About 83% of digital marketers and content creators report prioritizing quality over quantity in their current digital content marketing strategies. Thanks to generative AI and other automation tools, mass content creation has never been easier. However, these recent strides in technology automation have not made it any less challenging to consistently produce valuable, engaging material.
If anything, the recent barrage of developments in digital content creation tools has left many in the field feeling overwhelmed and technology-fatigued. Already, nearly half — 45% — of sales and marketing professionals would prefer to reduce the sheer number of tools in their technology stacks. As such, an industry shift toward quality-over-quantity tactics makes the content creation process even more resource-intensive, requiring dedicated talent across writing, editing, design, and strategy.
To meet these demands, companies are also ramping up their content marketing budgets, with 50% of marketers increasing their investment in content marketing this year. However, with rising investments comes the challenge of managing numerous moving parts. Many teams find themselves juggling various tools and platforms to coordinate efforts for a death march pace of daily publication across multiple channels.
Express Writers offers a simple solution to this challenge. By centralizing all aspects of content creation — from strategy to final edits — in one capable agency, businesses can keep their teams on their primary tasks, while still ensuring timely delivery of top-quality content and dispensing outright with the hassle of managing separate contributors.
The Complexity of Modern Content Creation
You probably know all too well how time and resource-intensive it is to manage content creation internally or with fragmented freelancers. Regardless of size and budget, all companies face the logistical complexity of coordinating multiple roles. For large corporate organizations, acquiring and retaining a diverse range of specialized content creation talents is at least feasible, even if it’s not particularly easy.
However, if you’re already outsourcing writing, it’s unlikely you’ve got the necessary resources to bring it all in-house.
So, the familiar time and resource drain remains formidable. Marketing teams must dedicate substantial hours to briefing and managing separate roles — earning you repetitive feedback loops and increased project timelines in the process. Additionally, your already over-tasked teams still need to track individual deadlines, align multiple schedules, and ensure consistency across outputs that require ongoing administrative oversight. It’s altogether unsurprising that this patchwork process diverts focus from your primary business goals.
For companies looking to scale content, these operational inefficiencies only multiply with growth, limiting your ability to produce high-quality work quickly. What, then, does the alternative look like?
What Do You Get from an All-in-One Digital Content Marketing Team?
Here are some of the benefits you can expect from handing over your entire digital content creation process to an all-in-one agency.
1. Streamlined Communication
When businesses work with Express Writers, they are assigned a dedicated content manager to serve as a single point of contact for all their content needs. This structure eliminates the need for back-and-forth with multiple freelancers or team members across different stages of your process. Instead, your content manager oversees everything — from initial strategy and briefing to coordinating edits and final delivery.
With a single contact managing the entire team, businesses save considerable time and cut down on the casual miscommunications that plague processes requiring constant communication with multiple contributors. Your content manager keeps writers, editors, and designers on task, working cohesively toward shared goals and timely delivery. This setup improves efficiency and allows our clients to focus on what they do best.
2. Efficient Project Management
Our all-in-one content team provides a structured, efficient approach to project management. At Express Writers, your content manager coordinates all phases of your projects, from initial planning to final edits. Having proactive oversight prevents common delays caused by independent contractors who typically work at varying speeds and create bottlenecks in the content pipeline.
With each contributor aligned to the same timeline and quality standards, your team can transition from one stage to the next, with no accumulating downtime. Your writers, editors, and designers are always working with a shared understanding of your project’s priorities and deadlines. As a result, clients receive their content on time and consistently meet their marketing goals without last-minute rushes or missed opportunities.
3. Access to Specialized Talent and Expertise
When clients sign on for our end-to-end content creation process, they gain access to a range of specialized experts across multiple content formats and professional fields. Rather than relying on a single generalist, our team includes skilled writers, editors, graphic designers, and video editors, each with extensive experience in their respective fields. As such, each element of your content — from written copy to visual media — gets the attention of an expert who understands the nuances of their field.
