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AI is Not the Tool for SME Content Creation – and Google Knows It

March 28, 2023 by Korilynn V.

AI is here, and there is no denying it. While AI can share the workspace with a traditional writer and editor for content marketing, there is one thing it cannot do – SME content creation. The only genuine SME (subject matter expert) out there in your niche is, well, you – and the talented freelance writers out there that know your field just as well as you. More importantly, Google knows it and expects to see that in your content. What is AI Content Generation? It seems like almost daily another AI content generation tool is launching. Some are free, others are paid, but are any of these tools able to truly replace a genuine expert? TechTarget lists 36 AI generation tools in their 2023 guide, and while there are loads of tools to choose from, they are all based on the GPT-3 model. AI content generation is content that is created by a platform utilizing the GPT-3 model. The content is generated and while marketed to be “new,” it really is not. Think about how AI generators work. Generative AI tools take keywords, themes, and even voice/tone preferences, and it works to generate a blog, web page, or even a social media post, but it is not creating them out of thin air or using any expertise in the field to offer unique opinions and insights. Instead, AI generates your content by pulling information from the internet. It searches and scours the thousands of web pages and blogs already out there to piece together information and generate copy. But, AI Doesn’t Understand What it is Creating…. While it is fascinating to watch AI work, AI has no clue what it is writing. It is solely based on an algorithm pulling data based on your input. Only a Genuine Industry Expert Knows the Content for their Industry AI is incredibly fast and can write a blog post quicker than any writer, but because of its limitations in terms of understanding and having any expertise in the niche, it is not a specialist. Here is where you may hit a speed bump or two, if you are using AI generation for your content marketing: Let’s Talk about E-E-A-T and How AI Falls Short for Industry Professionals Seeking SME Content Creation In Google’s February release, they mention guidelines for using AI generation in your content, and make it clear that they reward high quality regardless of how it is produced (whether human-made or AI-generated). Many took that as a green light to go ahead with AI, but that is not what Google conveyed. Let’s go back to the double update released in December 2022 when the extra “E” was added to the E-A-T standard, making it now E-E-A-T. Image Source: Google Update, December 2022, Page 26 What was that extra “E” for? Experience… Trust is crucial with Google. Some websites may fall short of the bar, no matter how experienced, professional, or even authoritative they are if they don’t have the reader’s trust, and one example given from Google within their update reveals the most consequential sentence that websites need to pay attention to: “…the content creator lacks adequate experience” means they will have a low E-E-A-T score. For example, if the content creator reviews a restaurant, but never ate at the restaurant, they are not experienced or trustworthy, which means they have a low E-E-A-T to Google. Let’s break it down further by looking at each component of E-E-A-T. Experience Experience, in Google’s eyes, offers another level of dimension they can use when evaluating content. Content must demonstrate it was assembled with a degree of experience – after all, a reader will value a person’s content more if they have life experiences on the topic and they are not basing it exclusively on research. AI has no experience with your topic. Let’s take a look at divorce law, for example. You want to write a blog for your law firm on the latest guideline changes for calculating child support, but you will find a few speed bumps along the way using AI to do so: AI typically doesn’t access the latest data – so it may not even know or find the latest guidelines for calculating child support. Worse, it could create a blog on outdated guidelines that it notes as “updated.” AI has no actual understanding of handling child support cases. AI hasn’t had to calculate what a child support payment would be based on your state, the local laws, or the parent’s income. It has definitely never filled out the child support worksheets – but you have. If you go off the premise of why “experience” was added by Google, you can see why AI might not meet the mark. AI is not an attorney or a financial expert, and therefore, there is no SME content creation happening when you use AI to draft your blogs. Expertise SME content creation comes down to one important factor: credibility. A person without qualifications should not be writing a topic out of their realm of expertise. Period. Why? Google is unlikely to rank a website with content not written by a credible source over a website they know has content written by a believable source. In areas where a subject matter expert is required, such as healthcare, Google has a higher level of scrutiny than things based more on personal opinion and less on facts. Authoritativeness Authority means you have proven you belong in the niche your website represents. Sure, backlinks to relevant and authoritative sources will help build that authority, but only so far. If you only have quality backlinks, but don’t meet the other areas of E-E-A-T – well, you don’t have much to go on. There’s not much more to say there. Authority is a building block, and it requires more than one block to finish your foundation. Trustworthiness Now, we’ve already covered where AI falls short for SME content creation, but the biggest area you are going … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Building an Authentic Online Brand with Janet Machuka

