Express Writers
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Sensitivity in Content Creation with Jenn Renoe

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Sensitivity in Content Creation with Jenn Renoe

by | Dec 8, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

In this week’s #ContentWritingChat, we covered a topic we’ve never truly discussed before: sensitivity in content creation.

Although it’s something we’ve never talked about extensively during our busy hour on Twitter, it’s an important topic for any brand. We covered what’s okay to discuss online and how you can find your voice when talking about sensitive topics.

Let’s dive into the recap!

Sensitivity in Content Creation: Deciding What You Can Discuss & How to Find Your Voice with Jenn Renoe

Our guest host for this week’s chat was Jenn Renoe. She’s been a regular participant during #ContentWritingChat, so having her step into the guest hosting role was a real treat. Jenn is a public speaker, as well as the host of the Our Fractured Minds podcast about mental illness.

Q1: What makes a topic a sensitive one to talk about?

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share what they felt a “sensitive topic” was. Here are a few responses we received:

As Jenn said, many topics have become sensitive ones to discuss these days. However, some common subjects include politics, religion, sexuality, disasters, and mental health.

Gene knows two topics that can stir up controversy are politics and religion.

As Julia said, we generally steer clear of sensitive topics here at Express Writers. She avoids taking sides in politics and religion. Another thing she avoids in her content? Cursing.

Jason said a topic is sensitive when there’s real potential to offend another person. If you spend any time online these days, you know that happens quite often now.

Bill feels the same as Jason. If a topic has the potential to offend a group of people, it’s definitely a sensitive area.

Even if you think a topic might be safe to discuss, there are others who might not think so. If you aren’t sure, you can always get a second opinion.

Andrea said the more personal you get, the greater your chances are of hurting someone.

Q2: How do you decide if a sensitive topic is one you should have a voice on?

If there’s a sensitive topic you have an opinion on, should you really speak up about it? This advice will help you decide if it’s wise:

Do you have a story worth sharing? That’s what Jenn feels you should think about when deciding to cover a sensitive topic. Her advice is not to fuel a narrative unless you have a unique perspective on it.

Sarah said you should ask yourself if the topic is relevant, meaningful, or helpful to your brand or customers. If that answer is yes, then you’re good to go.

If the topic is relevant to your business, David said it might be appropriate to discuss. If not, his advice is to avoid it.

One important thing to consider is why you’re writing about a certain topic. There should be a real purpose behind the opinions you want to share.

Is your audience affected by the topic? Can your brand hep the topic or will it only hinder progress? Does the topic align with your brand’s values? These are all great things to consider that Anne shared with us.

If it stirs your soul, you’re going to be more inclined to step up to the plate and talk about a particular topic. That’s often a good sign that you have something important to say.

For Amanda, it’s all about going back to her values. If something is happening in the world that she wants to stand up for, she goes for it.

Another thing you may wan to consider is whether or not discussing a topic is going to call damage for your brand. When it comes to sensitivity in content creation, this likelihood is pretty high.

When you do decide to write about sensitive topics, Jessica says you should have a heart. Consider all sides of an argument and approach it in a respectful manner.

Q3: How do you find your voice when it comes to speaking about sensitive topics?

If you’re planning to move forward with talking about a sensitive topic, you may be wondering how to find your voice. Fortunately, our chat participants had some great tips for you!

Jenn feels your voice should come naturally. If it feels forced, then that’s a good sign that it might not be the best thing for you to discuss.

Lexie’s advice is to think about the main point you want to get across. If you don’t have a point to make or you aren’t passionate about the discussion at hand, she said you may want to reevaluate the decision to write about it.

Always make sure you have your facts straight before speaking up. Otherwise, you can wind up causing way more drama than you intended.

Always write from the heart. Jay suggests finding people who have a personal stake in a topic to share their stories.

Always be authentic and transparent with your audience, no matter what you’re writing about.

Make sure you’re being careful when discussing sensitive topics. Andrea’s advice is to recognize the many sides in a discussion, avoid name calling, and don’t fuel controversies just to get more views.

Julia feels it’s best to get a second opinion on a potentially controversial piece before publishing it. It’s always helpful to get feedback from an outside source.

Anne also agrees with getting someone else to look over your work. You never know how another person may perceive your work and the editing phase is perfect for getting feedback.

Q4: What kinds of things should you talk about when discussing topics as these?

When dealing with sensitivity in content creation, what should you actually be discussing? Here’s what you need to know:

One thing you shouldn’t talk about? Your product. When discussing a sensitive topic, it’s not a good time to focus on selling. It’s only going to backfire on your brand.

A great place to start is to understand what your audience wants to talk about. You can use that information to determine what you’ll discuss with them.

Jason’s suggestion is to offer insight that shows you considered both sides to a topic.

Why is it important for your audience to know where you stand on a particular subject? Why is it too important to ignore? These are crucial questions to ask yourself.

Jim’s advice is to always cite credible sources. That’s important in helping you back up your opinions.

Another great opportunity comes from sharing your own experiences. That’s something your audience will surely be able to relate to.

Ashley feels it’s best to outline a solution, instead of just focusing on the problem at hand.

Q5: How do you integrate current events related to these topics into your content strategy?

With so many brands wanting to talk about the events currently going on in the world, it can be tricky to implement into an overall content strategy. To help, our chat participants offered up some helpful advice:

Jenn feels you should find your voice ahead of time so you’re prepared for what’s to come.

