Content Marketing - Express Writers

How to Create Captivating News Content for Your Blog

January 9, 2024October 26, 2021 by Adam Oakley

Creating content isn’t what it used to be 10 years ago. Heck, it isn’t even the same as it was last year. Consider this: Before COVID, Google search traffic was approximately 3.6 billion searches per day. That’s a lot, yes… but since March 2020, that number has been hovering around 6 billion searches per day. The consumption of online content and the number of people relying on Google to find it has never been greater than it is right now. This high demand is changing the content game, which was already competitive to begin with. 🎯 Many content creators are wondering, “How do I write compelling content that’s both indexed by Google and read by my target audience?” If you’ve found yourself asking this very question, you should seriously consider adding news blog posts into your general content marketing plan. Psst… If your content strategy is lacking or simply not performing the way you want it to, we can help! Our content strategy services start at $400 for a full content strategy plan and audit, or a la carte at per-topic pricing. Why Should You Post News Content on Your Blog? Hear me out – content is the most critical piece of the puzzle. It has been for a long time. Google has openly said that content could “likely matter more than any other factor” when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). While you should be dedicated to creating evergreen content that remains relevant long after it’s been published, you also shouldn’t be afraid to supplement those posts with trending news happening in your industry. News content shows your audience you’re relevant and up-to-date with what’s going on. It also provides a great source of value to your audience by demonstrating how industry and market changes are impacting them. [bctt tweet=”Why create news content? 📰 It shows your audience you’re relevant and up-to-date with what’s going on. It also provides value by demonstrating how industry and market changes are impacting them. 💡” username=”ExpWriters”] Interspersing trending news updates among your informative evergreen content, such as whitepapers, will give your blog a well-rounded feeling of authority and relevancy. Need a high-quality whitepaper written for your business? Our done-for-you content services from expert-level writers include whitepapers, starting around $105/page. How to Write a News Blog: 8 Tips to Make Your Content Stand Out Breaking news is often a high-competition playing field, which means you need to bring your A-game if you want to rank in the search engines. These tips will help you create compelling, newsworthy content. 1. Create a Captivating Headline The first, most important part of any news article is creating a captivating headline for the post. This is true for regular and news blogs alike because you want and need people to click on your link. Thus, when you write a headline, make sure it’s informative and lets your audience know what the blog will be about. You should also make sure it has intrigue or even a bit of a cliffhanger so it piques interest and makes your audience want to read the story behind your crafty headline. Two of the best ways to accomplish this: Write your headline as a question (and be sure to answer said question in the article itself). Use second person point of view (you/your) in the headline to directly engage with the reader. When writing your headline, make sure it matches what your content will be about – don’t mislead readers with false promises! 2. Begin with the Facts When you write a news piece for your blog, make sure you start with the facts first. Give readers the information they want at the beginning of your post and summarize the story in twenty to thirty words. People will appreciate this upfront content organization because many simply want the facts before they get to the opinions or editorial version of the story. This isn’t a creative fiction piece, after all. Once you’ve given the facts, you can break them down and discuss them while adding your opinion or explaining how this information will impact your readers. 3. Use Present (Active) Tense News pieces are more powerful and compelling when told in present tense with an active voice. This makes the story feel like it’s happening in real-time, which will have a bigger impact on your readers. It also takes a lot less time for a person to read the present tense version of a sentence than it does the past tense, not to mention it saves on word count when you can cut a majority of past participles such as “had.” Remember: Active voice is always stronger than passive voice. 4. Keep Your Blog Jargon-Free It’s easy to fall into the jargon trap when you’re writing about industry-specific topics. However, it’s a good idea to avoid using jargon in your posts. This will make it easier for your audience to read and comprehend the content. Sure, some of them might know the jargon, but it’s always wise to ensure your content is readable for anyone who happens upon your website. Keeping your posts jargon-free is not only a great idea for news pieces — it’s also a smart practice for all other blog posts you create in the future. Need more inspiration for creating an amazing blog that brings in traffic and leads? Check out our FREE email course, 10 Days to a Better Blog. 5. Always Write Out Acronyms in the Beginning It’s okay to use acronyms in your blog, but make sure you’re always clear and upfront about what they mean. Even if you expect your target audience to be experts in a particular field and know industry-specific acronyms, it’s ALWAYS a good idea to eliminate any potential for confusion. Novices who find your article and want to learn more shouldn’t feel confused, frustrated, or left out when they read your post and don’t know what acronyms stand for or why they’re important. For example, on the Write Blog, when … Read more

