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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Getting Into a Writing Schedule with Kelsey Jones

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: Getting Into a Writing Schedule with Kelsey Jones

As content creators, getting into a writing schedule helps us to stay organized and keep on track when it comes to our work. But how exactly do you create a writing schedule that works for you? That’s what we talked about in this #ContentWritingChat! If you need a content creation schedule of your very own, this is the chat for you! Keep reading for some helpful tips! #ContentWritingChat Recap: Getting Into a Writing Schedule with Kelsey Jones Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, May 23rd at 10 AM Central with @wonderwall7! pic.twitter.com/gY1XKyLjtn — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) May 16, 2017 Our guest host for this week’s chat was Kelsey Jones. Kelsey is a marketing consultant, as well as a writer and the creator of MoxieDot. She knows how important it is to set a schedule and stick to it if you want to see results, so she shared tons of helpful advice with everyone in Tuesday’s chat! Q1: What is the importance of having a writing schedule? How can it benefit content creators? Not convinced you really need to have a writing schedule of your very own? We asked our chat participants to share why they think it’s important and how it can be beneficial. Check out what some of them had to say: @writingchat A schedule ensures that I write. As a biz owner( @storyshout @moxiedot_), writing for my own biz often isn’t priority :/ #contentwritingchat — Kelsey Jones (@wonderwall7) May 23, 2017 Kelsey knows that having a schedule ensures she actually makes time for writing. A1 A writing schedule sets the discipline of getting #content done. Otherwise, you risk procrastinating & not finishing. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) May 23, 2017 A1b Just don’t rush yourself and over schedule. ALWAYS allow time for inspiration. 1 amazing post > 10 crappy ones. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/ePNSbLHk6A — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) May 23, 2017 Julia knows that having a schedule and sticking to it is going to give you the discipline you need to get your content creation done. Without a set schedule, you risk procrastinating on your work and possibly not even finishing it. She also reminds us that we shouldn’t fall into the trap of over scheduling. Julia said to allow time for inspiration to strike. And remember that one amazing post will always beat 10 crappy posts. A1 Having a content writing schedule keeps self-imposed pressure on yourself to produce. #contentwritingchat — Jim Katzaman (@JKatzaman) May 23, 2017 Think of having a writing schedule as your own deadline. As Jim said, it adds a little pressure to give you that motivation to produce new content. Sometimes you need that to actually create something new. @writingchat A1: If you rely inspiration FIRST and only, you’ll never write. Schedules keep us productive and accountable. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/G61p3x8bbj — Shawn Paul Wood (@ShawnPaulWood) May 23, 2017 Having a schedule will ensure you’re staying productive and it holds you accountable. You don’t want to miss those deadlines you gave yourself, now do you? A1a: It gives a level of accountability, forward planning, and consistency to production and strategic thinking. #ContentWritingChat — Ray Sidney-Smith (@w3consulting) May 23, 2017 Accountability, forward planning, and consistency are just a few reasons having a schedule can be beneficial to you. A1 The importance of having a writing schedule is to keep you updated on what needs to be done. Holds you accountable. #contentwritingchat pic.twitter.com/eKDib2H3Nv — Tony Stephan (@OmnipoTony) May 23, 2017 When you’ve laid out a plan, you’ll always know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done by. This is going to be crucial in helping you stay on track with your content creation. A1: Consistency and scheduling can help combat procrastination in writing. At least it does for me. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/41eR7Ebhb6 — Rogue Jess (@JessOB1kenobi) May 23, 2017 Jess said that consistency and scheduling help her beat procrastination when it comes to writing. If you find you often procrastinate on writing, try setting a schedule and seeing if it helps you out. A1 A writing schedule keeps your purpose ahead of your pencil. No need to ask “what to write” with a strategy & schedule #contentwritingchat — Bill Skowronski (@BillSkowronski) May 23, 2017 As Bill said, there’s no need to wonder what you should write when you have a schedule and a strategy in place. Q2: When writing content, do you have a specific process you follow? If so, share it with us! How do you successfully write a piece of content? We asked everyone to share their processes with us, so take a look at what they had to say: @ExpWriters A2 I brainstorm topics, then write headers, then flush out. Doing headers 1st always helps! #contentwritingchat — Kelsey Jones (@wonderwall7) May 23, 2017 @ExpWriters A2 some of my fav tools for ideation: @BuzzSumo @ubersuggest @answerthepublic @Quora & Twitter hashtags in my industry! #contentwritingchat — Kelsey Jones (@wonderwall7) May 23, 2017 Kelsey starts by brainstorming topic ideas. She then likes to write headers and then begins creating her content. She even shared some of her favorite tools for coming up with great ideas. @ExpWriters A2 Absolutely! Attached is a screenshot of my key 5-step process, from ideation to creation, for @ExpWriters content. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/XwUXAUye4Y — Julia McCoy ? (@JuliaEMcCoy) May 23, 2017 Julia shared the five-step process that’s used to create content here at Express Writers. Do you follow similar steps? A2: Start w/idea, jot down all thoughts, perform research where needed, flesh out post. Walk away, proof. Publish.#ContentWritingChat https://t.co/PEoplJlHGY — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) May 23, 2017 Once you have an idea, jot down your thoughts, perform research, and then flesh out your post. Take some time away before coming back to proofread it. Once you’ve finished editing, you’re ready to hit publish! @ExpWriters A2: Choose topic, sketch out rough draft, pick visual/video links, write body, revise, edit, enhance, polish. #contentwritingchat — Jeremy Murphy (@jeremypmurphy) May 23, 2017 Once Jeremy has written his first draft, he selects visuals, writes some more, … Read more

Learn How to Improve Your Content Writing: 7 Easy Ways to Buff up Your Content Now

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Learn How to Improve Your Content Writing: 7 Easy Ways to Buff up Your Content Now

