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Why Does Getting Content Right the First Time Matter?

Specialty copy

Why does content matter? Publishing high-quality, valuable content is a huge element of any brand’s digital marketing strategy. If your content isn’t great, people won’t bother reading it. Nor will they be interested in visiting your blog in the future. Unfortunately, there are still some people that aren’t taking their content creation very seriously. To help you see why you need to get your content right the first time, we’re sharing why ranking in Google can be challenging (plus how they rank pages) and a few other advantages to publishing great content now. Why Ranking in Google Can be Hard According to Ahrefs, 90.63% of pages get no organic search traffic from Google. That means a lot of creators are missing out on tons of potential traffic getting sent their way each month. It’s essential to optimize your content and avoid ending up in this situation. If you aren’t sure how to properly optimize your content, you could accidentally implement some SEO tactics that Google isn’t fond of. For instance, keyword stuffing or adding junky backlinks. If you’re not an expert in SEO, this is when it’ll be smart to outsource the content creation and optimization to someone who knows best practices. How Google Ranks Pages To ensure search results deliver exactly what a user is looking for, Google designed an algorithm and system to rank content. There are tons of factors you’ll want to consider if you hope to land that coveted top spot on the first page of search results. Here are some of the things Google looks for when ranking pages: Relevance of Web Pages: Google’s algorithms will analyze a web page to assess the content it contains. If its content is deemed relevant to a user’s search, it will show up in the returned results. To determine relevance, Google looks for on-page keywords and other data. Quality of Content: Priority number one is delivering searchers quality content that pertains to their queries. Google’s systems identify which web pages show expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T) on a specific topic. Usability of Web Pages: If your website isn’t easy to navigate, Google isn’t likely to send many visitors your way. Proper site functionality is necessary on both desktop and mobile, so make sure there aren’t any errors preventing people from browsing. So, why is content so important? Well, if you’re not publishing content, you’re not going to rank in Google’s search results. And if you’re not ranking in search results, it’s not likely people will find your website on their own. Why it’s Essential to Publish Great Content From the Start A strong content strategy isn’t just going to help you climb to the top of Google. There are also some other reasons why it’s essential to start publishing great content right away: 1. Content Educates Your Audience In many cases, we’re Googling topics that we want to learn more about. If you can provide all the information someone needs in a single post, readers are sure to be appreciative. Plus, they won’t be inclined to venture to your competitor’s website. Always strive to create great content with tons of valuable details because first impressions make a huge difference. 2. You’ll Become More Visible Online Showing up consistently by posting regular blog content is a sure-fire way to get noticed. The more optimized content you publish, the more blog posts you’ll have showing up in search results. This is a great way to drive traffic and boost awareness for your brand. Before you know it, people will see you as a go-to resource for your area of expertise. 3. It’ll Build Your Authority in Your Field When people see you as an authority in your field, they’ll be more inclined to consume all the content you publish. They’ll recommend you to their friends. And they’ll potentially purchase products and services you offer, thus generating more revenue. Trust Express Writers to Create Great Content Our team of skilled writers is ready to create optimized content that will get you noticed by Google and your readers. Instead of wrestling with SEO on your own, let our experts take over. Contact us if you have questions or visit our Content Shop to see our content offerings.

5 Benefits of Custom Content for Business

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According to HubSpot’s State of Inbound report, 80% of marketers feel content creation is a top priority. We have to agree. To stand out online, the best way to do that is through your content. While many marketers recognize the importance of great content, not everyone is in the same boat. Sometimes it takes some extra convincing to get people on board with the investment, for instance, those higher-ups on your team. For those who understand the value of content, we know it’s worth the commitment to show up consistently with irresistible blogs and social media posts. However, if you’re someone who needs a little extra convincing, this post shares the benefits of content for business. This way, you’ll see the value in content planning and creation. 5 Benefits of Content for Business Here are five benefits you can expect for your business when you get serious about content creation: 1. By Optimizing Content, You’ll Become More Visible Online It’s not enough to publish content on your blog. You need to take extra steps to optimize your content so you stand a better chance at ranking high in search results. When you rank on the first page, for example, you’re going to see a significant boost in traffic. That extra traffic will generate more awareness for your brand, meaning more people will know who you are and what you do. As people begin to see you and your content everywhere, they’ll be more inclined to purchase your products or services over a competitor. 2. Great Content Gives Your Audience a Reason to Come Back A key element of success is getting people to return time and time again. You don’t want them to visit your website, then leave and never return. Once your target audience discovers you through an initial piece of great content, they’ll want to keep coming back for more. Provide value and address their pain points, and you’ll soon become their go-to resource. 3. It’ll Help You Build Trust and Authority Building the Know, Like, and Trust Factor (also known as the KLT Factor) is an essential element in your success when growing an online business. People do business with those they trust. However, you can’t build trust without first helping your audience to get to know you and start liking you. And the best way to do that is through the content you share. Focus on publishing quality content around the topics that interest people in your target audience. In time, they’ll begin to see you know what you’re talking about, positioning you as an authority in your field. Trust builds from there because they’ll start to realize they can always count on you for reliable, informative content. 4. Content Can Lead to More Sales One of the benefits of content for business is that it can increase sales and profits. For instance, a simple call to action at the end of a blog post can lead potential buyers to check out your products and services. It’s easy to implement, but it can spark massive change within your business when revenue skyrockets. We even have a great case study from one of our past clients, Marketing Labs UK. After partnering with Express Writers, they boosted an agency client’s revenue by a 77% increase year-over-year. And it all stemmed from our team writing new product descriptions! 5. It’s an Affordable Way to Market Your Business If content creation isn’t your strong suit, there’s no need to worry. Outsourcing the writing to a skilled team lets you focus on other important tasks within your business. When you work with Express Writers, you get access to our vetted team of writers while netting savings in HR costs and employing writers. You can also save on advertising costs because people can find your business from organic searches rather than PPC campaigns. These searches bring in traffic without you having to lift a finger, simply delegate to an expert in your industry and let the writing do the work. Let Us Create Content for Your Business Inside our Content Shop, you’ll find all our available services, including blog posts and social media content. Those two content formats are essential to standing out online and attracting the right people your way. Get in touch with any questions and learn how we help with your content needs. Then visit the Content Shop to see how our expert writers can serve you.