How to Create Brand Voice Guidelines for Your Brand

February 7, 2024October 18, 2021 by Adam Oakley

Does your brand have a unique voice, one that demands attention, that tells a story? Does it appeal to your target audience and draw them in? Does it help build relationships with them? Does your brand voice make your audience want to read more of your content? Does it make them more likely to follow you on social media? Does it build trust with consistency and personality? If it doesn’t, you need to rethink your strategy (or create one A.S.A.P.). Because building and maintaining a solid brand voice should do ALL of those things. Despite the advantages of having a specific brand voice, it’s surprising how many companies don’t take time to fully develop their own. 77% of brands have issues with off-brand content and struggle to maintain consistency in branding. They’re either skipping creating guidelines, or creating ineffective ones. Maybe the brand itself needs some work, or, marketers simply don’t know how to develop their brand’s voice. That’s why I’m here with today’s guide on how to create brand voice guidelines. I’ll expand on the benefits and share how some leading companies in unique industries have crafted individual brand voices customers recognize. This set of knowledge is a must for any marketer. Ready? Let’s get into it. 7 Steps to Creating Brand Voice Guidelines 1. Understand WHY Brand Voice Guidelines are So Valuable for Your Organization 2. Analyze Your Content & Audience for Inspiration 3. Start with a Concise Description (Then Flesh It Out) 4. Build Examples, Outlines, & Templates 5. Ensure Your Brand Voice Guidelines Translate Well to Content 6. Refine & Refocus in Small Increments 7. Add the Supplementary Touches [bctt tweet=”77% of brands have issues with off-brand content and struggle to maintain consistency in branding. Are you on the right track? Read this 7-step guide on building brand voice guidelines ✅” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Create Brand Voice Guidelines in 7 Steps Creating brand voice guidelines helps guide and align your company voice with your goals, so it all meshes seamlessly. That way, every time your brand voice is used in content, on social media, on your website, and in emails and communications with your customers, it provides a great experience AND nudges you in the right direction, growth-wise. Let’s break down the seven steps to get going. 1. Understand Why Creating Brand Voice Guidelines Is So Beneficial You’re busy. You’ve got products to sell, subscribers to gain, and numerous other goals to meet. Why should you invest time in creating a brand voice? Because it can help you meet those goals. The bottom line is you want growth. Growth in subscribers, growth in exposure, growth in sales. According to a report from Lucidpress, brand consistency can improve revenue growth by 23% on average. Marketers were also asked about the percentage of growth attributable to brand consistency, with the results heavily skewed upwards. Source: Lucidpress Many of the qualities people want in their company can only come from a well-developed brand voice. If you want to really stand out, maintain a connection with your audience, and achieve reach across multiple channels, consistent brand voice guidelines are the answer. They can offer: Differentiation: Your content differentiation factor is what sets you apart from the competition. This is what will make your brand memorable. Remember, your brand voice is about how you say things, not just what you say. I’ll cover more about how to develop this in sections two and three. Recognizability: Being different isn’t the same as being recognizable, but the two go together. If customers find your brand memorable, they can recognize it quickly. They’ll know your catchphrase, your symbol, or even a single sentence that epitomizes your brand. However you get it across, your brand voice determines how you’re perceived and your memorability. Staying consistent with this presentation helps you stay fresh in the mind of your audience. Reach: Once you’ve got a consistent brand voice, creating content actually becomes easier. Whether you’re doing it in-house or hiring specialists, your brand voice gives you a head start. You’ll automatically have an idea of what format, style, and outline to use whether you’re creating content for a blog, mailing list, app, social profile, or eBook. Your brand will be able to reach viewers no matter where they are or how they prefer to digest information. Your brand voice guidelines help you build a better connection with your audience and serve as a way to streamline content creation. When your ideal audience member falls in love with your brand voice. “YES!” Instantly, your company becomes more efficient and your communication more impactful. [bctt tweet=”Why invest in creating your brand’s tone of voice? According to a report from Lucidpress, brand consistency can improve revenue growth by 23% on average.” username=”ExpWriters”] Now that you know why you should build a brand voice, the next step is understanding how. Before you can set out a detailed set of guidelines, you need a good starting point. 2. Gather Content Samples & Audience Insights for Inspiration To begin, gather samples of your content and see where you stand at the start. Does any of your content make you cringe? Or, do any of your pieces (or even individual parts of them) make you sit up straight and think “This is what I want the brand to be about”? Also known as a content audit or content inventory, going over your existing content can help you understand where you’re going astray with brand voice, where you’re hitting the mark, and what you can do to ensure it stays consistent in all content going forward. Audit your existing content with a checklist tailored to brand voice goals. Focus on the overarching message, headline, and supplementary media in each piece, especially. What picture are these facets painting about your brand? Is it the right picture? Source: Content Marketing Institute This checklist can be altered based on what data you have available. As you can see, a big part of getting insights about your brand and … Read more

Copywriting Services: The Ultimate List of Content Tasks Every Marketer Should Be Delegating