What’s the one thing you need to do to master a new skill? Practice, of course! This is as true with learning to play tennis as it is mastering content writing: the more you practice, the better you get. Today, content writing is a critical talent, and mastering it can help you stand out in the crowded online world. Sound hard? Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think. Just follow these seven simple tips, and you’ll be on the top of your content writing game in no time at all. How to Improve Your Content Writing: Why Creating Great Online Content Matters So Much Unless you’ve been living under a rock for all of 2016 (and maybe the decade before that, as well), you’ve probably interacted with some form of online content. Whether it was a blog, a webpage, a social media post, or even a product description, online content has touched your life in one way or another. This industry is nowhere near dying. In fact, it’s the opposite. Today, online content is one of the primary sources that humans use to communicate with one another. Sound crazy? Think about it! Regardless of what you do for work or fun, chances are that you interact with some form of digital content every day. Do you read blogs? Do you surf the web? Do you shop online? If so, you’re interacting with online content! According to Adweek: The average person interacts with 285 pieces of content every single day. This rounds out to 54,000 words (the length of a novel) and 1,000 different links – consumed daily. A whopping 63% of that content is written, while 37% is media content. If that doesn’t put the importance of online content in perspective, I’m not sure what will! Due to the rise of digital content, and the level of importance that consumers now place on it, learning how to improve your content writing is one of the smartest things you can do. How to Improve Your Content Writing in 7 Steps Regardless of whether you’re a marketer, blogger, small business owner, or just an online enthusiast, improving your content writing is one of the best ways to succeed in the digital world. Here are seven tips to help you head into 2017 strong: 1. Up your image game For most people, “adding an image” to a blog means plugging in a stock photo for the featured picture. This is not enough. Today, images make all the difference in a person’s willingness to read your content. In fact, HubSpot reports that content that includes a relevant image gets a massive 94% more views than content that is only text. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to add images to your posts. Today, there are dozens of free and high-quality stock image sites you can take advantage of. You can also hire out custom images, or create your own on a site like Canva. No matter what you do, make sure any images you include in your posts are high-quality – there should be no blurring or odd proportions – and relevant. 2. Dig deeper than average to verify facts and statistics It’s easy to fill your writing with general statements. It’s much harder, however, to go to the source and find relevant, solid statistics to back up your claims. This is one simple way to beef up your online writing. Today, it’s easier than ever to find quality statistics for any industry you’re involved in. A simple Google search with the word “statistic” at the end will reveal thousands, if not millions, of hits. Before you go plugging them into your content, however, you need to know how to determine what is a high-quality source and what’s not. One fantastic, 100% trustworthy tool for determining this is Alexa. Alexa is an Amazon subsidiary that allows users to access traffic and rank estimates based on mass browsing behavior. Alexa’s ranks are updated daily and the tool offers a quick view of sites that are high-quality and sites that are low-quality – the lower the site ranking number, the better it’s doing online. To use Alexa, just head to Alexa.com/siteinfo, and type in your target URL. If it ranks over 100,000, it’s a high-quality link that you can include in your content. Save this handy-dandy visual guide: 3. Add an infographic Right now, infographics are shared and liked on social media three times as often as any other type of content out there. For an example of how an infographic can be used in a piece of online content check, out our recent post “Five Tips for Creating Irresistibly Tasty Holiday Content for Your Readers.” This piece features the five tips as copy and designed into a fun infographic, hand-drawn and custom created in Adobe InDesign by our lead designer.   While we could have just written the tips out, HubSpot’s statistics show that people play close attention to information-carrying images. Never created an infographic before? It might be best to leave it to a pro. We offer full-service infographic creation! Visit Infographics in the Content Shop. Like any image, the infographics you use in your content must always be high-quality, relevant, and professional. 4. Publish a case study A case study is one piece of content that announces “I have arrived!” Here’s why: case studies are not something that every content writer produces. They take time, they take expertise, and they take real, demonstrable success that your clients are willing to let you share. Because of this, they are an incredibly powerful type of online content that can serve to enhance your reputation and help you land more customers. If you’re interested in publishing a case study, you’ll have to set a time frame and start paying close attention to your results. If you have a specific job or interaction with the client that you believe would be fodder for a case study, reach out to the client and ask for permission to share the details. Once you’ve done … Read more

What to Expect from a Custom Writing Service

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What to Expect from a Custom Writing Service