Sarah said you should make sure any current events you discuss are relevant to your reader. If it’s not helping them in some way, it’s probably better to pass.

The rule of thumb here is to stick with what makes sense for your brand.

Carla will discuss current events if there’s a teachable lesson she can share with her audience.

Don’t create content for the sake of creating content. Lexie’s advice is to make sure your content will be beneficial to your audience.

If current events are significant to your niche, Zachary feels it should naturally integrate into your content strategy. If it doesn’t fit with ease, you might want to pass.

You always want to make sure that discussing current events feels natural and comes off that way as well.

Don’t be afraid to share your experiences that relate to a topic. It brings a personal connection to the conversation.

Stay focused on the events that are impacting your customers. Those are the most important ones to discuss.

Don’t be afraid to keep your content schedule flexible. You can always move things around if an important topic comes up.

Even the very morning of the chat, Patagonia took a stance on a sensitive topic.

Megan shared some other great advice to consider. Be careful about which organizations you align yourself with. Not all nonprofits are truly being helpful in times of need.

Q6: What channels are best for these kinds of conversations?

When it comes to sensitivity in content creation, are there specific channels that are ideal for discussing such topics? It really all depends on you and your audience, but here are some suggestions from the chat:

Jenn said to find a medium where you can have conversations with your community. You don’t want to ignore anyone.

As Lexie said, your best bet is to pick the channel your audience is already on.

If you have somewhere that you’re already engaging with your audience, that’s a great place to start.

Any channel with an open-minded audience and the ability to share feedback is great.

Social media will always be a go-to for important conversations.

Jade said Twitter is one place you can start the conversation.

For Julia, she prefers blog format because you can put time and thought into it before it goes live.

Javier feels the same way. He acknowledges the power a blog post or your website can really have.

On the flip side, Gene recommends keeping the conversation private if you want to avoid dealing with internet trolls.

If you aren’t willing to have these conversations on public forums, don’t do it. You have to be prepared for any potential backlash that may come your way.

Q7: What happens if you receive push back from others on your stance?

When speaking up about sensitive topics, you’re most likely going to receive some sort of push back from those who disagree with you. How do you handle it? Check out this great advice:

If you receive push back, address it. Even if you disagree with someone, it’s still worthwhile to hear their opinions.

As Jason said, ignoring it may cause more problems in the long run.

Acknowledge the views that others have, back up your own opinions, and keep it civil. There’s no reason to engage in a nasty argument.

Don’t take anything too personally and make sure you respect the opinions of others.

For Cheval, he doesn’t let push back get to him. He just moves on, recognizing that those who disagree might not necessarily be his people.

Always keep your cool!

Stay on message and stick to the bigger picture at hand.

Amanda says she would stand by her stance, despite push back she might receive. She wants to stick up for the things she’s passionate about.

Listen to others and be open to their criticism. It can often be a learning experience.

Q8: Tag some brands that have impressed you with their voice and willingness to cover sensitive topics.

Which brands can we learn from when it comes to sensitivity in content creation? These are some examples worth checking out:

Jenn was a big fan of what JELLO did during the legalization of gay marriage.

Cheval mentioned that Wendy’s has done a great job at handling sensitive topics through their social media presence.

As for Anne, she’s a big fan of Buffer and their honest approach to a variety of important topics.

One brand you might not want to look to is Pepsi after sparking controversy themselves.

If you’re going to take a strong stance on a sensitive topic, make sure you can handle the heat.

Join us for the next #ContentWritingChat! It takes place on Twitter every Tuesday from 10-11 AM Central Time. Just be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat!
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#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Brand That Will Stand Out in 2018 with Rochelle Moulton

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Brand That Will Stand Out in 2018 with Rochelle Moulton

by | Dec 1, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

There’s no denying that it takes time to truly build a brand that will stand out from the crowd, especially if you’re in a saturated niche.

Fortunately, our latest #ContentWritingChat has some tips that are going to help your brand shine. And this is advice you’ll want to implement in the coming year!

Whether you’re building your own personal brand or you are part of another company’s brand, these tips will still be beneficial for you. So, if you want to learn how to build a brand that people truly love, keep reading for this week’s recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Brand That Will Stand Out in 2018 with Rochelle Moulton

Our guest host this week was Rochelle Moulton. She’s an entrepreneur and a personal brand strategist. She joined us for Tuesday’s #ContentWritingChat to share her advice on branding and it’s definitely worth a read! Let’s dive in!

Q1: What does it mean to have a personal brand or a brand for your business? Have you built one?

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share what it means to have a brand. We also wanted to know if they’ve worked to build a brand themselves! Here’s what a few of our chat participants had to say:

Rochelle said that having a personal brand is consistently presenting yourself and your ideas so your “sweet spot” audience knows you. Your brand also needs to be authentic. If it’s not, people are going to see right through you.

Lexie knows a brand is essentially the identity of the person or company that it represents. She feels your brand shows what’s important and that consistency is key.

Sarah said that having a personal brand showcases what your business is and how you’re able to help your customers.

When building a personal brand, you need to be transparent, genuine, and honest. Julia said that people will need to be able to relate to your brand and should want to invest in it. That’s all part of helping you attract the right people.