Express Writers History: Where We Are Now and What’s Next

copywriting services

Creating quality content for your website, social media, or other platforms is crucial if you want to stand out online these days. It’s your content that attracts people to your brand in the first place. And that very same content that will keep them coming back for more. Without it, you risk going unnoticed, missing out on potential opportunities for new connections and generating income. That’s why it’s so important to invest in writers who are experienced and highly skilled, allowing them to effortlessly create content that will position your brand as an authority in its field. But the question is, where do you find writers who genuinely know what they’re doing and have a passion for expertly crafting irresistible content? We know that it takes a lot of time to find, hire, and train writers – that’s where Express Writers fits in. Read on to dive into the history of Express Writers. We’ll cover how long we’ve been in business and how many orders we’ve completed successfully, as well as how we help businesses of all sizes. A Brief Express Writers History At Express Writers, our team is committed to providing our clients with only the best content. It’s been our primary mission since our founding in 2011. In that time, we’ve served over 5,000 clients and completed more than 40,000 projects. Our team is remotely located throughout the United States, and we’re always growing. That means we have all the necessary resources to tackle your projects and not only meet, but exceed, your needs for high-quality content. Plus, you can rest easy knowing that we hire writers based on their industry experience, allowing us to handpick the writer that’s best for your project. If you’d like to learn about a few of the core members making up our team (and put faces to their names), visit our About Us page to check out their bios. A Look at Our Best-Selling Services Now that you know a bit about our impressive Express Writers history, let’s talk about some of our top services. This will give you an idea of the services we offer and can help you see how our writers can transform your content. Four Content Levels, Based on Your Needs Brands are looking for different things when they come to the Express Writers team. That’s why we created a model for customizable content to match our clients’ unique needs with their exact vision. As a result, we created four content levels so there’s something for every budget. Here’s a quick overview of what Express Writers has to offer: General, Expert, Specialist, and Authority Content: These are our four different content levels. You can expect quality content at every level, but which you choose depends on your needs. For example, General Blogs do not receive editing, while higher levels do. And for technical industries, you’ll want to choose specialty content. Contract-Free Model: You’re never locked into any kind of contract when working with our team. That means you can order content whenever you need without being tied into a specific number of pieces. Managed Agency Service: We provide content at scale for agencies looking for a team to handle high-volume projects. You can be hands-off as our team tackles all the writing and editing. Our team expertly crafts blog posts, web pages, press releases, ebooks, and more. Just check out what one of our past clients had to say about working with us: “We use Express Writers as an agency for some of our client content projects, including emails, ebooks, white papers, and blog posts. They have it all. High quality, valuable prices, great service, and all the content offerings you could want in an agency!” For Quality Content, Trust Express Writers With over 11 years of solid experience, our team of writers knows how to help you best. We have expert writers with the knowledge and skills to develop content that will attract your target audience and keep them coming back for more. Instead of managing content creation by yourself, outsource it to our team for maximum ROI. Curious how we can help you? Contact us today to discuss your new project.  

#ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Fuel Your Content Marketing in 2021

