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
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:
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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!
Kelsey started writing early in the morning, but she also enjoys writing while on the plane. The key is to figure out what works best for you and plan your writing schedule accordingly.
When making time for writing, it always helps to look to your deadlines. You want to make sure you get everything done in time, which means you need to schedule accordingly.
On the flip side, if you find yourself most creative and productive later in the day, use that time to write! For Andrea, he writes mostly during 5 PM to 10 PM.
A3: I try to save my writing for the afternoon/evening, but I agree with those who say when inspiration hits, take it! #ContentWritingChat
For Sarah, she feels ready to write once the coffee kicks in!
Q4: What are your best strategies for becoming a better writer?
Even if you aren’t a natural-born writer, it doesn’t mean you don’t stand a chance of creating something amazing. You can always strengthen your skills! Here’s some advice that will help you out:
Kelsey’s advice is to keep reading. Whether you’er reading books, blog posts, or news articles, you can learn from it. She reads or listens to about two to three books per month, which is awesome.
Jess also agrees that reading is important. She says to learn new words, study the great writers, and even study bad writers. You can always take something away from reading their work.
Ray recommends getting some feedback on your writing. Have someone else (or a few people) read over what you’ve created and provide you with advice.
@ExpWriters A4: Read – Read as much as you can. Then, don’t be afraid to find a good critique partner where you can share and learn. #ContentWritingChat
Callie recommends pushing your limits and taking on projects that challenge you. It’s a great way to explore new things and get better at what you do.
Q5: What are your tips for remaining consistent when it comes to writing?
How exactly do you remain consistent with your writing? Our chat participants shared some helpful advice:
@writingchat A5 schedule writing time as a meeting in your cal, make it as easy as possible w topic list, dictation, & good beverage #contentwritingchat
Kelsey suggests scheduling writing time into your calendar as if it was a meeting. There won’t be any excuses for not getting it done when you’ve already block off time in your day.
She also says to make it easier on yourself by having a prepared topic list, a dictation tool, and a good beverage.
A5: Going back to Q1…have a schedule! Put someone in charge of that schedule to hold everyone accountable. #contentwritingchat
It all goes back to having a writing schedule. If you have a team, put someone in charge of creating and managing the schedule to ensure everyone stays on track.
— Maria Tereza Dickson (@terezadickson) May 23, 2017
It’s so simple, but it’s the most effective process. Plan your content, create a schedule, and stick to it if you want to see results. Maria knows this is key!
A5: Set a definitive editorial charter, style guide, and content strategy–and stick to them. #contentwritingchat
Work deadlines into your writing schedule. Ray recommends setting dates you need to have research done by, when you need to draft, and so on. This will keep you on track and help you get everything done on time.
@ExpWriters A5: Give yourself some deadlines (w/ flexibility if needed), try to keep them. E.g. weekly posts on Fridays. #contentwritingchat
Tony relies on notifications to stick to his schedule. You can add your tasks to a to-do list app or your calendar and set reminders so you don’t forget anything.
If it’s a lack of ideas that’s holding you back, go out and seek inspiration. Turning to other blogs and books can be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing.
@ExpWriters a5: Write with your own original voice. Don’t be something you’re not. Don’t squish words in that don’t fit your style! #ContentWritingChat
Kelsey usually knows something is great as she’s writing it because she starts to get into the flow. She also finds editing is easier on a piece of content she already likes.
A6: After a second set of eyes has looked at it. Never publish without a second opinion. #contentwritingchat
Julia always has someone else look over content before it’s published. If everyone loves it, it’s ready for publication. If not, changes have to be made.
A6 When your content states what you want to say in the way you want to say it, it’s ready. Don’t overthink it. #ContentWritingChat
Kelsey is still searching for that perfect tool, but she’s heard great thing about CoSchedule and Trello. These are both tools so many of our chat participants rely on. She does like to use Google Docs, Grammarly, and the Hemingway app.
Asana is a handy project management tool that can also double as your editorial calendar. Evernote is fantastic for storing ideas and also for drafting content.
If writing is your business, you need to treat it like one. Jim says to create goals, milestones, and rewards to push you along the way.
@ExpWriters A8 Commit! ?? Starting out can be the hardest part. Once you stick to schedule + writing time, it gets easier as you go. #ContentWritingChat
As Julia said, you have to commit. It gets easier once you’ve settled into your schedule.
@writingchat A8: If you’re a procrastinator, like myself, set deadlines for a few days earlier to eliminate last-minute stress. #ContentWritingChat
— Michele Elizabeth (@MicheleElizabth) May 23, 2017
Michele suggests setting deadlines a few days earlier to help eliminate last-minute stress. This gives you the flexibility of having more time if needed.
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!
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.
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.