As Brittany said, your brand is your personality, your vision, and your mission. It’s all about what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. She knows that your brand helps people get to know and understand you.

Your brand is the foundation of giving your company a voice, identity, value, and awareness.

And remember, we all have a personal brand, whether you realize it or not! It’s better to be smart and actually manage your brand’s reputation.

Q2: What are some key elements you will need in order to build a brand that will stand out?

To build a brand that truly shines, there are a few key elements you’ll need to get started! Here’s what you need to know:

As Rochelle said, it’s important to have clarity on who your ideal audience is. You need to know who you want to reach in order to create the content that will resonate with them. She also said that having a compelling point of view will help you stand out from others.

And don’t forget that consistency is essential as well! It’s going to help you establish your brand and build trust with your audience.

A unique message is going to help differentiate you from the others in your niche.

Zala said you need to figure out who you are, what your unique offering is, how you can serve your audience, and ways you can educate, entertain, and help the right people.

Cheval knows that it’s important to figure out your why. That’s essential because your purpose is what will keep you going when times are tough.

Besides knowing your why and the mission behind your brand, you also need to know who you’re trying to reach. Without a clear idea of who your target audience is, how can you expect to reach them?

Know your why. Be consistent. Be genuine and authentic. These are all important things to keep in mind when you build your brand.

Both Kristen and Danielle know that authenticity is a must!

Authenticity, emotional connection, and value are just a few of the elements Varun feels every successful brand needs to have.

Don’t forget you need a unique voice, a valuable message, strong motivation, and the ability and willingness to share a well-crafted story.

Tamara shared a great tip about analyzing your competitors. You can learn a lot from the areas they may be lacking in. You can use this as your opportunity to step up to the plate.

Q3: How important is content creation when you build a brand? How can it help your brand stand out?

What role does content play when you’re building a brand online? Does it really make a difference? (That answer would be ABSOLUTELY!) These are some reasons why the content you produce is essential for your brand:

Rochelle knows that both content creation and content curation are essential when it comes to building your brand.

The content you publish online can build trust and loyalty, while also boosting engagement with your audience.

As Lexie said, content can also help you connect with your audience. She knows a brand is nothing if there aren’t people who believe in it.

Jason said the content you crate shows your views and opinions on things. This can help you connect with your audience on a deeper level, which can also attract new people to your brand.

Content speaks directly to your customers. It tells them who you are and what you’re all about.

Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing with their content. As Jade said, put your thoughts out there and see what people think. Don’t be afraid to share your unique point of view, but make sure you’re also engaging with the responses you get.

Even Julia knows the benefits of content creation! It’s been her top priority when growing Express Writers.

Q4: How do you include your personality or a company’s personality in the content you create online?

If you want to build a brand that stands out, one of the key aspects to consider is personality. Your personality is what will attract and resonate with your target audience. But how do you express that through the content you share? Check out these tips:

Rochelle knows that adding personality can be a scary thing, but she encourages people to experiment. Take cues from what others are doing and try seeing what works for you.

Language, voice, and tone need to be consistent with your brand and should be reflected in your content. Always keep that in mind when you’re creating. Kristen also suggests thinking of three words to describe your brand. Those words can help guide you when writing content, designing graphics, and more.

Cheval’s advice is to speak from you heart. As he said, it takes time to develop your voice, so don’t rush it.

It helps to have guidelines for branding if you have a team working alongside you. As Varun said, those guidelines can help your teammates maintain tone and voice when creating content.

Jade’s advice is to be yourself. If you try to be like everyone else in your industry, you’re just going to blend in.

Don’t forget to engage with others! It shows them the human side of your brand. Don’t let them think you’re some sort of robot.

A helpful piece of advice from Shelly: not everyone is going to like you. You need to focus on resonating with the right people, which are the ones in your target audience. It’s okay to repel the ones who aren’t the best fit for you.

Be yourself. If you aren’t true to who you are, people are going to see right through a false facade.

Zala had some kind words to share about the Express Writers team, which we couldn’t appreciate more! We like to make sure our team is visible and an active part of our brand.

Q5: How can brands use storytelling in 2018 to ensure they stand out from the crowd?

Storytelling has become a crucial element in helping brands connect with their target audience. If you’re wondering how you can better use storytelling in 2018, take a look at this advice:

Rochelle suggests writing how-to content, sharing mistakes or light bulb moments, talking about client experiences, and more. These are all great ideas to implement.

Sarah suggests showing others how you and your audience work together to fulfill their needs. They want to know how you and your offering will benefit them.

To showcase the benefits you can provide to your target audience, sharing client success stories is a great way to get started.

Immerse yourself in your brand and live your story. As Zala said, it’s important to take about your successes and your failures. That’s relatable and it’s what draws people into your story.

Andrea knows that video marketing is where it’s at. If you aren’t already using video to tell your story, 2018 is the time to do it.

Brian said that a well-crafted story gives you a foundation for all your marketing and sales content. You want to be consistent to stand out and become easily recognizable by your audience. He also pointed out that you might not get things right the first time, so don’t be afraid to make tweaks.

Q6: How can you tell if your brand is resonating with the right audience? Are there metrics you can track?

Once you’ve started building your brand, you obviously need to make sure it’s attracting and speaking to the right people. How do you do this? Here are some handy tips to help you find out:

There are a variety of metrics you may want to track. Rochelle suggests looking at social media engagement stats, new client stats, etc.