June 19, 2024October 5, 2021 by Adam Oakley

Here’s a big, BIG truth about copywriting: The right words, whether in the form of copy or content, can make a huge difference for your marketing. In fact, good copywriting can change everything. ✨ If you speak to your audience in a way that moves them, inspires them, informs them, or clarifies complicated ideas for them, you’re far more likely to be successful (read: more of everything — more traffic, leads, sales, the works). Good writing serves as a foundation for any brand voice. Without that foundation in place, you’ll never move leads to become loyal customers. Here’s the question: Do you even have TIME to pull off that kind of writing consistently? Most marketers don’t – and that’s okay. Instead, they rely on copywriting services and expert talent. They delegate and outsource to people who write for all types of audiences in all types of industries persuasively, day in, day out. Don’t put your hands in too many pots at once. Don’t forfeit writing quality in favor of just “getting it done.” Your entire content marketing strategy will suffer. ❌ So, what types of copywriting services can you outsource? What should you invest in for better results for brand or your clients? We’ve compiled a complete guide, including pricing averages, right here. Want the cheat sheet to save for later as a PDF? Grab it here. Copywriting Services: The Master List of Content Needs for Your Marketing 1. Social Media Social Media Copy for Each Platform Branded Images 2. Onsite Copywriting Services: Blogging Keyword Research Audience & Topic Research Starter Blogs – Shorter Expert Pieces Authority Blogs – Skyscraper Pieces 3. Onsite Copywriting Services: Web Pages SEO Keywords for Your Web Pages Key Landing Pages Service-Specific SEO Landing Pages 4. Email Content Email Sequences Single Emails to Your List 5. Ad Copy/Sales Pages Conversion Copywriting 6. Copywriting for Marketing Content Ebooks & Lead Magnets Whitepapers PPT/SlideShare Flyers/Brochures Press Releases Video Scripts Product Descriptions Download this guide as a PDF. Your Total Content Needs List: Copywriting Services to Delegate and Invest In Copywriting in social media, onsite blogging, onsite web pages, email copy, marketing copy, and ad copy can and should be on your list of marketing tasks to delegate. Improve your marketing and focus on these copywriting services in each category, starting with social media. [bctt tweet=”The right words, whether in the form of copy or content, can make a huge difference for your marketing. But do you have the time to write consistently? ⌚ Find out what you should outsource for better results! #copywriting ” username=”ExpWriters”] Social Media Social media content forms the base of any promotion plan. It’s a key part of a content strategy because it helps you connect, engage, and build relationships with your audience and followers. While you can and should hand the social media copy reins to an expert, one aspect you should never outsource or automate is personal engagement with your audience. When it comes time for interacting, building relationships, networking, and engaging, this should always be personal. Whether you’re responding to comments, taking part in a Twitter chat, or commenting on someone else’s post, your personal interaction is essential. Don’t rely on a copywriting service to do this for you. The basic tasks of writing solid social posts, however, can and should be delegated. Here are the main types you need as a marketer: 1. Social Media Copy for Each Platform Average price per post: $12 – $14+ For promoting content and building brand awareness, social media copy is essential. You not only need to post regularly on each platform you invest in, but also create social content that uses your brand voice and tone to connect with your target audience. Of course, writing for each platform requires different standards, types of posts, and copy. All of this can be a headache and a half to juggle, which is why it’s a fantastic idea to invest in copywriting services. Here are just a few basic, current standards for the top platforms: On Facebook, short posts with cleaner copy (think: 0-1 hashtags and 0-1 emojis) are proven to work well, according to data from CoSchedule. Including an image or link with your posts is a given, and video content is huge for engagement. Too many overly promotional posts are a no-no. On Instagram, you’d think the emphasis would be on the photo you post, but the caption actually matters a ton, too. The written copy here is a great place to tell stories, engage with your followers, and generally provide added value with your images. Example: Tagging other accounts related to your post, especially influencers/brands, as well as using relevant hashtags both encourages discovery and helps your followers find more content like yours. (A good copywriting service will know and use all the current best practices.) On Twitter, your post copy should be engaging but strategic. Each post should include an image for 150% more engagement, according to data Buffer collected, not to mention a few well-chosen hashtags. When relevant, you should also tag partners, influencers, and related accounts. On LinkedIn, a slightly more professional tone is needed, but posts can still retain your brand voice – just dialed back a little. Longer posts and articles about industry news, events, and developments are great fodder for engagement. On Pinterest, much like Instagram, it isn’t necessarily all about the images. Captions will help users find your pins, not to mention give your pins more context. In particular, writing captions that will stay relevant for the life of a pin (which can be a long time!) helps encourage pinning and re-pinning, not to mention continued clicks to your content from that pin. Express Writers offers copywriting services for ongoing social media posts on the platform(s) of your choice. Our social media writers are up-to-date with best practices for every type of post and know how to create engaging copy that wins. [bctt tweet=”While you can and should hand the social media copy reins … Read more

