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, March 7th at 10 AM CST with @dougkessler! pic.twitter.com/PdfmUbT1ec — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 28, 2017 For this Tuesday’s #ContentWritingChat, our guest host was Doug Kessler. Doug is the is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Velocity. He shared some great insights with our audience about content marketing, so you’ll want to read through these tips and start implementing them. Q1: Discuss the importance of content marketing for brands in 2017. So, how important is it for a brand to develop their own content marketing strategy? And what kind of results will it provide once they have? Check out these tips from Tuesday’s chat: A1 Content marketing has gone from niche tactic to mainstream strategy. #ContentWritingChat — Doug Kessler (@dougkessler) March 7, 2017 Doug said that content marketing has turned into a mainstream strategy. A1 Content marketing is the lifeblood, breath, heartbeat of great brand marketing. Check out these #stats. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/4Df0vU1fwN — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 7, 2017 Julia knows just how important your content marketing strategy is when it comes to marketing. The stats she shared are pretty impressive! A1: Content marketing isn’t optional anymore. It’s expected. You’ll build an interested audience + thought leadership #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/G4lPT2jA54 — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) March 7, 2017 As Annaliese said, content marketing has become expected of brands. She feels it helps you to build an interested audience and can establish you as a thought leader in your industry. @ExpWriters A1: Content marketing is crucial to build relationships with customers which will lead to more brand loyalty #ContentWritingChat — LAVIDGE (@lavidgeco) March 7, 2017 Content marketing can help you build relationships with your customers, which can ultimately lead to more brand loyalty. You’ll see these kinds of results when you do your content marketing strategy the right way. A1: Content marketing is now quintessential. It establishes trust and value for your clients above most other things #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/bvPkP8WLfQ — Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) March 7, 2017 The Digital Natives team said it’s key for establishing trust and adding value for your clients. Q2: What’s the first major step(s) of a solid content marketing strategy for any business/industry? When creating a content marketing strategy for your brand, there are a few steps you’ll have to take in the early phases. Here’s what you need to know in order to get started: A2 1st step: know your audience. Inside out. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/YbGww9u2in — Doug Kessler (@dougkessler) March 7, 2017 Doug said that the first step to creating a content marketing strategy is getting to know your audience. If you don’t know who your audience is, you can’t create the right kind of content to attract them. A2: Research. Understanding who you are, who you audience is, and how that works together = Success. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/rQfZUXgDHK — Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) March 7, 2017 To get to know your audience, you’ll need to do some research. It may be time-consuming, but it’s a must before you can get started with anything. A2: Knowing your goals and knowing your AUDIENCE. THEN you can plan on how to get them to connect. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/hmUx0XsQ0U — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) March 7, 2017 Know your goals and who your audience is. Once you’ve figured out those two things, you can start planning how you’ll connect with them and what kind of content you’ll create. A2: Have a SMART goal that will help guide your strategy development. Without a goal, you can’t have a path. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/9ZJZAne4nZ — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) March 7, 2017 Annaliese agrees that it’s important to set goals before you begin creating your strategy. A2) Customer journey mapping. What plan does each piece of your content serve for your audience AND your brand? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/L7Dcb0xTZ0 — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) March 7, 2017 Take the time to map out the journey you expect a customer to take. This is very beneficial to your success! A2 Start by listing your business objectives and your audience’s needs/desires. Where they overlap is key. #contentwritingchat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) March 7, 2017 Bill’s advice is to list out your business objectives and the needs of your audience. This will help you start planning. A2 Understand why your audience is coming to you as a brand, find ways they like to read/access content and deliver!! #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/MnkGEPtg8f — Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) March 7, 2017 Tony recommends finding ways your audience likes to read and access content. Once you’ve figured that out, you can create exactly the type of content they’re looking for. Q3: Content marketing vs. traditional marketing (i.e., TV spot): Your thoughts? Is one higher ROI? Today’s brands still invest in traditional marketing as part of their content marketing strategy. There’s no shortage of ads on television. But is it really the most effective tactic or is content marketing the way to go? Here’s what our chat participants had to say: A3 CM = higher ROI. I explored #contentmarketing vs. a #superbowl ad a few weeks ago: https://t.co/nb3JBZeUGZ #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/90fNzMzfmP — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 7, 2017 Julia shared a link to her post that showed just how effective content marketing can be when compared to a Super Bowl ad. A3: All depends on who your audience is. Find your customer base, get the word out wherever their eyes are. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/ajLDgJywlo — Kevin Breindel (@KevinBreindel) March 7, 2017 Kevin’s advice is to figure out who your audience is and where they’re spending their time. Once you know that, you’ll be able to create content and put … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Twitter Strategies for a Great Brand Presence with Becky Shindell