Ask yourself who is engaging with your content and what they have to say about it. This will help you determine if your content is working or not.

Both Sarah and Lexie know that conversions are key. It’s important to keep your end goal in mind and create the content that’s going to help you get there. Plus, conversions can be a number of things, not just sales.

You can look at social media engagement, page views, duration on page, and support tickets from customers.

Are people sharing your posts? How much time are they spending on your site? Are they leaving comments, and if so, what are they saying? These are just a few things you’ll want to ask yourself.

You can even look at your subscribers to see if they represent your target audience. If they do, you’re on the right path. If not, you have some work to do!

Q7: Your brand just isn’t working for you anymore. What should you do if you think it’s time to re-brand?

How do you handle a re-brand if you think it’s the right step for you? Check out this advice:

Rochelle said to use this as an opportunity to better hone your niche and your message. You want to get clear on who you’re targeting and what you’re providing.

Before you dive head first into a re-brand, ask yourself what isn’t working for you. This will help you determine where you need to begin your work.

As Lexie said, you can’t change anything without first knowing what the problem is. From there, you can make tweaks until you find what works for you.

Tamara also suggests reviewing your strategy to see what’s not working and why. This is always the best place to start.

Sarah’s advice is to do your research. You can even ask your audience for feedback since they’re the ones you need to resonate with.

If you have a team working with you, get their help as well. Figure out who you are, who you serve, and why.

Gaby shared some great questions you should ask yourself if you’re facing the possibility of a re-brand.

Sometimes a refresh is all you need! Don’t immediately jump into a re-brand. Take time to figure out what’s really in your best interests.

Zachary suggests figuring out why things are no longer working and what has changed. Sometimes a change in your strategy is all you really need.

As Julia said, you want to be very careful about moving forward with a re-brand. It can get tricky and it’s a lot of work to take on.

Q8: Is there any final branding advice you’d like to share with us?

To close out the chat, we asked everyone to share a final piece of branding advice that we could all takeaway from this week’s chat. Here are some of the responses:

Be genuine and focus on how you can transform your audience.

Be yourself. Be unique. Be authentic.

If it’s not broke, don’t fix it! Sarah said you shouldn’t be afraid to go for a facelift when it comes to your brand, but a full makeover isn’t always necessary.

Cheval said to make sure your brand emulates your core values. He also encourages you to focus on producing quality content on a regular basis.

As Brittany mentioned, your brand is more than your logo. It’s your identity.

Holding a focus group with your target audience is a great way to get feedback!

Be consistent, be patient, and never give up!

Want to join the next #ContentWritingChat? You can hang out with us on Twitter every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time! Just be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for all the latest!

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Best Practices on Updating Your Old Content for More Results with Andy Crestodina

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Best Practices on Updating Your Old Content for More Results with Andy Crestodina

by | Nov 24, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Quick question for you! Do you take the time to update the blog posts that are buried in the depths of your archives?

If not, you should be!

And that’s exactly what we’re teaching you how to do in this week’s #ContentWritingChat!

So, if your older content could use some sprucing up, let’s dive into the recap for some great tips!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Best Practices on Updating Your Old Content for More Results with Andy Crestodina

Our guest host this week was Andy Crestodina. Andy is a speaker, a content marketer, and the co-founder of Orbit Media. He shared some fantastic advice with us that’ll help you make the most of the content you’ve already published.

Q1: Why is it so important to keep you older content updated and fresh?

If you’re wondering why keeping your content updated is so important, it’s time to listen up! Check out these responses from the chat on why it’s a must for any content creator:

As Andy said, it’s worth updating your old content for quality and efficiency. Instead of creating something new, you can easily improve upon what’s already there. Sometimes that older content of yours is still great and therefore worth being updated.

Kristen knows that it would be pretty awful if a potential client stumbled upon an older piece of content that didn’t exactly give off the best impression. You risk sending them running far away from your website.

And as Andrea said, you never know when someone might find one of your older posts. You want to make sure it’s updated to your current standards.

Jason pointed out that sometimes the topic is still relevant, but the data could use some updating. You don’t want readers coming across a post that’s filled with outdated information.

Giving your content a refresh is a great way to ensure it stays relevant and shareable!

Julia said updating your old content is actually a great way to boost conversions, especially if those posts are already ranking well in search results.

As Mike pointed out, links can break, trends can change, and facts get outdated. These are all important things to look at improving in your older blog posts.

If it’s still getting traffic, Cristy knows it’s worth updating to keep it relevant for your readers.

Even if a piece of content is old, it could still be getting a lot of traffic. As Ashley mentioned, you might be surprised to see what gets the most traffic when looking through your analytics. It’s better to deliver those site visitors an amazing piece of content.

Q2: Which brands do an amazing job at updating their older content? Tag them and let them know!

Which brands can you learn from when it comes to keeping your archives fresh? Here are some great examples that are worth checking out:

Lisa Jenkins, Social Media Examiner, and Michele Linn all do a great job at keeping older content updated and fresh. Andy’s blogger survey even revealed 55% of bloggers update old content. Don’t you want to be part of that group?

Julia said Content Marketing Institute does a great job at updating old blog posts.

Cheval is a fan of Rebekah Radice and how she transforms blog posts into podcast episodes.

