Content Marketing - Express Writers

What is Pillar Content? How to Write Pillar Pages That Resonate with Readers and Earn Higher SERPs

August 26, 2022April 13, 2021 by Julia McCoy

By now, you probably know that content is the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. The problem with content is when companies put too much emphasis on the number of blog posts, rather than the value of the information inside. Assaulting your readers with a barrage of meaningless posts each day won’t drive more traffic to your site. When people search the internet, they aren’t really looking for products or services. They’re looking for solutions to their problems. Long-form content that provides answers will be more useful, which resonates with customers and earns you higher search engine rankings for increased visibility. More than 70% of marketers claim content is very or extremely important to their marketing strategy. However, only 27% rate their efforts as very or extremely successful. Why is that? The answer is simple: Crafting quality content is harder than it seems. Any business can crank out a host of mediocre, uninspired blog posts. But quality content doesn’t just fall off a conveyor belt in an assembly line. One way you can develop content that engages readers and serves as an invaluable resource is by creating pillar content. Exactly what is pillar content? Pillar content is content that establishes your reputation as an authority in your industry, builds trust among your audience, and generates sales for optimal business success. Let’s learn how. What is Pillar Content? Pillar content is significantly informative content that provides invaluable knowledge about a particular subject. It can be separated into sub-topics that continue to provide readers with additional information. [bctt tweet=”Any business can crank out a host of mediocre, uninspired blog posts. But quality content doesn’t just fall off a conveyor belt in an assembly line. ? Learn more about pillar blog posts #contentmarketing ?” username=””] According to Rand Fishkin, all content should be 10x content (as in, it’s ten times better than the average blog post). But pillar content must be substantial enough to build your brand on. Think of pillar content as a broad subject, like digital marketing. Beneath that subject exists a bunch of laser-focused sub-categories, like SEO, social media, and paid advertising. This is known as cluster content. Pillar content delivers thorough answers to the questions online searchers ask about that main subject. Then, it links to that cluster content for more focused information. Let’s look at a real-world example. I recently wrote an insightful piece about Google’s search quality evaluator guidelines. Not only does this article outline and explain the key points of the guidelines. It also teaches people WHY they need content, a critical factor in the buying decisions surrounding content. This pillar piece brings value to readers through its main subject (Google’s guidelines) as well as the cluster content (why content is necessary), all while earning high search listing placement. That’s the sole purpose of pillar content. Pillar content stands out from similar content and is engaging, reliable, or helpful to your readers. It allows you to: Eliminate Redundancy: Comprehensive content prevents repetition of material throughout your site. Plan Future Content: Pillar content can lead to sub-topics within that category. Connect the Dots: Link within your own content to provide helpful resources to your audience. Since pillar content provides a well-researched, authoritative piece that links to offshoot sub-pages, it’s extremely effective for SEO. It not only provides tons of content to align with keyword searches and relevancy. It also links to other expert sources and expands reach exponentially. All of this positions your brand as an authority on a specific topic, building trust and loyalty among your audience and leading to a higher conversion rate. Because it’s so in-depth, pillar content tends to be among your site’s best material. You know that old adage, “Put your best foot forward”? That’s what pillar content does. For that reason, it’s typically where you’ll direct new visitors. But pillar content is evergreen, so it also has a long shelf life. It’s authoritative information about a topic that will continually gain interest. Visitors will check it out (and other sites may link to it) long after it’s been posted. With continual updates, edits, and maintenance, it will always be meaningful and relevant. Pillar content can consist of anything from infographics and videos to blog posts and articles. It’s simply a way to support foundational content for a specific niche. When executed well, it can be timeless, continually useful for readers, and eternally gain you higher search engine rankings. Why Should You Use Pillar Pages? There are two main reasons pillar pages should be part of your marketing strategy. First, they help you organize your content so readers can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Let’s face it. People love convenience, and there’s very little that’s more convenient than pillar pages. They provide a one-stop shop for all of the important information users are looking for online. It’s like digging for treasure and finding a gold mine. ⛏ But businesses also have a lot to gain from pillar content, and that brings us to the second reason you should use pillar content. From a marketing perspective, pillar content is also a gold mine, but for SEO. Pillar pages help your SEO efforts in several ways. 1. Cut Through the Clutter To provide the most consistent, relevant, and useful results to its users, Google likes to know exactly what’s happening with your website’s content. When Google sees your articles link back to pillar content that all relates to the same subject, it’s clear what that subject is and Google understands how to rank your pages. Not only does this help clarify your website’s relevance for Google’s search engine guidelines. But the more your website mentions a certain subject, the better you’ll rank for that subject in particular. Organization isn’t just beneficial for Google. It also helps readers navigate your site and effectively consume all of your content, providing a better user experience. This, incidentally, also helps boost your search engine rankings. Pillar content helps you cut through the clutter of … Read more