For instance, our graphic designers create visuals with an eye for both enhancing written content and aligning with your unique brand standards and identity. Meanwhile, our video editors craft engaging video content designed to resonate with today’s audiences. By having a full roster of specialists, our clients don’t need to source talent independently. This saves them time and guarantees high-quality, polished results.
4. Consistent Quality Control
In our experience, one of the most challenging parts of the digital content creation process to bring in-house is consistent quality control for every deliverable. At Express Writers, every piece of content we create for you passes through a structured quality assurance (QA) process, involving editors and QA specialists rigorously reviewing each detail for accuracy, readability, and brand alignment. We do more than just catch typos. We use the consensus of several pairs of eyes to guarantee your content exactly captures your brand’s voice and takes advantage of up-to-date insights into what appeals to contemporary audiences.
When we create content for our clients, each piece undergoes a multi-step review. Writers bring their expertise to the draft, editors refine it for tone and clarity, and QA specialists confirm it’s polished, ready for publication, and free of any technical or formatting errors. Our thorough approach minimizes errors and provides a hands-off experience for our clients, who can trust their brand will be represented accurately and professionally.
By centralizing quality control within one team, clients also avoid the risks of inconsistent output associated with projects involving multiple freelancers or teams. Every deliverable we produce meets a reliable standard. So, if you’ve been satisfied with written work outsourced to our agency, you can absolutely expect the same level of satisfaction from working with our all-in-one teams.
5. Scalability for Growing Needs
For most companies, scaling content creation processes across periods of sustained growth will consume in-house resources disproportionately. For example, writing an effective blog post takes an average of 4 hours — not to mention 6+ to reliably garner “strong results.” So, even if your teams can adequately handle what’s on their plates today, you’ll still have to manage growth in chunks of 4-6 hours of dedicated attention at a time.
Alternatively, Express Writers offers built-in scalability. Whether you need a steady stream of weekly blog posts or an intensive campaign launch, our team will adjust to your needs without the hassle of recruiting, training, or managing additional freelancers.
As your content demands increase, our capacity to support them remains constant. We have a network of specialized professionals ready to handle larger volumes or tackle new types of projects — from white papers and case studies to multimedia content like infographics and videos. This flexibility allows our clients to respond to seasonal demands, new market opportunities, or product launches without missing a beat.
Let Us Simplify the Content Creation Process for You
Our all-in-one approach to content creation transforms what’s often a time-intensive, Rube Goldberg Machine into an efficient, reliable system. With Express Writers, clients work with a dedicated content manager who coordinates every element of their project from start to finish. The structure our approach provides prevents bottlenecks and allows your marketing teams to focus on their pressing tasks.
By centralizing all aspects of content production, our team will provide you with high-quality work across multiple formats and will scale efforts up or down to match your evolving needs. Whether it’s a need for more consistent quality control or flexible project volume, our approach adapts to each client’s goals without the need to constantly onboard new resources.
So, if your business needs reliable, professional content — in multiple formats and expressed in your unique brand voice — you might consider giving us the reins for a few delivery cycles. We believe you’ll be more than satisfied with the results.
You know having a blog for your business or brand is critical to drawing in new customers and keeping the ones you have. However, you likely have wondered what the right blog posting frequency is. Should you post once a week? Every day? Multiple times a day? What’s the ideal blog posting frequency for you?
Of course, the answer depends on your needs, goals, and the size of your business/brand.
In this guide, we will answer these questions and help you craft the ideal content calendar for your blog.
What Is the Ideal Blog Posting Frequency?
At the end of 2023, there were over 1.1 billion websites. Of those, about 18% are active, which translates to over 200 million active websites on the web. Over these billions of websites, there are about 600 million blogs on the internet with millions of new blogs posted every day.
With statistics like this, it can make you wonder how you could ever make an impact in your small corner of the internet. However, with the right marketing strategy and blog posting frequency, you are more likely to attract the attention of the customers you need.
Knowing how often you should post blogs is a question that continually puzzles digital marketers because there is no single recommendation that fits every website.