April 9, 2021 by Rachel Moffett

These days, having an authentic online brand is a huge factor in your success. After all, people want to know that you’re genuine and that they can trust you. They also want to feel connected to you and your brand. Without trust, you simply cannot expect to be seen as a leader, generate sales, etc. So, how can you position your brand as being authentic? This #ContentWritingChat recap has some helpful tips for you! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Building an Authentic Online Brand with Janet Machuka Welcome to #ContentWritingChat! We're so excited to have you here. ? This month's guest is @janetmachuka_. She is joining us to talk all about building an authentic online brand. Make sure you give her a warm welcome! pic.twitter.com/GIgXrmdNlp — Express Writers | Your Content Writing Partner (@ExpWriters) April 6, 2021 Our guest host for this month’s chat was Janet Machuka. She’s a social media marketing strategist and she has her own Twitter chat, #AfricaTweetChat. Janet shared some great tips with us, so let’s dive in! Q1: What does it mean for a brand to be authentic? If you’re curious what it truly means to have an authentic brand, here’s what you need to know: A1. Being real, genuine and most importantly honest as a brand to your audience. #ContentWritingChat — Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) April 6, 2021 Janet feels an authentic online brand is real, genuine, and honest. A1. IMO, an authentic brand is one that shows its human side. How? By lifting the veil over the people managing their social media, showing their personality, having a brand voice, and sharing lots of BTS content too. #ContentWritingChat — Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) April 6, 2021 For Masooma, it’s all about showing your human side. People want to get to know the real you and see your personality. It helps build a stronger connection. A1: An authentic brand is one you trust, one that is approachable, and one whose content is relevant to you through several layers of your life. If you can't relate to a brand on a personal level, the authenticity score will go down for you personally. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) April 6, 2021 Being approachable is another great element of an authentic brand. When your audience can relate to you, you have a much better chance at succeeding on the way to your goals. A1: A degree of transparency is necessary for a brand to be truly authentic, I think. You have to see them practicing what they preach. #contentwritingchat — Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) April 6, 2021 Transparency definitely helps! Be open and honest with your audience. A1: To build an authentic personal brand, you need to be yourself. Allow people to get to know who you really are. Don't try to be something you're not. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@rachmoffett) April 6, 2021 Don’t forget that you should never try to be something you’re not. People will see right through that. So, just be you! A1: Be real. Don't try too hard. Some brands see success from the competition and try to replicate, only they fall flat on their butt. If you're real, you have nothing to prove. If you're fake, you're proving yourself to everyone. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/GOrFmrI1MZ — SPW ✍️? (@ShawnPaulWood) April 6, 2021 And don’t try to copy exactly what another brand is doing. You need to forge your own path and do your own thing. Be your true self and everything is sure to come together. Q2: Why is brand authenticity such an important factor in establishing yourself online these days? The authentic brands stand out more than the rest. Here’s why it’s a crucial factor in branding: A2. —It differentiates you from the rest—To be engaged more, you need to be authentic as a brand —It makes a brand attractive and loveable—Authenticity can boost your brands network and referrals #ContentWritingChat — Janet Machuka (@janetmachuka_) April 6, 2021 An authentic brand is going to stand out from everyone else in the crowd. People are more likely to support a brand that they find to be real, relatable, and trustworthy. A2: Because people want to know who they're buying from. Social media provides a great opportunity to show them who you are. #ContentWritingChat — Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) April 6, 2021 As Michelle said, people want to know who they’re buying from. Through social media, you can help people get to know you and your team. When they know you and like you, they’ll be more likely to engage with your brand and purchase your offerings. A2: Authenticity is online currency. If you can't prove yourself here, where you have the chance to curate yourself, present products thoughtfully, & genuinely respond to feedback, why would I seek out your website or store? Your presence provides context. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) April 6, 2021 Rachel brought up a great point about how people aren’t likely to visit your website or your shop if you fail to position yourself as an authentic online brand. A2: Because you will position yourself as an expert. People will come to you to solve problems and that's how you make money. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/pRTXLKbmTc — Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) April 6, 2021 At the end of the day, being authentic and showcasing your expertise is what will lead to even more sales in your business. A2: Authenticity matters because you get to bring your uniqueness and individuality to the brand. A lot of companies are just copying each other but when you are authentic, genuine and real, you are going to stand out. #ContentWritingChat — Momina (@toppingofirony) April 6, 2021 And you’ll never get anywhere if you’re trying to be something you’re not. Don’t copy the other brands out there. Be yourself and do your own thing. A2: I think people are now more skeptical and discerning because of the amount of in-authenticity–from fake news, to fake influencers, to brands "posing" their "realness" and people realizing they're not. So thinking and being "real" is critical #ContentWritingChat — Jennifer … Read more

How to Find Your Brand’s Unique Content Differentiation Factor and Use It to Your Advantage