Malcolm Gladwell, the best-selling author, is commonly quoted as having said that it takes 10,000 hours of “deliberate practice” to become an expert at something. If that’s true, the more you write, the better at it you’ll be.
While there are dozens of technical or professional ways to improve your online copywriting, one of the best things that you can do to get better is simply to write more.
The more you write, the more honed your skills will be, and the more efficient you’ll be at spotting mistakes.
In addition to making you a better writer, writing more often can also help you become more visible online, since it will naturally increase your social shares and enhance your network of readers.
6. Use a headline analyzer to test your titles
One of the simplest and most overlooked tools for writers is the headline analyzer. There are several different models out there, many of which are free.
Designed to test a headline for its concentration of emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and power words, a headline analyzer takes your headline, evaluates it, and lets you know what you need to improve.
If you’re just learning to craft a great headline, a headline analyzer is a fantastic way to catch common mistakes and pivot your writing style accordingly.
Even for writers who are already professionals, a headline analyzer is a fantastic way to improve your online content and learn how to be a better writer across the board.
7. Find out which topics your readers want
Doing some research into trending topics in your industry is another fantastic way to immediately improve your online writing. Use a tool like BuzzSumo to locate trending content in your industry.
If you’d prefer to take it to the “streets,” head to a website like Quora or Reddit to figure out what your audience is talking about and what their questions are.
While most people assume that the topics they come up with are the ones their audience wants to read, the audience is the best resource for figuring out what you should be writing about.
With that in mind go to the places your audience hangs out. See what they are talking about. Once you’ve done that, bring it back to your blog. This is a sure-fire recipe for becoming appealing and compelling online.
Learning to Improve Your Content Writing Just got Easy
There are tons of cheap tips for learning to improve writing on the web.
At the end of the day, however, improving your online copywriting comes down to wanting to do it.
Here at Express Writers, we’re passionate about helping you improve your online writing. With the help of these seven tips, you can become a better online writer, learn more about the digital world around you, and grow your skills in 2017, and beyond!
Still need a bit of help managing your online copy writing needs? Contact Express Writers today to learn more about our team of experienced writers and purchase your content package now.
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 optimized content from a single source.
5. They will publish content for you, upon request
If you’re looking to be as hands-off as possible with your content, it’s easy to find a custom writing service that will handle everything from the topic mining to the distribution for you. This is particularly the case when it comes to web content like social media posts and blogs. Dozens of custom writing services handle all of the publishing and distribution for their clients, and this is one simple thing that many marketers love about hiring a custom writing service.
Expect to pay more for this – if it’s done right, you’ll get a meta description, writing, and post optimization along with publishing.
5 Reasons Hiring a Custom Writing Service Is a (Very) Smart Idea
There are tremendous time savings and ROI benefits to hiring an outside writing service.
Now that you know what custom writing services do, let’s talk about why hiring one is such a good idea. Don’t be the marketer that underestimates the importance of custom content.
As it stands right now, 90% of shoppers find the presence of custom content helpful, and 61% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a company that delivers custom content. With that in mind, it’s clear that creating custom content is not just important, but critical, for any business that wants to build success in the world of online marketing.
If you’re still in doubt that hiring a custom writing service is a smart move, consider the following points:
1. A custom writing service will make you more competitive
Today, more than 86% of B2B marketers and upwards of 77% of B2C marketers take advantage of content marketing, and while many of them have in-house content creation teams, many hire their content creation out to custom content companies. If you’ve not yet jumped on the custom content bandwagon, the chances that you’re missing out on traffic are high.
Today, consumers don’t just want custom content – they expect it. And if you’re the only company in your industry that’s not giving it to them, you’re missing out on business. By hiring a custom writing service, you can populate your site and social profiles with high-quality, original content that caters to your individual consumers and helps to boost your conversion rates across the board.
2. A great writing service will diversify your content voice
Maybe you’ve been creating content in-house for quite some time now. And maybe it’s been going well. Perhaps you’ve noticed a drop-off in reads and shares, though, and you’re wondering why. Even if you have an established reader base, keeping your content fresh is difficult, and even the most loyal customers will begin to drift off if your content becomes stale or uninspired. Because of this, it’s essential to keep things fresh and do whatever it takes to ensure quality content at all times.
Hiring a custom writing service is a great way to do this. Because a good custom writing service has a team of skilled writers rather than just one or two individuals, you get the benefit of many people putting their heads together to create unique topics and write inspired content for your company. This benefits your readers just as much as it does your brand, and can go a long way toward improving your content’s performance on all of your distribution channels.