If you’re like most marketers, you’ve probably considered hiring a custom writing service at one point or another. But if you’re like most marketers that are new to delegating their online writing, there’s another side to that: you’re also probably not sure what to expect from working with a custom writing service. We’re here to shine a light on the topic! If you’ve ever wondered what a custom writing service is and what you can expect when you hire one, this post is for you. Read on to learn more. Let’s Define a Custom Writing Service A custom writing service is any company, individual, or firm that writes custom web content for customers. Seem simple? It is, but it’s also very varied. A custom writing service can write anything from blog content to print books, depending on what the customer wants and needs. Custom writing services are run by expert copywriters, marketers, and SEOs, and are designed to help busy marketers get the custom content they require, without the hassle of stressing over producing it in-house. Check out a short list of what we do, from our pricing page (over 40 products in our Content Shop!): To see a full list of what our copywriters can handle, check out my guide: How Copywriting Works. 5 Standard Expectations to Have with a Quality-Oriented Custom Writing Service If you choose to hire a custom writing service, you’ll be in for a unique experience. Because custom writing services are highly individualized by definition, the service you receive from the company or individual you hire won’t necessarily be comparable to anyone else’s experience. The custom writing service is there to define, understand, and exceed your unique needs – that’s the whole point! You can, however, count on a few standard protocols and methods from any custom writing service you hire. These are as follows: 1. A custom writing service will take time to consult with you about your needs To serve you effectively, a custom writing service needs to understand what you hope to get out of the partnership. For example, are you looking to populate a new site with content? Do you want to improve your leads and enjoy more conversions? Are you publishing an ebook and looking for someone to help you write or organize the copy? Maybe you’re looking to start a blog, but you don’t have time to manage it. Whatever your needs may be, the first thing any reputable custom writing service will do is seek to understand them. This information is critical for the writing company because it allows them to do the following things: Gain a deeper understanding of your company Develop a plan to meet and exceed your goals Craft custom content that caters to your corporate aspirations Adjust existing content to support your business’s trajectory When you first hire a custom writing service, you’ll want to be prepared to be as open as possible about your goals. This will help the company better serve you. 2. A great custom writing service will evaluate your current content They won’t just throw a quote at you – a good writing service will actually evaluate where you stand and go from there. If you’ve already got content on your site or blog, or if you’ve provided a layout for a bigger project, like an ebook, the custom writing service will evaluate it and reach out with suggestions, questions, or observations. This helps the writing team you select get an idea of how long you want your content to be, which topics you’d like covered, what voice you’re looking for, and what goals you’d like the content to achieve. For best results, be sure to maintain an open line of communication with the custom writing service. Remember: great writing flows easier when both of you communicate freely about the direction of the project. More tips on that in our guide on outsourcing your writing. 3. They will develop a content plan Depending on the goals you set out earlier in the process, the custom writing service will now help you develop a content plan designed to meet the objective. For example, if your primary goal was to increase your social media following, the custom writing service may design a social content plan that includes several posts each week on all of your platforms. This plan would likely include a mix of curated, original, visual, and textual content to intrigue and inspire your readers. This is a point at which you can expect to work very closely with the company. Does the plan adhere to what you had in mind? Is there anything you need clarification on? Do you want more detail about why a particular keyword is being targeted or why the use of infographics, for example, is so smart? All you have to do is ask! Any custom writing service worth its keyboards will be happy to help shine a light on these things for you. 4. Your custom writing service will optimize content for SEO If you’re publishing web-based content for the purpose of marketing or lead generation, you can expect your custom writing service to optimize it for search engines and readers. Remember, your readers come first, but SEO is vital too. Today, 81% of consumers research online before they decide to buy a product, and having content that is optimized for SEO is one of the best ways to ensure that your content appears when and where readers need it. If you’re not familiar with SEO, a good custom writing service can help you understand it more deeply. Essentially, SEO is the process of optimizing content for search engine visibility and a positive user experience. This often entails methods like keyword inclusion and meta content optimization, to name just a couple. The fact that so many custom writing services now optimize for SEO is one thing consumers love. Because today’s most visible content has all been optimized for SEO, hiring a quality custom writing service can help you remove the middleman and get professional, expert-level, properly … Read more

An Essential Guide: How Content Writing Works

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An Essential Guide: How Content Writing Works

Content writing is currently one of the most essential digital actions. The need for it, industry regardless, has virtually no limit. Talk of how content writing works, what result it produces, and how to effectively strategize around it, pops up in virtually every niche. Hospitals have site copy needs, mechanics start their own informative blogs, Mexican restaurants publish social media updates, and agencies of all types create a ton of content, from blogs, to landing pages and white papers (not to mention creating all of that x 10 for their own client base). With all this content flying around, it’s easy to wonder where it comes from and how content writing works as a whole. If you’re new to the world of content writing, the entire thing could easily seem like an impenetrable mystery, populated by highly trained professionals that you cannot access nor understand. Fortunately, learning how the world of online content writing works is a simple as understanding the mechanisms that make the process move. While it’s true that the world of content writing is complex, it is far from inaccessible. We’re here today to talk about how content writing works, and which types of content you should get familiar with to build out your online presence. Grab a coffee, and read on! How Content Writing Works: Understanding the Big Picture & How Content Types Support Each Other The first step in understanding how content writing works is understanding how seriously interrelated content creation, and its elements, really is. Today, it’s not enough to just have a blog or to just have a website. Instead, the world of content writing relies on various types of content, ranging from a PR writing to social media, to come together and create one cohesive content strategy. Without any of these different pieces, the entire strategy falls apart, and content writing doesn’t work. Here’s some of the major types of content, from our infographic last year: While it may seem like a lot of work to focus on creating 7 to 10 different types of content, the reason that each type of content is so essential is simple: each type of content, from white papers to blog posts, appeals to a slightly different segment of a company’s audience. Plus, you need content that appeals to your audience at all levels – not just at a buyer level. Not all consumers who arrive on your website are ready to buy something, and if you don’t have content to appeal to each of these groups and the dozens of smaller groups in between, you’re going to lose many of your leads, which will have an adverse impact on your company’s bottom line. This is exactly why it is so critical to use various types of content in your content strategy and to understand how content writing works, and how each specific type of content relies on many other types of content to function properly. And, not limit yourself to creating only one or two types of content. The 10 Pillars of Good Content Writing If you were an excellent blogger, but you didn’t understand how to create any other type of content, you might succeed online for a while. The fact of the matter is that there is a high demand for blogs, people love to read them, and you’d likely see some return on investment. Over time, however, your content strategy would begin to wear thin because it would be too one-dimensional. To thrive and continue from months and years, a content strategy needs enough pillars to equally disburse its weight. Know how content writing works when you understand the “big picture.” Here are the 10 top components of great modern copywriting: 1. Web Content Think of content writing like building a house. In this analogy, web content is the foundation. Web content, which includes the text on individual website pages, landing pages, about us pages, contact pages, and more is the foundational content that every company needs to build an online presence. Without this, readers cannot find the information they’re seeking about your company, and the rest of your content strategy has nothing to build on. As such, web content is the single most critical and essential type of online content writing in the modern world. 2. Blogs If web content is the foundation, blogging is the framework for the house. Blogging is a primary category of filler content that provides structure and formatting for virtually everything else you do online. Did you also know that B2C companies that blog 11+ times per month gain more than 4X as many leads than those that blog only four-five times a month? (Source: Hubspot) Aside from your company’s web page, your blog is the place where consumers can learn the most about you. Not only does it showcase your brand personality, but it also helps readers get a sense of who you are, what you care about, which topics to cover, and how much value you can provide for them, or not. As such, blogging is a highly essential type of online content writing, and when it’s done correctly, it can dramatically increase your views, your return on investment, and your overall success in the world of digital content creation. Blogs today are as diverse as they are critical. There is no one-size-fits-all format for a blog. Instead, there are multiple styles of blogs including list blogs, “how to” blogs, “what to avoid” blogs, and more. By mixing and matching these various blog formats, you can create a diverse and highly functional online content strategy. 3. Social Media Social media is the house’s furnishings and critical tools. You wouldn’t want to cook in the kitchen without a stove or spatula, and you wouldn’t want to develop an online content strategy without social media. Think of social media as a supporting player: it’s not enough for a company to only have a social media presence, but companies without any social media presence whatsoever typically do not make it very far in today’s social dominated culture. For example, we’ve been able to do very well … Read more