December 31, 2020March 3, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

You might think Twitter is a dying platform, but we’re about to prove you wrong with our latest #ContentWritingChat. This week, we covered all the best strategies to help you grow your audience and establish a great brand presence on Twitter. If you’re ready to step up your game on Twitter, dive into this recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Twitter Strategies for a Great Brand Presence with Becky Shindell Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, February 28th at 10 AM CST with @BeckyShindell from @semrush! pic.twitter.com/RUXJY3pTin — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 21, 2017 Our guest host this week was Becky Shindell. She’s a Social Media Manager for one of our favorite tools, SEMrush. Plus, she works behind the scenes on their Twitter chat, #semrushchat. So, it’s no surprise that Becky is pretty knowledgeable on Twitter and we were excited to have her join us and share some of her best advice. Q1: How can a brand determine if Twitter is a worthwhile platform to be on? With all the social media platforms available today, it can be hard to decide which ones are worth your time. If you’re wondering if Twitter is really the right place for your brand to be, we have some advice that will make the decision a little easier. A1. Identify your goals! If your customer service is lacking, Twitter helps & gives your customers direct communication #contentwritingchat — Becky (@BeckyShindell) February 28, 2017 Becky recommends considering the goals you have for your brand. She knows that Twitter is a powerful platform for customer service. That could be a key way that you use it to serve your customers. A1 Rule #1, exist where your audience exists. If your target client/reader demographic hangs out on Twitter, be there! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 28, 2017 Julia knows it’s important to be where your audience is. Find out if they’re spending their time on Twitter and if they are… You need to be there too! A1: Do the research: It’s not only if your audience is there – are they ACTIVE on Twitter? Are they seeking you out? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/qWM3oyX9x8 — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) February 28, 2017 As Annaliese said, make sure your target audience is actually active on the platform. If they’re signed up, but not using it, then it won’t do you any good. You want to make sure your audience is there and already engaged. A1) Through audience & demographic research. Does your core audience have a presence on Twitter? If so, it’s worthwhile. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/2wR8TNkz0P — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) February 28, 2017 Research, research, research! You’re going to have to do a little digging to find out where your audience is most active online, but it’ll pay off in the end. A1. Is your community on Twitter? Is there already a conversation around your niche? Then, yes! #contentwritingchat — Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) February 28, 2017 Is your community on Twitter? Is there already a conversation around your niche happening there? If so, Kristen says Twitter is worth your time. A1: Ask if your audience is on Twitter. Your social media plan should be based on where your audience is. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) February 28, 2017 If you aren’t sure if your audience is on Twitter, don’t be afraid to ask them. You can create a survey and ask for responses to find out which platforms they’re most active on. As Lexie said, your social media strategy is all about being where your audience is. A1 Twitter isn’t a pay-to-play social channel, so there’s an opportunity to reach a lot of people. Plus, it’s fun! #contentwritingchat — Cristy (@lacristysalinas) February 28, 2017 Another thing to take into consideration is how Twitter actually works. As Cristy said, it’s not a pay-to-play platform like Facebook as become. Twitter is appealing to so many brands for that reason because they don’t worry about a large portion of their followers never seeing their posts. Q2: What types of content perform well on Twitter, thus encouraging clicks and shares? Once you’ve decided to invest your time into using Twitter, you want to make sure you’re posting great content. And we all want clicks and shares, right? These tips will help you create irresistible content your audience will enjoy. A2. Tweets with images perform best, hands down. Esp. ones with original images! Visual content is ? to your strategy #contentwritingchat — Becky (@BeckyShindell) February 28, 2017 As Becky said, great visuals are key to getting your content noticed on Twitter. An eye-catching image will get people to stop as they’re scrolling through their feeds. Create something that’s going to grab their attention and appeal to them if you want to earn those clicks and shares. @writingchat A2 Visuals that captivate with copy that enriches the audiences experience online. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/cPVjAlaE29 — Vishal Rose? (@Vishal_Rose) February 28, 2017 Vishal knows that pairing captivating visuals with amazing copy is the formula for a perfect tweet. A2: Including visuals helps you break through the clutter and drive clicks! Always add photo, gif, or vid to content! #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/sJEqQTcSgt — Jessy Herman (@jessyh2609) February 28, 2017 Jessy said it best when she mentioned a great visual can help you break through the clutter. Social media feeds are busy these days and you need a way to stand out. Photos, GIFs, and videos can help you do that. A2: The good kinds 🙂 i.e. the kind that resonates with YOUR audience. Helpful/relevant/timely/pretty & beneficial!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/AhRZzbekFU — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) February 28, 2017 It’s also important to consider what resonates with your audience. What works for one brand might not work for you and vice versa. Don’t be afraid to test ideas to see what your audience responds well to and what they aren’t digging. Sarah said to make sure everything is helpful, relevant, timely, pretty, and beneficial. A2 this depends on your audience. Gifs and images help me, but for another brand it might be simply adding snark. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/XyUkSNrjPG — Cassandra Schwartz … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: The Benefits of an Editorial Calendar for Your Content & How to Create One with Nathan Ellering

December 31, 2020February 24, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Editorial calendars are an essential part of any content creator’s life. They keep you organized and allow you to strategically plan your content (whether that’s blog posts, videos, social media content, etc.) for maximum results. In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we talked all about the benefits of having an editorial calendar, plus a few tips on how to create one of your own. If you missed the chat, there’s no need to worry because we have a recap that’s filled with amazing tips. Let’s dive in! #ContentWritingChat Recap: The Benefits of an Editorial Calendar for Your Content & How to Create One with Nathan Ellering Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, February 21st with @njellering from @CoSchedule! pic.twitter.com/XPRABeY6Tb — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 14, 2017 Our guest host this week was Nathan Ellering. Nathan is a strategist, a content marketer, and a blogger. He’s also part of the CoSchedule team, making him a great fit for this week’s chat on editorial calendars. CoSchedule is a go-to app for planning your marketing, blog, and social media content, so we were thrilled to have Nathan with us to share his best tips! Q1: What is an editorial calendar and why are they beneficial for content creators? To kick things off, we asked our audience to describe what an editorial calendar is. We also wanted to hear why they felt having an editorial calendar was beneficial to their content creation. Here’s what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat had to say: A1 Editorial calendars help you see everything you’re working on in 1 place! They save time and reduce stress. ? #ContentWritingChat — Nathan Ellering (@njellering) February 21, 2017 As Nathan said, having an editorial calendar allows you to see all of your planned content in one place. It can help save you time and reduce stress when everything is planned out and displayed in a neat way. A1: An editorial calendar is one you create to lay out content marketing strategies–including writing, promotion, etc #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/6RvgOWERr7 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) February 21, 2017 An editorial calendar allows you to plan out your content marketing strategies. You can organize any written content, promotional material that’s going out, etc. A1 Ed cals are part of an overall content strategy and help to plan content that helps reach overall goals. #contentwritingchat — Cristy (@lacristysalinas) February 21, 2017 Cristy knows it’s important to create content that helps you reach your overall goals. Having an editorial calendar is very helpful for this because you can take the time to be strategic about the content you’re creating. A1 An Ed Cal is a content plan that maps out your campaigns, etc. & helps prioritize. Should be accessible by everyone. #contentwritingchat — Michelle (@michelletweet) February 21, 2017 You should also use your editorial calendar to map out the campaigns you’re running, as well as any other content you’re creating. As Michelle said, it needs to be accessible by everyone. If you have others on your team who are involved in content, they need access to your calendar. A1b: When you plan your content in advance, it eliminates the last-minute stress of coming up with ideas. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/UrahNdRPMI — Rachel (@redheadrachel) February 21, 2017 And when you’ve planned in advance, it eliminates that stress of having to come up with ideas at the last-minute. Q2: What kinds of content should someone plan using an editorial calendar? So, now that you know what an editorial calendar is and how it can benefit you, what should you plan? Check out this advice from the chat: A2 Plan all marketing projects with your editorial calendar to stay organized! Social media, blog posts, email, etc. #ContentWritingChat — Nathan Ellering (@njellering) February 21, 2017 Nathan’s advice is to plan all of your marketing projects with your editorial calendar. He recommends planning out your social media content, blog posts, email newsletters, and more. There’s no reason not to plan all the content you’re creating in order to stay organized. A2 blog posts, social media posts, projects, basically every piece of content you create. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/aKIOeDXqqS — Savannah Shea?Blake (@Vannasana) February 21, 2017 Savannah encourages you to plan everything with your editorial calendar! We happen to agree with her. It’s the best way to stay on track with all of your content creation. A2: All content, but especially time-sensitive content. Think content relating to events and holidays! #ContentWritingChat — Mallie Rust (@malliefe2o3) February 21, 2017 Mallie knows that it’s essential to use your editorial calendar as an opportunity to create content around events and holidays. These are key times for content creation and you’ll need to plan in advance if you want to share something great. A2 All the content you want to be effective. Be flexible for emergencies, but strategy is what makes content, marketing. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/ZlrunhUKPJ — Lex (@estherproject) February 21, 2017 As Lex mentioned, don’t forget to be flexible when planning. If something comes up at the last minute and you want to create a piece of content around it, that’s fine. Be willing to adapt when it comes to the latest news, feedback from your audience, etc. Q3: How far in advance would you recommend someone plan their content with an editorial calendar? Is it possible to plan content too far in advance? Is there a sweet spot for planning? Based on the answers we received, it seems like everyone has their own preference! Check out these responses: A3: Plan high level 6 months out, plot ideas for 3 months out, aim to have 100% content complete for 1 month out. #ContentWritingChat — Nathan Ellering (@njellering) February 21, 2017 Nathan has a very effective plan in place for his editorial calendar. He recommends planning high-level stuff six months out, plotting ideas three months out, and then aiming to have all of your content completed for one month out. It may sound like a lot, but it’s a great way to organize your entire content creation process. A3: Depends on the business goals; in … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Blogging for ROI in 2017: Where to Blog, SEO, and Writing Strategies with Julia McCoy

June 19, 2024February 17, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Are you curious about blogging for ROI in 2017? That’s what we covered in our latest round of #ContentWritingChat! And if you missed out, you’re in luck because we’ve created a recap for you and it’s filled with awesome tips. Keep reading to check it out! Blogging for ROI in 2017: Where to Blog, SEO, and Writing Strategies with Julia McCoy Join us for #ContentWritingChat TOMORROW at 10 AM CST! Our CEO, @JuliaEMcCoy, will be guest hosting! pic.twitter.com/h8rYfvYvX8 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 14, 2017 For this week’s chat, our very own CEO stepped in to guest host. Julia McCoy shared her expertise on blogging for ROI in 2017 and offered some amazing tips for writing, SEO, and where you should be blogging this year. We covered some of the key topics to help you succeed as a blogger this year, so make sure you read through them and start implementing this advice for yourself! Q1: For those that aren’t convinced, why is blogging still so important for brands? The reality is, many brands still aren’t convinced that blogging is worth their time. They don’t realize the value that it can provide to their audience and their brand overall. So, let’s convince them why they should be blogging! Here are just some reasons blogging is important for brands: A1 Consistent blogging is a WINNER. This graph shows us outranking million $+ funded competitors, solely from blogging. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/saEk6raPvF — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 14, 2017 A1 Just a few awesome stats on why every brand should blog. (from https://t.co/l6E0VrwJlI) #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/3Bey4oIe5z — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 14, 2017 Julia knows that blogging is a must for brands! She even shared some pretty impressive data that backs it up. The graph above shows Express Writers outranking major competitors solely from blogging. She also shared some stats that are sure to convince you of the importance of starting your own blog this year. A1: Blogging is a lead generation opportunity. It’s how you can build influence, which draws in an interested audience. #contentwritingchat — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) February 14, 2017 As Annaliese said, blogging is a lead generation opportunity. So many people will stumble upon your blog and want to do business with you because of the content you share. She also said blogging helps you build influence, which is key to drawing in your audience. A1) It’s a way to establish an authentic, authoritative voice that YOU control. Your thoughts, your words…it’s genuine #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CsGRfImgTN — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) February 14, 2017 Jason knows that blogging is a powerful way to establish an authentic, authoritative voice. Your blog is your place to share your thoughts with your audience. A1: Blogging is a great way to show your expertise to the industry. It also helps you connect with your audience. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) February 14, 2017 Blogging is an opportunity to show off your expertise to your industry, but also to your audience. It’s a great way to connect with your audience and to start building a relationship with them. A1: Blogging is important because it allows brands to expand their audience, share more information, and establish voice #ContentWritingChat — Josh Lawson (@JoshKLawson) February 14, 2017 To put it simply, blogging is an opportunity to expand your audience, share quality information with readers, and can help you establish your voice as a brand. A1. Social media is just rented properties while your blog is your real estate #contentwritingchat — Cheval John (@chevd80) February 14, 2017 Cheval’s advice is important to keep in mind. Social media is like rented property when you think about it. You don’t own the platform, nor can you count on it to always be around. If a social media platform shuts down, you’re going to lose your followers and everything you’ve worked so hard to build (unless you’ve successfully converted them to readers, subscribers, and customers). Your blog, however, is one place that you truly own and are in control of. Q2: Where should you blog this year besides your own website? Discuss how to find the right platforms. While blogging on your own website is great, blogging on other sites can provide major results. There are a lot of benefits to guest blogging, but it’s all about choosing the right places to post if you want to make it work for your brand. Keep these tips in mind: A2 Create a target persona then study the publications they share. THAT’S where you want to blog https://t.co/FBSVmRvRxb #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/cRvVTrCOk0 — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) February 14, 2017 Julia recommends creating a target persona for your audience so you know what they’re like. You can figure out their demographics and also what sites they’re reading on the web. That’s where you should be sharing your content! Check out the blog post she linked for more information on creating your own target persona. A2: Guest blog on the websites YOUR audience is reading. Find out where they spend their time online and BE THERE. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@redheadrachel) February 14, 2017 The key to choosing the sites to guest blog on is figuring out where your audience spends their time online. You want to post on the sites that your target audiences reads so they’ll discover you and head over to your website. A2) Find popular blogs within your wheelhouse & be a guest blogger. That exposes your content to a broader audience #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/5vB7ffeUe4 — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) February 14, 2017 Jason also knows the importance of finding the popular blogs in your wheelhouse and guest posting there. It’s the best way for you to reach your target audience and hopefully make them a fan of your brand. A2 Industry specific forums, Guest blog on Authority sites, Quora, Reddit, #LinkedIn are few great places #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/8bhBiI9RFQ — Varun Kumar ? (@DigitalVK) February 14, 2017 Varun recommends posting on forums that are specific to your industry, guest blogging on authority websites, and also using platforms … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Content That Builds Community & Generates Leads with Kathleen Burns

December 31, 2020February 3, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Did you catch #ContentWritingChat this week? If not, there’s no need to worry! We have a recap of our latest chat and it’s filled with amazing tips to help you take your content to the next level. If you’re ready to learn how to create content that builds community and generates leads, keep reading! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Content That Builds Community & Generates Leads with Kathleen Burns Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, January 31st at 10 AM CST with @katbu! pic.twitter.com/AnoEdAtpm2 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 24, 2017 For this week’s chat, we were joined by Kathleen Burns. Kathleen is the Community Manager the United States Blog Editor for our friends over at SEMrush. She joined us to share her tips on creating content that not only builds community for your brand, but also helps you generate leads. Q1: How can you create content that appeals to your audience? What steps do you need to take? One key element in creating successful content for your brand is appealing directly to the people you’re trying to reach. Without creating the content that speaks directly to them, you’re going to wind up attracting all the wrong people or worse… No one at all! Here’s what you need to know about creating content your audience will love: A1a: Talk and listen! Learn questions/issues by reading reviews, forums, blog comments. Develop reader personas! #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/XOhp0XjGw9 — Kathleen Burns (@katbu) January 31, 2017 A1b: Content must answer what’s in it for them. Talk about how you can address their pain points and get to it fast #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/tzgmuzKIcc — Kathleen Burns (@katbu) January 31, 2017 As Kathleen said, the first step in creating content that appeals to your audience is talking to them and listening to what they have to say. You can learn so much about the questions they have and the issues they’re facing by just asking them. Reviews, posts on online forums, and comments on your blog are also great sources of feedback from your audience. She recommends creating a reader persona so you know exactly who you’re writing for. It always helps to address your audience’s key pain points. Not only will they appreciate it, but it’s the best way to provide tremendous value to them. They’ll want to keep coming back for more and more after that. A1 ? Listen to your audience first! Just like in a real life relationship, you can’t get to know someone w/o listening. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/6s5BpYdC0g — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) January 31, 2017 Julia agrees! Listening is key to getting to know your audience and understanding their needs. Treat it like a real life relationship and start making those connections through conversations and listening to what others have to say. A1 – Step one is always the same: Know your audience. I mean KNOW them. Know what they care about and motivates them #contentwritingchat — James Ellis (@thewarfortalent) January 31, 2017 James said step one is always to know your audience. Without truly knowing who you’re trying to reach with your content, you aren’t able to create the content that will speak to them. Get to know and understand your audience before you move forward with creating blog posts and social media content. A1a: Know your audience. What are they talking about, what have they liked of your content so far? #ContentWritingChat — Kristi Kenyon (@kkenyon86) January 31, 2017 Kristi agrees that knowing your audience is the first step to content creation. She suggests determining what they’re talking about, but also what they have liked of your content so far. For example, see what your most popular blog posts are because it’s likely a good indicator that your audience would love to see more content that’s similar. A1 Understand your audience, first and foremost. If you’re not learning their preferences and pain points, it’s like… #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/NJHZ5r6w22 — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) January 31, 2017 Bill’s advice is to learn the preferences of your audience as well as their pain points. When you know they’re preferences, you can determine what content formats they like the most and which topics are their favorites. Understanding their pain points gives you the opportunity to solve their biggest struggles. A1 Understand your audience. That means get out and talk to them. Ask what they need, where they struggle and then serve #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/uh6AScoVuj — Cassandra Schwartz ⭐ (@MWestMillennial) January 31, 2017 Cassandra’s advice is spot on. If you want to get to know your audience, it helps to get out and actually talk to them. Strike up a conversation in your blog’s comments, on social media, or within your email newsletter. The options are endless. Figure out what they need and what they’re struggling with and then deliver exactly what they need. @ExpWriters A1: Understand their problems, desires, or wants. Know what they are looking for and answer how you can provide it #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/N2JMRjS5QA — Jacob Rouser (@J_Rouser) January 31, 2017 As Jacob said, you want to understand the problems, desires, and wants of your audience. Once you have that figured out, you can create the content they need the most. Q2: Why is it important to set goals for your content? Discuss goals to set for community building and lead generation. The content you create should always serve a purpose, whether it’s a blog post, a video, a podcast, or something else. In order to determine if you achieved what you set out to do, you need to set goals that you can actually measure and track. Here’s what some of the participants in Tuesday’s chat said about setting content goals: A2: Content goals provide direction and depth for content dev. Make it measurable. Define success. Align to biz goals #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/7jWZA2j0CS — Kathleen Burns (@katbu) January 31, 2017 Kathleen said content goals provide direction and depth for content development. Here advice is to make your goals something measurable and define what a successful piece of content means for you. That could be … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Successful Content Creation and Marketing in 2017 with Don Purdum

December 31, 2020January 27, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Did you catch our latest #ContentWritingChat over on Twitter? If not, you missed one informative chat! We talked all about successful content creation to help you prepare for the year ahead. If you missed out or you need a refresher on all those amazing tips, this recap is for you! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Successful Content Creation and Marketing in 2017 with Don Purdum Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, January 24th at 10 AM CST with @donpurdum! pic.twitter.com/0Rm2dGgGCT — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 17, 2017 For this week’s chat, our guest host was Don Purdum. Don is an award-winning blogger and a marketing consultant. He joined us to share his top content creation and marketing tips so you can put them to use for your brand this year. Q1: Why is it vital to have a relevant message for your audience, especially in 2017? It’s so important, now more than ever, to make sure you’re sharing a message that’s relevant to your audience. But do you know why? We’ve got the answer, courtesy of our chat participants! A1: #1 – Relevance determines how they experience you based on their