Smaller businesses may find blogging less often, like one to four times a week, works for them, while larger businesses may need to blog daily or even multiple times a day. There is also the consideration of what types of content you’re covering. If you operate in a small, niche area where information is stable and does not change frequently, you might find success with blogging less often.
Another part of the blogging frequency puzzle is what your goals are for your blog. Most brands either want to drive organic traffic or increase their brand awareness. According to HubSpot, if driving organic traffic is your goal, you should blog more frequently, while increasing brand awareness doesn’t require as much content.
8 Considerations to Determine Your Frequency of Blog Posts
While you can take a guess at the number of blog posts that works for you, you will have better success evaluating industry trends and considering your blogging goals.
1. Look at Statistics
According to Orbit Media’s 10th Edition of the Annual Blogger Survey, blog trends have changed a lot in the past decade. While successful bloggers were previously posting every day, many of them are now posting less often. However, the difference is, their blogs are longer and more detailed. While a 500-word blog posted daily worked in the past, bloggers are finding longer blogs over 1,000 words posted less frequently get better results.
The survey shows the average blog post is 77% longer in 2023 than it was in 2013. As for how frequently bloggers post, the most popular responses were weekly and several per month.
2. Monitor Your Industry
Just like any other part of your business or brand, it is a good idea to look at the competition. What are similar content creators doing on their blogs? Monitor 10-20 blogs in your niche and see how often they are updated. If you’re not posting as often, you could get left behind.
This also means you need to keep up with any industry changes. If there are frequent updates in your industry, your blog posts need to reflect that new information. You can save time keeping up with this information by updating old content.
3. Consider Your Constraints
A large multi-million-dollar company is going to have more time and resources to put into blogging than someone who is a solo content creator. If you try to keep pace with a multi-person team, you are most likely going to feel burnt out and the quality of your blogs is going to suffer.
One option to increase your blogging output without overworking yourself or your staff is by outsourcing some or all of your blogging needs. Consider finding a high-quality writing agency or writer to help you expand your content calendar and keep up with the competition.
4. Focus on Quality
Just like most things in life, it is better to deliver quality over quantity and Google backs that up. In late 2022, Google released an algorithm update that added an ‘E’ to the SEO acronym EAT. The new EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. You will get better Google results producing high-quality blogs, released less often than pumping out lower-quality blogs more often.
If you can produce and publish a high-quality blog every day, that’s awesome. If your capabilities and mental load limit your blogging frequency to once a week, then that is ok, too. Just make sure whatever you publish is the best it can be.
If you are struggling to produce high-quality content, hiring an experienced professional writer could be the best choice. Consider how much you could gain by publishing premium content on a regular basis.
5. Remember Your Goals
It is easy to simply copy whatever your competitor is doing. However, that strategy may not give you the best results. Instead, you need to remember what your goal is for blogging. Why are you doing this? Consider the following questions:
Are you prioritizing SEO?
Are you trying to improve your brand recognition?
Are you trying to get a higher position in your SERPs for specific keywords?
The answers to these questions will help you refine your blogging purpose and frequency.
6. Focus on the Needs of Your Audience
What does your typical customer/reader look for or need when visiting your blog? Are they looking for new information every day? Do they have specific questions that your blog can answer? Is there information missing from your website that would prevent them from moving through the customer journey?
One of the primary functions of a blog, especially for a business, is to offer value. Publishing a blog that doesn’t add anything new, simply for the act of posting, is not going to perform well.
Focus on your ideal buyer/reader personas and think about what they would want to read. If you’re not sure how to create a buyer persona, it could be worth it to invest in a consultation with a content professional to help you create one.
7. Look at Pre-existing Content
If you have been successfully blogging for years, you likely have a large library of content. Google pays attention to content that has been recently updated, so it is a good idea to keep your most popular content fresh. Monitor your best-performing content. If the numbers start to slip, editing that content and adding some updated information can help it regain some traction.
For example, if your goal is to post four blogs a week, three of them could be new content, while one of them could be an updated blog.