3. An excellent custom writing service will help you stay on track
If you’re running a business or trying to get a company off the ground, you’re busy, and it can be tough to hold yourself accountable to create a few blogs or social posts each week. Unfortunately, letting these things fall by the wayside doesn’t do anything but hurt your company in the long run. Today, custom content is more important than it’s ever been before, and if you neglect its creation because you’re trying to build a functional website or fix bugs in the system, you’re going to see a drastic drop-off in your visitors and readers.
When you hire a custom writing service, though, these problems cease to exist. While running a company is still hard, having the professional help of a custom writing service can make it much, much easier.
Because a custom writing service can take over your content creation efforts and free you up to focus on things like building your product, it’s the perfect tool for busy founders who need a break. When you hire a custom writing service, nothing has to suffer for everything to come into place down the line. Instead, you get the benefit of a successful company and quality content to reflect it.
4. Learn best practices from your up-to-date writing team
If you’re a little out of touch on best practices in content marketing, a good custom writing service can help bring you up to speed. Because the writers at a custom writing company write marketing and promotional copy for a living, they’re highly knowledgeable about the current best practices and industry standards.
While it may seem tempting to throw these things to the wind under the assumption that they don’t matter, best practices are more important today than they’ve ever been before, and finding a team that understands them and knows how to adhere to them is critical.
5. A custom writing service can offer technical know-how, as well
While good writing skills are essential, technical expertise is, as well, and a custom writing service can pick up on all of the picky aspects of SEO that you don’t understand (or simply don’t care to understand). By doing things like optimizing your meta content, adding alt. text to your images, and ensuring that your targeted keywords are utilized properly throughout your content, a custom writing service can deliver quality content that’s as functional for search engines as it is for people.
A Good Custom Writing Service: Your Secret Weapon for Success
A skilled, reputable, professional custom writing service is exactly what you need to build a successful online presence and ensure that you’re providing the content your customers and would-be customers need from your company.
While it’s tempting to think you can go it all on your own, a custom writing service can take the burden of content creation and distribution off of your shoulders and help you build a solid online company with a reputation for authority, leadership, and intelligence across the board.
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.
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 on Twitter and expand our profile reach to millions of users by starting a Twitter Chat, #ContentWritingChat.
Even small, local businesses use social media as a method to broaden their reach an appeal to leads. And with so many social media platforms to choose from, it’s easier than ever to find a distribution channel that aligns perfectly with your brand’s personality and message.
Today, platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, LinkedIn, and Twitter, dominate social media marketing strategies and provide targeted and ongoing value for brands and all industries.
4. Advertising & Sales Copy
Advertising and sales copy are the curb appeal of the home, when it comes to your online copy.
While everything may be cozy and welcoming on the inside, the job of advertising and sales copy, or curb appeal, is to showcase the unique attributes of the “home” to people on the outside.
Plus, advertising and sales copy applies to companies in all industries. A Mexican restaurant, for example, may create a sales-focused a blog post designs to pitch new menu offerings, or a digital services provider may create a series of social media updates around specific products, goods, or services.
Advertising and sales copy takes many forms, from social media to blog posts, and looks quite a bit different than sales copy of yesteryear. Today, advertising and sales copy read like an approachable appeal to friends. They’re not pushy; they are not manipulative, and they’re not misleading.
Honesty and value are the names of the game in today’s online writing environment, and companies that missed this mark will find that they’re advertising and sales copy do not perform as well as they had hoped.
5. Expert Copy
Expert writing is the art collection inside the home. At some point or another, all companies need expert writing. This is higher level writing on the web. Authority figures do this type of writing, and industries need this kind of writer.
Without expert writing, companies place their authority and relevance at risk, and may even be walking out onto thin ice with Google, which has demanded expert writing with standards outlined in their Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines.
While some companies believe they can get by without expert writing, or art, these are companies that ultimately will not succeed. Expert writing is the flair that finishes the structure, and it is critical for any business that wants to be taken seriously by the readers of its content.
6. Journalism & PR Writing
Journalism and PR writing represent the first significant gathering that fills the home with friendly faces. Critical for any company that wants to get the word about its products, goods, or services out across the web, journalism and PR writing serve the essential purpose of notifying people that something exists.
Think about building a new house: if you never invited anybody over, nobody would be able to see the hard work you put into the home. Your artwork, furnishings, paint job and construction would go unnoticed by everybody but you.
What a waste!
This is where journalism and PR writing comes in. Through pieces of content like press releases, for example, companies of all sizes and shapes can “invite people in.” This can serve to enhance a business’s growth and make the business more visible online. Don’t opt for cheap PR syndication, though, if you choose to go the press release route: go to local channels instead to publicize your written PR.
7. Creative Writing
Creative writing is that wacky sculpture you love so much you couldn’t help but buy. It’s unique, specific to you, and it makes you happy every time you look at it.