content marketing in 2021

If you want to step up your content marketing in 2021, you’re in the right place! For our very first #ContentWritingChat of the year, we felt it was only fitting to share some tips to help you boost your content marketing efforts. After all, we’re pretty passionate about creating amazing content around here! This topic was actually inspired by a talk our CEO, Julia McCoy, did during a virtual summit back in December. Now, we’re building off of Julia’s advice by learning even more great tips from our community. #ContentWritingChat Recap: How to Fuel Your Content Marketing in 2021 ? Welcome to our first #ContentWritingChat of 2021! To kick off the year, we're hosting a community chat all about fueling ⛽️ your content marketing efforts. Who is excited for this topic? pic.twitter.com/VXfbedt1XU — Express Writers | Your Content Writing Partner (@ExpWriters) January 5, 2021 This month, we opted to do a community chat, opening the floor up to everyone as they shared their thoughts and opinions. So many great tips were shared during this chat, so let’s dive into the recap! Q1:2021 is upon us! Have you developed your content marketing plan for the year ahead yet? Some people are eager to get started with their planning, while others take their time and plan quarterly or even monthly. Here’s what some of our chat participants had to say: A1: Of course, but the content marketing plan has wiggle room so our strategy can change as needed. #ContentWritingChat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) January 5, 2021 Lexie is prepared with a content marketing plan ready to go! However, she also realizes the importance of being flexible. Things can change and you have to be willing to adapt as needed. A1: I'm trying to take it quarter by quarter so I am more agile in terms of how I deliver. #ContentWritingChat — Kushlani De Silva (@kushlani_ds) January 5, 2021 Kushlani tackles her planning on a quarterly basis, which is a smart way to go about it. A1: Yes, spent the last 2 weeks of December putting it together. Not an entire year, but at least the first 3 months. #ContentWritingChat — Chris Roberts (@BetterSmallBiz_) January 5, 2021 Chris is in the same boat and focuses on planning three months at a time. A1: Not the full year ahead. I mostly do month-to-month revising it weekly given the traffic. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/nY5mSeU3WS — Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) January 5, 2021 Carla prefers to plan month-to-month, allowing her to revise as needed based on her weekly findings within her analytics. Q2: To cultivate success in your business, you need to invest in your personal growth first. How are you planning to prioritize and invest in your content marketing growth this year? If you aren’t sure how to invest in your growth and knowledge, these are some great suggestions: A2: Great question! Connecting with fellow marketers and spending time with valuable resources such as blogs, podcasts, and community chats like this one brings us the insights and the knowledge we need for growth. #contentwritingchat — LiveHelpNow (@LiveHelpNow) January 5, 2021 Connecting with others can be an amazing way to experience growth since you can learn so much from other experts. Reading blogs, listening to podcasts, and participating in chats are great options as well. A2: Twitter chats (like this one); reading blogs and attending webinars/virtual conferences.#ContentWritingChat — Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) January 5, 2021 Danielle is a fan of participating in Twitter chats. She knows there’s so much to be learned, as you’re exposed to so many new perspectives. A2. Keep learning a priority always… This year I am doubling down on reading books in Marketing, Business, Copywriting genres…#contentwritingchat https://t.co/gWaunvZRCd — Vivek Nair – The Thrifty Marketer (@vivektweetsso) January 5, 2021 Vivek is committing to personal growth by reading books that are about marketing, business, and copywriting. A2: I’m going to every virtual event I can this year, and any time I hear about a book I should read, I’m adding it to the list! Taking notes on how others are succeeding and looking to apply it myself. #ContentWritingChat — Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) January 5, 2021 For Rachel, she’s going to be attending a lot of virtual events. They can be an amazing way to learn from other experts without having to leave the comfort of your own home. A2. I completely agree with the first part of this question. Honestly, it’s something I try to do anyway. Reading, watching films, taking classes, volunteer work, & talking to people are all great ways to grow on a personal level. #contentwritingchat — Dana Lemaster (@DanaLemaster) January 5, 2021 Dana loves to read, watch films, take classes, volunteer, and talk to people. All are great ways to expand your knowledge and strengthen your skills. A2. For myself, I've chosen a few areas of interest that I want to learn about. I'll start with reading books and blogs on them. Perhaps I'll invest in a course this year. Who knows! 😀 #ContentWritingChat — Masooma | Content Writer (@inkandcopy) January 5, 2021 It may help you to choose a few key areas that you’d like to learn about and find dedicated resources on them, such as any interesting books. A2: I have dedicated a budget towards sharpening my #digitalmarketing and #contentmarketing skills. You must stay current with the latest tech changes in order to stay relevant. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/WbPD2IsGcb — Carlarjenkins (@carlarjenkins) January 5, 2021 Carla’s advice about having a budget is great. You want to be smart about where you’re investing your money so you don’t spend beyond your means. Set a budget and determine which areas you’d like to give your attention to. A2: Time blocking my calendar has allowed me to set time each week to learn something new. Also planning on attending plenty of chats! #ContentWritingChat — Chris Roberts (@BetterSmallBiz_) January 5, 2021 And once you’ve found some great resources, schedule time into your calendar just for you. This way, you’ll be able to prioritize your education this year. … Read more