How to Write an Ebook That Drives Conversions

August 3, 2023September 21, 2021 by Adam Oakley

2014 Success #2: How to Write a Great Ebook for Conversions & Customers

Old-school marketing techniques just don’t cut it anymore. Pop-up ads had their day, but now, 42.7% of worldwide internet users stop them in their tracks with an ad-blocker. On average, people see anywhere between 6,500 and 11,000 ads per day. It’s no surprise that most of us have gone “ad blind” and rarely pay attention to them anymore. Cold calls are also outdated. Only 27% of sales reps believe cold calling is still effective, and the practice has a low 2% success rate. What about PPC and social media? They still work, but studies have shown that content marketing consistently outperforms them by a wide margin. SEO drives a whopping 1,000% more traffic than organic social media, and even Google admits that SEO traffic is 5x greater than PPC. It’s clear that content marketing is the strategy of the present and future. Content marketing comes in many forms, including SEO web articles, blog posts, social media content, videos, online courses, webinars, whitepapers, ebooks, and more. Today, we’re going to focus on ebooks and what they can offer your business in terms of marketing growth. Ready to bring your idea for an ebook to life? Our custom content services from expert-level writers include ebooks starting around $105/page. How to Write an Ebook for Your Business in 6 Steps Ebooks can be a highly profitable part of your content marketing strategy… if they’re done correctly. If you’re wondering whether people still read ebooks, the answer is YES! Harper Collins reported a 38% increase in ebook downloads for the first quarter of 2021. Ebooks can be immensely profitable because they don’t cost you any printing materials or shipping costs to get the product to the customer. Once someone downloads your ebook, it’s immediately accessible. When it comes to business, an ebook is usually written for one of two goals: Revenue: Charging a fee to download your ebook can create a side stream of extra income Conversions & Leads: Offering your ebook for free allows you to share information about your products and services, seasonal offers, and educational information about your industry. There’s a lot that goes into an ebook. Let’s look at the creation steps, starting with… 1. Select a Topic People WANT to Read You might be a brilliant writer, but if you write your ebook on a subject your audience couldn’t care less about, nobody is ever going to read it. Be cognizant of your market niche. You can take a more methodical approach to coming up with your ebook topic by: Using analytical data: Look at the insights from past content you’ve published on your website and social media. Do you notice any themes? Does your audience seem to respond to certain topics better than others? Checking out your competition: What subjects are your competitors writing about? Are people engaging with their content, or not? Sending out surveys: Not sure what your audience is most interested in? Ask them! Run a poll on social media or set up a quick survey that goes out to your email subscribers. SurveyMonkey is a great free tool for this, or you can use Google Forms. Testing the market: Before committing to a full ebook, release the first chapter to your audience and see how they respond. Keep track of the number of downloads and be open to any feedback from beta readers. It’s important to find a balance between what people want to read and what you know how to write. By that, I mean don’t follow the fads and write an ebook about losing weight or making money just because that’s what you think is trending. Chances are, those markets are oversaturated, and your book will be a tiny, unnoticed drop in an ocean dominated by established big names. Stick to your market and expertise. Write what you know. Pro tip: Make sure you choose a topic that has a limited focus but plenty of flexibility for you to address different (but relevant) points. You want to make sure every section ties together, but you don’t want to trap yourself in box and repeat the same information over and over again. 2. Research Before You Write It’s tempting to dive right in and start writing, but the research process is an important phase that needs to happen first. Even if you’re an expert on your chosen topic, you’ll still want to include outside sources such as case studies, statistics, and research. Plus, it’s a good idea to double-check your facts. Read other ebooks within your industry niche and topic to see how you can put a personal spin on information that’s already available for consumers. Making it personal is the best way to help your ebook stand out from the crowd. 3. Create a Clear Outline A word to the wise – without an outline to follow, many writers get stuck within the first few chapters of their ebook. First, decide how you want to format your ebook. Is it going to be a step-by-step solution to a problem? Or will you present your information like a case study, or a research paper? It’s also a good idea to determine the page orientation so you can plan your chapters accordingly for a vertical versus horizontal layout. From there, create the structural base of your ebook with headings and subheadings. Doing this step before you start writing is the easiest way to ensure each section flows smoothly into the next one and your content stays on topic. 4. Find a Quiet, Distraction-Free Place to Write Even seasoned authors can be easily distracted. The best way to make sure you see your ebook through from start to finish without losing your concentration and motivation is to eliminate as many interruptions as possible. Mute your phone and close your open Facebook tab. Over time, you’ll learn your own preferences. Maybe you like to write with music playing, or perhaps you prefer silence. Every writer’s ideal setting for maximum productivity is going to be different. 5. Write … Read more