How to Write Content for a Website

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How to Write Content for a Website

While content has many applications, ranging from social media to marketing and beyond, website content is by far one of the most common things that people want to learn how to write. Designed to attract reader attention, provide value, and offer information, website content is the foundation of all content around the web, and it’s essential to know how to write content for a website in a fast, effective, and compelling way. To be as useful and impactful as possible, website content can’t be rushed, sloppy, or completed with only a half-hearted effort. Instead, it needs to shine with relevance and value. Here’s everything you need to do to learn how to write content for a website, and distinguish yourself from the crowd, in a nutshell guide in my #howtowrite series. Focus on Value First – Always Think, for a moment, about why people interact with website content. They’re coming to a website to find out something about a company, a product, or a service. Maybe they’re a new customer looking to learn more about what a company provides. Maybe they heard about a cool new product and wanted to learn more for themselves. Maybe they’re looking for a specific product and they want to do their research before they commit to buying. No matter what the case may be, website content is an essential vehicle for value and relevance, and it’s critical to provide this accordingly to customers. With this in mind, website content must feature a few elements that are different and more pronounced than other types of content. For example, it’s got to be more in-depth than social content, more professional than some blog content, and more personal than most marketing material out there. To put it another way, people want to learn about your company, your brand and your mission through your written material, and it’s the job of website content job to do just that. Want more on the topic of “how to write?” I wrote a best-selling book all about it! How to Write Content for a Website: 7 Steps to Compelling Material If you’re setting out to write website content, but you’re not sure where to begin, start with these tips: 1. Be original. When we say “original,” here, we mean it in both senses of the word. On one hand, the content you publish on your website should be original in that it doesn’t appear anywhere else on the web. While this may sound like a simple concept, 29% of sites currently feature duplicate meta content, so it’s wise to pay special attention to the fact that everything on your site is original, and that you’re not lifting pieces from yourself or from anyone else. Secondly, the content on your site should be original in that contains your unique brand voice, outlook, and mission. Again, people come to your site looking for relevance and information and the best way to provide them with this is to be as relevant as possible. 2. Create strong headlines. If you didn’t know it by now, strong headlines are the center of all things content, even (and especially) on your website. While the purpose of headlines is indeed to drive interest, headlines are also a good place to think about how best to provide relevance and information. Ideally, people should be able to visit your site, look at your headline, and understand what the purpose of a page is and what types of information they can expect to find there. With this in mind, creating your best headlines will go a long way toward making your content more informative, and can help boost the engagement and conversion rates of your pages. Blog topics require extra thought and care. For example, check out this list of strong headlines on SEJ – their most popular post section: Using powerful adjectives – “Ridiculously Effective” – is a great way to garner interest in your headlines. We have a list of top power words here. Looking at your competitors and using BuzzSumo to search most shared content topics in your industry is a great way to be inspired and start a list of fantastic topics. 3. Provide relevant links, prices, and information. The more information on a website, the better. If you’re writing a pricing page, for example, input links to related services and provide your users with all of the information they may need to make smart decisions. While some people believe that including things like pricing on websites isn’t a good idea, customers are often grateful to have as much information as possible, and this small step can go a long way toward boosting the functionality and relevance of your site. We have a Transparent Pricing page on our website, which clients have always said they appreciate: 4. Seek to provide answers in your website content. When you write social media or blog content, a part of the process is knowing your audience well enough to address their fears, concerns and priorities. With website content, knowing your target audience is equally important, only you have to know them well enough to anticipate their questions and answer them before the customers have a chance to ask themselves. When you do this, it helps show your readers that you understand their issues and that you’re willing to take a step into their shoes. It’s also a great way to make your pages more engaging, actionable, and targeted. 5. Be accurate. Everything featured on your website should be accurate and current. Pricing information, for example, should always be up-to-date. You shouldn’t feature outdated services or bygone facts on your website, and it’s absolutely essential to ensure that the information you do provide is as accurate and interesting as possible. In addition to helping your readers connect on a deeper level with your material, this will also provide a better user experience and a more exciting website for them. 6. Add images and video to your website pages. A picture is worth a thousand words, and visual … Read more

5 Ways to Make Your Content Better Than Your Competitors (& How We Outperform Ours)

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5 Ways to Make Your Content Better Than Your Competitors (& How We Outperform Ours)