February 7, 2024November 13, 2018 by Adam Oakley

Every brand has at least one unique “thing” that sets them apart. The “it” factor. If you’re involved in building your own brand or a business, you absolutely need to make sure you’ve identified that “one thing” that individualizes your message and your content. That factor that differentiates you from your competitors. The one essential element everybody else is missing. Without it, you’ll risk blending into the masses. You’ll turn into another blip in the content sea. Seen and heard today, forgotten tomorrow. A scary, but true, reality. So, my question for you today is: What is your content differentiation factor in your industry? First, let’s define. What do I mean by “content differentiation factor?” This is a concept I teach in my Content Strategy & Marketing course and have written about in my book. Your content differentiation factor (or CDF) is that one, unique thing – the it-factor – that separates you from the billions of other content pages on the web. It’s the angle you present that provides a slightly different, new spin on topics your readers have seen before. Joe Pulizzi of CMI calls this your pivot in the industry – more specifically, your content tilt. Joe talks about this concept in his book, Content Inc., which I highly recommend reading. He says: When you have a solid differentiator, you stand out in a great way. Your voice rises to the top and gets heard. People want to hear what you have to say because it’s unique, useful, and valuable. It’s how you not only reach your audience but reach them powerfully. For today’s topic, let’s start by looking at a few perfect examples of brands that have it and use it to their advantage, and then get into how to find YOUR content differentiation factor. Two Examples of Brands Killing It With a Solid Content Differentiation Factor (CDF) Here are two amazing brands that are doing a killer job at using a CDF that aligns them with their audience. 1. Society6 First up, a brand with a solid CDF that perfectly caters to their audience – Society6. This is essentially a printing service where you can get custom-designed items such as wall art, mugs, notebooks, t-shirts, phone cases, and even bedding, shower curtains, and furniture. The differentiator which sets Society6 apart from similar printing services is the artist community that serves as their foundation. Instead of offering pre-designed patterns and templates, Society6 sources designs from independent artists all over the world who receive a cut of the profits. Their content ties into their CDF perfectly. They regularly feature original pieces from artists selling designs on Society6. View this post on Instagram “Message from the Sea” by Christian Schloe / Link in bio @Society6 A post shared by Society6 (@society6) on Oct 25, 2018 at 5:58pm PDT They also have a blog with more artist features, tips for creatives selling their designs on the platform, and home décor tips using their custom-printed goods. Finally, Society6’s huge following and high content engagement speak to how well tapping into their content differentiation factor has played out. On Instagram alone, they have over half a million followers, and each post averages thousands of likes and comments. Society6’s unique artists are their greatest asset, and they use this CDF to reach out to both consumers who want to support small businesses as well as creators looking to support themselves with their art. [bctt tweet=”How are you differentiating yourself from others in your niche? What makes you stand out? @JuliaEMcCoy’s guide talks about content differentiation factor, plus examples, and how to do it. #contentmarketing #cdf ” username=”ExpWriters”] 2. Taste of Home Another brand nailing their content differentiation factor: Taste of Home. Originally a magazine dedicated to showcasing favorite recipes from home cooks, Taste of Home now has an online presence chock-full of content catered to their readers. For example, their website serves as an extension of their printed compilations of reader-submitted recipes. However, what sets the brand apart is the fact that only the best of the best get featured because each is tested by the Taste of Home kitchen beforehand. Every recipe comes with tips, anecdotes, or secrets from the cook who submitted it. Taste of Home leans into their CDF online and carries over the main mission from their print magazine: “foster[ing] a strong and loyal sense of community among like-minded home cooks of all ages.” Along with user-submitted recipes and food-related blog posts, Taste of Home also populates their social media feeds with eye-catching video content. Manicotti, simplified. > Get the recipe for Easy-to-Stuff Manicotti: https://t.co/chpdYg1myp pic.twitter.com/MOZv3UMiYc — Taste of Home (@tasteofhome) October 31, 2018 Finally, their engaged community speaks to how well Taste of Home has used their CDF to their advantage. They essentially tap into the heart and warmth of home cooking. How to Find Your Content Differentiation Factor (and Why It’s Different from Your Unique Selling Proposition) It’s easy to mistake your content differentiation factor for your unique selling proposition, and vice-versa. [bctt tweet=”Your unique selling proposition is NOT the same as your content differentiation factor. What makes you stand out in your industry? ” username=”ExpWriters”] But, remember: They’re not one and the same. Your unique selling proposition (USP) is the factor that makes your products or services better or more valuable than your competitors. Your content differentiation factor is the unique angle you present as a brand/business. It’s how you approach industry topics and write about them from your individual perspective. In short, your CDF is more akin to your motto, your mission, or your mantra. It’s how you approach connecting to your audience. To do it, you need to present them with an angle they haven’t seen before: your angle. Here’s how to find it: 1. Don’t Over-Focus on Your Products/Services This great blog from Jay Baer represents the pitfalls of what can happen when brands only focus on their … Read more

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

January 1, 2021December 1, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

There’s no denying that it takes time to truly build a brand that will stand out from the crowd, especially if you’re in a saturated niche. Fortunately, our latest #ContentWritingChat has some tips that are going to help your brand shine. And this is advice you’ll want to implement in the coming year! Whether you’re building your own personal brand or you are part of another company’s brand, these tips will still be beneficial for you. So, if you want to learn how to build a brand that people truly love, keep reading for this week’s recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Brand That Will Stand Out in 2018 with Rochelle Moulton Welcome to #ContentWritingChat! Today, @ConsultingChick is joining us to share her tips on building a brand that stands out. ?? Who is ready to chat? pic.twitter.com/JgdI7YnKXx — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) November 28, 2017 Our guest host this week was Rochelle Moulton. She’s an entrepreneur and a personal brand strategist. She joined us for Tuesday’s #ContentWritingChat to share her advice on branding and it’s definitely worth a read! Let’s dive in! Q1: What does it mean to have a personal brand or a brand for your business? Have you built one? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share what it means to have a brand. We also wanted to know if they’ve worked to build a brand themselves! Here’s what a few of our chat participants had to say: A1a Having a personal brand is consistently presenting yourself/your ideas so your sweet-spot audience knows you. #contentwritingchat — Rochelle Moulton (@ConsultingChick) November 28, 2017 A1 It’s also—at its best—about authenticity. Genuinely, without artifice, YOU. #contentwritingchat — Rochelle Moulton (@ConsultingChick) November 28, 2017 Rochelle said that having a personal brand is consistently presenting yourself and your ideas so your “sweet spot” audience knows you. Your brand also needs to be authentic. If it’s not, people are going to see right through you. A1: A brand is an identity for the company or person. It shows what is important to the company. It is crucial to be consistent with the identity you are showing. #ContentWritingChat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 28, 2017 Lexie knows a brand is essentially the identity of the person or company that it represents. She feels your brand shows what’s important and that consistency is key. A1: Having a personal brand = showcasing who your business is and how you can help your customers.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/0RemNw24nR — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) November 28, 2017 Sarah said that having a personal brand showcases what your business is and how you’re able to help your customers. A1 Personal brand = creating a transparent, genuine, and honest public identity attached to ROI (courses, consulting, services, etc) that people relate to and want to invest in. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 28, 2017 When building a personal brand, you need to be transparent, genuine, and honest. Julia said that people will need to be able to relate to your brand and should want to invest in it. That’s all part of helping you attract the right people. A1. It’s your personality, vision, mission. It’s what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. It’s what people know and understand about you. It’s what people say when you leave the room. #contentwritingchat — Bourbon & Honey (@BrittanyBrander) November 28, 2017 As Brittany said, your brand is your personality, your vision, and your mission. It’s all about what you do, why you do it, and how you do it. She knows that your brand helps people get to know and understand you. A1. “Building your #brand is a crucial part of developing your business. It’s the foundation of giving your organization a voice, identity, value, and awareness among consumers.” via @HubSpot https://t.co/Z4S2lWRYyj #ContentWritingChat — SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) November 28, 2017 Your brand is the foundation of giving your company a voice, identity, value, and awareness. A1: All of us have a #PersonalBrand, whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not – it’s the way people see us!#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CvRACJCELz — @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) November 28, 2017 And remember, we all have a personal brand, whether you realize it or not! It’s better to be smart and actually manage your brand’s reputation. Q2: What are some key elements you will need in order to build a brand that will stand out? To build a brand that truly shines, there are a few key elements you’ll need to get started! Here’s what you need to know: A2 100% clarity on your ideal audience—who do you want to reach? #contentwritingchat — Rochelle Moulton (@ConsultingChick) November 28, 2017 A2 A compelling point of view—what do you believe and why? #contentwritingchat — Rochelle Moulton (@ConsultingChick) November 28, 2017 As Rochelle said, it’s important to have clarity on who your ideal audience is. You need to know who you want to reach in order to create the content that will resonate with them. She also said that having a compelling point of view will help you stand out from others. A2 Consistency is highly underrated—it’s actually the single most important factor in building trust in your brand #contentwritingchat — Rochelle Moulton (@ConsultingChick) November 28, 2017 And don’t forget that consistency is essential as well! It’s going to help you establish your brand and build trust with your audience. A2: A unique message…Something that sets you apart from others in your niche. When you define your message, you have to make sure that it’s one that can grow with you. #contentwritingchat — Flying Cork (@flyingcorkpgh) November 28, 2017 A unique message is going to help differentiate you from the others in your niche. A2 Know: WHO you are WHAT is your unique “offering” & differs your from others HOW can you serve your audience WHAT are ways to educate, entertain of be helpful#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/1fH7LuPGmQ — Zala Bricelj (@ZalkaB) November 28, 2017 Zala said you need to figure … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Highly Profitable Personal Brand with Anthony John Amyx