HubSpot is another brand that’s doing a great job according to Liliana.

Kristen thinks Campaign Monitor does an impressive job when it comes to giving their blog posts and infographics new life on social media.

Zala said Buffer is another brand that’s doing a great job at keeping their content fresh.

Q3: Once you’ve chosen an older post to update, what steps can you take to freshen it up?

You have your blog post all picked out… Now it’s time to actually give it a makeover, but you need to know where to begin! Here’s how you can get started with updating your old content:

Andy feels the purpose is to truly upgrade the content. He encourages you to add detail, examples, images, contributor quotes, video, and formatting.

He even shared some great statistics that show media and formatting are essential.

Jason shared some great ideas such as compiling new data, polling users, conducting A/B tests, and more.

These are all great tips from Andrea. Make sure you’ve gotten rid of old or irrelevant information, add useful information, update the visuals, and include additional multimedia.

Julia shared a pretty impressive list of things to do when updating your old content.

Don’t forget to refresh your links as well. As Ryan pointed out, you can link to other relevant content on your site and others, which gives people more to read.

Older content needs to be aligned with your current branding and strategy.

Cristy recommends updating links, any research or data within the post, and the publish date. For any post that received a major update, you can always republish it as if it were brand new. You can include the original post date and the date it was updated for reference.

Lexie said to make sure your post has a call to action (CTA). You need to get people to take action after they’ve read your content.

Q4: What are some great ways to repurpose older content for maximum mileage?

Once you’ve begun updating your old content, you might also want to think about ways you can repurpose it. A blog post can easily be transformed into another format based on what works well for you and your audience. Here are some great ideas:

As Andy said, if your content worked well as a blog post, you can always publish it in a new format. Try turning it into a video, an infographic, or an ebook.

Not only will a video be beneficial for those who prefer it over written content, but it’s a great way to boost views on your YouTube channel.

Leah suggests using a blog post as content for a Facebook Live broadcast.

Another great option, as Cheval suggested, is to turn your blog post into a podcast episode.

If you shared tons of valuable information in your blog post, it could become a great infographic.

Your blog post can easily become a video, a slideshow, or a podcast. It all depends what works best for you and your audience.

Q5: When you’ve finished updating your old content, how can you get more eyes on it? What promotion strategies do you use?

When you have a fresh piece of content, you obviously want tons of new people to check it out. How can you do this? Check out these promotional tactics for a boost in traffic:

Andy shared some helpful ideas for increasing views on your content. You can schedule it on social media, send it out as an email newsletter, link to it from the high traffic pages, add it to your homepage, link to it in your email signature, and pin it to your Twitter account.

Danielle’s advice is to treat your updated content like new content. The same tactics you normally use for a brand new post can still be applied here.

Make sure you’re sharing your content in relevant places. If your audience is there, it’s worth scheduling out a share to boost traffic.

Lexie said you shouldn’t be afraid of using paid social either. Boosting a post on Facebook can be very effective for getting more eyes on your content.

There’s no harm in running ads on content you’re really proud of!

Brent’s advice is to answer questions and share your content with people. You can do so through Twitter chats, on Quora, and many other ways.

Q6: How do you measure the success of older content that you’ve updated? Which metrics are important to track?

After your updated content is live, you’ll want to keep an eye on some key metrics to see how it’s performing. Here’s what you should pay attention to:

Traffic, engagement, links, sharing, and rankings are all important things to look at for Andy.

Lexie suggests tracking time on site/page. She also said to include a CTA to tell people what that next step is.

For Jason, he pays attention to view/open rate, page view duration, and how conversion rates have increased. These are all important things to track!

Julia is all about those conversions. For the team here at Express Writers, it’s a good sign when potential clients start a new chat with our customer service from a blog post.

Gaby said to measure engagement, traffic, shares, links, bounce rate, and feedback. You can compare those stats to how the post was performing before the update to see how much you’ve improved.

Q7: Do you use any tools to help you update and repurpose older content? Share them!

When updating your old content, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you get the job done. Check out these suggestions from the chat:

As Andy knows, Google Analytics is a must for any content creator.

Danielle agrees because Google Analytics is a go-to for her as well. It’ll show you which posts are worth updating because you can easily see how they’re ranking.

BuzzSumo is a great tool to see what’s popular within your industry. Andrea also like LumenFive.

Gaby suggests using BuzzSumo, Google Analytics, Photoshop, and social media.

Google Analytics and SEMrush are must-have tools for Julia.

Canva and Adobe Spark are both great tools to check out.

Q8: How do you choose which piece of content to update? Are there any qualifications?

Now that you have all these tips to go forward with, you might be wondering which posts are worth updating. To find out, you’ll want to keep this advice in mind:

If your blog post is written on an evergreen topic, but has some outdated information, then it’s worth updating.

Julia said to look for content that’s already getting views, traffic, and rankings. She said this is an indicator that it’ll be worthwhile to update.

Lexie’s advice is to find content that your audience connected with previously and improve it. If the content resonated before, there’s a good chance it’ll resonate again.

Content that sparked interested or conversation is often worth a refresh.

Chelsea chooses to update content that’s relevant to current trending topics or new projects that she’s working on.

If a piece of content did well before or has once again become relevant, it’s worth improving it with an update.