problems, needs, wants or desires. #contentwritingchat — Don Purdum (@donpurdum) January 24, 2017 A1 – #2 If your content is all about you, what incentive does your audience have to read, comment, share or link? #contentwritingchat — Don Purdum (@donpurdum) January 24, 2017 Don said that relevance determines how your audience experiences you based on their problems, needs, wants, or desires. He also brought up a great point that your content shouldn’t be all about you. It needs to provide some sort of incentive to your audience to get them read, comment, share, and link to you. A1) How else will your audience resonate with your message? Connect w/ them & show you understand their needs. #Empathy #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/IW451TXr6b — Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) January 24, 2017 As Jason said, without a relevant message, your audience won’t resonate with you. You have to develop a connection with them and understand their needs. A1 – Talking to everyone = talking to no one. Know thy audience (like you went to camp together) #ContentWritingChat — James Ellis (@thewarfortalent) January 24, 2017 Jason pointed out that talking to everyone is essentially talking to no one. You aren’t going to attract your ideal audience if you aren’t directly speaking to them and addressing their needs. @ExpWriters A1: Relevancy is the first step in standing out in an already crowded space. If it isn’t relevant, it won’t be read #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/xWE0dEBxCN — Jacob Rouser (@J_Rouser) January 24, 2017 A relevant message is going to help you stand out in an otherwise crowded online space. Jacob said you need to produce a relevant message if you want your content to be read. A1 there’s so much noise & limited ⏰ to consume it all. A clear message helps us to decide if the content is worth our⏰ #contentwritingchat https://t.co/I5UWms6fgM — Savannah Shea Blake (@Vannasana) January 24, 2017 As Savannah said, there’s a lot of noise online today. We have to be wise about what we choose to consume. When you provide a clear message to your audience, it will help them easily decide if your content is right for them and worth their time. A1 Relevant content = winning content! Content that your readers/audience will LOVE, & shake their heads “YES” about! #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/QtdzMkQ1HG — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) January 24, 2017 Our CEO, Julia, is spot on with her answer. Relevant content = winning content! You want to create the content your audience will love. Q2: Define giving value in content marketing. How do I know if my audience receives it? We know it’s important to give our audience tremendous value in the content we create, but what does that actually mean? And how can you tell if your audience has received value? Here’s what you need to know: A2 – I define value as solving one problem, meeting one need, or fulfilling one desire, for one person. #contentwritingchat — Don Purdum (@donpurdum) January 24, 2017 A2 – Audience receives it when you start seeing social indicators like large shares or links, comments… #contentwritingchat — Don Purdum (@donpurdum) January 24, 2017 For Don, he feels that providing value is when you can solve a problem your audience is facing or meeting one of their needs. He also said that you can tell your audience has received value when you notice things like social media shares, links to your content, and comments. Value in #contentmarketing means you are giving your audience information that is useful to them in one way or another. #ContentWritingChat — Christoph Trappe (@CTrappe) January 24, 2017 Christoph said that you provide value to your audience when you give them content that is useful in some way. A2 Content value = when you research, write, create the BEST answer to your audience’s questions. ?? You’ll see return. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) January 24, 2017 Julia knows that when you research, write, and create the best answer to your audience’s questions, you provide tremendous value. A2: You provide value by knowing your audience and what they need/want. You know they “got” it when actions happen!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/7dJLxjhhwq — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) January 24, 2017 Sarah from ThinkSEM said you can provide value to your audience by knowing what they need and want and delivering on it. When you see them taking action, that’s when you know they’ve received the value you aimed to provide. A2 Are you speaking to their needs? Are they giving you their attention? Reading, commenting, buying, coming back? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/ZCzWVbCTml — Zala Bricelj (@ZalkaB) January 24, 2017 Zala brought up some great questions you can ask yourself to determine if you’re providing value. Are you speaking to the needs of your audience? Are they giving you their attention? Are they actually reading your content, leaving comments, buying what you’re offering, or coming back for more? A2 Engagement tells you. And ultimately conversions. … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Brand Social Media Content that Stands Out in 2017 with Jessie Simms