8. Consider the Age of Your Blog
If you are just starting your blogging journey, it may feel overwhelming to start with a blank slate. You see other blogs with libraries full of hundreds of pieces of content, while you have just a few. In the early stages of a new blog, it is best to post frequently. This gives Google something to look at and rank. It also increases your chances of getting other websites to link to your content.
If you need help getting your blog up and running, hiring an additional writer or two can help you build a strong foundation.
Get the Blogging Content You Need with Express Writers
If your blog is not giving you the results you need, it might be time to get some professional help. At Express Writers, we offer a variety of content options including creating a content strategy. Whether you need one basic blog or you are interested in a regular blog plan, we have expert writers ready to meet your needs.
We work with a wide range of clients ranging from individual entrepreneurs to large-scale agencies. No content request is too big or too small.
Ready to get started? Explore our Content Shop today.
Content that connects with your audience is worth every penny.
Having a single piece of content that speaks to your desired audience, and connecting to your audiences meaningfully, often results in a higher ROI.
It is essential, whether you are a small business or large corporation, that you know how to connect with your audience emotionally, and often that requires a special type of writer to do so. Not just anyone can connect; simply putting words onto virtual paper will not do the job.
Instead, you need to know what your audience needs, their pain points, their reasons for seeking out your business, and when to offer help – timing is crucial here.
Today, we will review a few ways to create content that makes a genuine connection and how to implement it into your content strategy for blogs, web pages, and even social media posts.
Is Written Content Relevant for Today’s Audience?
The age of YouTube has certainly changed how we all interact with search engines, and often we opt for a video over a blog to learn about something, but that is not the majority. Written content, specifically blogs, is still in high demand. 77% of internet users read blogs, according to Social Media Today – so obviously, there’s a market.
7 Steps Every Company Needs to Use to Create Content that Connects with the Right Audience
Creating and maintaining a connection with your audience is crucial. Whether your target audience is B2B or B2C, you have a target audience, and you need content that speaks to them. So, how do you do that when your “audience pool” masses in the thousands?
Easy…by following these key steps.
1. Embrace Empathy
The pandemic has certainly taught us a lot and restructured the way a lot of us communicate or even work today. However, one of the biggest lessons from the pandemic was empathy. Thinking about your audience using compassion and your emotional intelligence is critical in your content.
2. Write As You Talk
You want to connect to the person reading your content. What is a better way to connect than conversation? For some reason, being conversational in blogs and even landing page content got a bad rap somewhere but shouldn’t have. Being conversational is precisely what a reader needs to feel as though you are speaking to them. The robotic, encyclopedic text has its uses but rarely is that content that is designed to create a connection. Instead, that is created to educate.
Social media posts, blogs, and sales pages need to connect to the reader, or the conversions will not happen. So, as you write out your text, think of how you would talk to a friend, explain something to a colleague, and use that as your muse when crafting your “voice” within the text.
3. Use Media
Words are powerful, but so too is imagery. You want to use different media types to help you connect with your reader. While the personal tone is equally important, include a picture of yourself in your bio on each blog, that way, the reader can picture who they are talking to.
4. Picture the Ideal Reader
Just like you want your reader to picture you, you need to picture them. You know your target audience – if you don’t, that’s an entirely different topic – so now you can picture one member from your target audience as you create your content. Pick them from the crowd, and pretend you are conversing with them. When you picture yourself talking to a real person, rather than them reading what you have written, it helps you be more conversational. You aren’t lecturing a group of students at the university – just an intimate conversation between two individuals.
5. Put Yourself in the Reader’s Shoes – Address their Needs
You can’t truly connect if you aren’t in your reader’s shoes. What are their dreams? Fears? You need to know their pain points to bring them up in the copy and almost catch them off guard. You want the reader to sit there thinking, “Yes! That is me!” and not just going through the motions. The more connected they are to the writing, the more likely they are to take action you request at the end of the page – whether it is a contact, submitting email addresses, etc.
You need to show that you can relate to their problem, then strike with the solution. If you don’t build up a relationship on mutual understanding first, you cannot offer a mutually acceptable solution.