How to Write a Whitepaper for Your Business

September 27, 2022September 14, 2021 by Adam Oakley

Content marketing has proven its worth time and time again. Don’t just take my word for it. SEO traffic has proven to be five times greater that pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and ten times greater than social media. Google itself says that content could “likely matter more than any other factor” when it comes to SEO. It’s no wonder content marketing is predicted to be worth more than $600 billion by 2024. Content creation is already the top outsourced activity among business-to-consumer (B2C) companies who rely on outsourcing. Content marketing is a complex subject with many different aspects across multiple channels. We’re talking instructional and educational articles, blogs, social media content, ebooks, videos, webinars, whitepapers… and the list goes on. We’ll focus on whitepapers in this article, but this is only a fraction of content marketing and should be one piece of your strategy that includes many other working parts. Need a high-quality whitepaper written for your business? Our done-for-you content services from expert-level writers include whitepapers, starting around $105/page. What Is a Whitepaper? Whitepapers are informational documents that are usually written in an academic style. On average, most whitepapers are approximately 2,500 words. Their primary purpose is to highlight a problem and propose solution(s) while promoting a product or service. A whitepaper is often designed for business-to-business (B2B) marketing, but it can also apply to B2C marketing strategies as well. However, in the case of B2C, this form of content marketing is best suited for prospective customers who are searching for an educational, unbiased publication, not a quirky listicle or typical advertisement. A whitepaper is NOT a: Flashy, image-heavy brochure User manual Technical support document Traditional ad Whitepapers are designed to inform and persuade using facts, statistics, research, studies, and evidence. They aren’t likely to be trending on Facebook, but they can still be a powerful piece of your content marketing strategy to give your business an edge. [bctt tweet=”What is a whitepaper? How can it give your business’ content marketing strategy an edge? How do you write one? ? Find out in this step-by-step guide. ?” username=”ExpWriters”] How to Write a Business Whitepaper in 5 Basic Steps Whitepapers serve a specific marketing need for businesses. They raise awareness, educate consumers and clients, demonstrate a need within a specific industry, and help to establish your business as a leading authority on the subject matter. Also noteworthy – the high quality, relevancy, and usefulness of whitepapers are a plus for SEO. But writing a whitepaper is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot of preparation, time, motivation, and determination, as well as strong writing skills. After all, you don’t stand out as an expert in your field simply by cranking out an unresearched piece of content in 30 minutes. There’s serious work that goes into a whitepaper. 1. Choose the Right Topic Just like any other piece of content in your marketing strategy, it all starts with selecting a topic that people will want to read. When you’re considering the right subject matter, there are three primary factors that should influence your decision: Audience: Who will be reading your whitepaper? Is it targeting a B2B client, such as a wholesaler partnering with a retailer? Or, if you’re writing for a B2C audience, are you reaching out to established customers who are already familiar with your business and industry, or prospective leads who presumably have little knowledge about the subject? Expertise: A whitepaper can help to establish you as an authority in your industry, so make sure you’re sticking to your strong suits. Your content should be able to offer both internal knowledge as well as external research. Keep your whitepaper focused on your target niche. Solution-Focused Problem: Successful whitepapers identify a timely, relevant problem, and then they also provide a solution to said problem. Even though the format is academic and informational, a whitepaper is still a marketing asset. You need to point out and examine an issue, then propose how you can solve it. Before you dive into the hard work of writing a whitepaper, make sure you read other whitepapers first. In addition to giving you an idea of what to expect, you can also identify knowledge gaps and different angles to build on existing content rather than publishing a redundant whitepaper that rehashes the same ideas already being discussed. 2. Conduct Thorough and Comprehensive Research A high-quality whitepaper is data-focused and supported by credible research. Just like other forms of content you publish, make sure you’re using reliable sources and including citations. Using information from dubious sources is one of the fastest ways to lose your credibility. If possible, include your own internal documents and studies in addition to industry resources, case studies, research, and recent statistics. 3. Draft an Outline that Follows Proper Whitepaper Formatting Unlike a typical business report, which usually summarizes the findings at the top and then dives into greater detail, a whitepaper will feature the conclusion at the end of the document. The beginning should include a well-defined problem statement. Your goal is to take the reader on a journey that starts with examining a problem, then shifts into solutions, and ideally concludes by proving that your product or service is the best option to solve the problem. Think of your outline as the skeleton of your whitepaper. Organizing the points you want to make, as well as your chapters or sections, will help you stay on track so you can escort your reader with a clear, logical flow. 4. Write First, Edit Later Once you have your basic outline, start writing without reservations. It’s easier to dive right in, record all of your thoughts and research, and then go back later to fix errors and rearrange sections if the flow doesn’t feel quite right. It’s tempting to try to edit while you write, but try to resist. It will slow down your process and can even lead to writer’s block. 5. Hook Your Readers with a Strong, Accurate Title A … Read more

Content Marketing Outperforms Cold Calling and Other Dying Marketing Techniques: Here’s Why.

June 22, 2021 by Julia McCoy

Content marketing is leaving outdated marketing methods in the dust. Feeling doubtful? The $400 billion content marketing industry is on track to explode. Overall, content marketing will grow by $269.24 billion during 2019-2024. It’s not a new practice, but it is finally getting the recognition and respect it deserves because content marketing works. (Plain and simple.) For example… If you stopped cold calling right now, what would happen? You wouldn’t get new customers. But what would happen if you were to stop content marketing? You’d still be bringing in leads and traffic months, even years later. Content marketing also compounds over time, which means it’s a long-term investment that will continue working for you long after the content is published. And since 68% of all online experiences begin with a search engine, quality content that ranks on search pages is going to keep producing results and making your brand discoverable. ? What Exactly Is Content Marketing, and Why is It So Powerful? [bctt tweet=”Content marketing compounds over time. It’s a long-term investment that will continue working for you long after the content is published. ? ” username=””] Content marketing is a strategic approach that focuses on writing and publishing relevant content that will attract, educate, and engage a defined audience. Instead of reciting the typical sales pitch, content creators are helping consumers solve problems. That seems a little counterproductive for a marketing strategy, right? How can you increase your sales if you aren’t talking about how great your products and services are? The answer is simple: you’re building trust and authority. Instead of adopting the sleazy salesman role, which is an immediate turnoff for many consumers, you’re having a pleasant conversation with them and providing information they need. And that will likely inspire them to see what else you have to offer. Consider this: Google reports that SEO (search engine optimized) traffic is five times greater than PPC (pay per click) and ten times greater than social media. Speaking of Google, that’s where 92.96% of global traffic originates, so ranking on Google is an absolute must if you want to see success. During the pandemic, Google search traffic jumped from 3.6 billion searches per day to more than 6 billion per day. Simply paying for ads on Google isn’t going to cut it. On average, a person sees between 6,500 and 11,000 ads per day, not to mention 42.7% of worldwide internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 relying on ad-blocking tools at least once a month. With that constant advertising bombardment, it’s no wonder people have largely become “ad blind.” Using an SEO-first content marketing strategy isn’t interruptive like typical ads (and it won’t be flagged by ad blockers). It allows businesses to target new prospects at every stage of the purchase funnel. 6 Steps to Create Content That Generates Leads and Brings in Traffic Your brand’s content strategy framework is your golden formula for success. It goes much deeper than simply writing articles that target keywords. Whether you’re a content marketing beginner wondering how to get started or a veteran looking to polish your existing strategy for better success, you’re in the right place! Below is a step-by-step look at how a rock-solid content strategy foundation works. 1. Know Your Foundations: Niche, Expertise, and CDF When it comes to content creation and marketing, you need to be able to answer the following questions first: What is my niche (targeted industry)? Who is my audience? What are my qualifications/expertise? What are my business goals? What do I have to offer than nobody else does? The last question is your Content Differentiation Factor, or CDF. Basically, your CDF is what makes you unique among your competition. Before you can start defining your audience and writing content for them, you need to have a clear understanding of who you are and what you want to accomplish. Is your content marketing going to be used to find new leads? To educate people about solutions (and how your product or service can solve their problems)? To provide citable data and studies? To increase the organic web traffic on your site? To create brand awareness? Once you’ve answered these questions, you have the groundwork laid for your content marketing strategy. 2. Understand What Your Audience Wants and Needs Part of your Step 1 analysis should be figuring out your target audience. But knowing who your audience will be is very different from knowing how to convert them into customers. Some of the ways you can identify the needs of your audience can include: Reviewing online comments and conversations to identify consumer needs. Researching keywords that are relevant to your targeted niche. Studying your competition to see what they’re doing. Sending out customer surveys. Creating audience personas for your content strategy. All of this research should answer these two critical questions: “Who am I writing for?” and “What are they looking for?” 3. Target Keywords with SEO Best Practices Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is the practice of writing and formatting content in a way that ranks in search engines. When researching the best keywords to target, you should ideally look for low-competition, long-tail keywords that are three or more words in length. And, most importantly, these keywords should be highly relevant to your niche. When writing your content, avoid keyword-stuffing, which is the outdated practice of forcing a keyword into an article as many times as possible, even if that results in the article being difficult to read. Doing so will negatively impact your ranking. SEO rewards writing that flows naturally. For the best SEO results, you should also: Optimize for voice searches. 71% of consumers would rather search by voice than type their question, with a projected 122.7 million voice search users for this year. This means there is more value in optimizing your content for natural speech rather than keywords. For example, a voice search is going to prioritize pages that answer a question such as “Who was Steve … Read more