Creative writing is a genre that encompasses the super creative projects companies do, and it serves to enhance and support virtually every other type of content on this list. Marketing copy, for example, can be creative. Social media, blogs, web content, and even advertisements can be creative, as well. There’s no limit here. From a tweet to a blog, creative writing can be woven in anywhere.
Take this tweet, for example. Our creative SME Krystal came up with the copy on the card, which we took to our Twitter friends as a Christmas card:
In fact, many of the top-performing companies (such as Dollar Shave Club and Poo-Pourri) have made their businesses through infusing creative writing into their online content, and they’ve done it through hiring creative copywriters, much like those outlined in our recent infographic!
8. Q&A Content
Q&A content is the user guide to your home. It’s that drawer where you store all of the instruction manuals for your coffee makers, remote controls, tech gadgets, and more.
Even if you don’t look at it very often, those things are essential, and the minute that you don’t have them is the moment that you’re going to wish, more than anything, they were around.
Question and answer content serves two important purposes. On the one hand, it shows that you are familiar enough with your own business and industry to anticipate user questions and answer them thoroughly. On the other hand, it shows Google and other search engines that your site is authoritative and relevance, and can even help you rank in the highly coveted “snippet box” at the top of Google search results. (Check out our blog on how to rank in Google’s featured snippets.)
While your entire content strategy cannot be made up of questions and answers, it is essential to keep this little drawer of instruction at your disposal.
9. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization is like a nest learning thermostat.
It operates in the background of your content and keeps everything together.
When you do search engine optimization right, it shouldn’t be obvious that you’re doing search engine optimization. In other words, standard SEO tactics, like keyword inclusion and back linking, should not be glaringly evident to your readers.
Instead, these things should serve to enhance rather than to tracked from your content. While search engine optimization is important on a technical level, it’s also one of the most critical aspects of online content writing because it helps people find what you’ve written.
One of the big components of search engine optimization, for example, is keywords. Keywords are relevant for the following reason: when people go to Google to find a piece of contents, they enter a string of words. These words are known as keywords, or “keyword phrases.” In the old days of SEO, one of the best ways to get your content found online was to stuff it so full of these keywords that there is no way readers could overlook the relation between your material and what they searched for.
Today, however, search engines and readers are more advanced, and you don’t need to stuff your content as full as a Thanksgiving turkey to get found online. That said, though, keyword still play a major role in online content.
When you include them naturally throughout your material, it makes it easier for Google to “read” your contents and match it up with user queries. This helps ensure that your content will see the light of day, and get the attention it deserves.
10. Testimonials
Testimonials are the various inspections that tell you and other people that your house is safe to live then. For example, if you were looking at buying a home, would you purchase one that had an evaluation that told you that the walls and ceilings were filled with black mold?
If you built a house, and the final once-over by the construction company revealed about the floors and walls were unstable and likely to fall in at any moment, would you feel comfortable being there, or inviting your friends to be there with you? The answer is no.
The same thing goes for your online content. Testimonials are an often-overlooked type of web content that tells other people “Hey, it’s safe in here. Come on over!” Statistics, proof that you’re worth the investment, are an excellent ingredient along with a brief, authentic “this guy is really worth his salt,” is all you need to make a great testimonial happen. Check out one that has consistently sold us, over and over, from our friend and client Matt Janaway:
Critical for attracting new customers and maintaining your current clients, testimonials are an essential piece of online content that every business needs.
The Complete Map of Online Content: How Content Writing Works Hand-in-Hand
Still a little confused about how all these types of content work together? We created a map to help you visualize it:
How Content Writing Works: A Cumulative Mission
Content doesn’t survive on an island.
Instead, it builds on itself to create a dynamic and diverse strategy. Between blogs, social media, and more, content comes together to create a solid online presence.
If you haven’t already, think of creating a consistent content presence today to boost your entire online presence, profitability as a company, lead growth, and so much more. Consistency, and integrating all the relevant parts, is key! Don’t stop at one, and don’t stop just a month in. We can help. Contact Express Writers for content consultation help today!
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.
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.
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 enhancement can work wonders for your website. With this in mind, consider recording a short product video and placing it on your product page or enhancing your “bio” or “about us” sections with images of your team, your workspace, your products, and your past successes.
These things provide a personal touch to a website, and can go a long way toward making the process more exciting and relatable for your users.
7. Keep it current.
Google loves fresh content, and this is especially essential for your website. Be sure that you’re not incurring google penalties by keeping all of your name, address, and phone number information up-to-date. This will help you provide the best experience to your readers, and can go a long way toward helping you rank well, also.
Learn How to Write Content for a Website Today
Website content is the cornerstone of all online material.
To ensure that you’re off on a great start with your website content, simply follow the tips in our blog today. In addition to providing you with new approaches to crafting compelling website content, these approaches will also allow you to put your own spin on the writing process.