In a world where more than 27 million pieces of content are shared on a daily basis, it can be difficult to stand out from the “content sea” long enough to get noticed by new readers. This is complicated by the fact that every business has competitors, and every single competitor wants to be stand out just as much as you do. So, you’re in a field where other businesses are likely looking to cover the same topics, news, and events as you are. That’s a tough deal. So, how do you ensure that your content is what stands out from the crowd, and you’re the one rising above field competitors? Let’s explore. Why Study Your Competitors? “Only the Paranoid Survive” If you’ve been in the management world for awhile, you’re probably familiar with Andy Grove’s famous book Only the Paranoid Survive. While Grove’s book title might seem dire, it’s actually a good lesson for anyone looking to outperform their competitors. The truth is that, in today’s world, content is competitive and in order to gain a cutting edge on the other companies in your industry, you need to be able to foster and engage a deep-seated curiosity about what your competitors are doing and how they’re doing it. Here at Express Writers, we’ve done just that. While we wouldn’t call ourselves “paranoid” by any stretch, we’ve dedicated ourselves to outperforming our competitors. Our Blog vs. Theirs: How We Outdid the Competition As a content creation company, we pride ourselves greatly on being able to write amazing content. Heck, check out this massive case study I just published on the fact of the matter: we outrank other writing companies by a whopping 5% on Google. We’re talking companies with literally 100x more funding than us. (Come on, guys, it’s as simple as using the service you provide! Actually…it’s a lot harder than that just sounded.) So, one small facet of our overall content marketing picture is to look at what our competitors are talking about, and how to do it a lot better. Check out how we did just that. Here’s a real case study of how we’ve outdone our competition: Them (Competitor): An agency in our industry field recently wrote a <500 word, general piece on “how to do content marketing for boring industries.” There was no formatting, sub headers, and it was written by a non-native English speaker (which would be okay if the writing flow wasn’t significantly off in a few sentences). Us: We took the idea we saw from our competitor as inspiration, went a step further, and first researched a long tail keyword with a viable opportunity. Using SEMrush and KWFinder, both of which are our go-to SEO tools, we found out that “guide to writing for boring industries” gave us both a great long-tail keyword and an idea for a topic. We handed this to one of our full-time copywriters, Ashley. She put a piece together for the Write Blog that was more than double the length and offered practical points that every business owner could put to use on how to create content for their online presence even if they were in a “boring” industry. Ashley talked about the actual writing content part instead of the broader content marketing picture, as our competitor did (we got more nitty-gritty): she showed our readers how to develop a metaphor, use statistics, and more. The piece included much more research, outbound/relevant and high quality links, and practical solutions. Here’s what the us vs. them looked like in the end. (Domain name removed from the competitor screenshot.) Them: Under 5 social shares. No comments. No rankings. Us: 91 social shares, a couple comments. Ready for the cool part? We be cool cats. #1 ranking for that keyword. Heck, we outdid Moz! So as you can see, in the end process we don’t just “copy” topics from others when we do study our competitors. (I don’t condone that.) We’ll go deep and look at what questions they’ve left unanswered in their content, or what’s missing from the value in the content, and how we can do it better. Sometimes, we’ll even look at the comments on the piece with questions from readers. And, we might back that up with checking to see what people are asking about on Quora in the topic; then we’ll write blogs to provide a fuller, clearer picture on the topic. As mentioned earlier, because of strategies like these, we have more content ranked in Google than any of our copywriting competitors, by an entire 5% visibility on average. In Google, 5% is a big deal. How’s that for a solid strategy? While you don’t need to lose sleep over what your competitors are or aren’t doing, it will serve you well to pay careful attention to what they might be missing within their content and how you can do it better. Here are five tips to get you started. 5 Key Ways You Can Write Better Content Than Your Competitors When it comes to scoping out your competitors’’ content, there are a few key places you want to look. These tips will help give you a structure you can develop further as you progress. 1. Keep an eye on the competition As is true with any sea, the content sea is always moving. Because of this, it’s important to stay on top of the game when it comes to monitoring your competitors. While we’re not advising that you install tracking software on their cars or anything quite that “out there”, we do advise that you use commonly available monitoring practices to keep an eye on their content creation efforts, especially in the following areas: Links. Who is linking to your competitor and which posts are earning those links? It’s easy to monitor links by using a service like BuzzSumo link alert. This service will let you know every time your competitor receives a link to content they’ve published, so you can get a feel for what is performing well and what’s not. Content performance. Of the content your competitor published in the last week or five days, … Read more

#ContentWritingChat Recap: B2B vs. B2C Content Writing: Best Practices & Strategies with Sparxoo

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#ContentWritingChat Recap: B2B vs. B2C Content Writing: Best Practices & Strategies with Sparxoo