Why Businesses Are Set to Spend $600B on What’s Important: Content Marketing

August 26, 2022May 18, 2021 by Julia McCoy

Let me ask you: Who would you say is the current king of marketing? Maybe ads, commercials, even brand ambassadors? The answer is none of these. The true king of marketing is content — and quality content at that. The majority of businesses already understand this and are hopping on the content marketing train. 70+% of companies are now investing in content marketing (Hubspot). And 49% of B2C marketers say their organization outsources at least one content marketing activity. More likely to outsource are large companies. (2021 CMI Report) 75% of those outsourced content marketing activities go to content creation. ? However, to see results, we know we can’t just churn out any old subject matter and expect it to succeed anymore. Content these days needs to be good. What if you’re a small business just starting out? Do you still need to spend on content marking? Yes, you do, no matter your company’s size. Here’s why. You Need to Spend Money on Content Marketing: If You’re Not, You’re Missing Out We’ve known for a few years now that content marketing would be worth just over $400 billion in 2021. The revolution underway is not to be underestimated. But what’s truly nuts? Content marketing is going to grow another $269 billion or so by 2024, bringing the total industry worth and spend to over $600 billion in 2024. Content marketing is here to stay. Size, and even success, don’t matter. Whether your company is small or large, triumphant or struggling, you need to be putting a portion of your money towards content marketing. If you want to grow your business, which you should, you need to create unique content. [bctt tweet=”70% of companies invest in content marketing (@hubspot). 49% outsource at least one activity, and 75% of those activities go to content creation. ? Read more:” username=”ExpWriters”] You may think you can put only a small portion of your funds towards content especially when notoriously cheap content mills (still) exist. However, a cheap rate won’t cut it these days: not with the way Google’s search algorithm now works. Content marketing requires quality and quantity, and that costs — both time and money. If you think you should dedicate 10, or even 20% of your marketing budget to content, you’re wrong. The most prosperous businesses spend close to 40% of their marketing budget on content strategy. It’s worth it, though. Content marking still manages to cost 62% less than outbound marketing and generates almost three times as many leads. And web traffic is among the top two most frequent success metrics for content marketing strategies (Hubspot). Considering that ad ROI has spiked as low as .6x return (yes — that’s .6x), and studies have shown that the year-over-year increase in unique visitor count is 7.8x higher for content marketing leaders than for followers (19.7% vs. 2.5%)… Want traffic, leads, and sales? You’ll need to turn to content marketing. In sum, in business, if you put your money where your content marketing is: You’ll profit. 3 Benefits of Content Marketing You now know you need content marketing in your toolkit if you want your business to take off. The proof is in the numbers — a study found small businesses with blogs generated a 126% higher lead growth than those without. But how does that happen? Here are a few of the main benefits of good content marketing. We’ve also written before on the secrets to marketing planning. With well-thought-out contenting marketing strategies, you can: 1. Retain Your Audience If your content is forgettable, predictably, your audience is probably going to forget you. If they forget you entirely, how likely is it they’re going to return? Not a very high chance at all. If you produce high-quality content, however, consumers will consistently come back for more. The more a person comes back to your content, the more likely you are to make a sale. We care about content. Our team has completed 35,000+ projects and counting. 100 handpicked, trained creators on staff. Try us out today and start your order. 2. Build Real Audience Trust If someone trusts you, they’re more likely to buy from you. That’s always been true. However, these days, earning an honest image has become more difficult. The public today is distrustful. After having not-quite true “facts” and vague euphemisms shoved down their throats, they want more. Understandably, at that. If you want to make your audience trust you, be trustworthy. It’s as simple as that. Speaking plainly, honestly, and simply will build your brand as a dependable source. Content marketing is very good at building trust. In fact, it’s one main reason content marketers invest in it, per CMI benchmark’s recent study. The secret to trust-building? Content that provides value. The stats show that content marketers know this, too. 3. Generate More Leads It’s true: content is king. That doesn’t mean content for content’s sake is the end goal when for this kind of marketing. You’re not just there to entertain. You’re there to make a sale. And sales you will make. Simply by clicking on your content, the customer is taken to your website — your domain. They’ve already arrived on your turf. It’s time to make it count. If someone reads your content and loves it, they are much more likely to buy from you. People want to buy from companies they like. It also helps when you have a CTA (call to action) linking to your business at the end of your content. This drives views to the rest of your site, where readers can make a purchase. We are a case study of this. Not only does our site attract 100,000 visitors/month, but we’ve built up nearly that much in monthly revenue, too. Here’s a slide from my recent talk at FreelanceU’s Skills Summit that emphasizes the power of our website, built with a weekly blog for eight years (we’ve never taken a blogging vacation, and boy has it paid off!): How to Use Content Marketing to … Read more