Often, copywriters will come out of the gates swinging. They don’t hit that pain point and instead just start talking about the solution while touching here and there on the issue it solves. That doesn’t grab a reader and keep them hanging on for the ride. Instead, they see that you have a solution, make up their assumptions, and bounce.
So, instead, build up the rapport first, then offer your solution. Take the reader through your journey, showing your understanding and relativeness, then add your solution and call to action. If you offer the goods right from the start, you will lose the chance to build a relationship with your reader first.
6. Work with the Emotions You Want to Pique in Your Reader
Picture your reader’s emotions as they go through your text.
If you aren’t getting a reader to laugh at a joke, ask yourself if you would have laughed. Would you cry at the same instance of emotion? Would you yearn for the same solution as profoundly as they?
Allow yourself to feel something, express it, and create that connection. You may be surprised at how willing people are to reach out to you when you occasionally open yourself up in your content, whether it is sharing a personal experience, a humbling moment, etc.
7. Avoid Third Person
The third-person POV does not connect with the reader. After all, if you read something in a third-person point-of-view, do you feel like you are being spoken to? Often a person will say “the person” rather than “you,” which makes you feel like they are speaking about someone else more than talking to you. So, why would you use a similar POV in your content?
Creating content that connects is more than just striking emotions, you need to pick the right words, especially the right POV. A good combination of first and second will help a lot – you can share a personal experience while addressing the reader’s needs. Essentially, include them in your conversation even if they read it 5 years later.
Do You Think You’re Ready to Connect with Your Audience in a Meaningful Way?
We have given you a few tips and tricks for adding more “connection” to your work, but now it is time to practice. Ensure you are researching your target audience, from their typical likes, dislikes, behaviors, generational differences, etc. Then, start working on your conversational tone, speaking to them as if they were your buddy hanging out, drinking coffee, and enjoying a casual conversation.
It takes practice to connect with your content, but it is not an unlearnable skill. Test the waters by tossing pieces that break away from what you usually do and see how they perform. Then, refine your technique, see how readers interact with your content and adjust as necessary.
Before you know it, you will be a writer who connects with the right audience to drive the conversions of which others can only dream.
Express Writers has a team of stellar wordsmiths that know how to hit on that conversational note and connect with your audience. From social media to landing pages to your next blog post, our writers can write as if they are talking to your target audience and help boost conversions so your business thrives on its blogging investment.
At Express Writers, you often hear us mention “done-for-you” content marketing in our blogs, and on our website, and we even boast about it in some social media posts.
But what does done-for-you content marketing entail?
For those who have wondered what DFY content is, how it works, and the benefits of seeking providers who can do it for you, look no further than this mini guide.
Today, we will talk about done-for-you marketing and how you can get more out of your content while spending less time and money than you would going the traditional route (i.e., doing it yourself).
Isn’t All Content Ordered Considered Done-for-You Content Marketing?
Yes, and no.
It depends on the service you are ordering and where you are ordering it.
Some companies offer done-for-you content bundles, like Express Writers, while others offer DFY content, but it includes nothing more than writing content. It doesn’t necessarily include the expertise, research, and quality assurances you need to satisfy Google’s E-E-A-T and improve your website’s authority.
Genuine DFY content is written by a subject matter expert in your niche – not a freelance writer who dabbles in that industry. Basically, your writer is a mirror of you – only they are saving you the time and effort of writing a blog yourself using the information you provide and leaning on their own experience and expertise in the niche to deliver top-notch content.
Getting a content bundle is the best way to expand every penny spent on your content marketing and provide you with high-quality content that returns continuously year after year.
What is a Done-for-You Content Bundle, and Why Should You Use Them?
Yes, you could order a single blog written by a subject matter expert, but if you buy an entire bundle, you are unlocking even more benefits while saving time and money.
By bundles, we are talking about the blog, its meta, SEO research, images, and the expertise behind it.
A popular bundle option is our Authority Package service. Within the Authority Package, you receive:
An In-Depth Content Strategy Designed around Your SPECIFIC Topic: A content strategist researches your desired topic and creates a click-worthy headline that touches high on the EMV scale. Then, they search for high-volume, low-competition keywords to sprinkle into your content so that you rank well in the SERPs. The strategist will look for strategic linking opportunities and even provide details for the writer to hit on to satisfy the topic with E-E-A-T in mind.