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? You can catch up with all of the amazing tips shared during the chat with our recap. Keep reading to learn about content writing for B2B and B2C! #ContentWritingChat Recap: B2B vs. B2C Content Writing: Best Practices & Strategies with Sparxoo Join us for #ContentWritingChat on August 30th at 10 AM CDT with @emilymariemc of @sparxoo! pic.twitter.com/1Kfht7Ah1M — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) August 23, 2016 Our guest host this week was Emily Culclasure from Sparxoo. Emily is their Content Marketing Specialist and had tons of knowledge to share with us! Q1: What are the main differences between creating content for B2B and B2C? If you aren’t already aware, let’s first talk about what B2B and B2C stands for. B2B means Business to Business. B2C means Business to Consumer. There are a few differences for creating content for each of these that you want to be aware of! Here are some tips from Tuesday’s chat: A1:B2B content has a heavier focus on thought leadership to establish authority and trust. #ContentWritingChat — Emily Culclasure (@emilymariemc) August 30, 2016 A2:B2C content emphasizes benefits, such as cost effectiveness or added value, to create buzz about brands. #ContentWritingChat — Emily Culclasure (@emilymariemc) August 30, 2016 As Emily said, B2B content often has a heavier focus on thought leadership to help establish both authority and trust. She said B2C content emphasizes benefits to the consumer. A1: It’s about their audience. Everything should start with your audience, and they are different btwn B2B & B2C. #contentwritingchat — Annaliese Henwood (@MktgInnovator) August 30, 2016 The main difference is the audience B2B and B2C are targeting. As Annaliese said, you have to start with knowing your audience. A1: You’re writing for different audiences, which drastically changes the tone you use to write & content you share. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 30, 2016 Lexie agrees that one of the main differences is the audience you’re creating for. It can change the tone in which you write, the type of content you share, and more. A1: B2B usually focuses on educational content and industry knowledge. B2C can focus more on emotion, etc. #contentwritingchat — MioDatos (@MioDatos) August 30, 2016 When it comes to B2B, the content is usually focused on education content and industry knowledge. When creating content for B2C, it’s often more focused on emotion to draw in your audience. @writingchat Understanding the needs of both audiences and adapting your content to provide value for each #ContentWritingChat — Keystone Click (@KeystoneClick) August 30, 2016 Keystone Click knows you need to understand the needs of your audience and adapt your content accordingly. You should always focus on providing value, no matter who your audience is. A1 Different tones, more intensive research. Talk to the audience in their language. Use the right voice (fun vs. dry) #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) August 30, 2016 Our CEO, Julia, said the tone is often different when creating content for each. You want to make sure you’re speaking to your audience in a language that resonates with them. Q2: How does user into factor in B2B and B2C content? What are the differences? What are the differences between the two? Find out what some of the participants in this week’s chat had to say: A1:B2B buyers are often further along the buyer’s journey and seek data or statistics that prove a brand’s authority. #ContentWritingChat — Emily Culclasure (@emilymariemc) August 30, 2016 A2:B2C consumers can be in any stage of the buyer’s journey, so brand awareness and relationship-building is essential. #ContentWritingChat — Emily Culclasure (@emilymariemc) August 30, 2016 Emily said B2B buyers often seek data or statistics to prove a brand’s authority. Because a B2C buyer can be at any stage in the journey, brand awareness and relationship building is essential. A2: B2B users (often) do thorough research to choose credible biz; B2C (often) rely on emotion #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/tcFqUa35o8 — ThinkSEM (@ThinkSEM) August 30, 2016 Sarah said B2B users often do thorough research when choosing a credible business. B2C often rely on their emotions. A2: Both are looking for information, but very different info. B2B wants more in-depth info. B2C is more awareness. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) August 30, 2016 Lexie knows that both are looking for information, but they’re often looking for different kinds of information. B2B wants more in-depth information while B2C is more about awareness. A2. a) B2B needs to be more direct- a reader often lands on your page looking for a solution for an existing problem. #ContentWritingChat — Cheryl Joy (@CherylJoy2) August 30, 2016 Cheryl feels B2B needs to be more direct. She said a reader will often land on your website looking for a solution for an existing problem. You need to be able to provide that solution for them. A2. b) The ‘B’ doesn’t stand for ‘boring’ in B2B. However, the need to inform & educate overrides entertainment in B2B. #ContentWritingChat — Cheryl Joy (@CherylJoy2) August 30, 2016 As Cheryl said, content for a B2B doesn’t have to be boring. You can still inform and educate your audience without being dull. A2. But be careful in assuming that your B2B consumers have the same knowledge you do. Everyone benefits from education! #contentwritingchat — pamelahughes (@pamelahughes) August 30, 2016 Pamela said that everyone benefits from education. Don’t assume your audience knows everything you know. Make sure you’re informing them. @writingchat A2 – The sales cycle is longer for B2B, so it generally takes more touches for B2B to purchase. #ContentWritingChat — globalHMA (@globalHMA) August 30, 2016 You also want to keep in mind that the sales cycle for B2B is often longer. Make sure you’ve created content for your customer at every step of their journey. Q3: What are some tips for creating an effective editorial calendar for your content? We all know an editorial calendar is important. To help you create one that’s effective, keep these tips in mind: A:Account for seasonality and timeliness. Balance content creation and curation, and … Read more

#ContentWritingChat June 14 2016 Recap: How to Write for Difficult Industries & Make it Fun

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#ContentWritingChat June 14 2016 Recap: How to Write for Difficult Industries & Make it Fun