The Cost of Bad Writing: Why Companies Spend $3B a Year on Writing Errors

August 26, 2022April 27, 2021 by Julia McCoy

Sure, good writing is essential for writers. What about everyone else? It can’t be that necessary, right? The answer is yes, it is. Writing, and writing well, is a critical skill for anyone — especially those in business. The true cost of bad writing is lost profit, pure and simple. Not only has poor writing already cost companies a devastating amount, at a rate of $400 billion per year, but it could also impact your business. At least, unless you get smart. To attack the problem, first you need to understand the underlying issue. What is “bad writing,” and how can it be digging so deep into business’ pockets? Let’s take a closer look. The Cost of Bad Writing: First, What Is Bad Writing? There’s more to writing than spelling and grammar. That’s only the first step. Making sure what you write is not only technically correct but readable can make or break you. A good writer needs to be: Grammatically correct Clear and concise Expressive and entertaining To the point Honest Attentive to detail As a business owner, you need to be picky about your writers. Not everyone has the necessary creativity and attention to detail. Sure, this means you’ll likely pay more upfront. The amount you save in the end, however, is well worth it. [bctt tweet=”Good writing is essential for writers. ✅ But what about everyone else? It can’t be that necessary, right? The answer is YES, it can. Bad writing costs businesses billions of dollars every year. ? More from @JuliaEMcCoy ✏” username=””] At Express Writers, we follow that rule. Did you know out of an average of 500 applicants a month, we only select five? That’s 1%. Phew. But, we do it because we need to. Our standards are hella high — we live or die by the quality of our writing. One bad writer, one botched job, and a $30K monthly account could walk out the door. We also do it because it’s not hard to run into bad writing — throw a stone, and you’ll hit it. Bad Writing (& the Costs Businesses Pay) Is Everywhere You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, we’ve all seen it. Terrible writing runs rampant in the business world, from grammatical error-ridden emails to poorly worded announcements, to exhausting blog posts. Reading this type of writing doesn’t just make us tired. It also takes time to read bad writing. It eats up our hours on the clock and saps our energy for the rest of the workday. You know the saying — time equals money. It’s true that poor writing skills in the business world equate to a great deal of money flying out the window. Bad Writing Costs Businesses Billions Were you shocked by the above number? Yes, companies are losing billions per year. Up to millions per company has been lost, as well. All of it is due to bad writing. How could this happen? At first, 400 billion lost per year sounds unrealistic. However, when you look at the history, you’ll see how simple mistakes can have devastating results. Common Examples of Poor Writing and the Consequences It’s incredible how one seemingly minor error can cost a company a fortune. Here, I’ve compiled a list of three prevalent examples of bad business writing and its repercussions. 1. Understating Problems and Overusing Euphemisms A pitfall that many companies and politicians have run into is not being transparent. The refusal to admit not just the truth but the whole truth in an understandable way will always result in a downfall. Today’s audience is both discerning and able to check facts at their fingertips. It’s easy to find out what the truth is, and someone will eventually. So, don’t lie, and don’t understate the facts. General Motors General Motors ran into disaster when they downplayed malfunctioning vehicles. This was a mistake that not only lost over a billion dollars, but also put lives in danger. When the company had an issue with the Chevrolet Cobalt’s ignition switch in 2014, which caused the airbags to disable, General Motors wasn’t too concerned. At least, that’s what it sounded like. In internal communications, they called the malfunctioning vehicles a “customer convenience issue.” This understatement of the severity of the situation caused a delayed response — after all, they had other, more important things to do. Source: Vox In this case, bad wording cost General Motors over $1.7 billion in total as the company had to recall a total of 2.6 million cars. 2. Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Errors While this is an example that seems obvious, this problem is more recurrent than you think. Attention to detail is critical, down to every last dotted “i” and crossed “t.” Quite literally, a single missing comma can create disaster. Oakhurst Dairy You may have thought the oxford comma was no longer important. Such a small detail, and a seemingly silly one at that — how could it make such a difference? Oakhurst Dairy found out the hard way. Source: WGME In 2017, the company had redefined its delivery driver overtime exemptions. The new rules stated a series of tasks were exempt from overtime, including “packing for shipping or distribution.” Oakhurst Dairy’s workers took them to court and focused on one tiny but essential detail: the oxford comma. The lack of the oxford comma, workers argued, made it seem like the two were one action (i.e., packing for the purpose of shipping or distribution) versus being separate exempt tasks. The court ruled in favor of the workers, and Oakhurst Dairy paid out $5 million in related overtime as a result. 3. Sloppy Editing and Inattention to Detail Another extremely common trouble in the writing world is careless editing. It isn’t just bad form. It’s a way to lose out on everything you’ve gained. NASA In 1999, the NASA Mars Orbiter disintegrated into the atmosphere after having missed its orbit window. Scientists at NASA were confused. How could their calculations have been so incorrect … Read more