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

November 10, 2022January 12, 2021 by Adam Oakley

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

4 New Year Content Marketing Resolutions That Will Explode Your Online Results

June 19, 2024January 5, 2021 by Julia McCoy

Content marketing never sleeps, nor dies. It evolves – constantly. It thrives in adversity. And it transforms a crisis – like the 2020 pandemic – into an opportunity. Maybe you’ve known about this opportunity already. After all, content marketing is an industry that’s growing in popularity by the day, and is about to be worth $412 billion. Still, the pandemic allowed us to see just how true and powerful content marketing can be. I mean, look at these quick stats. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people across all generations turned to the internet. During which: Search rose by 3.6 billion searches/day to 6.9 billion/day — and this still holds steady! 53% of Americans found the internet to be an invaluable resource (while a good 34% deemed it important) – and that’s only the U.S., which is 4.25% of the global population. And in effect, global internet usage grew by 70%. Do you see the gold here? There’s no doubt that the global content consumption trends in 2020 have risen to unprecedented heights because of the pandemic. This means more eyeballs than ever, online! ? So how can you use this to your advantage? Just as the pandemic accelerated the already upward trend of the internet age, now is the perfect time for you to accelerate your online efforts as a content marketer. And, whether you’ve been in the business for quite a while or are just starting out, the new year is always a great time to reset. So here are four new year content marketing resolutions to take with you in your online efforts for 2021 – to help win you those golden metrics. [bctt tweet=”In 2020, search rose by 3.6 billion searches/day to 6.9 billion/day — and this still holds steady. How can you tap into this search traffic explosion for your #brand growth? ? Learn the top #contentmarketing predictions via @JuliaEMcCoy:” username=””] New Year Content Marketing Resolution #1: Make Trust and Empathy Your Number One Priority Why trust and empathy? Because – more than half of your potential customers rely on whether they trust a brand when deciding to purchase, second only to affordability. Ignore the importance of trust and you willingly hand over these potential new sales to your competitors. So here are two things you should do to earn your audience’s trust. [bctt tweet=”Trust and empathy should be a #1 resolution brands must make in 2021 to build more audience connections. ❤️ More #contentmarketing resolutions via @JuliaEMcCoy on @ExpWriters: ” username=””] Here’s How #1: Tell Your Story in a Real and Relatable Way Edelman found that 81% say trust is more important now because of the need to feel safe. And, 89% of consumers trust and support brands – that help people through the challenges of COVID-19. So, don’t just tell people who you are. Connect at a deeper level and tell people who you are to THEM, and what values you uphold that they can relate to. Nine out of ten customers are loyal to brands when they share the same values. So, dig deep until you find the core purpose of your brand, and be true to that purpose. Because this is what truly resonates to your audience. This infographic gives you a clear picture of what your story should (and shouldn’t) look like: Tell your story, but turn it around to focus on your customers. Source: ReferralCandy Here’s How #2. Deliver Consistent Value That Nurtures Your Audience Your story is just the beginning – the hook. And, if it isn’t authentic, your customers are going to see through you like glass. The key to building trust is following through from start to – well, forever. Keep the quality content coming. Show up consistently. Keep giving your customers a reason to stay. When you become that source of inspiration, or entertainment and distraction to your audience – building and enriching lives with your content, your voice – then 73% of your audience already have your back. Consider these when crafting your new year marketing campaigns: No to Last Minute Concoctions: Some brilliant ideas do pop up at the last minute, but more often, it isn’t. So, plan your new year content strategy ahead. Serve Fresh, Meaty Content: Don’t stop with great headlines. Make sure you give your audience what they clicked for – packed with well-researched and relevant information. Don’t Forget to Tenderize the Meat: Break those tough, long sentences. Chop those huge blocks of paragraphs. And, YES – visuals are your best friend to help deliver digestible content. Give a Steady, Healthy Diet: You’ve done it. People trust you. They rely on your content for constant nourishment. So, commit to your content schedule and, if you can, surprise them with dessert. A downloadable guide would be nice. Did I just make you hungry? If yes, then good. Because there’s more to devour in this post. ? New Year Content Marketing Resolution #2: Take the SEO-Focused Content Marketing Approach Some marketers will tell you to forget about SEO. Well, I’m telling you to forget about them. Here’s why. Organic search is responsible for generating twice more revenue for B2B and Tech Companies. And, it’s the top driver of website traffic, with social media falling way behind by 300%. PLUS, now there’s a jaw dropping 6 BILLION Google searches PER DAY – that’s twice as many searches than there was in 2019. – Talk about opportunity knocking at your door, right? Here are two essentials for developing your new year marketing messaging with SEO in mind. Here’s How #1. Audience First: Discover and Fulfill Search Intent SEO is no longer about hitting your keyword counts. It’s how well you know your audience and having the right content strategy. You have to understand what it is your audience is looking for. It’s not just “shoes”, maybe it’s “running shoes for flat feet”. Invest a good amount of time to research your audience and build your target persona – before anything else – to zero-in on exactly how you … Read more