Did you miss this week’s #ContentWritingChat? If so, you missed an amazing discussion! There’s no need to worry though. We have a full recap so you can catch up and learn all about how to write for difficult industries. Do you need proof that Tuesday’s chat was amazing? Take a look at this! We trended at #11! Guys… seeing what I’m seeing?!? We’re in #11 spot for trending! #itwasgonnahappen #ContentWritingChat #partytime pic.twitter.com/zoX6Lpo7UZ — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 14, 2016 #ContentWritingChat June 14 2016 Recap: How to Write for Difficult Industries and Make it Fun Join us for #ContentWritingChat Tuesday, June 14th at 10 AM CDT with guest host @itskgarvin! pic.twitter.com/LehTo665jP — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) June 7, 2016 This week, our guest host was Kathleen Garvin. This was Kathleen’s second time guest hosting our chat and we always love having her share her expertise. As an editor for The Penny Hoarder, she has loads of great advice to share on writing. Q1: What are some of the craziest/most difficult industries you’ve written for? To start off the chat, we wanted to see what kind of writing experience our chat participants have had. While some of them haven’t written for any crazy industries, quite a few had. Let’s just say their answers didn’t disappoint! A1: Craziest? An EXTREMELY niche healthcare product. #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 A1: Most difficult? Personal finance. Mostly b/c I assumed it would be, you guessed it, BORING. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/uX9mtOUrHl — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 Kathleen has had to write for an extremely niche healthcare product before, which she found to be pretty crazy. She also said that personal finance was the most difficult for her because she found it boring. A1: The hardest web copy I ever wrote was for a rock hauling company. (Was writing small biz websites for @hibuUS). #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) June 14, 2016 Tara had to write for a rock hauling company. That sounds pretty weird, right? A1: Weirdest: Anal itching cream called fire in the hole. Wonder if its still around. #contentwritingchat — Danielle Antosz (@dantosz) June 14, 2016 It’s safe to say that Danielle may have had the craziest answer of all. A1: We happen to be well versed in different grades of steel #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 14, 2016 Different grades of steel? That sounds interesting. A1. a Craziest: Trash bags. (Is that an industry?) Strangling my muse for ideas after the 10th article. (Back in 2011) #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) June 14, 2016 Our very own CEO, Julia, had to write about trash bags. Does it get more fascinating than that? A1: My first paid writing gig was writing product descriptions for batteries. Yeah, that was challenging. #ContentWritingChat — Zachary Fenell (@zacharyfenell) June 14, 2016 Zachary had to write product descriptions for batteries! Q2: How can you still maintain readability and creativity when writing for difficult industries? When writing for a difficult industry you still want to make sure your writing is easy to read and creative. Check out these tips from the chat: A2: Remember the basics first: Good grammar, spelling + information. Anything less can kill your credibility. #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 No matter what, you always need to keep the basics in mind. Kathleen said to ensure you have good grammar, correct spelling, and the right information. A2: Write how people talk (no robot speak?), use images to break up text + interview interesting industry peeps. #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 A2: Write how people talk (no robot speak?), use images to break up text + interview interesting industry peeps. #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 Kathleen and Alberto were on the same page with their responses. Remember that you’re writing for people. Write how people talk, not like a robot. Kathleen also suggests using images to break up the text in your article and interviewing people in the industry you’re writing for. A2: May be boring to you but useful and informative to the reader. Address their interests and questions. #contentwritingchat — Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) June 14, 2016 @writingchat A2: Know thy reader! When you write to solve their problems, your writing becomes more interesting #ContentWritingChat — Jacob Rouser (@J_Rouser) June 14, 2016 Address the interests and questions of your reader. You want to make sure you’re adding value for them. @ExpWriters A2. Before writing, take a deep dive into particular industry and understand the business. #contentwritingchat — Hardik Oza (@Ozaemotion) June 14, 2016 Hardik said to make sure you get to know the industry and business you’re writing for. The more knowledge you have, the easier it’ll be to write. @writingchat A2 infuse a conversational aspect – don’t be overly technical, but still state the facts. #ContentWritingChat — Amanda Vera (@amnda_vera) June 14, 2016 Amanda said you shouldn’t be too technical in your writing. State the facts, but make sure it’s easy for the reader to understand. A2c) If you give you content personality, you’ll pull in readers for even some of the more dull topics. #ContentWritingChat — Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) June 14, 2016 Jenn said to give your content personality. That’s a sure way to pull readers in. A2: Try to understand what your target audience is interested in. And stop thinking you are writing about boring stuff #ContentWritingChat — Zlatka Larsen (@palkoviz) June 14, 2016 As Zlatka said, understand what your audience is interested in. Also, quit thinking you’re writing about boring content. It’s all in the mindset! A2: They say there are no boring topics… only boring content creators. 😉 #ContentWritingChat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) June 14, 2016 As Kathleen said, there are no boring topics… Only boring content creators. Q3: Industry content can require extra research. Tactics/methods for best research? If you’re writing for an industry that requires you to do some research, implement these tips from the chat: A3: Ask lots of questions + find out what other people are … Read more

#ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career

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#ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career

Did you miss #ContentWritingChat this week? You’re in the right spot, because I’ve put together a recap of some of the best tweets from Tuesday’s chat all about How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career. Ready to learn? Let’s dive in! #ContentWritingChat March 1 2016 Recap: How to Level Up Your Content Writing Career Join us Tuesday, March 1st at 10 AM CST for #ContentWritingChat with @irishtara as our guest host! pic.twitter.com/hx6687UrfO — Express Writers (@ExpWriters) February 23, 2016 This week, our guest host was Tara Clapper. Tara is the Blog Editor over at SEMrush and the Senior Editor at The Geek Initiative. (She’s also a moderator on Julia’s Facebook group: Learn Online Writing.) She joined us to talk about building your career as a content writer. Our chat this week was amazing. We had lots of new participants and a ton of energy going during the chat. It was hard to keep up with all the participation! Some of the fun kudos shared: At 11am EST, join #ContentWritingChat! w @JuliaEMcCoy and the team from ExpressWriters – the fastest minds and flaming keyboards on Twitter! — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) March 1, 2016 Wow.. I’m loving the energy, thoughts and conversation today at #ContentWritingChat!! ?? — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Thanks, @ExpWriters team, @JuliaEMcCoy & @irishtara Fantastic Learning Experience today! Well done! #ContentWritingChat — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 1, 2016 What an awesome #ContentWritingChat today! Thanks to the @ExpWriters and @semrush teams (& alums) for the support! — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 The SEMrush team was kind enough to share an offer for our participants, too: For today’s chat – Try out 2 week trial of SEMrush & generate great ideas for your writing https://t.co/h2NC3QMr9b #ContentWritingChat — Pat Whalen (@2patwhalen) March 1, 2016 Now, let’s get into the recap of the chat questions and leading answers! Q1: What are some tips on switching to a freelance career? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/7eCwr4UZT8 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A1: First tip: Lots of eggs, lots of baskets. Don’t rely on any one employer – freelance OR full time. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 A1 Start b4 you quit your 9-5! Start forging relationships, getting clients + paid work, & developing your side biz now. #contentwritingchat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) March 1, 2016 A1 A good starter article >> 5 Things Every Freelance Writer Should Know Before Typing One Word https://t.co/wk7tCqjBSi #contentwritingchat — Kathleen Garvin (@itskgarvin) March 1, 2016 Tara gave some great advice for anyone looking to switch to a freelance career. Don’t rely on just one employer. You never know how things will go and you want to make sure you have other options. As Kathleen said, you should get started NOW. Don’t quit your 9-5 job before you’ve established yourself in your freelancing career. A1 I waited 1-2 months to ramp up writing gigs + income to replace my min.wage job, then I quit everything to write. #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Julia, our CEO, didn’t quit her minimum wage job for writing cold turkey either. Build up your portfolio and start connecting with contacts first before you make the leap. A1: Learn how to negotiate. Don’t undervalue your work. Be willing to walk away if not getting fairly compensated. #ContentWritingChat — Laura Powell (@dailysuitcase) March 1, 2016 Laura gave some sound advice on staying firm to your rates, too. Q2: How do you know content writing could be YOUR career? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/IvS4HIfyLA — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A2: If you <3 side gigs, you don’t mind managing the business end of things, and writing is all you do, it’s destiny. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 Q2: you don’t know Content Writing COULD be your career, you know it MUST BE your calling, your obsession! #ContentWritingChat — Michael Stricker (@RadioMS) March 1, 2016 A2. Simple: if you LOVE to write. Passion is #1, skills can be taught. Why I’m in content marketing = love for writing #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 If you’re wondering if content writing is the career for you, here’s how to tell: Make sure you’re fine with managing the business side of things. You are going to be responsible for finding clients and landing jobs. It’s all on you! And as Michael said, content writing needs to be your calling. You must have a passion for it in order to succeed! Q3: What are key skills good content writers should know today? #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/Wl1ocoAFQ4 — ContentWritingChat (@writingchat) March 1, 2016 A3: Content #writers should know: basic #SEO, 2-3 niche topics, how to format and edit in Word using revisions tool. #ContentWritingChat — Tara M. Clapper (@irishtara) March 1, 2016 A3 How to research, good writing/editing skills, tuned in to market/audience, deadline oriented #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/fDzeZJiu89 — Grenae Thompson (@DGGT) March 1, 2016 A3: Necessary skills are self-editing, #SEO and how to engage people through storytelling #contentwritingchat — Ashby Strauch (@ashbystrauch) March 1, 2016 We got some great tips from people in the chat about what skills content writers need to have! As Tara pointed out, you need to know the basics of SEO. Taking the time to optimize your posts for search engines is so important if you want to make sure your content gets seen. (And you do!) Grenae said you also need to know how to research and be able to meet deadlines. And as Ashby said, a good content writer needs to be able to engage his/her audience through storytelling. Storytelling is key to great writing to keep your audience interested and reading until the very end. A3 First, good writing skills (grammar, nuance, flow). Secondly, online & audience optimization (ie, SEO vs social) #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 A3 Writing a good headline is essential! Practice makes perfect. I’ve written 500+ and still learning best phrasing #ContentWritingChat — Julia McCoy (@JuliaEMcCoy) March 1, 2016 Julia points out that great headline … Read more