December 31, 2020August 4, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

Are you wondering how to build a personal brand that stands out online? If so, you’re in luck! That’s exactly what we discussed in our latest #ContentWritingChat. We talked about what it means to have a personal brand, the first steps you need to take to build your brand, and how you can incorporate personality into all of your online content. Does that sound like exactly what you need right now? Keep reading for our recap of Tuesday’s chat! #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Build a Highly Profitable Personal Brand with Anthony John Amyx Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, August 1st at 10 AM Central with @ajamyx! pic.twitter.com/q6PmBRthA5 — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 25, 2017 Our guest host this week was Anthony John Amyx. He’s a personal brand and business growth strategist. He shared some great advice with us this week, which you’ll want to check out! Q1: What does it mean to have a personal brand and why is it important? So, what exactly does it mean to have a personal brand of your own? And why is it such an important thing? Here are a few of the responses we received during the chat: A1. Why you should have a personal brand #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/G3s2NVrCXZ — Anthony John Amyx (@ajamyx) August 1, 2017 If you want to stand out online, you need to have a personal brand. Show what you’re passionate about and what you have to offer that can help others. This is ultimately going to separate you from others. A1: It is our reputation – what ppl think when our name comes to mind. We all have one. That’s why it’s important. #contentwritingchat — Javier Sanabria (@SanabriaJav) August 1, 2017 As Javi pointed out, your personal brand is your reputation. It’s what other people think of when your name crosses their mind. Whether you realize it or not, we all have a personal brand. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of it. A1 Personal branding is when you apply your name to your products/services and establish yourself as a brand. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CzFSAL1PVY — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) August 1, 2017 Julia said personal branding is when you apply your name to your products and services. This begins to establish you as your own brand. A1. Personal brand is the image we portray of ourselves/business. Visual yes, but also values, priorities and influence. #contentwritingchat — YourWebContentWriter (@WebContent4U) August 1, 2017 Your personal brand goes beyond the visuals, but it also includes your values, priorities, and influence. It’s all about how you portray yourself online. A1: Having a personal brand helps to know what your business stands for and for people to connect with you. #ContentWritingChat — Mind of a Diva (@MindofaDiva) August 1, 2017 Your brand is going to attract the right people and help them connect with you on a deeper level. A1a. You have a personal brand regardless of you maintain it or not, it’s your rep. #ContentWritingChat — Rebecca Wegscheid (@MarketerRebecca) August 1, 2017 Rebecca knows that we all have a personal brand, whether you maintain it or not. That’s why it’s better to be in control of what you’re putting out there online because it directly impacts your reputation. Q2: What are the first steps to building a personal brand online? Now that you know why it’s important to build a personal brand, you’re likely wondering how to create a brand of your own. Here are the first steps you should take to establish your brand: A2. Continued #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/QJuyOETNFk — Anthony John Amyx (@ajamyx) August 1, 2017 Make sure you know who your target audience is and know your story as well. You also want to build a platform to get people onto your list. All of this should come before you focus on promotion. A2: Make sure you know what you want to be known for. From topic to voice, get the building blocks in place. #ContentWritingChat — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) August 1, 2017 Maureen said you need to know what you want to be known for first. Get those building blocks in place in order to get started. You want to know which topics you’ll talk about and you need to find your voice. A2: Be personable. Use what you’re passionate about to start to build your brand, you can always expand from there. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 1, 2017 Passion is always going to be a key to success. Know what you’re passionate about and use that as fuel to build and grow your personal brand. A2: What’s your niche & your original take? Be interesting, present, knowledgeable, original, & in demand. #contentwritingchat — Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) August 1, 2017 It’s important that you figure out your niche and what makes you original. As Shelly said, you should be interested, present, knowledgeable, original, and in demand. A2: Well, you should start by deciding who you want to be, and then be that person. Don’t fake it. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/QWuBMYXFD7 — Sarah Nelson (@Blogging_Geek) August 1, 2017 One very important tip to remember when building your personal brand: don’t fake it. People will see right through you if you aren’t being genuine. Be yourself and that’s what will resonate with them. A2: Putting out content that helps you build your brand. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/cxjFXWpZir — Nick Lingerfelt (@nicklingerfelt) August 1, 2017 Nick said you want to put out content that’s going to help you build your brand. Know what’s going to resonate with your audience and what aligns with your goals and share content that fits that. A2. You can provide value to your audience on a daily basis and earn their trust #contentwritingchat — Cheval John (@chevd80) August 1, 2017 Cheval’s advice is to provide value to your audience on a daily basis. This is going to help establish trust and allow you to build a relationship with them. A2: Participate in @Twitter chats in your niche. #ContentWritingChat — Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) August 1, 2017 A … Read more