Why Does Content Work? Plus, 39 Reasons You Should Invest in Content

Why Does Content Work? Plus, 39 Reasons You Should Invest in Content

You’ve heard content being praised time and time again by marketers. (Myself included.) But, why does content work? In today’s shifting business world, they say, content marketing is the way to go. It beats paid ads and other forms of traditional marketing by a long shot. (90% of consumers find custom content useful. Compare this to Facebook ad ROA, which sits at .66x. What kind of content works? Educational, useful, blog content. 3 out of 4 of internet users read blogs regularly.) We know content works. And although you believe what the experts are saying, you wonder: why? Why does content work? What’s the science behind it? Should you start your own content marketing campaign? Let’s dig into the data to find out! Why Does Content Work? Plus, 39 Reasons You Should Invest in Content – Table of Contents What Kind of Content Works? 1. Content with a Strategy 2. High-Quality Content 3. Consistent Content Why Does Content Work? 40 Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing Does Content Work? How to Move Forward with Your Marketing Goals [bctt tweet=”Why does content work? What’s the science behind it? ‍ Should you start your own content marketing campaign? Dig into the data with @JuliaEMcCoy via the Write Blog ” username=”ExpWriters”] What Kind of Content Works? Before we dive into why content marketing works, it’s important to point out that not all content works. You can’t just get on your keyboard and type up a frenzy of random blogs to publish online. Doing this is a waste of time, energy, and even money. So, what kind of content should you be producing? Here are three things to aim for. 1. Content with a Strategy Approaching content marketing without content strategy is like going on a trip without a destination. No matter how many miles you travel, you’ll never reach your goal because you don’t know exactly what your goal is. To keep your content from going in circles, you need to develop a content strategy. This is your master plan and blueprint. It’ll guide you on what type of content to create, the target audience to create it for, where to publish it and how often, and all the details that’ll make your content unique, purposeful, and powerful. 2. High-Quality Content When publishing content, remember that quality trumps quantity every single time. And when I say quality, it’s not just making sure your blogs are free of grammatical errors. It’s superb content. Share-worthy content. Content that gets your audience hooked. So, if you’re tempted to click publish on the mediocre blog you wrote, just stop. Publishing a day or two late is better than damaging your online authority with low-quality content. 3. Consistent Content That being said, try your best to stick to a regular schedule. Your readers will lose interest if you publish content randomly and inconsistently. If you’re having trouble writing everything yourself, hiring an awesome content writer is a promising and profitable step. [bctt tweet=”What kind of content should you be producing? 3 things to aim for: 1) Content with a strategy 2) High-quality content 3) Consistent content ⌚” username=”ExpWriters”] Why Does Content Work? 40 Reasons to Invest in Content Marketing Let’s start with exactly why content works, then explore statistics that’ll get you excited about content marketing. 1. Why Does Content Work? Content works because of what the buyer’s journey is like today. Buyers nowadays can’t be bullied into an old-fashioned sales funnel. They don’t like feeling “sold,” or “closed.” Instead, they want to feel powerful. They want to be in control during every step they take towards the solution they’re looking for. So no, you can’t put your audience into a rigid, linear sales funnel. What you can do is offer them value. For instance, let’s say your potential client wants to feel attractive and confident with a flashy white smile. If you’re selling teeth whitening products, you can do two things: Bombard your prospect with paid ads, or Teach your prospect how to whiten his teeth through quality content. As you’ve guessed, your prospect will respond positively to your brand if you choose the second option. He’ll see you as an authority in your industry. He’ll trust you. He’ll consider your expert advice and feel attracted to your product. That’s how content marketing works. [bctt tweet=”Buyers nowadays can’t be bullied into an old-fashioned sales funnel. They don’t like feeling sold or closed. Instead, they want to feel powerful. ” username=”ExpWriters”] 2. Your Audience is Constantly Online In the U.S. alone, 81% of people go online on a daily basis. Of this number, 28% are online constantly, and 45% go online more than once a day. 3. The Number of Internet Users is Growing Each Year Today, there are 4.54 billion internet users worldwide. That’s more than half the total population of the world! 4. There Are Six Billion Searches on Google Per Day That’s 230 million searches every hour, and two trillion searches per year. 5. Google Is the Number One Place People Go When Searching for a New Product or Brand Every single day, hundreds of millions of people go to Google to perform shopping-related searches. 6. People Are Spending More and More Time on the Internet Source: thenextweb.com The Philippines leads the pack on total time spent on the internet with a whopping nine hours and forty-five minutes per day. Worldwide, it’s six hours and forty-three minutes per day (the same number with the U.S.). 7. 90% of B2B Marketers Use Content as Part of Their Strategy The brands using content for marketing aren’t all small. In fact, hugely successful brands like Toshiba, Cisco, and Marriott all take advantage of content marketing. 8. A Huge Chunk of Marketers are Investing in Content Marketing It’s not just B2B marketers, it’s B2C marketers as well. 70% of all marketers now invest in content marketing. 9. 3/4 of All People Who Use the Internet Read Blogs Regularly That’s 3.4 billion people who’d potentially be interested in reading … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Strong Content Marketing Plan for 2020

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Strong Content Marketing Plan for 2020

With a brand new year upon us, we need to make sure we’re prepared with an incredible content marketing plan that’ll make our brands stand out and attract the right people. But wait… How do you do that?! In the latest #ContentWritingChat, we shared some of the basics of creating a content marketing plan for 2020. And we’ve rounded up some of the advice from this month’s chat in value-packed recap. Get ready to take some notes! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Creating a Strong Content Marketing Plan for 2020 Welcome to #ContentWritingChat, friends! We hope your 2020 has been off to an incredible start so far. Today, we’re kicking off the new year with a chat all about creating your content marketing plan! ‍ pic.twitter.com/6M6u5TfgfD — Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) January 7, 2020 To start the year off, we decided to forgo a guest and host a community chat where the spotlight is on our incredible chat participants. And they certainly didn’t disappoint! Everyone chimed in to share their amazing advice so all of our content marketing efforts can benefit the year ahead. Q1: An ideal first step in creating a content marketing plan is to set your goals. What are some common goals you might want to achieve? Haven’t decided on your content marketing goals for this year? Don’t panic! These suggestions from the chat will give you some ideas of what you should focus on: A1 Some common goals for the content may be: To grow awareness To educate To inspire To serve existing customers To introduce something new (service or product) It all comes down to meeting people where they are on the customer journey #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/ZVcj4yyXKc — Gene Petrov – LDRBRND (@LDRBRND) January 7, 2020 Gene mentioned a number of great goals that many brand set out to achieve. You may aim to grow awareness, educate your audience, inspire your audience, serve your existing customers, or introduce a new product or service. A1. Common #marketing GOALS for 2020 Brand awareness Increased sales Thought leadership Build customer relas Improve brand loyalty Improve brand reputation Grow market share Build stakeholder relas Improved targeting Explore new mediums#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/mieF3O4AOM — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) January 7, 2020 Gaby suggested increased sales, thought leadership, and improving your brand reputation, among other goals that you might want to work toward this year. A1: One goal for many of my clients is – consistency. They’re not consistent with their content. Your audience needs to be able to count on regular posts – otherwise, they may turn elsewhere. #ContentWritingChat — Michelle Garrett (@PRisUs) January 7, 2020 Consistency is definitely important if you want to stay top-of-mind for your audience! As Michelle pointed out, people could turn to your competitors if you aren’t working to keep their attention. A1: My biggest content goal is to create valuable content for readers. I don’t want anyone to feel like they wasted their time reading through something I wrote. #ContentWritingChat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) January 7, 2020 Lexie knows that providing valuable content for your readers is always a goal to strive for. You want your readers to feel like they’ve gotten something out of your content. A1) Hey #ContentWritingChat peeps! Goals to set for content marketing are KPIs that *matter* Remember that Reach/Impressions/Views are just vanity metrics. Clicks, conversions, downloads, comments, etc. are ones that affect the bottom line. pic.twitter.com/UNabhbrpMD — Jason Schemmel – Speaker & Podcaster #GSDChat ️ (@JasonSchemmel) January 7, 2020 And remember, don’t worry about vanity metrics such as reach, impressions, and views. Jason feels the metrics that truly matter are things like clicks, conversions, downloads, and comments. Q2: It’s also important to decide which content channels will be best for your brand. How do you choose? And what’s your go-to: blogs, videos, or podcasts? These tips will help you decide where you should direct your content creation efforts so you can ensure you’ll be successful: A2 WHAT channels = best for my brand? ____________________ ASK yourself ❓Where = my audience ❓What = my message ❓What = my USP ❓What = my goals ❓Where does my voice fit ❓What = my strengths ❓What = my resources FOCUS your efforts#Contentwritingchat #marketing pic.twitter.com/Syyl4pTw5r — Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) January 7, 2020 Gaby shared some great questions you should ask yourself before making a decision. She encourages you to ask things like where your audience spends their time online, what your goals are, and what your strengths are. It’s important to be where your audience is, but you also need to consider which content formats allow you to shine. A2: Share your content where your audience is! Trial & error are crucial in determining what form of content is best for your brand. Remember that everyone takes in content differently so you might benefit from providing the same info in multiple ways. #ContentWritingChat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) January 7, 2020 Sometimes it takes a little trial and error to figure out what works for you, so don’t be afraid to change your course if needed. A2 Go where your community is maybe a bit cliche but it is incredibly true. Find a way to deliver content that builds on strength. But also spend some time experimenting with a format that may be new (think 80/20). Video is a big focus for me in 2020. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/XFBoHYpZvI — Gene Petrov – LDRBRND (@LDRBRND) January 7, 2020 Gene suggests experimenting with other content formats as well. After all, it can’t hurt to try something new and at least you’ll be able to say you tried. If it doesn’t work out, then no harm done! A2: It comes back to data. If you know that written content is working well, see which topics are getting the most interest and double-down on that in media that you experiment with. Video and audio are only gaining popularity, so it can’t hurt to play around. #contentwritingchat https://t.co/lWYWI4VplD — ContactMonkey (@contactmonkey) January 7, 2020 If you’re already creating a variety of content, look … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Incorporating Psychology Into Your Content Marketing with Elise Dopson