December 31, 2020January 20, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Did you catch #ContentWritingChat this past Tuesday? We talked all about how to creating social media content in 2017 and the chat was filled with amazing tips that will turn you into a social media sensation. Check it out in our recap and start putting these tips to use for yourself! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Create Brand Social Media Content that Stands Out in 2017 with Jessie Simms Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, January 17th at 10 AM CST with @JSimmsSocial! pic.twitter.com/hgbLEQvJEV — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) January 10, 2017 This week, our guest host was Jessie Simms. Jessie is a Social Media Specialist at Page 1 Solutions and assists with their bi-weekly Twitter chat, #Page1Chat. She joined us to share her knowledge on creating social media content for brands so that you can stand out on the platforms you use this year. Q1: Which social media platforms are important to be on in 2017? With so many social media platforms available to us today, it can be hard to choose which ones you should invest your time in. To help you out, check out these suggestions for which platforms you should be using this year: A1: You have to be where your audience is, but I think if it makes sense for your brand Snapchat & live video. #contentwritingchat https://t.co/BlYNcbWF5s — Jessie Simms (@JSimmsSocial) January 17, 2017 As Jessie said, you need to be where your audience is That’s always the number one priority when deciding which social media platforms are worth your time. She said that if Snapchat and live video make sense for your brand, they’re worth trying out. So, figure out if your audience is using Snapchat or if they’re tuning into live video broadcasts. If they are, give it a go! A1: My standard answer: whichever ones your audience frequents and is ready to convert on 🙂#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Y2Ge2sUVWM — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) January 17, 2017 Sarah from ThinkSEM agrees with Jessie’s advice. Figure out where your audience is and where you are getting the best results with your content. That will give you an idea of which platforms work the best for you and your brand. A1 Standard answer: Depends. Where is your target audience? Which platform makes most sense for your content and goals? #contentwritingchat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) January 17, 2017 This is great advice from Bill. Find out where your audience spends their time, but also consider which platforms make the most sense for your content and the goals you’re trying to achieve. It’s all about finding the platforms that for YOU and that might not be the same as what someone else is using. A1 My top 3: Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) January 17, 2017 Our CEO, Julia, said her top three platforms are Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Not only should you consider where your audience is spending their time, but it’s also a good idea to choose the platforms that you enjoy creating content for. A1: One social media platform to be on in 2017 is Instagram. Instagram Stories and Live are just going to GROW! #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@redheadrachel) January 17, 2017 Instagram is a great platform to be on this year. If you already have a presence there, now is the time to step it up by using Instagram Stories and Instagram Live. These newer features are key ways to connect with your audience this year. A1: Instagram and Snapchat, along with Facebook for FB Live. Video will be big in 2017! #ContentWritingChat — Kristi Kenyon (@kkenyon86) January 17, 2017 Kristi knows that video is going to be big in 2017, as it has been for the past few years. Video content provides a powerful way to connect and develop a relationship with your audience, so now is the time to use it. She recommends using Instagram and Snapchat, plus Facebook Live. A1: Be on the platforms your audience uses regularly. Don’t try to force a channel to work for you. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/0wRMt9NY4U — Cassandra Schwartz ⭐ (@MWestMillennial) January 17, 2017 If you find that a platform just isn’t working for you, there’s no need to force it. Every social media platform won’t work for every brand. So, if you’re not getting the results you were hoping for, try switching up your strategy first. If that doesn’t work, it’s time to part ways. There’s no point in investing time and energy into a platform that just doesn’t click for you. Q2: How can you figure out exactly what your audience wants to see on your social media profiles? Once you’ve chosen the platforms you want to use for your brand, you need to begin creating content. However, that’s often easier said than done. To start off, you need to figure out what your audience is interested in seeing from you. Here are some tips to help you figure that out: A2: See what they are reacting & engaging with already. You have to get to know your audience & understand who they are. #contentwritingchat https://t.co/9WrMMhfBa3 — Jessie Simms (@JSimmsSocial) January 17, 2017 Jessie recommends seeing what your audience is already engaging with. You can do this by sharing content you think they’d like and seeing what their response is. Check your analytics to see which posts get the most clicks, replies, and shares. A2: Paying attention to what they already engage with/share. Knowing who they are & what questions they have. LISTEN. #ContentWritingChat — Erica Hayton (@ericahayton) January 17, 2017 “Listen” is the keyword in Erica’s tweet. It’s so important to take the time to actually listen to what your audience is saying if you hope to get to know them better. You’ll find out which content resonates with them and what they’d like to see more of. A2: Look to see what the market leaders do. Don’t copy though. Look at questions asked most frequently #contentwritingchat — Andy Drinkwater (@iqseo) January 17, 2017 Andy said to look to some of the … Read more