How to Write an Amazing About Page

January 1, 2021May 22, 2017 by Adam Oakley

Ah, the dreaded About Page. You know you need one… But few people know how to create one that actually accomplishes anything for their business. Here’s a good question. What is a “good About Page” really supposed to accomplish? Copyblogger says that it should answer three questions for your visitor: What’s in this for me? Am I in the right place? Can this person help me with my problem? The first thing that you should notice here is that, while your About Page is about your business, it needs to be catered to your visitors. You don’t want to turn your reader off by talking about yourself too much. Make them interested in a natural conversation with you. To answer these three questions and get your readers to pull up a chair and stay a while, there are a few steps that you will need to follow through on. Let’s take a look at what they are. How to Write an Amazing About Page: Focus on Your Reader As you go through each step, the importance of focusing on the reader cannot be overstated. While your initial thought may be that your About Page should be about you, the fact of the matter is that your readers aren’t there for you. They’re there for them. By understanding that your reader should be your main focus you can avoid producing an information-littered About Page that doesn’t accomplish anything for your business. Go ahead and tell your story. Just don’t get so lost in telling it that you forget why you’re doing it in the first place. Step #1 – Tell Your Story With Your Customers in Mind There are thousands of examples of stale About Pages that tell weakly put together stories about the history of a company and what they offer to customers. The thing is, people already know most of these things. They’ve made it to your page because they feel you might have the potential to solve their problems. As Entrepreneur contributor Aaron Agius is quick to point out, “So many companies focus on business specifics in their About Page content, such as types of services and products offered.” Agius wants you to look away from this boring strategy. His recommendation is that, “Your About Page should illustrate your business’s humble beginnings and highlight the positive attributes of your team that helped you get where you are today.” Here’s a good overview of the elements of a compelling B2B story: All six elements outlined above play an integral role in ensuring that businesses see you as someone that they’d like to work with. Make your About Page about your customers. Relate to them. Be memorable. Give them a reason to trust you. Do these things and you’re well on your way to making a strong first impression with the people who matter. Step #2 – Utilize Visuals to Strengthen Visuals are a necessary part of any great About Page. And they’re especially effective when you’re attempting to tell your brand’s unique story. This visual, showing why infographics are a great business tool, gives you a sense as to why. It grabs you, doesn’t it? Now, we’re certainly not saying that your About Page needs an infographic. What we are saying, however, is that, if 90% of information that comes to the brain is visual, your page needs more than just words. Visuals can include anything from images and videos to infographics and photographs. MailChimp is one of many B2B companies that effectively utilizes photographs on their About Page. When you see this photo, you immediately think of community. This isn’t a coincidence. As you scroll down their page, they have a section about Community Investment and how they’re helping cities like Atlanta become, “better, weirder, and more human.” They also feature a visual-rich section on their employees that looks like this: When you see these photos, the word “fun” comes to mind. Now we know, without even reading a single word, that MailChimp identifies themselves as a fun, community-driven company. They’ve told their story through photos and use words to supplement it. This is the power of visuals. And it’s why they need to be implemented, and featured, on your About Page. Video content is an excellent choice to consider for your About Page. Here’s how we did it on our About Page (our video story was filmed professionally and told by our founder, Julia McCoy): And if you scroll down, you’ll learn about each of the creators that make up a core portion of our team: Step #3 – Use Social Proof The power of social proof in the marketing world is astounding. And while there are dozens of examples of how social proof can help you market effectively, it can also be leveraged on your About Page to build a strong first impression about your reputation. But with so many different ways to show that others trust your brand, which one works best for your About Page? This infographic shows eight ways you can use social proof on your website: The type that will work best for your brand is, plain and simply, the one that will be seen as most powerful to your customers. Gummisig, a freelance web designer, identified that listing popular clients that he’s worked with proved most effective. Ikea is a Fortune 500 company. Showing potential customers that a company like that has trusted his services provides immediate, and incredibly effective, social proof. But maybe you haven’t had the pleasure of working with a client with that type of name recognition. No problem. Use the customers you do have. Providing quotes from testimonials is a powerful way to generate effective social proof. Including actual data about what you’ve accomplished for your clients can also work incredibly well. Use what you have to provide social proof that your unique readers will understand and appreciate. Step #4 – Give Readers a Next Step If they like what they see, what are they supposed to … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Being Recognized & Known Online: Personal Branding 101