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Incorporating Psychology Into Your Content Marketing with Elise Dopson

When you’re crafting your content marketing strategy, does psychology ever come into play? If not, it really should! In this #ContentWritingChat, we discussed why emotion should be incorporated into your content, which emotions make people buy a product or service, and how you can successfully target emotions in the content you create. Want to learn more? Let’s dive into the recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Incorporating Psychology Into Your Content Marketing with Elise Dopson Welcome to #ContentWritingChat! Our guest host today is @elisedopson. She’s a B2B content marketing expert. And she’s here to share her tips on incorporating psychology into your content. It’s going to be an amazing chat! pic.twitter.com/RezZSipLOD — Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) September 3, 2019 Our guest host for this month’s chat was Elise Dopson. She’s a B2B content marketing expert. And you can usually find her crafting blog posts on sales and marketing for various B2B SaaS companies around the globe. Elise shared some incredible tips, so let’s get to the questions! Q1: Do you think about psychology when planning your content? Why or why not? To kick things off, it only made sense to gauge where our community was at when it comes to incorporating psychology into your content marketing efforts. The answers were all across the board, so here’s what a few people had to say: A1: Absolutely. People come with biases, logical fallacies and emotion when making decisions. It’s important to know the state of mind of your audience when planning/producing content. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/IcV7sgTkCQ — Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) September 3, 2019 Ray says this is something he absolutely does. He feels it’s important to always know the state of mind your audience is in when you’re planning and creating the content they’ll consume. A1: Always! Psychology can help you better understand the thought process of individuals and how they react to certain things. I always like to consider that when it comes to content in order to ensure I am delivering what my audience wants! #ContentWritingChat — Tamara (@itstamaragt) September 3, 2019 Tamara agrees. She thinks psychology can help you better understand the thought processes of your target audience, plus how they might react to certain things. A1. I think psychology is always somewhere in the back of my mind. It connects so deeply to what I do on a leadership and marketing level. I think of it this way: how can I use this field to help and serve others. #ContentWritingChat — Gene Petrov – Leadership Based Marketing (@GenePetrovLMC) September 3, 2019 For Gene, it’s something that’s always in the back of his mind because it plays such a big role in leadership, as well as marketing. A1. No. I actually think more about sociology, trends and look at the keywords that my network engages with the most. But, maybe I should include this… #contentwritingchat — SL Thomas (@iamslthomas) September 3, 2019 Not everyone in the chat had jumped on board with this idea just yet. But that’s totally okay! Doing these chats is a great way to teach people new techniques that they might want to incorporate moving forward. Q2: Why should a content marketer include emotion in their content? So, why would you want to start incorporating emotion into your content? Well, let’s talk about the benefits it can provide to show you why this might be worthwhile for you! A2: Because no matter who you’re targeting, you’re still writing for a *human* with emotions. Grief, happiness, guilt.. Emotions are common denominators for whoever you’re targeting #ContentWritingChat — Elise Dopson (@elisedopson) September 3, 2019 As Elise said, you’re writing for humans at the end of the day. And well, humans feel things! By incorporating psychology into your content marketing, you can spark those feelings. A2. It would be impossible to build authentic connections with our audiences without including emotions. #ContentWritingChat #ContentMarketing — Managing Editor Mag (@ManagingEdMag) September 3, 2019 To put it simply, you cannot expect to build relationships with your target audience if you aren’t adding their emotions into the equation. A2: Emotion is key to drawing your audience into your content and encouraging them to take action. If they don’t feel connected to you in some way, why would they bother to engage or convert? #ContentWritingChat — Rachel (@redheadrachel) September 3, 2019 Emotion plays a role in drawing your audience into your content and can keep them engaged. Plus, emotions can drive them to take action (like convert on your opt-in or purchase something.) A2: Putting emotion in your writing is critical for MOVING people. Essentially, that’s what marketers want to do. #contentwritingchat — Shelly Lucas (@pisarose) September 3, 2019 Shelly agrees, as she knows evoking emotions in a reader is key to getting them to take that next step with you and your brand. A2: Emotion is at the core of behavior change. Content can and should make your audience FEEL something (humor, fear, fear of loss, inspiration, aspiration, connection, being understood, etc.) #ContentWritingChat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) September 3, 2019 Emotion is going to make your audience feel something powerful. As Bill pointed out, that could be humor, fear, fear of loss, inspiration, aspiration, connection, and being understood. A2. Emotion = relatability. Showing you care about the topic shows you care about the reader, making the content more valuable as a resource coming from a REAL person #ContentWritingChat — Rebecca Reynoso (@G2Rebecca) September 3, 2019 It’s also a way to make your content more relatable, which will help readers connect to it on a deeper level. A2: People make decisions to start reading, listening, or watching because they’re emotionally drawn to content. They choose to continue, finish, and do your call-to-action because of emotion. It makes sense that emotion should be in your content formula. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/TQh8eqsFgq — Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) September 3, 2019 Ultimately, it’s emotions that will get people reading in the first place. And it’s emotions that will draw them in and keep them reading as well. A2: If you … Read more