Sabjan said to choose posts to update based on the engagement it received. You’ll want to keep an eye on bounce rate, shares, and views.

Ready to join in on the next #ContentWritingChat? We’re hanging out on Twitter every Tuesday at 10 AM Central! Make sure you follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for all the latest!Turbocharge your content marketing in 5 days

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy

by | Nov 17, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

Did you catch our latest #ContentWritingChat? We had our monthly community chat, which is when we skip having a guest host and allow our audience to choose the chat topic. We ran a poll the week before and the winning topic was Content Marketing Strategy!

If you could use some help putting together an effective content marketing strategy for your brand, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled some of the tweets from this week’s chat into a handy dandy recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy

In Tuesday’s community chat, there were some amazing tips shared by our participants. You’ll learn the basics of a great content marketing strategy, tools and resources to help, and how to measure your success. Keep reading to check out all the advice!

Q1: Why is it important to have a content marketing strategy for your brand?

To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they feel it’s important to have a content marketing strategy in place. If you need a little convincing that it’s worth the investment, you’ll want to read through these tweets!

As Julia said, a content marketing strategy is everything to the success of your content. When you have a strategy in place, you have a much better chance at succeeding in your work.

If you don’t have a strategy in place, how you can expect to make progress and reach your goals? Iain knows that having a strategy is a must.

When you have a strategy for your content marketing efforts, it provides the guidance you need to keep moving in the right direction.

A strategy helps define the purpose of your brand. Plus, it helps you break down all the steps required to help you reach your goals.

As Sarah said, you need a strategy for any kind of marketing you’re doing. This tells you what you’er aiming for so you can stay on the right path.

Having a strategy gives you measurable actions, cohesive messaging, and ensures you aren’t scrambling to throw something together at the last minute.

You can product much better content when you have everything planned out in advance. Plus, it’ll keep your entire team on the same page, which is very important.

Maureen said your content marketing strategy is the driving force behind the channels that do the outreach.

Q2: What are the essential elements of every successful content marketing strategy?

To get started with a strategy of your very own, you need to know where to begin. These are some essential elements you’ll want to have in place:

A great strategy all goes back to knowing who your audience is and understanding them.

Sarah feels good research, resources, and tracking are essential. She also pointed out that you need to know who your audience is and how to reach them. Don’t forget to set deadlines, meet them, and monitor your efforts.

Julia shared a helpful graphic of the four keys she teaches in her course!

Knowing who your audience is, what kind of content you’re going to share, and what your goals are make up just a few of the essentials of a great strategy.

Andrew also agrees that knowing your target audience is a must. He also mentioned that it’s important to know the desired outcome you hope to achieve, platforms you’re using, and more.

Mallorie said you need a defined objective and an understanding of your target audience. You also need to be able to adapt and make changes along the way if needed.

Cheval knows it’s important to listen to your audience to see what they’re chatting about. This is a great way to get to know them better.

Measurable goals, your target audience, tactics to reach the right people, and metrics to track progress are all essential.

Iain recommends setting SMART goals with your content marketing strategy.

Q3: What kind of goals might a brand set for their content marketing efforts? Which ones do you focus on?

Every brand is going to have different goals for their content marketing strategy. However, if you’re just getting started, you might wonder what kind of goals they often set out to reach. Here are some great tips from the chat:

As Sarah pointed out, the goals you set will depend on your business objectives. Either way, you need to make sure you’re tracking your progress.

Conversions are definitely a major goal you’ll want to track with your efforts. Jason also recommends tracking things like click-through rate, leads and sales, and how much reach you’re getting.

Proving valuable, relevant, and consistent content is always key. It’s the best way to build relationships and establish trust, as the Source Media team knows.

You may want to track web traffic, community growth, and how many leads/sales you’re getting.

Maureen also knows that your goals are going to be different from what everyone else is doing. However, if you’re new, she said you may want to track awareness by viewing traffic to your site and how long they’re spending on your page. If you’re moving people through your funnel, conversions are key.

Lexie said different types of content are going to have different goals. She said you may want to track website traffic, sales, or social shares.

Web traffic, leads, and community growth are all common metrics to track within your business. As Rebecca said, you want to make sure you see how your audience responds to your content. Make adjustments as needed.

Tony knows goals are going to differ for everyone. Whether you want to see shares, clicks, sales, or something else… You need to focus on what’s right for you.

Q4: Describe your process for building your own strategy. How do you get started?

Ready to craft your strategy? We asked everyone in the chat to share the initial steps in their strategy-building process! Here are some of the answers we received:

Cristy’s advice is to brainstorm. She’ll use paper or a whiteboard to jot down ideas, which she then moves into a spreadsheet. Another tool she’s used in the past is Asana.

Sarah said to start with your goal and work backwards from there. You need to figure out how you’re going to achieve that end result, which will help you plan your strategy.

Clearly defined goals are essential to Jason. As he pointed out, you won’t be able to hit your target if you don’t know what you’re aiming for. Set goals first before working out the details.

Julia knows that a content marketing strategy will look different for every brand. It needs to be targeted to their audience in order to see the best results. Know your topic and then figure out what your audience wants to know and how you can help.

Maureen shared some great advice that’ll help anyone that works with clients. You want to know that the company understands their audience and their marketing before moving forward.

Knowing the brand voice, conducting audits, doing customers research, and more! These are all essential steps to consider.