Why Your Niche Marketing Strategy Needs to Be About Your Content Differentiation Factor

November 11, 2022December 1, 2020 by Julia McCoy

Question: Does a niche marketing strategy still work today? Answer: Yes, but not in the way it used to. To understand what I mean, imagine this. It’s Friday night, and you’ve just completed an exhausting week of work. You’re so ready to chill. But right now, you’re hungry. But since you’re also tired, the idea of going home to cook something from scratch in your kitchen is appalling. So, you decide to eat out. As you stand on the sidewalk, you notice two restaurants side by side. One serves fast food. The other serves delicious vegan-friendly dishes. Now, let’s say you’re: A vegetarian An animal lover A person who doesn’t mind spending for quality food Which restaurant would you pick? That’s right, you’d go for restaurant #2. As you walk inside, you notice all kinds of people. Koreans, African Americans, Indians. You notice young couples, elderly people, and hurried businessmen. (Or, maybe you’re in the long drive-thru line — and you notice all the people in the cars around you, or coming out of the restaurant with their to-go bags neatly packed under their arms.) Why did these people choose to dine in the same restaurant as you? For sure, it’s not because you share the same demographic. You’re not all the same age, color, and race. It’s because the restaurant’s unique differentiation factor called out to your needs and beliefs. So yes, niche marketing strategy still works today. But the term “niche” should no longer be about a certain age, race, or gender group. Instead, it should be about your content differentiation factor, and how it speaks to your audience, no matter where or how old they are. Let’s dig deeper. Niche Marketing Strategy: It’s No Longer About Age, Gender, and Race If you ask a ton of marketers today how you should go about promoting your brand, they’ll likely tell you an overblown, outdated lie: “Find your niche.” And you’ll likely believe them, go to Google Analytics, and find out how old your audience is. Or where they live, and whether they’re male or female. If you find out that five of your audience members are women in their 20’s who live in Chicago, you’ll then go ahead and address all your marketing materials to them. The problem is, you’re leaving out a ton of people who could benefit from what you’re offering. According to Jeff Goins, the world has changed. We’re connected in ways never dreamed of in the past. Source: fizzle.co Which means, your audience can be anywhere. They can be high schoolers, savvy entrepreneurs, or work-from-home moms. They can be Irish, Canadian, Japanese, or Filipino. What ties them together is the same thing that tied diners at the fancy keto place together: what you offer, and how that can help them. When you present this to them in written words, you’re expressing your content differentiation factor. The Express Writers’ Story: How Breaking the Old-Fashioned Niche Marketing Strategy Made Success Possible If you’ve taken a freelance writing course, you’re familiar with this outdated statement: “Hyper-specialize, or you’ll never enjoy success.” To follow this advice, you need to pick one writing niche. For instance, email writing. Then, zero in on your potential clients. Let’s say it’s plumbers in Chicago. When you build your website, you’ll craft a headline like, “Email writer for plumbers in Chicago.” And that’s OK. Maybe one or two Chicago plumbers will need a bunch of emails written for them. But honestly, you’re limiting yourself and potential clients who NEED your services. At Express Writers, we do the opposite. Source: expresswriters.com We offer blogs, video scripts, white papers, ad copy, social media posts, and every type of content needed for a content marketing campaign… …to anyone in the world who needs it. So far, we’ve written for dog breeders in Canada, chiropractors and dentists in the U.S., marketers in England, and more! You can be anyone, anywhere in the world, and still order great content from us. The only “niche” you need to fit? The belief is that great content will do wonders for your brand. That’s it. And trust me, this open-bordered niche marketing strategy has led Express Writers from a tiny $75 startup to a thriving brand worth $5 million. Imagine what we would have been if we narrowed it down to “emails for 40-year-old lawyers in Austin, Texas.” How to Find Your Own Content Differentiation Factor Your CDF (content differentiation factor) is different from your USP (unique selling proposition). While your USP is what makes you different from your competitors… …your CDF is the unique way your present your brand. For example, take the keto restaurant in the introduction. Its USP: Delicious, keto-friendly food. Its CDF: Keto-friendly meals don’t have to be messy, time-consuming, and bland; we’ll create delicious, unique, healthy dishes for you as you relax and listen to soothing music. So, how do you find your own content differentiation factor? Here are three steps to follow. 1. Forget About Your Products or Services I know, products or services are the main reason your brand exists. But when finding your content differentiation factor, you need to set them in the background. Instead, think of how you’ll solve your audience’s problems in a unique way. Show them you’ll serve them better than your competitors. For instance, other keto-friendly restaurants already offer 100% organic ingredients. You can do the same, PLUS promise food that tastes better than the fried chicken at your customers’ favorite fast food chain. 2. Focus on Your Audience Sit down for a moment and step into your audience’s shoes. Imagine them. They believe in eating healthy. They believe in boycotting animal-based products. They’re exhausted from a long, busy workweek. They love delicious food. Trying new dishes and flavors excites them. Notice: it’s not about their age, background, race, or political affiliations. It’s about who they are, what they believe in, and how you can serve them. 3. Skip the Features, Focus on the Benefits Yes, you could … Read more