40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter: Keep Your Marketing Skills Up to Date

40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter: Keep Your Marketing Skills Up to Date

Digital marketing is constantly evolving. SEO trends and content marketing strategies that worked six months ago might not produce the same results today. So, what can you do as a marketer, entrepreneur, or website owner? How can you keep up with the latest marketing strategies, the algorithms, and analytics? The answer? Follow the right people on Twitter. There’s no better way to stay up-to-date than to follow the right people on Twitter and scroll through their feeds filled with great advice. Twitter is ​one of our favorite social media platforms, but we all know there are over 500 million tweets sent out each day. No one has the time to check each account and verify the real pros from the self-proclaimed “experts.” So, to help you sift through the non-relevant stuff and get straight to the information that really matters, we’ve compiled this list of the leading digital marketing experts and publications to follow on Twitter. Each of these experts seems to have cracked the code with not only understanding the complexities of digital marketing but also putting them into practice. They are moving the industry forward with their innovative strategies. The best part? They’re constantly sharing their knowledge — all for free. What are you waiting for? Scroll down to see the list, add the experts you’d love to follow, add value to your Twitter feed, and keep your content marketing skills in top shape. Read, learn, share, and enjoy! Did we miss anyone? Let us know in the comments!   [bctt tweet=”NEW: Our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter, a list curated by @daninofuente and @JuliaEMcCoy ✨ Is your digital marketing hero on the list?” username=”ExpWriters”] How We Hand-Curated Our List of 40+ Digital Marketing Experts There were a number of factors that helped us decide on which experts to recommend for following. Our CEO, Julia McCoy, was heavily involved in the creation of this roundup. She reviewed and approved each of the people we recommend below. Secondly, two of us writers were included in the formulation: one of our copywriters, and me, Danielle, Express Writer’s Content Specialist (and everything else behind the scenes). We think that humanly created lists are some of the best lists! Next, here’s what we looked at when determining who to recommend to our Write Blog readers. First, we looked at experts in content marketing, social media, and SEO. Then, we considered digital marketing experts who are regularly invited to share their knowledge by speaking at leading conferences all around the world, and writing for consistent columns or their own blog. Instead of tenure (years in the field), we looked at recent accomplishments and studied to find people that are the most current in the marketing space. We believe that matters more than tenure. If you’ve been a marketer for 30 years and you haven’t written a single blog on marketing trends for the past six or even three months, are you even current? We also researched the pioneers and thought-leaders. What did they share on Twitter that was noteworthy, original, and outstanding? Finally, experts who’ve mastered current industry trends and are influencing future trends were also considered. [bctt tweet=”See our top 40+ recommended #marketing experts to follow on Twitter! Is your digital marketing hero on the list?   ” username=”ExpWriters”] 40+ Digital Marketing Experts to Follow on Twitter After taking into consideration the above points, we decided on the following names that every digital marketer needs to follow. These are the people who are moving the industry forward with their innovation and following them will allow you to stay on top of your digital marketing. 1. Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D Ai Addyson-Zhang, Ph.D. is a long-time college professor who is now an entrepreneur changing the space, taking the stage and teaching authentic, real practices for social media. Her passion for social media pedagogy only started in 2015 after the surprise that one of her students didn’t know what Pinterest is! She realized that not all her students were familiar with all social media platforms, and as an educator, she needed to level up and practice what she preached. These realizations inspired her to create Classroom Without Walls, a weekly Facebook Live show where she interviews experts in modern marketing to provide real, authentic insights on the industry. Julia has been a guest 3x! Catch a recap of Ai and Julia on Ai’s Medium page. Ai also built the Social Media Pedagogy Online Training course and helps her fellow educators and professors transform traditional learning by applying social media practices. This fearless and industry-changing woman has grown into a consultant and speaker, keynoting on stages and training academic and industry leaders how to apply storytelling in digital marketing. Follow @aiaddysonzhang on Twitter. 2. Chris Strub When you check out Chris Strub’s YouTube channel, you’ll notice his impressive accomplishment: He’s the first (and only) man to live stream and Snapchat in all 50 US States. This accomplishment is documented in one of his books, 50 States, 100 Days. His roadtrip-slash-social media success is only a part of his bigger achievement: helping nonprofit organizations around the US. Besides being an author and famous mobile storyteller, he’s going around the world as a millennial keynote speaker in social media conferences, and an educator offering online courses on using social media to build relationships — whether you’re a nonprofit or not. Follow @ChrisStrub on Twitter 3. Madalyn Sklar If you’re wondering how to use the most out of your social media platforms — especially Twitter — in your marketing strategy, Madalyn Sklar is your go-to person. She’s had already figured out how to live tweet in 2008 before everyone else, and now, she offers her own #TwitterSmarter Masterclass online. Madalyn also offers coaching, consulting, and speaking services for those who want “rockstar results” with their social media. She’s pretty much very active on Twitter as she’s hosting two Twitter chats #TwitterSmarter and #SocialROI every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow @MadalynSklar on Twitter 4. Brian Fanzo Brian Fanzo describes himself as a “pager-wearing millennial keynote speaker.” What is a digital marketing expert doing with a pager? What is a pager? (I … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO

This week, we had our monthly community chat for #ContentWritingChat! There was a lot of great information shared during the busy hour over on Twitter. And we’re recapping it all for you! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing SEO Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, December 12th at 10 AM Central Time to talk about #ContentMarketing SEO! ?? pic.twitter.com/4Oe0yCEmRS — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) December 5, 2017 We conducted a poll a while back to see which topics our participants were interested in. One of the topics that came out on top was Content Marketing SEO, so we made it the choice for this week. Q1: How do content marketing and SEO work together? And why is it important to utilize both? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share how content marketing and SEO go hand-in-hand and why both are important for content creators. Here are a few responses: A1) They work hand-in-hand. If you spend a lot of time on one, but not the other, then your content suffers. If you rock both of them out, you will see ridiculous returns!#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/wcYnBBVKjV — Jason Schemmel – Podcaster. Speaker. #GSDChat?️ (@JasonSchemmel) December 12, 2017 Jason knows that if you spend more time on one or the other, your content is going to suffer. It’s important to implement both content marketing and SEO if you want to see major results online. A1: They work together like peanut butter and jelly — they’re complimentary! You need both because they work together to improve each other.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/JuKtBudPeS — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) December 12, 2017 As Sarah said, they work together to improve each other. A1: Content marketing & SEO are like PB & jelly! They complement each other. Good content isn’t worth as much if it isn’t well optimized for your audience to find it. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/EQy9UxDXRc — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) December 12, 2017 Good content isn’t worth much if it isn’t optimized for your audience to find it. Keep that in mind! A1 Content marketing + SEO is like the crust + filling in a pie. You can’t have high-ROI (tasty, reader-friendly pie) unless you have a firm strategy and knowledge on how to use both. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/cEqBoTaHrG — Julia McCoy | Author. CEO. Content Educator (@JuliaEMcCoy) December 12, 2017 Julia said you can’t have high-ROI without a firm strategy and knowledge on how to use both. A1: Content marketing and SEO work together by amplifying one another. You need great content and people seeing that content. SEO is a great way to get in front of people who are looking for a solution to their problems. #ContentWritingChat — Amanda Cross (@amandacrossblog) December 12, 2017 You need great content and you need people to actually discover it. That’s why content marketing SEO is so crucial these days. Q2: What are some tips to help you create content that truly resonates with your audience? No matter what, it’s so important that your audience enjoys your content. To create content they’ll want to read and share, here’s what you need to know: A2: Get to know your audience first. Find out what information they want to learn about. If you don’t know them, you can’t be helpful to them. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/CcHvaXVOae — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) December 12, 2017 As Lexie said, it’s important to get to know your audience first. They will guide you when it comes to creating content they enjoy. A2: Create content with your audience in mind. Your audience is the boss so always pay attention to what they’re talking about and what makes them tick. Use this information and channel it into your content strategy. #contentwritingchat — Flying Cork (@flyingcorkpgh) December 12, 2017 Once you know who your audience is, you can create with them in mind. Write about the topics they’re discussing to attract attention. A2. Listen to what your audience are chatting about on a daily basis. #contentwritingchat — Cheval John (@chevd80) December 12, 2017 Cheval knows that listening to your audience is so important if you want to create amazing content. A2: Listen. You need to see what your audience responds to, what they comment on, what they talk about, what they email you about, etc. Then deliver on that consistently. #ContentWritingChat — Amanda Cross (@amandacrossblog) December 12, 2017 Amanda also said listening is crucial. You can see what your audience responds to, what they comment on, what they talk about, and so much more. That can help guide the direction of your content. A2: Your audience is your compass. They’ll point your content creation in the direction that it needs to go. Always pay attn. to their topics of interest and be willing to pivot your strategy to accommodate them. #contentwritingchat — Maria Marchewka (@_MariaMarchewka) December 12, 2017 When you pay attention to your audience, the answers will follow. Don’t be afraid to tweak your strategy to best suit them and their needs. a2 Start with knowing your audience persona – then provide content that showcases your expertise, authority, trustworthiness & how you can help. #contentwritingchat — Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) December 12, 2017 Debi knows it’s important to share content that showcases your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. A2: Pay attention to your Analytics: what’s grabbing their attention/converting them already? Expound upon those subjects and milk them for what they’re worth! Do more of what’s working.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/7lUGj80ka4 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) December 12, 2017 Sarah suggests looking at your analytics. You can see what is grabbing their attention and earning conversions. Do more of what’s working to maximize your results. A2: Ask them! Survey your audience about what #content appeals to them#ContentWritingChat — Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) December 12, 2017 If you’re feeling stuck for ideas, ask them! Danielle suggested surveying your audience to see what appeals to them. After all, they’re the best source to ask. A2: Answer questions people are actually asking about topics relevant to your business/product/service. https://t.co/6nmT8gvegf is a helpful tool for this! #ContentWritingChat — Ashley Bovin (@aruthbovin) December 12, 2017 Make sure you’re … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy

#ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy

Did you catch our latest #ContentWritingChat? We had our monthly community chat, which is when we skip having a guest host and allow our audience to choose the chat topic. We ran a poll the week before and the winning topic was Content Marketing Strategy! If you could use some help putting together an effective content marketing strategy for your brand, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled some of the tweets from this week’s chat into a handy dandy recap! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Content Marketing Strategy Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, November 14th at 10 AM Central to talk about #ContentMarketing Strategy! ? You won’t want to miss this one! pic.twitter.com/fGtQ2YRg8j — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) November 10, 2017 In Tuesday’s community chat, there were some amazing tips shared by our participants. You’ll learn the basics of a great content marketing strategy, tools and resources to help, and how to measure your success. Keep reading to check out all the advice! Q1: Why is it important to have a content marketing strategy for your brand? To kick off the chat, we asked everyone to share why they feel it’s important to have a content marketing strategy in place. If you need a little convincing that it’s worth the investment, you’ll want to read through these tweets! A1 A content marketing strategy is EVERYTHING to the success of your content. Strategize for success = succeed. No strategy = higher chances of content failure. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/3LOvG7NtnB — Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 14, 2017 As Julia said, a content marketing strategy is everything to the success of your content. When you have a strategy in place, you have a much better chance at succeeding in your work. A1 Without a strategy in place, how can you hope to meet your goals and make good progress? Your content marketing strategy should be the foundations to your campaign’s success #contentwritingchat — Iain G. Scott (@IainGScott) November 14, 2017 If you don’t have a strategy in place, how you can expect to make progress and reach your goals? Iain knows that having a strategy is a must. A1: For the same reason a compass is helpful when navigating the Pacific. You need guidance to stay on course and headed toward your goal(s). #ContentWritingChat — Andrew Roberts (@ARoberts021) November 14, 2017 When you have a strategy for your content marketing efforts, it provides the guidance you need to keep moving in the right direction. A1: a strategy helps define a purpose, brand, and breaks down the steps to reach a goal. it puts everyone on the same page. #ContentWritingChat — Independent Retailer (@indretailer) November 14, 2017 A strategy helps define the purpose of your brand. Plus, it helps you break down all the steps required to help you reach your goals. A1: You need a strategy for ANY type of marketing endeavor…need to know what you’re aiming for, after all!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/zF8WkU7GUg — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) November 14, 2017 As Sarah said, you need a strategy for any kind of marketing you’re doing. This tells you what you’er aiming for so you can stay on the right path. A1: Content strategy gives you measurable actions, cohesive messaging and makes sure you aren’t scrambling to throw together something for your community. #ContentWritingChat — Brandie McCallum (@lttlewys) November 14, 2017 Having a strategy gives you measurable actions, cohesive messaging, and ensures you aren’t scrambling to throw something together at the last minute. A1: Having a plan allows you to produce better content and align your message across various channels. Plus, it puts your team on the same page. #ContentWritingChat — TouchConvert (@touchconvert) November 14, 2017 You can product much better content when you have everything planned out in advance. Plus, it’ll keep your entire team on the same page, which is very important. A1: Content strategies are the driving force behind the channels that do the outreach. They are the how behind the what when it comes to marketing goals. #ContentWritingChat — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2017 Maureen said your content marketing strategy is the driving force behind the channels that do the outreach. Q2: What are the essential elements of every successful content marketing strategy? To get started with a strategy of your very own, you need to know where to begin. These are some essential elements you’ll want to have in place: A2: Successful content strategies are bolstered by a deep understanding of the brand’s best customers and your understanding in the market. #ContentWritingChat — Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) November 14, 2017 A great strategy all goes back to knowing who your audience is and understanding them. A2: Good research, resources & tracking. Need to know your audience, how to reach them, fulfill deadlines, & monitor!#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/7Iean2y9m1 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) November 14, 2017 Sarah feels good research, resources, and tracking are essential. She also pointed out that you need to know who your audience is and how to reach them. Don’t forget to set deadlines, meet them, and monitor your efforts. A2 Here are the four keys I teach for content marketing strategy success in my course (basic foundation, not skillsets). #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/F07ridIlxO — Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 14, 2017 Julia shared a helpful graphic of the four keys she teaches in her course! A2. Your #brand‘s goals, a timeline of when to share #content, understanding who your #audience is and what kind of content you’re going to share. #ContentWritingChat — SourceMedia (@SourceMediaCo) November 14, 2017 Knowing who your audience is, what kind of content you’re going to share, and what your goals are make up just a few of the essentials of a great strategy. A2: Target audience. Desired outcome (e.g. conversions, engagement). Platform selection/prioritization. Pipeline & capacity building; how & when is content being produced, recycled, repurposed. #ContentWritingChat — Andrew Roberts (@ARoberts021) November 14, 2017 Andrew also agrees that knowing your target audience is a must. He also mentioned that it’s important … Read more