Know who the target audience is and where they want to go. This will help you create the content that resonates the most.

Debi also agrees that knowing who the target audience is plays a major role.

Q5: What’s something you intend to cut from your content marketing strategy for next year? What will you keep?

Sometimes we notice things that just aren’t working within our strategy, which means it’s time to cut ties. While other times, we see what’s been successful so we can create more of that. Here are some things people will be cutting and keeping in their strategy in the new year:

The team at ThinkSEM is going to focus on being more flexible with their calendar and still plans to join plenty of Twitter chats.

Lexie said Netvantage will continue to focus on high-quality, long-tail keyword content.

One of the things Rebecca will be doing is shifting to even more video content, which continues to be essential for content marketers.

As Debi said, if it’s not working for you then you need to cut it out. If it is working, make sure you embrace it moving forward.

Q6: How do you know if your strategy is effective? Which metrics do you track?

Once you’ve implemented your strategy, you need to know if it’s actually effective. To do this, there are key metrics you’ll need to track. Here’s what you need to know:

As Lexie said, it all depends on the goal of your content. This can differ based on what you’re trying to accomplish, so keep that in mind.

Debi frequently looks at Google Analytics to see how any content marketing efforts are performing.

Julia knows it’s all the conversions! You want to ensure your efforts are actually helping you grow and make a profit within your business.

You might want to track link clicks from other site and search engines, as well as any search terms you’re ranking for. This can help you see how your content is performing.

Cheval focuses on how his blog has grown in terms of readership.

Sometimes you just get that feeling that things are working out! You might notice more phone calls or emails coming in for potential customers, which is always a great thing.

Remember that it all goes back to your unique goals. Once you know what those goals are, you’ll know which metrics are important to track.

Q7: Do you use any tools to help you manage your content marketing efforts? If so, what are they?

With all the tools that are available today, there are plenty that can help with content marketing. Check out these recommendations from Tuesday’s chat:

Debi’s go-to tool is Google Analytics.

Evernote is great for storing ideas and planning content, while Trello is handy for outlining larger projects.

Sarah’s essential tools include WordPress, Teamwork, Google Sheets, good old fashioned pen and paper, and brain power.

Google Drive is a must these days!

Lexie loves using Google Drive, WordPress, and Yoast.

Feedspot, Buffer, and Hootsuite are Carla’s favorite tools.

Cheval also relies on Hootsuite for social media scheduling.

TweetDeck, Hashtagify, Canva, and Pablo by Buffer are all great tools to look into.

Q8: Which resources help you strengthen your content marketing skills?

If you want to learn more about mastering content marketing, take a look at these suggestions:

Lexie know Twitter chats are where it’s at! They’re great for making connections and learning new things.

We have another Twitter chat fan! If you aren’t already joining chats, you should make it part of your content marketing strategy ASAP.

Twitter chats and trainings (online and in-person) are essential for Rebecca.

Julia has a list of blogs she reads daily, including: Content Marketing Institute, Smart Blogger, Copyblgoger, and Copy Hackers.

Twitter chats, podcasts, blogs, email lists, and social media are all great ways to learn new skills.

And here’s a great reminder from Cristy: always be learning and strive to improve.

Want to join the Twitter chat fun? #ContentWritingChat takes place every Tuesday at 10 AM Central! Follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat to stay updated!

#Contentwritingchat

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Tips on Managing and Building Effective Content Marketing Teams with Michele Linn

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Tips on Managing and Building Effective Content Marketing Teams with Michele Linn

by | Nov 10, 2017 | ContentWritingChat

When it comes to building content marketing teams, there’s a lot involved in selecting the right people and working together successfully. But if you need help building a team of your very own, you’re in luck because that’s what we talked about in this week’s #ContentWritingChat.

You’ll learn the essential traits a great team member should have, the roles that should be filled, and how to combat some of the common roadblocks that content marketing teams face. Ready to learn more? Keep reading for the recap!

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Tips on Managing and Building Effective Content Marketing Teams with Michele Linn

Our guest host this week was Michele Linn. Michele is the VP of Content for Content Marketing Institute. Being a member of the CMI team, she definitely knows a thing or two about building a team and ensuring everyone works well together. She had some great advice to share during the chat, which you won’t want to miss!

Q1: When building a team, what are some essential traits members should have?

When selecting people for content marketing teams, there are some key traits you may want those people to have. Here’s what you should look for in a potential team member:

Michele feels that the people within a team need to fit together in three ways: culture, content marketing mindset, and skills. She said she also hires people based on their can—do attitude and their willingness to figure out answers to questions and problems.

It’s crucial that the people on your team are able to work well with others. As Sarah said, everyone needs to get along if you want to work together efficiently.

Gaby feels a commitment to the team’s larger purpose and goal is essential. She also said it’s important to collaborate with one another and to have a strong work ethic.

For any kind of team, being able to work together is a must. As Jason mentioned, if there’s any kind of animosity within a team, everything will suffer.

Lexie knows that communication skills are a must. A team needs to be able to easily reach out to one another and connect.

For Julia, she looks for someone who has a growth hacking mindset, creativity, and expertise. She also wants a team member who is self-disciplined and driven.

Being able to communicate and listen is always essential for any kind of team.

It’s so important that team members hear each other out, which is why listening is such an important skill.