A Subject Matter Expert Writing Your Content: Once you approve your content’s research phase, it heads over to an SME writer with genuine experience in your field (not only do they have 5+ years of experience writing in it, they have advanced degrees in that field as well).
In-Depth Editing: To ensure everything is included and that you receive the highest quality writing possible, an editor reviews the content and fine-tunes it before delivery.
Custom Designed Images: The Authority Package doesn’t use stock images. Instead, it includes custom images created in Adobe by an in-house designer. It includes a header image, inset, CTA image, two custom images or graphs, and four pull quotes to help specific text pop off the page.
In 2022 alone, Express Writers provided authority packages for hundreds of clients saving thousands of hours of work.
Add social media posts and emails to go along with that package. You now have a blog with authority, an email newsletter to let readers know it is there and ready for consumption, and social media posts to sprinkle on your favorite platforms.
What are the Benefits of Using DFY Content?
Let’s break it down and look at the benefits you receive with DFY content.
You Get Three Professional Services in One Package Price
Taking the Authority Package example, you have three core services in play. If you were to do these yourself, you would need to outsource to multiple freelancers for your SEO, writing, and professional design. In the package, you get all three professional services already vetted and ready to go from the same location.
Saving you the hassle and time of searching for freelancers to fulfill these gaps yourself.
You Unlock Access to a Team that is Up-to-Date on Google’s Wants and Needs
Google does a lot of updates, and they all carry the same theme: authority and trust.
Trust is not new to the marketing sector.
If you think about it, trust has been around since the dawn of content marketing.
Sales pages, landing pages, Ebooks, emails…the goal has always been getting your reader to trust you.
So, what has changed?
Google now wants to see that trust for itself.
When people do not trust your site, they will never purchase from you and will not return. You have that one shot at building trust, building up those relationships, and converting them.
Trust is a central component of Google’s latest guidelines with E-E-A-T. Trustworthiness doesn’t help your ranking directly, but according to Yoast, that “back” button when a client realizes they don’t trust you can.
When you hire someone to do DFY content, they are more than aware of the latest algorithm changes and what Google demands in their latest E-E-A-T. EW writers are all trained on E-E-A-T and what it entails by offering an in-depth course within our university. So, when an SME writer tackles your content, they bring every aspect of E-E-A-T to the digital table: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
You Save a Significant Amount of Time
Think about how much time you would invest if you did each component of DFY content bundles for yourself.
First, you need to subscribe to tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush to start generating your reports and researching your topic. You would need to familiarize yourself with the EMV scoring system and how to improve your titles so they are click-worthy. You would need BuzzSumo to help you find what is trending in your industry so that you can play off both trending and evergreen topic ideas. That’s a few hours (if not days) of work when you are unfamiliar with using these products.
Next, you would have to research and write. Even the most experienced writer takes an hour or so to research a topic (despite their familiarity with it). Then, there is the writing phase which may take a few hours. On top of that, you have to self-edit and clean it up before you hit “publish.”
Writing your blog is more than just adding a few paragraphs. Instead, you need deep industry research and statistics to back it, articulation skills to keep your content concise, and of course, editing. Orbit Media surveyed how much time the average blogger spent on their writing. In that survey, you will see that the time it took got longer and longer as the years increased, and that’s because Google demands more today than it did ten years ago. In 2021, Orbit’s survey found writing one blog took approximately 4 hours and 10 minutes. So, let’s consider how much time you spend if you DIY it.
After the writing phase would come design. Yes, there are plenty of free design tools and affordable paid options, but do you have the time? You know your branding and colors, but you’ll need to upload those and search for graphics you can use either from a paid stock photo subscription or a royalty-free site. Then, you must go through the time it takes to design the images alone.
When you calculate total hours spent and break it down to your hourly earnings, did you save much in the end? What could you have done with that time while someone else was creating the content?