When to Get a Writer for a Case Study: Everything You Need to Know

June 19, 2024April 20, 2021 by Julia McCoy

You’re an expert at what you do, and it shows every day in the form of happy clients. What better way to convince prospects that you can do the same for them than by illustrating all the ways you’ve helped your clients succeed? After all, nothing carries more weight with future clients than the success stories of the ones that came before. Enter case studies. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 82% of your competition are using them. Yet, they’re one of the trickiest types of content to master. Get it wrong, and they can backfire. Here’s exactly what a case study is, how it can help your business, and when you should consider hiring an expert case study writer to handle it for you. First Things First: What is a Case Study? A case study is a type of document originally found in human sciences that allows for an in-depth, multi-faceted exploration of a complex, real-life issue. It identifies: Your client and the challenge they faced before finding you The solution that your company chose to implement – and why you chose it What happened as a result of that solution (plus where the company is today) Along the way, it uses quantitative data like metrics, but case studies are meant to illuminate the qualitative data too – the stuff that’s harder to measure but no less real. [bctt tweet=”Case studies. ? 82% of your competition uses them (@CMIContent), but they’re one of the trickiest content types to master. Learn what a case study is, how it helps your business, and when to hire a case study writer via @JuliaEMcCoy ?.” username=”ExpWriters”] If you’ve spent any time researching ways to grow your brand’s authority with content, you’ve discovered that they’re simultaneously a powerful strategy to do so … and still a less common type of content than you might expect. Even in 2020, 13% of marketers consider them as a primary form of media in their content strategy. Case studies rank fifth behind video, blogs, infographics, and even eBooks. Yet, Gartner once found that they rank as the second most effective strategy for influencing buyers (after direct content). Competitive advantage much, yes? Case studies are hard to pull off correctly, and a good case study writer is even harder to find. A case study isn’t just the sum of its three basic parts (problem, solution, result). Likewise, a solid case study writer isn’t just going to hammer out a bunch of numbers and bland descriptions. Rather, they understand that… Case Studies Work Best When Data Alone Doesn’t Tell the Full Story At their core, case studies are how scientists sneak storytelling into their research. According to student researchers at the University of Nottingham: “The case study approach is particularly useful to employ when there is a need to obtain an in-depth appreciation of an issue, event or phenomenon of interest, in its natural real-life context.” In business, that issue, even, or phenomenon, is your product or service. Specifically, how your product or service positively impacted one of your clients. In story mode. [bctt tweet=”Case studies tell your prospects exactly how your product or service positively impacted one of your clients… In story mode. ? That’s why they’re so powerful. ? Learn the case for case studies on The Write Blog.” username=”ExpWriters”] Sure, you probably convey the effectiveness of your solutions with metrics and numbers alone. Metrics are measurable proof. But why would you settle for metrics alone when you could reel in your potential customers with a good story about how and why your services work … then let them imagine themselves with those very solutions and results? How a Good Case Study Helps Your Business A solid library of case studies is your secret weapon for convincing potential customers to do business with you. They’ll allow you to: Showcase your professional expertise with real-life examples. People make all sorts of crazy claims about the effectiveness of their product or service. A case study provides proof to support those claims … the type that can be verified. Help build customer trust early in the sales cycle. Some 82% of your customers will read your reviews before doing business with you. Give them a case study or three to consider in the process. Leverage peer influence. A good case study writer will ensure that it’s the customer’s story brought to the forefront. That gives you the ability to use the customer’s own words to create a powerful driver for conversion. Provide a primary source for your content team. Speaking of quotes, case studies will yield lots of them. Use them in your other content to strengthen it. Use storytelling to promote your brand. While each individual case study may focus on a different client, you can also use them on yourself. Consider these examples, which tell the stories of companies and their quests in community engagement, getting laws changed, or creating ethical supply chains. Case studies are popular but far from overdone. That’s great news for brands looking to demonstrate their expertise in their field! Source: HubSpot When to Hire a Professional Case Study Writer Nail your case studies and you have a powerful new weapon in your sales and marketing arsenals. But you have to nail them. ?? That’s easier said than done … and also where a professional case study writer comes in handy. Here are three signs you should consider hiring an expert case study writer to create case studies that drive your brand’s growth. 1. You’re Not Sure What Goes into Writing a Solid Case Study (and You Can’t Afford to Mess Up!) Case studies work well in two part of your brand’s sales funnel: at the top, where they can inspire more interest in clients looking for the answers you provide, and at the decision-making stage. In both places, they can prove instrumental in getting that lead to reach out. That means they’re also not a great idea to DIY if you’ve never written … Read more

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