Q2: How do you go about finding and selecting the right person for your content marketing team?

Once you know what you’re looking for in a great team member, how do you find that person? Here’s some advice to help you while you’re on the hunt:

Michele suggests first finding the gaps you have in your process. You need to determine where you need the most help before moving forward with hiring. She also said you should consider hybrid marketers, which are those who have skills in a variety of areas.

Julia crafts a detailed description of whatever job she’s hiring for. She outlines what she’s looking for and that person’s ideal traits. A description of the job, any perks, and the pay is important as well.

Lexie suggests doing a trial run before committing someone to your team. This allows you to see how this person will work with everyone else. You’ll know right away whether or not that person will be a good fit.

Carla said she likes to ask for referrals from people. This is a great way to get recommendations since they’re coming from someone you know and trust.

Another great tip is to check out someone online before hiring them. You can learn a lot about a person by checking out their social media presence.

As Tony said, you need to make it clear what you’re looking for in a new team member. He also suggests creating a test, which will help you weed out candidates that aren’t a good fit.

Q3: What kind of roles does a great content marketing team need to have?

There are a number of roles you may want to fill when building content marketing teams. These are a few positions you may want to consider hiring for:

Michele said that every team needs to have a leader and every project should have an owner. These are important roles you’ll want to add as you build your content marketing teams.

For new teams, Michele recommends finding someone to help with strategy, editorial planning, writing, design, and distribution. If your team is more mature, you’ll want something who knows a lot about email, SEO, and social media.

Julia’s advice is to get a project manager, an SEO and content marketing expert, and an industry expert writer.

Sarah said the types of roles you need to fill will really depend on your business and your team. Keep that in mind and focus on hiring the roles you genuinely need.

Tony suggests having someone who creates the visuals, links, schedules, edits, writes, copy, etc.

A passionate writer, an email expert, an SEO strategies, a social media manager, and a leader are all essential roles.

A leader, as well as a team of writers, SEO analysts, and designers makes all the difference.

Bill suggests looking for skills and experience in strategically producing, publishing, and promoting content.

Q4: How can you ensure your team is effective and productive? What about remote teams?

Need some help boosting productivity within your team? Whether you’re working together or you’re all remote, here’s some great advice to help you out:

Michele feels every team needs to have a shared vision and strategy.

Having a strategy and a roadmap that outlines responsibilities is key.

Be sure to set up goals and guidelines. Make sure you also have a clear channels for communication so everyone can stay in touch.

Sarah recommends having regular check-ins with your team members. Make sure you’re flexible so you can meet your team’s needs.

Having a central communication tool is great advice. Jade suggests using something like Slack to keep in touch with everyone.

Kyle recommends Slack or Basecamp for staying updated with your team.

Haley’s advice is to set goals, use an online task manager, and have conference calls.

You can read all about our remote team here at Express Writers in this post Julia shared.

Q5: What are some common roadblocks team members face when working together?

There’s no denying that content marketing teams are going to encounter issues from time to time. It helps to be aware of some of those common problems so you can help avoid them. Here are a few struggles teams often face:

Michele knows that having shared priority is key when working together.

Communication is definitely something many teams struggle with.

Kyle said groupthink is a common roadblock for content marketing teams.

Miscommunication, clashing personalities, and poor leadership are just a few issues Brandie pointed out.

Carla knows that many teams have a hard time with communication, as well as resolving conflict.

Q6: How can you combat those roadblocks and keep them from popping up?

To help you avoid those roadblocks, keep this advice in mind:

Shared understanding of the strategy is key, according to Michele. This ensures everyone is working towards the same mission.

Gaby’s advice is check-in with team members periodically. She said you should encourage, listen to, and support one another.

Make sure everyone is on the same page with project goals and strategy. If there are any concerns, encourage your team to speak up.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! Let your team know that you’ll all there to support each other.

Communication is a must! Make sure the team knows the top priorities for the projects you’re tackling.

It’s important to have a culture where your team feels comfortable speaking up about roadblocks.

Q7: Which tools do you rely on to keep your team running smoothly?

Luckily, there are a plethora of tools out there that can help you out when managing a team. Check out these suggestions:

Michele relies on a variety of tools, including Trello and Airtable.

Slack, Google Drive, and Dropbox are all essentials!

Don’t forget a good old fashioned phone call can always do the trick.

No matter which tool you use, make sure it’s something the whole team is part of. Everyone can stay updated with what’s going on.

Q8: Any final advice on managing and building effective content marketing teams?

To close out the chat, we asked everyone to share their final pieces of advice to take away from the day’s chat. Here are a few of the responses:

Michele suggests considering the personality of your team members and customize communication when possible. She also advises you to make your team feel valued. This helps keep everyone happy!

Be open to your team, their needs, their productivity patterns, and improvement requests. Julia also said to communicate with your team often. You can schedule meetings and have video calls if you’re remote.

Be flexible because everyone communicates and interacts differently.

Make sure the ideas of your team are heard. Allow everyone the opportunity to speak up.

Mallorie suggests looking for those who will help you stand out. You want someone with a creative mindset.

Cheval’s advice is to lead by example and set the tone for your team.

Want to join the next #ContentWritingChat? Come hang out with us every Tuesday at 10 AM Central Time! Just be sure to follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat so you don’t miss anything!

julias free facebook group cta