You Get White Hat, White Label Content
You’ve saved yourself hours (if not days) ordering DFY content.
Even better? Once you get that content package ready to distribute, it is white hat and white labeled, so you can claim it as your own.
Whether it is an Ebook you sell on Amazon or a blog post you put on your website, the author is you.
Think about it. While you are working on your next marketing campaign, right now, a writer could be creating your next Ebook to publish. So, you are working on the next big thing that will generate revenue while someone else is finishing up your last “big thing” that will soon generate revenue.
Bottom Line: Done-for-You Content Marketing is the Future of 2023
Content is not over.
AI might be here, but it cannot compete with subject matter experts and certainly cannot fulfill the requirements of Google’s E-E-A-T. A well-vetted SME can.
At Express Writers, we not only vet SME writers to join our team, but we continually train them in-house to provide the best quality possible for our clients.
Whether you are looking for a single blog or want done-for-you content bundles like our Authority Packages, we can help grow your brand, build your authority, and, most importantly, gain trust with your readers so that those who come and visit stay and buy.
Try one of our SME services today and see the benefits of DFY content for yourself.
A craveable, delicious, delightful blog post isn’t much different from a pastry.
As long as you follow the recipe, steps included, you will create a post your readers are hungry to devour – and might even return for more.
The good news is you won’t make a special trip to the grocery store to get started on the perfect blog post. Everything you need is in your virtual pantry – you just didn’t realize it.
Writing a blog post, especially in today’s competitive market, is intimidating. Once you break it down and understand the ingredients, however, you can whip up these readable bits on the fly and stay up with the trends for the future of blogging in 2023.
So, What Do You Need to Craft the Perfect Blog Post in 2023?
The future of blogging has certainly changed. What worked last year doesn’t necessarily apply today. Therefore, staying up on the latest blogging and SEO trends is essential so that you know what Google expects – and, more importantly, what today’s reader wants.
The Perfect Blog Recipe
Before you start to type, you want to make sure you have the following essentials ready to add to the mixing bowl:
1 click-worthy title
1 attention-keeping introduction
A pinch of creativity
A few cups of informative, scannable subheaders
A splash of succinct body copy
A handful of authoritative research and your expertise
1 part formatting
1 delectable conclusion
A dusting of enthusiasm for the topic
A garnish of passion for your niche
Putting it Altogether – How the Future of Blogging will Change How You Use These Ingredients
As you can see, the ingredients haven’t changed, but how and when you use them has.
We will break down each portion of this recipe so that you know how to mix it all in and get your readers to come back for more.
Creating Your Title
By far one of the most essential ingredients!
Your title sets the stage for what the reader can expect, even determining if they ever get past the SERPs to read your blog.
Spend time on this stage of your recipe. In fact, whatever you title it as your “working” title, be prepared to come back and rework it until it is just right later.
Don’t hastily toss forth the first title you have in mind. Instead, let it sit and rest, and the flavors meld together. Think of title creation as a slow, steady simmer rather than a rapid boil.
A good title mixes intrigue and information and is not too long.
Yes, Google says there is no limit, and the length of your title will not influence your search engine results. Instead, it affects whether or not someone will click on it. The first 60 characters matter the most – so make those count even if you have a 100-character title.
Whatever you do, don’t over-sprinkle in the keywords for your title – not only will it kill your readability factor and turn off any enthusiastic taster, but it will turn away Google too.
Roll Out Your Introduction
Your introduction supports your title. So perhaps you may not create it until you have solidified your intro – and that’s okay.
An introduction requires time and patience. While you will mix up something short, sweet, and enticing, you will also want it to rest a few hours before you revisit and rework it again. While adding a keyword to the introduction is essential, ensure it is not the highlighting flavor.
An introduction gives readers just a taste of what else is to come, but the full flavor doesn’t explode until the end. Of course, if your introduction isn’t tasty enough to keep reading, the end doesn’t matter much.
So, take your time, rework it after the entire blog is done, and ask yourself, would I eat this up?
Never Forget the Power of Creativity
Too many recipes lack creativity.