Introducing G.R.O.W. with Julia: The Live Mentorship Community for Content Marketers & Entrepreneurs

January 2, 2021November 24, 2020 by Julia McCoy

Feeling lost in your content marketing journey? Maybe you’ve already built a brand, but you’re simply breaking even each month and you’re not sure what step to take next. Or maybe you’re working at an agency, dreaming of being the marketer your boss calls indispensable. But you’re going around in circles, highly skillful but needing a sounding board to take you to the next level of success. If this is you, I understand. You already have the skills. You have the experience. You have the drive and passion. But you feel lonely. You’re not sure why your efforts aren’t bringing in the success you dream of. You long for someone to point you in the right direction. To give you that gentle push down the road that leads to change. Or maybe you need real friends who share your struggles. People who are in the same place you are. The good news is, I have all these packaged for you in G.R.O.W. with Julia, my new growth-focused community for entrepreneurs and marketers. Want to check it out? It’s now officially open until Cyber Monday, November 30 at 11pm CST. Go here if you have that feeling in your gut it’s for you. ? The Story Behind G.R.O.W. with Julia Five years ago, I was just like you. I’d picked up content marketing skills through four years as an entrepreneur. I was running my content agency, Express Writers, and we were getting 500 visitors a day and turning up roughly $29k a month. But it was a lonely road ahead. We kept hitting a glass ceiling, unable to scale and grow. I had no one to ask what I was doing wrong, what I had to change, what next step I had to take. And yes, this story does have a happy ending. Fast forward to today, Express Writers is thriving. We’ve hit seven figures, and we grow 20-50% every year. That said, the road wasn’t easy. And it’s not going to be easy for you. That’s why I came up with the concept of G.R.O.W. one unearthly hour as I was trying to sleep (everything they’ve said about The Muse not running around at 3 a.m. is a lie ?). What I thought to myself is this. “Instead of offering my community another savings code for Black Friday, why not give them something new? Something I needed and longed for with all my heart back when I was a struggling marketer and entrepreneur?” This is the concept behind G.R.O.W. [bctt tweet=”.@JuliaEMcCoy’s new mentorship and training community is here! ? G.R.O.W. means Gather Round Our Why. It’s based on 2 pillars: ☝The frameworks she used to skyrocket @ExpWriters ✌The community she needed then but didn’t have.” username=””] It means Gather Round Our Why, and it rests on two strong pillars. Pillar #1: The frameworks I used to get out of the rut and skyrocket my content agency from a tiny $75 startup into a thriving seven-figure brand. Pillar #2: The community I needed back then but didn’t have. This includes a coach and mentor, strategists and professionals to answer every growth-related question, and a group of friends and fellow content marketers and entrepreneurs who share your dreams and struggles. G.R.O.W. is packed with the templates, guides, frameworks, and strategies you need to snag those quick wins. It’s a helping hand when you’re down. The friends you need on your lonely content marketing journey. A LIVE coach to unravel those tough questions you deal with on the day-to-day. It sounds complex, but it’s not. Actually, it’s simple. G.R.O.W.’s #1 goal is to help you grow online through content. And my promise to you is that with hard work and passion, you will grow. We’ll grow together. The Six Advanced Frameworks I Teach in G.R.O.W. I talk about my six frameworks for growth in my book, Practical Content Strategy and Marketing, and video course The Content Strategy & Marketing Course. When you join G.R.O.W., I’ll give you LIVE advanced training on how to apply these frameworks to your own marketing. (Plus, you can send me your questions and I’ll answer them in our LIVE monthly group coaching calls.) Here’s a quick rundown of my six frameworks for growth. G.R.O.W. Framework 1: Know Your Brand Content Differentiation Factor The first step towards growth isn’t building your audience…it’s knowing what sets your brand apart in a sea of online content. My goal is to help you set your content differentiation factor so you can build a following of loyal fans, even in a world where five million blogs are published every single day. G.R.O.W. Framework 2: Get to Know Your Audience As the saying goes, “It’s not about tricking people into buying. Your money isn’t worth anything to me if my product isn’t worth anything to you.” In this stage, I’ll help you in your journey towards getting to know the people who need you to change their lives. G.R.O.W. Framework 3: Earn Traffic & Prospects This is where everything comes together. Your amazing brand with its unique content differentiation factor, and your adoring audience whose lives you’ll change in amazing ways. G.R.O.W. Framework 4: Build a Content House The truth is, you won’t grow by scattering all your good content pieces anywhere they’ll land online. You need a solid content house. That’s your website, which you build and polish with awesome content. The stronger your content house, the more visitors, leads, and buyers you’ll get. G.R.O.W. Framework 5: Consistency, Quality, & Time Building your brand through online content is not a get rich quick scheme. If you think that’s it, stop right now. Because in order to grow the healthy way, you need to produce consistent quality over time. But don’t worry. Start today, and your G.R.O.W. community will be there for you during the hard times. G.R.O.W. Framework 6: Creating a Brand Ecosystem Solo wins won’t do it. You need to create and build a living, breathing ecosystem for long-term success. In … Read more