December 31, 2020April 28, 2017 by Rachel Moffett

This week’s #ContentWritingChat was all about personal branding! We talked about who should have a personal brand, they key steps to creating one, and much more. If you missed the chat or need a refresher on the topics we covered, it’s time to dive right into our recap! Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, April 25th at 10 AM Central Time with @FeldmanCreative! pic.twitter.com/OPqu7a0Q8I — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) April 18, 2017 Our guest host this week was Barry Feldman. Barry is a content marketing consultant, copywriter, and author. In fact, he recently wrote a book called The Road to Recognition. Q1: How do you define a personal brand? Who has a personal brand? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share their definition of a personal brand. What do they think it means to have a personal brand and who actually has one? Check out some of these responses from the chat: A1: A personal brand is the perception people have of you regarding your professional life. #contentwritingchat — Barry Feldman (@FeldmanCreative) April 25, 2017 A1: Everyone has, or has the potential to have, a personal brand. Whether they take control of it is the question. #contentwritingchat — Barry Feldman (@FeldmanCreative) April 25, 2017 As Barry said, a personal brand is the perception people have of you regarding your professional life. People are always going to have thoughts and opinions surrounding you, whether you realize you have a personal brand or not. So, you better make sure it’s a good one! He also added that everyone has or has the potential to have a personal brand. It’s important that you recognize this and take control of the image you’re portraying. @ExpWriters A1: I think of a personal brand as your essence, what you stand for, what you won’t fall for. Your mission and values. #ContentWritingChat — Katie Lewis (@kathryndlewis) April 25, 2017 Katie had a great answer to this first question. She feels a personal brand is your essence, what you stand for, and what you won’t fall for. It’s all about your mission and the values you have. Definitely something worth thinking about! A1. A personal brand is a package of who you are and what you’re about that you represent to the world. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JH8FG4hRuo — Maggie Bizzell (@MaggieBizz) April 25, 2017 Maggie said your personal brand is a package of who you are and what you’re about. This package essentially represents you to the world, which is why it’s something everyone should think about. @writingchat A1: You are your personal brand. Everything anyone can see or read about you makes up how you’re perceived. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/jaNpkat5LQ — Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) April 25, 2017 As Jenn pointed out, everything anyone can see or read about you makes up how you’re perceived. It may sound a little scary, but remember that you can take control of your personal brand overall. A1 You personal brand is your vibe! How you communicate who you are, what you do, what people can expect from you…#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/SyLCps7dj1 — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) April 25, 2017 Gabriela said your personal brand is your vibe. It’s all in how you communicate who you are, what you do, and what people can expect from you. Here’s hoping your personal brand gives off an amazing vibe! A1: First of all, everyone has a personal brand, whether they want to or not! It’s how you represent yourself to others. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) April 25, 2017 Lexie from Netvantage Marketing feels everyone has a personal brand. This is why it’s so important to consider how you’re representing yourself, especially online. A1: Everyone has a personal brand, from personality to reputation, what do people think of you when you aren’t around? #contentwritingchat — Digital Natives Cast (@DgtlNativesCast) April 25, 2017 Ask yourself the following question… What do you want people to think of you when you’re not around? Make sure your personal brand is a reflection of that answer. Q2: What key steps should someone take when building a personal brand? Now that you know what a personal brand is, let’s talk about the key steps to building it. It’s likely that you have a personal brand whether you realize it or not and you want to make sure it’s an accurate reflection of you. Here’s what you need to know: A2: Establish your message (UVP). ID an audience. Concentrate on a niche. Find the right platform. Deliver value. #contentwritingchat — Barry Feldman (@FeldmanCreative) April 25, 2017 Barry’s key steps to developing your personal brand: establish your message, identify who your audience is, concentrate on a niche, find the right platform, and then deliver value. @ExpWriters A2 Know your MVP/ value prop and your audience, first & foremost. Then build a content strategy & YOUR unique voice. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/kRegTw4L4H — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 25, 2017 Julia said to know what value you can provide and who your audience is first. From there, you can begin building a content strategy and your unique voice. A2. Before you start throwing things to see what sticks, get clear on who you’re talking to and why. #contentwritingchat — pamelahughes (@pamelahughes) April 25, 2017 Pamela knows just how important it is to know and understand who your audience is, so start there by figuring out who you’re targeting. A2: Know who you are; who your audience is & how to interact with them. Think sustainability; not trends. Be yourself.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/YbEhBTtWJ6 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) April 25, 2017 Sarah’s advice is to know who you are and who your audience is, plus how you’re going to interact with them. It’s also important to be yourself, otherwise you aren’t building your brand on a strong foundation. @ExpWriters A2: They should first create a mission statement and set of values, giving their brand direction. #ContentWritingChat — Katie Lewis (@kathryndlewis) April 25, 2017 Katie suggests starting by creating a mission statement and setting values. This will help give you some direction with your brand … Read more

#ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story

August 4, 2022April 8, 2016 by Rachel Moffett

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? Never fear! We have a full recap of Tuesday’s chat where we talked all about honing in on your brand story. Let’s dive in and review some of the tips that were shared this week! #ContentWritingChat April 5 2016 Recap: Strategies to Hone In On & Tell Your Best Brand Story Join us Tuesday, April 5th for #ContentWritingChat at 10 AM CDT. Guest host: Marketing Consultant, @maybudz! pic.twitter.com/uQVbnWp1se — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) March 29, 2016 Tamara Budz joined us as our guest host this week. She is a marketing consultant and brand storyteller/content marketer who owns the Silver Shade Group. Q1: Define brand storytelling. What exactly is brand storytelling? Julia, Tamara, Brittany, and Hannah all chimed in with great answers for our first question. A1 What does YOUR brand solve for people? What are customers saying? Tell your best authentic story = brand storytelling #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 As Julia mentioned, you want to focus on what your brand solves for people. What pain points are you helping them with? And what exactly are your customers saying about you and your brand? @JeremyDBond @RadioMS @varunkr842 @ExpWriters Or about integrating them into your story or vice versa. How can you help? #ContentWritingChat — Tamara Budz (@maybudz) April 5, 2016 Similarly to what Julia said, Tamara reminded us that we need to ask ourselves: How can you help your audience? A1. It’s everything that make you, you. It’s your past, present and future. Reputation. Connection. Story. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 5, 2016 Brittany shared a great answer. Your brand story is your past, present, and future. It’s about your reputation and the connections that you make with your audience. A1: Sharing a brand message in a meaningful and entertaining way #ContentWritingChat #Branding — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 Hannah said brand storytelling is about sharing your message in a meaningful and entertaining way. You need to make sure you’re speaking to your audience. Q2: What makes a strong brand story? Now that you know what brand storytelling is, what exactly makes a strong brand story? A2. A strong brand storyline includes three, key parts: authenticity, relevance, and connectivity. #ContentWritingChat @writingchat #smm — Co-op Social (@co_opsocial) April 5, 2016 Co-Op Social was spot on with their answer. A strong brand story includes authenticity, relevance, and connectivity. You need to be authentic, your story should be relevant to your brand and your audience, and it should form a connection with your audience. A2. Once you know who you are, connect with people, be human, remember your values and be grounded in your integrity. #ContentWritingChat — Brittany Brander (@BrittanyBrander) April 5, 2016 As Brittany said, remember your values. Integrity is important to everything you do within your brand. A2 Authenticity + next: customer-centric! Focus on THEM, not YOU. Tell a story they feel personally vested in! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 A2-One that integrates your audience. They should be part of your journey in some way. #branding #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Ja3YnuRDWu — Jeremy Bond (@JeremyDBond) April 5, 2016 Julia and Jeremy were on the same page with their answers. Both of them expressed the importance of focusing on your audience. Get them involved in your story and make sure it’s one they’ll feel drawn to. A2 A deep understanding of your audience. Understand their painpoints, interests, influences & craft content to reflect #ContentWritingChat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 Hannah said it’s important to understand the pain points of your audience, as well as their interests. Knowing these things can help you create the right content for them. A2: The human elements (people) & struggles behind the story of a brand are what make it compelling #ContentWritingChat — Andrew Dennis (@AndrewDennis33) April 5, 2016 Andrew said to focus on the people. Don’t be afraid to share the struggles behind the story of your brand because that can be compelling and relatable for your audience. Q3: What are the benefits of storytelling for a brand in today’s era? Developing and telling your story can have some major benefits for your brand. Check out these answers from Kim, Hannah, Michael, and Alberto. A3: Again, it’s how you connect to people. Marketing today is all about the connection to the individidual. #ContentWritingChat — McKinney & Assocs (@McKPR) April 5, 2016 A3- A big benefit is it can humanize your brand. And if done right, will build meaningful connections with your target. #ContentWritingChat — Hannah Chapple (@HannahChapple) April 5, 2016 As Kim from McKinney & Associates and Hannah both said, it’s all about developing a connection with your audience. Your story needs to draw them in and help you start forming a relationship. A3: Benefits arise from brand recall & memorability as “humans are hard-wired to absorb stories” #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/Z7PB0d9IGT — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) April 5, 2016 A great answer from Michael: Your brand story is what will make you memorable if you tell a good one! A3 @ExpWriters Behind every Story are persons, not brands or logos or business cards #ContentWritingChat — Alberto Gómez (@alberMoire) April 5, 2016 As Alberto said, there are people behind every story, not brands, logos, or business cards. Focus on telling your story and humanizing your brand. Q4: How do you find/discover your authentic stories to tell? To find/discover your authentic stories, it sounds like most of the people in the chat agreed: look to your customers. A4 What are your customers saying? What’s their story of how you helped them? <<lots of great storytelling fodder! #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) April 5, 2016 @palkoviz That second piece, listening to customers, can offer valuable information. They’ll tell you what they need. #ContentWritingChat — Tamara Budz (@maybudz) April 5, 2016 Pay attention to what your customers are saying. They can provide you with valuable advice. As Julia said, find out how you’ve been able to help your audience. Tamara agreed. She said your customers will tell you what they need. … Read more

A Story Of Brand Marketing: Why GE Is An Awesome Content Creator

December 31, 2020April 30, 2015 by Adam Oakley

Brand recognition in the twenty-first century is an uphill battle, but with a bit of forethought, any brand can position itself where the users are. The hardest part is engaging the users and getting their feedback. This is something that GE has managed to do successfully. Using Reddit (one of the most difficult social media platforms for brand recognition) as its base, GE has managed to woo users to their side by providing high quality content consistently, so much so that their e-zine GE Reports is now considered as relevant and important as older publications in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field. But how exactly did GE manage to do this? How did they place themselves in such a great position compared to their peers? Their strategy is both admirable and inspiring, doing all the things content producers should be doing right. A Big Secret: Knowing the Audience When GE set off on the task of making its brand known for something, they first had to figure out the audience they were creating content for. GE is an engineering company at heart and the obvious audience for them would be engineers and other professionals in STEM fields. The things that interest these types of readers are not what you would consider mainstream content. GE, being a leader in innovation, realized that their audience was made up of people who wanted to know what was going on in science and technology around them. And so GE’s brand marketing strategy was born. GE started producing a series of articles that recapped and encapsulated new discoveries in the field of science and technology in a way that was accessible, not only to STEM professionals, but to anyone who had an interest in new discoveries. What they discovered was that although a large percentage of their core audience were STEM professionals, there were as many readers that were laymen tuning into their content since it was so approachable. The key behind this easy entry was the type of writing that was involved to build these articles. Human Interest Factor: 3 Methods GE Won At Doing GE Reports doesn’t go the traditional route of science reporting. Rather, they focus on the individuals behind the discoveries. What motivated them? What made them decide to explore this particular field of interest? Dry science writing went out with the 80’s and more science and technology magazines were focusing on a different style of science writing: one that sees the inventors and researchers as people first. Human interest stories always get mileage, but combining it with technological breakthroughs was a master stroke of genius. Channels of Interaction: Success With Email? Marketing a brand is about marketing its message and for a brand to become recognized, it needs to get its name out there. Paid channels of marketing isn’t usually a major factor for GE Reports. Most of its users know about it from Reddit or from Twitter, thanks to the massive following on the social media sites. Facebook also figures into its equation, but the surprise factor in GE Reports marketing strategy is its use of email subscriptions.GE knows email is old school, but they also know that their impact comes from personal interaction and bringing out the human side of a story. Email allows for far more interaction with an individual on a personal level and goes hand in hand with their article style. Email gives GE Reports personality and that is something a lot of brand marketing seems to lack these days. Loyalty is a Major Seller. Recently, the thinking behind social media for large marketing companies is to sink a lot of money into a targeted ad campaign. This doesn’t win over an audience, but simply “rents” them. At the end of the campaign it’s unlikely that that same audience would care to purchase from that brand again. It relies heavily on gimmicks and the ability to go for a quick sell. GE’s strategy is the complete opposite. GE Reports focuses on building a community as opposed to simply renting an audience, something that can be very useful to GE in the long run. Why Are Loyal Users Important? Going back to the idea of understanding an audience, the more you interact with an audience is the more likely you are to understand them and the more able you are to spot content that would sit well with them. In addition to that, GE serves as a hub for the latest news and opinions on the cutting edge of science. By cultivating a community, they ensure that not only readers are able to get the information they want to read, but that media outlets are clued in to what is the “next big thing”. This makes them as much of an authority site as any other science and technology outlet that has been in existence for years, all because of their dedicated community that shares and adds to the rich tapestry that is their user base. It’s not about Quantity, It’s About Quality. The thing that sets GE’s brand marketing strategy apart from those of their competitors (and indeed, anyone else in the field of brand marketing) is their dedication to the delivery of quality content. Good content is any entry that enriches the user in some way, either by teaching them something new, informing them of a development or giving them an opinion on something that is worth talking about. GE fulfils this demand admirably, consistently delivering content that appeals to its user base without compromising the usefulness of the content. Isn’t Brand Marketing about Marketing? Brand marketing isn’t simply about marketing, and that’s where a lot of brand marketers fall woefully short. GE goes about brand marketing via another more traditional route. They include their marketing into their content, but their content comes first and the marketing aspect comes after. The idea of a marketing blog should be to inform and enrich your readers before you start working on them as … Read more