Think of those five-star restaurants – are they working with “vanilla” recipes used over and over again?
Of course not.
They are hashing out something unique that stays with their branding but still tantalizes the tastebuds.
Never leave out a pinch of creativity in your content – all of your content. Creativity should be tossed in from the start; if you can’t taste it, add more.
Start Rolling Out Subheaders
Subheaders help your reader scan and understand what they are about to digest. They should go in an even flow, make sense, and inform.
Ideally, subheaders are introduced every 300-500 words max (there’s nothing wrong with adding them in fewer words as long as the words in between pack a powerful punch). Subheaders are a great place for optimizing with secondary keywords but don’t overdo it.
Time to Mix in Your Body’s Copy
You have a working title, and you’ve rolled out the subheaders. Now comes the time to mix together your blog’s body.
But before you add anything, do your research. You may be an expert in your niche, but that doesn’t mean you won’t need resources to back up what you say. Today, using authoritative, high-quality links is still a must-have for any recipe. Search Engine Journal states that every site needs credible, authoritative, and trustworthy content – and a reader can’t take you at your word without some citations.
As you mix up that copy, make sure to spice it up enthusiastically. Nothing turns a reader away more than negativity. So, likewise, be as passionate about your niche as you want your reader to be as you create your blog – if you are not excited about it, why should they be?
A few other things to keep in mind while you mix up your body’s copy:
Optimize Gently. Optimizing your content is like working gluten. Too much, and it’s gotten too chewy, stiff, and undesirable. Yes, keywords matter in 2023, but how and where you use them has changed.
Focus on Your Brand’s Authority. What Google praises more than keywords are brand authority and trustworthiness. Ever heard of E-E-A-T? Nowhere in that acronym is keywords. What is, however, is expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness.
Be Unique. Today, readers are overwhelmed with choices. You won’t stand out in the crowd if you are the garden variety. Personalization is important.
Focus on the Reader and Not on Google. Yes, Google matters, but the person you are talking to in your blog post is not a search engine but a reader. Center your content’s quality, information, and focus around the reader; you’ll win them every time. Focus on keywords and search engines, and your recipe falls flat each time.
Arrange Your Formatting
No matter where the future of blogging goes, one thing is sure: the wall of text is never coming back.
Today’s reader doesn’t have the patience. Today’s reader prefers the amuse-bouche rather than traditional hors d’oeuvres. They want all of the flavors in a quick little nibble rather than having to enjoy it in a few more bites.
UX planet estimates that readers only take in about 20-28% of the body.
To increase the amount read, make it pretty – after all, we all eat with our eyes and not our stomachs.
Ensure you have an excellent mixture of:
H1, H2s, and H3s to break up the chunks of the body
Sprinkle in bulleted or numbered lists to get to the point
Add images to keep the reader’s attention on the page
Top it Off with a Conclusion
Your conclusion is where you drive action. The reader has stuck with you until the end, so this is an essential piece of content to deliver. Just as with your introduction, keep the conclusion short and sweet. Nothing over-the-top, nothing out of character. Just end the blog on a tasty note with a solid CTA that tells your reader where to go for their next meal.
Let it Rest before You Do the Rest
If you are self-editing your blog posts, you’ve mixed, mashed, sprinkled and dashed, but now it is time to let it rest. A good four to six hours is all your blog post needs before it is picked up again.
Come back refreshed and ready to cut out the fluff, trim the fat, remove unnecessary ingredients in your copy, and add a few more splashes of your brand’s unique voice where it seems suitable.
You’ve Followed the Recipe – Now What?
You’ve followed the recipe, but it is not quite time to plate it.
Before you plate your dish and send it out, you want to make sure you have social media posts and your email newsletter ready to fire off the second your blog goes public. Share across your favorite social media platforms with the same enthusiasm as you did in your piece!
Crafting great content is a lot like creating a great recipe. Not all of us are natural-born chefs, but we don’t have to be. While the future of blogging continually changes, one thing that will never change is the power of hiring talented people to craft your delicious content.