5 Content Marketing Trends That Will Hold Firm in 2021

September 5, 2022October 27, 2020 by Julia McCoy

Question. ❓ How is your business traffic growth and revenue doing amidst the pandemic? Are you staying ahead of the curve and seeing the same (or even better) results in your content marketing since the onset of the coronavirus? Or are you struggling because you lost a ton of loyal followers when the world suddenly and inevitably changed? And if you’re seeing success, will it last? What are the content marketing trends for 2021 you need to keep in mind as the year turns? All these are great questions, and I’ll answer them in this blog. I’ll show you: 5 content marketing trends for 2021 to keep you ahead of the curve The #1 trend you need to focus on if you want to stay afloat, no matter how times change Great examples of brands who made it (and excelled) despite the pandemic (and what you need to do to be like them) Let’s dive in! 5 Content Marketing Trends for 2021 Trend #1: Amazing, Value-Focused Brand Content Will Always Win the Day Trend #2: Meeting YMYL Standards in Tough Industries Will Be a Must for SEO Content Marketing Success Trend #3: Video Content Will Bring More Trust than Ever Trend #4: Voice-Search Savvy Content Marketing Will Rule the Roost Trend #5: Be Ready to Pivot Your Value-Base and Topics [bctt tweet=”Top content trends ? for 2020, via @JuliaEMcCoy’s Write Blog: ❶ Amazing content will win the day, ❷ Meeting #Google YMYL standards will be a must, ❸ Video content ? will bring more trust. Read all ❺: ” username=””] Content Marketing Trends for 2021: Examining CMI’s Interesting Benchmark Study CMI’s 2021 B2B Content Marketing: What Now? [New Research] is full of powerful insights. The part I enjoyed most was where they talked about what brands did with their content marketing during the pandemic. Here’s the thing: most of them had to pivot and alter their content marketing strategy to keep up with the times. The data shows that 80-90% of content marketers made changes to their strategy, found those changes effective, and expected those changes to stay in effect in the foreseeable future. Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com I totally agree with them, because we did the same at Express Writers. We did our best to stay current and avoid getting swept away and forgotten amidst the panic COVID-19 caused. For example, I found out that the term “work from home” skyrocketed from 300,000 searches per month to a whopping 1.8 million searches per month. To respond to it, pull in a ton of new readers, and help people who were scrambling to supplement or replace their income, I crafted a piece for the Write Blog with the keyword “work from home.” Source: expresswriters.com The result? The post shot up to become one of our top five most shared blogs of all time! Source: app.buzzsumo.com The bottom line? You can’t close your eyes, continue with your outdated content marketing strategy, and pray things will go back to “normal.” It’s time to open your eyes, make the needed pivot with your content marketing strategy, and learn about the top content marketing trends for 2021. Content Marketing Trends for 2021: The Top 5 You Absolutely Shouldn’t Miss Three of these trends are older trends that are exploding in size. Two are absolutely new. Check them out. Content Marketing Trend for 2021 #1: Amazing, Value-Focused Brand Content Will Always Win the Day In other words, amazing content that meets or exceeds Google’s E-A-T standards. No matter how the world changes, stellar content will never go out of style. Check these stats out: Over 90% of global search traffic now comes from Google. And you CANNOT rank on Google without stellar content. Publishing quality, strategic content generates 67% more leads than not publishing any content. 