What’s The Real Difference Between Marketing and Branding Content?

December 31, 2020April 9, 2015 by Adam Oakley

Marketing and branding are two of the major buzzwords that we use in the industry. The confusing part is that non-industry professionals often mix up branding and marketing and use the terms interchangeably. There is a distinct difference between marketing and branding that can be easily explained. Before we jump into the differences we need to understand what each term means on its own. Both of them are powerful means of spreading information, but both have their own specific uses. Let’s clear up some misconceptions about the terms before we delve any further into their inherent differences. What is Branding? Branding is the process by which you reduce a company’s reputation to a single word. A brand is an easily recognizable representation of the particular company. Something that resonates with the user so that at a glance they know what they’re dealing with. Branding gives personality to a company and attaches an attribute to the company that appeals to the demographic of its core audience. Thus, companies such as Toyota are known for their reliability or Volvo is known for their safety records. Each of these brands have built their brands into easily recognizable traits that allow them to appeal to their customers in a unique way. It makes their business into more than just another faceless entity. What is Marketing? Marketing is a blanket statement that covers all forms of interaction with the customer as well as utilizing models in order to develop targeted advertising to reach out to a specific type of consumer. Marketing incorporates all forms of advertisement. In addition to this, marketing also deals with understanding the consumer or the audience and developing ways to utilize this deeper understanding. Where do Branding and Marketing Meet? Because these two disciplines are concerned with getting information out to the customer, they must meet at some level. Marketing and branding are both different facets of the overall content development strategy for a company. Your marketing should incorporate branding into it in order for you to cultivate customer loyalty. Branding allows you to represent your company in a certain light and build off the information that is gained by marketing. On the other side of the coin, marketing allows you to build a rapport with your audience and introduce them to your branded theme. These concepts go hand in hand, but they are not interchangeable. What is the Major Difference between Marketing and Branding Then? In a word, marketing is tactical whereas branding is strategic. I know what you’re thinking. “Isn’t tactical and strategic the same thing?” No, they aren’t, as Kissmetrics points out. Marketing is where the brand is presented and it contributes to overall branding. However, long after the marketing campaign has been exhausted the brand loyalty will remain. This is where branding and marketing part ways. When we say that marketing is tactical, we mean that it deals with getting its payload of information delivered. It doesn’t try to shape the user’s long-term feelings towards the product, it simply gets in and convinces the customer of the benefits. Branding, on the other hand, seeks to embrace a more long-term view of the customer. By strategic leverage of the brand, we can eventually call upon the customer’s loyalty to the brand in order to close a sale. But this is something that requires you to give back to the customer. You need to cultivate your brand image in such a way that the customer associates an idea with your brand. How Marketing Works Alongside Branding To Build Business Do you remember those old TV shows where there would be a sleeper agent that needs a secret code to “activate” them? Marketing is a little like that. It discovers and “activates” buyers, encouraging them to close sales. Branding goes one step further by making those buyers into loyal customers. One of the most common examples of this is the market for Apple products. Apple has made an art out of branding and this has carried over into products in many different branches of the electronics industry. Taking a look at the Apple target demographic, we see that their aim was to produce a product that was sold solely for its importance as a status symbol. Thus, their marketing spread the message that apple products are available, but the branded apple product was joined by its numerous sister products that fall under the brand. When the consumer sees Apple now, then it’s understood that they are paying for Apple’s reputation as something that the cool, the chic and the hip use. Building brand loyalty is what branding does and by making loyal customers out of your one-time buyers, you develop a ready market and audience that are willing and eager to receive your content. Which One is a Better Investment? Both marketing and branding are good investments and have their own type of returns. Marketing can easily be done wrong and if so, it can become a money sink into which a lot of cash if poured but the returns are mediocre. Well-researched marketing gives great returns on investment but the success of the campaign depends as much on the amount of effort put into it as the amount of money. The returns are, of course, seen in conversions and sales. Branding, because of its status as a long-term investment, is usually easier to adjust as time goes by. Catastrophic failures in branding do occur, but these are usually due to bad planning as opposed a lack of funding. The return you get from branding is customer loyalty, something that can be leveraged over and over again. Marketing is necessary to make branding work, but your real benefit comes from having a loyal customer base to call on when releasing new products. Development of a User Base Not so far back, probably less than five years ago, a large volume of the marketing community was involved in “renting” their target demographic. They worked from the start of their campaign … Read more