9 Reasons Picking Up A Book And Reading It Today Will Help You Succeed As A Writer

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9 Reasons Picking Up A Book And Reading It Today Will Help You Succeed As A Writer

There is nothing new under the sun. And guess what, I am not the first person to have said that. In fact, it was written in Biblical times by King Solomon. So if nothing was new back then, imagine how much more true that is today? No matter what you write, you are not going to come up with something that has never been said before in some way—unless you are talking about exclusive news, are Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, or What will make your content great is the unique spin you put on that old concept. When you read, you experience all of the things you want to express. And once you have experienced them, you are much better equipped to share with others. 9 Quotes from Literary Geniuses that Tell You Why Reading Makes Your Writing Better Reading makes you a better writer whether you are writing a novel or copy for your latest product. However, do not just take my word for it. I am going to prove my point through copious references to the words that have inspired me all from the mouths of the greatest writers and thinkers. You won’t be able to argue with me, because you have to admit they know what they are talking about. Which means all my reading has already paid off in writing this post alone. “Genius is one percent inspiration … “ – Thomas Edison So what if the other 99% is perspiration. Even Edison recognizes that to really be a genius, you need a little bit of inspiration. That is the purpose of books: to inspire the reader. When it comes to writing, reading a book does not magically make you a wordsmith. It does not have any actual magical powers. Writing takes a lot of hard work. If you want to be a genius writer, you are going to need to put in that 99% of perspiration that Edison suggests. However, while you are putting in that hard work, do not forget that one percent. Read a book, and be inspired. That is part of the genius formula. “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” – William Faulkner George Deeb wrote an article for Forbes that says mentors are one of the most valuable resources you can get if you are an entrepreneur. Well, if writing is your enterprise, then you have access to some of the greatest mentors throughout time. Take advantage of this. Tap into the resources of the masters and learn from them. Within the pages of a book, you will find all of the secrets of writing success. What other profession allows you that type of opportunity? “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” – Oscar Wilde Believe it or not, your reading preferences reflect on who you are. What do you enjoy reading? Sci-fi, romance, mystery? There is no right or wrong answer here, but your reading choices do say something about you. They should also say something about what you write. When you write what you like to read, you know that you are pleasing somebody. And since one of the things reading does is show you that you are not alone in how you feel or act, you know that if you please one person, you are likely to please many. So read to determine who you are, then write for that person. You will find that many other people want to read the same things as you. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” – G.R.R. Martin One of the best things about reading is that you get to have an adventurous life even between all of your real-life adventures. As a reader, you get to discover things that non-readers never get to. Great writers do not just tell you what they want to say, they show you what they want you to feel. They put you in the shoes of their characters so that you are the one fighting the white walkers or becoming the mother of dragons. How does this translate into great writing? You have to be able to take your readers on an adventure. Whether you are writing the great American novel or you are selling sneakers online, you have to convince the reader that they are part of your story and that they want to continue on with you. In order to get to a place where your writing transports your readers, you have to have been transported yourself. So reading allows you to travel to other places and have epic adventures, which will help you bring your readers along on all of the thrilling sagas you want write about. “The more that you read, the more you will know.” – Dr. Seuss Reading is educational. When you read, even a novel, you learn. What you learn depends on the book. Maybe you learned about some theorem in a physics book. Maybe you learned about the Civil War in a history book. And maybe you learned about the strength of emotions between the pages of a Romance. Knowledge is never a bad thing. In fact, it is almost always a good thing. So, educate yourself. You cannot teach others anything unless you first learn it yourself. “Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours.” – John Locke If you really get into a book, you cannot help but start thinking. Great writing challenges your viewpoints and makes you question everything that you thought you knew. Once you learn to start thinking … Read more

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