71% of B2B buyers read blogs to assist them in selecting the right brand to do business with. You simply can’t succeed in content marketing without amazing content. [bctt tweet=”You simply can’t succeed in content marketing without amazing content. @JuliaEMcCoy ” username=””] In fact, 83% of B2B marketers attribute their content marketing success to valuable content. Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com On the other hand, 63% of B2B marketers say the biggest reason for their lack of content marketing success is due to content marketing challenges. Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com The bottom line? With great content, you’ll have met the #1 challenge for content marketing in 2021! The problem is, creating this kind of content is hard. You need to keep up with Google’s E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) standards, beat your competition, and deliver real value to your reader. If you’re having trouble, we’re here to help. At Express Writers, we don’t scramble for our content hats at the last minute. Content is what we’re about. (We’ve grown from a $75 startup to a seven-figure business serving over 5,000 clients, without paying for a single ad!) If you need content that surpasses Google’s E-A-T, has your readers craving for more, and ensures success for your content marketing in 2021, we’re here for you. [bctt tweet=”If you need content that surpasses Google’s E-A-T, has your readers craving for more, and ensures content success in 2021, consider @ExpWriters. ⭐️ ” username=””] Content Marketing Trend for 2021 #2: Meeting YMYL Standards in Tough Industries Will Be a Must for SEO Content Marketing Success When COVID-19 first hit China last December, what keyword did you hurriedly type into Google? If you’re like me, it was “COVID-19 news.” As the virus spread and took over the world, you probably typed in things like, “COVID-19 prevention,” “How to keep healthy during COVID-19,” and “COVID-19 facts.” And along with the quality content you found, there was a ton of misinformation and fake news, making you scared, doubtful, and confused. The result? Google started working extra hard to rate health information found on its SERPs. Fact-checkers were also hard at work, with fact-checking rising 900% higher than usual. What this means for you is if you’re in the health industry, you need to take … Read more

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

January 1, 2021September 15, 2020 by Adam Oakley

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

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

March 24, 2022September 8, 2020 by Adam Oakley

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

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

January 13, 2024August 18, 2020 by Adam Oakley

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

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

February 28, 2023August 4, 2020 by Adam Oakley

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